The Saracen's Head Hotel, Great Dunmow

Centrally located bar, restaurant and hotel in the middle of Great Dunmow. There is a large car park at the rear, which packs in quite a few cars and gets very tight. Entering from the rear, there is outdoor drinking in a courtyard for the warmer months. The bar area was absolutely packed. It was noticeable that there were many accents from around the country. So, my best guess is that many travellers from the nearby Stansted Airport use this as a base to stay before or after flights. It took a while to get served. Some of the staff were friendly and really competent. They seemed rushed off their feet. Conversely, one gormless barman was wandering around aimlessly looking for things to make him look busy, instead of looking for people to serve! 2 ales were on - Fuller's London Pride & Colchester No. 88. I had the No. 88, which was quite a nice malty bitter. With the bar being so packed, I retreated to the dining area where it was slightly less noisy and chaotic and where there were tables free. With drunks, screaming kids, dining businessmen and the like, this was another Great Dunmow pub where I struggled to settle. But at least it was lively and the beer was good.