Great food, service and ambiance. I will return again. One of Chelmsfords best kept secretsread more

There are so many amazing hidden gems in Essex, and Russell's Restaurant is one of them…read more The building dates back to 1372, and is a converted barn. Before it was a restaurant, it was a woodshed, where my grandfather would go to buy wood. The restaurant has kept some of the original features, like the beams and high vaulted ceiling, which gives it a very rustic feel. The food is mostly French inspired, but mostly locally sourced (something I always like to see!) For my starter, I had the seared king scallops, which were served with a pea and asparagus compote, black pudding and black truffle oil. Scallops are one of my favourite things, and if it's on a menu it's a pretty safe bet that I'll be ordering it. These, in my opinion, were perfect - which is very high praise, as scallops are really easy to get wrong. These were perfectly seared and crisp on the outside, but really juicy inside - not at all stringy (which is the worst!) and the combination of asparagus, black pudding and truffle oil was divine. My dinner date had the chicken liver parfait, a pate served on toasted brioche with a sultana and sauternes jus. This was followed by a main course of duck - a seared Gressingham duck breast served with duck rillette bon bons, roasted pommes de cocotte potato and sauteed pak choi with cumberland jus. The duck was beautifully cooked, and the meat was meltingly tender. For my main course, I went for the Tournedos Rossini, served medium rare. The aged fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef was served on top of a potato and parsnip rosti, and was topped with seared foie gras, baby spinach, truffle oil and a wild mushroom jus. Basically, it was a whole list of my favourite ingredients on top of one another, and it was delicious. The flavours were delectable, and the whole dish was presented impeccably. After dinner I went for a coffee followed by a coconut and Malibu pannacotta topped with toasted coconut and sweet candied pineapple. The standard of the food and service is really impressive - and the venue has a lot of character, and for the quality of the meal, the price is really quite reasonable.

LOVE... LOVE... LOVE this place! Best Fish & Chips in the village! And the Sausage & Mash is my…read morefavorite... worth training all week to come have a pint of Peroni and a delicious meal!!! The staff is absolutely wonderful and super friendly, Jane is awesome! Sunday Roast is also amazing.... family and dog friendly! Would recommend this restaurant for anybody! Love the vibe and character of this Pub, Cheers!

Love this place. Good food and wine. Great for the week or on Sunday for lunch. Summertime lovely…read moreas in a rural location but also nice in winter with a nice open fire. Food mixed but if I had to say, modern European. Not too expensive but good value for money.

We celebrated a birthday in their private function room and had a great evening. The staff was very…read morefriendly and attentive. We forgot candles for the birthday cake and Angus went to the shops to get us candles. The food they served was great and there was lots to spare. Definitely recommend for a private function. We also came back for Sunday lunch. The place was packed and the food was good.

It's very easy to write reviews that complain about a restaurant. I like to write down the…read morenegatives first then positives, if there are any. OK, negatives. That's that out of the way. There certainly were NO negatives. On entering we were met by a charming young lady with a fantastic smile. We had reserved a table but our friends had not arrived. So a drink, meanwhile, was called for. Nice selection of real ales, my kind of pub. Unlike many pub/restaurants, this pub had an area where you could have a drink. Also, in the warmer months there is plenty of seating outside. When our friends arrived we were shown to our table. Given more than ample time to choose from the menu. In fact the time taken was our fault. When two women haven't seen each other for 20 years, need I say more? Chosen from the menu was Cumberland sausage and mash, looked delicious. Two fish and chips, or I should say, whale and chips. The fish was enormous and the chips chunky. I had succulent scampi. Finishing with a crumble which, according to my friend, went down well. Two ice creams of generous proportions and my usual, cheese board. Three cheeses, crackers, butter, chutney, celery and grapes. Finally, very well brewed coffee. A wonderful meal for a price that in our estimation was more than reasonable, some will say a little OTT. All I can say was the food was brilliant, service fantastic and the decor, attractive. Loved the place and we will be back.

Newly reopened with a friendly Danish landlord who is also a chef. Good food and nice atmosphereread more

Great staff. Very good food. Very nice ambience. We were a party of 8 and they accommodated us with…read moreno problem. Decent prices. Highly recommend.

Contemporary and very relaxed atmosphere. Delicious menu,…read morekeenly priced and with good service makes this a place well worth a visit.

Whilst this bar/restaurant looks very clean and inviting once inside the place has a strange…read moreambiance. The two occasions I have visited both staff would have benefited from a customer service course. Very "clicky" pub with over priced food.

I'm an American that was visiting family in England and I had Gluten intolerance, I have celiac…read moredisease, and their gluten-free bread was nice plus it wasn't dried out and the food was amazing and I will definitely come back Our server was the manager Jessica and she was great. 5/5

One thing I love is an old fashioned British pub although, these days, I will accept modernisations…read moreon this theme. The Bay is my type of pub with a drinking area and, separate, eating areas. Tables are there, set out for meals and others open, and ready, to set down a glass of their delicious beers. The décor is modern with hints of the original. Everything is painted white, even the old beams. Loads of pine coloured furniture and comfortable seating. As soon as we walked in we felt comfortable. The bar was packed out but service was quick and friendly. Wish I lived nearer as it would become a favourite for that Sunday pre-lunch drink.