ACANTEEN Bar, Restaurant & Venue — Est. 2001

We’ve been doing our thing in Chelmsford since 2001.

ACANTEEN is an independent, family-run bar, restaurant and venue, owned by three generations of women — and still very much run with the same energy, personality and love for hospitality that we started with over 20 years ago.

By day, it’s coffee, brunch, lunch, burgers, pizzas and proper plates. Come in for a quick coffee, settle in for lunch, bring the family, meet friends, work from a corner table — whatever works.

Then as the day rolls into night, ACANTEEN changes gear.

Cocktails start flowing, the lights go down and the music goes up.

Music has always been a massive part of who we are. We’re not a restaurant that occasionally puts a DJ on — it’s properly built into ACANTEEN. Over the years we’ve hosted some incredible artists including Sandy Rivera, Josh Wink, DJ Marky, Lil Louis, Jazzie B, Norman Jay, Mr Scruff, Wookie, MC Creed, Norris Da Boss Windross, Fat Tony, Goldie, Sully, Roni Size, The Cuban Brothers and plenty more.

From soulful house and disco to drum & bass, garage, live music, comedy and everything in between, there’s usually something going on.

We’re proud to have been part of Chelmsford for this long. We’ve watched the city change, generations of customers grow up, and plenty of people come through our doors for first dates, birthdays, Sunday roasts, big nights out and everything in between.

That’s ACANTEEN.

Come for dinner. Stay for drinks. End up dancing.

See you at the bar.