Some places lure you just by reputation alone. One such place is The Galvin Green Man. Run by Michelin-star chefs, the Galvin brothers, and opened at the end of last year, the contemporary barn design is somewhere you’ll need to seek out due to its rural positioning.
It is essentially a building of two halves. Once inside the floor-to-ceiling glass entrance, to the right is a homely bar with a snug pub feel and to the left is a light and airy, modern-day restaurant with Georgian-style windows and doors which open out to a small terrace and lawn area, including picnic tables for al fresco dining.
The open galley-style kitchen overlooks the restaurant and there’s a swanky suspended log burner to partition a third of the restaurant. At lunchtimes the restaurant offers a set menu of three courses for only £15.50. It’s great value, but the menu is a little limited with just two choices per course. I began with the homemade salmon and leek tart, served with dressed salad leaves – an appetising start to my lunch. I was surprised not to be offered breads, although they are available to order on the a la carte menu.
Speaking of which, if you dine Monday through to Wednesday, lunch or dinner, you can enjoy a significant 25% discount (prior bookings only) off the a la carte choices.
While I enjoyed a glass of the Grenache Sauvignon Blanc I noted that the modern design of the restaurant means there are few soft furnishings to absorb sound, so a group of six tables’ chatter made quite a bit of background noise. Service was extremely professional and smiley by all staff members.
Main course was a choice of either smoked haddock fish cake served with a poached egg and mustard sauce or my chosen option – chicken and bacon pie served simply with a spoonful of savoy cabbage. The pie was sizeable with a puff crust and tasty flavours. Like my starter, it was also homemade. Personally I would have liked perhaps a side assortment of seasonal vegetables, rather than just cabbage, even if it meant another £1 on the lunch price.
Desserts consisted of either banana bread with banana and yoghurt ice cream or blood orange Arctic roll. I completed my Galvin lunch with the chocolate Artic roll with a centre of vanilla pod ice cream served with three segments of blood orange.
Howe Street is a remote but pretty village and almost equidistant between Braintree, Witham and Chelmsford, but it’s certainly worth the 20 minute drive to this increasingly popular dining destination.
Useful to know
The total bill came to £24.13 for three courses plus a glass of wine. This is an independent review, featuring a restaurant selected and experienced by the food and wine editor. The restaurant was not told it was being reviewed.
Table Talk
Table Talk with diners Jean and David Sanders and their friends Vanda and John Tilletson
Where do you live and what do you do? I’m retired and we live in Howe Street.
What did you choose from the menu? Wild Mushroom and tarragon soup and then the smoked haddock fish cake, poached egg and mustard sauce, then the blood orange arctic roll to finish off.
Why were you at Galvin Green Man? We had friends come up from London to visit us.
Describe your dining experience in a phrase: This is a traditional, comfortable, cosy pub, but with a modern twist.
How would you rate the value for money? I think it is very good.
Worth visiting again? Yes, in fact I am returning again for dinner with a group from the WI.
What was the best part of your visit? The ambiance and the food.
Book a table
The Galvin Green Man
Main Road
Howe Street
Great Waltham
CM3 1BG
01245 408820
Side Orders: Three more destinations worth the drive
The Onley
The Street
Stisted
CM77 8AW
We say: A homely and friendly welcome with an uncomplicated, freshly-prepared and flavoursome menu – this is certainly somewhere to check out soon.
The Magic Mushroom Restaurant
Barleylands Road
Billericay
CM11 2UD
01268 289963
www.magicmushroomrestaurant.co.uk
We say: The owner of this restaurant pours his heart and soul into every dish, there’s a terrace for warmer weather and this month sees the opening of a newly-extended restaurant.
The Creek
Flag Hill
Great Bentley
St Osyth
Colchester
CO7 8RE
01206 586435
www.thecreekgreatbentley.co.uk
We say: The food by this London-trained chef/owner is worth making the drive for, with an interesting and varied menu showing off his considerable talents.
