The Ship Public House in Chelmsford

Have been in for some time now but wow it has changed more up market we order food that was some thing else top mark's to the chef we come back at some time as I live in Harwich well worth a visit

Great place to stay in Chelmsford rooms at a good price and lovely and clean

Excellent for food and booze will be back 👍

This was the perfect place to stay, the rooms were lovely and clean, bed was comfy, and we had kettle with tea, coffee etc. The location was just a short walk from the main town and the pub itself was very welcoming and had a great atmosphere. The only negative is that there is a car park outside that doesn't give the option to stay overnight so we had to park in a car park down the road and walk back, but apart from that, I cant fault it.

We needed a last minute place to stay overnight. New to Chelmsford, lovely pub, food very nice. Room bed comfortable with a nice choice of bath or shower, very spacious and quiet, few minutes walk from the station.

Traditional pub serving a good selection of well kept beers and reasonably priced good quality pub grub, with varied menu. Car park right next door (pay/display) some free on-road parking, close to railway and bus station, five minutes from Chelmsford shopping centre and market. Generally busy atmosphere, sports TV, juke box, friendly bar staff ( Haven't tried the accommodation)

Nice and relaxing for a pint and food

Booked mother's day meal for 8. 1x of party was in wheelchair, the pub knew this on the booking. We all turned up on time, to find stairs only access. No way of allowing the wheelchair occupant in. So we cancelled the booking. Wake up people, if a wheelchair occupant is coming to the pub say No accessibility, saves a lot of embarrassment

Food was amazing with some great old tunes on the juke box brilliant old pub

Great pub, busy and good value.

Great location. 2 min walk to train station. Very nice and clean room. Very quiet. Excellent comfy bed and hot shower. Would stay again.

A special place in my heart....if ever I went missing from britvic house...thus was the place to find me! Don't ever change...you remind me of my drinking years!

Eat there quite often always good food and friendly staff

Great pub tucked away I Chelmsford! Good for catching up with out friends!

Busy enough to have an atmosphere but not so busy/loud that you couldn't talk/chat. Reasonable selection of beers, I suspect limited by the brewery.

Food was excellent dog friendly very helpful and great atmosphere

Meeting our nice from Australia for the first time.

A nice pub but the service when ordering food was terrible. We waited over 1 1/4 hrs for our dinner and it was nothing special when it did arrive. Don’t eat here if you have got an appointment any time soon 👎🏻

Took twice for a room they didn't have available, which isn't really what you want to hear when you turn up with a suitcase expecting to get a key for a room you've already paid for. Go to The County across the road, for an extra tenner you get somewhere run professionally.

My first visit to this quirky pub. Staff were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our catch up over a few glasses of wine.

near town Centre，dishes are good and services as well

Best pub in Chelmsford, the staff are very friendly and the food is good.

Mekan, İngiliz pub kültürünü tamamen yansıtıyor. Rahat ve keyifli. Tavsiye ederim.

Comfortable and friendly atmosphere a good all round pub food is excellent

Don't ever trust them with a room reservation. Made a booking back in September for 1 night on 25 December and despite corresponding with me last week to confirm key pick-up time for the room, today they've decided to tell me they're closed and can't accommodate the booking. Disgraceful dis-organisation and my Christmas visit to family is now ruined - they don't deserve to stay in business.

1/12/23 been coming here for 10+ years and there was a swarm of 13/14/15 year olds coming in huddled over a single table zero checks. Not even not even close to being 18 years old. Bar staff tonight early 20’s . Locals at the bar have echo’d the same to me and have left early. Not a signle how ID check. I will be reporting this which is a shame as it’s one of my favourite pubs in Chelmsford.

Terrible pint of Guinness This should be where would get the best pint but the staff have no idea. Poured in one hit with no time for settling. Bubbly head snd no dome in fact the head sank into the glass. Young bar staff not trained how to serve. And the glass was dirty. Very poor.

The absolute best pub in Chelmsford without a doubt. The food is top quality. I was served by a lovely and bubbly waitress, Rachel. Bar staff were very helpful and welcoming. I was served by Amber who recommended me on what to order. Cleaner was very accommodating in the morning. A great pub! My food came out in less than 15 minutes and was delicious. A real traditional style family pub, rare to find ones like The Ship these days. Would definitely recommend to anyone. Good location with parking right outside. 10/10 from me!

Jacket potato with prawns and mayonnaise was delicious and reasonably priced. The pub was very friendly, clean and staff were lovely

Guided here by my CAMRA Guide, I was not disappointed. Good variety of Greene King Ales on handpump including a seasonal special. Amazingly wide selection of food on t he menu and very efficient and friendly staff. Had a great atmosphere for a Monday lunchtime.

We have been visiting the pub for the last 7 years for a special visit specifically for the pie that was a favourite of ours. We were disappointed to see that the pie has changed and the chef was adamant it hadn't, as the images show, the difference in the quality of food especially the pie is disappointing as the menu states 'Ship classic'. Image with peas 'New pie' Image with beans 'Original pie' Food was still tasty but not as expected and would be great if it was to go back to the original ☺️ Would go back for other meals though!

Issues are: 1) Website says "ample parking" - that you have to keep changing the ticket for every 3 hours during the day and charging starts at 5am. 2) Restaurant serves until 6pm on bank holidays - no it doesn't. I asked this and was told "no we don't do food on a bank holiday". I then quoted their website and the reply was "We had a problem with the chef and he left early - perhaps you could try the Chinese over the road - if its open" which it wasn't. 3) Bins to pub are right next to the passage way to the rooms and were full and smelling. 4) Passage way to the rooms smelt damp and musty. 5) The rooms had no curtains, only blinds so light comes in early - which I supposed didn't matter as the noise from the traffic kept me awake (I had even read the reviews and used ear plugs - they made no real difference). The windows were closed and I still couldn't sleep due to traffic. 6) even when the pub had closed - the noise from, what I presume was the flat next door was obvious. 7) don't look at the string to the light in the loo - it was dark with dirt. I stayed one night - complained and said I would not stay another night. They said they were sorry and would refund me. I received the money for the night I didn't stay - but no recompense for the inconvenience and discomfort of severely distrupted sleep. I definitely would not stay again and would not recommend anyone to do so.

Food at the ship is pretty good, however disappointed with service we went to the ship over the jubilee weekend and fathers day. We booked in advance and both times asked for a window seat and both times it was not booked. Service is exceptionally slow, we got one main and had to wait for over 20 mins the 1st visit and 15 mins the 2nd visit. So one person was eating cold food. It is pretty obvious they do not have enough staff serving food and possibly in the kitchen. We only live 10.mins walk from the pub so it is ideal for Sunday lunch, however may need to reconsider, esp as they cannot reserve the right seating both visits, and expetionally slow service. Want to add the servers we're very nice, however the management need to re look and recruit more staff

Dirty room, windows painted shot and room like a sauna. Very noisy outside and ripped off parking fees. Avoid unless you want to have a sweating sleepless night.

We stayed at The Ship for one night. The access to the room was via an outside staircase. Further stairs inside the property led to room 6. The room was clean and tidy. The bed was comfortable and we had tea and coffee making facilities. The downside was the noise outside the room which lasted after 12am. The sink leaked onto the floor during our stay. There is a car park at the rear of the property with a charge of £1. Beware the parking attendants visit this and every other car park regularly and ticket those without the correct parking tickets.

Visited the pub two days ago. Have had a pint or two here over the years and really enjoyed my visits. The Ship has for over this time and before, had a good repution in Chelmsford for serving good food and beers at very reasonable prices. Went in two days ago and ordered a pint of lager and was charged for and paid £5.00. I don't think so ! I emailed the Ship to register my complaint but so far have not been sent a reply. Whilst I was there, I noticed that you had very few customers in. May that long continue until you come to your senses, stop trying to recoup your losses and move on like the rest of us have to do.

Tried just about all in a recent week there, this was by far the best pub for , beer and food at reasonable price. What did let it down was that I was changing accommodation and thought I might stay there but not up to the standard of the pub itself. The rooms are approached through a side entrance, rickety wooden steps, through a common area....just not modern. so chose elsewhere.

An excellent pub with its own fun room. You can certainly have a smashing time in there. Frequented daily by 'The Duke'. A must see when in Chelmsford.

Its 3.42 am....ill try and start with good points, good location in Chelmsford for walking to various places. Bar Staff lovely and friendly. Practicing gov guidance for covid well. Good selection of drinks, didnt try food. Room tidy and bed smelt fresh. Cheap price. Bad points...ok, I get were staying above a pub so I expect noise for a while, but its 3.50am now and I have heard the same group of people living their best life ALL through the night. I've no idea if they are on the tables outside or staying in one of the other rooms, but wow can they cackle and shout. There is no one to complain to, as well...were in a pub, and its well after closing. Just heard one of them say oh its we late....no really! The the to our room doesn't lock so we have had to put a chair infront of it, we do not feel safe here. Great now we have Tina Turner playing loudly. 4.12 am, struggling to type as so tired. Roll on 5am when then the overnight parking reopens. 2*s because of the staff we met were nice. .

Amazing place to go and grab a snack and drink and relax after having a rough day at work.Always come here with my friends it’s amazing.

The Ship is a regular place of visit for us. Obviously after lockdown was lifted it had had to put in place social distancing measures for the safety of their customers. They have managed this well inside. There are bench tables outside. The staff are lovely and very welcoming. The food is great! Lovely sized portions and reasonably priced. We have eaten there many times and have never had a bad meal. The menu has a good selection to choose from, catering for everyone. The service is quick too. I would thoroughly recommend this place to anyone, wanting anything from just a drink to a meal. 😊

This pub has a Covid policy that neighbouring pubs could learn by. Not covered in yards of warning tape, endless bossy stupid signs and staff in muzzels! Treated like adults! Well done Grant, Will and team.

I'm so amazed how the pub kept such a positive and friendly atmosphere whilst maintaining the safety precautions. Had a very good night after a shaky start at the plough would highly recommend The Ship.

The best pub in Chelmsford. Friendly staff, tasty food and beer and a strong community spirit! I come here every time and never disappointed

I have visited The Ship on many occasions for drinks with friends and family and always receive a warm welcome with great food and friendly staff. It has a cozy atmosphere and I would happily go there by myself and feel comfortable. We particularly enjoy the quizzes/music they do at various times of year. I always judge a pub by the standard of the toilet facilities (as this shows that management care about their property and customers) and The Ship toilets are the best around.

The very best pub in Chelmsford, by a country mile. Friendly, helpful staff, great food, and a wide choice of drinks. Nothing else needs to be said. When your next in town go for lunch and a pint.

I highly recommend the ship for a great pub meal Lunch or evening Excellent food at great prices and friendly staff

I am a newby to tuna steak but thought I’d give it a go. I need not have worried it was so tasty with the Cajun seasoning and will certainly have it again here if it is on the specials board. And the chipotle mayonnaise was frankly a revelation

Great to see a few different Vegan options on the menu. Two staff in particular really paid attention to our order and understood what being Vegan is!!!!! Vegan lasagne was awesome!!!!! Can't wait to try the Vegan nuggets!

If you want a decent pie, this is the place to go. Proper short-crust pastry - all the way round, not just on top - well-filled with meat and tasty gravy. First class. I was working in Chelmsford and live in London. It is almost worth making a special visit just to have the pies in this friendly, excellent regional pub. Served with fresh, perfectly cooked and well seasoned vegetables.

Are you looking for an old fashioned traditional pub. Look no further. The Ship had a great interior with wood paneling done out like a ship. Good selection of beers, wines and spirits and good staff. I had a chicken balti filled with lots of chicken and a lovely sauce. Lots of nice customers and a good atmosphere. We enjoyed our visit.

Found myself in Chelmsford again on a Monday (when the kitchen of the Railway Tavern, my usual resort, is closed) wanting somewhere decent to eat near the station at about 11ish. Popped into the Ship and ordered a sausage and onion baguette. The food took over half an hour to arrive, which I thought was a little long, but it was worth the wait. The baguette came with a garnish of chips (a good size, actually almost a small portion) and a little salad. Very tasty. Beer also good - either St Austell Tribute or Proper Job, I forget which. Would definitely return.

This was my first visit to the Ship for thirty years or so. Normally I go to the Railway Tavern but I arrived in town earlier than expected and they hadn’t yet opened up. The Ship is spacious and open plan (I think when I went before there were two separate bars), traditionally and tastefully decorated and furnished with a nautical theme. Service was good and the pub was clean and tidy. Good selection of real ales. I enjoyed a pint of St Austell Tribute and half of a blond beer whose name I forget; very good but expensive (more than £4 a pint).Would definitely go again but won’t tempt me away from the excellent Railway Tavern.

I have visited The Ship on many occasions at lunch time and in the evening. The food is very good and a great variety. This is a great place to meet up for lunch as it is near the train and bus station for friends and family who are not local. We also go here for a meal and a drink before attending the Civic Theatre.

I was in ship bar in sept 2018 for drink and food. I must say the food there was really nice,I had fish n chips,my friends had different dishes which we all really enjoyed with some drinks ,the staff was so friendly. Toilets and pub was spotless .I really enjoyed it there .I will be back soon. Sean han, galway ,ireland

We used to come to this pub, years ago, so as were staying at the county hotel, called in for lunch, we had brie and bacon and ham and cheese toasties, and they were hot and delicious, along with a bottle of wine, they went down lovely, really busy, but staff were friendly and helpful, will definetly return

A family gathering of approx. 10 one evening last week. Good atmosphere inside and lots of choice for drinks and share plates for people to sample while having a drink.

We stopped to have breakfast there, the pub is very beutifull and charming from inside, really beutifull interior that not many pubs have it. The breakfast was also ok - we had couple errors with our order, instead of hash browns we got potatoes and instead of granular toast we got brown... So a little bit diaapoi ted but in general experiance was good.

Excellent place to eat and drink. The food is excellent and service and staff are first class Highly Recommend for lunch times or evenings/weekends.

This pub has to be the best in Chelmsford for drinks and excellent food even when they are very busy excellent service great staff Very Highly Recommend

very good food all fresh and pub made, cosy and welcoming, seating outside if u wish, nothing is too much trouble very nice staff

I went here one evening with 4 of my friends for a birthday dinner and it was lovely. You couldn’t fault the food. We all had different things from the menu and everything came out looking amazing and tasted really good aswell. Would recommend to others!

This is a regular of my families as the place has charm, the staff are lovely and the food tastes great so what more could you want!

My son and I were in Chelmsford as an ex Broomfield boy of 30yrs for a memory lane trip. We decided to look around and have a meal. Having passed all the normal chain restaurants which were rammed and the football supporter fill bars we came across the ship. We ordered drinks and were told at 8.40 that food was available till 9. I ordered lamb chops, chorizo mash, and veg I couldn’t remember what the gravy was I think maybe a mushroom sauce what ever it was it was lush. The chops where huge tender and beautifully cooked the mash tasty never though to add chorizo but worked well it was very filling it was late but I had to finish the meal. My son went for the vegetarian Indian meal option which he said he really enjoyed. Both meals were around the £9 mark and very good value for money. The staff were friendly. Nice surroundings the usual good beers. On the whole a good night and sorry we don’t live closer for a return visit.

I have to say I've been to the ship a fair few times now but I wanted to write a review from my last visit a couple of weeks ago.

Nice beer, nice food, served by friendly efficient bar staff. On the downside, some of the customers, wow, two doormen on a Good Friday lunch!

Cheap and good food, Had english breakfast which is big and good. Service is friendly and organised. Good pub altogether

Amazing local pub, friendly staff, great food and great value for money, can recommend the mix grill!!

good food and drink. helpful staff.i have been using this pub for years the standard never drops. nothing better this close to the station.

Our visit was spur of the moment. Some drinks after work and maybe some food. Drinks were fine the food less so. Between us we ordered the Chicken ceasar salad, vegetarian lasagne and spicy bean burger. The salad was disappointing, lack lustre, chicken dry, and not much of it. The vegetarian lasagne was very well done (and I don't mean taste or appearance wise) spicy bean burger was passable, only just. I have the impression this all came out of the freezer, I could be wrong, I hope I'm not, it would be even more disappointing if this was home cooked.

Went here for pre dinner drinks with friends and was surprised by the selection of beers which ranged from your standard lagers to the trendy punk IPA. The bar staff were friendly and very accommodating which was really lovely considering they were all fairly young. After dinner we decided to return for more drinks - I’m a big gin fan and was introduced to a couple of gins that I hadn’t had before plus they are served with fever tree tonic. All were superb and I can’t wait to visit again soon.

This is a lovely pub about two hundred and fifty yards from

We've been here a few times and the home cooked food has always been excellent. Even my husband's son who is a chef in a five star hotel was very impressed.

The Ship is located near to the Bus/train station in Chelmsford. I've been using it for several years primarily for lunch or early evening dinners and a few quiet beers. The Ship is usually pretty busy with a car park literally next door and other larger car parks within a few hundred yards.

Met some friends there before eating nearby. Usual pub , barmaids with no conversation and little interest unless your face fits, Ok probably if you are their friends or under 30

I have been an occasional visitor to this pub for almost 50 years and it has always been a busy place. There is a good choice of ales which most of the time are in good condition. A good place to meet friends with lots of alcove seating.

Very pleased to report that Bananasplitgate is now history and this menu-topping dessert has been rightfully restored to the original format. Love this pub! (Do try the mixed grill!)

We booked this hotel for the weekend of v festival due to us camping last year and with England weather being the way it was , we thought we would be classy this year & have a roof over our head. The pubs b&b; was close to the station were we could get a shuttle bus so perfect for us and cheap! We wasn't expecting much as we wouldn't be in the room to much anyway....... we were greeted in the pub with very welcoming friendly staff & a man showed us to our room and offered to help with bags due to quite a lot of stairs. Few faults with the room would be the blinds , they are quite obviously broken and deffo need replacing sunlight shines in quite early so a bit annoying...... it wasn't amazingly clean - there was a crisp under the bed which wasn't from us. The tv was broken and we reported it and it was fixed straight away by again lovely staff :) i diddnt think the pub downstairs was to loud but maybe they had a quiet weekend ? So noice wasn't a problem for us. We diddnt have a bathroom and not gonna lie dreading the shared loo/bathroom but thought was better than porta loo at fest! But the bathroom was clean and fresh hand towels were put in everyday. You could tell they cleaned it daily..... they did a festival breakie early for the festival people & it was beaut! We also had a roast on the Sunday and was perfect! The food and the staff in this pub/b&b; make it special :) I would stay here again but pls replace the blinds!!!! Oh one more thing the bedding was very clean smelt lovely and the beds were comfy! Thank you ship for making our weekend 'classy' ❤️

A traditional style comfortable venue with intimate booths and alcoves. Reminds me of the old London pubs situated on the street corners. Liked the brass footrail around the bar. Conveniently located for the railway and bus stations. Pleasant, presentable staff. Good varied menu. Would be happy to frequent regularly if I lived closer.

The Ship is a good pub. Let’s be clear about that. It serves a great selection of drinks and food and the staff are generally a happy bunch. And I’m very well aware of the ‘change or die’ business philosophy, but I’m also a fan of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, so I write in an attempt to get them to stop fiddling with the formula.

Abit small foods nice tho staff seem nice.... Really small weird layout gets really packed and stuffy.....

NB. This is a review of the pub's B&B; facilities. Rabbit warren of rooms, up and down stairs to get to your room, which although clean-ish was not ensuite, had blinds that didn't work, and no replenishing of coffee etc. The coffee itself was only decaff and very old, as were the UHT milks, euurgh. Bathrooms not very nice, difficult to find in the warren, with cheap loo roll and terrible dribbling showers. Noise awful until 1:00am from disco downstairs, with street noise from 5:00am as the room was right on the main road, plus invading light due to the broken blinds. You really had to be a deaf, dumb and blind kid (no offence to anyone with those afflictions of course) to "enjoy" a stay here!

Good beef roast served with flair.The stew, lamb roast nice and tangy. Food served hot and aesthetically arranged.Very friendly service. Hygenic and clean surroundings although it is on the Broomfield Main Road..

Staying in Chelmsford for a few days and fancied a pint. Full pub at 6.00 pm - so its got to be good. Enjoyed my pint - ordered food; which was far superior to normal pub food.. Ordered Salmon fish of the Day. Best salmon dish I have ever eaten. The ambience was amazing- laughter everywhere. this is what all pubs should be. Carry on with the good work guys and gals.

Very nice interior with good beer selections and menu. We stopped here for lunch while walking around Chelmsford near our hotel. The food and service was very good. We will return!

Great to see pubs like this still around. Great atmosphere. Prices what you'd expect for a pub. Staff friendly

Lovely friendly pub with lovely food.Just a few minutes walk from train and bus stations. Plenty of seating both inside and outside of premises.

I took a party of people from the Broomfield U3A as I had heard such good things about it and I must say we were not disappointed. Some people though that the staff should have come round and took orders but as I explained it is city pub and the prices are reflected. You only had to approach the staff and they did everything to make our stay very pleasant even turning the music down. We will definitely be back.

So we came to The Ship in search for the girl with 'the bright pink hair' saw the last review and wanted to meet such an amazing person ! Unfortunately she wasn't working. Anyways we was not expecting the food to be this good ! Discovered that the chefs name was Darryl, so Darryl we will be back ! The best fish and chips in Chelmsford!

We came to The Ship for lunch, food was fab and the waitress, with bright pink hair, was lovely! Really friendly and chatty! We then saw her in the High Street cutting a homeless guys hair, what a lovely team member you have! We will be back for definite!

Friendly staff friendly atmosphere clean and tidy excellent food friendly service made to feel welcome

A good old fashioned pub packed with all sorts of people. Sky sports football on the big screens. Great beer and even better food at very reasonable prices. Very friendly bar staff and a great place to spend the evening

A good vibrant traditional pub, it's always busy which should tell you something in itself. The food if that's what your there for is always great. If it's a drink your after then you can't go wrong with bubbles for the wife and a good selection of real ale for myself!

The Ship is bar far the best Public House in Chelmsford. Staff are friendly & kind. Good and beer are fantastic!

Visited the ship whilst working away. Enjoyed the warm, welcoming proper pub vibe. Staff and punters alike were very friendly. There's a varied menu of pub grub as well as specials. They had a special french menu on whilst we were there which was very reasonably priced and tasty. The ale was good too, even though as a northerner I disapprove of beer pumps without sprinklers! If you find yourself at a loss in Chelmsford, get yourself to the ship.

My colleagues and I were in Chelmsford for the first time and The Ship was the closest place to eat near the theatre we were working at. We certainly couldn't have stumbled across a better, more inviting place.

A table was booked for eight adults, when we arrived at the appointed time the two small round tables with handwritten " Reserved " notes on them had been taken by other persons.

Sunday lunchtime is bustling and has a warm atmosphere. Lots of groups eating or just having coffee. I had the chicken pie, my husband the gammon, it was all very good except the chips, they were bland and dry.

Been quite a while since I've been to The Ship but it seems much the same inside. Lots of nautical stuff but still a nice traditional pub, with plenty of beers to choose from. Decided on fish and chips, which can be a bit of a lucky dip in pubs. Cod and chips here nicely done, good crisp batter and fish cooked just right. Good value too.

I often eat at the ship at the weekend as their roasts are great but really pleased they have had another themed weekend. This time it was Greek. Just had a delicious lamb kofta stack (glad I got the last one actually). Hopefully they do more but the food and welcome nature of the pub is always good anyway.