Lockdown relaxed so a trip to Maldon was called for and, of course, a visit to The Queens Head…read more Siting outside was a little cold and the heavens did open as the rain poured down. That didn't stop the staff giving wonderful, friendly, service. Even though I have had both jabs I am still extremely careful and the Covid precautions in this pub cannot be beaten. A wonderful pint and superb fish and chips. That fish was so fluffy and the batter light yet crispy. Thanks everyone for this break from the tedium of lockdown. All the best and #staysafe

Down by the river Blackwater,good selection of ales, Adnams,Farmers, Woodfordes, Greed Kerching…read more Food looked good, beer was in very good condition, staff were very friendly, well worth a visit.

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.

We only dropped in for some tea on the way back from the beach but we found a warm friendly…read morewelcome, a very pleasant atmosphere, it was clean and tidy and they made good tea! We liked it enough to say that we would come back and have a meal. So a provisional 4 stars, but it might be more or less when we know more, it made a good first impression.

Our annual Christmas get together but where do we go? We chose The Castle because of good words we…read morehad heard and read but would it reach our 'exacting' standards (if those ever existed). Immediately, on arrival, we knew it would. Such a friendly welcome by the bar staff and front of house. Shown to our table, a nicely laid table, by a really charming young lady by the name of, we learned later, Eleanor. Drinks were ordered while we waited for the remainder of our party. Those drinks arrived promptly. When the entourage had arrived the food started to be served as our pre-requested, telephone, order. I would point out that Eleanor managed to serve the whole table and take drinks orders. A massive achievement. We had been to other establishments where two or three servers waited on us and still got things totally, disastrously, wrong. Not with this young lady, perfect. The food was fantastic, so compliments to the kitchen staff. Wonderful starters and as for the Christmas roast...delicious. Plenty of meat, stuffing etc etc and masses of veggies. Perfect. I missed out on a dessert as I was totally full but the remainder of the table tucked into plate loads of Christmas pudding and some had cheese. The whole evening went wonderfully well thanks to all the staff. People do forget those in the background that we never see. So thanks you to them. A massive thank you to Eleanor, the princess of The Castle.

From the owner: We serve Breakfast from 8pm Monday to Saturday. We offer food at all times of day including a…read morerange of Cakes and Desserts from a counter that go perfectly with a tea or Coffee. Our Main meals come served with a tasty complimentary loaf of bread for the table and if you order our Traditional Menu items we will receive a complimentary cup of soup or salad depending on the season.

I got stuck in the middle of the British country side and the B&B I ended up at highly recommended…read morethis place. I would come back jut to eat here. I was raised partly in Italy and this was some of the best Italian food I've had in 15 years of visiting the U.K. since I graduated Uni there. An Italian family own and operate the place and they're hospitality is second only to the food. Absolutely amazing meal, just tell them what you don't like and they'll bring the rest. I wish I could give them more stars. I will share some of the photos from the beautiful evening I spent on the patio. I just wish I had a lover with me to share the experience with.

The vegan burger is AMAZING! Wow! So so delicious and flavorful!! When visiting Margate we went…read morethere so many times! The vegan nachos were so yummy as well and the staff is so friendly!! Can't wait to go back!

For my first breakfast in England, i wasn't disspointed. The meal was so great, all included, eggs,…read morepudding, sausage and bread. The service was too. As greedy, we will come back to The Greedy Cow.

Mayfair Chippy absolutely lived up to the hype. The fish was fresh, flaky, and wrapped in a…read moreperfectly crisp batter that stayed light instead of greasy. The chips were thick-cut, properly salted, and tasted like real chip shop fries instead of frozen fast food fries. The place was completely packed, so I ended up eating on the stairs about a block away, honestly felt like part of the experience. One of those spots that doesn't try to reinvent fish and chips. it just does the classic version better than most places. Would easily go back next time I am in London.

When you've just arrived in London and need gluten free fish and chips, look no further than…read moreMayfair chippy! Food/drinks: Maybe the best fish and chips I've ever had! (I heard the non GF version was also excellent.) Platter came with flavorful mushy peas, tartar sauce, and a spicy mayo (or currry for the non GF platter). Chips were large and delicious. Portion was huge, and easily shareable. Delicious!! Service: It was ok. We waited in line for a really long time (more than an hour) but we were checked on from time to time. Once we were seated and ordered, no one really checked in, but we asked if we needed something. Ambiance: Cute outdoor seating. In door seating was okay. Reservations get to go into a back room which seemed nicer. Lovely side street in a crazy busy popular area. It's a solid 4.5 stars for what it is because the food was so good. I'd return. Tip: Make a reservation a couple of weeks in advance, or be prepared to wait...a long time...Or, skip the line to order takeaway and go enjoy your food!

Ultimate London comfort food!…read more On a Saturday night around 7:30PM, the wait for a party of five was 45 minutes. The food was well worth the wait. The Steak and Blackheart Stout Pie was delicious. The steak was tender and the mash was smooth. Definitely get the Sticky Toffee Pudding. The pudding was sweet, soft, and warm, pairing perfectly with the silky pudding and cold vanilla ice cream.

What a great start to our trip to London. We're from California and this was the best first meal…read morefor us. Mashed Route: Step 1: choose from a variety of mash Step 2: choose protein(s) Step 3: choose gravy Packed with umami and deep flavors. All 6 people in my family finished their entire entree. Owner was great - very friendly, accommodating, and great conversationalist. Ambiance was on the smaller side with an open view of the alley. 5/5 would return

Recollections May Vary... but this Shambles Won't…read more CHECK-IN DISASTER On arrival, we were asked to scribble our contact details on the back of a scrap of paper snatched from the till. We confirmed breakfast for 09:00am the next day, as we had to get home early to avoid extra kennel fees for our dog. We were then escorted through the back yard--past broken furniture and barrels--to reach an external block. This, we were told, would also be our morning route for breakfast. BREAKFAST? WHAT BREAKFAST? At 09:00 sharp, we found that route locked and the pub in darkness. Walking to the front, we met three other stranded guests who also couldn't pay or get in. A few minutes later, two men walked out, saw all five of us standing there, said nothing, and drove off. After calling the pub four times (no answer), and trying each external door, we eventually found the front door now open but the pub still deserted. Keys for the entire building were sitting on the bar. We waited at a breakfast table... nothing. Eventually, I went behind the bar into the kitchen and found the same two men chatting at the back. Nothing was switched on. When I asked what was going on, they casually said they'd "be out shortly." By now it was approaching 09:15. We had to leave, and when one of the men appeared to ask if I still wanted breakfast, I explained it was too late. Apparently, in their world, this counts as a reasonable attempt to serve us. THE COMPLAINT NIGHTMARE * No reply to our message via Booking.com for 2 days. * Booking.com told us to contact the pub directly rather than them. We explained we already had. * After 6 more days, and unable to contact the pub either, Booking.com offered 20% refund (barely covers the drive-thru breakfast purchased as alternative) * We declined and messaged again. * Finally, after Instagram DMs, The Bull offered 25%. We reluctantly accepted. * We were told to wait a further 15 working days but the refund never came. No more messages were responded to by either party. And then? Nothing. Chased them again. Another eight days later, refund still missing. 2 VAT invoice requests ignored. Messages read, not answered. THEIR RESPONSE? Disgraceful. No apology for locking us out. No mention of the two men leaving and returning later. Tone suggested we declined a perfectly reasonable breakfast offer. They even had the temerity to contradict my timings by quoting the time stamp on their CCTV which showed a difference of just minutes. It always seems longer when you don't know what's going on. Indicative of their lack of respect for customers and general bad attitude. MY ADVICE? Read other reviews before booking. I wish I had. People like this give hospitality a bad name. They don't deserve to be successful. As someone with 30+ years in hospitality (including running a successful pub/B&B), I can honestly say this was the worst complaint handling I've ever seen. If you value your time, your money, or even a basic breakfast, avoid The Bull at Great Totham, Essex.

Three years on and nothing has changed. The manager was rude at every opportunity and we felt…read moreunwelcome from the minute we walked in. There was a function going on the night we went, of which we reminded multiple times, before we were ushered around the restaurant to accommodate other guests. We had small children with us who were effectively told to shut up (despite it being a supposedly family friendly restaurant) and the rest of us weren't treated any better. The only reason I did not confer a single star was thanks to the solid food served by the kitchen. The staff working there should be commended for putting up with the incompetence of their fellow employees.