Bull Inn - Halstead

Q5650MGmariam

Thanks to the lovely Ben who checked me in late at night even though I had made my booking in the wrong month! He was very personable and efficient. Lovely twin room and a good nights sleep. Morning staff are very obliging and happy to answer any questions and help out. The Bull is of historical importance in the town and I enjoyed the period features and quirkiness. I would definitely stay again.

loopyra1972

Absolutely fantastic service and food. We've been coming here a while and can't fault anything. A special shout ot to Ben and Teresa who always go above and beyond to make our dining experience perfect. The food is always spot on so here's a shout out to the chefs. Will definitely keep coming back

staceylittle11

came in for a meal with my family and was served by the lovely maggie, she was very polite and accommodating to our needs. the food was great and served with a smile felt like a very positive environment. we will definitely be coming back in the future

John L.

Had some trouble getting in touch before my stay and my first room wasn’t great a couple of issues, team you need to fix the shower in Room 5.

But I really must say thank you when I raised the issue with the shower I was moved to another room without question and the best customer service so absolutely you deserve a well done. Thanks so much for a very comfortable stay and such friendly staff. Well done

0649Les

Hotel is in desperate need of a major overhaul with 3 customer visible rodent traps in area between main building and annex not inspiring confidence on arrival . Staff are good and work hard but there is not enough of them so 25 min wait after ordering for cooked breakfast which was OK when eventually served. Room was clean but small and tatty and poorly appointed: only one spare electric point, shower gel in bath was empty, only one light switch and no bedside lamps. Bed comfortable. Bar areas very noisy at weekends and 10/15 minutes wait at bar seemed the accepted norm amongst local customers. Will not be returning to this hotel which given its excellent location and history should be a star of the Greene King estate.

Neil B.

Title: Usually Great – This Time, Slightly Disappointed

I’ve stayed at The Bull several times for work and have always had a great experience. The staff are consistently friendly and accommodating – they’ve even allowed early check-ins, which I’ve really appreciated. The rooms are usually good value, and the breakfast is generous and tasty.

However, on this most recent stay, things weren’t quite up to the usual standard. My room had a strong smell that seemed like it was trying to mask something unpleasant – almost like an old spill or sickness that hadn’t fully cleared. The shower was leaking, and the extractor fan was running constantly, which wasn’t ideal for getting a good night’s rest.

I know everyone can have an off day, and I’d still be happy to return – just hope it’s back to the usual high standards next time

Hope W.

Always a warm welcome and great selection of food and drinks.
All staff are lovely, especially Millie and Elisha
Super dog friendly!! My pup pulls me through the door she loves it so much!

Jon W.

Lovely pub, bar staff and waitresses were very friendly, and the Guinness was nice, however the food was not very good. We waited an hour and 10 minutes for a steak and a pie and had to ask several times how long our food would be. We said we were close to asking for a refund and leaving, but we were told 5-10 minutes, which turned into an another 20 minutes. One poor sod had waited over an hour for his chicken, and admittedly the waitresses were honest and told him the chef hadn’t even started cooking it yet, so he cancelled and got a refund. My medium rare steak was well done, which was a shame as it was a lovely cut of beef, spoiled as it was too overcooked. My sautéed mushrooms looked like they’d just been deep fried to a shrivelled mess. The “dressed” salad was barely “in date” lettuce with a mountain of onion thrown on top. My “salt and pepper” squid had zero salt and pepper on them, and again look like they were just deep fried from a packet (could be wrong). The pie was nice. No complaints but nothing special either. The mash and gravy were also nice. The Peas were dry and the broccoli was definitely frozen broccoli from a packet.
What made the whole experience worse was the poor waitresses were getting all the grief from the customers, and were visibly upset and embarrassed. Earwigging, it turned out that someone had said the chef had a bad attitude, and the chef was not happy about this, but instead of pulling them to one side to quietly and professionally speak to them, came out to the bar to have an argument with them in front of the entire bar and restaurant, right next to us eating our lunch. A bit of entertainment I suppose. Despite this review, the pub was nice, and the revellers seemed friendly enough. If it wasn’t for the food I’d be giving it a +4 stars instead of a 3.

I personally just think they had a bad day, and the chef may have been overworked or under-staffed. There seemed to be enough people in there eating that would suggest it isn’t always like this.