Set in the Essex countryside in a beautifully restored building dating back centuries, Galvin Green Man feels like exactly what a great country pub should be: full of character, welcoming, and somewhere you could happily lose an afternoon over a long lunch. With vaulted ceilings, and huge windows flooding the dining room with light, it manages to feel both historic and fresh.
The Green Man has become something of an Essex institution since the Galvin brothers took over, earning a well-deserved Bib Gourmand for its approach to quality food at sensible prices. It’s also a place that feels personal for the brothers – a return to their roots, with Chris and Jeff having grown up nearby in Brentwood. The result is a pub that combines their trademark attention to detail with a genuine sense of place.
While the Galvin name is often associated with refined French cooking, here the focus is very much on modern British pub dining: seasonal ingredients, local suppliers and classic dishes given that unmistakable Galvin polish.
The setting works just as well for a lazy Sunday roast (one of the best around), a family lunch or a pint in the garden. There’s a proper pub atmosphere alongside the restaurant, with local craft ales, a beautiful terrace and gardens – and dogs are very welcome too. Despite feeling worlds away from London, it’s an easy countryside escape to reach, with trains from London Liverpool Street to Chelmsford, followed by a short taxi ride.
Service during our visit was exactly what you hope for from a country pub: friendly, knowledgeable and attentive, with plenty of smiles and a genuine warmth that immediately puts you at ease.
On a glorious sunny day, the hardest decision was choosing the rosé. Thankfully, our server knew her stuff and kindly brought over all three options for us to taste before we settled on the Côtes de Provence Rosé. Crisp, elegant and beautifully balanced, it was the perfect companion for a leisurely lunch and the dishes that followed.
We mixed and matched from the Bib Gourmand and à la carte menus, because frankly everything sounded too good to choose just one route.
To start, the sliced sirloin of aged beef with horseradish, wild rocket and parmesan was a standout. The beef was beautifully tender, almost melting, with the peppery rocket and sharp parmesan bringing everything together. Alongside that came the golden tempura curried monkfish with saffron mustard sauce and herb oil – a completely different direction, with delicate spice, a wonderfully light tempura coating and a sauce that deserved to be mopped up.
For mains, the Cornish baked hake was an absolute beauty: light, fragrant and full of flavour, served with lemon-scented mashed potato, seafood chowder, braised pak choi and herb oil. The Dingley Dell pork croquette with roast apricot, lavender and honey salad was another highlight — a beautifully executed dish balancing rich, comforting pork with the sweetness and freshness of the accompanying flavours. We also couldn’t resist adding a side of garlic potatoes – and very glad we did. Crispy, golden and dangerously moreish, they disappeared far quicker than expected.
Dessert brought the perfect sweet and savoury finish. The Fior di latte ice cream with lime and macerated Kent cherries was refreshing and light, served on a bed of crunchy, almost granola-like crumble that added a lovely texture and nutty contrast, while the Suffolk Baron Bigod cheese with truffled Green Man honey was, quite simply, delicious.
What Galvin Green Man does so well is make everything feel effortless. It’s not trying to be a flashy destination restaurant pretending to be a pub – it’s a genuinely great country pub where the food just happens to be exceptional. The Galvin touch is there in every detail, but the warmth and character of the building remain front and centre. A proper Essex gem.
For those looking for a summer escape, the current Bib Gourmand Taste of Summer menu is particularly tempting, with two courses for £19.50 or three courses for £23.50, available until 15 September 2026.
galvinrestaurants.com/galvin-green-man
Galvin Green Man, Main Road, Howe Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 1BG
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