Fish and chips was fabulous!!! We sat on the deck and relaxed in the pretty back garden. Highly…read morerecommend

Went on a Sat night, beautiful building and decor, lovely service, and the best steak I've had…read morerecently. Four of us went and everyone said how good it was, I can't remember the last time we all agreed (my brother is the difficult one, not me). We actually booked for a Sunday lunch while we were there, and if anything the Sunday roast was even better than the Saturday dinner. I really can't recommend it enough, a great find.

The Leather Bottle is quite proud to announce that they're in The Michelin Good Pub Food Guide, The…read moreGood Beer Guide, and was a final of the Best Gastro Pub in Essex 2010. So much so, that they've erected publicities on a pole outside in the green. Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it, right? While I can't speak to the food, I can wholeheartedly report that the staff is smiley and friendly, the Doom Bar real ale is refreshing after a five mile jaunt through the countryside*, and the back garden is sun-drenched and filled with laughing children on a Sunday afternoon. This seems like quite the weekend social hub of Blackmore - not that there's much in the way of competition. Although I'd just had a reasonably filling sandwich for lunch on the green outside, I began to salivate uncontrollably upon seeing (and smelling) the fish and chips brought to a table near us. That's in contrast to the burger on a dowdy-looking bun that her dining companion had. I won't lie, I considered shanking the other diner for a bite, but she was Asian too, and probably hungrier than I was. She might have bitten my ear off or worse. Instead, I just ogled from afar. Whether you're seeking a comely cosy bar scene, a fine dining experience, or a lovely afternoon sit in the sun, The Leather Bottle's likely to do you just fine. You just have to be willing to make the trek from Ingatestone - but a worthwhile sojourn it is! ---- * And quite reasonably priced, considering we had a pint and a half of real ale for barely over £4.

Lovely little location, great menu and the food was even better, shall definitely returnread more

I had a wonderful trio of pork and it was so posh! The setting was ornate with lit candles around…read morethe room and on the table. You're surrounded by exquisite antiques everywhere you look. The owners serve you themselves and make sure you're having a lovely time. The bartenders were absolutely wonderful and I could not recommend a better place. If you want the true elegant dining experience, this is the place to go. It overlooks wonderful fields and a perfect place to dine and watch the sunset.

Great place to eat, service was ultra friendly, we will be back and back with more people. Great…read moreselection of gins.

A decent place to stop over for a respite on your way our or home, fully stocked with all the…read moreexpected pub food and drinks. There is also plenty of space, for parking and seating. The usual crowd can get a little rowdy so bare that in mind if you want a quiet meal. Unfortunately the food is a little lacking in quality, our experience was of cold and dry chicken and chips. On the bright side, there is an outdoor play area with benches, and despite being close to the main road it really isn't that noisy. With that in mind, you'll find The Halfway House to be a more homely and affordable establishment than any prime-located service station in the area!

Fantastic venue with friendly welcoming staff…read more Stunning Marquee with private garden for weddings and large functions Beautiful function room for more intimate gatherings Highly recommend

I got stuck in the middle of the British country side and the B&B I ended up at highly recommended…read morethis place. I would come back jut to eat here. I was raised partly in Italy and this was some of the best Italian food I've had in 15 years of visiting the U.K. since I graduated Uni there. An Italian family own and operate the place and they're hospitality is second only to the food. Absolutely amazing meal, just tell them what you don't like and they'll bring the rest. I wish I could give them more stars. I will share some of the photos from the beautiful evening I spent on the patio. I just wish I had a lover with me to share the experience with.

Oh yeah! Americans…read morefrom California here. Who would've known that mashed potatoes, sausages, and gravy would go so well together! Loved every bite. Got the gravy on the side, didn't think I'd use all of it, before I knew it, it was all gone. And you wouldn't think that the type of mash or type of gravy or type of sausage would matter that much, but they really do all have distinct flavors! I will be mixing mustard into my mashed potatoes from now on. Originally came for the sticky toffee pudding, so of course we ended with that. Marvelous! The toffee sauce is so comforting and rich, the cake was so moist, and it was perfectly balanced with the ice cream. Didn't detect any dates, maybe they were too finely chopped. Also the apple and blackberry crumble just didn't hit the same; it was slightly dry and on the sour side (maybe don't take a bite directly after the pudding!) Service was so helpful and friendly; I'm sure they love watching people fall in love with their food. Quick with refills and offered extra condiments if needed. Great air conditioning as well (always a plus), and I loved the green blacksplash and blackboard caligraphy on the walls as well. Bangin'

the poor rating has to do with the rude staff at this location. i'm not sure if he was the owner or…read morea staff member, but there was an older man who was very rude to us when we arrived. we entered the establishment, as that is what you typically do when you want to dine at a restaurant, and he came up the stairs and didn't even offer a greeting. i mentioned that we had a reservation for that time and he immediately just kept repeating that our table was outside. we went outside to their small patio dining area, and saw that there was a table with a "reserved" sign on it, so we sat down. i thought it was incredibly rude that he spoke to us in that manner, and it seemed like he expected us to somehow know that that table was ours before we had even spoken to any staff. i was seriously considering getting up and leaving but i decided to give this place one more chance. it then took a while, but we were eventually served by a much more pleasant and friendly younger server, who helped make this experience better. i would give this place a lower rating, however i must admit that the food was delicious. as an american tentatively wanting to try british bangers and mash, this exceeded my expectations. we all spoke about how the sausage was plump, snappy, and delicious, definitely one of the best we've ever had. the mashed potatoes were also amazing- cheesy and heavenly, and i'm not even usually a mashed potatoes kinda person. i am glad that we stayed solely for the delicious food, but i would not come back because of our experience with the staff here. the place already was one of the emptier spots on this very busy soho street anyway.

Chose this on chance for lunch and what a great surprise- the food was delicious! The steak…read moresandwich came in tasty sourdough, the meat was generous and tender and the chips were irresistible. The garden was being landscaped so we ate in the conservatory, which was okay.

Visiting from America, the Plough was our local pub. The young owners were nice enough to…read moreaccommodate us with drinks when we showed up before opening time. It is no longer so much a traditional pub as it appears from the outside, but more emphasis on the restaurant side of it. Fine with us, it was the only cooked food source within easy walking distance our cottage in the country. What good food it was, as good and wholesome as anything served in our 'foodie' neck of the woods here in the San Francisco Bay area. With cheeses like Winterdale Shaw, (they have their own dairy herd, and chalk lined cellar to mature the cheese in), and Bloomy Rinded Somerset Brie, it was a pleasure dining there.

My absolutely favorite place in all of England. My husband and friends had liver and onions…read moremultiple times. I had the pies. I will never have a pie again and not dream about the grumpy mole. The wine list and bar is amazing.

I must say - these have to be the most charming ladies that run this adorable pub in the most…read morequaint town nestled in the English countryside. The interior is just like the demeanor of the staff: warm, likeable, and feels like home. In fact, it was incredibly difficult to determine where we wanted to dine, because of the sheer cuteness found in the decor and ambiance of The Grumpy Mole. It was just too damn nice outside to take a beautiful, sunny day in England for granted. So, we opted to sit on their patio and enjoy a near perfect day. Knowing how delicious the curry is in the UK, I opted for that choice and my high expectations were met. The chicken was tender and well prepared. The curry flavor was abound but not overpowering, while the naan and rice were soft, not stale. But the real highlight of the experience was the charcuterie plate packed with meats, cheeses, olives, and more. If only I had the fortune to return to England more often, then I would visit The Grumpy Mole on every visit. For now, I will dream of that day and hope it is on a cold, winters night, where the interior of the Grumpy Mole is cozy and warmed by a crackling fire place, of which I am sitting by while sipping on a piping mug of cider.

Tonight at the harvester was very busy and were not ready. They forgot pineapple, peas, salsa…read moresauce. As it is a Sunday I expected it to be busy but the staff should have been ready. Gordon Ramsey to the manager of Langdon hills harvester

Good food but sometimes the wait is long love the salad bar and the bbq ribs are niceread more

The food was excellent. We had the fish & chips and the grilled pork chop. Service was quick and…read morefriendly. Parking could be a bit of a challenge at busy times.

Definitely a cut above other pubs in this area. Lovely service and very good food. We ate there…read moreon a Saturday lunchtime and chose from the main menu. The baked camembert was served with a generous amount of toast which in turn was generously buttered with garlic. The fillet steak was perfectly cooked and a great cut, it was served with plenty of good chips. There is plenty of parking at the side of the pub. I look forward to another visit.