The Chichester - Rochford

I have eaten at various iteration of the restaurant here a few times with mixed experiences. This time with only enough time for a main course I went for the Guinea fowl special and it was pretty decent, cooked just right and tasty. All wolfed down.

I attended a small function at the Chichester on the 4th of June and was bitterly dissapointed with the poor quality of the food. I was served a roast dinner that was a combination of overcooked meat and vegetables complimented by raw brocolli and cauliflower. It was the worst meal that I have been served in a long time and should be an embarrassment to the chefs that prepared it. The servers were very nice young people but they lacked training in how to serve a function. In all I would never return to this establishment.

So, been here on a number of occasions some years back when the Sunday carvery type dinner was available in the big hall/barn. And, whilst it was far from a la carte, it was fair value for money and always packed. So to commemorate a loved ones birthday, we as a family and friends decided to go back. Big mistake.....whilst the staff seemed willing and in the main happy in their jobs, the food was not good.. Had one been lucky to have selected the correct dishes from a pre order menu then I guess one would have been fairly happy. However, mine and a number of other starters were warm at best, the ceaser salad was pitiful but he soup seemed fairly safe. The main, (I had the roast) thankfully was hot except for one roast potato which was odd. Oh and talking of the potatoes, I'm pretty sure they were off the pre-cooked, aunt bessie type but could be wrong. The fish and chips seemed the best option with the mains. Deserts you'd think would be safe but even though pre ordered, the crumble was out of stock.. I would imagine that as they use the bar area now as a dinning hall they haven't a proper kitchen in that zone? But also imagine the kitchen hasn't got heating as some of the whitewater was freezing, however the plates were hotter than the meals.. In all, I don't think one of us had an average three courses and our 1 more visit was definitely our 1 last visit. It's a shame as the place does have potential. Under new management, I'm not sure what plans they have and I don't think they know yet either. There was a wedding fayre on in the old dining hall... I think management would benefit from a mystery shopper experience...

Oh dear where has it all gone wrong.poor value for money,canteen style food,expensive drinks £5 vodka and coke no ice or slice or even a smile.cold room temperature,maybe warm the venue earlier,oh and keep the ginger cat out .This used to be a great Christmas party venue but not anymore. Sad really.

Came here for the Valentines evening as a group of 6. When we arrived there was no-one to seat us or even point us in the right direction. We took a drink on arrival and waited at the entrance to the room. When no one came after 10 minutes, we thought we'd go and find our own table. Luckily there was only 1 table of 6 there. The food was average. Entertainment was very loud throughout the meal so unable to have any conversation. Unfortunately this venue seems to have slightly downhill recently, i have heard from a few people that they have had disappointing visits here in the last year