The best restaurants in Braintree East of England

We met up with a lovely friend for lunch. We had tomato and basil for starter. I had a flat iron. Our friend had the burger, and my had prawn & salmon pasta. All arrived together, presented beautifully. Service was spot on. Definitely return. Reasonably priced.

Alex and I took our Wedding party to The Bull for post ceremony drinks and Buffet! we spoke to Lauren some weeks before about holding our party there, she said that would be no problem at all, and it wasn't. The only thing they couldn't do for us was supply food, as we had too large a party, but we ordered in a Buffet, An area was set aside for us and which Lauren and her staff kindly decorated. We took our 66 people in for the afternoon/evening and at no point during our hours there did any of us have to wait to be served. Lauren and her team were excellent, friendly hosts as we knew they would be, having experienced their hospitality before. We are never getting Married again, but me and my new Wife will be visiting many more times. Matt and Alex

UK fish bar has gone downhill of late, used to be really good here, but prices have shot up, £27.50 for 2 portions of cod & chips!! Will only consider eating here as a special treat in future, no longer viable to eat here very often, same for all chippies in Witham really. NB dont use the food delivery companys, they will charge you an extra £5 at least, even this shops own website gives you 10% off your order, but the prices are up 10% already!

Enjoyed our first visit to the Pheasant at Gestingthorpe. Food was excellent and staff were friendly and attentive. Will definitely return. Thanks to all for a great Sunday lunch.

We are locals and frankly we’re delighted with the recent changes made to the pub. We went out with a group of friends for an evening meal, it was absolutely delicious. The staff are friendly, the drink is far superior to what used to be on offer. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience great food - friendly staff, love the decor and the best menu in the town. The coffee is so good 👍 Menu prices from £3 only - best value for money. I had full English breakfast with orange juice. The breakfast was freshly cooked in their oven served piping hot and orange juice was freshly squeezed. It's hard to find freshly made in this world. Staff were friendly and good atmosphere. They have a small Christmas gift shop in one corner. Kids play area and library and games also in the cafe. I will definitely visit again.

Best Takeaway in the area. Great food, fresh and tasty. Friendly service. Would recommend.

I used to be a frequent visitor to the five bells when Caroline and Darren ran it. They Used to pride themselves on good food and ales. Admittedly, not the cheapest, but you were getting quality. The pub today just seems unloved, had a pint of Brixton lager which was off. Had to swap it for ale which was not much better. Pub is now mostly mass produced lagers It’s a shame the pub is not what it used to be or have the owners it deserves. Believe it’s owned by a chain?. Sorry….. just seen the pub at its best and it feels like a pub that’s lost its soul.

Good location in Great Yeldham, near to British Spirit Distillery. Small menu, food all good, brilliant entertainment from the chef quite a character. Worth it just for her performance!!!!!

I went in to purchase a cheese & tomato toastie. I observed a staff member using the same tongs and same chopping board for a bacon roll and cheese toastie. Therefore I walked right out and won't be returning. This is really basic food hygiene knowledge. Hate to think what other hygiene rules they don't follow.

Amazing overnight stay here. Luke was so friendly and everything about our time was lovely. The food at lunch and dinner were exceptional. The carrot & coriander soup was hot and delicious. We had a late checkout which meant we left really relaxed. Would highly recommend. We will be back for Sunday lunch soon!

We had the 2 for 1 steak which was amazing value and super tasty. Great venue and staff were amazing. Would very highly recommend!!

I was looking for somewhere local for my wife and I to visit and have a couple of drinks. By total luck, my research found this wonderful pub. It, along with the village it is in are the absolute quintessential country setting we dream of finding. There is an excellent selection of wines, beers and spirits to choose from. After making our choices, we could not ignore the great range of home cooked food on offer. We chose the cheeseboard to share and then a couple of deserts. The selection of cheese was not just out of the fridge and portions very generous. The wonderfully fresh and trimmed celery sticks along with ample bread and excellent biscuits made this a sumptuous feast which we both enjoyed. The apple and blueberry crumble along with the sticky toffee pudding were both a total delight. We will be back very soon to sample more of the great food on offer here. If you are looking for that chocolate box representation of a great English village pub with thatched roof and olde world interior, then pay the Half Moon a visit.

I have been to this subway once and all i can say is do not go here i have now got a severe case of food poisoning and have been up most the night visiting the loo AVOID AT ALL COSTS worst service and food i have ever been provided from a subway

Unfortunately this is the only fish and chip shop that delivers in Halstead. Just had cod and chips delivered, came fairly quickly but the food was rubbish. £4.50 for soggy onion rings, the chips were pale and not cooked properly and the cod, well, the cod was in a soggy batter, the batter was all flat and not crispy like it had been put into oil that’s not hot enough, and the fish had a bit of a funny taste, especially the ends of it. Next time I’ll go and collect form one of the other chippys in town. I cannot recommend this place and certainly will not order from here again.