Fish and chips was fabulous!!! We sat on the deck and relaxed in the pretty back garden. Highly…read morerecommend

Went on a Sat night, beautiful building and decor, lovely service, and the best steak I've had…read morerecently. Four of us went and everyone said how good it was, I can't remember the last time we all agreed (my brother is the difficult one, not me). We actually booked for a Sunday lunch while we were there, and if anything the Sunday roast was even better than the Saturday dinner. I really can't recommend it enough, a great find.

Hospitable, great ambience and hearty food - definitely recommend a visit esp if you enjoy the good…read moreold fashioned pub culture

Loved this place! Went there after taking someone to Harry Potter. It was drive from the location…read moreby not bad and well worth it. This is not or typical pub food place. The chef takes a lot of pride in his dishes and the staff is friendly. You might need to call ahead for reservations.

Great gastro pub. Fab food, atmosphere and really friendly service. Strongly recommended.read more

The Bear has become a good quality gastro pub recently with a nice atmosphere and a good menu and…read moresome great specials. The ambiance is relaxed country pub and the staff are very helpful. There is a reasonable ca park as it gets quite hard to park in the summer. I have visited for lunch and dinner and both were very nicely presented and well cooked. The skate is very tasty and the scampi and Jenga chips are good. The costs can be a little bit higher for lunch but the menu is very similar and therefore for dinner, I thought it was quite reasonable. Peter who used to be at another Billericay restaurant is the restaurant manager and as normal makes sure we get well looked after.

The food is amazing and the staff are always helpful and go above and beyond. I highly recommend…read moretheir Sunday roast especially with the unlimited potatoes and gravy! I love coming here the pub itself is so lovely too with such a welcoming atmosphere. My family and I often come at least once or twice a month.

This is my favourite spot! Food is amazing and the staff treats you like family! I've never had a…read morebad meal even when it's been 11 of us!

I had a wonderful trio of pork and it was so posh! The setting was ornate with lit candles around…read morethe room and on the table. You're surrounded by exquisite antiques everywhere you look. The owners serve you themselves and make sure you're having a lovely time. The bartenders were absolutely wonderful and I could not recommend a better place. If you want the true elegant dining experience, this is the place to go. It overlooks wonderful fields and a perfect place to dine and watch the sunset.

Great place to eat, service was ultra friendly, we will be back and back with more people. Great…read moreselection of gins.

This place is amazing if you are in the countryside of UK. It is owned by Jaime Oliver's parents…read moreand is close to Cambridge and it is the perfect weekend-get away. Jaime visits this place sometimes since he lives near by. We stayed here two nights and we had several meals. The head chef was very nice, he met with us and we always appreciate that when we travel. One morning my taxi did not come to pick me up and Jaime's dad asked one of the chefs drive me to work, such a nice gesture for being a guest here. The food was amazing, we loved the home made traditional British steak pie served with mashed potatoes, the pork chop, seafood grill, beef liver and may other dishes we have tried. I have posted several food pictures to share the experience. The restaurant is old and charming, the ceiling was a little low, but rustic with a very nice homey ambiance. Lots of antique decorations displayed inside the restaurant. To check into the B&B you have to go to the restaurant bar, brilliant, I loved that. The rooms of the B&B are nice, good size, cozy and it truly makes you feel like you are in the British countryside. We even got invited for afternoon tea by the local cricket team. If you are in the area this place is a MUST.

good service and a nice menu including the olives that the Oliver's seem to favour…read more you have to be short to get into the pub but on a good day outside is very pleasant !

The food is delicious and the ambiance is great too. I always really enjoy coming here. I usually…read moreget the fish and chips (both regular and gluten free are great!) and my husband always gets something different and is always very pleased. Love this place!

This is a little gem in the middle of the fens. Service is great and we've enjoyed everything we've…read morehad on the menu. It's a great place for lunch, or a relaxing dinner. Very family friendly as well. The pie of the day is always delicious. Also, check out the day's specials. They've had some very unique offerings. Yummy desserts too!

The menu item "Mixed Grill with Lamb chops Chicken shish and Lamb shish with rice and chips was…read moreamazing the presentation was very good the food even better. Our server Elcy was attentive and made our meal enjoyable.

The place is nice. The bar is complete with everything I needed and the bartender is more than…read moregreat. He really kept me entertained. I ordered their not-so-bestseller steak but it was good. I wonder why not so many people are ordering that. It was tasty and soft. not chewy at all. They have worcestershire that goes dancing with it.

The Leather Bottle is quite proud to announce that they're in The Michelin Good Pub Food Guide, The…read moreGood Beer Guide, and was a final of the Best Gastro Pub in Essex 2010. So much so, that they've erected publicities on a pole outside in the green. Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it, right? While I can't speak to the food, I can wholeheartedly report that the staff is smiley and friendly, the Doom Bar real ale is refreshing after a five mile jaunt through the countryside*, and the back garden is sun-drenched and filled with laughing children on a Sunday afternoon. This seems like quite the weekend social hub of Blackmore - not that there's much in the way of competition. Although I'd just had a reasonably filling sandwich for lunch on the green outside, I began to salivate uncontrollably upon seeing (and smelling) the fish and chips brought to a table near us. That's in contrast to the burger on a dowdy-looking bun that her dining companion had. I won't lie, I considered shanking the other diner for a bite, but she was Asian too, and probably hungrier than I was. She might have bitten my ear off or worse. Instead, I just ogled from afar. Whether you're seeking a comely cosy bar scene, a fine dining experience, or a lovely afternoon sit in the sun, The Leather Bottle's likely to do you just fine. You just have to be willing to make the trek from Ingatestone - but a worthwhile sojourn it is! ---- * And quite reasonably priced, considering we had a pint and a half of real ale for barely over £4.

Lovely little location, great menu and the food was even better, shall definitely returnread more

My wife and I have made this our new regular go to spot! We are in love with the atmosphere…read moreprovided, the staff's generosity and knowledge/confidence in the menus, and most of all we are tremendously impressed with the superb taste and over all elegance, structure and presentation of the food! The serving sizes are more than enough for the price you are paying! I would venture to say that this is the best restaurant I have ever eaten at in the country of England, and I do not forecast that decision changing! Weather you want a beautiful dinner for two, breakfast in the morning with a great cup of coffee or tea, or you want to bring a massive party in for catering, the Merry Monk is sure to make you leave feeling full, happy, and satisfied. If you are like myself you will leave thinking and planning about your next visit and how fast you hope it happens!

This is just a superb little pub that has the ability to cater for lots of people should the need…read morearise. We have been there several times now and have never been anything but impressed and satisfied when we came away. Food, staff, atmosphere is all terrific as you would expect. We are going to have our after wedding celebration here in June this year as we liked it so much. Adrian the chef / owner is a great down to earth guy who will do anything for you so you get exactly what you expect from the day. As for kids meals, we did ask, and yes it's the usual chicken goujons or fish fingers, but these are made with chicken breast and fillets of cod, not reconstituted cr*p. The food here is without doubt about quality, that is not to say that presentation and portion size has been compromised in any way.