But, tonight we walked in without a booking and after looking at her paper reservation list, the manager, who I do not remember seeing before, told us that we could not sit in the restaurant as we requested as they were fully booked for the evening.  So, we sat in the bar area, although we did not want to.  I got chilly, as the bar area was not too warm and the door is located nearby.  We asked for sparkling water, ice and lemon and she left the unopened bottle on the table for us to pour, which is poor in a restaurant of that nature.

We ordered wine and our first two courses, which sounded lovely.  I got my camera out ready to photograph our food for a new up to date review I was going to write for the restaurant.  Then, three people walked in without a booking and asked if they could have a table.  Again, the manager looked at her reservation list and proceeded to seat them in the restaurant with a smile.

We decided to question her as to why she did not give us a table in the restaurant as we had asked and she had no answer or apology.  I found her attitude incredible since she is in customer services and bizarre that she had no reason to act in this way.  Michael challenged her again and paid for the bottle of wine which we’d barely touched.   She charged full restaurant price and walked off again with no explanation or apology.  We were very upset at this poor service.  And after giving them such lovely reviews in the past, and having been there so many times, it was an insult.  I know from my previous years in the hotel and restaurant industry that keeping customers happy is the key to getting paid and making money.

Those of you who know my site and my writing will know that I do not complain very often, but when I do feel the need I do so as I feel I should share the bad as well as the good and I dont like it when people are treated differently for no reason.  I still cannot believe Michael paid for the wine, because I would not have since it was her rudness that caused us to leave.  (we have since had feedback from a number of people and everyone bar one person would have left the restaurant, not paid for the wine and not gone back.   I have also since emailed the restaurant and they didnt even bother to reply or apologise – it says it all!)

Anyway it all ended very happily as I then suggested we go to one of our local favourites, the Roslin Hotel in Thorpe Bay, for dinner.  We had a fabulous meal – prawn cocktail and salmon fishcakes to start, whole grilled plaice and fish pie for main and profiteroles and apple and plum crumble for dessert, all washed down with a bottle of Sancerre – gorgeous!  The staff are so friendly there since they sorted out their staff issues a long time ago, so I knew that they would not let us down.  I took photos so will post a new review for them soon.  The Roslin and Harrions in Hockley are our current favourites local to Southend on sea, for that British/European style food and the Masa in Hadleigh and Saffron Lounge in Hamlet Court Road are favourites for indian.  For thai, I still like the Rak Chang and, of course, Irmas for a pizza.  I have so many more favourites, but I will not go on…  Apart from saying that the thai massage place in Leigh on sea is fabulous!  Overall favourites when looking further afield, it has to be the Ivy in London and Chapter one in Kent.  There are so many great restaurants in Britain and abroad, thankfully!

Sandra

chicken liver pate at the Anchor Hullbridge

I have reviewed this restaurant before, based on four visits in 2010 – you can view the old review here: http://notjustanessexgirl.com/2011/the-anchor-restaurant-and-pub-hullbridge-essex-review  We went back in April 2011 to try out the new menu, which is less casual than the previous menu and focuses on quality ingredients and delicious combinations. Unfortuantely, the service has not improved.  We had the Lobster, crayfish, avocado & tomato cocktail with lobster mayonnaise and buttered chicken liver pate, toast & chutney, to start. The pate was as good as ever – smooth and not too rich, but the cocktail was served in a glass which made it difficult to mix the leaves and seafood and there was no plate underneath to capture the overflow. For our mains we ordered the pan fried corn fed chicken with fondant potato, stuffing and buttered vegetables, which, unfortunately came out whilst we still had our starter plates on our table, so the waiter walked off across the large busy restaurant with our main meals. When someone came to clear our starters, I said that I didn’t want food that is going back and forth across the restaurant and it was too quick after our starters, and we don’t like to be rushed. All that happened was that the same food, obviously, came out to us again and it wasn’t very hot when we finally got to eat it.

Unfortunately, whilst the staff were friendly, smiling and keen, the service is the issue of this restaurant for me, and it really does spoil the great food served here. It is a very large restaurant, has a large bar and large garden area, so the amount of cooking the kitchen does when it is busy is incredible, but the service staff cant seem to keep up. It is a shame.

Date of visit – April 2011

(Just been back again in May and it is just the same – they should stick to their old menu as the food is just not up to the prices now and service erratic.  Their bar food is great, but I had turbot and it was tasteless, and we also tried the scallop and paella and I couldnt eat it – ) Such a shame as it is a good venue that has gone downhill…) Personally, I wouldnt take another chance with this restaurant, not when Harrisons and the Roslin serve such great food with excellent service.  We ordered a bottle of Cliff Edge Sauvingnon Blanc and only had some so we took it home only to find that it wasnt a decent SB from New Zealand but a cheap Chilean ‘Villarica’ which I have never heard of.  Of course,we should have noticed, but because they dont present the wine and serve it properly we didnt notice.

To view images, please click on the photos and use the back button in your browser to come back to this page – contact details below photos…

 How many dined? 2

Average price per person for 3 course meal (excluding drinks) – variable (£20-£40)

Service charge included? no

Food – 7

Service – 5

Ambience – 8

Value for money – 6

Email:

info@theanchorhullbridge.co.uk

Phone:

01702 230 777

Website:

http://www.theanchorhullbridge.co.uk

The Anchor Pub and Restaurant, Hullbridge, Essex SS5 6ND

Harrisons restaurant exterior Hockely Essex

Well, what a gem this little restaurant is. I don’t really want to promote it and get it too busy so that I have problems getting a table, but one cannot think only of oneself!

Firstly, in April 2011, I had a Sunday roast and it was most definitely the best I have had in any Essex restaurant – and in the top 10 of British Sunday roasts – very good indeed. We tried the tuna carpaccio with a herb crust and dressed new season watercress, which was out of this world – a flavour combination I wish I had the recipe for, so that I could recreate it at home. We also tried the seafood cocktail, which was dressed lightly in a tangy sauce. I had roast rib of beef and Michael had the Tamworth cross leg of pork. Beautifully cooked meat, a pure meaty gravy and fabulous vegetable selection, all washed down with a bottle of Chateau Le Pey chosen from the varied wine list which offers something for all budgets. For dessert, we had bread and butter pudding and a champagne and rhubarb crumble with roasted hazelnuts and crème anglaise. Everything is made in house and the chef, Ethan Rodgers, really does know what he is doing in designing flavour sensations and quality food.

Our second visit, in May 2011 was a Tuesday evening. I had two courses from the set menu – game terrine to start and a pork pie with silky mashed potato and vegetables…..  Read more after the photos…

To view these images please click on each photo and use the back button in your web browser to come back to this page… more info underneath…

I cannot put into words how fabulous the pastry was – a rich shortcrust – or the flavours of the pork and jus, but it was absolutely delicious. Michael had pan fried chicken with saffron potatoes, marinated shallots, peas, spinach and jus. Just lovely! I gave in and had a chocolate and nougat brulee with a glass of Elysium black Muscat dessert wine, which was sheer indulgence – I have never had a dessert like it.

I will visit again to this lovely restaurant – they are hoping to get nominated for the 2011 Essex food and drink awards (Essex Chronicle media group) and I hope they do for best newcomer and best small restaurant.

Date of visit – April and May 2011

How many dined? 2

Average price per person for 3 course meal (excluding drinks) – High (£30+)

Service charge included? no

Food – 9

Service – 8

Ambience – 8

Value for money – 8

Email:

ethanrodgers@aol.com

Phone:

01702 201217

Website:

http://www.harrisons-restaurant.co.uk

32 Main Road, Hockley, Essex, SS5 4QS

The Onyx restaurant exterior southend on sea essex

I was very excited to try this restaurant in Southend, since the area needs another quality dining establishment, but alas I was very disappointed. We visited on a Sunday for their 3 course Sunday lunch, which is not always the best time to review a restaurant, since it is not an a la carte menu, but a Sunday roast is a simple thing to cook really.

Firstly, the lamb disappointed the most – it came out incinerated and dry, however, on request, the waiter arranged some less cooked meat to be carved for us. It was a shame that it took so long our vegetables were getting cold though. The meat was much better but still a little over as he couldn’t offer it pink as requested. It wasn’t tasty lamb either.

Secondly, the roast potatoes – on the menu it promised ‘goose fat roast potatoes’ but I couldn’t taste any goose fat and the way they were so pale with burnt, flimsy edges, it looked more like they had been grilled, and not roasted at all – no flavour of fat or roasting.

Thirdly, I like greens, but their wasn’t any – carrots (the best cooked and tasting thing on the plate), a type of mushy pea (I like them with fish and chips but not on a roast) and cauliflower (which was soggy) Very uninspiring.

Then onto the gravy, which was so salty, I couldn’t bear it.

For starters, the leek soup was also very, very salty to the point where neither of us could eat it, but the liver pate dish was a winner, and we finished it all. A lovely rich, smooth pate.

The desserts were also not up to much. We had the apricot tart, which came by itself (some cream or ice cream would have been nice, but I couldn’t be bothered to ask at this point) and it didn’t taste of much (or perhaps I couldn’t taste due to all the salt I had eaten, as my fabulous wine even lost its flavour towards the end) and the Tiramisu was also the same – bland, lacking in alcohol or real coffee flavour and we also didn’t finish it.

Overall, I have to say what I have said, because we felt horrible all the rest of the day, due to the massive amount of salt we had consumed and I felt really let down. 

The restaurant itself is smartly decorated, with booth areas for privacy, for a larger group, and well set out tables allowing plenty of room between them. The staff are friendly, but perhaps lacking in service skills, since we were not asked how our starter was, but 3 people asked how our main was, even though we had already swapped our meat over.  I can see plenty of good reviews on the internet, but I can only go on what I had there, so perhaps I have missed out!

Date of visit – February 2011

How many dined? 2

Average price per person for 3 course meal (excluding drinks) – High (£30+) unless having the 3 course Sunday lunch, which was ????? when we visited.

Service charge included? ????

Food – 4

Service – 5

Ambience – 7

Value for money – 4

Email:

onyxrestaurant@live.co.uk

Phone:

01702353662

Website:

http://www.onyxrestaurant.co.uk

52-54 Alexandra Street

Southend-on-Sea,

Essex,

SS1 1BJ

scampi and chips at the anchor hullbridge essex

(This review is now old – See my updated review of April/May 2011 by CLICKING HERE - opens in a new window) We have eaten at the Anchor in Hullbridge, Essex, four times now and have had some really very satisfying food at reasonable prices. This restaurant has not been open very long, so all the furnishings and décor is new and clean. A modern style of restaurant, it doesn’t suffer with bright lights and uncomfortable chairs. Quite the opposite, the seating (either soft armchair style or soft bench seats) are very comfortable indeed, which encourages one to stay and enjoy a relaxing time and the lighting and ambience are subdued. There’s plenty of space between the tables offering privacy to dine and talk easily.

The menu offers some British favourites, such as steak and chips, lamb hotpot with red cabbage, fish and chips, burgers, pies and home made soups, but there’s also a specials board, offering a selection of pastas, fish and starter dishes, which change…

…regularly. Although this may sound a little bland, the food is well cooked, and has their own finishing touches, making this one of the better restaurants in the south east Essex region. It was about time we had a new restaurant in this area, and the fabulous riverside situations of this restaurant is now well utilised with their large outside area, which leads down to the water, where swans, boats and ducks can be seen.

The only thing that is sometimes variable is the service. The staff are generally very friendly and helpful and add to the relaxed experience, however, we did visit on New Years eve afternoon and were met with a very disinterested staff due to the preparations for New Years eve dinner party that evening. I would just say that perhaps if they have a big event to deal with, then perhaps it would be best to close early, as much of our order was forgotten about and I had to chase up three items which spoilt our new years lunch treat, unfortunately.

I am sure this was a one off though, and would recommend any of my friends, family or acquaintances to visit.

Date of visit: various in 2010 to New Years Eve 2010/2011

My marks out of 10: (10 being the highest)

Food – 8

Service – 7

Atmosphere – 8

Value for money – 8

Website: www.theanchorhullbridge.co.uk

The Anchor Pub and Restaurant,

Hullbridge,

Essex,

SS5 6ND

Telephone: 01702 230 777

Email: info@theanchorhullbridge.co.uk

Magic Mushroom restaurant Baarleylands Billericay Essex

I wanted to dine at this restaurant for a few years, and finally, we had a Sunday lunch – it was definitely worth the wait too!

We chose to eat outside in their terrace area, which was lovely since it was a warm July day, although the interior looked very comfortable and inviting too. The staff were friendly and professional, and nothing was too much trouble, whether it was asking for more gravy (I am very partial to it!) or asking information about the local craft shops in Barleylands.

However, the food was the star. As usual, I ordered beef, and not the pork, and wished I had, as Michael had pork, which delightfully came with apple sauce, cracking and stuffing, and I had to steal a couple of mouthfuls as it was so tasty and tender. This does not mean the beef wasn’t up to scratch – it certainly was – just that I should learn to differ from beef every so often. All the trimmings, including home made Yorkshire puddings and gravy were just right.

See the rest of the review after these photos – to see a photo in a larger format, please click on it and use your back browser to come back to this page….

Before this I had the prawn and crayfish cocktail, which sounds a safe choice, but it was a step up form the usual expectations of such a dish with a light, tangy sauce which perfectly coasted the seafood rather than drowning it. Simply delicious! Michael had the chicken liver salad – the livers were cooked beautifully, and the accompanying salad and dressing were completely complimentary.

Unable to resist the wonderful dessert menu, we had an apple and rhubarb crumble with custard and profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce to share, with coffees. Both were exactly as they should be and better.

All in all, a fabulous dining experience and we will be back to try the evening menu soon….

Food – 9

Atmosphere – 7

Value for money – 8

Service – 8

http://www.magicmushroomrestaurant.co.uk

Barleyland Rd

Billericay, Basildon CM11 2UD

01268 289 963

cosy starters cafe rococo november 2008

(I have added an update on this restaurant here: http://notjustanessexgirl.com/2011/cafe-rococo-in-leigh-on-sea-essex-let-us-down-big-time/ because I can no longer recommend this restaurant as I have below… (as of 19th October 2011)

The interior of Café Rococo is an elegant setting and very comfortable, with a professional service and a lovely wine list. 

 Food is exquisite and a mix of France meets Britain with some unusual and tasty items on the menu. 

 My seabass plate was the nicest dish I have ever had with this kind of fish – absolutely lovely and I would highly recommend this restaurant for special nights out in Leigh on Sea.

I have since been here many times in 2010 and have never had a meal or a dish we didnt like.  We have had their seafood platter (48 hours notice required) a couple of times and have never had lobster cooked so beautifully.  The chef here really knows what he is doing and he is very helpful to cater for his customers requirements. 

Restaurant name

Cafe Rococo

telephone

01702 711 141 

Restaurant address 

34-36 Elm Road, Leigh on Sea, Essex SS9 1SN

Website

www.rococoleigh.co.uk

 Date of visit

November 2008 and various during 2009, 2010 and 2011

Service Charge included?

 No

Average price per person for 3 course meal, excluding drinks

moderate (£20-£30)

How many dined? 

2

Value for money rating?

8/10 

Atmosphere Quality rating?

8/10

Service Quality rating?

8/10

 Food Quality rating

8/10

Masons Brentwood sunday roast lunch

Masons restaurant review -

We ate at Masons after going to a local craft fair, but were glad that we tried it. It is fairly smart, but fine for children for Sunday lunch, which is when we were there. We had an extended 3 course lunch and all the food was good. I would say the décor is a little sparse, but it is comfortable enough and modern.

The service is friendly and professional, and in keeping with the sort of restaurant. The food was fresh and delicious, and you can even get a mixed roast plate if you cannot decide between pork and beef! They also do chicken and lamb, so a good choice of Sunday lunch mains, as well as fish and vegetarian choices.

The menu for the evening looks fabulous, with much choice and the wine list has everything on it I would choose, such as Pouilly Fume, Carmenere, Chianti Reserva, Rioja Reserva, Syrah and Barolo.

With mains at an average of £15 or so, plus the supplements for vegetable side orders, it is not a cheap place to eat, but very good.

Restaurant name

Masons Restaurant

Website address

www.masonsrestaurant.co.uk

Restaurant telephone

01277 261331

Restaurant address

155-157 Ingrave Rd, Brentwood, CM13 2AA

Average price per person for 3 course meal, excluding drinks

moderate (£20-£30)

How many dined?

2

Value for money rating?

8/10

Atmosphere Quality rating?

7/10

Service Quality rating?

8/10

Food Quality rating

8/10

The service is friendly and professional, and in keeping with the sort of restaurant. The food was fresh and delicious, and you can even get a mixed roast plate if you cannot decide between pork and beef! They also do chicken and lamb, so a good choice of Sunday lunch mains, as well as fish and vegetarian choices.

The menu for the evening looks fabulous, with much choice and the wine list has everything on it I would choose, such as Pouilly Fume, Carmenere, Chianti Reserva, Rioja Reserva, Syrah and Barolo.

With mains at an average of £15 or so, plus the supplements for vegetable side orders, it is not a cheap place to eat, but very good.