The Barge Inn — Restaurant in Chelmsford

I have seen this pub so many times and it really does look inviting for the outside. The old world charm, wonky roof and the hope a low beamed interior and roaring fire made us give this pub a go.

My fiancée and I had walked around the antique shops and we, well I wanted something to eat as we, well I was hungry. OK, we were BOTH hungry but you get my drift.

I had checked the lunch menu out but we were too early so out came the breakfast menu (1000-1200). We did have the option of popping back at 1200 but because we had finished our wander, there was little point of coming back so we stayed. The pub was very quiet and so we had the pick of the tables and opted for one by the open fire (wood, not gas). That is a tick in my box and is what "real" pub should have. The interior had low beams and yet was bright and modern but old at the same time. There was a huge amount of charm about this place which is a great thing in the day of clean lines and everything being "surgical" like. This then was tick number 2.

Food was excellent. We opted for 2 veggie breakfasts and asked for extra hash browns so we would get rid of the mushrooms (devil food). The food was freshly cooked, was on point, it was hot, it was tasty, it was of high quality and was presented very well too. Can't really say much more than that. Was the price worth it? To be fair, a pint of coke, 1 tea and 2 breakfasts was around £21 so for a gusto trip pub I don't think it was that dear. OK, it is not a greasy spoon cafe with their portion sizes and prices but because of the quality ingredients of the pub, you will pay a little extra. You have to also remember it is located in the middle of one of the biggest antique markets in Essex, so there is a captive market.

We were served by 2 different ladies and one was very friendly and the other was OK. She wasn't rude at all but didn't really want to make conversation and I noticed that. However, I can accept we all have bad days so I won't hold it against her.

Overall a good visit and it is highly likely we will be back as and when we are over in the...

Visited The Barge Inn this lunchtime. We used to go there quite frequently and it was excellent. However, today's visit was an example of how food and service can deteriorate dramatically. When looking at the menu, we asked a couple sitting nearby what they had and what they thought of it. The guy said his Malaysian Chicken was not good and best to avoid. His partner had Scampi & Chips and just said it looked good before eating it. So we decided on Haddock & Chips without Mushy Peas and ordered accordingly. When it was served, both plates had Mushy Peas on them. So much for basic customer attention. We pointed this out to the person serving us and who had also taken our order asking for some plates to move the horrible looking Mushy Peas onto. They weren't so much Mushy, just peas in a green goo. The Haddock was in a tomb of burned beer batter which was hard to penetrate. The Chips were also burned on the outside but not cooked on the inside and were as hard as the potato must have been when it was dug up from the ground. The homemade tartar sauce was lethal and should have had a warning printed on the dish. I doubt anyone who has a palate could have eaten this terrible food. We didn't and told the waitress so. Her response was "do you want something else or just call it a day?" No apology, no customer empathy, just a rude response. Needless to say we got up to leave. As we walked to the door, this waitress called out from behind the bar "If you thought it was so horrible, you won't bother to come back again". My Wife replied that we wouldn't be coming back and I just told the waitress there was no need to be sarcastic. This waitress, or whatever position she holds, needs to go on a customer care course and whoever is in the kitchen needs to be replaced. Haddock & Chips shouldn't be difficult to cook properly. One to avoid until they get their...

Beware all customers. Make sure you ask for your 50% discount “eat out to help out” on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays upfront, Because they do not Automatically give you a discount like all other establishments. If you do not get it, show the manager the HMRC website that it states “automatically available to you”

Manager made excuses and tried to get out of it. Even tough they have opted in to the scheme.

Food was as expected.

Response to reply. I had a discussion with the “Manager” at the time, who said that as they were not a chain that they were not obliged to automatically give the offer and that we should have asked. There was no mention that the staff member was new - in fact she knew the scheme but didn’t have authority to add the discount on the till so had to ask the manager to do it. The discount was not freely given to any customers by any staff. Initially the manager was not going to give the discount, and it was not until i showed her the T&C’s on the HMRC website that this was then given.

The response from the manager on here reflects the reception I received when...