The Plough Inn in Tendring

The restaurant was very busy so we had a bit of a wait for food but it was well worth it! The food was gorgeous. We had a waiter in training called Jason and he was amazing.

I would thoroughly recommend visiting The Plough. A very dog friendly place, the food is excellent, we have been there a number of times with our dog. We have eaten from the usual menu and sunday roast menu. The food is always spot on, hot attractive and tastes good. The staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and are attentive to offer more drinks and anything else needed. Excellent and worth a visit lovely location.

Moved to the village 18 months ago and can honestly say never had a bad experience at The Plough , we had a lovely meal again yesterday and the manager and staff always go above and beyond

How disappointing. We have visited here three times before two years ago and had wonderful home cooked food - not this time. The food was no better than a cheap chain restaurant at nice restaurant prices. The worst part was the dreadful customer service. There was a party going on in another part of the pub and the music and noise was so loud we could hardly hear each other speak. The staff were more intent on joining the party than serving us. We had plates cleared when someone was still eating and after that no service, we had to find someone to ask about a dessert menu, asked twice for a jug of water for the table. Our drinks were left on the bar and we had to query where they were. Absolutely dreadful. As previous reviews no one asked how the food was until we managed to find someone to ask for the bill. We then said how poor the service was and the lady spoke to the manager who didn’t come to see us but just said give them 25% off the food. That wasn’t the point but we did appreciate it but definitely won’t be returning again.

We Decided to try The Plough after they won best pub in Essex. How very disappointed we was ! We went for a  2-4-1 burger on a Tuesday.   Burgers where tough and greasy and no flavour . I asked for some coleslaw this  was very acidic .  We was not asked how our food was . I didn't eat much of the burger , when they cleared the plates I said the burger was awful and asked if they was frozen and the coleslaw was off.   The man in question went and asked the kitchen and they said the coleslaw was open fresh today ! Opened ? It's 4 ingredients . Cabbage ,onions ,carrots and mayonnaise surely the "best pub " could make this ? . I then asked about the burgers again , he said they are frozen as it's been impossible to make them recently? They tasted awful .  You can smell the dirty deep fries as well and the microwave pinging every other minute. What has happend to the "pub of the year ? ". Shame as it's a beautiful setting and a great selection of drinks . Maybe they need to focus on the food more and get more experienced chefs in.

What a gem! Stunning decor, genuinely friendly and efficient staff, especially Joel 😀 Our food was fresh, tasty and you can’t complain about portion sizes. Will definitely be back. Caroline & Lisa

Great welcome & warm atmosphere, my son, grandson , myself & their dog had a lovely time today, the Scotch Egg is so perfect, my grandson cannot resist the Plough burger, good service , try it out!

Great meal, my son said the steak was spectacular. Great service. Highly recommend. Very friendly and great atmosphere.

Brilliant staff and excellent food. Can't wait to go back.

Came here for a Sunday roast with family. We enjoyed the variety of options and dish modifications. The serving size was very generous! I loved the community atmosphere and friendly staff.

Joel our waiter was friendly and at the same time efficient. He was working very hard perhaps needed more staff. Food was of a good standard.

Food excellent and lovely staff

Food is great, Keiron must be the most attentive bar server ever met, he is always making sure everything is ok and willing to help.

Good food but service due to staffing levels were terrible. Still left a tip as were a group of 12 on a staff Xmas lunch, but had to leave before dessert as everything took so long. Table booked for 12:15, food was an hour later despite pre ordering. Had to leave to get back to work. Not that busy, just major staffing issues.

I visited The Plough today with my family. Unfortunately we had several issues. Firstly one of our glasses wasn’t clean - it had lipstick marks around the top of the glass. The food was good, but we had a long piece of string served with one roast beef meal. We waited 20 mins for the plates to be cleared, and then another 40 minutes for dessert. We ended up leaving before dessert arrived and it took another 20 minutes to pay the bill. Overall service was poor, with lots of staff standing around and very few speaking to customers. One girl serving behind the bar said she wasn’t allowed to serve alcohol. Won’t be going back due to long wait times and poor service today.

I have just got home from my Christmas Lunch at The Plough at Gt Bentley. I have to say it exceeded my expectations in every way. The waiting staff were attentive but not intrusive, all smartly dresses with their hair tied back and looked generally clean and on the whole immaculate. The food was well cooked and beautifully presented. Portion size was just about right, but I thought two brussel sprouts was a little stingy! The turkey was plentiful, moist, and tasted freshly carved. The roast potatoes were PROPER roast potatoes, not deep fried ir 'Aunt Bessie's'. The Christmas pudding was delicious. Initially, I thought the portion was a little on the small side, but it was so rich and tasty that I couldn't have eaten anymore. It actually tasted homemade. (Photographs to follow) This may seem like a strange comment, the young lady expediting was superb, I have worked in and out of hospitality since the early 1980's. If I was still running an eatery, I would have happily offered her a 50% rise to come and work for me. Orders called in a timely manner so the food reached the table piping hot. Well done! The Plough Great Food Great Value Great Atmosphere Great Bentley You have definitely gained a new extra customer! And I even got an old-fashioned 'floater coffee'

This pub loves Farage so I’m sure it will be as enlightened and welcoming to everyone as Reform is .

The burger was very good, if a little messy. I would 100% recommend. The staff were all very friendly and attentive, nice atmosphere and the layout means it wasn't too loud even though it was quite busy, ok for NDs

Excellent food ,drinks perfect,service a little slow but friendly all in all a great place to eat

We ate here on a drizzly Saturday afternoon, the pub was warm and welcoming and we were seated promptly. We were looked after by Joel who was both friendly and professional. The menu has a lovely selection to choose from and all our choices were tasty and well presented. We look forward to a return visit!

Food was lovely and the service received was very good.

It's a lovely pub for a drink, especially outside on a sunny summers day. Unfortunately, the food is a mixture of pretty good to pretty poor. I've had a chilli previously which was simple but nice. The pizzas are also homemade and taste quite decent. This time though had the burger which was disappointing - poor quality grey discs of meat, the sort of thing you get from a car boot sale burger van. Lemon meringue pudding was also underwhelming, tasted bought in/previously frozen, could easily have been from a supermarket. Expect better quality food than this for the gastro pub prices they charge.

The best garlic and herb mushrooms that I’ve had in a pub, well worth a visit!

Tasty and big Sunday lunch. Ask if you need the gravy separate. Gluten free Yorkshires would be a lovely option!

The service was excellent and the food was tasty and well presented. The wine was good (Malbec) and the table and all accessories were clean.

I came here a week ago with a family friend from America. We had the chicken forestiere and were amazed at how delicious it was. My daughter had the carbonara which also looked amazing. I would thoroughly recommend , and the addition of the new menu is definitely a great asset .

My wife & myself had a lovely meal, mains & desserts, in The Plough on a Friday afternoon. The drinks were not cheap but reasonably priced. Couldn’t fault the service from Joel, on hand, professional & attentive. We’ll definitely return. The only reason for 4 stars for atmosphere was because it was quiet afternoon. A lovely pub.

Lovely pub. Have to confess I was going to a different pub but that was closed so ended up in the Plough instead. Very clean pub with plenty of eating and drinking space especially in warmer weather outside. There is heating in the covered area outside. Had lunch, the pork belly and it was very tender and tasty. The veggies were also beautifully cooked. My only criticism might be the very limited options for cask ale. Thanks 👍

Yesterday was our first visit to The Plough at Gt Bentley. What a wonderful surprise to find a very welcoming pub with good food. The pub has a lovely atmosphere, the décor homely and chic. The staff is what made the visit special. They were so welcoming and with a smile on their face which these days can be unusual. There was plenty of choice on the menu, something for everyone. The food was cooked to perfection. I cannot fault our visit. I can’t wait to take our friends to try your Sunday roasts. Well done to you all.

Me and my Partner had a lovely Sunday Lunch here at The Plough. The service was efficient and staff was polite. The food to follow was as expected, perfect ! We both had a lovely piece of Pork Belly which was very tender, and all trimmings were cooked to perfection. I honestly can't think of a negative to my experience. I'll definitely be coming for more food and overall great atmospheric Pub !

I have been plenty of times for what used to be a lovely little lunch spot but the last two times I have been I’ve been very sadly disappointed The food quality was awful for the light lunch menu. The bread was cheap which come with the eggs and avocado And the chicken skewers was very poor for £10 Quite sad to see such a lovely place go down hill. Tables very sticky and poor service with a gentleman who was very sweaty and rushed off his feet

Great Sunday lunch with lovely people serving, very friendly and very attentive! Sunday roast was excellent and the steak pie was probably the best I have had!

We sat out the back in a beautiful what seems to be extended patio/ barn style area. It’s a Sunday so of course we all got roast dinners. I went for trio of meats and they was all superb, as was the rest of the plate. We booked for 14 adults and 10 children only this morning and it didn’t seem to be an issue at all, even at such late notice. Beautiful pub, great food, and lovely staff from what I’ve seen. Would definitely recommend to anybody in the local area..

We found this place early this year, and we were very impressed! We went back a second time and it was still as good, however, our third visit (a very special occasion) in September was completely different and a major disappointment to us all. The portion sizes had shrunk by half (no exaggeration) and the food just had not been prepared with the love and pride of the previous offerings. Instead of pads and pencils for taking orders there are now tablets (eye roll) which are slow and look difficult to navigate. We couldn't help but wonder whether new management was at the bottom of these changes and disappointments, but we won't be going back to find out, sorry.

Went for lunch was greeted when went into friendly and polite. The setting was great had a good feel and subtle music playing in background. All the food was beyond expectations well presented large portions and a great quality. I have a nut allergy and I feel that they went above and beyond to deal with this thank you Sarah . Would definitely recommend and return.

We went for dinner on a quiet Tuesday night but the food and staff were all very welcoming and the food was excellent. We had Joel (I believe that was his name) as our waiter and he was very attentive, polite and a nice guy. would highly recommend.

Excellent Breakfast, great value and friendly service. Well worth a visit.

Wow! I had the scotched egg for lunch and it was cooked for perfection. Saba who served me was really nice and friendly. The egg was cooked just the way i asked for it to be! I ate it too quickly to take a picture!

A nice local pub that serves great food, fantastic bar staff and a very wide variety of drinks to choose from, would highly recommend this old fashioned pub with a modern twist, entertainment is always on at weekends so a great place to visit

WENT TO THIS SPOT RECOMMENDED BY FAMILY . OMG. AMAZING FOOD THE WAITER TOLD US HE HAD TOMAHAWK STEAK. ONLY 2 PIECES. I’M FROM AOTEAROA NEW ZEALANDER MY PARTNER IS A LOCAL LASS, BUT WE BOTH RESIDE IN AUSTRALIA PERTH, I’VE TASTED STEAK IN AUSTRALIA ALL OVER BUT ITS QUIET BLAND, l’VE HAD STEAK IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND THAT IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THE CHEF AT THE PLOUGH IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTER. YUMMO. HE COOKED OUR STEAKS TO UTTER PERFECTION. MEDIUM RARE. BEAUTIFUL, JUICY & SUCCULENT. THE ACCOMPANYING OF THE TOMATOES, MUSHROOMS AND PEPPERCORN SAUCE WERE NEXT LEVEL, FRESH FROM THE GARDENS FROM THE PLOUGH ITSELF IT SEEMED LIKE. My PARTNER HAD THE PORK BELLY WITH VEG AND YORKSHIRE PUDDING, SHE SAID THE YORKSHIRE PUDDING WA LIGHT AND FLUFFY AND UTTER DELICIOUS. AND THE PUDDING WE ORDERED AFTER THE MAINS, ALL WE COULD SAY WAS WOW. TO TOP OFF THE HIGH LEVEL OF FOOD WAS THE SERVICE. WAS NEXT LEVEL SERVICE. IT WAS IMMACULATE SERVICE BY THE STAFF. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE ABD WILL BE BACK.

Came for Sunday dinner on the 18th. The food was great however the service does need some work. We waited over an hour for the mains to be served. Management did apologise and offered some bar snacks to keep us going which was a good idea. It was great having a live singer this created a good atmosphere. Nice to see the singer interact and move around the pub. Would come back again as this is now our local pub. Please work on the service maybe stagger bookings so the waiting times are not too long. We weren’t the only ones left waiting for food.

Very good pub grub plus and great choice of beers

We usually go in for dinner on the day of the bike meet (Wednesday). Last week we had a sharing plough platter and it was lovely and we hope to of had this again this week but they had changed the menu and this was not available. Hubby had the burger and I had the hunters chicken and both of our meals were very disappointing :( hubby's burger didn't have any flavour at all and the chicken was so dry that it was very hard to eat and swallow. I am sure that if they had the plough sharing platter we would have enjoyed allot more but based on our last visit we will not be going back for quite a while.

Good bike meet on the green every Wednesday April till September 👍 😎 😎 😎

Excellent pub. Friendly bar staff. Good beer. Lovely meal.

Great food, service and price. Had the fish n chips it was the best by far x

We had booked a table for eight people Service was slow after we ordered drinks and food . Drinks were not delivered to table until after 20 mins later and food over 45 mins . Not impressed by the food everyone commented on their meal, for us who had the pie it was well over cooked you literally needed a pick axe to cut through the pastry , the veg helping consisted of three carrots and two pieces of broccoli and that tasted off being slightly yellow . The gravy was like water , the rest of the party ordered roast that wasn’t much better , little veg, watery gravy and a little trio of meat . There was no taste and very bland . All meals were not hot and barely warm . Very disappointed and embarrassed as we had picked the pub as an old English looking venue , the menu listed and for family visiting from overseas . Will certainly not recommend the food and not worth the price . Staff were friendly enough but the whole experience was a let down , Also noticed not enough choices for a vegan option on the menu.

Went for an extended family get together. The location is great, right on the village green with cricket on the go. The services was fairly poor though, had to keep calling the waiter to take orders for drink and food and was really slow. The food was average for the price.

A Beautiful Pub with Excellent Food!! & Great Customer Service By Ruby . 110% Recommend, very friendly Relaxed and good facilities..

Went there for birthday meal, booked online and specifically stated that my week old grandson was in a pram, when we got there there was nothing in the diary, despite receiving an email acknowledgment, a waitress was overheard saying that the reservation boards had not been out, they then tried to seat us at the back between 2 long tables filled with people who were not eating, we could not get through with the pram and would have trapped us there! No one seemed concerned and we were made to feel embarrassed, there was no apology or effort to find us another table other than a small one by the door, very bad customer service, we have sent a couple of emails too with no response! Obviously do not care about their customers ! To be honest spoilt my birthday as it was our first proper outing with my grandson!

A spacious pub/restaurant where the staff are welcoming and the chef is amazing. An extremely full and varied menu of succulent dishes and sauces to cater for all tastes. Always happy to eat at The Plough. Too many dishes to recommend, suggest you visit to try them.

It was my first time at the plough last night, I can honestly say I was truly impressed service brilliant and the food was outstanding, well done to all at The plough for making it a lovely evening I will be returning

Eaten here twice now, food from the main menu is lovely and as a large group we enjoyed it all, the sunday roast was sadly average I had a 3 meat roast, the beef was a bit dry and the belly port was not crispy or even attempted to be so more like a dollop of fat! The cauliflower cheses was really mushy. Deserts were all Nice. I will defo be back but not on a Sunday

Very limited parking. About 4 spaces, though you can park on the street without paying. Staff were nice enough but the customer service is lacking. When ordering food, I asked for no tomatoes and I got tomatoes. Asked for lots of ice and got the usual amount. When the food came, there were no condiments. On asking, was told they’re on the tables. Wouldn’t be asking if they were readily available. In fact, none of the tables where I was sitting had condiments other than vinegar - to then be told they’re actually in a different part of the pub - which I went and got myself. The beef patty was so overcooked, it was rubbery. The bun was dry. The food was more miss than hit. The phone reception is absolutely awful which I accept is not the pub’s fault. Asked about WiFi and was told the password for a network connection that didn’t exist.

Went for a bike meet with friends, great pub, great garden, food looked amazing, didn't try this time but will next time, very friendly staff and a great experience 👍

Good visit ,first visit, will go again when in the area.

Very nice food in a lovely pub garden.

Good food and great atmosphere.

Very nice food staff were very friendly

Well went here yesterday and have to agree with previous reviews on food quality we ordered 2 burgers at 15.95 each and have to say it was the worse burger I have honestly had it was not what I would call a quality meaty tasty burger it was a processed low quality burger no doubt frozen and dripping with grease it didn't have a nice flavour at all I hate macdonalds but would say their tasteless burgers are better quality than what the plough offers up I had the worse belly lastnight yes the place looks nice but the food is way below par the squid was like elastic bands also with zero seasoning like the burger and onion rings batter with zero flavour if they get these burgers from a butchers it must be from wish as in my eyes it was a way overpriced bootsale burger

Mushy peas wasn't the greatest. Overall the food quality and taste was good. Service was on point and so were the drinks. One of the better pubs we have been to.

Food was great and very good portions. Steak cooked to perfection. Highly recommend a visit. Service was great and very friendly staff.

Nice place just a bit expensive £6 a pint is a bit much imo

Really enjoyed our visit. Will certainly be back. Thank you.

Great food Great service reasonably priced

Fantastic village pub serving great, well cooked food. Extensive choice of beers and staff are really welconing and helpful. Highly recommended

Nice clean, friendly ,mind the step on entering

Had a wonderfull meal with my family. Food was top notch and such lovely friendly and welcoming staff. Very helpful to us, especially in making sure my daughter was comfortable, as she has 2 broken ankles. A huge thank you!

Enjoyed a fantastic Sunday lunch with friends at the Plough yesterday - with entertainment included.

Great village pub, service, drinks and food all top notch. Will definitely be coming back. I had the pie of the day with chips and it was all freshly made food, served with a smile. Thank you very much.

Gorgeous food, plenty off. Very busy and in a lovely location

First time visiting very busy. Lots going on. The only downside was that the toilets kept getting blocked 🚫

Proper Essex pub, full.of laughter and chatter, banging atmosphere

Another great eatery that allows dogs. Good selection of beers and cask ales. Food very good and not badly priced. Staff are friendly and so happy to see the dogs, offering biscuits and water.

Really really disgusting food. Processed inedible in the burgers and horrendous value for money. Think weatherspoons but a bit worse (genuinely being serious) but 10x the price. Cheap tacky awful. Please do not go here.

Had a great day here today for Mother’s Day, the manager even added 2 extra relatives for me at the last minute. Food and service was great. George Michael act was so good Even got a few free Mother’s Day cocktails, Great place, would highly recommend Been here a few times now and never disappointed xx

Customer service not brilliant, but food good

Good independent beers, good service and comfortable environment. Very much recommended.

Fantastic Sunday roast , great service, and very good price. Starters, mains, and desert wow amazing, will definitely be back

Only had drinks in here not food. Lovely old English pub. Great service and good choice of beers. Very comfortable and friendly atmosphere.

The best Sunday roast I've had in years. Great quality hot food and plenty of it. The staff were friendly and efficient and there was a good choice of drinks. We will be going back and soon. Thank you to the Chef and waiting staff for a fabulous Sunday lunch.

4 of us stopped for a meal on a Saturday night, (on the door a poster says closed at 7 for a private function) Sat down for our meal. The pizza we had was sloppy and just tasted of tomato, the ''Crispy pork belly was not Crispy but soggy, and was plain. The we had was OK but nothing more, after we had the meal (6pm) we asked if we can have another drink and go through to the bar area outside and they said that was fine so ordered drinks and paid the bill then 3 members of staff proceded to tell us we can't sit there, if we had known this we wouldn't have brought another drink, so alert spending £150 we left throughly disappointed, we come here often and its such a shame to have to deal with this, and hope changes can be made...

Very nice staff but food was really poor.

The plough a great bentley first time i've bin there extremely good i had toad in the hole which was really enormous so thank you very much

Just to say a huge thank you from the RDMG for a fantastic buffet last night, 8th December, amazing. The staff were attentive, food was exceptional and professional and the Christmas atmosphere was brilliant See you again in 2024, Merry Christmas and a Happy New from us all x🎊🥳🎉🥂🍾🍺

Food was fresh and hot and the staff are friendly. The atmosphere is also good.

So glad to have The Plogugh as my local. Great choice of beers, fantastic food, friendly service, spacious beer garden for the summer and warm heaters for the winter. Perfect👍🏼

Standard pub grub, but done really well, good beer selection.

Get the right bar staff and you get served without having to shout and wave.

Food was excellent. Nice clean pub. Staff lovely. Not too overattentive. Just how we like it. Well done

Absolutely banging full English.

Party of 13, amazing food, great service... perfect meal!

Excellent Sunday roast celebrating Christmas early with two family’s we could not fault anything and I’m fussy when it comes to a roast dinner out, everyone was perfect lovely beef, lamb shank, chicken and pork belly hug Yorkshires and crispy toast potatoes. The waffles were to die for and they had to deal with dairy free and vegetarian’s options in our party and a 19 month old we all thoroughly enjoyed our food, company and the atmosphere of a village pub. Thank you the Plough Gt Bentley from The Hale’s & Baverstocks.

Went for a Sunday roast. A little disappointed as the potatoes seemed like they had been sat under a heat lamp for some time and the stuffing was rock hard (Vegetables where amazing though). Ordered two Crumbles and custard but sent both back as one looked like it had been briefly shown the oven and the other was all powdery and didn't seem like it had been anywhere near an oven at any point. Shame because we have been here many times for other meals and never been let down. I suppose we all have good and bad days but consistency is always appreciated.

Nice food good staff.. no to pricey..

Beautifully decorated and the menu looks good. Unfortunately our first experience at the bar made us go elsewhere. The Barmaid came over to us and just cocked her head, no welcome, hello or smile. We ordered two drinks, which she poured, then just entered the total into the card reader without telling us the total. She held it out to me (still no words were spoken) expecting me to tap my card while still talking to her friend. I tapped my card, then nothing. I volunteered a “has that payment gone through?” And she looked at me and just said “yes”. As we walked away from the bar, I said “you are welcome” to note that no please or thank you had been said. After which the next five minutes were her glaring at us while telling her friend and the other bar person how rude we were. Needless to say, we (didn’t) finish our drinks and drove on to the next local pub where we could buy some food without the attitude. Very disappointing.

It's not the first time that we've visited The Plough as we have family that live in the village, but today was a dissapointment. We called in for a Sunday Roast just after 4, yeah probably a little late if you're busy early but still. What we actually received was nothing like the description. No roast beef, just a steak sliced up and placed on top of a few roasties and a few lacklustre veggies served up in a bowl. The menu states lashings of gravy, well we had to ask for an extra gravy boat to add a bit of moisture to the dish. The stuffing listed on the menu was none existent. If they had run short of ingredients I would have rather been given the option of choosing another dish rather than being served up something close that misses the target. Very dissapointing, probably swerve this for Sunday dinner, buy yourself a joint and cook yourself.

Great improvement from my last visit some years ago. It was a lunch time meal so the ambience which I suspect is different from an evening visit.

In my opinion this is the best pub around. My family is always made to feel welcome, the food is lovely and the staff are fantastic. Ren, Kieran, Maisie, Liana, Rebekah, Paula and all the other girls are amazing, friendly and are always working hard. The rear garden is an attractive part of the pub which provides you with an added area to socialise and is maintained very well. The owners are present and they mix with the customers which is nice to see. The Plough sets an example of how a “local” should be and my family and I never tire of visiting. 10/10 pub that ticks all the boxes!

Fantastic food was going to lick the plate but got told off. great staff and dog friendly too, definitely will visit again