The Bear Inn - Stock — Restaurant in Chelmsford

'Bear'-ing up quite well but could be so much better! This was all down to outside and the roast. I want to say straight away how helpful, friendly and great all the STAFF were on Sunday (15.09.19) afternoon. The staff were really lovely. Whoever we came into contact with during our meal did all they could to make sure our time at The Bear Inn was an enjoyable one! What let The Bear down was their outside area and I'm sorry to say a quite bland roast. OUTSIDE was absolutely awful. The tables were old rough wooden bench types that had no umbrellas sitting in an unkempt area. There were 3/4 tables to one side that were a little better but nothing to make you feel you would want to sit out there to enjoy your drink on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and be in pleasant surroundings. This is the worst garden area we have been in on years and one that was not for you to sit and enjoy your drink in even though it was a glorious sunshiny day!! FOOD - ROAST was most probably one of the most bland roast dinners my husband and I have had in a long while. I need to point out that it was all cooked ok. I had beef, my husband lamb. The meat was cooked beautifully so that was good. Vegetables were minimal and I suppose you would say 'old school' carrot batons, several French beans and a small piece of cauliflower. We can't put our finger on it but the roast just had no pizazz about it and we would not rush back there because of that. ALTHOUGH - DESSERT was delicious. We ate their homemade apple crumble with custard. It was really tasty. We both really enjoyed dessert and I was happily given more custard without hesitation when I asked for more which again due to the staff always being so helpful and polite helped make our meal enjoyable. AMBIANCE - can't say there was much ambiance maybe because of when we arrived. There were only 2 other ladies in the restaurant that afternoon. The tables were set up tastefully and looked fresh and clean. So, The Bear Inn is not the worse place to visit but for us it's...

First time visiting for a Sunday roast, we visited and it was very pleasant. Atmosphere was cosy, vibrant and well managed. The food came very promptly, and it was nice to be asked how we would like our beef to be cooked. The kids roast was generous but personally, a different choice of veg would have been more appropriate. Not all children (ours are 5) are likely to be eating sprouts and cauliflower - we also had to ask for gravy as it apparently doesn't come with a turkey meal. Our waitress managed to hop on this quite quickly though. Our beef roast was around £22 each, which was good but nothing to "wow" over. The potatoes seemed a little under roasted for my liking and were under seasoned, and the Yorkie felt like it had been sitting around for a while. Our waitress was exceptional, and attentive but we had trouble getting a second round of drinks. Our bill came to £140 for a family of 4, which for an 'upmarket' roast is fine but there's some refining to justify the price. On a side note, parking here can be very tricky so when you do visit, arrive a little early incase you need to wait...

Came on a very quiet Tuesday night but still had to linger at the bar for 5 mins whilst the manager and a waiter passed me off to each other. I ordered a beer and two starters, one to follow the other. The first came out 1 minute later, crayfish and smoked salmon tian, it was bland and then cleared away without anyone asking if I liked it. My replacement cutlery was dumped in front of me and my second starter arrived 2 minutes later with no enquiry if I wanted anything else. No-one checked half way through. My dish was even more bland than the first and then cleared with no enquiry again. 10 minutes later, I asked for the bill, put my card down, intending not to pay the £2.63 service (first time in years) but the waiter walked up and said 'contactless' and touched the card before I even said anything. So I had to inform him that I didn't want to pay the service. He didn't ask why at all. Both transactions are showing so hopefully the first is refunded shortly.

Having been in hospitality and the wine trade for years, this was really...