please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Quoted from the local press
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THE new tenant of one of the country�s oldest pubs has defended converting it into a restaurant after 600 years.
Ye Olde Kings Head in Chigwell High Road, which claims to have served beer to Charles Dickens, highwayman Dick Turpin and Winston Churchill, was bought by entrepreneur Alan Sugar in April and will be leased to the owners of the Turkish restaurant Sheesh in Buckhurst Hill once it has been refurbished.
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A mixed experience before it closed. The food could often be good but the waiting times and mistakes grew and grew, seemingly with the pub being run down over time. The ales were never anything to shout about. An uncertain future awaits.
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According to the local press, has recently been sold by Punch Taverns to Lord Alan Sugar.
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Sizzling steaks, grilled lobster and summer fruits pudding.
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3 real ales on offer, I had 4 of the Batemans Aquarius last night, quite nicely kept. Good show.
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An impressive building from the exterior, it has had all the interior character ripped out of it by the usual insensitive tarting up. In that respect it matches the neighbourhood which is inhabited by and large by rich tasteless 4x4 drivers. The real ales are nearly always disappointing and it feelsmore like a restaurant then a pub. If you live in Chigwell and want a proper pub I suggest you move.
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Nice place to go for a meal, would't spend a whole evening there... Is a tad pricey, but still good for a couple of beers. Also has a ghost and a secret tunnel to the church so the landlady told me one night!
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Decent ales on offer in what is left of the drinkers part of this old tippling house. Will be there tonight, as always on Shrove Tuesday.
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Used to drink there 1950 to 1952 when stationed at RAF Chigwell. Great Beer then. Sorry we were so rowdy.
Ivor
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One of the best pubs I have ever been to. Massive, sprawling old (very old) building, with a warren of dark and cosy little bars. Dickens used to drink here. The food is excelelnt too.
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I've been drinking here for nearly 20 years and have seem some change. 'The Head' used to get mobbed on Thursday nights during the late 80's by the local 'front wheel' brigade. It had a public and saloon side, (left and right respectively), but was often farily quiet of latter years due to it's proximity to nowhere and someone has to drive. Things are very different now. One can hardly call it a pub, the bar is so small and it's totally geared up for eaters not drinkers. The heart has really been ripped out of this establishment. That said, I will be there for my 16th consecutive Shrove Tuesday pre-supper pint.
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Recently reopened as no smoking pub, this sprawling Tudor pub/restaurant combines good food with good beer. The main menu changes seasonally, how often the specials menu changes I don't know. Real ales on the day were GK IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Bombadier.
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We found this gem by sheer luck. Just moved into the area and were looking for somewhere to eat. Has everything that you look for in the "perfect" pub.
James P Davies - 2 Nov 2004 12:16 |
Just had a massive refurb. Nice traditional country pub, NON SMOKING which is a first for me. Very clean and friendly staff. Candlelit tables and a great menu. Excellent range of drink and a very comfortable place to be. A pub to take your family and friends for a meal or drink and meal. The best service in an essex pub by far! Well done the team.
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