Whispers Wine Bar in Braintree

Just called in to quench thirst after shopping and who should I see ? Charlotte!! Formerly of The Griffin in Halstead….sad loss of a community pub to another residential conversion, but now the main attraction at Halstead’s best bar. We will be back.

The biggest roast dinner I've ever seen.

Great place, friendly staff, nice atmosphere

By far the best place in Halstead to get a Fantastic Meal at a reasonable price. Portion sizes are large. Staff always pleasant and accomoding. Highly recommended.

Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Just stopped for a wine no food on Mondays!.

Just popped in for a couple of drinks late friday afternoon and it was busy

Great little venue halfway up the hill on Halstead. Food is stunning with a large number of dishes on the menue

Lovely food would recommend the lamb burger

Lovely food, highly recommended!!!

Nice Restaurant with a great owner and very good food for an acceptable price. Never expected such a good Restaurant in Halstead. We had a very nice evening over there.

Very friendly and lovely wine and food

Superb food and service. Went with Fabio's recommendations which were spot on! Will definitely be returning and would thoroughly recommend. Thanks Fabio (sorry if I have your name wrong)

So we moved here just before Christmas 2022… lovely welcome, amazing wines and knowledge; fabulous food and great host. Proud to take family and friends there. Attention to detail second to none. Book for an evening or walk in after shopping, love this place…

We're so glad whispers are back serving food again. The new concept of steak cooked at the table is good fun and the steaks were very tasty. Food, wine and service all great and brought to you by a host who really cares.

Amazing evening, fabulous food, excellent wine and an amazing host… thankyou so much xx

Fantastic food and amazing service. Was greeted with a complimentary drink when arrived. Waiter told us he could offer some recommendations of wine to go with our food, he pick d something we would never of chosen and it was beautiful, bought out the flavour of the food even more. I can’t wait to go back and try more dishes.

Last minute dining plans led to us to this charming little bar in Halstead last night. For me it had the perfect atmosphere, and the staff were so friendly, helpful and very attentive (like we were the only ones there). Not being a big eater I absolutely loved the fact that tapas dishes were to share, and there was lots to chose from. I will definitely be going back for some more taste dishes

2nd year New Year's Eve dinner at Whispers with my friend. Fabulous evening, excellent food, excellent service, great atmosphere. My friend and I looked forward to bringing in the new year for the 2nd year running at Whispers. I have visited Whisper multiple times and every time has been a positive and enjoyable experience. Fabio is welcoming, friendly, professional and knowledgeable about wines in particular.

when you go for a meal with friends you look for three things 1. good quality food 2. value 3. atmosphere. sadly this is awful with none of them. rude stuff , very poor ingredients and very very expensive and if your going be careful not worth going sadly.

It's a place to take your time and chill in..

Been there with my partner recently and I’m pleased to say everything was brilliant. Clean place, food was great, very friendly and helpful staff. Fabio introduced us the menu and explained every dish how they prepare it and cook it, he helped with choosing the wine, always smiling and there to help. We congratulate the chef I think Martin was his name, I hope I’m not wrong, again very nice and friendly. Can’t wait to visit again

Fantastic place for great wines and good tapas. Staff very passionate about the food/drink. Recommend.

Amazing service and always happy.

The staff and owners are very friendly, food is 5 stars, very tidy and comfortable. A mix of Portuguese and Spanish flavours ❤️

Very slow service, wrong food served and terrible service (by the male waiter who spent most the time sat at someone’s table when he should have been clearing tables and serving). Food was average at best and they didn’t ask how we would like any of our meat cooked which all came out very rare. That was fine for me but my Mrs doesn’t like blood so ruined hers. atmosphere wasn’t great with moments of no music to then very loud music. Finally to top it off some drunk behind was shouting everything he said like an absolute melon. No discount for the wrong food order, certainly wouldn’t recommend. The response by the owner of my review is fitting to their level of service. Very poor and a desperate attempt to excuse every issue. I visit many restaurants and give fair and honest reviews when they deserve it. The fact the restaurant feel they are not in the wrong for anything is an absolute joke. Yes they told us there was a 20 minute wait for food but we waited 15 minutes of that to receive our drink and was asked for our order twice during this process. In the end we waited half hour, not 20 minutes and regardless if it’s a family members birthday, surely the cusotmer service should still be relevant?? After waiting so long for our food and with the night getting late we couldn’t wait longer for them to cook the correct order. This is why I said I would keep the wrong order and my Mrs would have my course instead. Most restaurants ask how they would like their meat cooked. This was not the case and is something you should maybe start to do! Of course I am not going to pay more for an incorrect dish, if anything we should not have been charged at all for the incorrect dish. I have since read other reviews and though I have no doubt your food and service can be of a high quality, I can only judge your restaurant on my own experience which unfortunately was not a good one. To give a customer a zero rating for being patient, receiving the incorrect order and leaving a slight tip is very unprofessional and maybe take the feedback as something to work on rather than leave such a ridiculous reply.

Recommend by family we dropped in for lunch when visiting Halstead. Tapas was authentic, freshly cooked and to a very high standard. Service was friendly and helpful. We came away feeling valued customers who had enjoyed a perfect lunch over a bottle of wine. We look forward to trying more of the menu next time we are in the town. Soon I hope.

Friendly and comfortable. We stopped for a lunchtime snack and had four tapas dishes, the mushrooms were good, the others average. The wine and beer choices were good, overall good but no wow factor. Would visit again though.

Such fantastic food and hospitality from the Portuguese owners bringing a slice of their homes carefully considered food and wine to the centre of Halstead. The Tapas comes out of the kitchen fresh, cooked to order, and as staggered servings making the dining experience more social, as well as more focused on the individual dishes- which ups the appreciation of the cuisine!

I love this place! The food is very good, the service is excellent. The staff are so friendly and always give me a warm greeting whenever I visit. I had solo dinner on the live music night on Saturday 4th June, and the staff took very good care of me. I highly recommend Whispers Halstead on every level.

We are locals and drop in every so often for a glass of wine or 2. This time however they were more interested in making cocktails than serving us. We finally left after our first glass - very unlike us. Normally wine then a bite to eat 🥲😡

Friday night dinner at whispers, great service food was really lovely, having tapas is a great opportunity to try new things- the Portuguese clams were delicious. I’m Coeliac and my dietary needs were completely adhered to. We finished off with a cocktail each which were also lovely. The chef & staff all really attentive. Highly recommend.

What a gem! Excellent food and fantastic service by Fabio. We will definitely be returning very soon . Thank you so much again Whispers. The Mansfield’s

Amazing food, wonderful cocktails 🍹 🍸and super staff

Lovely place, good sangria, friendly staff. Food was okay but before we ordered our food, one of the waiters asked if we like chorizo (I don’t), so he prepared a large chorizo sausage on a board with bread (we thought he was trying something new, and was going to be a little taster), then charged us £10 for it, that alone, I wouldn’t go back there again.

Food was just perfect as was the wine and cocktails. The staff are so lovely too. Will definitely be going back

Wonderful tapas and wine bar. Delicious food and wine with a lovely atmosphere. It’s so lovely to have an authentic Portuguese experience with Fabio and the team in the area. Highly recommend (and book ahead)

Nice bar and staff made you feel welcome.

Fabulous! Great evening for our group,!

Unbeatable food ,absolutely fantastic and authentic. Highly recommended

The food was expensive and not very good. The manager also seems to have an attitude so not somewhere to return to. It use to be a lovely wine bar, but has since changed hands it seems and lost its warm character.

It's an okay place to have a drink with friends, but we hadn't booked a table so had to wait outside for one to free up. Not sure if I would like to eat here with the number of persons that had clearly drunk more than their fill!

We went here with friends on a very quiet night last week, it was empty when we got there. We shared a range of tapas, all tasty, well cooked and perfectly spiced. Service is fast and efficient and prices reasonable. A hidden gem.

Excellent food, cocktails and service. I highly recommend this place.

Lovely evening with friends, friendly staff who gave good service. The tapas dishes were plentiful and as good as any I have eaten in San Sebastián thank you

Wow quality off food amazing and staff was welcoming and top class

Really lovely space, great staff, good selection.

Light business lunch and cannot fault anything. The coffee is spot on.. Fabio and team are so passionate about everything.

Wow! What a find, a lovely tapas bar, staff very friendly and helpful. Had four different dishes to share, patatas bravas, clams, calamari and meatballs, all were cooked to perfection, hot, tasty and very yummy! Will definitely be back, thank you 😋👏

Lovely place great atmosphere + great service

Great freshly cooked Portuguese food, cold white wine, and awesome cocktails. Worth a visit...you wont be disappointed 😁

Really enjoyed our lunch. Great tasteful food and fine drinks.

We booked Whispers last minute for 20+ people to celebrate my mother’s 80th. Fabio was so accommodating, understanding, friendly- like one of the family. The fantastic team created an amazing menu, created multiple cocktails ,wonderful welcoming drinks and canapés. Most of all they created amazing memories without fuss for my Mother and our family. Would recommend Whispers as in my top 3 places to eat, drink and relax in Essex and Suffolk and beyond… well done again Fabio and Team.

First time having moved to Halsted. We will be regulars. The staff were great and really accommodating of our 9 month. Food and wine was excellent

My favourite local booze and snack spot

Wow what a what a Great place tapas tapas tapas ! Great selection of beer ! Great fine wines ! Staff very friendly felt like I was on holiday in the Mediterranean Great outside dining good place to watch the world go by !

Very expensive for what you get, food missed and all served at different times, service not great, no offer for further drinks during our visit. Sorry guys

Great food, great wine, great staff. Fabio and his team have created a welcoming, chilled environment to have a nice glass of wine and some great food. Will definitely be returning.

A great venue, a lovely host and amazing food. Great to support independent business in the local area.

Whispers has a great range of drinks and friendly and knowledgeable staff. I learnt a lot about wine and port on one of my visits! The bar has a cool interior and good atmosphere, buzzy but not too loud. I have visited here for drinks and snacks 4 times since it reopened with my parents, my partner and family friends and each time has been good fun. The menu looks great and will definitely go back to eat this summer. The drinks are not the cheapest BUT they cost what I expect to pay for a well mixed drink in a wine bar.

Great atmosphere, good wine and beer. Super friendly staff . Enjoyed the tapas

How lucky are we to have such a great place in HALSTEAD , the food is just amazing , the team are welcoming & knowledgable about all the products they serve. Our compliments to their chef, front of house & all staff always go the extra mile to make your experience a good one. If you haven’t been , go you won’t be disappointed. L&K

Such a fantastic place. AMAZING COCKTAILS, THE BEST WE HAVE HAD!! Worth a visit!!! Staff are great and no what they are talking about.

Good wine lovely atmosphere friendly staff

Finally, a restaurant for a good fillet steak from a very good chef. Also on hand is George an excellent Sommelier who always offers a great wine choice and Fabio adds the life and soul to this wonderful wine bar. This Portuguese wine house and Tapas bar also has excellent tapas options with great prawns to very good charcuterie and don't get me started on the chips, very nice and more like a crisp than a chip. Remember you get what you pay for and this place is quality.

These chaps have brought a european feel and cultural dining experience to halstead, what is not to like?. The food is great and daily sourced. Some of these reviews are right its not cheap but cheap is rubbish, its quality food and drink if you want rubbish there are plenty of options in town. Service is great, people need to understand its different now, its not just a wine bar for aging piss heads but a place to eat and relax, just what the town needed. Table service is the norm and they take care of families. Best place in town by a country mile, its not a pub, get over yourselves people.

Havent visited whispers since it reopend so decided to go for a late afternoon drink with a friend....we didnt book ..but new rules make sure you book and need a fave mask.Its lovely inside and friendly staff... lovely glass of wine (although not cheap) if you are having more than one go for a bottle xxWill go back soon x

Friendly staff and authentic flavours

Visited Whispers today for the first time under the new Portuguese management. From the warmth of the original welcome to the quality of the service and food, this was a delightful experience. Tasty mussels with a thai twist, prawns in garlic and slow cooked port cheeks to die for . A perfect combination for an inprompto lunch.Keep it up Fabio and George!!!!!!!

From 1 to 10 is 20. Lovely place, friendly, variety of wines, beers, cocktails, food etc Is the place to be when you want to relax and have good food and drinks

Not impressed with whispers wine bar tonight. Two young lads were at the bar with trackies on however when a disabled gentlemen walked in asking to buy a drink, who has been outside drinking all night they refused due to dress code. When questioned by other members of the bar no valuable information was received just that the didn’t want him in here. He was dressed in jeans and a smart top. The poor guy had to leave his friends and walk back down the high street. In the tough times I thought we would be me accepting. Would expect more.

Not impressed with whispers wine bar tonight. Two young lads were at the bar with trackies on however when a disabled gentlemen walked in asking to buy a drink, who has been outside drinking all night they refused due to dress code. When questioned by other members of the bar no valuable information was received just that the didn’t want him in here. He was dressed in jeans and a smart top. The poor guy had to leave his friends and walk back down the high street. In the tough times I thought we would be me accepting. Would expect more.

This is an amazing place , since reopening we have been there a few times and have found the staff very friendly and welcoming , they treat you like old friends . The cocktails are amazing and expertly made by Fabio and his staff , the food is simply stunning , the head chef Nuno takes pride in the food that he prepares and he is a master of his craft , delicious and very well presented. Try these guys out you won’t be disappointed

We visited Whispers on a Sunday Afternoon for a bottle of wine and some food. Halstead seems to be pretty good for dog friendly places to go and this is one of the best. The staff are friendly and treated all of us (including our Basset Hound with a thick slice of ham!) very well. One of the owners is from Porto, Portugal and is a big FC Porto fan! We did have a very long chat about the club and legends! I do love a football chat!We will be definetly come back!

Great Sunday roast at a great price. All cooked from scratch, good quality and enough for the hungriest of people. The manager was really friendly, had complimentary olives before lunch and a complimentary glass of port with dessert which was a really nice touch.Good recommendations for the wine to go with our lunch and nothing was too much trouble.

Lovely atmosphere with nice selection of wine. Caters well to vegetarian.

Loving the new lighter brighter Whispers. Particularly pleased to see Peroni on tap 🍻

Had a great impromptu visit here. Didn’t book and got a table on a Friday night which was handy. Food was great and host was excellent. We even got a complimentary glass of port on our way out. I would recommend this and plan to revisit

Fabulous wine, food and service!

The new management are very eager to please and the food is super delicious, though a bit pricey

Was really looking forward to visiting Whispers again, after the fire the town lacked a decent venue.However, this is, in my opinion far short of the previous incantation and certainly NOT a decent venue.The staff are unfriendly and obnoxious, the person behind the bar whom I assume is the manager did whatever he could to avoid eye contact for fear he may have to actually serve someone, instead, he divided his time between talking on his mobile and running to the betting office opposite.We sat at a table to have a drink but was soon made to feel uncomfortable as the tables are apparently for diners, huh, that's a joke the place was empty, or at least it was when we left.Will we return, probably not, the place lacks any sole, my advice to the owner, change your staff and put someone in with some personality or the place will be shut within 6 months.Such a shame.

Have visited Whispers Wine Bar twice since the new people have taken over in November, the new management are unfriendly and don’t really seem interested. The bar area is too bright they need softer lighting and maybe play the music so you can hear it. The actual decor is really nice and it should be a lively friendly welcoming place to drink and eat, Considering it was before the fire damage closed it down. Having been a regular for the past 20 years, Maybe the owner should look at different management.

Great food with great wine and an amazing service

This new Whispers comes with an amazing and different food from what we are used to have in UK, it’s a mix between Portuguese and Spanish food with great wines and cocktails.

Not a notch on the previous Whispers.

Not only was the wine amazing, the Portuguese chefs managed to perfectly fusion British and European dishes. 5 stars all day

We visited early Friday evening and were looking forward to experiencing the newly opened Whispers Tapas bar. We ordered drinks ( wine list is good) but they had no olives ( is this really a Tapas bar?) and we were told we couldn’t have any Iberian ham ( which was displayed at the back of the bar) because they were not cutting it for another two weeks. We settled for a plate of cheese and cold meats and ordered bread. The bread turned out to be warmed wholemeal rolls accompanied by olive oil and balsamic vinegar. When we challenged the waiter he started to argue and say that “this is Halstead” and at least the bread was warm. Sorry Whispers I think you’re a venue in need of an identity and better staff.

Husband and I dropped in on a Friday evening around 5pm, reasonably busy with other locals also enjoying a drink. Be warned you must spend over £10 to use bank card and management will not allow you to open a tab, we found this a pain immediately.We sat down at a vacant table and chatted to others, we then made the decision to try the food and I placed an order at the bar. Just before 6pm the waitress started to put reserved notices on ALL the tables and it became apparent that those just drinking at the table had to leave before 7pm. Our food arrived and whilst pleasant, certainly not memorable and we both felt it was overpriced. We finished our food and drink and left around 7pm around the same time as many others, together with the atmosphere. This is our second visit since change of ownership and it has been a disappointment. Whispers was always a friendly wine bar... such a shame management haven’t recognised this.One last complaint, the temperature was chilly, how about using the log stove?

My wife and I, with our son visited a recently reopened Whispers. Although the name is unchanged, everything else is new. Spanish and Portuguese tapas. Not a huge rambling menu but a few well chosen dishes. Iberico ham was great and the cod croquettes spectacular. Lovely room and very warm and friendly atmosphere. Will definitely return soon.

Heard from a friend that a new owner has taken over. Went today with family and had a fantastic meal. Fresh tasty food at a reasonable price. The new owner was passionate and enthusiastic which is always a plus. Halstead are lucky to get such a lovely new restaurant. Wish it was closer but will drive the distance to re visit.

Absolutely rubbish management! The people who have taken it over are extremely rude, the food and drinks are way overpriced, if I could give them zero I would.

The food and service were equally disappointing and food significantly overpriced for the quality and quantity of what we received.

You can't visit this wine bar as it has had a fire might not be open again for some time as there is scaffolding on building & perhaps they are redoing bar not sure though.

Whispers Wine Bar is temporarily closed due to a recent fire and the subsequent fire damage. Unsure when it will open again as it still has scaffolding erected externally !

Why with my husband and had a very enjoyable and good value meal. The owner was delightful and very helpful. The cocktails were delicious too. We will definitely be going back soon.

Good Sunday roast beef, reasonably busy so worth booking a table on Sunday. Good children size mini roasts but make sure you get a table away from the bar as children are not allowed in bar area.

Enjoyed it here, great selection of drinks, delicious don’t have food but other customer were eating and it looked lovely. Very friendly staff.

We arranged a get together with friends at Whispers with the Xmas menu. There were 18 of us. The meal was excellent fresh hot well presented, not the usual frozen pre cooked small portions. I had the soup starter, Beef and Brownie which was great quality and delicious, how whispers manage a large group like ours with precision and courtesy is amazing. I love this place, best food in Halstead.

Visited with friends recently. Was very busy but the staff were really friendly and the atmosphere was great. Food was really good and at a very good price. Left rather full and a tad tipsy! Definitely recommend and would visit again!

Nice atmosphere. Don't order the chill con carne. Very disappointing