Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Essex

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance 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!

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

4.8

4.8 (2830)

£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

Katie

Dined 4 days ago

This place is amazing I cannot fault it at all. The food,the decor ,the staff and cocktails are out of this world and well worth the money you will not regret going.

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Experience

The Nutcracker - Weekends £55pp (£15pp deposit)

Experience

VIP The Nutcracker Weekdays £55pp (£15pp deposit)

Experience

The Nutcracker - Weekdays £50pp (£15pp deposit)

The Punch Bowl

4.8

4.8 (34)

£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

Karen

Dined 5 days ago

Lovely cosy pub. Fabulous service. Very friendly helpful staff. Food was delicious, and definitely worth the money. Will recommend, and definitely be back

Smiths Restaurant Ongar

4.8

4.8 (4828)

£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

Rebecca

Dined 4 days ago

We had a lovely dinner at Smiths. The food was delicious and the restaurant catered well for dietary requirements (coeliac & dairy free). The fresh homemade gluten free bread was one of the best I’ve tasted and was a lovely touch. The Parma Ham, fig & walnut salad was my favourite, followed by the Dover sole. The restaurant had a young group of waiting staff who provided exceptional service. The service was absolutely faultless and of a high standard. Staff were welcoming, friendly and had a good sense of humour. Despite arriving later than planned, staff were incredibly accommodating. I would highly recommend Smiths and look forward to dining here again in the future.

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Popular dish

Brixham Dover Sole

The Eyna

4.7

4.7 (805)

£26 to £40

Turkish

Basildon

About the restaurant

The Eyna is a new, refreshing, traditional Turkish cuisine coming to the heart of Basildon. With a open-plan dining experience, open kitchen & central bar, we're sure this will be your perfect location for all types of events or casual dining.

Top review

Carly

Dined 4 days ago

Been twice now and had the best experience both times

Caesar@Dolphin

4.7

4.7 (240)

£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

Martin

Dined on Dec 18, 2024

Great lunch. Booked a business lunch for 2 on a Wednesday before Christmas - we were the only ones in the restaurant which was a bit disconcerting and made me question whether I had got things wrong but I need not have worried. The food was excellent - very well presented and extremely tasty and the service was very polite and efficient (as expected when only 2 people in the restaurant!). I was advised that they are usually busy and things were manic from that evening onwards until there New Year so hope this was the case and the restaurant will continue as I would happily eat there again. Would happily recommend.

Black Rock Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (707)

£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

Alex

Dined 7 days ago

We chose black rock for my sons 18th birthday meal. The food was fantastic, the service was brilliant and the atmosphere was great. The table for 4 was a little small and 2 of us had to straddle the table leg but that didn't deter from our experience. Definitely worth choosing the stone over cooked to order was the consensus.

Hasturk

4.8

4.8 (695)

£25 and under

Turkish

Braintree

About the restaurant

Here at Hasturk, we have over 20 years experience in the restaurant industry. We are well versed in good hospitality and serving fresh, handmade food.

We’ve used experiences from our own heritage and traditional food back home to create our menu for the much loved Turkish which is now widely known.

With an array of meat dishes to freshly caught seafood and wide selection of authentic appetisers, you can be assured everything at Hasturk is carefully sourced and deliciously prepared and meets our standards.

Hasturk is a family run, Turkish restaurant with a modern twist. We aim to serve our customers the very best of Turkish cuisine, welcoming everyone in with open arms. We’re ready to offer you a dining experience that you’ll remember!

Top review

Iva

Dined on Dec 17, 2024

I like my fish and seafood so I have chosen king prawns in garlic butter for starters and it was divine. Sizzling butter , mouth watering prawns. Really good. For main I had an octopus which was very good too. Can't fault. Finished my meal with a very strong turkish coffee Definitely would return

Le Bouchon Brasserie & Hotel

4.7

4.7 (1167)

£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

Martin

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent experience as always. This was our third visit in just over a month and the experience has always been amazing. Thank you and merry Christmas

Lot Bar & Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (1367)

£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

Amanda

Dined 4 days ago

Haven't been to Lot for years. Very pleasantly surprised and will definitely be a much more frequent visitor.

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Popular dish

Paella

The Anchor Danbury

4.7

4.7 (1469)

£25 and under

British

Chelmsford

About the restaurant

WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR A BREAK FROM 25/12/24 UNTIL 06/01/25
RE-OPENING ON TUES 7TH JAN.
The Anchor in Danbury is the epitome of an English Country Inn, boasting beautiful traditional beams, quaint shining brass and a warm welcoming atmosphere which has made this pub a firm favourite for many years.
We have a lovely large garden with a fun children's play area, great for keeping the kids entertained while you catch up with friends and family over a relaxing drink or with some great food.
- Four legged friends are welcome at the pub, please ask our friendly staff for confirmation on which areas can accommodate you as we do require that dogs are kept out of the main dinning areas.
- Please note reservations with a dog are necessary, and can only be taken over the phone on 01245 222457 stating you have a dog.
- If you have a pushchair/buggy we ask that you call to make reservation, due to limited space.

Top review

Hayley

Dined 6 days ago

2nd visit to the Anchor in the space of 3 days and again was great food and lovely staff! I’m new to the area and I’m so pleased to have found this gem. Will be back!

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