The Crown Inn

Bloody Marvellous. Booked in for a night. Lunch in the garden. The magnificent flower displays create secret gardens so that you can isolate yourself, although it was busy. That’s the case when a pub does something well, it gets popular and as the regulars pack in it creates unexpected demands on the staff. When we were there the friendly staff coped superbly always on their feet and dashing to & fro to keep folk happy. They achieved their goal. Service like that only comes from dedicated management. The same goes for the gardens which are spacious – all kept neat clean and tidy by professional staff. Car park too was litter free. Seat cushions are put under umbrellas at night to prevent them getting wet and all get replaced the following day. The evening turned out to be a repeat of lunchtime but even more so, Mid-week and the joint was jumping. Parties of folk, young and old all out for a fun evening. Atmosphere was invigorating. The room was superb. Put together with thought and a deep purse. Comfy bed & pillows. Bed-side lights more of a decoration with insufficient light to read by. But there was a portable standard lamp. Breakfast was somewhat sedate but all the more enjoyable as it was cooked to order & not delivered from heat trays. A selection of daily papers. You will have got the impression that we were impressed. Speak as you find. This pub certainly sets a standard for others to follow. Sitting there watching the world go by I came to realise that the price of my stay covered a broad spectrum of overheads. I forgot to mention the location – stop the world I want to get off – rural England at its best.

Apart from the understaffed service and bog standard school like dinner, I was mostly shocked by the cleanliness of the place. To start, the men’s bathroom was nothing less than disgusting. A backed up toilet, hand towels all over the floor and none to use once washed my hands. The amount of urine on the floor was like a third world sewer system and to top it off, dripping onto my head was (hopefully) water from the pipes?! During our meal, we noticed they let animals all over the restaurant now. (It used to be in the back room only) - a large dog had emptied it bowels on the carpet and someone was walking it through and into the carpet and floors. At this point my wife and I couldn’t believe our eyes. It’s like a zoo. On further inspection of the restaurant, dust, general grime on the carpets and an overwhelming smell from the kitchen. Our clothes smelt horrendous. I cannot quite believe the extent to how the standards have dropped. What a sorry comparison to the many years it was run as an independent pub. The Chestnut group should be ashamed. Looking at the recent reviews, it’s a terrible shame. We will not be returning.

The perfect stop over - excellent food, staff and accommodation. Our booking was very last minute and we managed to grab the last room available, we also booked the latest table in the restaurant as we were still en route. When we arrived, the guy who booked us in was friendly and gave us his full attention even though the bar was busy. Nothing was too much trouble, the bed was to die for and the food was faultless. Excellent, we will definitely be back.

An old inn, in the splendid village of Stoke by Nayland, which has been sensitively extended. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The decor was in keeping with the age of the building and we were pleased that the fire had been lit. Our room was in a separate building and was first class - spacious, comfortable and well appointed with a view of the garden. We arrived late on a Sunday afternoon and the place was full. I’m guessing most were there for the Sunday roast lunches. Guests have to check in at the bar which is not ideal but thankfully we were spotted on arrival by a helpful member of staff. Most of the staff are young and well presented. The have obviously been well trained - a rarity these days. We didn’t want a roast but the menu provided plenty of alternatives. The wine list was adequate without being lengthy. We enjoyed our eggs Benedict at breakfast. The couple feeding most of their breakfast to a slobbering dog at the next table was the only negative of our visit. All in all it was a very good stay in every respect and was excellent value for money. We would certainly stay again and recommend it to others

Took the wife for our wedding anniversary and had a lovely 3 course meal and the team of waiters,waitresses and chef's made it special by giving us a free dessert decorated with a message written in chocolate for our wedding anniversary...really nice touch and we will definitely be eating there again...a really nice pub/restaurant thanks to all the crown team

A good selection on the menu and all 3 courses were delicious. We shared Camembert to start and we both had chicken breast and apple tart which we throughly enjoyed. The staff were welcoming and there was no delay with courses arriving. I would definitely recommend.