Diners' Choice: Good for business meals restaurants in Essex

OpenTable

Updated July 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are great for business meals 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!

Smiths Restaurant Ongar

4.8

4.8 (5198)

£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

Jane

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious food very tasty, good portions except little disappointed with the Scottish langoustines for the price not much meat , scallops good size , loved my main of Dover sole , sides excellent too , really enjoyed .Staff very welcoming, polite and attentive

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4.8

4.8 (1462)

£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

paul

Dined 5 days ago

Fab as usual, good food and very good staff. Will go again

Black Rock Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (724)

£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

Katrina

Dined on Jun 18, 2025

My husband said it was the best steak he has ever had. It was beautifully presented and good portion size. As his vegetarian wife, my Halloumi wrap was delicious as were the chips but apart from a salad my options are very limited. Even offering a halloumi burger along side your other burgers would allow me a different option. In saying that, I know we will definitely return and if you like steak it's not a place to be missed.

Banquet Chinese

4.7

4.7 (1755)

£26 to £40

Cantonese

Colchester

About the restaurant

Start the the New Year with 25% off your total bill until 19th January.
Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Sunday from 5pm.

Banquet Chinese is a restaurant and venue unlike any other found in Colchester or North Essex today.

This is Chinese food the way it is meant to be experienced! Our mouth-watering dishes are cooked to perfection by award-winning chefs using only the freshest and finest ingredients.
The interior has been carefully chosen and imported from China to create a genuine and sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy your lunch or evening meal, perhaps together with a bottle of wine from the well rounded wine list supplied by Liberty Wines.

Top review

Russell

Dined 1 day ago

As always great food and friendly service food service came I reasonably time

The House by Hilly Gant

4.7

4.7 (1292)

£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

Eddie

Dined 3 days ago

A little gem of a restaurant in a small unassuming side street in Braintree Essex Essex. A lovely old building with a tastefully presented dining room. The food was imaginative and came in substantial portions. If this wasn’t enough the staff were extremely friendly and very professional. We had the pleasure of meeting the kitchen team at the end of service and this only served to confirm our opinion that this is a restaurant of extremely high quality. We are looking forward to our next visit.

Carluccio's - Fenwick Colchester

4.7

4.7 (426)

£26 to £40

Italian

Colchester

About the restaurant

Here at Carluccio's, we’ve always been true to our Italian heritage and what food really means to us. The best ingredients, from the best regions, cooked with love.

Top review

Alan

Dined on Jun 13, 2025

Our first time eating here it was a pleasant surprise the food was delicious the staff fantastic and we will definitely go back soon

Hasturk

4.7

4.7 (735)

£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

Jodie

Dined 2 days ago

Great place great food service was brilliant the staff are very attentive and always checking in.

Caesar@Dolphin

4.7

4.7 (270)

£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

Paul

Dined 3 days ago

Great food and super friendly service, the previous reviews are well deserved and accurate!

Kara Lounge & Grill

4.7

4.7 (1346)

£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

Triston

Dined on Jun 27, 2025

Found a nice gem in the local area! Great food and great service. I’ll definitely be returning. Massive thanks to our server Gokhan, a great guy with great recommendations!

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Sévine Brasserie & Bar

4.6

4.6 (214)

£25 and under

Mediterranean

Harlow

About the restaurant

Treat yourself to a culinary adventure at our delightful restaurant, where we offer a fusion of Mediterranean cuisine. We are pleased to accommodate group bookings and look forward to welcoming you.

Our restaurant is conveniently located in Harlow within the Water Gardens. Whether you’re joining us for brunch, lunch or dinner, book a table now and experience a wonderful dining experience with us.

Top review

Aileen

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

Light and airy cafe bar with great ambience and service

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