please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This pub is a perennial favourite with Chelmsford folk as it has a picturesque aspect and a large garden overlooking the canal which some might consider to be pleasant. I do not.
You could offer me the gardens of Versailles, or the summer palace at St Petersburg, but I would not enjoy sitting there if I was surrounded by a bunch of neurotic poseurs talking loudly and in terms that would make a spaniel blush for the lack of intellectual perspective and acumen being displayed.
I don’t expect to meet a modern day Wittgenstien or Tom Paine in a pub in Chelmsford, but then again, The sort of stuff I have to put up with going in a place like this is just depressing and self defeating nonsense.
Get your head out of the Daily Mail people, it’s a wonderful planet and a wonderful life. Your petty complaints, leave them at home.
You live in the free-est and most affluent society that the planet has ever know, yet that is not good enough for you?
As you might surmise, the atmosphere here is not elevating or relaxing in any degree.
What it is that attracts nature’s pessimists to this particular pub I don’t know, but I for one am not joining in.
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Hideously expensive and the ale is average at best.
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This is a pub that I once frequented, but now visit about once a year, as I feel that there are others pubs in Chelmsford
that now offer far better value for money, better food and better ale.
But, on a hot summers day in Chelmsford, there is no better place to be [ other than perhaps the food section at M&S, where its so cool ] than the garden of the Riverside Inn.
A pleasant venue with a river on each side - ideal setting for a beer and a bite.
I had a pint of London Gold - flat and with sedement.
The food ordered was fish and chips - small portions, ate in no time.
Rather than another "Gold" I went for the London Bitter - but this appeared to be another unremarkable pint of Gold - so I took
it back. Confusingly, this seemed to be replaced by yet another
lame pint of "Gold" - which I abstained from finishing !!
At one O'clock, on a hot summers day, I have seen this pub rammo'ed. Today, at that time, it was about 20% capacity ; that
says a lot.
Thankfully, the customers were mostly women - perhaps that says something too !!
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Paid a visit last night. A friendly welcome and several superb pints of Young's Bitter. Very well kept ale. Food was served in decent portions and tasty - at prices that I would expect for south east England. Has a very pleasant outside seating area. Well worth a visit!
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This place is average. Agree with everyone else's feelings on it being over priced.
It definitely is.
I shan't be going to Wetherspoons though. That place is awful! (But, "does what it says on the tin" I guess)
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Extremely pricey, staff full of own self importance, would NOT even top up the Lager!.......but as long as the blonde looks good and can sip her drink intermittently whilst serving you!......who's the customer?!
Avoid
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I usually steer clear of that awful phrase "You pays your money, you takes your choice� � after all why is the English so poor? However, it perfectly sums up your dilemma if you happen to be in Chelmsford, hungry and thirsty.
One option would be to head to The Riverside with its attractive Oak beams, comfy sofas and beer garden next to the river. You could order an appallingly mediocre Cumberland Sausage sandwich made with slices of Mother�s Pride (very 1970s) and very soggy onions. You could then go to the bar and order a pint of Best and a G&T and get charged approximately �7.80 for the privilege. When you question the cost with bar staff, you�ll be told that the (single) G&T cost nearly �5 because they only have small bottles of Britvic tonic that cost almost as much as the gin. You�ll notice that much of the clientele will be wearing suits and are most-likely business travellers staying in the hotel rooms or local office-workers, in for a lunchtime pint or two. It will probably cross you mind that, OK - the prices are very steep but at least it keeps out the riff-raff. What absolutely will not cross your mind is that if you actually lived about 100 metres from the pub (as I do), The Riverside would make a fantastic local. The reason for this is because you�d have the constant feeling that you were being well & truly ripped-off and that the management knows that � thanks to all those lovely business travellers and their expense accounts - they really don't have to try very hard at all.
Another option � the one that I will always plump for � is to walk the five minutes into town to one of the two JD Wetherspoon outlets. In either of these, I�ll know that � despite the occasionally dodgy fellow punter and habitually understaffed bar - I�ll be able to get an excellent sandwich (on one of those fancy foreign breads that have been all the rage for the last ten years or so) and either a pint or a G&T and still get change from seven quid.
You pays your money��
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VERY overpriced especially the food weekend lunchtimes it should be renamed "The Riverside Creche" cos its full of sprogs "expressing themselves"
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popped in a few days ago , only had the one pint of the black stuff , expertly poured , left to settle and tasted superb , bit pricey at �3.20 a pint but was a good quality so cant complain
happy new year all
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Decent place with excellent staff and Young's ales at or near London prices. Thoroughly enjoyed a couple of pints here. Food looked very good, but I don't think I'll be rushing to snap up their Christmas Day menu at �55 (plus 12.5%!)
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This pub is okay. Nice garden but poor selection of (expensive) beers and a bit 'corporate'. Gets very busy and loud and food service can be erratic. But there are a lot worse pubs you could visit in Chelmsford.
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Again, as other comments suggest, this pub has the most fantastic beer garden for the summer, but does provide mediocre food and costs the earth for any purchases. A jug of Pimms on a balmy summers day will require a trip to the High Street to secure a second mortgage. The hosts are great and accomodating though. Must say though, I did find their Youngs was shite, and thats coming from a Wandsworth local.
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now this pub is superb , the look of it (a victorian style mill house) quite roomy inside and also in the summer sitting by the river having a beer n watching the world go by is sublime here , the staff seem ok the beers not bad did try the youngs once here n seemed ok , got to be in the top 3 pubs in chelmsford in my opinon anyway , only downsides are the food wasnt upto much when i dined and the food n drink are on the expensive side , but i guess this keeps away the unwanted clientele
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YOUNGS BEERS AT THEIR BEST.nice pub,great feel to this old building,well maintained(as you would expect from youngs)
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EXcellent Youngs beers. However very expensive. food good butagain very expensive. Nice Pub
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On a sunny sunday afternoon, it's the best pub in Chelmsford.
Matt - 22 Jan 2004 03:12 |
Lovely pub, good food, good atmosphere. Wicked beer garden for the summer.
Paula - 7 Nov 2003 16:32 |
