The White Hart in Chelmsford

Such a shame, this pub used to be the perfect blend of country charm, eclectic atmosphere and buzz. Now it is a sorry reflection of its former self. The whole place has been redesigned nicely, not that it particularly needed it and the menu matches its sister restaurant in Little Waltham which has always been steady, however this place is consistently poor. I have returned twice in the hope that they might get it right after some early teething problems , but if anything it has gotten worse. At first the food seemed to be ok but the service dreadfully slow, staff standing about, hardly busy, yet plates remain on tables for 20 mins, drinks orders forgotten, our first meal took nearly 3 hours to complete. Today the pub was almost empty, food on the floors from previous sittings and almost zero attention from the staff. Such a shame as it is in a fabulous location, the positive reviews are either for the original owners or faked by the new. Go to one of the pubs in Stock instead! __________________________________ Follow up: had an email offering me £20 as an apology. I have said it is not about money and I have had 3 poor experiences there now. Said I would return when they had confirmed things have been improved and have not heard back 🤷🏼

Visited the pub on the weekend, had brilliant service from Shelly, and the pub was cleaned to a high standard. The toilets were very clean, this has to be one of the cleanest pubs I've been to. Hats off to the cleaning staff and front staff. Great job guy's.

Went there for Sunday Lunch and it was really brilliant. Lovely staff, great food all served quickly and a wonderful location. Absolutely fabulous.

I had the grilled skate it was amazing

Great Pub in wonderful location. Staff are very friendly and the food was terrific. Really loved it when we went for Sunday Lunch last weekend.

Lovely lunch for our anniversary. Well cooked and presented. Very reasonable priced Would recommend.

Wonderful place to eat and lovely surroundings Food was amazing And the best part they have weekly deals Everyday of the week 👍🏼 great discounts 😃 Highly recommend Il be returning for burger day on Tuesdays And the roast on Mondays Also worth mentioning the beautiful decor and garden surrounding indoor seating area Gives you something beautiful to look at🤩

Firstly - We had a good first experience when we came for breakfast in January—the pub itself is gorgeous. However, our recent lunch visit was disappointing. I would have left this feedback on the comment card we received with the bill, but we weren’t given a pen or asked "how was your meal with us today" before paying the bill. Unfortunately, both the service and food quality were poor, despite the pub not being particularly busy. It’s a shame to see the standards drop so quickly. The two staff members we encountered were not attentive or particularly good at customer service (I’ll refrain from naming names or specifying further here). We ordered drinks, starting with an orange juice that was disappointingly from concentrate. We asked to swap it for a pineapple juice, which was not from concentrate and much nicer. Our starters—calamari and deep-fried brie—were small but fine. However, the brie dish could be elevated with a more thoughtful side, perhaps a pear and walnut salad rather than the dated side salad it came with. The calamari was good, though the garlic dip could use some improvement.. Unfortunately, the plates from our starters were left sitting in front of us for around twenty minutes before being cleared. Our mains then took another fifteen minutes to arrive. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and a crispy beef bao bun. The pizza was underwhelming—it seemed oven-cooked but undercooked, with limp, non-crispy pepperoni. Given that pizza is such a prominent part of the menu, investing in a proper wood-fired oven would make a huge difference. If I wanted a basic oven pizza, I could have bought a better one from Sainsbury’s. The crispy beef in the bao buns was good, but the buns themselves were disappointing—store-bought and cold. It wouldn’t take much to steam them properly, so they are warm and sticky as they’re meant to be served. Overall, the food quality and value for money was underwhelming, and the service did nothing to redeem the experience—it actually made it worse. Disappointing, considering the pub’s potential. Should have stayed in and got a takeaway.

Fabulous pub ,Perfect location , Good menu lots to choose from, great range of Beers . Our server was Pauline , Will be back soon .

Firstly - we had a good first experience when we came for breakfast in January—the pub itself is gorgeous. However, our lunch today was disappointing. I would have left this feedback on the comment card we received with the bill, but we weren’t given a pen. Or if we were asked how the meal was at the end before we paid the bill. Unfortunately, both the service and food quality were poor, despite the pub not being particularly busy. It’s a shame to see the standards drop so quickly. The two staff members we encountered were not attentive or particularly helpful (I’ll refrain from naming names or specifying further here) but they could do with some training. We ordered drinks, starting with an orange juice that was disappointingly from concentrate. We asked to swap it for a pineapple juice, which was not concentrated and much nicer. Our starters—calamari and deep-fried brie—were small but fine. However, the brie dish could be elevated with a more thoughtful side, perhaps a pear and walnut salad rather than the dated side salad it came with. The calamari was good, though the garlic dip could use some improvement. Unfortunately, the plates from our starters were left sitting in front of us for around twenty minutes before being cleared. Our mains then took another fifteen minutes to arrive. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and a crispy beef bao bun. The pizza was underwhelming—it seemed oven-cooked, with limp, non-crispy pepperoni. Given that pizza is such a prominent part of the menu, investing in a proper wood-fired oven would make a huge difference. If I wanted a basic oven pizza, I could have bought a better one from Sainsbury’s. The crispy beef in the bao buns was good, but the buns themselves were disappointing—store-bought and cold. It wouldn’t take much to steam them, they're meant to be warm and sticky, not dry cold and firm. Fries were really good. Overall, the food quality and value for money were underwhelming, and the service did nothing to redeem the experience. Disappointing, considering the pub’s potential. This is exactly why we should have just got a takeaway.

Wonderful country pub. Warm welcome, unrushed service and delicious food. Menu reflects bias toward excellent fish offerings. Good outdoor spaces and ample parking. Very much enjoyed and happy to recommend.

Had a Sunday carvery with a group. All good - at least the plate was hot which seems unusual these days.

Group lunch, pre-ordered but service very slow. Expensive for what it is, most food was good but GF pizza not cooked properly.

Good menu and service. We had two breakfasts but the food was luke warm . Think that was because the plates hadn’t been warmed and were cold,

Lovely lunch here especially on the fish special day with very good offers. Service very good very friendly. The conservatory very comfortable. Would definitely recommend.

Quite disappointed with my visit here. I had booked a table and requested a quiet corner or window table and was shown to neither. I asked the lady who seated us and she stated "No, we're fully booked" despite there being numerous tables free which remained free for the entirety of our meal. Service was slow, we ordered drinks and had to ask if we could order food and were told to wait as she was going to serve someone else. When we asked if we could have cucumber instead of tomato in a sandwich, we were flatly told "If we've got it". - what kind of response is that?! The gentleman who brought the food was friendly and the food was really nice but the lady who served us could do with some tips on customer service.

Our first visit. We booked a table. Very friendly and polite staff. A very clean, tidy and spacious restaurant. Our food and drinks orders were taken quickly. Plenty of choice on the menu. All our food was hot and nicely presented. We couldn't manage dessert.Service was a little slow, but the restaurant was very busy. Good choice of drinks. The toilets were very clean. Plenty of parking. There is also a rear entrance to the restaurant. We have booked a family breakfast (12 people) in a few weeks time. Recommended

Lovely pub, great atmosphere, well organised and friendly people.

Food was absolutely exceptional, even still by late on a Sunday. The service was top notch, extremely friendly and welcoming and couldn’t have been nicer. Will definitely be returning frequently

We had a lovely birthday meal here on Tuesday for the burger and pizza night! Fabulous food, atmosphere and brilliant service thankyou!

Was my first visit with friends for late Sunday lunch. Staff were friendly and attentive. The Sunday Roast was delicious, as were the desserts. I had roast beef and my friend had lamb. Highly recommend you try this venue for your culinary needs. Will definitely be returning. Was very busy (we were there over couple of hours and I quickly sneaked couple of pics when certain areas were clear for a moment or two) Can imagine this place will be very busy in the summer too! Great position with plenty of parking.

Beautifully decorated with attentive friendly staff and fantastic food highly recommend

One of our favourites. Very friendly staff, fantastic atmosphere, child & pet friendly and still very elegant. Great food too.

What a great find!!! Wasn’t expecting to be amazed Like we was! We were served by The friendliest staff and we Ate Some Incredible food. Even the manager was showing the children magic tricks getting everyone involved! This is a hidden gem! Don’t miss out. Even was given vouchers to come back ! We have already booked!! Thanks so much 5 stars! Mr Mitchell

Beautiful refurbishment. Very friendly, helpful staff and amazing food. Deserves five stars and more.

Great location, Great pub, now under new ownership.

Had a very nice roast with plenty to eat and very tasty. The staff were friendly and very attentive and the renovation is top notch and it’s great to see a favourite place to eat back open. We will definitely return

A relaxed and well presented pub which has opened under new management v recently. I’d like to see the staff settle into their routines so they can concentrate on face to face contact and get beyond the ipad ordering system which seems complex atm. They were however attentive and pleasant and with minor hosting tweaks this has potential. Food had a goodGastropub choice it was fresh and tasty and was well priced for a family friendly mid budget meal out. Good start

Was lovely the service was great and very polite the food was very nice I would definitely recommend the hunters chicken burger and my favourite vegetable spring rolls they are the best from there .

Beautiful public house/restaurant and inn Beautiful setting has opened it time for Christmas Fabulous place, lovely food , great service , clean and vibrant, newly decorated.

Lovely to see the White Hart re open with new owners. Highly recommend this lovely pub / restaurant . The new decor is warm, the staff are friendly and the food is excellent

Really good food and friendly staff, will definitely be going back.

Great pub with lovely grounds and outdoor space. Plenty of parking. Need to go back to try the food but from the other reviews looks like we won’t be disappointed

A very quaint and dog friendly pub. Superb food and great choice of ales too.

good pub food, the place has an amazing atmosphere, clean and well designed toddler friendly toilets. Large car park. Responsive friendly service. Children play area in the garden. We stopped off A12 to have lunch, it was an amazing find, well recommended just for a good peaceful meal.

The staff were lovely, catering for our family event, the food was great .

lovely food and excellent service. we had a lovely dinner date.

A huge thank you to Lara the manageress, Harrison and Ethan. A superb team of staff who made us feel so welcome on my birthday today when I came in for lunch with my husband. The food was amazing from presentation to taste. A very comfortable clean and spacious restaurant with a great chef and friendly staff. Great value and set in a picturesque village location. We can’t wait until we visit again. 👏👏👍

Absolutely shocked at the level of customer service and communications received. Still not received an acknowledgement from email communications. No real empathy demonstrated or gesture of goodwill given after sharing concerns and disappointments.

2 beef roast Sausage mash with kale Child’s roast chicken Baileys crime brûlée Eton mess First time - won’t be our last! Lovely pub, lovely service x

Amazing food and customer service,

Amazing food ! Beautiful place and they allow dogs ( special dog roast for them on sundays !! ) A treat for everyone!!

4 of us had a late afternoon roast meal both the beef and pork dishes were good quality, tasty and all served on hot plates

We have met quite a few times at the White Hart Inn Margaretting Tye for family reunions and have always had such good friendly service and delicious food. In particular we met yesterday Sunday 28 January for a birthday celebration and were so very happy with the service and delicious food. Thank you What Hart Inn, until the next time we meet. xx

Fantastic meal with compliments to the chef. Very friendly and helpful service. A little pricey but for a treat or special occasion it is absolutely worth it. Would highly recommend for a lovely family lunch or a cosy couples date night too.

I only down rate atmosphere because we had a corner to ourselves. That actually suited us well as it was a good chat over a good lunch that we wanted and had.

First time in many (30ish) years I've been here. We went on a Wednesday night staff were friendly & polite, food was delicious & we were informed that they are currently looking for a chef & the manager was cooking in the mean time. All I can say is keep him in the kitchen! Food was fab & fresh & definitely made in house. Even better when we discovered it was 2 for the price of 1 in January. Thank you we will be back.

Fantastic lunch as always, in a beautiful setting with great service. Our server Ethan was polite, courteous and attentive from the start, and the food and beer were delicious. Thank you!

Had a meal Saturday night.The food was excellent.The staff were very helpful and friendly.A very nice relaxed evening.

I will start by saying that the food was good, however we had booked in October for the Christmas set menu, when we arrived we were told that it wasn't available as we hadn't pre booked the set menu, as we weren't told this on booking and it didn't appear to be on their website, how were we supposed to know? The waitress was lovely, however at no point did we get an apology from the management or any attempt to make some kind of recompense. To cut a long story short we won't be returning, the food was much more expensive than the set menu and the wine was overpriced.

What a fantastic pub. Lovely location, a warm welcome, very dog friendly, great selection of food (and drink !). Our meal was simply amazing - Bourbon glazed Salmon- out of this world. Staff very friendly and helpful. Can't wait to go back !

From start to finish I would give the White Hart Inn 5stars. The staff were so friendly and helpful and really attentive to our table of 9 adults and 4 children on Saturday evening. I was particularly impressed and grateful with how helpful they were with my daughters allergies (dairy and soy). It was the first restaurant we have been to in a long time where she had a variety of options for food choices, which was just so lovely. Our food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. I had the roast parsnip and chestnut soup and braised beef for main followed by the chocolate torte and it was all just wonderful. Everybody on the table had nothing but compliments for their food, they all felt it was really good value for money and all said they would definitely be visiting again soon, with their families. Thank you to the White hart for making our Christmas meal so thoroughly enjoyable.

Safe to say will not be returning. The wait to be served was unsatisfactory. The food was good but you could tell was rushed

Lovely old pub good food fabulous Atmosphere very festive

We often visit the White Hart inn as they offer not only amazing food but amazing service too! Today was extra special, we booked the lunch with Santa experience! My 2 year old had the most magical afternoon, Santa was amazing and spent the whole time we were having lunch chatting and entertaining the children and adults too! The staff made us feel extra special from the moment we arrived. What a gorgeous way to kick off Christmas! I’m hoping they offer the same next Christmas as we’ll definitely be back! Thankyou to all the staff you made our little girls day, and ours! Xx

We had a family Sunday Lunch which was excellent but the vegetarian meal was awful. This was difficult for us 5 of us had food but number 6 had to wait 15 minutes. Then the food was not properly cooked as obviously out of freezer. But the reaction was good and immediately took from Bill. The problem with vegetarian there is no room for error. If I ordered chicken and got beef I could survive. But if vegetarian is wrong it was an issue But was a wonderful meal and without that it would have been 5 star

Ha a lovely evening eating dinner in the private pod. Has its own heater and very quiet and romantic. Our server Ethan was lovely, very polite and professional, and looked after us all evening. Would highly recommend a winter evening having dinner in the pod.

Very pleasant detour off A12. Not too far, yet you're in truly rural Essex. Very attentive staff.

Gorgeous restaurant, we had a lovely roast. Very nicely cooked with friendly staff xx

Just had the best meal at The White Hart in Margaretting Tye. Everything homemade. Me and my step bro had the same, scotch egg to start, and yes the yolk was runny and it was everything you could imagine and more. Then a venison burger for mains, and cheesecake for dessert. Dad had a shrimp and crayfish cocktail. Braised lamb for main and apple and blackberry crumble for desert. All washed down with real ales and coffee. Bloody lovely. Really friendly and dog friendly. They've even got a doggy menu. Can't recommend it enough.

An absolute delight! Now back to being the perfect English Pub/Hostelry with welcoming atmosphere, good food, friendly and efficient staff. Best of all dogs are not only welcome they are catered for!

Nice country pub. We had Sunday lunch which was outstanding. Good value.

We enjoyed a warm welcome from Harrison with excellent friendly service. Food was presented beautifully and delicious. Booked straight away for next Wednesdays BASC East Game Dinner

Had breakfast here early Saturday morning with a car club, breakfast good lots of it but a bit expensive.£17 including endless tea and coffee

5* Ordered the Cajun burger and chips which were divine! Lovely atmosphere and staff were so friendly and welcoming. Would definitely dine again!

Excellent Sunday lunch. Last serving 5.30pm.

Amazing staff. Made the experience. Highly recommend.

Fabulous Sunday Lunch. We had the roast sirloin. Cooked to perfection. Ate in one of the pods.Private,quiet and perfect for family chats. Service was excellent. A lovely discovery all round.

Had such a lovely evening celebrating mine and my husbands anniversary. Food was amazing, staff really friendly and nothing was a problem. We had our meal in one of the garden pods which was so nice. We will definitely be returning!

Booked Table two days in advance and when we arrived they had no record. Two of us ordered Chicken which war dry, cauliflower in cheese was a slice of cheese heated on top. roast potato's must have been fried and cooked hours before the pub even opened and to top it of the food wasn't even hot. When the waitress asked how was the food and an honest opinion given she wasn't happy, so suggest if you really don't want to know then don't ask.

Haven’t been here for years but am so pleased we went back. Lovely young lad serving us. Steak and ale pie was top notch, proper pie, none of that sauce in a bowl with puff top stuff, a proper pastry pie, full to the brim of tender meat. Great big jug of gravy which was to die for. Kids all enjoyed their nuggets and loved playing in the garden. Two happy mums and 4 very content kids. Will definitely be back.

We have eaten at The White Hart Inn on a few occasions now and the food is delicious! We have eaten from the specials board for our starters a few times and they have been super tasty. And always the fish and chips for our main course,. The kids food options are also a winner and approved by our son so we will definitely be heading back for more. The pub also has a big car park and a lovely big beer garden.

We had a superb meal last night with friends. Fantastic portions good quality food and excellent service. It was our first time and definitely will not be the last. 😋👍🏻

Absolute ambience , Amazing staff, Great selection of food , just love being here.

Sat outside, lovely day peace and quiet after a hectic week, food ok and allows dogs so win win!

Visited on the 13/09/23, table of 4, all had great food, good value, service was spot on too

Popped out on Thursday evening , lovely weather for some lovely pub food and drinks ❤️🍺🥂 sat outside for drinks ,ordered our food went inside to eat. Lovely starters and few glasses of Prosecco for the ladies. Main courses all lovely and came out together staff all nice and friendly nice chilled out evening. Well worth a visit we will be back thank 🥂🍺❤️

Music inappropriate and too loud. Asked if they could turn it down and was told “they would try”. 3 had pork belly, 2 had mostly fat! Coffees came out and we had to ask for sugar. Desserts took 20 mins!

Fantastic good and great service. There was 11 of us so we pre-ordered but they still allowed us to change a few bits around. Staff were friendly and attentive, will 100% return.

Really nice Lovely food hot and cane out good timing

Ladies birthday luncheon...very tasty unique menu to suit all tastes. Friendly service and quick delivery of food. Pretty surroundings and calm atmosphere.

Service was very slow and a lot of items missing from the menu as they've run out that is bad management

Staff are amazing and very attentive. Food is lovely and reasonably priced for the quality you get. Does get bit busy but that's because food and staff are so good. Highly recommended.

Lovely location, beautiful decor, lovely food. Staff very welcoming and friendly. Will be returning soon :)

Went for lunch with daughter and new born. Staff were great. Food was excellent. A great pub 👍

Had a really pleasant meal in this pub/restaurant with attentive service all at a reasonable price.

Interesting plate style rectangular makes the food portions look bigger than what they are look closely and the portions are small. Overpriced better value for a lot less money at your local Harvester. Ridiculous price for this Crab which ended up as a Pate a couple of scoops and your done. Won't be returning a massive disappointment. Roast House around the corner is a far better choice

Tapas Tuesday! Delicious, well planned menu. Fresh food, with great attention to detail. Lots to choose from, and all presented beautifully. The churros with chocolate sauce were a great way to finish. Very authentic, and really good value for money. Would highly recommend

Had a few meals here since it reopened in 2022 - back to a traditional pub. Food is always good. Beer festival was fantastic. Went to new Tuesdays tapas night last night - wonderful selection and really tasty. Even had Spanish music playing to add to the atmosphere. Cruzcampo on tap for a nice Spanish beer if wanted too! And of course some lovely Spanish wines available on the menu. Looking forward to our next visit already.

Had a few meals here since it reopened in 2022 - back to a traditional pub. Food is always good. Beer festival was fantastic. Went to new Tuesdays tapas night last night - wonderful selection and really tasty. Even had Spanish music playing to add to the atmosphere. Cruzcampo on tap for a nice Spanish beer if wanted too! And of course some lovely Spanish wines available on the menu. Looking forward to our next visit already.

16 of us had an amazing meal last night, it was delicious. The waitress called Sarah was lovely and very helpful, she really made our night truly special. Thank you Sarah

Sunday lunch with the family. Lovely staff, felt very welcome. Good choice of food for a Sunday with specials of the day mentioned. All the meals were good, my roast beef was delicious and nice to be offered extra gravy. Will definitely return

Lovely pub. Nice garden pods. Wicked steaks!

This is such a lovely pub restaurant. The staff are lovely the food gorgeous and the presentation excellent we went on Sunday as a party of 14 for my dad‘s 84th birthday and it was just a wonderful afternoon. Cannot wait to return the gentleman who served us? so sorry, cannot remember his name was fabulous as well as the young blonde waitress who was also smashing, thank you to the team at the White Hart for a duet Sunday cannot wait to return

What a gorgeous find! My sister and I took my mum here for a birthday meal and the food, setting and service we could not fault. Definitely opt for a pod as this is such a cosy and intimate way to dine. Would like to...

Good food and choices on the menu and a great range of beers and wines.. Friendly Staff lovely country location.

Went down the White Hart, for the Beer festival, had a great time beer. Food & entertainment was good

Attende the beer festival Sunday 11th June. So so good. Highly recommended.

Great food and they have Pods you can eat in with lovely views

We had a lovely meal yesterday evening. Very good value.