The Picture Palace - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Braintree

We love the Picture Palace. The wife remembers this as a cinema growing up in Braintree. Now, Wetherspoons have turned it into a great day & night venue.

Food is good value, as tasty as you'd hope for and the drinks are very reasonable (especially the bottomless coffee/tea at certain times). Lots of themed menus throughout the week as well (curry nights are amazing!), and delivers what we've grown to expect from a well-known chain.

It's a great pre-club venue at the weekends as well, and is THE waterhole in Braintree if there's a big sports game on. Typically, it fills up at weekend afternoons with football fans and diners, although it never gets rowdy; evenings are a different affair though. Just turn up, and you'll see why I wouldn't choose to take my family there for a meal on a weekend evening.

So, as a lad who likes his football, it's a great atmosphere when there's a big match on (England games are standing room-only, meaning you get covered in beer when they score!). Midweek evenings are much quieter and have a pleasant atmosphere for a quiet drink or family meal. Weekend afternoons are also quiet, with lots of families dining out - just avoid weekend evenings if you're up for a tranquil meal with the other half or family.

Have never met a rude staff member, always helpful, always busy - it just fits the bill...provided you go at the right time for the atmosphere you're after, I can't see why you'd go...

So we’re to start… just visited here and after telling us there’s no bread for our breakfast the manager offered extra hash browns with a follow on statement of “well that’s all we can offer so” another words take it or leave it in which we didn’t even care I just walked over the road to get some from Tesco my self!! After our drinks taking 20 mins to arrive to the table as we was using the app this also come with an apology from the manager on duty Matt!! After being sat there for 25 mins or so and after ordering food the opened all 8 doors being October was freezing we kindly asked if they could close the doors we was sat by as we all we could smell was second hand smoke in October winds (this was done) half way through our food the manager Matt came over and told us tuff!! deal with it and proceeded to open the doors were all my table decided to stop eating and asked for a refund in which he’s responded no! I then asked for he’s name and he also said no it’s only me finding he’s name on Instagram I now know he’s name and then told me to google head offices number!! Over all very mad management skills bad attitude service slow and how can you run out of bread when your based...

This used to be our local and was always happy with the service. We have moved out the area and were visiting so popped in. Actually can't believe how down hill it's gone in around 8 months. Hot chocolate lid was off on the coffee machine, flies inside it and all over the machines. I raised this with staff and a young girl who clearly didn't want to be working done nothing about it. Drink service was quick- no straws, drink spilt on the table by said same girl, no offer to clear it up etc. Went to get some loo roll only to find there wasn't any in the disabled cubicle. Then our food comes out, my side was dumped on my child's pizza- not on its own plate so requested a plate. Ordered two dips for pizzas, only X1 came so asked for another as I had paid for them. Why do the kids pizzas comeo it cut but adult ones don't, they don't even give you a decent knife to cut them with. We won't be rushing back, such a shame as it used to be one of the better ones. Also the pod type tables, why add in the small circle tables, it doesn't work at all, bring back the big...