A real discovery, 14th century building with friendly staff. Good, uncomplicated, pub fayre…read more Generous portions and for the area, good value.

If you're looking for a good pub, it doesn't get much better than this…read more Lovingly called simply "The Axe" by locals, this pub is in a different league to most other rural pubs. I'll explain why and try to be concise. The cuisine is exceptional. There's a good selection of quality drinks. The service is excellent. The atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming -- the sort of place where complete strangers tend to strike-up conversation. The location is perfect, overlooking the Village Green, with a big beer garden behind, and a vast playing field behind that. It's a lovely village, nestled in the gently-undulating farming landscape of rural north-east Herts -- no wonder Braughing was recently awarded the prestigious "Village of the Year" accolade. The pub's menu always includes the best of local produce, from locally-reared beef to local pork sausages, alongside popular country pub dishes. (Braughing village is famous for, among other things, the delicious local sausages, and this is a good place to sample them.) Did I mention the pies? A different pie every day it seems, and you won't find better pies than these. I don't make a statement like that lightly.

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.

Cool little stop with great coffee and great service. I recommend you stop in if in the area. I may…read moretry the food here on my way back from the coast.

Me and my partner managed to discover this gem of a pub by randomly choosing somewhere close on the…read moresat nav whilst we were away for my 30th birthday. The pub is beautiful and cosy, the landlady was kind and cheerful and the food.....oh god, the food! We both had a starter of pigeon, not something you usually see on a pub menu and it was superbly cooked and tasted amazing. For my main I chose the steak burger with chips and onion rings, the burger was big, flavoursome and juicy and the touch I like is that the tomato ketchup on table was all homemade, not from a bottle! We will certainly come back to this awesome place if we are ever near the area again because it was outstanding!!

Great British pub food is what you'll find here! I've been here a few time for family meals and…read morethey appear to have changed their menu recently (they've stripped it down) I have to say that this has been a great move. Previously I'd say that they were a 'proper pub grub' place by which I mean well cooked but basically thrown into a plate. Now however they seem to have got their presentation down - I was really happy with the food, it tasted great (I had the half BBQ glazed chicken and it fell off the bone). If you need somewhere in Colchester with amazing pub food then look no further!

Traditional British pub fare, some of the menu developed with James Martin. Been here several…read moretimes, food is ok but not great. Last visit had one of the speciality pies which was nice, but the veg and sweet potato that came with it were not great, veg micro'd to death and the sweet potato was under cooked. Small portions too for the veg and potato. On the plus side they serve Adnams bitter...

A great gastro pub on the Suffolk/ Essex borders in the lovely little village of Nayland…read more The pub is very unusual in that it grows most of its own vegetables aswell as rears it's own meat, so those worried about their food miles can eat here with a clear conscience. There is a seperate restaurant upstairs serving great comfort food, the steak with green beans and lardons and the beef and onion pudding are highly reccomended, added to that some locally produced real ale, really friendly staff, and open fires, make for a cosy night in a country pub. Be warned though, don't be fooled by the pub's quiet country location, you'll need to book for the restaurant at weekends. If you are in the area it is well worth a visit

I wonder if the previous poster has even been to The Anchor Inn or is indeed the owner of the Lion…read morein Leavenheath or the Crown in Stoke by Nayland. I have been going to The anchor for about 2 years since moving to Colchester, the food is amazing and the staff are very friendly, I prob go maybe once a month or so usually on a Sunday, which is so busy i always book( after being caught out one Sunday!) To say there were 4 people in there! I think the fewest I have ever seen is about 40! The waiting staff are superb always running about with the food like a ants nest, you usually have Becky or Rachael behind the bar both of whom are lovely and the new manager Dave never stops moving. Sunday Roasts are I think £9.95 and they come overlapping the plate and its not your usual Sunday offering there is always something random like Boar Pigeon or Pheasant. I had not been for a couple of months and in my absence the conservatory had been redecorated and had new tables and chairs and the bar had been repainted, although the tables in the bar could do with replacing as a couple are a bit rickety!

Lovely pub with good food and beers. I enjoyed a wonderful plate of fish and chips here in the…read morespacious beer garden on a sunny day. The seamless indoor/outdoor set up of the pub is charming. Lovely spot for a summer pint. Staff were kind and accommodating with prompt service.

We came across The Angel by accident originally but were so impressed that we have been back many…read moretimes since. As it is not possible to book in advance i have often found it a good idea to try and arrive early or with time to spare before you wish to eat. As soon as you arrive you cant help but notice the welcoming atmophere of the place, which is i guess what brought us back after the first visit. The choice of food is enough to give you a headache narrowing down what you are going to order now and what you will leave and have next time! I have not anything but totally satisfied with the food to date and hope this continues for some time....

Beautiful interior with multiple rooms to choose from. Food is very good and the service friendly…read more Had a very good time.

Great little village green pub, tucked away in brightlingsea, would recommend this place to…read moreeveryone!!??,

Fantastic service. Such polite staff. Amazing food and AMAZING view from their back garden Easily…read more5 stars.

What was I supposed to think when I was repeatedly given warning about what The Odd One Out was…read moregoing to be like? I was clearly instructed not to dress up for this place and not to expect much. So I didn't. When you walk in to TOOO it's as if you're stepping back in time and right away I recognised the wallpaper as being the exact same that my Grandfather has at home in NY from the 1960's, so I automatically felt comfortable. I laughed actually. Look around and it's as if not a single thing has been moved since it was put up there for the first time, whether it be pictures, the wood in the fireplace or the old man at the bar. You can nestle up next to one of the fireplaces, which you'll need to on a snowy winter night like when we were there. Get yourself your pints, or as I prefer, the spectacular cider from one of the barrels lined up on the bar. We're talking 7% alcho content people! On cider! Get some crisps for you and your mates and sit back talking about how old and great this pub is. In a town that is hailed as "the oldest recorded town in England" and hosts meeting for the Colchester Historical Enactment Society you surely can't go wrong. A place like this made me feel right at home like my own American dive bar, but in the States we don't have such grand cider served from wooden barrels or a lovely old fella giving out warm Christmas mince pies with joy. This place is top notch. Here are a few vital tips to help you survive a pub that could easily knock you on your arse whether it be by the cider, the step you drunkenly miss, the old man or the bar keep... 1. Don't you dare answer your cell phone here. This is a rule I LOVE like no other. Seriously, watch even pulling it out of your pocket if you know what's good for you. 2. Don't be surprised if you think someone's talking to you and they're not or if they're talking to you and you don't realise. There's no music to get in the way of a conversation, but all that quiet makes it sometimes confusing. 3. Good luck in the ladies room. You could really freeze your butt to the toilet if you're not careful. 4. And, if you're lucky enough to pull while in TOOO, feel confident in knowing that the condom machine is fully stocked. P.S. please don't start coming here and making it THE cool spot in Colchester. I want to find a seat when I return next Christmas, preferably by the fireplace.

The Odd One Out or Oddy as the regulars like to call it, is a cosy pub not far from Colchester…read moreTown-station. Its decoration and the crackling fire make you feel like coming home instead of entering just an ordinary place to have a drink or two. The Oddy is most famous for its delicious ciders from the region and got most recently awarded as the East Anglian Regional Cider Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale, but you also get a nice range of Scotch and of course ale here. The crowd is mixed from young to old and always friendly just like owner John Parrick, who has a few rules, though, like no swearing and no usage of mobile phones inside the pub. But once you tried one of the aforementioned ciders you want to enjoy it with no disturbance from the outside world anyway. And on top of all that the prices are low and to quote a good friend of mine This is one of the few places where you still get a pint when you order a pint.