The Jolly Fisherman

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

Very friendly staff, Food is very good quality although not a lot to choose from on the menu, Great during the summer months with the waterside sitting area. Excellent choice of drinks at the bar. A Great atmosphere and a nice warm open fire for the winter months.

The Jolly Fisherman is set right on top of the River Lea in Stanstead Abbotts. It’s a McMullen pub, meaning you get some of the best real ales that the local Brewery (based in Hertford) produce. That’s in addition to a good selection of wines, an OK selection of Lagers and Bulmers or Strongbow for the cider fans. It’s disappointing in a way that aside from the ales, there aren’t more local or specialist drinks available to make this place a cut above the other two pubs in the village.
It is a nice ‘country’ pub, with lots of exposed beams but not too many artefacts, so it doesn’t feel like it is trying too hard to be a historical venue. Having said that, the recent refurbishments and change of ownership have seen it veer dangerously towards gastro-​pub territory. Thankfully I think they saw the error of their ways, and the food menu is fairly refreshing now, with a mix of traditional dishes and more contemporary eating. These include locally produced Hertfordshire sausages and delicious organic baguettes with a choice of fillings. The ploughmans lunch has a suitably rural bent too.
A large part of the pub is indeed set aside for a tabled, serviced restaurant area, along with several other tables that are not serviced. Don’t go expecting comfortable sofas to lounge in, and there isn’t that much standing area either, but it’s rarely so busy that you won’t be able to get a seat.
There is no entertainment to speak of other than a quiz night (currently every other Monday night). There is also no TV, so no football here. The other pubs in the village (The Red Lion and The Lord Louis) cater for that side of things.
Where this pub really comes into its own is in the summer. Situated right next to the village green, which itself is alongside the River Lea, you can sprawl out beyond the outer seating area and onto the grass. This is the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by with the sun beating down, reflecting off of the water in front of you. The long canal and house boats chug up and down the river, and with plenty of moorings directly next to the pub they do a roaring trade on a sunny weekend. You can wander down and feed the myriad of ducks, moorhens and swans with the kids, and relax in what is an idyllic English countryside atmosphere. It’s easy to spend the whole day there, and annoying local teenage boys aside, the people are all friendly and chatty.
Every year there is a village festival held on the green too, and the Jolly Fisherman plays its part by having a BBQ in their car park — this is not to be missed, with the same Hertfordshire sausages from their regular menu, and 100% ground beef burgers being cooked up with speed and quality.
Other special events such as Christmas, Mothers Day etc. are marked with bookable meals, and are almost always sold out well in advance.
The only criticism I can level at the Fisherman is the prices. It can be a little steep for some stuff, but you’re not only paying for the products — it’s the location and the atmosphere too. If you want to sit in a boozer, head to the Lord Louis. If you want a middle of the road pub with a TV, head to The Red Lion. However, if you want a family-​friendly pub/​restaurant then the Fisherman is worth the extra pennies.
The staff are friendly and polite, the toilets very clean and well maintained, and the food is good quality. Add all that to the summer days out on the grass with a few cheeky G&Ts and you end up with the four stars I’ve given it. It would be a five if our summers were longer!