This is fast becoming a very good local pub,with friendly staff . I is on the village green, with…read moreparking at rear The management appear to be making great efforts to create a good atmosphere,with great food (at reasonable prices ) . I think they are doing a great job Steve B 18/10/2009

"the royal oak" a 5 min walk from ockendon station. my first impression on looking at this "ye…read moreolde" pub was well presented and clean, upon going inside initially it was dark. a very clean refurbished pub with a marble bar and exceptionally clean and pleasant surroundings. the bar staff were very welcoming and greeted me with a smile, they were attentive and made me feel as though they had known me for years. the beer garden has a relaxed tone about it with parasols and seating for over 100, the grass and border flowers are immaculate, whilst i was there, there was a wedding party in the other side (the restaurant) the food i hear is superb and well worth a visit on a sunday.. my overall impression is this is a place you can bring your wife/ partner to and will both be impressed at the attention to detail and warm friendly atmosphere... terry h (an impressed member of the public) 08/october/2013

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.

A great, but really quaint, old English pub in the middle of nowhere. Great service and extremely…read moregood food. Very nice in the summer as the gardens are vast and overlook the countryside. Lao, if you are in the area in November, they have a fantastic firework display (arrive early, it gets packed)

What an amazing traditional pub. Views to die for, massive garden space, ample parking and the…read moremost amazing pub brimming with character. The staff are always friendly, professional and helpful. The food is always amazing quality from rolls at lunch to the best chicken pie in the evening. We turned up without a booking just wanting a summer time drink but when we asked if we could possibly have a table they managed to fit us in. During lockdown we visited several times. Everything was really professional. We felt extremely safe but none of the enjoyable experience was compromised.

Outstanding food, convivial ambience and excellent service contributed to a wonderful dining…read moreexperience at this quintessential English country pub. Definitely a place to revisit for a special occasion or a casual lunch in the adjoining "Bakehouse". Highly recommended.

The only pub in the village and a good one too. Plenty of local trade but welcoming to strangers…read more Has a very large car park and a huge beer garden with pond. At the rear of the pub is a games room, which also doubles as a dining area for the great food this pub serves. the barstaff are friendly and polite and take debit cards with cashback!! Sky Tv available for sports. Child friendly.All in all a great pub

Amazing food and service, always made to feel welcome great value for the quality and portions…read morehighly recommend the mixed roast! You won't be disappointed!

The Shepherd & Dog was just.a pub which was very popular but I never had the inclination to drink…read morethere. That was then but now it's been revamped into a restaurant that serves dishes that are of very high quality. Their Sunday roasts are good value with plenty if taste. The staff are friendly, polite and extremely efficient. Customers do like to dress up when they dine here and I don't blame them. As it does add to the ambience

Right, although I'm on the Newcastle Elite Squad of Yelpers and very proud of what the Toon has to…read moreoffer, I think I may have found a place which would make me up-sticks tomorrow and move to Essex. Yep, seriously - Essex... I know! However, the Bell Inn at Horndon on the Hill is truly something else. Totally not what I was expecting to find a few miles from Lakeside shopping centre (which is work-related, the reason I found myself in this part of the country, just in case you were wondering...) The location is a 15th Century coaching inn overlooking the hills down to the Thames Estuary. As you go into the main pub area, which leads through to the restaurant, you step into an authentic English country pub atmosphere, low wood beams, open fire, numerous ales on tap (the local pale ale we had was excellent), random brass items on the wall, but all done properly and not in the faux manner you get in some pubs. What really sets this place apart is the food. Wowser, this was superb. When we mentioned to colleagues that we were going here, everyone said we would not be disappointed and they were not wrong. The menu changes regularly to reflect seasonal produce (a big tick in my book) and the quality of ingredients and level of cooking was top notch. Starter was English asparagus wrapped in parma ham served with the richest hollandaise I've had in a long time. The main was a breast of guinea-fowl, served with various veg, each individual item cooked to perfection. To finish was a dark chocolate cheesecake with hazlenut ice cream. Each course went down a treat, I was actually a little sorry to finish as it was that good. All served by very friendly and professional waiting staff, their attention to detail was second-to-none. You know when somewhere gets it right on the money, well this place has got it and then some. It comes as no surprise to learn that The Bell has won numerous industry awards including being on The Sunday Times Food List as one of the 10 best gastropubs in the UK. So if you ever, ever, ever find yourself 'dahn sahrf' anytime soon, get yourself along the A13 and make a reservation here. Oh and they also do accommodation here, sadly this was fully booked on the night of our visit. However, I'm back down to Lakeside next month and you know where I'll be staying this time...

An excellent dining room which is open on Mondays as well. It has never failed \to please…read more Adrian Winbow

The George is one of my favorite pubs anywhere. Beautiful drive through country roads in Kent to…read moreget here, full traditional pub with a beautiful garden with tables outside. Service is super friendly, food is amazing, beer is plentiful. I would have lunch here every weekend if I could.

After a day of exploring Dover Castle and walking through Biggin Street, we decided to dine at this…read more popular and recommended pub. A perfect place to rest and recount our adventures for the day. There were quite a few diners in, and the space seemed a lot larger once inside, with a bar and several rooms to accommodate small and large parties. We were seated near a party of 10! Service was friendly and leisurely, which we welcomed. Only one staff was taking and distributing orders and he advised of the delay in service. The food was delicious and had we more time in town, would likely have dined in again.

We just arrived from a cruise trip, while visiting Dover Castle we were looking for a great stop…read morefor lunch. This place is fantastic, easy walk from Dover Castle and just so happens to be Dovers oldest pub. The menu for lunch is small, feels like it's because they want to do things right. The fish and chips- highly recommend. However unless you are starving I recommend you split it with a friend. When we arrived we were immediately greeted, service was excellent. For families like us, they do have high chairs. They will take your order if you sit inside. There's also an outdoor garden however you need to come to the counter to order. Same with drinks. Each room has a lot of history. Take one look around and there's a lot going on. Apparently this location used to be a part of monastery and has evolved over the years now to a great pub. Each dish we enjoyed, the vegetarian linguine was fresh, chips were delicious and the fish was wonderful. If you're cruising in and need a place for a good meal not too far from the port or to Dover Castle- I recommend you swing on in. Highly casual so you can come as is or for special occasion.

The Windmill is a nice old fashioned local style pub which attracts the same crowd week in week…read moreout, it has an excellent beer garden in the summer and all the staff are really friendly.

Following a change of management, the new landlord is nowhere near as friendly and/or professional…read moreas the previous licensee. An air of aloofness verging on arrogance now exists behind the bar, and it's even rubbing off on the staff, who used to be far friendlier. Not good.