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Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Essex

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Updated November 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!


A photo of Mad Dogs & Englishmen restaurant
4.8
4.8 (2744)
£26 to £40
Afternoon Tea
Leigh-On-Sea
About the restaurant
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. Enjoy the eclectic surroundings of this unique venue.
The Botanical Rooms is upstairs and hosts our cocktail bar. Here you can experience Afternoon Tea from Wednesday to Sunday during the day and enjoy the fairy-lit bar on Friday and Saturday evenings. We host live Jazz and soul on some evenings.
The Piano Lounge with it's vintage leather sofas and a mixture of eclectic styled furnishings is situated on the ground floor alongside our Whisky Bar. You can enjoy an Afternoon Tea with Piano accompaniment on Sunday afternoons or sample some of our extensive Whisky cocktails on Friday and Saturday evenings. We have live Jazz performances on selected evenings.
Please ensure you select the correct venue and experience for your visit with us.

Top review
Neil
Dined 7 days ago
Had a lovely afternoon and decorated perfectly for Harry Potter but called dogwarts which is brilliant. Staff were friendly and helpful and we asked for plain sandwiches which we recieved. Cute little extra on table which was a potion. A lovely little touch.
A photo of The Punch Bowl restaurant
4.7
4.7 (24)
£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
Chris
Dined 7 days ago
Really lovely evening spent listening to the music of Isabel Inkcap. They had worked hard to create the right atmosphere and seating. The food was tasty and good service. A really great evening definitely be back.
A photo of The Eyna restaurant
4.7
4.7 (765)
£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
Rita
Dined 3 days ago
Luxurious restaurant, great atmosphere, very attentive staff, fabulous food, lots of it. Great value. We really enjoyed it and will be back.
A photo of Smiths Restaurant Ongar restaurant
4.8
4.8 (4712)
£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
Jan
Dined 1 day ago
First visit, not last! Excellent service, friendly, helpful, but not fawning. Food delicious and plentiful, so hard to choose from the range of delectable choices. Ambience fantastic, felt part of something, but tables far enough apart to also feel intimate with own party My group enjoyed a wide range of foods and we were all delighted with our choices, as well as being tempted by what each other had! Can’t recommend enough. I will definitely be returning. Yes, it’s dearer than some other restaurants, but you get what you pay for and it was worth every penny
A photo of Hasturk restaurant
4.8
4.8 (687)
£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
Tracy
Dined 4 days ago
Have been a few times and the food is always amazing best Turkish for miles very good value for money and nothing too much trouble.
A photo of Lot Bar & Restaurant restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1331)
£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
Joanne
Dined 7 days ago
Excellent food & service. Had a lovely evening with friends.
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A photo of Kara Lounge & Grill restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1170)
£25 and under
Turkish
Grays
About the restaurant
We are proud to serve you one of the healthiest and most well-balanced Turkish and Mediterranean food in Essex.

Our dishes are prepared freshly upon order, using authentic recipes, traditional cooking methods with finest ingredients.

Our focus is to provide the highest quality of service available.

Top review
Lorraine
Dined on Oct 28, 2024
Always fantastic food. Staff lovely & helpful. Drinks pricey but overall a great place to eat.
A photo of The House by Hilly Gant restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1185)
£41 and over
British
Braintree
About the restaurant
We've been serving the people of Braintree and beyond since 2015 and in that time have humbly become ‘one of Essex’s best restaurants.’ We have received recognition from the AA, having been awarded an AA Rosette for ‘culinary excellence’ for five consecutive years, and then in 2023 we received our second rosette, putting the restaurant amongst the top 10 restaurants in Essex. Our food is of course one of our main focuses, but we don’t just stop there. Attentive, relaxed and friendly service is as important as the food and our objective is to make your visit an enjoyably memorable one. Our exceptional wine supplier, Peter Watts Wines (based up the road in Coggeshall) allows us to offer you delicious wines of an exceptional quality. Then add some cocktails, jazz, personality, creativity, a few hidden quirks and we like to think this all culminates to create a truly wonderful experience. Life is about memories; we want to be part of your best ones.
Top review
Miles
Dined 6 days ago
We love this restaurant and now it’s also had a little makeover. We think the paint job inside is great and the new tablecloths and little lights add to the ambience. Not sure about the external paint colour, but as they say ‘it’s what’s inside that counts’ and it certainly does. Some nice additions to the autumn menu and some interesting specials too. Nice pace of service and great to be recognised on previous drink selections too. Lovely food, great service and nice environment for a Thursday night out - well done
A photo of Black Rock Restaurant restaurant
4.8
4.8 (698)
£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
Richardvip
Dined 4 days ago
Lovely meal as usual,great service Favourite restaurant
A photo of The Anchor Danbury restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1440)
£25 and under
British
Chelmsford
About the restaurant
*Christmas Parties 2024* Please call to book on 01245 222457 and find our Festive Menu on our website!
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.
- We only take reservations for our INDOOR tables.

Top review
Janet
Dined 5 days ago
Great staff, good food and nice atmosphere, will definitely come again
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