The best restaurants serving British food in Braintree East of England

Lovely pub grub. Lovely friendly atmosphere 🤗

Very friendly and helpful staff, food was good. Unfortunately there is no lift and as a disabled person negotiating the stairs, there are many, was difficult. I had to ask for help with my case!

Changes will be made if you ask Costa customer services to help (but this gets tiresome!) I received an apology and a free drink when I came across ageism, and it seemed to stop. Some visits go smoothly. Then a new visit is shocking again, and we can wait for too long, while staff chat, meander, and slowly serve those at the head of the queue. When my macaroni was ready, it was placed on the counter even though I was eating in and the order wasn't complete. "There's your order," said an assistant ... "The mocha coffee?" I asked. Oh ... it was coming. Did I want "chocolate sprinkles"? I agreed, but cocoa powder was shaken on. I waited again. The cup was plonked on the counter. No tray? A customer to my left saw this nonsense, reached for a tray, and handed it to me; she was kind but it was a used one. Another customer caught my eye and laughed. "It's even worse in Colchester!"

Lovely country pub with very friendly and helpful owners. Excellent fish and chips.

Started and finished there after a group walk of 8 people.We ordered before leaving and they were very efficients when we returned. All 8 of us enjoyed our meal and they had Wherry out of the barrel. Proper English village pub

This was literally a stones throw from where we were staying so on Monday night (after a lovely Chinese lunch in Witham) we had a "snacky" dinner from here of chips and gravy! The chips were freshly cooked so I had to wait 5-6 minutes but this was not a problem. It certainly looks very clean inside and the food was good and tasty.

Friendly people who provide almost everything you could need in the centre of the village with foods and gifts.

Beautiful cute room with loads of tea and coffee in the room provided. The owners were lovely, and they provided a wonderful service. The pub had a live-in dog that was so friendly he came and said hello in his own way. I had to mention the dog as I'm usually nervous around dogs, but this dog was special. The location is out of the way, but there is public transport to the hotel and me and partner had travelled from Basildon all the way by bus but be mindful that the bus does not run on a Sunday. I would definitely stay again 💯

Second time of coming here - my wife and I had pizzas both times and I’ve got to say, genuinely one of the nicest pizzas we’ve ever had. The staff are super friendly and overall could not be more impressed. 100% recommend

yesterdays Lamb was delicious, the vegatables were on point as was the service, not a clean plate in sight. good puddings, we retired to the bar to wash it all down with good selaction of beers and really tasty cider.

Absolutely fantastic service by Michelle. Food was very nice 👌.Will definitely be visiting again. 😁

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.

Well, what can I say? I’m practically at a loss for words—like a mime at a karaoke bar! For a moment, I thought I’d accidentally walked into a hidden camera show. Picture this, a table of nine, all ready to indulge in some culinary delights. “Drinks? Yes, please!” Our waitress took four drink orders and then, with the grace of a magician, said, “I’ll be back in a sec!” and poof—she vanished into thin air! Then, believe it or not, she reappeared to take four food orders and disappeared again! At this point, we were left waiting longer than a British person waits for summer—patiently. We finally caught her eye and said, “Excuse me, can we order our food, please? The first four are going to finish their meals and start a book club before we even get a bite!” Fast forward half an hour later, the first four had devoured their meals while the rest of us sat there like sad, hungry puppies. Two people ordered the same dish, and guess what? One meal arrived, while the other one went on a mysterious vacation, never to be seen again! In summary, if you’re looking for a dining experience that feels like an M. Night Shyamalan film, full of twists, confusion, and a plot that leaves you scratching your head then this is the place for you! Otherwise, I’d recommend avoiding this restaurant like Fred West at a barbecue. What the heck was going on here? Your guess is as good as mine!

My wife and I recently visited “the house” for our anniversary, we were greeted with a warm welcome the building has a great atmosphere and our server (Alex) was polite and attentive. The food was fantastic and not to be missed, my wife and I even swapped starters and mains halfway due to being jealous of each other’s choices and not wanting to miss out. The menu simple and not too overwhelming to navigate. Alex’s service was great! she was friendly and approachable she made a great wine recommendation and didn’t leave us wanting for anything. In myself and my wife’s opinion this restaurant is a true value for money and we will be visiting again.

Well-restored and maintained historic house dating back to the 1500's, in a few acres of gardens with plenty of country walks from the hotel. Really comfortable and attractive lounge and restaurant with a forest full of exposed beams, good food and local ales. Accomodation was of a high standard, clean and a great shower room. Don't hesitate to book 😊