Crown

They are serious about their wine here with 38 by the glass from a list of around 200 kept in an unusual glass-walled wine 'cellar' in one corner (you can go and choose your wine to drink here or take away) and they helpfully suggest a wine for each dish on the menu. It's a civilised inn with quite an emphasis on the comfortable bedrooms and excellent food but drinkers do pop in for a drink and a chat. Most of the place is open to the three-sided bar servery, but there are two or three cosy tucked-away areas, too. The main part, with a big woodburning stove, has quite a few closely spaced tables in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes; elsewhere, several smaller areas have just three or four tables each. Seating varies from deep armchairs and sofas to elegant dining chairs and comfortable high-backed woven rush seats - and there are plenty of bar stools. Some of the low ceilings are heavily beamed and there are cheerful wildlife and landscape paintings, quite a few attractive tables and floors varying from old tiles through broad boards or dark new flagstones to beige carpet; daily papers. Adnams Bitter, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold, Woodfordes Wherry and a guest such as Mersea Island Yo Boy Bitter on handpump and Aspall's cider. A sheltered back terrace, with cushioned teak chairs and tables under big canvas parasols, looks out over a neat lawn to a landscaped shrubbery, and there are many more picnic-sets out on the front terrace. Breakfasts are first class, disabled access is good and the car park is big.