Turtle Bay Chelmsford — Restaurant in Chelmsford

I've been to several Turtle Bay locations, and I must say I was disappointed with this one in Chelmsford. I understand Covid restrictions leading to the need of reservations, but when the restaurant is basically empty and time slots are available, there's no reason not to sit a walk in.

Upon going online and getting a reservation, literally 20min later, we chose to sit inside. The table was absolutely filthy! It appeared to have a drink spilled on it and left to dry. Luckily, I carry anti-bac wipes and spray in my bag. After cleaning the table myself, I was then asked if I wanted it wiped.

Ordering the food and drinks became the next issue. Several drinks on the menu contain prosecco. They were out! Yet, they still wanted to serve the drinks without prosecco (or replacement) at the same price. Other items on the menu were also out of stock. The excuse was "Bank Holiday Weekend". However, it was a Wednesday!

The starters were fine and delicious as expected. The next problem came with my main. I ordered the Curry Goat. It was literally laughable. There was one chunk of goat, and three small scraps. I immediately sent it back.

The last thing that rather bothered me was that a staff member came and cleared our table, but didn't offer a check, or even ask if we wanted more drinks or dessert. I could have just walked out at that point. They removed the Curry Goat from the check, but didn't offer any other compensation or apologies.

This location is not up to Turtle Bay standards that I'm accustomed. Staff members require retraining, as I realize that they have been closed due to the pandemic. However, the building itself is perfectly situated in the middle of the shopping district and walking distance to the train station. They have a wonderful wall of speakers and amps that's a must see. Menu pics are for reference only, as certain items are not sold at this location, and prices are accurate as of...

We visited Turtle Bay in Chelmsford as a family of three and absolutely loved it! From the moment we walked in, it truly felt like being in Jamaica. The atmosphere is vibrant and full of positive energy — a real escape from everyday life.

The food was incredible. Hands down the best Jerk Chicken we’ve ever had — even better than what we’ve tasted in Jamaica! The Backribs were also absolutely delicious — tender, packed with flavour and definitely not too small in portion. Very satisfying!

The cocktails were fantastic too, whether alcoholic or alcohol-free. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and full of Caribbean soul.

One of the highlights was the music. Instead of the typical Bob Marley playlist you hear in so many places, they played real old-school reggae — it felt authentic and added so much to the vibe. Nothing about the experience felt touristy or fake — just pure island feeling.

The service was warm and welcoming. While it could be a little faster at times, everyone was kind, laid-back, and friendly. The décor is stunning, with so much attention to detail — even little things like dominoes on the tables that made us smile. You can tell they’ve poured a lot of love into this place.

If we had one small piece of feedback: the festivals could be just a little bigger. In Jamaica, they’re usually longer and fluffier, and for £2.50, adding a third one would make it feel more generous. Still tasty though!

We are visiting from Germany, and our aunt who lives in Chelmsford brought us here — and what a great choice it was! We’ll definitely be coming back. Highly...

In a word disappointing, after a brief and underwhelming wander about the city of Chelmsford (declared in 2012) - the most lively place seemed to be Turtle Bay and so we endeavoured. Usually a good time had by all, on this occasion this was not the case. On entry, we waited around for one of many members of staff to greet us. One spotted us from across the restaurant and began one of the most painfully slow and unenthusiastic meanders over, we had ever witnessed, not a good start. After ordering three drinks and a portion of chips we began another lengthy wait. Usually, a longer than usual wait time would not be an issue, however, on this occasion it was borderline empty and so the maths did not add up. Once the drinks arrived it seemed to be a do-it-yourself cocktail which we had to mix ourselves. After waiting yet more time the chips arrived. A portion too small for a child, served at just shy of room temperature was what we were given and our hopes and dreams for an Oscar worthy redemption story we sadly crushed. The only glimmer of satisfaction from this experience was the Encona Jerk BBQ sauce that is without a doubt, a sauce for the history books, this sweet and spicy nectar of the Caribbean gods soothed our broken hearts as much as it could and made the reluctant payment a little easier.

To round off, I would say that the legendarily messy bottomless brunch that turtle bay is infamous for is the only reason I would recommend a vist to this establishment, just try to go when the staff have a little more pep...