Is this the perfect pub? The nearest you’re going to get to it in Chelmsford anyway. Delightful selection of real ales served in peak condition and at reasonable price. Interesting lager and draft cider selection (definitely no Carling or Strongbow in here!) No music/TV on and genuine, friendly conversation at the bar. The new landlord is a great character and makes every visit a pleasure, and boy does he knows how to serve a great pint. Staff always make you welcome and service is quick and efficient. Real fires, pub dog, newspapers provided. If you like a wide choice of delicious beverages, an open fire, a relaxing atmosphere and good company this is the place for you. If not, stick to the Fleece or Chicagos where you belong.

Previous poster should try again as the atmosphere was not at all as he described the last few times I have visited.
As mentioned in the post below, Slient did indeed move on during Feb 2008 and what a shame. It was gobsmaking to visit the pub a couple of times afterwards. Devoid of life, music on the television in the background, unfortunately the remaining staff were not the friendliest.

Please see for yourself how much a pub can change by loosing a good Landlord. Hopefully, and I do truely do hope so, the old place will get some of its "mojo" back in the summer with the new Landlord, otherwise it will be a very sad loss. Any visitors keep us posted.Fantastic 'Crouch Vale' brewery tap pub. 8 Hand Pumped ales available, mostly Crouch Vale but at least 3 genuine guests. 2 dark ales were available 'Titanic Mild' and 'RCH Old Slug Porter'. I was quite surprised Crouch Vales 'Essex Nights' was not also available.
It's quite a large pub with quite a number of seats and tables. There's a rear patio gardened area for smokers.
I hear the present landlord may be off soon to pastures new. I do hope nothing changes with this excellent pub as a result.

Excellent pub, much improved by the smoking ban. We found it very friendly: the beer was good and reasonably priced. Food is brilliant value.Well, what can I say...The Railway! Only been there a couple of times and on each occasion I've been half cut. On the first occasion I remember taking the p*ss out of the landlord for looking a bit like Jim Royle, personally I thought it was a compliment but sadly he didn't share my enthusiasm. Anyway, the next time I proceeded along the same lines and again he was none too impressed. BUT, regardless of me being a general pr*ck, the place isn't that bad and is definately a must before any visit to the Cave! Sexy times!Never had an off pint in the Railway Tavern but the landlord and landlady can be a a bit rude. Belive they may be going to retire soon so things may be looking up

Don't go there ! No one in, two people 'working' behind the bar, left without a drink after waiting 10 minutes while they threw bottles around and made cocktails.According to the Essex Chronicle......

A 23-year-old man was left with facial scarring after a vicious unprovoked attack in Que Pasa.

The South Woodham Ferrers man was glassed on the dance floor of the town centre bar around 12.30am last Thursday, May 1.

He was taken to Broomfield Hospital where he needed 13 stitches to his forehead, which the police said could lead to permanent scarring.
I always go there on a night out, usually a Thurs/Fri/Sat and always have a good night. Drinks averagely priced I think, although the wait at the bar is always a bit much. Too much bottle-throwing instead of actually serving! Other than that, me and my friends enjoy it there, music is a good mix of old-school dance/RnB and current hits.

Never eaten there during the day though, so I can't comment.

Potentially good spoons, but beer selection can be hit and mis in quality and variety.It's cheap and an example of getting what you pay for, known in Chelmsford as 'The Park Bench Arms' Good choice of well kept real ales and ludicrously cheap. I have spent many a happy hour in there sampling their selection.

Service can be very slow at busy times.

There is a clientele of hard-core drinkers who are a bit unsightly at times but mostly harmless.

But don't eat there unless you're not fussy and have a strong stomach.

Recently introduced Greene King IPA (better than nothing I suppose). And guess what... it's shite.

Why oh why do I keep going back there... like a dog returning to it's own vomit.

Still 3/10We took my family of 14 to this pub for a birthday celebration and thought it sounded great for a family atmosphere and meal out. Firstly they had no recollection of my booking which I had made only 2 days previously. The actual pub has a nice decor but thats all that was nice about it! The service was awful and I had to act as 'waitress'. The wrong food was delivered and the food was disgusting! The worse food I have ever eaten and most of my family agreed with me. The steak were cheep and stringy, the sausages dry and tasteless, the veg (peas!)looked like it had been cooked for hours!!The childrens play area (which is one of the reason's I chosen this pub) was actually closed by 6.00pm and you had to pay an extra £2.50 for the children to use it, which considering we had bought 3 courses for 14 people was a bit outrageous and should be included with the meal. Overall all - complete disappointment and waste of money!Recently refurbed, and they have now made it even worse! (if that was possible). The beer is now ridiculously overpriced. Over £3 for a pint of Stella. No proper ale whatsoever. Always full of badly behaved kids running around the bar. Cheap, nasty food. Typical "chain pub" really.

A traditional pub in a tranquil setting. The pub itself has a flagstone floor, a half cellar and a traditional shelf system on the back wall and an open fire. It feels like stepping back to the sixties when you go inside. The beer is first rate, and the Huffers, as quaint Essex tradition are very good if you're really hungry. A good departure from the contrived Wetherspoons chain pubs.Terrific. Proper unspoilt picturesque pub serving ale straight from the cask. Ale quaffers should definitely make a detour to visit this place. The pub is now a genuine free house after GK sold it,
A real unspoilt gem of a pub.
3 or 4 very good quality real ales,
Which are still served by gravity from the cellar.
And it still serves those LARGE HUFFERS!.
Its well worth the effort trying to find this pub.

Where is johnmaka coming from? More to the point where is he drinking? It certainly isn't The Curlew I frequent.

Okay, so it's taken the new team a while to settle in, but if Johnmaka had attended the Thursday quizzes recently he would know that they were very poorly attended, and so probably aren't missed that much. The Sunday quizzes remain legendary and as popular as ever.

As it is The Curlew is a friendly neighbourhood local, with excellent beers and lagers, great grub and a bunch of (non-alcopop drinking) locals. To Johnimaka

I think you'll find you are living in the 21st century not the Stone Ages, the place needed that re-furb, otherwise you would still be sitting in a run down looking Harvester with a terrible colour scheme, but i suppose we should of all considered you as an individual. If you dont like it that much you could always start drinking in one of the local 'dives' instaed of an up-coming, up-market pub. I think you'll find that the large number of new customers would certaintly disagree with you and your opinions. Woodham should be proud of such a breath of fresh air in the drinking field, and should say goodbye to wasters like you! You say the opinion of many regulars has changed, it couldn't of changed that much, beause they are still there. Shame we couldnt meet!!!!

This pub has gone down hill in my opinion and many of the regulars opinion that have drunk here for several years since the new managaement took over late 2007. It is now a souless chain looking pub(all bare cream walls and very bright spotlights). Varied mix of drinkers has changed aswell, there used to be a nice mix of all ages and now its 70% alcopops drinking chavs.
The landlord has done away with the Thursday night general knowledge quiz amongst many other unwelcome changes. Why did the new landlord and his Mrs. take this pub on knowing it was a "typical" traditonal pub only to turn it into a modern pub bar hence running the regulars out of their local?!

so the northern manager has got wind of this site now and posting his own comments!These complainees must have the wrong pub! Staff polite and attentive, food excellent.When returning from the toilet I overheard the manager laughing about my complaint to his bar staff.The wifes green beans were raw.My lettuce was limp & coleslaw was missing.Beer was cloudy & tart.

Had heard bad things about this place but was determined to give it a try. The previous comments sum it up well.The IPA and other cask ales are served too cold so they don't taste right. The pub is staffed by surly teenagers which totally spoils the atmosphere.The new Landlord since Christmas 07 briefly had an imapct with a slight improvement with the staff, but has reverted back to its previous ways. Food still poor (it is always possible to hear one complaint at any one time in the evening), but the staff remain the biggest letdown. Four people cleaning tables/chin wagging, one person serving ten people waiting is a usual snapshot. Shame for such a lovely building and grounds.