The best restaurants serving British food in East of England

Vibe was ok, and drinks were nice. Food was super over priced for tiny and mid portions. Would not recommend for food, even light bites.

What happened to the roasts! Not fresh, appeared to be reheated but not enough as luke warm. No beef. Chicken was a lump of dry and rubbery meat with bones in. 3 small roast potatoes and a few cold cubes of veg. Freezing in the restaurant but we only noticed this when we got a drink and sat down. Had to keep our coats on. Then people turned up with a dog that was let off the lead and sat on a chair. Totally unacceptable in a place of food. Was there a few weeks ago for the roast and was lovely so took a friend back. Was embarrassed to choose this place to take them.

Good place and very friendly staff.

My partner and I stayed here last year and loved the place, so decided to rebook it again. Unfortunately, after staying this time we were extremely disappointed that it didn't live up to the standards of our previous stay. The room we stayed in (room 8) was advertised as a Deluxe King room, but unfortunately is much smaller than the Deluxe King room we stayed in last year, so much so that it feels quite unfair to charge the same price for both. The room itself was cold, and the aircon/heater unit had been deactivated. Also, the bedding from the previous night had been left on the floor, so had to be collected by the staff member upon entry. On the plus side, the bed was soft and comfortable, and the room was clean and nicely presented. We booked a meal in the restaurant, and was disappointed to see that there was only 1 chef working and 2 inattentive staff members serving the tables. This meant that despite the restaurant being basically empty, the food took a long time to come. My partner ordered the calf's liver, which was served as a big slab, and had not been prepared correctly so was full of tubes. It was cooked well, but unfortunately was practically inedible. I ordered the Pie of the day, which to be fair was delicious, but the seasonal veg left a little to be desired. The young female staff member who served us was very pleasant, however the young male who was also serving had no interpersonal skills whatsoever. Breakfast in the morning was very nicely prepared, although once again even though the restaurant was basically empty, the service was incredibly slow. That being said, there was only 1 person serving tables. Out of all of the staff members we dealt with, he seemed to be the only competent one, being very friendly and polite. However, as the people on the other tables were leaving, the staff were happy to leave their dirty plates etc on the tables instead of clearing them away. I assume they all got cleared at the end of the breakfast service, but it's not nice to sit in the middle of a row of dirty tables. It is sad to see somewhere that we stayed and loved just a year ago be so disappointing, and so we will not rebook in the future.

Visited here numerous times previously when this was under the old management. Never had any complaints, the food was always beautiful. However, whilst the service was very good on our visit. The food was absolutely disgusting. We ordered 4 starters and 4 main meals. The soup was cold and seemed to be very watered down. The chicken wings was missing the blue cheese sauce, only 1 starter out of 4 was adequate. The main courses, 2 of which was curry, was passable. The hunters chicken was awfully dry and very overcooked. The chips was the dregs out of the bottom of the fryer and was just pure oil through the whole chips. The steak and ale pie was served without gravy, the vegetables(if that’s what you call them) was completely raw. The manager was told by the lovely waitress about this situation and we were given a 25% discount. However, the manager never attempted to come out and speak to us or apologise. I must say, the waitress that we spoke too, was lovely and did all she could on her part to help make the best out of an awful situation. This was also a birthday meal, which was completely ruined. Safe to say, we will never be returning!

**Fantastic Pub Experience in Ely!** If you're looking for great pub food, cold beer, and excellent service, all at a really honest price, this place in Ely is a must-visit. The menu offers a solid range of traditional pub classics, cooked to perfection—everything from hearty burgers to perfectly battered fish and chips. The portions are generous without breaking the bank. The beer is always served cold and fresh, with a good selection of local ales and lagers to suit every taste. What sets this pub apart, though, is the welcoming service. The staff are friendly, efficient, and genuinely make you feel at home, adding to the relaxed and inviting atmosphere. If you're in Ely and fancy a great meal without any fuss, this spot delivers on all fronts. Highly recommend!

Had the rump steak was cooked perfectly and the flavour was amazing, and the crumble for dessert was just as good. Had an amazing last meal out with my other half's family before I moved to Australia. The only disappointing part was out waitress who didn't seem very happy or chatty and just slammed our food down and walked off. Would highly recommend though definitely worth visiting!

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.

We had a lovely dinner and our waitress, Trish, was amazing. She couldn’t do enough for us and even arranged for us to move table when we requested it. We will definitely be returning.

Should be ashamed of themselves. Ordered “House seasoned” fries which cost £3.50. Received at most 10 normal fries with a dusting of salt. If you’re going to charge £3.50 for frozen fries at least give a decent amount. Oh and the toilets are disguising.

Looking for good quality food try this place

Remember my dad jack salmons taking me to the Quart pot lovely beautiful pub I'm now in Australia but will always remember this pub as we lived in Wickford until 1978

Lovely meal at the swan. The service was great and the staff friendly. Although we did have to wait quite a while for our starters it was worth it as the food was great. A nice evening

Great from start to finish! Young Jack was very professional, service with a smile 😃. Will definitely be back.

Use this place to thrash out new business deals. Good place to come to and always a pleasant response from all members of staff. Would recommend to anyone just passing by or a regular.