Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Essex

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Essex? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Punch Bowl

4.8

4.8 (36)

£25 and under

Gastro Pub

Southend-On-Sea

About the restaurant

The Punchbowl is a 17th century gastro pub, located in the heart of rural Essex and the Crouch Valley and the South Essex Salt marshes.

We offer nose-to-tail style menu, with unpretentious dishes that focus on flavour. Everything is made in house - from bread to mayonnaise, and we use local, seasonal and organic ingredients. Our menu changes daily, as the season's best comes in, and always features day boat fish, meat, offal, rare breed steaks and excellent vegetarian cookery.

Our beautiful garden bar has a lawn and york-stone patio looking out across the farmland of Paglesham and the River Crouch. Throughout the summer we offer BBQ dining from our hand-cranked Asado and Rotisserie Grills.

Top review

Steve

Dined on Jan 3, 2025

Lovely venue, tastefully refurbished. The food is wonderful

Black Rock Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (708)

£26 to £40

Steak

Clacton-On-Sea

About the restaurant

Embark on a culinary adventure at Black Rock, where we offer a unique dining experience that will tantalize your taste buds. Our menu is a global fusion of flavours, showcasing the best of international cuisine.

Our signature "Steak on the Stone" is a must-try, allowing you to customize your steak to your desired level of doneness. This innovative cooking method ensures a truly personalized and flavourful experience.

Beyond our exceptional steaks, our menu features a diverse range of dishes to satisfy every craving. From succulent seafood to hearty vegetarian options, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Our commitment to using only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients guarantees exceptional quality and taste in every bite.

Top review

Terry

Dined 5 days ago

A lovely evening and a really nice spot, be back soon.

The Old Siege House Bar & Brasserie

4.6

4.6 (329)

£26 to £40

European

Colchester

About the restaurant

The Historical Old Siege House in Colchester is the ideal venue for a small intimate meal or a large family get together ! Owned and run by Husband and wife team since 2014 it has a warm atmosphere and relaxed vibe.
We can provide extensive menus depending on your events, ranging from Afternoon teas to Hog roasts.
Our main menu changes seasonally and we also run a set lunch menu which is great value and changes every two weeks.
The restaurant can accomodate up to 160 covers inside and a further 50 outside so you will not be cramped for space. We have a private dining room for hire and a large bar and lounge area where you can enjoy some lovely made to order cocktails or a chilled bottle of wine.
Live music and events are regularly held and details will be posted on our various social media outlets.
We are proud holders of an elite 5 star food hygiene award for 3 consecutive 5 star visits in a row from the local council and pride ourselves on our hygiene levels.

Top review

Sue

Dined on Dec 21, 2024

Lots of choice and delicious food as always with excellent service.

Caesar@Dolphin

4.7

4.7 (241)

£26 to £40

European

Braintree

About the restaurant

A traditional restaurant complete with low ceilings, beams, real fires and a cosy bar still frequented by the locals, it’s the pride of place pizza oven that makes Caesar @ Dolphin stand out from many village inns. That and the seasonal menu of big-flavoured dishes underpinned by strong technical skill

Top review

Celia

Dined on Dec 28, 2024

Fabulous experience as always, one of my favourite places to eat and a firm family favourite

Le Bouchon Brasserie & Hotel

4.7

4.7 (1169)

£41 and over

French

Maldon

About the restaurant

Please note that Afternoon Tea cannot be booked online. This must be booked through the Hotel directly.

Le Bouchon Brasserie and Hotel is a grade II listed, 300 year old Georgian building which has undergone an extensive refurbishment programme restoring the building to its former glory. The renovation period was used to combine some of the original period features of the building with furnishings and classically styled decoration that complements the original style of this house.

Le Bouchon Brasserie offers a blend of both French and British cuisine, set in a relaxed and intimate environment. Enjoy a meal from our A la carte menu or choose from our wide selection of set menus available at different times during the week.

Top review

Stephen

Dined 4 days ago

Never had a bad meal or an ok meal. Always amazing. Everything about this restaurant is amazing the food the staff all excellent. Very attentive and helpful at all times. The only restaurant for us.

Smiths Restaurant Ongar

4.8

4.8 (4870)

£41 and over

Seafood

Ongar

About the restaurant

Priding ourselves on our motto ‘Famous for fish’ Smiths Restaurants is a name that has become synonymous with fine dining and quality, attentive service. Our restaurants are located in Ongar Essex (just off the A414) and Wapping in central London (near Tower Bridge). Both restaurants boast an extensive menu of fresh fish that we offer to cook in a variety of ways to suit every palette. We also offer locally sourced meat dishes to accommodate those who prefer their food terra firma. To compliment the quality of our food we have worked closely with well renowned independent wine merchants to ensure we have a selection of wines that are the perfect accompaniment to every meal. The only problem you may have a Smith’s is being spoilt for choice.

Top review

Kelly

Dined 2 days ago

Food and service was amazing 5 * Definitely visit again.

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Afternoon Tea at The Fancy Fox Patisserie

4.9

4.9 (151)

£26 to £40

Afternoon Tea

Leigh-On-Sea

About the restaurant

The Fancy Fox Patisserie is a beautiful tea room and cake boutique in Broadway West, Leigh-on-sea serving delicious seasonal Afternoon tea, Artisan cakes, Speciality coffee and various other sweet and savoury delights.
We serve lunch Daily. This includes a variety of sandwiches, baguettes and home made quiche. Lunch is served on a walk in basis so pop along and enjoy.
Vegan, gluten free and dairy free afternoon tea is available. (Please note any Dietary requirements and preferences including if a Child afternoon tea is required must be written in your visit notes when booking and a minimum of 24hrs before your visit.)

Fancy A tipple don't worry we've got you covered from tea infused gins to sparkling champagne chilled to perfection there's something for everyone at The Fancy Fox. With our beautiful flower installations it's the perfect place to chill and chat with a glass of wine.

Top review

Stacey

Dined on Jan 3, 2025

Beautiful decor, fantastic service and amazing food - what more is there to say! We’ll be booking again for sure

Lot Bar & Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (1374)

£26 to £40

Contemporary European

Brentwood

About the restaurant

Lot Bar and Restaurant is a family run business offering freshly prepared food from 8am until 10pm daily. Whether you are looking for an informal breakfast or light lunch with friends or a 3 course celebration dinner in the evening or simply a drink in the bar after work, we have the best to offer locally.
We at Lot Bar and Restaurant take pride the quality of our ingredients, the high standard of presentation and excellent service. A seasonally changing breakfast and lunch menu offers everything you could want from a kitchen and our evening A la carte menu includes restaurant favourites as well as daily changing specials. On Sunday afternoons we offer the best Roast available. Our wine list, available from 11am, is curated by us to include the faithful, the unusual and the interesting.

Top review

Michelle

Dined 4 days ago

Lovely venue, with great choice of food and attentive staff. We will be back.

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Popular dish

Paella

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

4.8

4.8 (2847)

£26 to £40

Afternoon Tea

Leigh-On-Sea

About the restaurant

Here at Mad Dogs & Englishmen we have become renowned for our themed Afternoon Tea’s and wonderful cocktails. Enjoy the eclectic surroundings of this unique venue. We offer an immersive experience, a feast for the eyes and the taste buds!
The Parlour Tea Room at Mad Dogs and Englishmen provides a vintage setting to enjoy Afternoon tea. We’ve become renowned for our themed teas which offer an unforgettable experience.
The Botanical Rooms is upstairs and hosts our cocktail bar and also hosts our themed afternoon teas.

EVENTS

THE PARLOUR TEAROOM seatings at 12, 2.30 & 5 pm

Running till 5/1/25 - THE NUTCRACKER
17/1/25 - 28/3/2025 - DIAMOND OF THE SEASON

THE BOTANICAL ROOMS (upstairs) seatings at 12.30 & 3pm

Running till 5/1/25 - A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS
17/1/25 - 28/3/2025 - SNOW WHITE

Please ensure you select the correct time, venue and event when booking.

Top review

Vickie

Dined on Jan 5, 2025

Amazing setting, service and afternoon tea was beautiful as it always is. Can’t wait to come back for the next one!

STARK

4.8

4.8 (44)

£41 and over

Modern European

Colchester

About the restaurant

Stark is located in East Mersea, Essex and is owned and run by Ben and Sophie Crittenden, who opened their first site in Broadstairs back in December 2016 with the aim of securing a better work/life balance and enabling Ben to enjoy more time with their three young children, Ivy, Rosa and Arlo. Before relocating to Mersea Island, Stark was the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Thanet and one of five in the whole of Kent.

At Stark, only one, set tasting menu is served with no options or alternatives available. Because of this, Stark is unable to cater for any allergies or dietary requirements, for any reason as all guests eat the exact same meal each night. Ben creates a menu from high quality, seasonal ingredients, using his creativity and passion to create delicious food and provide a unique and exciting eating experience for customers.

Stark is a very intimate, relaxed restaurant, whose only demand of you is that you sit back, trust us with your dinner and enjoy the experience.

Top review

Vladimir

Dined 4 days ago

We had a fantastic time at Stark! The food was absolutely amazing—every dish was bursting with flavour and beautifully presented. The service was warm and friendly, making us feel right at home, and the cosy atmosphere added to the charm of the evening. We’ll definitely be returning and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience.

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