STARK

4.8

56 Reviews

£41 and over

Modern European

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Good for special occasions
Innovative
Charming

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.

Additional information

Location
East Rd, Colchester, Essex CO5 8TQ
Phone number
01206 616430
Price
£41 and over
Cuisines
Modern European
Hours of operation
Wed–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa

Experiences

Tasting menu £90
£50.00 per person
Prepaid
Multiple dates available
A set menu of the chef's choosing. All guests eat the same menu each night and, because of this, we are unable to cater for any allergies or dietary requirements. An accompanying wine flight is available and needs to be pre-ordered at the time of booking. A pre-payment of £50 is required to secure the booking and this will be deducted from the bill on the day of the reservation.

What 56 people are saying

STARK reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
4.8Service
4.5Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

STARK offers a memorable dining experience with "absolutely exquisite" food and "impeccable service." The restaurant's intimate setting is praised for its "relaxed and calming" atmosphere. Chef Ben's dishes are "refined and complex," while Sophie provides "attentive service." Highlights include the duck liver parfait and a "superb" wine pairing.

56 Reviews

S
Sue
London1 review
5.0
Dined on March 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A little gem of a place, food delicious, beautifully presented and prepared by Ben and served with a big smile and knowledge by his wife Sophie. Highly recommend.
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D
David
Essex1 review
5.0
Dined on March 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our first time at Stark and we are already planning our next visit as it was a superb experience. We thoroughly recommend the restaurant, it fully justifies it’s Michelin star.
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T
Tim
Essex1 review
5.0
Dined on March 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We couldn't have asked for a nice evening. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were friendly and attentive.
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M
Matthew
Cambridge1 review
5.0
Dined on February 28, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The best food we have ever eaten. So glad we went and will definitely return. Also amazing service and venue
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M
Malte
London1 review
5.0
Dined on February 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food, very well prepared and presented, very good value for money. Small, cosy restaurant, very friendly.
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G
Guy
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely exquisite good, beautifully presented and delightfully served in a charming, peaceful environment. Perfect!
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D
Dionne
London3 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love this place and so glad they chose Mersea to show case their talents
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D
Dave
London8 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of the best meals I’ve ever had, friendly staff and interesting venue, will definitely be back
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K
Kevin
London3 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely food and excellent service. Well worth a visit.
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G
Graham
London1 review
2.0
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
Food is good not great. The restaurent was cold , the background rock music not our taste and the service was something you would expect in an average inn. No plans to return .
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FAQs

STARK is rated 4.8 stars by 56 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Experiences are available.

East Rd, Colchester, Essex CO5 8TQ

Additional information

Phone number
01206 616430
Price
£41 and over
Cuisines
Modern European
Hours of operation
Wed–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa

STARK

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Experiences

Tasting menu £90

Menu

What 56 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is STARK restaurant rated?

Is STARK currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information