Haywards 111 Bell Common, Epping CM16 4DZ

"We’ve been coming to Haywards for almost ten years now and despite many changes to staff in the kitchen and front of house the standards have never dropped. Under the guidance of owners Amanda and Jahdre they have still manage to produce amazing food with friendly and professional service. Our latest visit was Saturday lunchtime where on arrival we received a lovely welcome from Amanda before she escorted us to our customary table 10. After a little catch up she told us that Jahdre had created for us a special menu that would showcase all the new dishes on the menu. This was a fabulous gesture and one we gladly accepted. We started with homemade Granary Sourdough bread and a selection of snacks including a cauliflower cheese veloute , harissa arancini , goat’s cheese and tomato canneloni. This led us to out first course a Chicken and Ham Hock Terrine with celeriac remoulade , toasted brioche and a homemade piccalilli. This was followed by the Fillet of Pollock with a crab bisque , hispi cabbage. and parsnips. Both dishes were an absolute delight and the flavours complimented each other perfectly. Amanda paired the courses with a Framingham 2021 Riesling from New Zealand. We now moved onto the main course which was a heavenly and rich Braised Pork Cheek with a white bean cassoulet and gremolata topped with a piece of pork crackling. This was paired with a Grand Garant 2020 Fleurie from France. We decided to follow this with a Cheese Course. We then finished with dessert which was a Chocolate Mousse with mascarpone sorbet , coffee cremaux and lime gel a twist on a tiramisu. The pairing for this dessert was a beautiful Australian Muscat from the Rosewood Vineyards that tasted like a light pedro ximinez. Apparently we wasn’t finished there as chef Jahdre sent out an Orange Soufflé with grand marnier caramel and cinnamon ice cream. This was a delight and the flavour combinations worked perfectly together. A coffee and petit fours brought to an end another fabulous dining experience at Haywards with fantastic food , perfect wine pairings and great service. If i ever needed another reason why i think this is the best restaurant in Essex then today’s visit did everything to enhance that. Looking forward to many more visits this year which will at some point include our 150th. Thank You Amanda and Jahdre for a fantastic lunch and look forward to seeing you again soon."

"Enjoyable experience. Service was exceptional. Food, very tasty and displayed well, except for the vegetables. In a pot, not in keeping with their style."

"A truly wonderful lunch at Hayward’s - every course was so well thought out and it was all absolutely delicious. The food is in a fine dining style, but the restaurant and the staff meant the experience felt relaxed and unpretentious. These are people who clearly love to serve people good food. We will definitely be back!"

"Thanks so much for making our 40th wedding anniversary private dining experience magical. Brilliant food, excellent service and a lovely environment made for a really special time for our family and friends. Our cousin said "it was the best vegan meal" she'd ever had. Thanks for the attention to detail and alternative catering."

"I took a friend for her birthday. We visited on a Friday evening and opted for the 6 course tasting menu with wine pairing. Food was delicious; very well presented, spot on flavours and technically excellent cooking. The wine pairings were novel and complemented the food perfectly. Service was good; friendly yet not too intrusive. There were long delays between some courses which we did not mind but this was not acknowledged by the team. Overall a great experience and I’m looking forward to returning soon."