Much to do for Bank Staff in Chelmsford
Because Chelmsford is so close to London, it can easily be overlooked as a destination of choice. However if you do you'll miss out on all the exciting things you can see and do either on your own or with your friends and family. If you are starting to work with Mid Essex Staff Bank, or are thinking about it, below is a short list of things to see and do in Chelmsford to get the most out of the area from the get go.
Tourism
Hylands House
Hyland House is a grade II listed neo-classical villa located in Hyland Park south west of Chelsmford. Built in 1726 by Sir John Comyns it is an elegant two storey red brick building. Passing from private owner to private owner until 1962, where after falling to disrepair, the council purchased it for the benefit of the City of Chelmsford. Now it is open to the public to visit the house and gardens and makes an excellent location for a family trip. If this is not your bag, then you may be pleased to know this is where the V festival has been hosted since 1996.
Tropical Wings Zoo
Tropical wings zoo boasts one of the best tropical houses in the UK, and is the most interactive zoo in Essex. This is a wonderful location to take the family for a fun day out. The 2016 prices are £10.95 for an adult, £8.95 for children, or if you’re a family, £36.00 (2 adults + 2 children). You and your family can enjoy feeding animals such as wallab7y;s, or brush goats, even getting a close encounter with a lemur, or if you’re feeling brave handle a bug. The Tropical Wings Zoo a great day of fun for the family.
RHS Garden Hyde Hall
Hyde Hall is one of the finest gardens in the east of England. With panoramic views across it’s 145 hectares of land, and wide variety of plants in the highly bio diverse gardens, Hyde Hall is constantly evolving making it a great destination to visit time and time again. This is an affordable day trip too, with Adult tickets costing £11, Child tickets costing £5.50, and a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) costing £28.25.
Eating
Chelmsford has a number of great places to eat if you are looking for a quick easy take away or you want to go out with friends and family. Below are a few to give you a variety of choices, but if the list below doesn’t suit you, try walking around the centre of town and you will surely find something to your taste.
A Canteen
A Canteen has been around since 2001 offering wholesome food at a great price. This family run business offers a great location to chill out and have a light bite or if you hankering for more, then you can get a full lunch or dinner. Reasonably priced, you can get a starter main and dessert for under £30.
Book online or call menu 01245 205 889
El Chigre
No list of restaurants would be complete without a good spanish tapas bar. Offering small dishes which you order in multiple quantities, El Chigre makes a great spot to grab a quick lunch time snack or a full dinner.
To reserve a table call 01245 351216
Olio Restaurant
This little Italian restaurant is located on New London Road on the edge of the centre of town, about a ten minute walk to from the train station. Considered one of the best restaurants in Chelmsford by Trip advisor, this restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine and receives a lot of repeat business thanks to the good value offered. Reasonably priced, you can get a dish from £6 to £23.
Reserve a table call 01245 269 174
The Gurkha Restaurant
If you want something a little different, try the Gurkha Restaurant. Generally classed as Indian, it specialises in Nepalese cuisine. This restaurant is in the centre of town and offers a great atmosphere and a good starting point for a night out with your friends.
To reserve a table call 01245 493 929
Zenxi
Zenxi is a Chinese seafood restaurant which offers an experience of fine dining in the heart of Chelmsford. This is the most expensive restaurant on this list, but the experience offered gives you good value for money. In addition to high quality food and service, live music is offered on Friday night as well as a jazz and soul evening on Sunday. Make note of their child policy though as this is not the ideal location for a family outing.
To reserve a table call 01245 358 468
The Lion Inn
The Lion Inn is situated outside Chelmsford on the edge of the village of Boreham, but is well worth the drive. This is not your quintessential British pub, instead offering more of a gastro pub menu with great tasting food and reasonable prices. You cannot book a table, but that just gives you more time to spend with your friends, enjoying a glass of wine as you wait.
Zorba the Greek Taverna
Have an authentic Greek meal at Zorba’s. This restaurant is next to the Chelmsford train station and is a small restaurant offering traditional dishes. With only space for 40 diners, this will offer you an intimate setting for your dinner, perfect for a date night, or if you want to take the family, the restaurant is child friendly.
To reserve a table call 01245 357 232
Lek’s Thai Food
If you’re hankering for Thai food, Lek’s offers quick service with tasty food. Located on the Market square, Lek’s is a lovely little stop at the end of the day for an easy and inexpensive meal. Plus, if you don’t want to stop in, you can grab a take away from them, or even have them cater a party.
To reserve a table call 01245 258030
Pastasciutta
Pastaciutta is a local pasta corner where you can buy and take home fresh pasta, or if you want to eat out, stay and enjoy one of their homemade pasta meals. Only recently having opened, they are still finding their feet, but offer great tasting food at a really affordable price. Definitely worth visiting, but bare in mind, at time of writing, they only deal in cash.
Drinking
If you’re looking for a place to kick back and relax after your shift, then Chelmsford offer plenty of bars and clubs you can go to and let off some steam.
Bar and Beyond
Bar and Beyond offers something unique for Chelmsford. Split over two floors you can chill out with a meal downstairs and when you are ready to get your dancing shoes on, go upstairs to the club.
Faces Kitchen and Bar
Faces Kitchen and bar offers great food, delicious cocktails and fantastic ambiance in a sophisticated setting. This is a great spot to meet with the girls and chill before you hit the clubs especially considering happy hour runs runs Wednesday to Friday 4pm till 10.
Missoula
Missoula is probably one of the most popular bars in Chelmsford. Centrally located, Missoula offers a great atmosphere for whatever your mood and a good range in music, making it a great place to start and finish your night.
Baroosh
Baroosh offers a little more sophistication and is slightly different to other bars on the high street. This cocktail bar can make you more than the standard Mojito or Cosmopolitan, so spend a bit of time over the menu and choose the right cocktail for you.
CTZN
West end Chic meets Essex at CTZN. Often busy, this club will often have celebrity’s visiting its beautifully designed two floors. This is a great place to dance as they pride themselves on having the latest tunes in RnB and House music.
Escedra
If you are looking for a slightly more mature crowd, away from the Apple Sourz and WKD’s, try Escedra. This bar has a strict over 21’s only after 6pm. The bar has an elegant setting offering relaxed atmosphere and makes for a perfect start to an evening.
Miya
Miya is a new location in Chelsmford, and still has its new club smell. With three bars spaced around the venue each with skilled mixologists, this club offers a great range of drinks. The state of the art lighting and music then builds on this to create a fantastic evening of dancing. The stage area also offers live performances with podium dancers creating an atmosphere unlike any other in Chelmsford.
We hope this will give you a wide enough selection of activities to try out in Chelmsford that you can see that it is a great city to live and work in. Of course if you see nothing here for you, then why not just wonder around town when you don’t have a bank shift. You can see all that the city has to offer and find a few secret spots of your own.
Our Mid Essex bookings team always like to hear about new restaurants to try or bars to drink in, so please give us a call on 01245 516 062 and when you book your next shift, let us know your favourite location. Or better yet, why not share it in the comments below.