The Spotted Dog

The Spotted Dog

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+44 1245 231598+ Add website
Hours
Sun
12:00 - 18:00
Wed
12:00 - 23:00
Thu
12:00 - 23:00
Fri
12:00 - 23:00
Sat
12:00 - 23:00
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
About
Travellers Choice2022, 2023 and 2024 Winners, and voted 'Best Emerging Restaurant - Essex'. We are based on the border of Dunmow and 15 minutes from Chelmsford. We offer an award-winning dining experience. Using locally sourced produce and ensuring every element of food is freshly prepared and made-to-order by inspiring chefs, you will enjoy good quality modern British fare in a quaint Grade II listed thatched property. A la Carte & Table d’hote offered Wednesday to Saturday for Lunch (12:00 – 15:00). 2 courses for £22.00 and 3 courses for £26.00. A la Carte Menu offered Wednesday to Saturday for both Lunch (12:00 – 15:00) and Dinner (18:00 – 21:00). Sunday Menu offers an extensive list of starters and desserts, with a choice of 4 roasts. Our very popular Sharing Roast board gives you a little of everything! Friday is 2:1 Cocktails. Thurs - Sat (13:00 - 15:00) we serve an Afternoon Tea for £25pp with unlimited tea/coffee or £35pp with unlimited alcohol.
PRICE RANGE
£25.00 – £50.00
CUISINES
Bar, British, Gastropub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Family style, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles795 reviews
Excellent
611
Very good
125
Average
34
Poor
16
Terrible
9

DKCO
Brentwood197 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 couples
Had Christmas Day lunch here with relatives [two couples]. The service was as good as ever, the atmosphere perfect for Christmas Day and the food can only be described as stunning. We had small portions of 5 starters, 5 main courses and 5 desserts plus cheese, mince pies and coffee. Sounds like you would be totally stuffed but there was sufficient time between courses, beautifully served on two tier platters between two plus veggies on the side for all the table . Really took the stress out of cooking at Christmas and albeit not cheap at £150 pp, was fair value for Monday bearing in mind staff costs etc. Thanks for a great lunch to all concerned.
Written 5 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sam0pc1
274 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 couples
Sadly we’re not local to this pub but were staying locally before an early next day flight. I chose this pub because I got very excited to see the Coffee Trio dessert as I love coffee flavoured stuff and it’s rare to find and it really didn’t disappoint, absolutely loved it ( would have loved to have tried the Baileys and white chocolate rice pudding as well !) But rewind, some nice options on the Starters and Main menu, I had the pork loin and that was very enjoyable and cooked to perfection so huge compliments to the Chef as I’m really not easy to please! A nice touch getting a mini mince pie with the coffee ( too full to try that yet though!) Hope to be back one day but we’ve highly recommended you to future visitors to the AirBnB we are staying at (loved the spotty dog decs on the Christmas tree too!
Written 7 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mel F
Brentwood101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 couples
Having visited The Spotted Dog for a friends birthday lunch in the group dining room some time ago we were really keen to come back to find if the main restaurant was as good as it looked. If you want a welcome like you’d expect from close family the team at The Spotted Dog will deliver, this place makes you feel relaxed and comfortable from the moment you step through the door, it’s genuine and the management and staff just could not do more to let you know they appreciate your custom (a fact grossly missing in restaurants that are significantly more expensive!!!) Despite a large party being accommodated in the group dining room, we were able to have pre-diner drinks in the garden and were advised the drinks we ordered would be taken to the garden for us!!! There is simply so many dishes on the menu we would have loved to try, but this was a ‘Simple” catch up lunch with family so had to be reserved! The food was excellent, service (despite a very large group in the big dining room) was brilliant and all at a price which will not make your eyes water!! In conclusion, I can’t wait to go back and try the main menu, seriously looking forward to going back, if you are looking for a quality place to eat, run and managed by genuine, sincere and welcoming people you’ll have to go a long, long way (and probably pay significantly more) than The Spotted Dog. try it - you will NOT be disappointed!!!
Written 21 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RichRich
Brentwood8 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 friends
We came for steak night, and were very disappointed for a lot of reasons. Steak was incredibly chewy and over priced for the quality we received. My friend’s steak wasn’t cooked to how she asked for it, but when mentioned to waiting staff, they didn’t offer to cook a new one. Waiting staff were informed, but didn’t seem too bothered, apart from a standard apology, and we couldn’t be bothered to cause a scene. We visited a few months back, and were impressed, but perhaps staff have changed, as it wasn’t the same, and there are far better pubs in the area
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica Surtees
Colchester12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 couples
Wow. Food was incredible, service even better. Staff were so incredibly friendly, attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. We had the pre-starters, and steak for mains. My steak was slightly undercooked to my preference but they couldn’t have been happier to sort it for me and cook a little longer. I felt so guilty asking them to cook it longer but they were so kind and helpful reassuring me it was absolutely fine! Will 10000% be back and will be bringing some of our other friends and family along too!
Written 14 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kevin S
83 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 none
We were regulars at this restaurant before the previous owners sold up and moved on. This is the second time we have been back since it changed hands and we won't be back a third time! When we arrived we were ignored and stood waiting until eventually someone approached us to ask if we had a reservation. Not a big deal but not a great start. We were shown to a table adjacent to the bar where there were 2 couples engaged in a loud conversation. We were given menu's and drinks were quickly delivered. We then waited a very long time to order our food and even longer for our bread and olives to be brought to the table. During this wait we were treated to a conversation about being sick and imitation throwing up. Just what you want when you are waiting to eat. We had both ordered fish and chips as our main; it was expensive and to be honest a very poor comparison to what we are used to getting when ordering fish and chips in other local pub/restaurants. It was apparent that there were too few waiting staff working for the place to run efficiently, in fact there were only 2, one of whom was trying to combine running the bar and serving. As I said before we were regulars at the restaurant but will not be returning. Another local eatery crossed off our list of places to eat, such a shame.
Written 27 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RichardW_33
Buckinghamshire17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 family
We visited for a family birthday and enjoyed some excellent food at the Pub We booked a table for lunch and had an excellent choice of meals on offer, from regular pub favorites through to other choices for kids and vegetarians alike. The staff were very accommodating for our needs and flexible with the menu to suit everyone's taste A nice comfortable restaurant with some good beers on draft to enjoy Great service and a reminder of how good a pub can be!
Written 2 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hanloug
Daventry7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 couples
Amazing food, service and value. Stopped here for lunch and couldn’t believe they ran the two course set menu on a Saturday, two fabulous courses for £20! The fish and chips were probably the best I’ve ever had and the cheesecake was divine.
Written 27 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OlwenColchester
9 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 couples
2 couples arrived today for lunch at 1pm. Booked table-on 28march. No vegetarian main courses left so had to have 2 starters. If you know you have a large party booked for lunch (which happened on this day)surely you would ensure you had enough vegetarian mains available for other diners. Disappointing.
Written 18 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kevin m
4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 family
Lovely quaint looking pub, freezing cold on arrival at 12 noon, I suspect the heating had only just been turned on as radiators were barely warm, an elderly family member kept her coat on for the duration of our meal as it was so cold, my wife shivered through her entire meal. To be honest if it had not been my wife's special Birthday/Retirement meal I would of left and gone somewhere else. The food was nice and we were offered hot drinks to warm us up after our meals but those were only luke warm too. When the bill arrived we had also been overcharged by £17.00!! Not impressed. This was very disappointing and upsetting for my wife, I wanted it to be an occasion to remember, but it will now be remembered for all the wrong reasons and we will not be returning.
Written 12 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tim H
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 none
We were in a large group of around 19 people and both the food the service was fantastic. We were provided plenty of attention so no glass was left unfilled and they were willing to split bills based on the tables we were sitting at. The beef starter was delicious and was at a standard I would expect from a much more expensive restaurant. The roast was really good too and we were given plenty of horseradish to accompany it. I would highly recommend visiting if you get the chance.
Written 5 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spotted Dog Neil
@TimH136 thank you for the lovely review! We are so happy that you enjoyed your experienced with us. The team here take great pride in producing great quality food match with fantastic service. We hope to see you soon and in the meantime we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas
Written 25 December 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Elaine P
Great Dunmow18 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 friends
We have visited The Spotted Dog many times over the years. We don’t eat out much, but it is our favourite local. Today, we visited with friends who had driven a long way to join us, as they have several times in the past. We’ve always had a lovely meal at the SD. I have written good reviews for them but today, we were left with a feeling of surprise and disappointment. Things didn’t start well when we tried to order a bottle of wine. We were asked if we wanted to see the wine list. We chose a bottle of Pinot Grigio, but were shortly told it wasn’t available. So we chose a Sauvignon Blanc. No that wasn’t available either “the frig doesn’t have much wine in it and not a lot in the cellar either”. In the end we were told there was a bottle of Chinon, but some £7 dearer than we had originally chosen, and probably a bit above our normal budget. An offer to compromise on the price might have been good customer service? Our starters from the table d’hote menu were delicious, as were our desserts. But two of us had the pork, one pink, one slightly more cooked than pink. The meal was very tasty, but both our portions were a trifle tough to chew. In the end, we and our friends were discussing where our next meet up could be, as the SD would not be our automatic no. 1 choice. A shame. Maybe we chose a bad day, but the experience was not the thoroughly enjoyable one we’ve always had before.
Written 9 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GG
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 couples
Myself and my partner finally visited this pub for a Sunday roast, we had been meaning to visit for some time and were not disappointed! This pub had a lovely cosy feel although there was plenty of seating inside. We sat in the beer garden and had the sharer roast which came with 3 different meats, roast potatoes, 2 huge Yorkshire puddings, veg, stuffing and gravy… all delicious It was cooked to perfection and the portion size was ample for the price. The hosts were welcoming and we were particularly well received by the manager, Molly who made sure we were well looked after. We will definitely be visiting again and thank the staff for making us feel so welcome!
Written 3 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yvonne C
Greater London25 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 none
We booked a table for 7.15pm for a late Father’s Day meal. It is the first time that we have been to the restaurant since it changed hands. Previously we had always had exceptional meals and were looking forward to our evening out. The bread was very good, but that was the only thing that we could eat. My husband and son ordered steaks and asked for medium rare and my daughter and I ordered the salmon. We waited for a ridiculous amount of time for our meal. At about 8.30pm I asked where it was and was told that they were plating it up. After a further ten minutes I asked where it was to be told it was on its way. The steak arrived first looking dry and burnt and had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp. When my son cut into it was very overdone and when he tasted it he said it was inedible and he is not a fussy eater. Then the two salmon appeared and were tasteless and watery. My son and I complained about the steak and we were offered another one which arrived very quickly and was medium rare, but was inedible as it was very over salted. We did not even stay for a dessert, leaving hungry and very disappointed. As the service was very poor and the food disgusting, I refused to pay for any of the meals and just paid for what was edible, that was the bread and our drinks. The whole evening was ruined by poor service and badly cooked food. It was one of the worst meals I have ever tasted in a restaurant. I have now left my son to go home hungry and we have got home too late to get another meal. I will never go back there again which is a shame because it used to be excellent. I suggest that they get a decent chef.
Written 22 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John L
El Pinar de Campoverde7 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 friends
Visited for the first time since under new management and I was disappointed. Had to wait several minutes to get seated, several more to get a menu and 45 minutes for the starter to arrive. I had steak for the mains with salt baked seasoned chips which were burnt. When I mentioned this I was told that is how they are! I accept that they should be crisp but No food should be burnt. For dessert I had cheese cake and it was an unacceptable small slice (picture attached). In addition they got my drinks order wrong and the menu on the web site was not the same as offered in the restaurant. When mentioned there was no apology just 'I thought that had been changed' , it is still wrong now.
Written 14 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spotted Dog Neil
I’m sorry to hear of the wait times you faced; this is not usual for us and we have made all efforts to offer a great dinning experience. With reference to the chips: I’m surprised. We’ve had raving reviews about our famous salt-baked chips since opening so to hear that your experience wasn’t as good is disappointing. Please come again to have another portion! As for the cheesecake: we listened to you about this and have increased the serving size. It’s such a delicious cheesecake that is also very disappointing to not have more of it! We look forward to having you back and hopefully you leaving as pleased as all our other frequenters
Written 22 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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THE SPOTTED DOG, Great Dunmow - Updated 2025 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

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