The Railway Arms
Station Rd, Saffron Walden CB11 3HQ
$
English
Saffron Walden's first Community-run free house pub based just to the south of the town centre (5 mins walk).
Please note that we are predominantly a pub and not a restaurant. We have food trucks at the pub on Thursday evenings (5 to 8.00pm) but seating is on a first come, first served basis. Table bookings are only possible for the Sunday Quiz. Should you wish to make bookings for parties and special events, we'd be more than happy to help. Please contact our Pub Manager Graham Pearson on 01799 619660 or email [email protected]
Reservations
Business Info
- Address: Station Rd, Saffron Walden CB11 3HQ
- Cross Street: Station street
- Cuisine: English |
- Cost: | Very Inexpensive
- Category: Pub
- Star Rating:
- Reservations: Recommended
- Dress Code: Casual
- Meals Served: Other |
- Parking: Street |
- Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard | Cash | Apple Pay | Google Pay | Debit |
- Corkage Fee: N/A
- Website: www.railwayarms.co.uk
- Phone: 01799 619660
- Features: Full Bar, Live Entertainment, Outdoor Seating, Smoking Area, Takeout Available, Wheelchair Access, Lounge / Bar, Free Wi-Fi,
- Occasion: Child Friendly, Dining Alone, Meet for a Drink, Quiet Conversation, Special Occasion, Vegetarian, Dog Friendly,
Photos
Business Hours
Reservations Available
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Closed
- Wednesday
- Closed
- Thursday
- Closed
- Friday
- Closed
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- Indoor hours 19:00 - 22:30
Customer Reviews & Ratings
4.76 out of 5 stars based on 298 votes
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Apr 02, 2024
Brian R.
Sunday night quiz - always a great atmosphere
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 8/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Feb 14, 2024
Steph G.
Great quiz night as usual- very special.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Oct 16, 2023
Steph G.
Quiz night at Railway: excellent beer, company and challenge ;)
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Aug 28, 2023
Brian R.
Brilliant time, as ever. Zero for food because we didn’t have any
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Aug 16, 2023
Debbie C.
Such a great atmosphere at The Railway. The landlord, Graham, ensures that his customers have a terrific time, every time. The best pub in Saffron Walden.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 8/10
Jun 21, 2023
Brenda L.
Was expecting Sunday roast although had email to what was being served but didn’t say no roast on menu . Had young children with us and the use of a high chair would have been helpful .Staff very helpful and obliging.Food was very well presented and enjoyed it but for price paid ratio of cheese was less to the amount of lettuce leaf.
Overall lovely traditional pub credit to the team running it hasn’t put us off coming back !
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 8/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Feb 22, 2023
Brian R.
Didn’t have any food, hence zero for this part. Excellent atmosphere and attentive staff
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Dec 14, 2022
Debbie C.
We didn't eat at The Railway, but we had great fun at the quiz.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Dec 05, 2022
Clive M.
Cancelled as chef was sick, will try again next week
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Nov 02, 2022
Michele M.
An excellent venue for friends or couples. Really lovely menu choices and good value for money.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jul 04, 2022
Marian B.
How lucky we are to have a community pub in the town. They just need to update the prices on the website to match those charged. I was fine paying the extra but other may not be. But a lovely space.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jun 07, 2022
Dom M.
Best pub for miles
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Apr 18, 2022
Alexia N.
Great atmosphere with the energetic and wonderful Hooligans playing. Super friendly service and the drinks are a great price!
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Mar 31, 2022
Katie E.
Love it! The open Mike is cool. Just wish they’d honour my camra vouchers, but you can’t have it all!
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 8/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Feb 17, 2022
Holly P.
We had a lovely meal and met the lovely staff who were very helpful and friendly
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jan 31, 2022
Vince W.
Great atmosphere, great food, great value, fantastic.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 8/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jan 04, 2022
Simon L.
An excellent community free house, superb real ale and other beers. This place will go from strength to strength.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Dec 27, 2021
Sarah B.
A lovely atmosphere and very pleasant and friendly staff.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Dec 25, 2021
Sarah C.
Lovit it!
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Dec 15, 2021
Mark M.
Fab roast, as always beer & wine great!
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Oct 29, 2021
Sue F.
Great evening out at the Railway Arms. Good beer, food and warm atmosphere.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Oct 27, 2021
Teresa H.
Another fun and friendly evening at the wonderful community pub that is The Railway!!! Such a nice atmosphere from the manager, bar staff and the punters. Quick and efficient bar service too. Highly recommend
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Oct 20, 2021
Kevin D.
Had a great night with friends at the pub quiz.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Aug 17, 2021
Ian G.
Booking was cancelled by The Railway as not serving food.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Aug 04, 2021
stephanie p.
Hello, it was a quiet, wet Sunday evening (this time). Made to feel welcome. Relaxed. Great Stout and local beer choices. Above all - feels good to support local people to keep the pub open with garden attached. If we don't use it - we'll lose it to the developers. Soul boosting to see that so many people are offering their skills and time to not only serve us but keep the building in a welcoming weather proofed state.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jul 11, 2021
Rob M.
No food available at the moment, hence the zero mark for food.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jul 03, 2021
Gary M.
We have been a number of times now and service/drink/food good on all occasions.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jun 10, 2021
Mark M.
Best pub in Walden!
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 8/10
- Service: 8/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jun 07, 2021
Melissa A.
Lovely atmosphere and great to support a community pub.
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 8/10
- Value: 10/10
May 26, 2021
Ros M.
With so many hard surfaces, it is very noisy. Curtains would help. It's difficult to have a conversation when one of the group has hearing problems. However, I recognise this would be a significant investment.
We didn't have food, other than crisps, which were really good and not a brand I'd had before
- Overall: 10/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Apr 20, 2021
Gordon L.
Loved it
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
May 24, 2023
Brian J.
We would like to have coffee available aftern the meal. Apart from that , everything was great. Thank you
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 9/10
- Value: 10/10
Dec 16, 2022
Shirley T.
Service and food were good. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Limited menu choice sufficient for our requirements of which we were aware prior to booking,choices made were well cooked and enjoyed. I know it was a cold day but it was really chilly inside and several people including some of our group wore coats whilst eating. Would book again.
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 7/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 9/10
Apr 19, 2022
Robert E.
We know the food will improve when a permanent chef is in post
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 9/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
Feb 07, 2022
Kevin H.
I went to the Railway Arms pub on Friday 4th February for a drink and something to eat. The food was excellent, the beer was excellent. My friend also thought the food was excellent and the beer was excellent. I will be going again this week
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 9/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
Jan 12, 2022
Penny L.
Friendly atmosphere and good food. Lovely to see this community pub so well supported and thriving, especially in these difficult times.
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 7/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jan 11, 2022
Shane M.
Always a lovely atmosphere and a great selection of Ale’s, Cider and larger’s to choose from
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 10/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
Jul 08, 2021
Adrian S.
The Railway Arms has got off to a flying start. Congratulations to all involved.
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 6/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 8/10
Jul 03, 2021
Mark H.
Another enjoyable visit to our great community pub
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 7/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
Jun 14, 2021
Richard M.
Excellent pub, feels like a 'real' local, unlike so many these days. Large garden, lovely courtyard and the interior has been done up sympathetically to the way the pub should be as an old Station boozer. The beer is of high quality, well kept and well-priced (the Buntingford's beers, from only a few miles away, are particularly good). Didn't eat but the food looks good and simple, as it should be, this is a pub first, eaterie second. Will go again (and again).
May I say I find this Table Agent Review form highly inadequate? I'm supposed to be reviewing a pub but it is set up for reviewing restaurants - there is no 0-10 for the beer here, just the food, service etc. Must try harder - not all pubs are resaurants, and neither should they be.
- Overall: 9/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 10/10
Jun 13, 2021
Paul L.
Didn’t have any food so can’t comment overall excellent
- Overall: 8/10
- Food: 5/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 7/10
- Value: 7/10
Jan 11, 2022
Nikki K.
Had an enjoyable evening at the Railway but a bit disappointed with the food. Small portions and not much flavour to the chilli and stews! Staff always friendly and good selection of drinks but would visit more if the food was more tasty as good value for money!
- Overall: 8/10
- Food: 0/10
- Service: 7/10
- Ambience: 8/10
- Value: 7/10
Aug 02, 2021
Janet R.
This pub has a real traditional English pub feel. It is our local and we look forward to many weekend pints, or 2
- Overall: 8/10
- Food: 7/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 6/10
- Value: 9/10
Jul 27, 2021
Francis L.
This was The Railway's first Sunday lunch with a chef. When making any comments here it is as well to remember, in addition, that this is a "Community Pub" in its infancy and a lot of the labour is volunteer. The first table for two we were shown to was a) tiny and b) placed where it was impossible to sit at without pulling it out from under an overhanging edge. It also rocked. We were politely shown to another. Drinks, two glasses of wine, one white one red, arrived swiftly. The wild mushrooms on toast and the goat's cheese salad were both excellent despite a bit of over-enthusiasm with the balsamic vinegar. My main course of roast lamb was nicely cooked but placing the lamb on top of the roast potatoes, whilst possibly visually attractive, made them soggy. The gravy and the vegetables were fine. Unfortunately my wife's mushroom and leek stroganoff, a really nice idea, was not up to scratch. What looked suspiciously like tinned mushrooms and a noticeable absence of seasoning resulted in a very bland offering indeed.
Service was efficient and friendly and the whole was good value for money. There is nothing here that cannot easily be put right with the exception of the small, badly-sited table which should simply go. I have scored the ambiance quite severely as, with a lack of regulars at the bar, it all seemed a bit soulless. This will change with time and I very much look forward to following the progress that the pub I used to live next door to makes. I wish it all the luck in the world.
- Overall: 8/10
- Food: 6/10
- Service: 10/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 8/10
Jun 29, 2021
Nicola R.
Shared cheese platter was a bit disappointing. Too much cheddar compared to other cheeses. Bread was a few very small rounds of stale white stick. Needed better quality bread and crackers and more of them. Perhaps to avoid wastage we could be invited to ask for more if we needed it.
- Overall: 8/10
- Food: 5/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambience: 7/10
- Value: 10/10
Jun 07, 2021
Jonathan M.
Didn’t have any food (it did look good walking by though!)...beer was good...service quick and easy. Best pub garden in town.
- Overall: 7/10
- Food: 7/10
- Service: 3/10
- Ambience: 9/10
- Value: 7/10
Oct 19, 2022
Mike P.
The interior of the Railway Arms is lovely; well done to all those involved in its purchase and resurrection.
Of the three young staff serving at the time of our visit, one was competent. I'm afraid the other two seemed clueless. Even a simple question like: 'what's the pub's wi-fi code?' was met with bewilderment and releasing a glass of cider from the vault took an age. (We ordered a half but got a pint.) However, we all have to learn and perhaps they are at the start of that process.
- Overall: 7/10
- Food: 7/10
- Service: 7/10
- Ambience: 10/10
- Value: 8/10
Jul 04, 2021
Sue J.
Only fault is there was not much left on the menu at 7pm!
- Overall: 7/10
- Food: 8/10
- Service: 7/10
- Ambience: 6/10
- Value: 8/10
May 02, 2021
Adrian H.
It’s cold outside but good to be back. 3 times Friday night visits so far. Getting better every visit and good to have a real pub in the town.