The Viper in Brentwood

Not sure what has happened but Sunday Roasts have been cancelled for the foreseable future problems in the kitchen apparently.Just hope everything back to normal next time I am passing. Great Pub and great beers.

The Viper is very much a traditional British Pub. The selection of food is good and vegetarians and even vegans can be catered for. The for .

My wife and I and our little dog went there last week for a drink and an afternoon meal.We ordered up the cod n chips apiece.Considering it cost 10 notes each I was expecting something nice.Instead we received a poor quality piece of frozen cod, low quality chips and bog standard peas.I was hoping the food was going to match the setting but I was sorely disappointed in the meal.You live and learn.

More ales and ciders than you can ever wish for, good music, good atmosphere, good food and even great weather.

just a beer . but very pleasant situated in an Essex forest and judging by the real estate you can go for a good days march to find a food bank . john

The dishes were scampi and chips with salad, which was very appetising. The other dish was a cheese selection Ploughman’s which was excellent. Very much recommended.

Lovely pub, great service and a lovely Sunday Roast. Excellent portion size and a good dessert to finish off. Excellent service, very polite bar staff and Landlady. Good choice of beers and in a lovely setting, superb👍

A large group of us so spent a fair amount of money so I was a bit miffed when I ordered a tea and the lady in charge lent over to the colleague that was serving me and moaned I'd asked for tea!! Rather rude as not everyone wants alcohol and if you don't want to serve it then please don't advertise it.

I entitled my review last time as ‘What’s happened to this lovely pub? 6 months have passed and we heard (some months ago) it has been bought by The Cricketers pub just down the road.We thought we would give it a retry.Well I was shocked. All the fav beers had gone. No Viper Ale or Jake the Snake. The young lad serving was pleasant enough and had good customer service skills but it seems the old management and barman are still there.Crouch Vales ‘Brewers Gold’ was a good substitute for the missing beers which is why it got two stars instead of one. They did have 3 other real ales in draft which were not tried.The loo was disgraceful. Door handle hanging off and the hot air blower not working. Presumably every male had dirty or wet hands thereafter. This is poor management. At least put some paper towels down n there.It still has its atmosphere and it’s in a lovely setting. How it is supporting beer festivals with the loos like that is puzzling. As we left usually one would get an acknowledgment and a good bye. Nothing.

Great little pub, friendly staff, good beer and good food. Nestled in woodland with a great little beer garden it’s a great place for lunch

Called in for a light lunch after a walk in Writtle forest. My husbands first visit but I've been many times since my parents first brought me here as a child in the 1960's. It hasn't changed much which is why I still love it. Traditional, warm and welcoming. We had a couple of sandwiches for lunch and some good beer. What could be better?

Very good tasty lunch, good service. nice staff will definitely visit again. My friend really liked the atmosphere and enjoyed their lunch too

Popped in for lunch after a lovely walk with the dog in the nearby area. There is a separate bar for muddy boots and dogs which is clearly signed and therefore makes you feel very welcome.Bar staff really friendly and helpful. Nice selection of real ales. Went for a pint of Brewer's Gold which was very well kept. Also really nice to see a simple pub lunchmenu with sandwiches and the like, too often these days it's just main meal options for Sunday lunch . We had a sausage an onion baguette each with chips. Excellent value for money, great traditional pub as it should be. We'll be back.

Had a great walk in the woods few hours came to the viper . Few beers and great food , nice bar staff plenty of banter . Well behaved dogs inside and out . Will defo go back enjoyed the whole afternoon in the pub ... soup was homemade . Had mushroom and Mrs tomato with fresh bread & butter . Shared a lovely viper sausage in roll and salad . Weather was just right today for our walk . Deer running in the woods .

Went there for a beer festival in August - amazing range of beers - live music - definitely worth a trip - the pub itself is tiny - but they have marquees in the grounds in case of bad weather.

Not pleased all round. Only plus side was only a short trip to A12 from the Viper. Will not be returning

We took our dogs and children out for a walk in the nearby forest (which is beautiful in itself) and popped into the pub for a drink and lunch afterwards to warm up!

Met some friends for lunch, the sun was shining so we sat in the garden and enjoyed the late October weather. I had the steak and ale pie which had generous amounts of steak. Friendly service from the staff.

Pubs just don’t come more traditional and welcoming than this one. Totally unpretentious and relaxing. Wonderful setting buried as it is in the woods of Fryerning, with large lawn area to enjoy finer weather and a great selection of real ales on offer. Choice of three roasts all served with a good heap of roasted potatoes and a large selection of veg with gravy boat to the side. We all have exceptionally good appetites but were reluctantly defeated with the quantity. However after a break we manfully tackled the choice of sponge puds on offer, served with custard, cream or ice cream. Will always return to this pub, have enjoyed their sandwiches in the past, all generously filled and the jacket potatoes have to be seen to be believed.

I can't comment on beer quality because as I was driving it was soft drinks for me.

Friendly staff, lovely beer and surroundings, dog friendly. Lovely walks in the surrounding area. Typical Old Fashioned Pub

The Viper is an relatively isolated pub with a good choice of beers and real ales. It serves traditional pub food including a range of sandwiches etc. I have always enjoyed their pies with my pint but others I have been with have been less impressed.

Popped in for lunch got a friendly welcome lovely pint of San Miguel & the picture of the ham, egg & chips for £7 speaks for itself!

Hidden in the middle of woodland this is a rare find at the other end of the spectrum from your High Street chains, quirky, decent beer, good pub grub, what more do you want.

Tried this place after hearing good things about the food and was a little disappointed. We had roast lamb and beef (they mixed the meats up for us). Considering it was all home made, we were expecting it to be really good but we found the meat a bit dry and the veg a bit tasteless. The potatoes were not the best either. Friendly bar staff though.

No customers when I visited and even then I waited 5 minutes for the hippy guy behind the bar to move himself into pulling a pint he is so miserable he obviously has no social manners.

Evening visit to a great pub I have been to many times before. The standard I’m sad to say has plummeted over the last couple of years. You’ll see this is reflected by the pub not being included in the CAMRA good beer guide having previously been a shoe-in.

New Year visit and asked for a Mighty Oak beer and they said they were not selling it which is a big surprise as the Viper was famous for its Jake the Snake and Vipa ales which are locally produced.

Perfect for walkers as there’s a ‘muddy boot’ bar so you can get served without having to remove your boots. The fire was roaring and the food and drinks were fast to arrive. Toilets are accessible from outside also which is helpful. Great for walkers!

Had a great walk in the woods few hours came to the viper 👍. Few beers and great food , nice bar staff plenty of banter . Well behaved dogs 🐕 inside . Will defo go back enjoyed the whole afternoon in the pub ...

So many years ago the Viperwasthe pub we went to the Free House that sold really good local Beers / Ales with really Genuine Friendly atmosphere and good honest Food wholesome and hearty...

Have really fond memories of this pub, but went for lunch today and waited over an hour for two pies! Apparently that's because they were cooking lots of roasts, strange on a Sunday... When the food did finally arrive steak pie was salty and the meat dry and the chicken pie was tasteless. I'm sure I'd be fine going here for a drink but the food and service was terrible.

The location of The Viper is lovely, and thats about the only positive that can be taken. The food was ordered and took nearly an hour and a half to arrive, when asked what the hold up was the kitchen commented 'its because of the roasts', which makes no sense, surely you prepare the food as its ordered like any other place? The pie when it arrived had absolutely no flavour and the vegetables were overcooked and disgusting.The lock on the ladies wouldn't work which meant if you needed the bathroom you had to leave the door open. The woman behind the bar also rudely joined in with a man being obnoxious and intimidating towards us. Will never visit again, not in a million years, it was a pretty horrific experience. Shame because I had heard only good things about this place in the past.

Este es el pub siempre nos tomamos nuestro visitante extranjero como un ejemplo de un verdadero pub inglés, pero por desgracia ha cambiado.

Pagamos una visita para degustar el ale y yo no debería haberme preocupado ya que la cerveza está en forma como siempre y la comida era deliciosa. El propietario era acogedor, así que en general un gran día.

Bebimos durante años, pero lentamente a medida vimos el local, incluyendo algunos prominentes, y leal bebedores/disminuir, más amantes de bastante un corto período! Después de mirar un poco más duro a mis visitas, entonces pude ver que la culpa los laicos firmemente con lo que...

Elegimos este pub de la Guía Good Pub, así que quedamos asombrados por cómo era pobre. El pub prometió una buena oferta, pero entregan poco. Parece encantador, con montones de flores y un hermoso jardín, en medio de naranjos y arbolado. Sin embargo, la 'bienvenida' era indiferente, y la comida de reir mal, con un correoso, insípido y sin sabor pollo quiche tarta y setas. Nos dimos cuenta de que la pareja en la mesa de al lado izquierda de la mayoría de su comida. Evitar.

I was doing DofE with my friends, and we asked to use the toilet, but they said no, told us to wee in a bush, and locked the door on us. We asked politely but the staff were very rude.

It's been a while since I've been here. Not sure if it's the same landlord, but whoever is there now was not very welcoming. Didn't say hello, didn't ask what we would like and more importantly didn't say thank you. You would think in the struggling climate that publicans are in at the moment, they might be slightly great full for any custom.I will return in the future, hopefully it's just an off day.

lovely surroundings but I didn't find it overally friendly and the landlord was walking about with my food ticket in his mouth for ages whilst other members of staff put their orders straight to kitchen whilst doing drinks hence we waited ages for ours to come out.....ok for a drink but I wouldn't pay to eat there again

Beautiful may sunshine so we took Peggy and tess lurchers for a walk in the countryside . Easy to park opposite the viper apparently the only pub with this name in the country . You certainly can't miss the bright yellow doors ! Very friendly atmosphere with vipa ales like jake the snake . Lovely garden to sit and relax in and the meals are large . Various walks for the dogs opposite the pub as on St. Peter's way . Very nice way to spend a couple of hours .

Visited The Viper today for a quick drink after a walk in Writtle Forest. The pub is a traditional old style pub serving food. we did not eat. The staff were very friendly and welcoming it had a nice relaxed atmosphere. It is not that big and although we got a table I could imagine it gets full quickly. Would return.

went to the viper for the first time good honest pub grub there was three of us all very satisfied very busy I don't think they thought it was going to be has busy has it was they run out of jumbo sausages and has we where leaving JACKET POTOTOES ! but the staff work really hard would definitely go back

Visited the Viper for lunch following a walk in the lovely countryside nearby. The pub and its beer have long been a favourite of mine and the food, though simple pub grub, was freshly prepared and great value. We had ploughmans and jumbo sauage bagettes - all good

An old fashioned pub in a lovely wooded location popular with ramblers and cyclists. There are three small bars and two of them have wooden floors so they are happy to have muddy boots and dogs.Beer always excellent (Jake the Snake especially) and the food good value basic pub grub (daytime only).

Popped in here for a light lunch. Lovely fresh sandwiches and good fries. Also a good selection of real ales in excellent condition.

One word, not 100 required - superb. Has great selection of local beer, good '80s style menu at reasonable prices. Only real downside for me is lack of 'card payment' option which in the 21st century is a bit rubbish.

Enjoyed a cold Jake the Snake ale on a cold Winters night and the pub was cosy due to the roaring log fire .Didn't try the food as its not available night time but the beer was well kept as usual and the barman was happy to see us.

Arriving at 10pm no food was being served, but the relaxed, friendly, comfortable bars with with cosy glowing fires were just what we needed. The Viper has an excellent range of specialist beers - The Oscar Wilde (mild) made me smile but I had to settle for a decent coffee being the driver. This is an unusual pub, with a community feel. Good dogs will feel at home too, a one-off, set in a tiny hamlet and a great find - I'll be back.

The only public house in the UK named The Viper, lives up to all the traditional views of an old pub.They do have a standard pub-grub menu which provides everything you need to aid drinking pleasure. There is a large garden and well behaved dogs are allowed in one bar. Similarly ramblers with boots covered, so as not to track mud through out.The only downside is Credit Cards are NOT taken. But that is probably down to the very poor internet connection. This might be considered a nuisance but there it is.

Not been for a while, beer was ok, food was cheap, service slow, presentation was poor but in fact tasted good. Dog friendly but grumpy staff. This is on the slid down. Not very busy like it use to be. Needs a new cheff

Lovely pub in a lovely setting. Food is tasty, drinks are reasonably priced. Can't ask for much more than that!

Fantastic day with great music good food and good beer! Surrounded by lovely countryside and good company.

This is nice dog friendly pub on one of our regular walks. The staff are lovely and do everything they can to give you that pub atmosphere. It can get quite busy on nice days and it is quite small inside but there is a fair amount of sitting outside. I have not tried the food but it looks amazing. I think however they only serve lunchtime to be sure to check times. Price is fairly average for a pub off the beaten track.

We sat outside next to a big marquee - there must have been a function on the day before. Unfortunately during our meal, there was a delivery of metal canisters (beer?) which was very noisy and then the marquee was dismantled amidst lots of shouting, hammering, clatter etc. I know these things have to be done but it did spoil our visit.The waitress who served us was dour, unsmiling, likewise the man behind the bar (long hair), my hostess was surprised and said maybe the owners had changed because the last time she had been there service was pleasant and friendly. The one redeeming factor was the food which was enjoyable. The outside needs brightening up. Not very welcoming. If the staff cheer up it could be a good place to eat!

This pub is in a nice location and usually has a nice garden where u can have a enjoyable drink and food in a relaxing location, on this occasion though they had a beer festival the day before leaving a huge marquee up so therefore not much of a garden left, however we did find a seat in the sun, I had a ploughman's which was just ok although the ham was delicious my husband had a steak and ale pie which he said was ok but not the best puff pastry he had ever had. After the meal we decided to sit in the shade to enjoy a quiet drink, this was not to be, it was like battersea dogs home, I like dogs but not on this occasion, constant barking and grunting for the whole time. Not the pubs fault though, maybe we will visit again at some time

mid week lunch for three people. One fish pie, one steak pie and one mixed cheese and pate ploughmans. The food was exceptional, obviously homemade and very reasonably priced. Bar staff were friendly and helpful and generally an excellent pub in an idyllic setting.

I have been here several times over the years. The food is always simple quality food served with excellent real ales. The garden is lovely in the summer in perfect peace & quiet. A good place to bring your dog and read a book.

We have been to this pub before but only for a drink and as we noticed they served roast dinners decided to try them (saved me from doing the cooking and washing up). My husband and two sons had beef and I had the turkey and was very impressed as it was proper Turkey slices (not out of a packet) with stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, carrots,cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce & tge best gravy I have ever had, wished I had asked for the recipe. Excellent value for only £8.95. We will definitely eat there again, we was so full up we didn't have dessert.

Very disappointed. Visited as came highly recommended. Extremely poor menu, chilli looked like it had come out of a tin, sausage and mash came out 20 minutes after the first dish. Made a polite enquiry where I was just ignored by the landlady and she never even came back to me with a comment so I sat back down and just waited. Young man serving was extremely apologetic about everything but landlord and lady were very unwelcoming. If I hadn't paid up front I would have got up and left. Seems to be a regulars pub probably better for drinking. Will not return, sorry.

We walked a couple of wintry miles through fields and woods to reach The Viper. We arrived with muddy boots and a muddy dog for Sunday lunch. The Viper has two small, wooden-floored bars to accommodate just such patrons, and a larger, carpeted bar area for a more refined visit. We found a table for two. We both had the cottage pie, which was tasty, filling and good value. I had a pint of the local V.I.P.A., which was a delicious ale. To sum up, the service was prompt, the food hit the spot, the beer was great, there was no music, there was a hum of conversation, we were welcomed in our muddy state... what more could you ask for from a pub? We hope to return soon. Loved it.

I grew up in Stock and went to secondary school in Ingatestone. This pub was one that we often ran past for cross-country, and when we were all old enough, descended on for beer. I've been going to the Viper for over 35 year and it is an amazing, unspoilt, proper pub. The beer is always good, the staff and clientele are friendly and the setting is just about perfect. My only reason for not giving it an excellent rating is that they do not take debit cards - this is a bit self defeating as there are lots of pubs around the area that do, and people don't always know how much they are going to eat or drink for that matter. Other than that, it is a fantastic place and should be commended.

Great beer, atmosphere and food. Always enjoy a visit to the Viper. The chilli is always a great option.

Although I have moved away from Essex I frequently return as I have been visiting this pub since the seventies. It's a small pub with two bars, a large garden area with benches, limited parking outside with some more spaces opposite. Staff are friendly. This pub is famous for its Huffers which are excellent value for money along with the other selections on the menu. Beers are very good and served just right. It does get very busy with queues at the bar so get there ready for opening time, especially on a Sunday in the good weather. Highly recommended. A lovely unspoilt pub which will hopefully continue to shun modernisation. Good cyclists stop as bikes can be taken to your bench in the garden.

A nice pub in a relatively remote area - a good area to cycle round with this pub to stop for refreshments on the way! Good beers and coders, and food is pretty good too. Only a small place inside, so its nice to sit out in the big garden in the summer.

Great location, good range of interesting well kept ales and beers, above standard non pretentious pub food at a reasonable price and pleasant staff, this is a country pub so you should adjust your expectations accordingly

I've used the pub for over 30 years and it's one of the rare ones in that it is consistently good. Real ales, 3 separate bars, open fires and good food in a lovely setting. Give it a go.........

I went to the Viper with a friend for a light Sunday lunch having read excellent reviews of the ploughmans. The unexpected sight of marquees in the front garden welcomed us to The Viper's Beer & Cider Festival. It was busy but not crowded as we went to the bar to order food. "Just to warn you food will take about an hour". "Ploughmans?" "Oh, that should be quicker". I should jolly well hope so. I bought a beer from the festival marquee and pretty good it was too. The ploughmans came within 20 minutes but without any knives or forks. I had to ask where they were. "On that table over there, where that couple are sitting". I stared at my plate - a dried out lump of Tesco French stick, a couple of wrapped slices of butter, a thimble full of pickle, grated carrot, lettuce(I think), some silver onions from the jar and no dressing. It was so boring I nearly fell asleep head face into the plate. The three different cheeses were decent enough but the bread was criminal. The real ale was good enough to salvage one star so The Viper gets three instead of two. If you want to drink beer or cider go to The Viper during the festival, but not if you want to eat.

this is a little gem set in the ingatestone countryside. Surrounded by a canopy of trees its quiet and peaceful. The pub itself is traditional and staff and service is friendly. Food is excellent and good value. Regularly visited by passing cyclists you really can immerse yourself in this peaceful location

Nice location. However a little disappointing inside. Did not accept cards. By pure luck we had £10 between us after we had already ordered the drinks.......The food looked average, but we did not eat, and wasn't tempted to either!

This is definitely the place to go to try out some real ales and a must for Sunday Lunch. Lovely garden in the summer and a big log fire in the winter.

We went to eat but unfortunately only had cards on us so stayed for a drink and it was a lovely cosy pub and the food coming out looked lovely.

We stumbled across the beer festival here. Friday night was very quiet, except for the loud band. We gave Saturday night a miss as it was raining but returned on Sunday...wow what a difference! Absolutely packed with people literally dancing on the tables. Great for all ages. Liked the fact they had put up extra marquees so the rain didn't spoil it. The only downside was the food. I'm sure the BBQ was fine for most...£3 for a cheap burger, "plastic" cheese and bun. I would have preferred some decent food available.

Go here a lot to meet my friend for lunch. I am vegetarian and they do brilliant range of proper veggie meals plus normal pub lunches. If you like real ale then this is the place for you. Olde world, lovely garden and good location. Plenty of parking.

A beer festival with a great selection of beers, a lovely beer garden and a great atmosphere. I will always go back.

Decent beers and good food in a nice wooded area for walking with or without your dog. They don't accept cards so make sure you take cash.

We've been coming to The Viper for years as a family and it's consistently good. We went last weekend for roast dinners, which are great value and always yummy (minus the definitely not homemade Yorkshires). Great choice of real ales if that's your thing. And a lovely beer garden, perfect for hikers or bikers, those with dogs or children! Staff always friendly - but a warning, they only take cash!

This is a fab pub serving a great range of ales and ciders. The menu is basic but the food is done well and worth the sometimes long wait that is to be expected in such a popular place.

We haven't been in the Viper for a long time. It is nice to see the place hasn't changed and kept its quaintness which is difficult to find in Essex. Good quality real ale with average pub grab.

Plenty of real ales and (real) ciders to choose from. Good food and lots of it. Location is hard to beat. In the heart of the country. An excellent pub to walk to using many of the local footpaths (and walk back from) or sample a few more ales/ciders and get a taxi home. Dog, muddy boots and family friendly.

What a pub What a garden what a selection of ales and HOW much food on a plate. The Cheese ploughman's could fee a family of three!

Been to this pub a few times. It is very atmospheric and I really enjoy having a drink here. Having said that this time round the person who served us wasn't the most welcoming of souls, seemed a bit off! Couldn't help but notice the sign that says no dogs in the bar, but then the pub dog trots through the bar and into the kitchen! They only acceps cash or cheques! Also signs to say no muddy boots, no children etc etc. Watched a group of people being served some food by the same gentleman behind the bar - he really seemed as though he didn't want to be there - bit like us really!

We went with friends for lunch. Great beer, fantastic ploughman's a very nice pub to visit. I would recommend the Viper.

Yes its out of the way but the real ale is the attraction and Paul the Landlord keeps it in top condition . No music and no fruit machines and no credit cards.The same as it was 30 years ago.

This is a free house (not tied to any brewery chain) which is always a good thing, but unfortunately it doesn't have the backup that such pubs could expect. Consequently, it doesn't take cards, which means you have to have enough cash on you; not always easy if you're ordering food and drink. It's also a bit odd that on the food front it doesn't have chips available, and the sunday roast doesn't include roast potatoes. Having said that, the ploughman's lunch that I had was very nice indeed, and had generous portions. It did take a very long time to arrive though - not the fault of the staff, who were working flat out, but on a warm summer Sunday, you're going to have a lot of people who want to eat and drink, so they were woefully understaffed. The gentleman who I presume was the landlord was also less than friendly, and indeed seemed quite surly and not someone who seemed to be enjoying his job. This could be a really good pub, if it was in the hands of people who knew how to get the very best out of it - nice quiet out of the way location, nice beer garden, dog friendly, but.... it could have been so much better.

Old out of the way pub allows dogs in two basic bars, has a front garden and apparently does good food, unfortunately because they don't accept cards could not sample any. Looks good for walkers.

Visited for the first time during the recent beer festival, fantastic place, best pub in Essex if you want a real country local. Prices are good and a nice place for a Sunday chill out

According to our local friends, The Viper is the only traditional English Pub with this name in the whole country, because the field behind the pub is supposedly the only place in the country where viper snakes have actually been found...The Viper is a cool little pub filled with people that all seem to know each other, and they all seemed quite friendly, especially towards a couple of visiting Canadians! Great to just stop in for a quick bite to each or a few pints of English brew!

Character pub with reasonable menu. Particularly like the very generous and tasty Ploughman's lunches during the Summer. Walkers, Cyclists all stop by so it has a bustling atmosphere. Can very very busy at a weekend when the weather is good - so be early.

I thought the staff were very friendly, the food was great value for money, quality and quantity! Lovely little pub with great walk through woods nearby. Dog friendly so great pit stop before or after a long Sunday morning dog walk. Have already planned my next visit with friends. I look forward to their next beer festival! I've heard a lot about them and cannot wait to attend myself!

Out for a New Year's Day walk today and delighted to find the Viper open as usual. Lovely simple lunch got three with drinks for under £20! But that's not the price that's the real attraction. The food was just what we wanted and I love the beer (Jake the Snake). But actually it's the cordial simplicity of the place that makes it a place we love coming to ever since we discovered it at the end of the summer.

Doesn't accept credit or debit cards. No ATM machine. No food served in the evenings although after reading some of the other reviews that might have been a blessing.Toilets need a major overhaul. Avoid until the place is dragged into the 21st century.

I've been to the Viper many, many times - the last time justa few weeks ago. There's a great 5-6 mile circular walk which starts just opposite the pub and (obviosuly) finishes here. My friend always samples the local beers and they do really nice ploughman's lunches. The service can be a little slow so get here early (people are often waiting outside well before 12 to get their orders in first!) You really cannot beat the setting though!

What a shame! Took friends there for Sunday Roast after a walk and we were all disappointed with both the service and the food. It took over an hour to receive 4 very average roast dinners. When we enquired if our order had been mislayed we were told we were next up, no apology though. The food arrived another 15 minutes later and there was still no apology. The veg was virtually raw and the roast potatoes overcooked. The beef was OK but not much of it. We ate most of the food as we were really hungry by then, but didn't enjoy the experience in anyway and didn't feel particularly good after we'd eaten it.The wc facilities are still in a very poor state and are in need of a complete refurbishment, as mentioned in a previous more positive review.It's such a lovely pub in a fantastic setting, but we all agreed they are trading on their location rather than quality of food and customer service. We won't be eating there again.

Visited this pub also on 28th September 2014 with our friends that make the trip to Mill Green especially yearly.The service was terrible. Had to wait about 1.30 mins for food, even though we asked about it after 45 mins of waiting. When it came it was disgusting. You could not even cut the roast potatoes, and if you did manage to get inside them, there was not potatoe left. The veg were also raw - not al dente - raw. You really should complain but the staff are so rude and treat you like you they are doing you a favour even opening up for you it would not be worth the argument.We will visit The Viper maybe for a quick drink after a walk next year, as the setting is lovely, but certainly will never eat in the place again. The toilets are also disgusting, and makes you wonder what the kitchen is like!

Dropped by at 'The Viper' for Sunday lunch whilst on a charity bike ride. The pub is in a really nice setting with plenty of outside space, and we had lovely weather for it but I'm really sorry to say the service we received at this place spoilt what was otherwise a great day.They were pretty busy but we queued at the bar where we were told it would be an hour wait for food. I thought that’s fine, we can wait. They seemed pretty stretched as it was and the pace of our day was leisurely.I ordered lamb and my friends ordered pies. The bar staff split the order on to two separate ticket numbers. I thought we were in trouble at this point after myself and two friends had to repeat ourselves twice before they had it. We waited; an hour and a half passed before the first meals came out and obviously we were hungry at that point, of the seven of us ordering food four meals eventually arrived within two hours (!) but mixed up on ticket numbers and we were still missing three meals. One of the guys went to the bar and we were told food was just coming up, the owner (I presumed) came out and asked us what was missing, we repeated ourselves. She disappeared off then reappeared, then we once again repeated what we were missing (it became apparent it contradicted what she had written down). But she apologised and offered us free disks, 'would that make up for it?' we grumbled in response (or was that our stomachs rumbling…) twenty minutes after one of the two lambs came out and a mushroom pie but I was still missing my lamb. She returns and I'm told we must be confused because she sent out the lamb... 'We've only had the one lamb,' 'there is no more now' she says. 'OK, I'll have the steak and ale pie.' ‘OK….that’s fine.’ At this point every-one else had their food and I was sitting hungry. Meanwhile our drinks came; my lemonade was missing the lime and no orange juice present. One of the waiters (maybe 12-13 yrs old) came out and we asked for the OJ, he disappeared for a few more minutes before coming back and saying we needed to pay at the bar... more confusion and another trip to the bar got us the free drink. At this point I was hungry and irritated and about five minutes from asking for a refund and forgetting the food. Eventually my steak and ale pie comes out and I wolf it down. I was so hungry I barely remember what it was like aside from a decent amount of meat in the pie but very poor show on the veg front. Done. Glad that’s over with. Not too bad to be honest…OK, so as my pie was cheaper than the lamb I had originally ordered I popped back to the bar to get the difference refunded and this is where the meal was truly cemented as ruined for me.'Please may I have the difference back since I got the pie.' 'Oh we'll just add that on to the extra meal then' 'what?' 'the extra meal you had' 'we had no extra meal...' 'yes, we counted the plates, you had an extra meal' 'I don't think so....' 'OK, well it’s your word against mine; but, you've got your free drinks, so that’s OK. Just a sec, let me get your change…' she disappears and returns with two bags full of pennies total of my £1.50 partial refund I picked up the bags of change and left in disbelief.Perhaps as a lesson in catering, or perhaps in good business or good manners, the only thing which would have salvaged the experience would have been a full and sincere apology and probably refund the cost of the food too. If you feel affronted by the customer, let it go; it doesn't matter, they just need to go away feeling OK about the experience and a negative could be turned into a positive. 'The food was late, but they really made up for it by doting on us for the rest of the meal.' for example. Doesn't take a great deal of extra energy to avoid things like the review I'm currently writing. There are plenty of positive reviews on here and I'm sure for most people it would probably be OK, but in our case it was the way they dealt with the mix-up mistake and our wait for food, customers aren't likely to be happy with you at that point... and you have to take it with grace. It’s all very well being all smiles were there a couple of regulars in, but the true test is with groups and typical Sunday diners. Staff at ‘The Viper’ clearly don’t understand this. The service we received was appalling and the reaction we got when querying the progress of our order was unapologetic and defensive. We were essentially accused of stealing an extra meal and the seemingly affronted owner came across implying we should have been more grateful at the free drinks we received. We were made to feel that we were really inconveniencing them for showing up to their pub. Don't worry, we won't be inconveniencing you again! I've tried to be as reasonable with this review as I was when I dealt with the staff there, because I want you the reader to take the review seriously instead of it seemingly like typical rant of an offended customer. I'm not angry because life is too short for worrying about bad food, but I can't get those two hours of my Sunday back and the rest of it as a result was marred by the experience. Not good dining. Avoid.

Great atmosphere, friendly locals, fantastic beer (go for the Viper's own Jack's Snake) and just the right kind of food to match. And two of us had a decent lunch and a drink for under £20.

When we want to go out to a quiet country pub for some real ale and not bad pub grub, this is our place of choice. During the summer, it is pleasant to sit outside in the gardens; in the winter, there is often a fire burning inside. Now that the Viper has evening bar food during the week, we have an excuse to go more often!

Stumbled across this pub after the campervan broke down, so being stranded for a couple of hours at this lovely pub was a bonus, staff very welcoming. Would go back for sure. Looked very popular for food.

We went yesterday for lunch. Good wholesome home cooked food in a traditional Essex pub. I had a sausage in a baguette with fried onions. Very good value. The rest of the party all had cheese plough mans which were too large for the ladies.