The best restaurants in Uttlesford East of England

Best chips and the kebab sauce is the best I've tasted by far

Lovely little place with - as the name suggests - a Saturday afternoon pianist. Service great but delivery a bit disappointing - rose we ordered not available, beer again not available but alternatives provided with no fuss. Food however not so brilliant - sourdough streaky bacon sandwich was all bread - needed thinner bread or more bacon: quiche of the day had virtually no bacon at all or no filling that I could taste but the main issue was it was served absolutely boiling hot - I burnt my mouth so had obviously been put in microwave creating a soggy bottom - not so good. So very very many cafes in Saffron Walden to choose from not sure we’d go back again sorry.

New owners. At last somewhere local to have a coffee in a legitimate business offering great breakfast, lunch and brunch options.

We went here for a family meal. The food was delicious. Everyone really enjoyed their food. I had the hake which I highly recommend. The seasoning on the hake was lovely and the potatoes were gorgeous! My partner had the butterfly chicken and I tried a bit of this and it was lovely too. My children had the magherita pizzas and they were yummy and it was devoured by them! Great service even though it was busy in the pub. Nice atmosphere in the pub, very homely and comfortable. The price was very reasonable for the high standard of food. Would definitely come back and would recommend to others.

We stayed at this hotel the day of returning to the UK. On arrival at the hotel, again we were greeted from a lovely young lady and Otis was there and remembered us. The lady booked us a table in the restaurant. As dinner was booked for 7.45pm, we decided to have our usual starters on arrival in the bar. Again the prawns were amazing. On arrival at 7.45 for our table, we were greeted by a lovely lady (we found out later that her name was Zara) The man who took our order had served us two years ago and we knew his service was good. I was a bit dubious in ordering because the last two years there was a problem with my meal ( the first visit lasgane was cold, last year my steak come up with balsamic vinegar all over the plate). But, we were hungry and wanted to finish our holiday with a nice meal. A young man (later found out he was called Tom) and a young girl brought over our food. My husband had burger, which looked really good. My lasgane was absolutely covered in parmesan cheese, which is an extra that you are usually offered in restaurants. I refused to eat it as I do not like parmesan cheese and it should have been offered. Tom and the young girl didn't know what to do and said that they would take it back to kitchen to see what could be done. Also, i refused to eat my fries as they were to accompany my lasgane. The first waiter came over to see what problem was, he went away and returned to say they were cooking a fresh lasgane with fries. My husband ate on his own. Zara came over. She was very apologetic and told us that Tom had told her i was refusing to eat it. She said that the meal and drinks were on the management as a mark of apology. She was nice. We thought she was a manager because of the way she handled the situation. She said she was a supervisor. She came over to check on us a couple of times with more apologies. As she had solved the issue, we were ok. But still very unhappy that something had gone wring for third year on the trot. And yet again, my husband had to eat on his own. We were never offered anything for the previous mistakes. Apart from Zara this time, which we thank her. We advised Zara that for our first night at the hotel (25th September) poor Tom was the only one running food in the bar. We said how well he had done and felt sorry for him. She said she would look into that as he shouldn't have been on his own. We are travelling the same time next year and always like to stay in an airport hotel. We want to stay here again, but we are worried that the food will go wrong again.

Good price and food. Could be a bit more of the salt added but it’s something easy to add. Cheese bites amazing.

Great food and service , I do recommend Chicken teriyaki bowl with rice was amazing , my fiancé had a huge sushi bowl which she did enjoy

I had the pleasure of lunch at the Spotted Dog yesterday with my wife on the way home from Stanstead Airport. The food was excellent and the manager Jonathan is an absolute treasure. The lunch time menu is 2 or 3 dishes each course executed brilliantly. We had the Black Pudding Bon Bon’s, Chicken and Mushroom Open Pie, Great Garrets Sausage & Mash & Apple Crumble Crème Brûlée and could fault none of them. If you are ever passing Great Dunmow this is a Great Place to stop for a meal. Thank you Jonathan and the team and we will see you again soon. Robin & Claire

Superb restaurant with friendly staff and the food is excellent. Simon is a great host

We had the pleasure of visiting The Axe and Compasses and were blown away by the experience from start to finish. Upon arrival, we were given a warm welcome and shown straight to our table in what can only be described as a beautiful, historic country pub. The service was exceptional—attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The food was absolutely excellent, with generous portion sizes that left us fully satisfied. Every dish was clearly prepared with care and attention to detail, making it a true delight. The venue itself is stunning, filled with charm and character, and we loved learning more about the history of the building from the owners. Their passion for the pub shines through in every detail. It’s such a shame that it’s a 90-minute drive for us because if it were closer, this would undoubtedly become our go-to spot. We had a fabulous evening catching up with friends in such a lovely setting. If you’re lucky enough to live nearby or don’t mind a bit of a journey, The Axe and Compasses is a must-visit. We’ll certainly be back when we’re in the area again!

Fabulous food, portions are huge! Doggy bags all round. This was our 3rd or 4th visit and the quality was as good as the first time. Seating a little cramped. And the staff were a little pushed, especially when the restaurant became full. Will definitely go back. Recommendations all round

Wow! Our visit yesterday for Sunday lunch was absolutely incredible, food and staff fantastic!!

Had the taster menu at lunchtime. Such a lovely variety of excellently prepared food imaginatively presented. A perfect place for an occasion

A hidden gem of a restaurant - fabulously yummy food. The warmest of welcomes and top drawer service. We ordered lots of starters - and loved them all. And super good value.

Found this place as we were nearby, and very glad we did! Lovely poached eggs and avocado on sourdough toast and full English was fab! Good selection of cakes and coffees too. Friendly service with a smile, we will be back for sure!