please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This pub is in a great location on the tow path of the R. Lee. Big garden and plenty of space inside, plus patio area. For these reasons it caters for the family and not the beer drinker. It is a McMullin's place and so the real ale sticker is over used. It is not a free house and no respecting CAMRA person would turn up here unless desperate. I am a CAMRA chap and turned up as a friend liked the look of the place and we both wanted the loo. Beer was not even a good tasting AK, unlike at the Lion at Eastwick. Nice staff. Its a food place as stated and was busy. But it is corporate joint.
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I won't mention the beer again - the choice will never change.
Took the family for a Sunday lunchtime treat. Only it wasn't.
Food was luke-warm, served on a cold plate and very disappointing.
I prefer my vegetables cooked for at least 20 minutes, not 20 seconds.
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Following on my review of the Jolly Fisherman in Stanstead Abbots, I posted my comments to McMullen Pubs. I was delighted to have a very prompt response with apologies and after investigation, I was sent a voucher with assurances that they have reviewed their practices and improvements have been made. I now look forward to returning courtesy of McMullens and will comment further.
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Everything is jolly but the food!
After lovely a day out, four of us decided to have a pub supper and saw the Jolly Fisherman as we were passing through Stanstead Abbots. It looked idyllic being a hot sunny day and with the river location, it was just too wonderful to miss. The atmosphere was pleasant and everywhere looked clean, we also noticed quite a few group reservations, it was a good sign. Being early Saturday evening, the place was lively with mainly family groups and friends enjoying the garden area.
We started off very well. The service was not bad considering it was busy. We loved the wine, the house red was particularly enjoyable, room temperature and silky smooth. The chardonnay was equally good, fruity and chilled. Unfortunatley, it all went downhill from there. Two of us ordered the Baked Enchiladas, the others had a chef's special Thai Prawn Curry. Our friend had a Beef Nachos sharers dish as a main. Frankly, it would have been good to see a main meal salad option, being a hot sunny day.
The Enchiladas looked like they were cooked in a microwave - two small non descript rolls were dished on a small round plate. I didn't see any bubbling cheese on top, there was pockets of water and the bread itself was quite a soggy dough consistency. Definitely not baked. However, it tasted OK. A small garnish sized salad was placed on a hot plate and wilted and no dressing was provided. The Thai King Prawn curry had about 4 small prawns and no more than 4 tiny crackers. The Beef Nachos was mainly corn chips and little substance with the jalapenos being on the mushy side. The average cost of the main meals was just under �9 each. I have had better sized starters from other chain pub restaurants - ie Harvester, Wetherspoons, Old English Inns. As we were all very hungry we ate up and left stating we were disappointed. If it was not for my elderly mother being in the group, we would have just got up and left. I think we were all better off buying the same food in a supermarket and just heating it up ourselves at a fraction of the cost mirroring the basic and plain presentation with no attention to detail. We went home still hungry.
I would return again to the pub and it is in a good location, but definitely not for food.
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McMullen's pub near to the river Lea, small car park and outside drinking/eating area.
Two rooms inside with plenty of tables - some with reserved on.
Good choice menu, small or large portions at reasonable prices.
Again a poor choice of real ale in a Macs pub, Country or Cask averaging a pricey �3.50.
Piped music was annoying, especially if you want a quiet pint or have a conversation.
Staff were freindly enough though.
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Not really a Jolly Fisherman, more a Miserable Manageress.
Having stood at the bar for a while some tables became free this evening, our group made way for some fellow drinkers at one table and settled at one of the remaining two tables.
Having made ourselves comfortable and anticipating an enjoyable quiz we were told to get up and stand back at the bar by a member of staff as she had a queuing system. The other free table was now occupied.
A thoroughly uncomfortable and irritating experience. Not what I'd expect from an evening in an English pub.
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I have to agree with the comment below. I thought this busy was great value. Polite and helpful staff... The manager is a polite young gentlemen who when out of his way to help me with my children. Helped me to be seated and then offered to warm my daughters milk up. suitably impressed! Well Done Guys!
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JS66
Instead of making a big deal out of nothing, and may be congratulate the pub on bing busy. How can you say that anyway, Ive been drinking in this pub for almost 3years, and its the best its been in that time. So, look at it like this.....a pub is busy and you dont like it! Well there is two others to choose from!!
I will say to poeple who use this site for the REAL REASON, The Fisherman is a fantastic pub, that yes is a busy. The staff are great and the pub has a new manager who has given the place some life. I have not eaten in the pub, I stand at the bar, or if im with my family sit down, and we always have somewhere to sit. The only time I have seen every table booked up was on Christmas Day and Boxing day. However saying that, Kate or Alex (who run the pub) did get us a table on Boxing day even tho we were drinking.
Nothing is to much trouble to this couple, so all I can say in a nut shell is The pub has a great name now and GOOD im glad that its busy!
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I visited the Jolly Fisherman, as part of a group of 9 people including 3 children. Despite there being several empty tables, we were told that we could not sit in the pub unless we were eating. We were given the option of sitting outside in the rain.
The owners of this establishment, would like to think of it a restaurant. so not the best place to pop in for a drink. This is a great shame beacause of it's location next to the River Lea Footpath.
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The best thing about this pub is the superb location on the side of the River Lee and is an excellent stop off if cycling or walking along the River side to Ware. As stated below it is a McMullens pub with two clean and airy bars. There is an undercover garden section out the back by the car park but then a large green area which goes down to the river side. I'm not sure if this is part of the pub grounds or not, but there doesn't seem any problems taking your drinks over to sit by the river to watch the world and his wife go by. The Ales were the normal Country and AK. The Country was off during my visit this weekend but the AK was in good shape. We didn't eat but plenty of people were taking the Sunday roast on offer
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McMullens pub next to the river so in a nice location. The main bar is fairly food oriented but the smaller bar is better. Ales generally kept OK but nothing special and the food is quite acceptable. Can get quite busy but the service is reasonable most of the time.
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Seemed a pretty nice pub. Nice looking old building, and right by the river. Still, I asked for vodka and red bull and they automatically gave me a double which cost over �4.
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Excellent location on the riverbank and ideal for a summers day. I found the prices rather high though, and the choice of ales was very limited on the day of my visit.
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The food and service here used to be superb but it appears to have changed management and gone downhill.
Last time I was there, the food was pretty mediocre (expensive pub grub, no better than a Wetherspoons) and the service was at best indifferent. It's such a shame because the location is great, although the pub garden is small, it backs onto the river and you can spill out to sit on the grass in the summer.
anonymous - 24 Jun 2006 15:02 |
You don't seem to cater for wine drinkers! Wine by the glass is far too expensive. Many women drink wine rather than beer.
Judy Heilpern Brown - 3 Nov 2004 11:32 |
Extensive food menu served all day.
Good selection of real ales.
Limited car parking and quite a small beer garden, virtually in the car park.
Christian Scott - 31 Aug 2004 16:48 |
