Jolly Fisherman - East Hertfordshire

Located on the River Lea in Stanstead Abbotts, The Jolly Fisherman is a charming pub owned by McMullen. They offer a great selection of real ales from the local Hertford Brewery, along with wines, lagers, and ciders. The atmosphere is cozy with exposed beams and a mix of traditional and contemporary food options on the menu. While the pub has a restaurant area, there is also ample outdoor seating next to the river, perfect for enjoying a sunny day. The pub is family-friendly and hosts special events throughout the year. The only downside is the prices, but the quality of the food, friendly staff, and picturesque location make it worth it. A great spot for a relaxing day out in the English countryside.

I went for lunch today and the staff were wonderful. The atmosphere was nice and the food was amazing. I will definitely be returning.

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

The restaurant needs to adjust its approach towards younger adult customers. It used to be a lovely and laid-back pub with great food, but recent policy changes have affected its reputation. Customers under the age of 21 will not be served alcohol at this establishment.

Price per person: £40–50 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5