Restaurant in Great Waltham, United Kingdom
Michelin-value pub dining outside London.
Galvin Green Man holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024 and 2025) and sits at the ££ price point — making it the most practical Michelin-recognised dining option in mid-Essex. The 14th-century pub setting in Great Waltham, with its barn extension and riverside garden, adds genuine character. Book a few days ahead for weekdays; give it a week for busy weekend evenings.
Yes — and if you've already been once, it's worth going back more deliberately. Galvin Green Man is the Essex arm of the Galvin Brothers' hospitality group, and it earns its keep not by trading on the London name but by functioning as a genuine local anchor in Great Waltham. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) confirm what regulars already know: this is serious cooking at a price point that makes the decision easy. At ££, it sits well below the cost of a comparable Michelin-recognised meal anywhere in central London, and the 14th-century building with its modern barn extension gives it an atmosphere that no city pub can replicate.
The pub sits on Main Road in Howe Street, a quiet Essex village setting that immediately separates it from the Galvin operation's more formal London addresses. The original structure dates to the 1300s, and the combination of that low-beamed core with a contemporary barn extension creates two distinct registers under one roof: one end feels like a proper country pub with all the warmth that implies, the other is lighter and more open. A riverside garden completes the picture for warmer months. The energy here is busier and more social than you might expect for a Michelin-listed venue — live music evenings and special events are a regular feature, and the room runs warm and loud on a Friday or Saturday night. If you want conversation, come midweek or at lunch. If you want atmosphere and a bit of noise, the weekend evening is a better fit.
Under chef Daniel Lee, the kitchen works a menu that runs classic British alongside Mediterranean-influenced dishes. The approach is generous rather than fussy , portions are substantial, flavours are direct, and nothing on the plate is trying to prove a point. The Bib Gourmand recognition specifically highlights the value of the set menu offering, which Michelin describes as a steal. For a returning visitor, this is the format to target: it represents the kitchen's leading work at a price that leaves room in the budget for a decent bottle.
Great Waltham is a small village between Chelmsford and the Rodings, well outside the orbit of Essex's larger food destinations. That makes Galvin Green Man more than a restaurant choice , it functions as the area's anchor dining venue, the kind of place that justifies making Great Waltham a destination rather than a drive-through. For anyone based in mid-Essex or arriving from Chelmsford (roughly 5 miles south), this is the practical choice for a serious meal without committing to a London trip. The Galvin group's involvement gives it a level of culinary consistency and event programming that most village pubs cannot sustain, which is why it draws diners from well outside its immediate postcode. See our full Great Waltham restaurants guide for context on what else the area offers.
The natural peer group here is the Michelin Bib Gourmand pub-restaurant category across England. Hand and Flowers in Marlow is the obvious point of reference , it's the only pub in the UK to hold two Michelin stars, which puts it in a different tier both on ambition and price. Pipe and Glass in South Dalton is a closer comparison: Bib Gourmand, rural setting, traditional British cooking with modern technique, and a similarly warm atmosphere. The difference is geography , if you're in Essex, Galvin Green Man is the more practical call. For a broader view of what rural fine dining looks like at the higher end, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton and Midsummer House in Cambridge represent the step up in both ambition and cost. Galvin Green Man doesn't try to compete with those; it occupies a more accessible and frankly more repeatable position in the market.
Booking is direct , this is not a venue where you need to plan weeks in advance under normal circumstances. Weekend evenings fill faster given the events calendar, so if you have a specific date in mind, a few days' notice is sensible. Midweek bookings are generally easy to arrange. The ££ price point means there's no financial barrier to trying the venue speculatively, and the volume of Google reviews suggests the kitchen performs reliably across service types. Check the events calendar before you book: live music nights change the atmosphere significantly, and that may or may not align with what you're after.
For more on what to do before or after your meal, see our guides to Great Waltham hotels, Great Waltham bars, Great Waltham wineries, and Great Waltham experiences.
| Venue | Price range | Michelin recognition | Setting | Booking difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galvin Green Man | ££ | Bib Gourmand (2024, 2025) | 14th-century village pub, Essex | Easy |
| Hand and Flowers, Marlow | £££ | 2 Michelin stars | Riverside pub, Marlow | Hard , book weeks ahead |
| Pipe and Glass, South Dalton | ££ | Bib Gourmand | Rural pub, East Yorkshire | Moderate |
| Le Manoir, Great Milton | ££££ | 2 Michelin stars | Country house hotel, Oxfordshire | Hard , book months ahead |
A few days is usually enough for midweek. For weekend evenings, especially when live music or special events are scheduled, book at least a week in advance. This is an easy booking compared to peers like Hand and Flowers in Marlow, where waits of several weeks are common. The ££ price point and village location mean demand, while steady, doesn't create the frantic booking windows you'd face at a starred London restaurant.
Yes, with a caveat on timing. The pub format and lively atmosphere on busy evenings make solo dining comfortable , there's no formal dining-room pressure, and the bar and communal areas suit a single diner better than many restaurant-style venues. The ££ price range keeps it accessible. If you're coming solo for a focused meal rather than the social atmosphere, a midweek lunch is the better call: quieter room, easier service, same kitchen quality.
It works well for a relaxed celebration rather than a formal one. The Michelin Bib Gourmand status and Galvin group backing give it enough credibility to feel like an occasion, but the pub setting and lively atmosphere mean it reads as a warm night out rather than a white-tablecloth event. For a milestone birthday or anniversary where the room and formality matter as much as the food, Midsummer House in Cambridge or Le Manoir in Great Milton are stronger choices. For a genuinely good meal that feels special without the ceremony, Galvin Green Man is well-suited.
The pub format and modern barn extension suggest reasonable capacity for groups, and the venue's events programming indicates it's set up for larger bookings. For groups of six or more, contact the venue directly to confirm availability and any private space options , this is standard practice for any Michelin-listed pub-restaurant. The ££ price range makes it one of the more affordable group dining options in the region with Michelin recognition attached.
At ££, yes , straightforwardly. Michelin awarded it the Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025, a recognition given specifically to venues offering good cooking at a price that represents value. The set menu in particular is where that value is most concentrated. For context, achieving a comparable Michelin-recognised meal at venues like CORE by Clare Smyth or Dinner by Heston Blumenthal costs considerably more and requires considerably more advance planning. Galvin Green Man delivers recognised quality at a price point that makes repeat visits viable.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galvin Green Man | Traditional British | The Essex outpost of the Galvin empire is this big, busy pub, where there’s always something going on, from live music evenings to special events. The friendly team offer a warm welcome and the original 14th-century building provides all the rustic charm you’d expect, while a modern barn extension and a charming riverside garden complete the picture. The extensive menu offers an appealing mix of classic British and Mediterranean influenced dishes which are big on flavour, and the 'Bib Gourmand' menu is a steal.; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Great Waltham for this tier.
A few days is usually enough on weekdays, but book at least a week out for weekend evenings. The pub draws a loyal local crowd from Chelmsford and beyond, and its Michelin Bib Gourmand status means weekend tables move faster than a typical village pub. Sunday lunch is the session to plan furthest in advance.
It works well for solo diners given the pub format — bar seating and a relaxed atmosphere make eating alone less formal than at a restaurant with set tables. The ££ price point keeps the bill manageable, and the menu breadth means you can eat as lightly or as fully as you want without feeling locked into a set experience.
Yes, with the right expectations. This is a Michelin Bib Gourmand pub, not a fine dining room, so if the occasion calls for white-tablecloth formality, it is not the right fit. For a birthday dinner, anniversary lunch, or celebration where good food and a genuinely warm atmosphere matter more than ceremony, it delivers well above what the ££ price range typically promises.
The pub is described as big and busy with a modern barn extension and riverside garden, which suggests it handles groups better than a small-room restaurant would. For larger parties, check the venue's official channels to confirm capacity and whether private or semi-private areas are available, particularly for events given the pub's track record of hosting live music and special evenings.
At ££ with two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025), yes — the Bib Gourmand designation specifically recognises good cooking at a price that does not require justification. The 'Bib Gourmand' set menu is flagged as a particular steal. Against comparable Essex dining options, this is the clearest case for value-driven quality in the county.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
