Vince's Restaurant & Bar in Epping Forest

It was a friends birthday had a great time by 1 and all thanx 😊

Really lovely place, really good service, food was amazing. Highly recommended.

Lovely place, great food just a touch cold - the place not the food! Great service

Since a change of ownership the difference is obvious. Food itself was good however the service and owner wasn’t friendly. Have been coming here for years under Vinces management and always felt welcome. This time however definitely not. Having spent over £300 on a meal they charged us a “cakeage” fee for having a birthday cake. Apparently this is a common practice however in all the year we’ve eaten out (and we regularly do) we’ve never been charged! It’s such a shame as the restaurant was very quiet also and every time we’ve been it’s always been so busy and lively. When we asked about the fee the owner was very abrupt and seemed offended we were asking, but it was purely because we had genuinely never heard of it. Has it put us off going there again? Yeah sadly it has because of the attitude we received when we was curious about it all. Also a side note now it’s under new management the menu has changed as well as a noticeable price increase on the items on the menu. I wish them all the luck in the world however we probably wont be going back again now. When we’ve been previously Vince and the staff have been so accommodating and nothing was too much bother, it had a lovely friendly, family feel. Sadly that had gone! On a side not the young waiter who served us was courteous and clearly felt embarrassed having to tell us about the cakeage charge he even agreed it was silly but has been told he has to implement it. Well done to him though handling a large table in a friendly manner

Enjoyed our first night out since start of lockdown food was delicious nice to have a meal cooked for you good atmosphere nice to see people enjoying thereselves again

Went there recently for a private function and was very impressed with the function room which was great, the food was really nice and the serving staff were all very friendly. Would definitely recommend

Myles was absolutely lush, so was the rest of the staff including Vince. Can’t recommend the place enough! Will deffo be back

Attended for a pizza making class with host myles. Myles was very friendly and a good host. Pizza making was great. Would definitely come again!

Went as part of a large group, and the service was amazing. Miles and Vince were amazing hosts. Lovely pizzas as well

Friendly staff, a little expensive but nice food.

Great food great staff can't wait fir next visit

Miles always look after me , top Guy

The quality of food was inadequate as well as the presentation with smudges on the plates and seemingly unclean stains that haven’t been thoroughly washed before being given out.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a charming Italian restaurant, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. From the moment I stepped through the door, I was greeted with warm hospitality and an inviting ambiance that transported me straight to the heart of Italy. The menu offered a delightful array of authentic Italian dishes, each prepared with precision and passion. The antipasti selection was a perfect start to the meal, with a variety of flavorful cured meats, artisanal cheeses, and marinated vegetables that tantalized the taste buds. The bruschetta, in particular, was a highlight with its crispy bread topped with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and drizzles of olive oil. For the main course, I indulged in a plate of homemade pasta, and it was truly a revelation. The pasta was cooked to perfection, al dente and bursting with flavor. Whether it was the classic spaghetti carbonara, the rich and creamy fettuccine Alfredo, or the robust Bolognese sauce, each dish showcased the culinary prowess of the chef and highlighted the quality of the ingredients used. To complement the meal, the wine selection was impressive, featuring a wide range of Italian varietals that perfectly complemented the flavors of the food. The attentive staff was knowledgeable and provided excellent recommendations, ensuring that my dining experience was nothing short of extraordinary. Lastly, the dessert selection was a sweet finale to the evening. I couldn't resist trying the tiramisu, and it was absolutely divine. Layered with delicate ladyfingers, velvety mascarpone cream, and a hint of espresso, it was a heavenly conclusion to an unforgettable meal. Overall, this Italian restaurant surpassed all my expectations. The attention to detail, the impeccable service, and the outstanding flavors combined to create a culinary journey that left me longing for more. Whether you're a lover of Italian cuisine or simply seeking an extraordinary dining experience, this restaurant is a must-visit. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Loved the lasagne although not too keen on prawn cocktail as prawns were warm .but the server Danielle was so lovely went above and beyond even thou she was pregnant.lovrly girl x

Don't waste your time, food isn't nice. I wouldn't call it Italian at all.

Work event, food was absolutely delicious tonight... The starters were incredible....loved the shared starters...in fact all 24 of us did 😁 the rest of the food was excellent too and the staff worked there socks off a d were really friendly. Finished off the night with the DJ upstairs ✅ Vince you did an amazing job again of making us feel so welcome. Thank you 🙏🏼😊

Very nice venue and very nice staff

Lovely food and amazing service which is why the 5* but do wish they would sort the decor out as paint is coming off inside the sitting area and spoils the look

Thank you so much Vince to you and your staff for the best engagement party you did for my mother thanks for the amazing service and food it was great I would definitely recommend this restaurant

Great food and drink, cocktails to die for!

Twice in under a week so it must be good. This place feels like home with a warm welcome and an inviting atmosphere. However at night there is music which is loud but a total vibe. I highly recommend the octopus it’s something you want to try and is different. The cocktail hits every spot in your tastebuds ( made with love ). Andrei have been servicing us both time he is an absolute darling very informative and both times gave as recommendation which was finger Licking good. Everyone seem to be extremely happy. We will be back.

This place is the best restaurant I’ve been to, lovely staff and atmosphere and great club upstairs. Thank you x

I would like to start by saying I have never sent back food, complained in a restaurant or left a review but it is no exaggeration to say this was the worst dining experience I have ever had. The combination of disgusting food and shambolic service was almost comical. To start with our table of 4 were given one menu, our drinks (two beers, a tonic water and sparkling water) arrived with the starters. One of the starters, the ‘bruschetta lush’ was burned bread all black on the bottom a bucket load of ricotta and a cold slice of peach. The calamari was thin and they were gooey and stuck together. We didn’t say anything as everyone on the table tried the starters and there wasn’t much to send back, so we waited for the mains. The vegetarian ‘lasagne’ was pasta sheets all stuck together coated in cream with yellow peppers and courgettes, it was sent back uneaten there was no flavour it was just extremely sickly. The raviolis were embarrassingly poor, there was hardly any filling just a thin layer of paste and the only flavour was the garlic and tomato from the sauce. We told the waiter that the food was bad, and saw him go into the kitchen and tell the chefs through the window next to our table we could see them all laughing. Yes, how hysterical that we bring our nan out for a mother’s day dinner and are served disgusting food. The manager would not come over to speak to us, and we had to pay full price (£160 for 3 starters and 4 mains). I am not bothered about paying that much for a meal, but honestly we would have had a more authentic and enjoyable Italian dining experience if we had bought Tesco ready meals. On our way out we were asked how everything was, so we started to explain that it was not very good the lady asked if we told them and they sorted it out to which we replied no, she then told us that she doesn’t work there her husband does. What a weird establishment, we were greeted by a lady chewing who sat us down with her mouth full and then seen out by someone who doesn’t work there. The service was very slow, a very long wait for drinks, and a long time to take plates away especially between starters and mains. The restaurant did not seem busy, there were 4 or 5 other tables and about 10 members of staff just hanging around. To top it all of two people are very unwell today. It’s a shame really, Waltham Abbey is a small place and word gets around, I can see already there are a number of bad reviews and in the current climate you can’t operate like that and expect to be successful. If you’re looking for somewhere to go to eat, I suggest literally anywhere else. How on earth are they actually prepared to laugh at customers who pointed out that the food they had prepared and sold to them was so bad ??

Thank you Vinces for such an amazing night to remember and an extra massive thank you to Danielle. She was so helpful always making sure we were okay and topping up our drinks. A lovely lady. My son had a wonderful time for his 16th birthday.

Would not recommend this restaraunt. When we went there the pizza was horrible we expected a lot more. It seemed like the food they were cooking was not fresh at all! Later that night was being sick everywhere so I think they were using out of date ingredients on the pizza it didn’t taste right. The staff were friendly enough but when we asked for the bill at the end of the night it took them about 25 minutes to come over and collect the payment and the restaurant wasn’t even busy so no idea what they were doing. Definitley wont be going back there again!

Great place for dinner, been a favourite for years 😋

Haven't been here in a while so wew were glad to go back and hugely enjoy a gorgeous couple of fresh pizzas, while being looked after by really friendly staff in a lovely, chilled setting. Would definitely recommend.

Took over 2 hours for my food to arrive I only live 5 minutes away aswell, I was in a rush to go out and had to wait for my food to arrive! Not happy

Nice atmosphere, professional staff. Unfortunately can not serve veil with the bolognese and some others were missing which were on the menu. Eventually the food was great with a little compromise.

Came here for dinner with the girls for the first time. Food was nice. I would say average. No real complaints. Would come back.

We thought we’d try this place as we had an amazing experience at the cheshunt branch, however this restaurant is absolutely terrible, we ordered a garlic bread pizza to start and it came cold, we then had 3 mains the portions are so small, we’ve never left a restaurant hungry, overpriced and really not worth it, we asked for the bill and was told to go pay at the bar when the table next to us had paid at the table so not too sure what that was about.. we did mention the small portions and how that should be looked into but waiter seemed not too bothered and wouldn’t even look at us when we was talking.

Everyone's food was cold but was tasty. The cauliflower cheese was burnt so it was bitter as well as cold. Its a shame as it a nice place.

Visited as family with kids. Good kids options we all enjoyed our meal and the cocktails were tasty too! Please bring back the fried zucchini , my favourite side dish! Will be visiting again

Good food, quick service, fairly priced

Visited Vinces and had a great time! The food was amazing, I had the bolognaise and it was authentic as authentic could get and it was delicious

Food was very good. Was very loud in there making it very difficult to hear each other trying to have a conversation. Also very cold, moved into the restaurant after our meal which was even colder. Soon warmed up while dancing !

Very poor not really a Italian restaurant playing at it I would say

Passed an amazing night at Vince's. We took the Christmas Menu and it was 10/10. Had the best Lamb Shank ever ! Great atmosphere.

Just wanted to say what a great night we had at Vinces! All the staff were very helpful had lots of different bars open so was easy to get drinks Lovely cocktails The DJ was so good, he played a variety of music everyone was up dancing. We had such an amazing night for my birthday so thank you again Vince and team I’ll be back very soon!

Went there for our Christmas party waited an hour for our starters, had a hair in my starters waited another hour for our mains and was cold. By the time we got our afters it was nearly 11pm at night and it was to late to eat.

Pizzas were reasonably priced and delicious. Atmosphere friendly & welcoming. Loved the fact they bring you olive oil, balsamic & delicious bread selection when you are first seated. We will definitely be returning there soon

Went to wedding restaurant looks good but I live 2 hours away so I could not go again but would love to eat there go on give it a try

Went in without booking on a Saturday night and seated us without issue. Lovely food, would highly recommend. It got busy as well and didn't feel rushed to leave.

Fab food, staff very welcoming friendly and efficient

My 1st visit to the restaurant. Very impressed. The best sea food risotto I have,ever had.

Nice friendly staff but the pizzas genuinely have no taste. We got 3 pizzas, all different and you can’t taste much. The tomato base is plain! I’m sure that’s not the case in Italy.

My partner ordered a takeaway as she left for a night shift last night - delivery was 50 minutes to my address which is less than a 10 min drive - £21.50 for carbonara and a lasagne - no accompaniments other than powdered Parmesan - Very small portion of lasagne and a carbonara swimming in grease and cream - burnt lardons (but looks more like chopped bacon rashers) and no seasoning except the grease and burnt lardon. Very very poor (carbonara is still in the packaging in my fridge if you want to collect)

We visited Vince's very late on Saturday night after getting back from London. We were greeted and seated promptly. As it was late it was a reduced menu of only pizza, although reduced there was a good selection of pizza that catered for all. I order a carne (meat) pizza and partner had salsiccia (port and chilli) both were cooked perfectly, presented to us in good time, and tasted delicious. The restaurant was technically closed as we ordered in the last few minutes, so there was not atmosphere to speak off, but the restaurant area including the outside loos amazing and can imagine it full can be a great place to eat, drink and meet with friends. Staff were very friendly, checking in on us and even invited us upstairs to the bar area. The upstairs was a bar area with a friendly bartender, happy to have a joke and a chat, little limited on the spirits side, but the wine he selected was great. Opposite the bar was a small club, dance floor and seating, with live dj. It was quiet as it was early for the bar really, but still nice space for a little Boogie.

We had a party of 19 reserved last night at Vince’s, unfortunately the evening was an absolute shambles, I have given 3 stars instead of 1 because the staff who were waiting really were trying their best, we waited an hour and 15 minutes for the first drinks, we had to ask for menus as we had 3/4 between 19, we had to ask if we could order our starters and meals, half of the party didn’t end up with a starter as items on the menu weren’t available, the wait times were ridiculous, one person didn’t end up having a main at all as he was told there was no guarantee his meal wouldn’t be cross contaminated with pork, we had to ask several times to order more drinks which then took forever, the food was ok, some dishes were better than others but the service, organisation and management let this place down, when I commented on the organisation of the evening I was told that I had to realise the restaurant was fully booked tonight, I explained that the establishment takes the bookings and if the staff cannot manage then this needs reviewing by management! We won’t be returning which is a shame as it could have been a nice evening.

The Uber eats driver failed to delivered my food (he must’ve been hungry) so Vinces re made my order without hesitation. The staff are really attentive and food is always excellent. Highly recommend! P.s thank you for the beer.. I needed that!

Impolite workers and driving to make stupidness joke, even so food is terrible and had food poisoning.

Lovely evening last Friday, party of 2. Chef came out and explained us the menu and he suggested an antipasto to start with, and man we divored it !! We had ribeye and Pasta as mains and all was cooked to perfection. Last time we were here we went out disappointed and I had even complained to the owner. But this time they got it right. Fingers crossed it stays on this level as we will be regular customers 👏👏

Vince's was a fantastic night! Dinner was amazing and the staff were great! The night turned into a great fun evening and vince with his staff were so accommodating- to the extent of going to the shop to get other drink that we requested to make a cocktail from Scotland! I would highly highly recommend this place for dinner and a night out!

Best pasta meal ever! My friend had a pizza which she said was delicious. Excellent service too.

First time here and certainly not the last. Staff and Patrons very warm, welcoming and friendly. Matthew so effortlessly manages the bar and restaurant and makes the best Pina Colada this side of the Atlantic. Stylish decor and great ambiance. We'll be back!

Top service. Perfect food and DJ. Priceless xx

Lovely location, atmosphere & staff. However food was not up to scratch for me. Got me the ravioli and it tasted like a ready made meal you buy from M & S

I went today for bottomless brunch . We had such a amazing time ! We were surprised by two lovely drag queens who entertained us and made our visit fantastic! Service was to very high standards food was amazing and delicious.. I would definitely highly recommend.

Ordered 2 pizzas and waited over an hour and half for delivery and I live five minutes away, no answer on the phone so I have to drive down there, worst service ever, do not order from here, will be dominoes in the future

Went there weekday around 7ish, not busy, place was really nice walls need a bit of decor but not a big issue, they had special offer on the pizza which was good, the waiter was amazing so so friendly wish I got his name, he made the restaurant experience even better for us, 100% go back there again, as you can see from the pictures food was amazing.

Great fun, awesome live singer!

Very good pizza and entertaining music program. We loved the place :) Would recommend.

Not a nice experience at all music way too loud. Pizza was burnt with a soggy bottom, the meat was dodgy, too expensive for what it was. Drinks are crazy expensive. Can this restaurant be a Toby or Harvester in the future

It's a well known, although not always acknowledged fact that the best pizza oven is a wood fire one, so if you happen to be near a wood fired pizza place go try it. Vince's has a wood fired oven so that is a plus straight away, the menu has a few interesting pizzas (they also have vegan cheese for dairy free people) and a number of other options. I went for the margherita and a mocktail with garlic bread starter. The garlic bread is nice with a good amount flavour without bring too garlic, mocktail was nice but we are all here for the pizza, its good. The dough has a nice amount of chew to it with a nice crispness, and it has excellent charring to the underside, this brings the taste of the wood into the pizza, it gives the base depth to its flavour and also let's your tastebuds have a variety of flavour, a bit heavy charring, a bit not. The tomato base is good, subtle and light with good coverage and not watery. I personally would have liked a touch more punch to the tomato flavour but its not lacking, just that I like tomato. The cheese is also good, its a quality mozzarella which has a good taste and a reasonable melt/stretch, as we are in proper pizza territory a really stretchy cheese is hard to do while still maintaining that authentic pizza standard but this is a pretty good balance between the two. If I had to be mega picky I would have liked a tiny bit more charring to the top of the cheese. This is clearly a pizza place that knows what's good and as such is a (crooked) mile better than many other pizza places (feel free to read my thoughts on dominos in my other reviews) plus the staff are very attentive, and Franko is a wonderful maître d', I fully recommend giving Vince's your next delivery/takeaway/meal out money.

The food was terrible so much salt

Very nice food, good quality, great atmosphere and great price!

One word: delicioso The seafood risotto was just *chef's kiss*

STOP! Do not eat at this Restaurant if you value your health. They serve mouldy food there is no excuse !!

Lovely Penne Arrabiata, butt the decaf coffee was awful! Glad that the management were willing to take the coffees off the bill as they were pretty undrinkable!

I rarely give 5 stars but I had no complaints whatsoever about my night at Vinces! Staff were fun and friendly, live music was good (though a little loud!) Fried brie starter and steak main were both delicious and generous portion!! Had a gorgeous cocktail 🍸Owner came and chatted to our table at the end of the night. Had a lovely time

We arrived just before our reservation time at 6:15pm on Saturday 11th June, but were not greeted on the door to be seated for a good 5 minutes (it was not busy at all). We were eventually seen by a friendly member of staff, but he was clearly too busy to seat us as he asked us to wait 2 minutes, left, came back several times before coming back with who i believe was Vince the manager. We were asked if wanted to sit inside or outside, to which we asked to sit inside, and the manager just said bluntly “come”. We followed and had to wait for a table to be set up for us in the middle of a restaurant that was not busy. It dawned on us that this was likely due to the fact they were far more concerned setting up for an event and had forgotten there was a reservation coming. We ordered our food which was really nice, but could not work out who our server was as we were served by 4 different people. We finished our meals and weren’t even offered a dessert menu. To top it off, they tried to charge us for a £3 bottle of still water we hadn’t had that i had taken off the bill. On the way out too, the manager totally blanked us even after passing us as he was too busy talking to who seemed to be a friend. I get two people dont earn you a lot, but the service was awful and we likely won’t come back again.

Staff were really friendly and attentive. Visited on a Wednesday evening so the restaurant was quiet. Nice pizza and decent cocktails, reasonable priced.

Had a great night thanks to Ben and matt would definitely recommend going here for a fantastic time and great service 😀

There weren't enough waiters inside. The music was too loud. I ordered the waiter in sign language. The wrong food came. I couldn't have fun. I asked the manager 10 times to turn down the volume of the music. Absolutely shambles! Food was not nice on top of everything!

Should not do delivery 3 hours wait.

Most awful restaurant I've been too!!!! Shocking food was over priced would never recommend this to anyone.

I couldn't say a bad word about this place. Honestly the best steak in the area too and at such a great price. Cocktails are perfect also and staff make you feel so welcome. I will continue to make regular trips here it's lovely!!

We visit recently with a very big group and without much notice. The pizza's were great and our waitress was amazing considering how many of us there were.

Staff are always lovely, the owner is also so helpful. They cater to my gluten and dairy intolerance and they have the nicest free from Spaghetti Bolognese I've ever had at a restaurant! Such good quality foods and the portions are so generous. It's our favourite Italian restaurant and we travel from Harlow to eat there regularly.

Dissapointed! Would not recommend or revisit. After arriving at the restaurant i was told my booking was for 2 people when in fact i had booked for four. No appolgy was made by the staff at this point, which set the tone for the evening. Knowing this restaurant had a woodfired oven drew me there. When the pizza arrived it did not look or taste like it had come out of a wood fired oven. More like the frozen section of a supermarket. Our starters arrived the calamari was chewy and in general bland. The bread was ice cold like it had just been defrosted. The mains were not much better, raw ravioli and a bone was found in the chicken breast. After pointing this out to the manager we received quite a frosty and defensive response. Which was shocking. Just a really dissapointing evening that did not end well at all.

Amazing night, the food was fabulous, singer was brilliant and all the staff were so attentive, thank you all for making my son in laws 18th birthday so special

CHECK YOUR BILL PEOPLE!! We had a nice enough night but I'd paid a £90 deposit that was not deducted from the final bill and we didn't realise until we were back at home. I have been trying for 4 weeks to get my money back but still no joy.

Amazing food, great wine a bit chilly inside.

I think the food was very nice. Waiter's do a great job even when busy. We didn't wait for to long.. a lovely bar with nice cocktail s . Thay also do coffee 😎 thay also have a party bit for birthday s witch is nice

Great customer service. You can taste the love in the food. Great portion size for reasonable price.

Under staffed, food was ok. unfortunately the table behind us were so loud and obnoxious ruined a family celebration meal. Absolutely disgusted to find out it was actually the owner.

We had a meal here today. The food was not great ! The mussels were the smallest mussels that I ever had my entire life most of the shells were empty. The pizza was very dry. The profiteroles were probably frozen as they were tasteless . One waitress rushing around as she was the only one serving. Very disappointed!

Fantastic service from all the staff, couldnt be more helpful and attentive, all the food was tasty, authentic and filling plus the cocktails hmmm! 😋 really great atmosphere and dining experience for families, friends or celebrations, thanks for fab night Vince's 👍👍

Last night Vinces catered for my In-laws 50th wedding anniversary. Not one to do reviews but had to put down our thanks to Vinces for helping to make to the day special for the In-laws. The food and care of service spot on, even catering for a guest with disabilities. My Father-in-law said Vince himself was accommodating to all requests for day one. Will recommend Vinces to anyone who asks.

We enter the Restrant and they couldn’t find our details or reservation until they spoke to the manger, then when we was seated we only had one menu to share between us. The waitresses where lovely however, had children screaming the place down and letting an under age waitress serve alcohol. That’s not all… When receiving our bill they decided to add drinks to our bill that we didn’t even order or have! DEFO NOT COMING BACK ! Horrible horrible first experience very disappointing knowing that you have to pay a lot of money, they couldn’t even cut the pizza properly.

Although it's a rather large restaurant, the atmosphere is quite intimate. The staff are helpful and attentive. It has a full Italian menu with plenty of choice. The food is good, with generous portions, and the prices are pretty reasonable. Great place for an evening out.

We enjoyed a lovely birthday celebration meal for fourteen at this Italian restaurant in Waltham Abbey. The generous portions of food were excellent, the house wine we had was very good value and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed our dining experience here and would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant.

I only order take away pizza from there. I was sceptical of Vince's due to another experience in the Cheshunt branch, but decided to try my local pizzeria purely because there is nothing decent in the Abbey. I'm rating this as a pizzeria, not a restaurant overall. I find the dough very good but the toppings don't feel very fresh, especially the meat. The salami is borderline disgusting. Will try a vegetarian option next time.

I would defiantly recommend! We had a lovely night celebrating my partners birthday, the food was amazing and the service was great! Shout out to our waitress Chloe!! Thank you for making our meal amazing and thank you so much for organising the birthday boys desert! The desert came out with a sparkler and we all got to sing happy birthday! It was amazing!

Service was good the food amazing

Can’t rate the food because they cancelled my table and didn’t give me my deposit back refused to talk to me and explain what right they had to keep it because they knew they couldn’t very dodgy business don’t pay any kind of deposit because they will just steal it and cancel your table!!!! Staff are useless

Christmas meal was very nice lovely friendly staff would definitely go again

Very nice place and very good food

Good food good service Attend there as a wedding guest and had a great time.