Essex Arms

Our Gin & Cask Ales Festival has sadly come to an end and now it's time for the final verdict. Which is better…Gin or Ale. There's only one way to find out. Vote!!

Ever pondered which tonics go well with certain gins? The Fever Tree Pairing Wheel has it sorted. Simply type your favourite gin into the box to discover your ultimate G&T pairing. Cheers me dears! https://portal.fever-tree.com/pairing-whe el

Hands up if you have a sweet tooth? We certainly do, which is why we're so picky about what puds reach our final line-up. Our new selection of desserts have been craftily created to make you dribble, whistle and provide plenty of 'mmmms' as you demolish them. Grab a spoon and tuck in!

Cynthia Slice recommends! A Hendrick's gin is never complete without a slice of cucumber. It freshens the palate and leaves you wanting more. Cheers! #GinPairings #EmberFest

Ring ring, ring ring…"Hello, weekend calling, can I speak to Miss and Mr Clocking Off From Work? It's a fairly urgent matter because I need to chat to them about a deal that is happening right now. Yes that's right, 2 cocktails for £7 after 5pm. Could you tell them that Ember Inns called? Cheers".

Say hello to our new Roku Japanese #Gin, a light and fresh combination of orange and lemon peel, juniper, coriander and citrus flavours, with a light whisper of fruity sweetness hiding underneath. Too tempting to resist! #NewKidOnTheBlock #EmberFest

#WIN a 25th Anniversary Oakham Ales t-shirt! Simply 'like' the Ember Inns page and answer the question below with the hashtag #WIN to be automatically entered. The closest estimate to the answer wins! (winners to be announced Monday 29th April)

It's tougher than a ginger nut biscuit to decide on a drinks order sometimes, which is why we're doing the hard work for you. Select your birth month and wa-lah, a drink will be picked for you. So what are you having? Comment below!

Say hello to our new Roku Japanese #Gin, a light and fresh combination of orange and lemon peel, juniper, coriander and citrus flavours, with a light whisper of fruity sweetness hiding underneath. Too tempting to resist! #NewKidOnTheBlock #EmberFest #EmberInns

We’ve got plenty of prizes to be won each week in our quiz, including pints of Coors Light and Carling! Find out more here and join our National Quiz League: https://www.emberinns.co.uk/nationalquizl eague

All Cask Ales £2.49 all day every Monday

We’ve always got time for wine!
See the weekend off in style with our Sunday Wine Club, featuring quality choices at just £10 a bottle from 5pm

Christmas early booking video

Our brand-new seasonal menu has officially arrived and features a selection of tempting treats to enjoy in the warmth of your nearest Ember! Find your local here: https://www.emberinns.co.uk/nationalsearc h

Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla Gin

Our new seasonal menu has arrived! From tasty new dishes to unique twists on old favourites, tuck into this hearty selection in the warmth and comfort of your local Ember 🔥

We got to try some of the dishes from our new menu this evening..... we can't wait for you to try them too!! Join us Wednesday when our new menu goes live....

We went here on Sunday for my brothers 30th birthday meal booked and ordered food in advance. The staff and the manager were great even bough they had not had there wine delivery in. The food was amazing and they were very attentive and looked after us the whole time we were there. Thank you for making new my brothers meal great. Have never had a bad meal here. Thank you for making my brothers meal great :) x

The atmosphere was good a welcoming (apart from the tall long haired woman staggering behind the bar to get a drink and swearing and interrupting the poor girl taking our order apparently she worked there)

I had the double up rump steak which I ordered rare.

The steak came but was dry and very tough to eat and was more blue than rare but my son and wife enjoyed their meal.

We will go back to try out the other meals on the menu.

Had Xmas Dinner with a group of friends as we do every year. Food was nice as was most of the staff.



Only downer was one of the bar staff moaning at us that if the kids touched the fruit machines we'd have to move tables. The only reason we were there near the machines anyway is they had no space left at the other end of the pub.



Maybe instead of threatening to move us



A) situate a party with kids away from the machines when you have the space.



B)Turn the flashy, blinky game with lights off if you know you could get in trouble for the kids just pressing the buttons



Having read the gambling commissions website I can't find anything where a proprietor would get in trouble for a toddler pressing buttons whilst the machine is in demo mode



Happy to stand corrected though!

Food was good, lovely portions, good prices,staff were nice. The place was dirty. I hate how everywhere you go the high chairs don't get cleaned after use. High chair was disgusting and I was given a cloth stinking of beer to wipe it with. Toilets were very dirty, no toilet roll in 3 out of 4 cubicles, hand dryer wasn't working, toilet roll on floor and bits of toilet roll trailed all the way down the stairs and into wear you eat your food. Was very quiet and I felt there was no need for this as they could have been spending their spare time ensuring all areas were clean and tidy. Don't think I would return.

Wanted to have a nice hot soup . Ordered country vegetable with a ciabatta. Did get it like warm and a burnt ciabatta. Asked the Manager Richard to warm it up. Which he did not like and did it with a frown. I wasted the bread. It had a burnt smell . I ate the soup. !! He was clearly upset. He was busy chatting with his friends . Poor service and no customer service. Very disappointed considering it's our local. Hope comments are taken on board Nd improvement in service is made. Was a horrible experience and felt like hospital food.

The Essex Arms has been my local for 4 years now and despite keep giving them the benefit of the doubt and returning to eat I have been consistently disappointed. Whilst this place is fine for few drinks ( although very slow bar service and lack of outside seating is an issue ) I will never eat here again! Last Sunday had booked a table for 8 at 2pm and despite asking for snug area was told not available and was seated elsewhere. Not a major problem apart from rocking tables. So there were no vegetarian Sunday roasts available and ended up with a combination of battered haloumi, uncooked roast potatoes, veg & gravy. The beef was thick and chewy. The puddings from set menu were not available ! The main issue I have is lack of care / customer service ( I felt sorry for the young lad behind the bar who was very apologetic ) but basically we did not feel welcome and there was not a nice atmosphere in this place which used to be great.

10/10 for the lovely staff. But downhill from there. Drinks menu gives prices for prosecco by the glass and 'champagne ' cocktails, you can't have them though as the manager doesn't do fizz by the glass. Apparently Ember Inns produces a menu but it's up to the manager whether or not he follows it. Had three roast dinners, the beef was ok but the loin of pork looked more like belly (not good if you don't like fat. Potatoes were a bit anaemic and the seasonal veg looked more like the odd bits at the bottom of the freezer. Don't think we'll be back for some time

Went there for my birthday meal. Husband & kids food was fine. Mine was too spicy to eat. Paid £9.99 for something not eaten. The young man was quite apologetic. The lady working there didn't seem to care. She laughed when I saud the food was too hot to eat. And then stated it should say on the menu about the spice. Then left my plate when she took the rest away. So rude & uncaring (except for the concerned young man). Disappointed

Went the week after Mother’s Day on the Sunday. Table for 6 booked for 6.30 so got there at 6 and waited for our other 3 guests to arrive, they were late due to the snow. When we eventually tried to order we were told that there were no roasts which was annoying as they could have told me this at 6pm when I mentioned the roasts whilst buying drinks or when we booked. Apparently they were getting a new menu on the 21st March so had limited options, in fact it was so limited they had none of the other 3 items I tried to order so by 8pm we all left starving having not been able to order anything from the very limited menu. Hadn’t planned on going there again but my sisters persuaded me to go for lunch yesterday 30th March, 8 of us ordered 3 courses that had items either missing or the wrong dishes, most of the food was dry or cold and the deserts were rock hard with lumpy cold custard (too long in the microwave) we complained, nothing was done, just given apologies, 2nd time I’ve left a place hungry except this time I paid for the pleasure. Terrible customer service and food