The Riverside Inn Restaurant in Chelmsford

Great friendly venue, good food at fair prices.

Very convenient location for Chelmsford

For me the Riverside Inn is an ideal location which understands some customers prefer to drink real ales. It tries to have two such beers on offer while providing a decent range of lagers, spirits, wines and non alcoholic beverages. The Inn's menu is worthy of attention and favoured by many who visit it. There is a good sized beer - garden on offer too and while the building has a disabled - ramp it does not have its own carpark, albeit there is a public carpark directly opposite it. A very good place to socialise which on days when a significant sporting fixture is being shown on television, it can become heavily patronised. Apart from the occasional member of staff changes, the Inn consistently remains a decent venue to meet with friends or just have a reasonably quiet beer or two. Although it should be said there can be times when football matches are being shown and some fans find it very difficult not to show their elation, or frustration, at what is happening on the field of play.

Only been to the pub as I live local. Good pub near town with good grub. Nice beer garden by chelmer riverside.

What a gem of a place! Staff amazing, room beautiful, clean and very comfortable! Everything you need to have a relaxing stay , honestly glad I didn’t book another boring, predictable premier inn!

Excellent drinks at the bar. Good service 👍

Chose the pub as it was close to where we were staying. Pleasantly surprised. Tapas was excellent - shared nine dishes between three and was plenty for all. Good choice of beers with great soundtrack in the background meant we didn't have to listen to the football commentary. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

My friend and I visited for drinks and lunch and both of us rated this lovely place 10/10. The food was amazing - I had the tapas which was authentic and great value at £20 for 4 dishes. The staff were friendly and helpful and we had a lovely afternoon in the sunshine. Such a unique venue! Well worth a visit! We will definitely be going back!

Love the riverside inn. Best beer garden in Chelmsford. Family have stayed in the rooms when visiting and had great night's sleep. Watched a few euro games and atmosphere was electric.

We stayed for one night in this amazing old building with a great outside space. However, the interior and bedrooms are in need of a well overdue makeover. Our room was dark, poorly lit with old, ringed furniture. The coffee machine was broken and windows dirty. Guests had their own key fob to access the inn independently but we had to walk past bad smelling toilets and out into a doorway which was unswept, dirty and unwelcoming. Sadly, we would not recommend a stay.

Good food, good spot in town. Staff excellent.

Great riverside pub in the heart of Chelmsford. A very short walk into the city centre and only 10 minutes walking from the station. Pay and Display car park directly opposite.

Lovely food & nice beer garden on a sunny evening.

Perfect for sports on big tvs all around the pub

Big rooms, nicely decorated and very clean apart from windows. Cycling highlighted as a local activity but no cycle storage.

Recently changed to over 21 years old on weekends. Stupid decision will not be back.

Lovely beer garden, reasonably priced drinks, and clean establishment. Nice place to catch up with friends/family.

Me and my friend stayed overnight, in room 4. It was very spacious and clean, tea and coffee and biscuits provided. Would have been 5 stars however at 01:50 its sounded like there was an elephant tap dancing above us and woke us up for about 10-15 mins. Its an old place with wooden beams so its creaky but as there was only 4 rooms im assuming it was the owners above, not sure what they were doing at 2am. If your a light sleeper i wouldnt recommend. I would stay again. We had a drink in the pub was friendly and the chips were really good.

Lovely little pub, been going for years, always friendly staff and the kitchen turns out some tasty snacks!

Lovely food, friendly staff. Nice place to sit next to the river. Definitely will go again.

We didn’t eat here but stayed overnight when we were in Chelmsford The staff were friendly but the hotel room needed some TLC, I could understand the furniture being as it was as it fitted with the old style of the building but the paintwork needed work, the bathroom needed grout cleaning and the bath was marked, but mainly the bed has seen better days and was so so soft. They don’t use mattress or pillow protectors but when I went down about this they did provide a 2nd sheet . As the bed was so soft and old mattress we didn’t get a good nights sleep but as we left early we didn’t see anyone as the pub was closed and only a number for out of hours in the corridor. Also when the pub is closed you have a separate entrance which is a good idea and good that they have the fob access but they need to clean the doorway up as dirty, worn paint and birds obviously use it so not a welcoming entrance or exit.

The room was lovely, good size and comfortable, old beams are a great feature, furniture could do with a lick of paint but nothing that effected the use of the room. Creaky floorboards outside door and upstairs, I guess to be expected with a building this age. Varied menu in the restaurant/pub, not the cheapest but food was nice. Decent sized pub garden. Fantastic location for Chelmsford city, we stayed here to get married at the County Hall, 5 minute walk. Parking not ideal as you have to top-up the charges over night but reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend this Inn and would stay again.

Lovely pub garden, great selection of drinks

Myself and my family stayed here the night before my wedding,and the night of the wedding. The rooms are all lovely,I got to see them all. Very comfortable beds. The rooms are all very clean. Each room has plenty of complimentary tea/coffee,biscuits & cereal bars. The staff were excellent, very welcoming and also gave us a bottle of bubbles to celebrate our wedding. We would all stay here again. We really enjoyed our stay.

After dining out, we visited this establishment for a beverage. The staff was cordial, and the food that other patrons were consuming appeared appetizing. There are numerous seating options both indoors and outdoors. It is an ideal location for couples or gatherings with family or friends.

We popped in for some food and a couple drinks and we were not disappointed. We both had nachos and a garlic bread to share. The portion of nachos is massive and they are delicious as homemade and not generic shop bought tortilla chips. It was very clean and smart looking with a chilled out vibe. We will definitely be returning

Lovely hotel very clean and spacious rooms and very close to the centre great location.

If I could give it six stars I would… outstanding and friendly service and a lovely large beer garden on the river. Many TVs for sport and a great food menu with lots of choice (great vegan and GF options as well!!) A top recommendation for a place to go in Chelmsford.

Stayed here prior to running the marathon in London this year. Really nice atmosphere in the pub and garden. Show sports on the tele which is a great added bonus. The rooms are really nicely decorated and incorporating the 400 year old building really well. As you would expect from an old building it has it creaks and quirks!

The Riverside inn is a great pub! It has a lovely beer garden with a beautiful view of the river. There’s always a great atmosphere here, with great choices of drinks and fantastic food!

First time visit on a hot sunny day. Obviously very popular with a garden area and lots of seating, but we found a table. Good range of beers, efficient bar service, clean toilets. We didn’t eat but saw food being taken to tables.

This is such a beautiful pub and situated right on the river. The only thing that let it down was too many staff interested in their phones rather than serving

I’ve been a welcomed regular customer since lockdown lifted. I removed a previous review after being warned about comments that I made because I thought that we could discuss it in person. I have since spoken to management and I have been informed that by complementing staff on their appearance and providing feedback positive or negative is I quote ‘abusive behaviour’. For this reason they will lose my custom as there are many other establishments in the Chelmsford area. I cannot recommend a bar that will not accept feedback or engage in banter. They seem very sensitive.

Lovely bar area and restaurant. Food was pretty good too. Service definitely lacking I’m afraid. When we booked we were told they would need the table back after an hour and 45 minutes, which was fine for lunch. Took our drink order and returned quite quickly with the drinks to take our food order. All good so far. An hour later, we were still waiting for it food so I decided to go to the bar to get another round in-no sign of waiting staff. Politely asked at the bar while ordering if our food would be coming out any time soon and I was told it will be out shortly. Which it was, about five minutes or so later. Staff came as soon as we had finished to take dessert orders. We were told that he would try to get them to us as soon as he can as they needed the table back at the time we were told. I pointed out that we waited over an hour for our meals only to be told we could go and eat dessert in the garden. Sure enough, three members of staff appeared at exactly the time they wanted the table back and stood around us as we just finished eating. We felt we had to go at this point so started to put jackets on. With staff watching. And a service charge already added to the bill that I was going to ask to be removed but one or two members of it group didn’t want to ‘make a fuss’! Will not be returning.

Great location a long the river and a 5 minute walk to Chelmsford Town centre. Decent amount of beers on tap and even more available in bottle. Will be a great venue in summer. However, be ware. The place is a death trap for anyone talker than 5 feet. So watch your head.

Visited here for a few drinks. Lovely place. Good selection of drinks and nice atmosphere.

Such a great stay in this room. The pub is super lovely and the staff was very helpful, even though I showed up very late in the day for the check-in. Very comfortable, great commodities and also very well located, walking distance to the train station. I will certainly come back if I have the chance and would 100% recommend this place

I've just had a good evening catching up with a friend in this pub, I haven't been here for 20 years and although it's changed a lot in that time, I'm happy to say that the warm and friendly environment has stayed. They have some large TV's for the sports fans, the decor was very nice and tastefully done (much better than I remembered) and the food was delicious. Can't fault the place on a Thursday night. I was very impressed and looking forward to coming back again soon.

Good atmosphere, nice Sunday roast ,good value , good service , Parking just opposite the pub , that’s good value, will visit again .

We dropped in with our dog whilst walking home from Saturday shopping, what a treat. A pint of Adnams, brandy and coke and a bowl of water for the dog. As soon as we walked in we were greeted with a warm smile. We were offered a number of placed to site and chose a table earish to the bar. Good job we arrived when we did as the place soon started to fill up. Even though they appeared busy, the staff were very attentive. Our order came much quicker than I was expecting, especially with how busy they were. Whilst we did not feel rushed at all, we managed to enjoy a very tasty veggie burger along with a chicken burger, excellent fries and two rounds of drinks, all in well under an hour. A stunning old mill, a mere 5-1] mins from the City centre. Looking forward to a return visit, might try the outdoor space overlooking the river.

We got a seat just before the dining area started to fill up. That aside, once we ordered were were not waiting too long for our veggie burger and chicken burger. Really nice quality with a generous portion of fries. Two lovely pints of Adnams and a brandy and coke. For what we had and the warm welcome we received when we walked in with our dog, we will make sure the Riverside Inn is on our dog walking route of the future. Great value ....

Very nice pub, lots of space and very nice and friendly staff

Food was brilliant, Service was fast and staff were very helpful. Definitely will be returning. Felt Covid safe.

Three of us had lunch here during the Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Our booking appeared to have been lost but the place was almost empty so that didn't matter.We ate outside and had scampi, fish & chips, and hunter's chicken which were all fine.We had desserts too and the cheesecake was delicious.We'd happily eat here again in the future.

With the above government scheme I have use this opportunity to out restaurants i wanted to visit.Our party of three had dinner in the beer garden for social distancing for harty pub food. The food was good, on time though some of the stff did not look that happy. Trying times for us all at the moment.

Reserved a table for Sunday lunch today. Left my name and a contact number in case any issues. Went there today with my family who had travelled far to visit me after lockdown, only to find that it was closed due to flooding. No contact was made to inform us of this and so was very disappointed, a phone call would have been appreciated so another reservation could be made elsewhere.

Thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday roast at the Hare with friends. We were quickly sat and served drinks which we were worried about because the car park was full! You could see how busy the staff were but this didn’t effect the service at all. They were rushed off their feet at one point but you can see they all work well together and carried on smiling. Hats off to our waitress Stacey, she is a credit to you. She is so friendly and efficient; nothing was too much trouble. The Beef was cooked to perfection and the service couldn’t of been any better so we will defiantly be returning.

Was looking forward to a couple of days away with my partner. The Riverside Inn was our choice. The old beams and low ceilings were lovely and our room was very nice. We came and went as we pleased. We had nothing to put on the door to say do not disturb so just thought they would do the room when we left. This was not the case and went we got back after lunch on the second day someone had been in our room. We was not happy with this. I think you need to leave door hanging signs so people have a choice about whether they want the room cleaned or not !!!

Got a Caesar salad and sea bass. The Caesar salad didn’t appear initially to have Caesar salad dressing but as I ate more it Irealized there seemed to be some very thin coating of a dressing on the lettuce and it tasted good and was probably healthier without the dressing (would still have been nice to have some on the side but that’s only a minor gripe on a great salad). Got the sea bass next and it was perfect, the sauce was delicious and the new potatoes were beautifully soft and tasted great with the sauce (some people like potatoes to be cooked al dente...I am not one of those people). Was a really nice dinner and would definitely recommend.

Wow £23 for an over cooked , tiny sirloin , with greasy chips for me and a defrosted haddock for my wife ... in a freezing venue , which is nice in the summer am sure but not today... and all for £80 for the 2 of us.... seriously the worst steak at that money I have EVER had and I run a small pub in Suffolk ... very sad that people can serve such rubbish at such a price ... we recently ate for 4 at the same price and food was amazing at a local pub... service was ok , but took ages for a soup and pate starter.... very disappointing

We booked to stay on the 15th February and were really looking forward to a rare night out .Upon arrival we walked into a private function which we were not told about (these things happen but would’ve liked to use the bar/restaurant)When we got to our room, room 5 we were immediately unimpressed the room felt dirty and scruffy ! I went to put some bits in the bedside cabinet only to find a pair of underpants which immediately said to me that the room has not been cleaned properly !We have since emailed the Riverside inn twice about this and we haven’t even been acknowledged with a single reply to which I think is down right rude (especially after paying £95 for a massively overpriced room) Think twice before considering this hotel !

My partner and I visited here last night, was a lovely modern boutique room with plenty of space. Including its quirky characteristic features, and great location to the centre just down the riverside. Followed on later with a very generous surprise from the owner; a bottle of bubbly awaiting us on our return. Definitely would recommend and most importantly stay again.

We visited on a Friday night as a group of 14 for a couple of birthday celebrations, it was the first time we had bee here for a few years.Decor was really nice and contemporary - we were greeted by very friendly staffAll throughout the evening the staff were attentive, we never had to wait for drinks and even though we were a big group all the servers remembered exactly who had what drink and foodEveryones food was nice especially the sticky chicken starter.Our only grumble was that the chicken that came with the chicken and ribs was a bit over cooked but not enough to spoil our meals.Pints are a bit on the expensive side but a bottle of wine is average for restaurants Overall, we had a great evening - I cannot thank the staff enough for going above (in my opinion) for our celebration and everyone of them was polite, friendly and attentive - they deserve every penny of the service chargeWe will be definitely be back at some point

We obtained tickets for the New Years Eve Party at the Riverside Inn.WOW wot a welcome we got. We were met by Lauren and from then on in it was brilliant.The buffet was great and all the staff couldn't do enough for us.Well done all of you we hope you do the same thing again we will certainly be there.Phil

We visited Riverside Inn Chelmsford yesterday and enjoyed a delightful Christmas lunch. The Inn's menu was a la carte, offering a reasonable selection of alternatives to the traditional turkey and all the trimmings which was also on offer. We chose various items and none disappointed, all arrived,well cooked, in good time. The ambiance was warm, friendly, and the staff were efficient, helpful, and all had a good sense of humour. We could not have asked for more.

As we entered the restaurant loud offensive (swearing) music was playing which they immediately turned off when asked to. The room was freezing cold, service slow & food poor. Soup lacked flavour, crumble was just cooked apple with a dusting of crumbs, main course average. £30 for 3 courses (Boxing Day). So disappointing as the other Blue Group restaurants are excellent. We won’t be returning here.

Went with husband and a friend on Christmas day and had a very relaxing day. The scallops appetizer is beyond fantastic and the turkey main is over the top that couldn't finish it but managed to finish Christmas pudding. Ladies & Gents, keep up the good work! I have to add that no matter how busy the restaurant was, they managed to exchange pleasantries and chats with us, which I appreciated.

Not great, setting lovely, food not so, very ordinary, had a traditional 3 course Christmas Turkey Lunch, it seemed to be the cheapest of everything, probably arrived in a freezer bag, defrosted, heated up and served, very disappointing.

Having booked and paid a deposit for a Christmas Party meal, the deposit paid was not credited on my final bill, which was only noticed after we left the restaurant.

I have lived in Chelmsford 25 years and this was my first experience of The Riverside Inn. I came here for a work Christmas meal and was not disappointed. The food was delicious and catered for my gluten free dietary needs. I was really impressed by the stuffed pepper dish. The staff were polite and attentive and ensured everyone had a lovely evening.

Had my works Xmas meal here! The food was delicious and our waitress Tula was fantastic! Would recommend this restaurant to all my family and friends!

Visited with some friends for a meal out and a catchup, from walking in the service was excellent and all the staff made us feel welcome, the drinks are well priced aswell as there being a wide variety. The food was excellent and worth more than what you pay. Would highly recommend going with friends and family for either a meal or drinks. Overall superb.

Came in here this week for our work Christmas dinner, the food was great and can't fault the service. A lovely inviting atmosphere, will be going back.

Came here with my partner and two friends, food was amazing, service was great and couldn’t fault a thing. I will be returning :)

Came here for a meal with my friends and the food was flawless could not recommend this place highly enough! Service was personal and really good. Such an amazing building as well with so many call features

We had our works “do” here last night. Lovely venue, good food and great service. Harry and Gemma on the upstairs bar were fab and really looked after us.

Went here for dinner with friends on Saturday. We had drinks in the bar first where there was a nice vibe. We went to our table about 20 mins late, however I did check in well before our allotted time to say we were in the bar. We sat down and after only about 5 minutes a waitress came over to take our order. We obviously asked her to come back. She returned about 10 minutes later to say that she needed to take our order as the kitchens were closing at 9 - this was a little annoying as a table if 4 and one of 6 came and sat down well after us?

Had a 2 course meal with a Bellini/glass of wine, but due to taking antibiotics couldn’t drink so missed out on cocktail.... husband fancied beer .... the coke and beer were charged for even though didn’t have free drink....

Absolutely lovely. Staff very friendly and welcoming.Service first class and food scrumptious. Would recommend. Barbara

Groupon taster menu voucher used and couldnt fault the food or the service.

Oh wow, although I have been here once previously with friends for lunch, I just recently returned and ordered the waiters suggestion, the Southern Fried Chicken, and I cant stop suggesting it to anyone and everyone. I saw they have a very nice tasting menu as well, next time, will give that a go.

I booked this restaurant as we were celebrating my mum's birthday. There were 4 adults. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. They took our order at the table as they were quiet and were considerate of my mum celebrating her birthday when bringing drinks over.

What a lovely old atmosphere this pub has. The room was clean comfortable and spacious. The food is good.although the breakfast is a bit pricy. Nice helpful friendly staff.

Visited Riverside Inn on a Thursday and found it quite easily walking along the river from Bond St car park.

Ate at the Riverside for dinner with our daughter. Found the staff quite rude. The meal was no better. My veggie cheese tart was over heated and dark brown. Few dry salad leaves and cold potatoes. Just awful. My child’s pasta was tasteless and even she commented on how bad it was. My husband’s meal of ribs and chips was heated up frozen stuff it felt like. Zero atmosphere. Tired decor. Tables sticky. Overall a very bad experience and would not recommend. We have not been to a blue group restaurant in a while as the last two we went to had gone downhill. This one is even worse than the others. Would never return. Avoid at all costs.

Visited The Riverside Inn last night for a Steak Dinner. The food was good (we both had the sirloin steak) and the service was very professional and polite. The restaurant is very nice with a great outdoors area.- no hesitation in recommending

Stuck up staff members, who feel very in titled. Spoke to me and my friend very rudely, was shocked at how they spoke to us.

We had a lovely fathers day meal in a beautiful old building, the setting is amazing, we sat next to the old flour mill which really is lovely. The quality of the fixtures and fittings is exceptional.

We went here today for Father’s Day.

Visited here with work friends for a celebratory meal, I had booked it and seen the online menu and there seemed to be a few vegetarian options. When I booked it I sent an online enquiry and asked within my first message if they did a vegetarian sausage and mash version to which I was ignored.

I booked this hotel for a one night stay due

The pub seems nice enough with a reasonable menu and good outdoor area, but my partner asked for a half of coke (from the tap) and they charged him £3.20 which seems vastly overpriced.

8 of us stayed for dinner the staff were very accomodation and moved our reservation to an earlier time. We had 3 courses including alcohol and the bill came to £80 a couple which included the 10% service charge.

7pm on a Wednesday evening and there was one table eating a couple drinking. I asked for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and was offered Chilean, afterwards realising there was a Yealands Marlborough next to it. We ordered Pie and Mash and Fish and Chips which came very quickly, but I can honestly say I was disappointed with the “pie” it was a difficult to get into little pot with what could be described as a casserole in it, with a small puff pastry top which was so thin it crumbled to nothing. I was so disappointed as I was really looking forward to a proper pie! The mash was a bit rubbery as well. My husband enjoyed the fish and chips but again the chips were a bit hard. Not the best experience, we won’t go back to eat and the atmosphere being as it was we’re unlikely to go back for a drink either.

Popped in this restaurant for lunch whilst shopping in chelmsford & didn't know it was there after many years coming to the town. Its pretty much your gastro style eats but with

We’ve walked or driven past often but have only just made it in! And it was well worth making the effort. Tastefully decorated, lovely outside seating area by the river, friendly staff and very good food. Can’t fault it. Definitely one of the nicer places to enjoy Sunday lunch.

This is a pub with bedrooms located in the heart of Chelmsford. An old water mill on the banks of the river. There is no parking on site but literally a stride away from a public car park opposite. They do not offer overnight vouchers for guests, it’s a regular pay and display, but if you pay using the app, 24hrs will cost £3.00

Following the change in ownership we thought we’d check the place out before possibly dining there.

Booked last minute for the 5 course taster menu and evening. Food was amazing! Staff so friendly and efficient. DJ great choice of dance music and not too loud. A really enjoyable evening with friends. Would recommend. Will be going back.

Service was excellent and the food good. Well organised waiting staff came out with each course and asked by name for the person who had ordered it. Good job because we ordered back in November and I had forgotten what my order was!

Really great night out with great live music, good service and great food , we all enjoyed our meal and evening

If you are going to promote yourself as fine dining and home to a named chef then you do need to provide an experience that lives up to the billing. My experience and that of my friends did not. While the food was good, it was not exceptional and there were some issues. Firstly, the Yorkshire pudding with the Turkey meal was virtually cremated, it also came with no gravy; this wasn’t some novel take on a roast meal but a mistake, other tables were provided with this. This is simply not good enough.

We had been looking forward to our pre Christmas festive meal here and first impressions were good, the place has had a decent makeover and the setting looked nice and festive . However, despite passable food the dining experience was really poor . No effort to give us an enjoyable evening , one of the staff was particularly rude and unprofessional making snippy comments to his overworked colleague within ear shot of us . It felt like they couldn’t get rid of us quickly enough and to be honest I’ve had much better service and dining experience in high street chains like Cote. Suffice to say we won’t be going back.

Out for the annual 4 couples Christmas meal on Saturday night. Friend of mine booked the table. Table was upstairs. Service was excellent. Mulled wine went down really well. Christmas pudding dessert was absolutely spot on. Lovely night. All in with a fair few drinks £45 each which felt very reasonable. Definitely will return. Lovely evening for company and the venue

I came here with my other half without a booking. The staff were friendly from the onset and sat us down at a really nice table. The restaurant wasn't very busy for a Saturday night so we have a lot of choice for seating.

Second visit as good as the first, another great menu, each dish amazing ! The best tasting menu you will get for £40, if this were in London you would have to pay double for food of that quality. Looking forward to next months menu!

We stayed here last night.our room was lovely. Was amazing the hotel was clean and tidy. Staff were great friendly and helpful. Food was so tasty. We will definitely being coming back. Thank you for a great night.

Stayed at the hotel purely on recommendation about the food. Lunch was so good we booked back in for brunch after checkout the following day! You must all eat here, 1 billion percent recommended! Stunning fresh seasonal food that not only tasted fantastic but was beautifully presented and awesome veggie / vegan options too! It was totally a different class, will certainly be going back. Andi and his team are really passionate about food that they serve and the service was also impeccable. Our new favourite place to eat! Asparagus Lady!

Great food with nice view of small river. Staff was very friendly, def recommendation stopping in if in the area.

Went here for a large family birtnday lunch. Food excellent and staff on top form. Only issue wsa the delay in bringing out the veggie option for three gueasts and then the rest of us. About 10 mins. Lemon Posset was fantastic as was the brownie. Most of us had the roast and the kids all went for burgers. Would go again.