We're in a constant battle with our foodie brains when eating in our home town whether to try new places or revert back to old favourites, luckily we choose a healthy mix of both so here's a list of our top 6 places to stuff your face in Chelmsford, England.
££ - £20-£30 pp
£££ - £30-£40 pp
Based on 3 course meal with no alcohol (but probably a coffee!)
1. The Lion Inn - ££
www.lioninnhotel.co.uk/lunch, dinner (approx £50 for a meal for two)
+ gorgeous food | bustling atmosphere | plenty of choice | multiple veggie options
- can't book a table for a group smaller than 10
Ok so technically this first one isn't in Chelmsford, it's in Boreham, but if you're visiting Chelmsford by car it is well worth the 10 minute drive out of the centre. The food is exceptionally good here with a traditional English style menu featuring the usual staples (pies, steaks, tart of the day - my favourite go-to!) and plenty of other interesting dishes to try with a full board of tantalising specials. The plates are a generous size, worthy of the price (approx £12 for a main) and we usually expect to spend about £50 for the two of us including starters, a dessert to share and coffees. On a Sunday they serve traditional English Sunday roasts alongside their other menu options - we're roast regulars so we can reliably recommend them all! It's important to note that you can't book a table here unless it's for a group of 10 or more (it's an inn, so they've kept traditional inn rules) but the bustling atmosphere is worth the wait and there are so many tables you won't be waiting long.
Extra: The Lion Inn puts on a comedy night each month in their Lion House function suite (tickets are £14). We haven't actually been to one yet but it's only a matter of time! They also have 23 4* hotel rooms including deluxe rooms and a bridal suite.
Tip: It's always busy at The Lion Inn so it may be useful to know they have a sister restaurant called the Blue Strawberry Bistro where you are able to book in advance - the food quality is equally good but it's another 5-10 minutes up the road.
brunch, lunch, dinner, drinks (approx £60 for a meal for two)
+ great atmosphere | scandi style decor | big portions | burgers | cocktail bar | slow dining
- gets expensive when adding sides and dips
We're serious burger lovers so when we found out that a new burger restaurant was opening in the centre we could barely contain our excitement. Thankfully we weren't disappointed - just a little bankrupted. We've tried every burger on the menu between us and can recommend them all. We were incredibly ambitious on our first visit and ordered starters, burgers, sides and milkshakes. Let me tell you now, you definitely do not need that amount of food. The starters are a decent size but the mains are really generous. Stick with a main and a side or two to share and squeeze in a delicious milkshake if you can, you can always reward yourself afterwards with a dessert if you can fit more in! I should probably mention that they also have other food on the menu (steaks, lobster, pasta) but I can't give much insight into any of them as for me it's all about those burgers. This place is beautifully decorated and well worth a visit, even if you just pop up to Bloc Bar on the top floor to sample a delightfully crafted cocktail.
Extra: Look out on their facebook page for deals and live acoustic nights in the bar. There's usually a really good turn out and it's often coupled with half price cocktails!
Tip: On week nights (Mon - Thurs) they do a set menu for a reasonable price of £22 for 2 courses or £26 for 3. Perhaps more importantly, cocktails are half price every sunday, don't forget to drink responsibly or you'll be seriously feeling those monday morning blues (speaking from experience).
lunch, dinner (approx £40 for a meal for two)
+ modern setting | delicious food | fast service
- none come to mind
Tucked around the corner of the Chelmsford highstreet you'll find this modern noodle establishment. We may be a little biased with this one, afterall it was the setting for our first date, but we have it on good assurance from friends that it is indeed a great place to eat. Here you'll find yourself sampling a range of oriental dishes influenced by chinese, japanese and vietnamese cuisine (make sure you try their gyoza which are some of the best I've ever had!) from a pretty extensive menu. I usually head straight for a duck or roast pork dish at ZEN because the meat is always so tender and delicious, Nick on the other hand swears by the pad thai which is always a winner. The service is always great and very professional, you'll have your food pretty soon after ordering too which makes it a perfect choice for a speedy dinner before the cinema or a quick lunch amongst a day of shopping. This is a great place to go as a group (and we often do) because they usually have space on a week night. If you're planning to go on a Friday or Saturday you might want to book.
Extra: They do delivery! Dangerous knowledge for lazy friday nights in front of the TV..
lunch, dinner (approx £70 for an a la carte meal for two)
+ fancy dining | beautiful restaurant | converted barn | great service | delicious food
- no parking outside the restaurant (you need to find a side street)
This is one of our favourite places to go if we want to spoil ourselves. It's a relatively small restaurant in an old converted barn (dated 1372!) so booking is a good idea. It's a fine dining experience so you get the full works; they take your coat and offer you a drink in the lounge area before going to your table to eat their delicious food. We went here for what they call a "gourmet night" on halloween where they served a themed menu for a set price - they do these nights throughout the year so it's worth taking a look to see if you can take advantage of that - they're good fun and there's a great atmosphere on these nights. As you would expect, they have a fully stocked bar and vast wine selection so it's a great option to choose for a celebration.
Tip: They do a set menu price of £22 for sunday lunch (which we can vouch for being very tasty!) and limited menus for lunch and dinner that you can take advantage of from Tuesdays to Fridays for a cheaper price.
breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks - (approx £50 for a dinner for two, cheaper for lunch or light meals)
+ excellent veggie options | healthy tasty food | scandi style | cafe, shop and restaurant
- service is slow at busy times
I absolutely love ACanteen's scandi style interior and varied menu (anyone who knows me knows of my long standing obsession with all things scandinavian). This is somewhere you can come and order a pizza or burger and still feel healthy. It's a family run business and their food is all sutainably sourced. The prices reflect the food you're eating, so no it's not the cheapest place on the highstreet but I think it's important to spend more to get more. This is a place you can visit almost any time of day, we've been for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks and have never been disappointed. Luckily they recently moved a new premises and now have a pretty large restaurant with a cafe and a shop all in one (the shop sells lots of scandi wares, I have to stop myself from buying everything!) so you probably won't need to book unless you're in a large group.
Extra: They do grab and go lunch (which Nick occasionally does on a work day) where you can get all sorts of different things like quiche, salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and all types of cake!
breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea (approx £20 lunch for two including drinks and cake)
+ cosy tea rooms vibe | delicious cake | locally sourced food | freshly baked scones
- super busy at peak times | only takes cash
This has to be one of our favourite places to go for a sunday morning treat of eggs benedict, tea, coffee and cake. It's a quaint vintage style tea rooms with white crochet table cloths dressing an assortment of tables and mix of chairs. It's like popping to your granny's for a cup of tea but with a little more style and a lot more choice. They have a huge tea selection to make the perfect match with your slab of cake or freshly baked scones. The prices are really resonable too, a couple of pounds for a slice of cake, less than a fiver for a breakfast dish. It's incredibly popular so you need to time it right if you're going to get a table. Try to beat the lunch time rush or go later in the day unless you want to wait in the queue - it is worth the wait though. The one thing we haven't sampled yet is the afternoon tea (you have to book this in advance) but we've seen other people eating it and it looks professional and delicious.
Tip: Arrive hungry - this way you can fit in as much cake as possible!
2. Chop Bloc - £££
www.chopbloc.combrunch, lunch, dinner, drinks (approx £60 for a meal for two)
+ great atmosphere | scandi style decor | big portions | burgers | cocktail bar | slow dining
- gets expensive when adding sides and dips
We're serious burger lovers so when we found out that a new burger restaurant was opening in the centre we could barely contain our excitement. Thankfully we weren't disappointed - just a little bankrupted. We've tried every burger on the menu between us and can recommend them all. We were incredibly ambitious on our first visit and ordered starters, burgers, sides and milkshakes. Let me tell you now, you definitely do not need that amount of food. The starters are a decent size but the mains are really generous. Stick with a main and a side or two to share and squeeze in a delicious milkshake if you can, you can always reward yourself afterwards with a dessert if you can fit more in! I should probably mention that they also have other food on the menu (steaks, lobster, pasta) but I can't give much insight into any of them as for me it's all about those burgers. This place is beautifully decorated and well worth a visit, even if you just pop up to Bloc Bar on the top floor to sample a delightfully crafted cocktail.
Extra: Look out on their facebook page for deals and live acoustic nights in the bar. There's usually a really good turn out and it's often coupled with half price cocktails!
Tip: On week nights (Mon - Thurs) they do a set menu for a reasonable price of £22 for 2 courses or £26 for 3. Perhaps more importantly, cocktails are half price every sunday, don't forget to drink responsibly or you'll be seriously feeling those monday morning blues (speaking from experience).
3. ZEN Noodle Bar - £
www.zenchelmsford.co.uklunch, dinner (approx £40 for a meal for two)
+ modern setting | delicious food | fast service
- none come to mind
Tucked around the corner of the Chelmsford highstreet you'll find this modern noodle establishment. We may be a little biased with this one, afterall it was the setting for our first date, but we have it on good assurance from friends that it is indeed a great place to eat. Here you'll find yourself sampling a range of oriental dishes influenced by chinese, japanese and vietnamese cuisine (make sure you try their gyoza which are some of the best I've ever had!) from a pretty extensive menu. I usually head straight for a duck or roast pork dish at ZEN because the meat is always so tender and delicious, Nick on the other hand swears by the pad thai which is always a winner. The service is always great and very professional, you'll have your food pretty soon after ordering too which makes it a perfect choice for a speedy dinner before the cinema or a quick lunch amongst a day of shopping. This is a great place to go as a group (and we often do) because they usually have space on a week night. If you're planning to go on a Friday or Saturday you might want to book.
Extra: They do delivery! Dangerous knowledge for lazy friday nights in front of the TV..
4. Russells Restaurant - £££
www.russellsrest.co.uk/lunch, dinner (approx £70 for an a la carte meal for two)
+ fancy dining | beautiful restaurant | converted barn | great service | delicious food
- no parking outside the restaurant (you need to find a side street)
This is one of our favourite places to go if we want to spoil ourselves. It's a relatively small restaurant in an old converted barn (dated 1372!) so booking is a good idea. It's a fine dining experience so you get the full works; they take your coat and offer you a drink in the lounge area before going to your table to eat their delicious food. We went here for what they call a "gourmet night" on halloween where they served a themed menu for a set price - they do these nights throughout the year so it's worth taking a look to see if you can take advantage of that - they're good fun and there's a great atmosphere on these nights. As you would expect, they have a fully stocked bar and vast wine selection so it's a great option to choose for a celebration.
Tip: They do a set menu price of £22 for sunday lunch (which we can vouch for being very tasty!) and limited menus for lunch and dinner that you can take advantage of from Tuesdays to Fridays for a cheaper price.
5. ACanteen / ABakeshop - ££
www.acanteen.co.ukbreakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks - (approx £50 for a dinner for two, cheaper for lunch or light meals)
+ excellent veggie options | healthy tasty food | scandi style | cafe, shop and restaurant
- service is slow at busy times
I absolutely love ACanteen's scandi style interior and varied menu (anyone who knows me knows of my long standing obsession with all things scandinavian). This is somewhere you can come and order a pizza or burger and still feel healthy. It's a family run business and their food is all sutainably sourced. The prices reflect the food you're eating, so no it's not the cheapest place on the highstreet but I think it's important to spend more to get more. This is a place you can visit almost any time of day, we've been for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks and have never been disappointed. Luckily they recently moved a new premises and now have a pretty large restaurant with a cafe and a shop all in one (the shop sells lots of scandi wares, I have to stop myself from buying everything!) so you probably won't need to book unless you're in a large group.
Extra: They do grab and go lunch (which Nick occasionally does on a work day) where you can get all sorts of different things like quiche, salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and all types of cake!
6. Small Talk Tearooms - £
www.smalltalktearooms.co.ukbreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea (approx £20 lunch for two including drinks and cake)
+ cosy tea rooms vibe | delicious cake | locally sourced food | freshly baked scones
- super busy at peak times | only takes cash
This has to be one of our favourite places to go for a sunday morning treat of eggs benedict, tea, coffee and cake. It's a quaint vintage style tea rooms with white crochet table cloths dressing an assortment of tables and mix of chairs. It's like popping to your granny's for a cup of tea but with a little more style and a lot more choice. They have a huge tea selection to make the perfect match with your slab of cake or freshly baked scones. The prices are really resonable too, a couple of pounds for a slice of cake, less than a fiver for a breakfast dish. It's incredibly popular so you need to time it right if you're going to get a table. Try to beat the lunch time rush or go later in the day unless you want to wait in the queue - it is worth the wait though. The one thing we haven't sampled yet is the afternoon tea (you have to book this in advance) but we've seen other people eating it and it looks professional and delicious.
Tip: Arrive hungry - this way you can fit in as much cake as possible!
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| Nick and his pad thai at ZEN Noodle Bar in 2012. |
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