The At Pontlands Park - Chelmsford

I don't think there's somewhere else to eat foot from the hotel, so the restaurant can be good where they find their food during the stay. instead of like the hotel it stands out over the 3 star rating of the accommodation....With a high deck, set in the older part of the hotel, the room looks good. the menu is quite short and keeps on favorite, so it should be for most diners something. prices are at a level that can increase eyebrow and expectations a little. we had, among other things, dishes, crabcakes and shlit shoes and the chicken and burger. the first two were really very good with the burger a little underwhelming and the huh somewhere between. overall a pleasant surprise and somewhere that this fussy diner would be happy to return.

Having had sunday lunch 3rd Oct, i felt compelled to review our experience while fresh in the mind. In a word, faultless. From front of house to wait staff and first class food. My medium rare beef was as good a sunday roast i have...had, and i have had a few. Wifes pork just as good. Tables are well spaced and although our table was a little tucked away, that would be nit picking. Overall a top class experience.

Husband took me out yesterday on Bank Holiday Monday, to this lovely little country house hotel in Great Baddow, on the outskirts of Chelmsford. The hotel itself appears to comprise of an old house with a number of new additions. There’s an independent swimming club,...open to hotel guests comprising of both indoor, and outdoor pools, a restaurant, a conservatory/bar where we took tea, a restaurant, and 35 bedrooms. Parking is easy, especially if you are disabled, and in a wheelchair like me, as there are quite a number of specially marked off spaces. The main part of the hotel is accessed via 2 small steps, (though there is a portable ramp too, apparently . My clever husband ascertained that one could enter the hotel in the wheelchair via the conservatory area, and this obviated the need to climb any steps at all. We announced our presence in the conservatory area to the charming waitress on duty, who we later learned was called Stef. She couldn’t have made us more welcome, and explained the afternoon tea fully, enquiring if we had any dietary needs. Full tea is a very fair £19.50, and it comes prettily arranged on a silver tea stand, with a choice of teas which arrive in pretty individual china tea pots. My husband opted for English Breakfast, whereas I fancied Earl Grey. Hubby was quite thirsty, and Stef asked if he wanted another pot, which she brought speedily, and at no extra charge. Tea comprised of 4 generous finger sandwiches each. These were smoked salmon and cream cheese, egg and cress mayonnaise, grated cheese and pickle, and ham sandwiches. I initially enquired if we could order extra sandwiches at our own cost, (at this price, one wouldn’t expect a free sandwich top up! , and we were told this wouldn’t present any problem. As it so happened, the sandwiches were fresh and so well filled, we didn’t require any more. Of course there were also 2 freshly baked scones each, one plain, and one with fruit, butter, clotted cream, strawberry jam from Tiptree, and the top layer of the tea stand held an assortment of delicious mini cakes and macarons, expertly prepared by the Pontlands Park in house patisserie team. My favourites were the delicately spiced, perfectly moist mini carrot cakes, and the apple macarons. My husband preferred the mixed berry cakes, however. Stef kept popping over to check we were happy, and insisted we pack our leftovers in a takeaway container, as when we called for the bill, it was evident we’d been defeated by the contents of their tea stand. We will most definitely return, and, the sooner the better. It’s not the poshest afternoon tea I’ve ever had, however it was very fairly priced, freshly prepared, and of excellent quality. And, as for service, the lovely Stef couldn’t possibly have done more for us.

We 've had Sunday lunch here before lockdown and it was excellent. Unfortunately that wasn 't the case this time. We both like roast beef rare (which to me means pink , so we always check with the waiting staff in advance. Yes the beef is rare Well...it wasn 't, it wasn 't even medium, it was well done to say the least. I understand restaurants cook a joint of beef, so it may not be possible to produce rare beef, but if that is the case here why promise something and not deliver. (Additionally many restaurants do manage to cook beef pink/rare, so what is the mystery to a professional chef ? . Pontlands is owned/run by the same people as the nearby Bartellas. Bartellas is much better.

Had a fantastic meal tonight at Pontlands Park. We took 4 Friends here for my Wife’s Birthday. All fresco dinning was great. Service was excellent and food so fantastic. We haven’t been here for a long time It is a place that is forgotten about....But We highly recommend it. All our friends thought it was great and would come again. The Staff were attentive and helpful. If you haven’t been you need to check it out. We will be back for sure. Well done to Pontlands in these difficult times.