The White Horse in Chelmsford

Really good food and had brilliant service by a girl named Tilly. Will defo be coming back

Nice place to go to from time to time, especially in the colder weather with their open fires. The issue I find are from those who think that parking on double-yellow lines is acceptable. Hopefully the highway code won't come up during quiz night for them It has recently been refurbished and I was amazed at how quickly it was done. It’s looking good and looking forward to visiting it again soon

Visited for a catch up with friends. We were disappointed to see that a couple of areas at the rear of the pub are now closed off from customer use. There is a lot of space elsewhere, however the tables are not very stable and the sofas are low for the table height. There is also some inattention to decor, for example an ornament on display at the front has been left broken, with sharp edges, for several months. The staff seem nice and helpful, however the landlord was inattentive and we had to wait while he finished chatting to a previous customer he was serving. He was also offhand when my friend was ordering drinks. Overall the pub itself has a good atmosphere, some previous reviews put us off eating so am unable to comment.

Massively improved Had the chicken tikka masala it had actual taste to it that was nice and very filling. I had the peri peri flat bread and that was banging again couldn’t eat it all. Super happy massively improved food.

Lovely traditional pub with friendly staff. Special mention to Callum behind the bar who was kind and enquired about my day as well as being efficient. Recent charity bingo event was really good. Hopefully they will put on more in the future! Regular quiz night on a Thursday is also well worth a visit.

Sunday roast was very nice. Staff were attentive.

Had a really enjoyable visit to The White Horse. Good atmosphere, and the food was spot on. The service was particularly noteworthy; Callum was very attentive and made the experience even better.

Really lovely family pub with plenty of space & a cute little kids area. Clean and tidy with a good atmosphere. Food was great and reasonably priced. Will definitely go again.

Thanks to Callum for a very warm welcome and great service, excellent barman. Great local, looking forward to a return visit. The quiz night on Thursday is well worth a visit.

Really love this pub. Decor is warm and welcoming. Staff are very helpful too. Special mention to the bartender called Callum. Very friendly and helpful young man. Great local pub. Would definitely recommend.

Amazing atmosphere and staff were very friendly. The food we ordered was excellent and have no complaints, well definitely be back soon!

Great local with friendly staff and great service. Locals are friendly and they allow dog in too. We always stop off in here when we can

Amazing atmosphere and staff were very friendly. The food we ordered was excellent and have no complaints, well definitely be back soon!

We had a lovely meal here for Mother’s Day! From start to finish, the service was great the staff were friendly, attentive, and made us feel really welcome. The food was absolutely delicious!! What really stood out was the personal touch from Luke the chef, who came over to our table to check if everything was to our liking—it really showed how much care goes into the food and the overall experience. It made the day feel even more special. Highly recommend and will definitely be back!

Lovely meal today. Very pleasant, helpful staff too.

Really disappointing visit to the white horse. Not overly busy when we walked in, was welcomed and offered to sit anywhere in the restaurant. Ordered at the bar, service was fine there and staff member was polite and ensured that what I ordered was put through. Then it came to service. Starters took quite a while to come out, fine with that as it was hot. Then the mains came out. My wife's meal was incorrect, asked for no cheese sauce, with BBQ in its place and also the cheeseburger fries. The burger had cheese sauce and the fries we plain. Had to go to the bar to inform them, they took her plate while I had to eat mine to save it from going cold. I finished mine before they came back with again, the incorrect burger with cheese sauce. Fries we now right. She didn't want to send it back again as I had finished mine and we had to get back home to pick our daughter up. Burger bun was awful too. Overall, started off OK but unfortunately went down hill.

Friendly pub, variety of food on the menu. The steak was good and cooked to perfection. We live locally and enjoy visiting often. There was a charity cake sale, which was nice to see them supporting the local community.

Well, this was quite an experience. We came to the White Horse because we’d run away from the horrors of the Hungry Horse up the road, and I’d say we made the right decision. The food seemed to have been cooked in an oven rather than a microwave, the internal decor was a little nicer, and the view of the church and the daffodils through the window was lovely. The atmosphere was a little dead - possibly not helped by the customer choosing to sleep across the seats at the table next to us - but we didn’t mind too much. You have to order at the bar and pay there and then, which probably should have been identified as a red flag, but we’d already fled one sub-par pub, so we persevered. Our group paid in two sub-groups and the first encountered no real trouble in ordering (other than requesting a blood orange gin and receiving a standard Gordon’s with blood orange tonic). However, my wife has coeliac disease and when it came to ordering for the two of us, this proved more of a challenge than the staff could handle. We couldn’t get the allergen iPad to work and sadly, nor could the man behind the bar. His colleague recommended that he radio up to the kitchen to see how the roast dinners could be adapted to become gluten free, a suggestion of which I was in great favour. Alas, getting the answers from the (white) horse’s mouth transpired not to be on the table, as the manager then came down (in a tank top and munching on a Mars bar) to fiddle with the iPad herself. After a good few minutes of scrolling and loudly telling me how useless the systems were and how badly they were treated, she found which components of the roast contained gluten. I then made the mistake of asking about desserts, and it took another five minutes to find those answers. Eventually, we placed our order. We had to wait a little while for the main course, though I’ve had more agonising waits in other places. Oddly, the food ordered after the considerably lengthy iPad ordeal came first. The two of us had to wait another five minutes not just for our companion’s food but also for any cutlery (I tried to go and get some but there wasn’t a single member of staff anywhere to be found at the bar or on the restaurant floor). When the food arrived, we had some fresh surprises. My gammon was stone cold (though this was fairly easily rectified using the gravy), and my wife’s pork was rock hard, to the extent that once she eventually got her knife through it, chunks made a healthy ‘clunk’ noise if dropped on the plate, not unlike a small piece of wood. It was also pointed out that the stuffing balls looked a little like a testicular bushtucker trial from I’m a Celebrity. One member of our party had a steak, which he reported was nice once he’d removed the extensive amount of fat on the edge. Personally, I enjoyed the cauliflower cheese but the rest was nothing to write home about. Due to paying at the bar, we had ordered our desserts at the same time as our mains. However, nobody came to check on us at any point and so they had no way of knowing when we had finished our main course. After an absurdly long wait, my wife went to ask about our desserts. She found the manager and one of the kitchen staff sat on the floor in front of the bar, petting a dog. She asked about the desserts and was snapped at rudely that ‘we didn’t know we were supposed to be doing desserts as well’. Both then disappeared up to the kitchen and I hope against hope they washed their hands before preparing our desserts. The crème brulee was completely soft on top. The apple pie was rather nice until I found a centimetre-long shard of hard plastic inside it, which was a little off-putting. All in all, I wouldn’t say it was our finest dining experience. My wife had an upset stomach throughout the night and the next morning, so we can safely assume that the extended ordeal regarding gluten free options was entirely redundant. The five of us were very grateful for an exceedingly enjoyable night - we never would have had this level of entertainment at the Hungry Horse. Character limit.

Love having this pub within walking distance. Lovely food and atmosphere. Staff are always friendly and the activities going on are always enjoyable. Ice been asking to their charity bingo (even won a prize) and monthly book club which I really enjoy!

Waited 2 hours and still no food. No customer service to explain or apologise. Even messed up the full refund so £15 out of pocket. This was Mothers Day and ended up getting a Tescos microwave meal. We weren't the only ones as there was a queue of people complaining.

I booked lunch at The White Horse in Great Baddow for Mother’s Day. After a 2 and a half hour wait our food still had not arrived. I had to pay £30 deposit to book the table which the manager said I would get a refund link via email, I still have not receive this link. We used to visit a lot however this experience means we will not be visiting again.

Absolutely fabulous staff. And very kind to a man with a boat high and dry and 'tyred out' Thank you.

Great night out for my son’s 18th birthday, staff great and food was very nice . Thanks for a great night

Absolutely love coming here are the weekend with friends

Amazing customer service, me and my friends come every weekend. This is generally my favourite restaurant, great food, great drinks, great atmosphere and lovely workers.

Family friendly pub with little kids corner keeping them entertained.

Lovely pub, nice atmosphere! Great beer, great food and great staff! Service was quick and friendly.

Good value meal and drinks with friends, very friendly staff especially bar man Billy!

My dad and I visited the White Horse on a Tuesday lunchtime and Dan and Sian served us. We felt instantly at ease and greeted with smiles.Our food arrived promptly and was absolutely lush! To top it all off they had a cake sale in aid of cancer research and as my mum passed from cancer, and it was her bday, it all seemed like fate. Well done for doing something a bit different guys. Full bellies and a bumper bag of sweet treats. 5 stars!!!

If you’re looking for a cosy, welcoming spot to unwind, The White Horse is a must-visit. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a perfect blend of comfort and charm. The staff go above and beyond to make you feel at home, offering excellent service with a genuine smile. The food is truly a highlight. Every dish I’ve tried has been delicious, prepared with care and full of flavor. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty meal or a lighter bite, the menu has something for everyone. It’s the kind of place where you can settle in and enjoy your meal without feeling rushed. Overall, The White Horse is a gem—perfect for a relaxed evening out, and the quality of food and service will definitely keep me coming back. Highly recommend it!

Amazing pub! Food is lovely, stuff is great. And it’s so friendly atmosphere here as well.

My husband and I visited on Valentine’s Day and thought the service was great. Elle was our host and was really friendly and the service was great. The food was lovely. They had a singer booked and she was great made the evening really special. Will definitely return to their future events.

Terrible food. Terrible service. Staff and management do not care enough. Nothing in stock. Bad management.

Took over an hour for food to be served. It was busy at all. Even the drinks took over half an hour to be served. But only were served when I chased the order at the bar.

First time visiting and won't be the last. Staff were great, food was lovely and service was five star. My dog loved the dog bar with treats.

horrible service, it took 2 and a half hours for food to come and we was not even told about the wait before ordering. don’t come here if you don’t have a day to wait for food.

I recently visited The White Horse and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, perfect for a night out with friends or a casual dinner. The food, prepared by Chef Luke, was absolutely delicious. Every dish we ordered was cooked to perfection, with fresh ingredients and creative flavors. The Rump surf and turf was a standout, and you could really taste the care and skill that went into preparing it. Chef Luke clearly knows their craft and brings a unique touch to the menu. Our server, Billy, was outstanding as well. He was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the evening. It’s rare to find such excellent service, and Billy really made the experience even more enjoyable. His recommendations for drinks and pairings were spot on, adding a nice touch to the meal. I would highly recommend The White Horse for anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and a relaxed atmosphere. I’ll definitely be back soon!

Excellent menu - a great variety of food available. Sadly my initial choice had sold out, but there were plenty of other options. Mini desserts with a coffee are a great choice, and too few places offer that.

Great food and service, billy took care of us the whole time

Great - children’s play area and friendly staff Bad - very limited gluten free vegetarian options

AWFUL- Two cars in the car park, assuming quiet meant good. ! Ummmm don't think so. Ordered Gammon, it was dry, tomato green, and peas GREY! Days old they appeared! Ordered pineapple to go with it,came with egg! Then response no pineapple! It's quiet so assuming couldn't be bothered! Not to mention the two tables with plates, left over food and glasses that weren't cleared in the whole time we were there, guests left hours ago! Judging by the left food! I thought if it was quiet might put more effort in! Absolutely not! Shocking

Great food and service. Staff were polite and friendly. And best of all your furry friends are welcome. This was my first visit ,I will definetlwty be returning.

I returned 3 pints of lager all different brands because they smelt and tasted horrendous. I wasn’t the only one complaining. The pipes haven’t been cleaned. The general cleanliness has seriously gone down hill. Will not be drinking there again!!!

I asked for a quiet table as my friend is having chemo. We were seated in a very busy section of the restaurant. A lot of the dishes were unavailable, we were not told this before being seated. We were told the kitchen closed in 5 mins, rushed to order . Three trips to the bar ordering things that were unavailable , finally placed order. Then found out kitchen was not closing early!! Table and cutlery not clean. My food was ok and hot, my friends meal was cold and had to send it back and order something else! On the whole …not great!!

Was here on Christmas Eve - service super quick staff great. Come here often and never disappoints. Food is good value too

Me and the misses come out and we give the white horse ago had a lovely steak and my Misses had fish was amazing Service was amazing and very helpful staff as well We have also book in for valentine’s Day for the steak deal would like to thank the chef for amazing meal

Can hear for a meal with the wife had rump steak and wife had haddock and chips Well the rump was cook amazing could not fault it and my wife love the fish would like to say hats off to the team in the restaurant it was Dan and lady that ran the food had lovely smile be back for valentine’s Day for that steak deal thank you

Servers really inviting, not left waiting for food and was good prices. Would come again

Been to the White Horse many times, each and every time we have experienced great food, fantastic service and a warm, friendly cosy environment. The food is served hot and tastes fresh, the bar staff are attentive to all your needs, the fires are cosy and it just feels like home. Great experience, definitely recommend 👌

I was in the pub for a family meal on Wednesday night. We were served by a lovely girl, Jessie. She made our experience very enjoyable and always had a smile on her face. The food has really turned itself around recently and we are definitely going back routinely to enjoy it more. The atmosphere in the pub was delightful and I can’t rave more about how friendly the staff was

Amzing place, great hospitality, food was divine

Really enjoyed our lunch visit here yesterday, food was enjoyable and the atmosphere was relaxing with great staff, thank you!

Very slow service and a long wait for food when I went. Was very disappointed

Came here with my partner before entering the city and it was amazing food and quick service

Good roast dinner but only one staff at the bar who was also acting as the waiter. Very long wait for food

I just love this pub! Everything about it is amazing, such good food, always good service. The pub is going up and up. So excited to come back!

Great local pub for a beer and good value pub grub

Good food, great service and cosy atmosphere. Such a big improvement under the new management team compared to previous. Will be back again soon.

From the moment we walked in, we were greeted warmly by staff, who were attentive and friendly. The food and drink were really good. Both my partner and I were extremely satisfied. The ambiance is also worth mentioning – cozy, inviting, and with a great atmosphere that made the meal even more enjoyable. We enjoyed a lovely meal by the fire place. Overall, our visit exceeded our expectations in every way. Exceptional food, excellent service, and a delightful atmosphere – I highly recommend it. I will definitely be returning soon!

I booked a Christmas lunch for our team of 15. The food and service were perfect and I will be back throughout the year.

Went for lunch during the Christmas period pub was fairly busy ordered the mixed grill food came out fairly quickly and was great and well presented was a lovely atmosphere even with my 4 year old Lovely little area to keep him busy A worth while visit even with the kids Look forward to our next visit 🥂

Great pub, I really enjoyed our visit

Great service really good especially compared to last year ,and food was really nice too

Can't believe the pub is closing at 11pm on Christmas Eve on one of the busiest nights of the Eve how crazy the Blue lion will be happy, what is this pub doing!

Don’t waste your time booking for a function. We booked and payed a deposit for our Christmas Eve dinner 2 months ago. Only to be called the night before to say they are cancelling our booking. This is not the first time we have been let down by them. A lesson learnt. We have no time to rebook- and we have all our family who travelled to be with us for the dinner with nowhere to go.

Never have a good experience at this place. Came in for the Christmas carols which were amazing and good fun as always. Ordered a burger, and for me I just ordered two starters, nachos and chicken wings. We were told it was a hours wait as under staffed. Which was fine. After an hour I got the nachos (asked for it all together mind 🙄) never received the rest of it! Asked at 10pm after ordering at 7.30. They said kitchen never got the ticket??? Yet we had received the nachos??? So clearly they had!! The excuse was short staffed. But they would have known it was gonna be a busy night. No free drink offered. Nothing. Honestly you really need to get you act together. This used to be such a lovely pub. The nachos were poor, no sour cream, covered it guacamole, the cheese sauce was disgusting, used to have grated cheese. If you can’t get crisps right to the menu, maybe we were lucky we didn’t get the rest!

When to the white Horse today for Sunday lunch We had tomato soup To start with went it was served it was delicious and hot Main Course was roast Sirloin of Beef with roast potatoes and vegetables Yorkshire pudding and gravy beef Mail it in your mouth food was lovely and hot Dessert We had Belgian chocolate brownies with ice cream delicious Thank you Everyone at the white horse For a lovely meals

The staff are so friendly and helpful. The food is amazing. There is the occasional wait on food but it is really worth the wait.The Sunday roast is brilliant and would recommend the ultimate burger.

Went here today for breakfast with Santa. Had a great time, kids absolutely loved it. Food was lovely and great portions served! Food took a little longer than expected but that just let us chill and have a good catchup before we ate. All in all can not fault it especially for the price! Highly recommend.

We went for Breakfast with Santa this morning. Ordered food at 10am which came out at 11:30am, we were the second table served food. Waitress didn’t seem to know the food was included in the booking, so I paid for the full cost at the bar and then had to ask for a refund. Food came out cold and wrong after 90mins. Then waited 15 more minutes to be corrected. We left at midday and the person who ordered after me was still waiting and left. I too would have left but our 7/3 year olds were starving. The waitress was giving the excuse that everyone ordered at once, which given everyone had pre-paid £10.99 for the same meal (only one was available) and so they knew exactly how many people would be there and at what time is laughable! Plus blaming me for ordering my food at the time you asked me too is very poor. I will not be going back to this pub again

Christmas meal, blade of beef better than expected. Service awful, half the main were eaten before the other half came out.

Really lovely helpful team. Great food

Great pub grub with friendly staff and great service. Highly recommend!

Lovely pub with a great atmosphere

Very belated review! Shoutout to manager Dan. A few weeks ago, I had booked a table online. He made the effort to call afterwards and left a message, asking if we were doing the quiz and if we were alright with being sat in the bar area. I really appreciated this, a lot of people/places wouldn't bother and I found it to be very considerate and showed he really cares about customer satisfaction. The service here isn't always fantastic and the food can be inconsistent, but he was great and there are a couple of other bar staff who are always friendly, and at it's best, the food is amazing. The Chicken Schitznel is one of the best meals I've ever had eating out.

Fantastic service by Elle!!! Lovely food!! We will definitely be back for more!! Wonderful atmosphere and people here

Very good service from the bar staff made me feel very comfortable, food was equally as good

The food here is amazing!! The chef Luke did a great job!! Supervisor Sian gave a lovely service and was always smiling!!!

Beer and food always good. Pleasant pub.

Came in on Friday for a drink with a few friends, it was quite busy with only 1 staff member on the bar!! I believe her name is Kristy, she absolutely smashed it on her own with the ammount of people in this place, never a long wait for our drinks despite being on her own. Great place to go for a bottle of Prosecco for £14 on fizz weekend. Absolutely amazing!

Came in for some dinner with my partner, I was served quickly at the bar and the bar maid was friendly. I had the ultimate burger which was delicious and my partner had the mixed grill which he loved! Will definitely be back again soon!

Absolutely loved the food here , improves each time we go , staff are very friendly , great menu choice , definitely recommend

Lovely pub. We had a Sunday roast which was lovely. Only downside was that most of their Ales were not available

Terrible experience on a Saturday afternoon. Looked quite nice at first until we saw all the empty drinks glasses on the tables and multiple stains on the chair seats. This should have been a red flag! Anyhow, thought we would give it a try so ordered food and drinks by scanning the code on the table and ordering digitally. After 30 minutes we still had no drinks so went to the bar and was told were on their way. Cold drinks came and were nice (half a star). 15 minutes later I was brought the weakest luke warm latte that I have ever had. Another 20 minutes later we still had no food so went to the bar again and was told was on its way. We were then presented with a stone cold tomato soup (did taste nice) and cold button mushrooms by a lady who looked really fed up. Went back to complain and was then told that ingredients were missing for the chicken, bacon and avocado wrap we had ordered and we couldn’t have that. So basically it took over an hour to get cold food and then be told they couldn’t make part of our order anyway. Ended up asking for a full refund which they didn’t dispute at all. I don’t know if there’s a problem with morale or they were short staffed but it really seemed as tho nobody cared , were disinterested and took no pride in the place. Ember Inns should be embarrassed! Needless to say we will not be doing a return visit.

I don’t write negative reviews very often if at all, but I feel really compelled to write one this time because this was a very poor experience. Drinks were out after us waiting about 25 minutes and again we had to come up to the bar to ask if we could take them to the table. The waiter brought out the hot drinks shortly afterwards. The food took 45 minutes to be ready. The only reason it was ready was my husband asked where it was. After waiting 45 minutes the staff announced (only whilst inquiring when the food would be ready) that one of the meals was not available - no one let us know this until that point. When my food came out after 45-50 minutes it was stone cold. - the soup was so cold I could put my finger in it, and my mushrooms had clearly been left on the side for some time after cooking them. We decided to leave at this point, asked for a refund and left because we would have had to start the whole process from scratch so we could all eat together, and it wasn’t worth it. I understand if the pub was busy or they had to deal with big tables, but this wasn’t the case. I completely understand mistakes happen, we are all human, but this really smacked of no care at all, which is a real shame and we got no explanation for the poor level of service, not notifying us that they hadn’t got part of the meal or a real apology. The fact you gave us a refund without asking why we wanted one speaks volumes. .Thank you for the full refund, we appreciate that you did that, but we sadly won’t be returning.

I don’t write negative reviews very often if at all, but I feel really compelled to write one this time because this was a very poor experience. Drinks were out after us waiting about 25 minutes and again we had to come up to the bar to ask if we could take them to the table. The waiter brought out the hot drinks shortly afterwards. The food took 45 minutes to be ready. The only reason it was ready was my husband asked where it was. After waiting 45 minutes the staff announced (only whilst inquiring when the food would be ready) that one of the meals was not available - no one let us know this until that point When my food came out after 45-50 minutes it was stone cold. - the soup was so cold I could put my finger in it, and my mushrooms had clearly been left on the side for some time after cooking them. We decided to leave at this point, asked for a refund and left because we would have had to start the whole process from scratch so we could all eat together, and it wasn’t worth it. I understand if the pub was busy or they had to deal with big tables, but this wasn’t the case. I completely understand mistakes happen, we are all human, but this really smacked of no care at all, which is a real shame and we got no explanation for the poor level of service, not notifying us that they hadn’t got part of the meal or a real apology. The fact you gave us a refund without asking why we wanted one speaks volumes. .Thank you for the full refund, we appreciate that you did that, but we sadly won’t be returning.

Great pub to drink and food is really lovely. Didn’t get a chance to take any pics as was hungry and wolfed it down! The staff are also a great team and make you feel very welcome.

Possibly the worst service I’ve ever had. Hardly anyone in to serve and generally a bunch of early twenty year olds trying to ensure one of their colleagues deals rather than them. Food is average and reflects the lack of investment in decent staff. Communication is poor between the staff. Oddly, I liked the atmosphere as once you do secure a drink and food, the relief is welcome! Locals are good fun.

A good value for money pub. Beer very good and usually somewhere to sit. I had a burger which was good

Wonderful food and the service was brilliant.

Well it’s not often I write a review. I know the white horse like many pubs are struggling with staff shortages and can cause many issues for Managers and staff and most of all customers. Tonight I decided to have a meal. To my delight and to really honest as a regular who has witnessed problems they are getting there act together. I was really impressed to point of this review. Well done to all staff and keep it up . 29/09/22

My wife and myself went to "The Horse" with 2 other couples to celebrate a birthday. We picked a table upstairs and sat by the windows where the door was open and allowed a nice draught to come through on a really hot day.We all had starters and mains and a good few drinks.We had a smashing afternoon.Food was spot on and service was really good and friendly. On our way out i asked to speak to the shift manager (Dan) i think just to say thanks.He told me that he and his team are working hard to make The White Horse the social hub for Great Baddow. All i can say is "Go For it" They will definitely be seeing us again.

Great night out with friends. Service was quick and friendly. Prices are reasonable. We love going here. Dan is the guy to turn this pub around

Stopped by to visit family and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff. staff were friendly and welcoming. Nice pub, popular with the regulars it would seem. Food was good, delivered quickly and with no complaints. Would recommend the Mixed Grill and my husband had the ultimate burger which he really enjoyed also. would definitely come back!!

The place was easy to locate, the staff were very welcoming, accommodating and friendly.

Nice car park, big oldy-worldly pub, very clean, food reasonable, lots of potential. Sadly, the service and waiting times let the pub down big-time.

Hunters schzhitsnel (my favourite Hunters chicken) was lovely, great service and kids meals went down well and great prices too. Will be back again, hopefully for the quiz night!

Good food and very friendly staff. Food is good price for what you’re getting.

Dropped in for a catch up with family, the bar was well tended and a really friendly team too! Will be back again to try the food menu next time. Thank you for a welcoming and enjoyable experience.

Okay corporate local. Not a destination pub....