The best restaurants in Tendring East of England

Worse shish kebab I've ever tasted soggy cold and tasted horrible

Pleasant staff Short wait while my cod & chips were freshly cooked Light and crispy batter tasty chips Old world charm well worth the walk to the end of the pier

Come on Morrisons get a handle on this cafe. We used to visit often but things have seriously gone downhill. The wait for food is frankly laughable and usually at least 50 minutes. Your drink comes well after eaten food and sometimes not at all. Ordered two same dishes no comparison at all. Tables covered with dirty dishes and waitress/ waiter just brings out food and walks past filthy tables with a blasé attitude. The staff are miserable rude and couldn't care less about their customers.Broken coffee machine for days. The cold drinks in fridge are never cold makes me suspect not working or plugged in ? Usually not filled up with choices. Napkins and Cutlery empty and no napkins. Orders not done in order. It's like it's being run by a team of puppets and when you dare to speak to a manager you get enough flannel to wash your entire body. Response i will have a word we short staffed. Not my issue mate it's your job to make sure you employ enough staff to cover. My best advice avoid and go to another cafe or home.

We eat here most weeks either for breakfast or lunch (sometimes both!!) and I can honestly say you will hard pushed to find better. The staff are fantastic, friendly, efficient and nothing is too much bother for them. If asked they will adapt the meals to your preference without any complaints. The fish and chips is still the best in Clacton, fish is juicy with lovely crispy batter and no grease, chips are the same. I can not praise the staff or cafe highly enough.

This cafe wins the prize for rudest customer service in my whole lifetime. There is no excuse for rudeness I understand they might have had a bad day but no need to take it out on customers especially as my husband had just died, quite upsetting for them to be so unwelcoming. We will stick to Flagstones such a different experience

Alfresco’s Restaurant, Marine Parade E, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 IPU, Essex Staying in Walton-on-Naze for a week in September was a revelation – there was the iconic Naze to the north of town to explore and those spectacular beaches both sides of the pier to enjoy. The pier itself, by contrast, was rundown and in need of some real TLC - then there was the state of the town centre. There may be a couple of new mid-size supermarkets (looking fresh, familiar and full-of-life), but the high street that once was and the line of commercial shops have … faded. Why? The place seemed stuck in the 1950s. Hadn’t anyone invested in the place since then (well, apart from Messrs. Aldi & M&S). And what has all this to do with Alfresco’s place? Well … in a roundabout way it does for Clacton when we drove over there for lunch one day was bursting with confidence, bright lights, buoyant commercial centre, pristine pier and lots of people bustling around the centre. The two towns are 13 km apart. It was this thing about contrast that came across. Sure, it’s been many (many … many) years since we were last in both places – growing up in central Essex, the coast was always within easy reach, first for those seaside holidays in the holiday camps that once were then, subsequently (amazingly), personal transport became affordable. First the motorbike/scooter then the car (and the girlfriend). What’s not to love about the NE Essex coast of those days. After parking the car in Agate Street just off Marine Parade we headed for the pier looking for a place for lunch. There was Alfesco’s place a little further down Marine Parade East and overlooking Clacton Pier; to one side of Pier Gap where the road slopes down to the pier. This is where the road-train starts/finishes its tours around the town. The restaurant was one half of a building with a ‘Food Court’ sign across the roof line; the other half was a fish&chips place. We subsequently found out that they were both owned by the same people - neatly providing for both traditional seaside foods and for those who prefer the foods that have invaded from North America and/or southern Europe in recent years. We headed into Alfresco’s Restaurant – through the outside courtyard into the snazzy-looking glass-structure that enclosed the inside dining area with the counter at the far end. Seating for around 50 inside and outside at four seat/tables and benches. We were the only people in the place and, it seemed, lunch was finished for the day and the place was about to close up. Glance at the clock - it was just after 14.30 – and mine host was amenable to a couple of jacket potatoes with side salads; ‘Easy’, he said, ‘everything is set up’. Friendly … we liked that. We were seated with our drinks and food within 10 minutes. It was, as he said: Easy. The meal was delicious too – large hot potato, cheese on the side and sufficient greens to supplement those carbohydrates. The wall above and to one side of the counter was awash with food options of all kinds – sandwiches, grills, burgers, lasagne, fish, jacket potatoes, sides, etc. – jacket potatoes were an easy (and tasty) choice for us – the second time that week. We hadn’t thought about convenience to the restaurant – it just worked out that way. Service, approach, comfortable table, good value and delicious light meal – complimenti. We paid GB£15.45 for the meal: GB£5.50 each for our meals and finishing with a pot of tea and a cappuccino. It had been a pleasant 40 minutes looking out over the surrounding courtyard and pier below – where we headed after leaving Alfresco’s for a quick tour around. The place was alive with people; the fairground activities buzzing with the vitality that only electricity can provide – light, sound, movement. Peter Steele Maldon Essex 21 October 2019

Terrible, the worst halep kebab I have ever had and the most expensive. It’s supposed to come in a specially prepared tomato sauce which is usually thick, rich and tangy with the odd slice of mushroom and green pepper. What little sauce there was in this one was watered down tasteless tomato which turned the sliced pitta to mush in the bottom of the tray, no extras just watered down tomato, the meat wasn’t very nice either, thin, narrow strips. Horrible. Rip off. Won’t be going back.

Food was absolutely awful. And we bought a variety. The jacket potatoes were old and dry and inedible. Rock solid on the bottom and impossible to cut with even the sharpest knife. The Tuna wasn't even mixed with mayo, they just squirted a bit over the top. The pizza was complete cardboard and flavourless, one slice and it went straight in the bin. Chips seemed refried? Again inedible. Cheesy jalapeño bites were OK but clearly just basic frozen Iceland food. Never again. Also trying to contact the restaurant was odd. I called probably 9 times with no answer and when eventually I did get an answer, the guy didn't know what was going on. Didn't appear to know what was happening at the restaurant. He sounded in bed or half asleep. He gave me two different numbers to get hold of restaurant both of which were not in service?

I've eaten here a few times and it has been good. When I visited today, a customer was telling the front of house how bad the food was, and I ignored that, due to my previous experiences, however, I should have taken note because the hotel has decided to employ an incompetent chef. If this hotel wants me to spend money there, they need to employ competent staff. They haven't. I won't eat there again. Ever, and you shouldn't either. You've worked for your money, and spending it should be in a place that respects your hard earned. Boycott this sham of a restaurant.

Now The Golden Wok and have done a review for this here, the Golden wok is a great takeaway and i hope they stay open as it has become out go-to Chinese food takeout.

I had a footlong Meatball Marinara for lunch about an hour ago, from within the outlet rather than from the "Drive Through" part. The Sub itself was very nice, perhaps a little expensive, but the wait to get it was not appropriate in my opinion (probably ten minutes?). There was one customer in front of me that was being served as I got there, and two behind me. It appeared that there were a number of staff in the outlet, but only one allocated to the inside service counter and the Dive Through was not busy.. She was doing the best that she could, but at least twice one or another of her colleagues passed by the counter without acknowledging that there was a queue or trying to assist. Will I go again? Probably not.

Cold & damp and cold! And late And COLD!

Food pink inside and I paid for meal deal £8, didn't get cold saw as says on menu not happy!

Very friendly staff. Good food. Not so keen on the music a bit young for us. The desert was fabulous Toffee and Honeycomb cheese cake. The Shiraz wine was also very good. Good service from DaisyT

It was very nice will order again next weekend. Prices are very good too