East Hertfordshire
Cafe Thyme

Cafe Thyme

The Dells, CM23 3AY, East Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Cafe • Lunch • Brunch • British


"I visited this cafe on a Saturday lunch time. All the outside tables were taken so we sat inside. It was a bit confusing and looks like they have joined two separate units as there were tables and chairs with a counter, a narrow corridor and then another room with more tables and chairs and a bit in the corner where drinks were made. There were no menus on the tables and it was not clear if you had to order at the counter. After a good five minutes a waitress came to our table but only took orders for drinks, and another waitress took food orders. We had a pot of tea for one, a coffee, a diet Coke, a smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich and a BLT sandwich. At first the waitress said that they had run out of bacon but could do one with sausage to which we agreed. Then she returned to say they had lit the grill ? and could do bacon. Both sandwiches came with a bit of side salad and coleslaw. The sandwich fillings were quite generous. The bill came to £24.70. I could not see a toilet for disabled people, and the toilet appeared to be unisex. Inside was an area with a washbasin and two toilets but one was marked out of order with a chair placed in front to prevent use. In the remaining toilet there was an area where tiles were coming off the wall and some grouting and bits off the stud partition wall were littering the floor. There was a sign saying Do Not Touch, but no sign apologising for the condition of the wall. I do not know how long the toilet was in this condition but the staff should have swept the floor at the very least. I would not visit this cafe again."

Jolly Fisherman

Jolly Fisherman

8 Station Road, SG12 8ET, East Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Pubs • Steak • British • Vegetarian


"Everything is jolly but the food! After lovely a day out, four of us decided to have a pub supper and saw the Jolly Fisherman as we were passing through Stanstead Abbots. It looked idyllic being a hot sunny day and with the river location, it was just too wonderful to miss. The atmosphere was pleasant and everywhere looked clean, we also noticed quite a few group reservations, it was a good sign. Being early Saturday evening, the place was lively with mainly family groups and friends enjoying the garden area. We started off very well. The service was not bad considering it was busy. We loved the wine, the house red was particularly enjoyable, room temperature and silky smooth. The chardonnay was equally good, fruity and chilled. Unfortunatley, it all went downhill from there. Two of us ordered the Baked Enchiladas, the others had a chef's special Thai Prawn Curry. Our friend had a Beef Nachos sharers dish as a main. Frankly, it would have been good to see a main meal salad option, being a hot sunny day. The Enchiladas looked like they were cooked in a microwave two small non descript rolls were dished on a small round plate. I didn't see any bubbling cheese on top, there was pockets of water and the bread itself was quite a soggy dough consistency. Definitely not baked. However, it tasted OK. A small garnish sized salad was placed on a hot plate and wilted and no dressing was provided. The Thai King Prawn curry had about 4 small prawns and no more than 4 tiny crackers. The Beef Nachos was mainly corn chips and little substance with the jalapenos being on the mushy side. The average cost of the main meals was just under £9 each. I have had better sized starters from other chain pub restaurants ie Harvester, Wetherspoons, Old English Inns. As we were all very hungry we ate up and left stating we were disappointed. If it was not for my elderly mother being in the group, we would have just got up and left. I think we were all better off buying the same food in a supermarket and just heating it up ourselves at a fraction of the cost mirroring the basic and plain presentation with no attention to detail. We went home still hungry. I would return again to the pub as it is in a good location, but definitely not for food. PS However, since writing I did make a complaint to McMullen pubs and to give them credit I had a very prompt reply. They have since provided a voucher with assurances that they willl look into the issues and resolve any bad practices. I look forward to returning again in the near future and will update my review"