ask in Basildon

It was OK but expensive. No car parking.

Been here many times, great service, quality food and drink. Happy to recommend.

always have a lovely meal here and always have great service.

Food came out quickly. Good service, I think our server was Joe

Went on a Monday night, enough staff to cover the quiet evening but the service was very slow. Water took 30 mins to come after asking 3 times. One Waitrose was extremely moody and sullen and made us feel like a nuisance for any request. I would question why she is in the service industry. Ask is not a cheap affordable family option like it use to be and is certainly overpriced for what you get, particularly in service. Shame, this was for my sons 13th birthday and we are disappointed with the experience provided for us.

Food ok, service terrible. One waitress could not have been more sullen and made you feel like any request was a nuisance. 30 mins for water to be brought, rudeness and not the experience we were after for my son’s birthday. Not worth what we have spent on 6 people tonight.

Very nice aesthetic inside, friendly staff and delicious food.

Very poor meal. Had to return 2 dishes as pasta not cooked, stuck together pasta, dish was barely warm. The second attempt was marginally better but not great. Very disappointing as previously had good meals at Ask in Billericay. Would not recommend. Staff were helpful and pleasant.

Restaurant was cold had to sit with jacket on, no atmosphere. Staff were rude with the kids when they asked for a drink. Took 90 minutes to get a pizza. Gluten free menu doesn’t have much choice. Had olives to start and they were just plain and so bland. Pizza was ok but quite oily. Definitely not worth the price. Wouldn’t return.

Food was great but not enough staff.

Order never turned up. Restaurant didn't want to know, they've been payed. Driver has conned me and got a free meal. I'd better get a refund.

Very disappointed my mother's birthday meal . No effort made to mark the occasion. limited menu not enough staff. small portion sizes especially deserts where there is little difference between their mini offerings and mains. Very poor value and service whilst our waitress did her best was disappointing for a special occasion. Wouldn't recommend and won't return.

My uncle brought me, and my cousin out for his daughters birthday got refused from the restaurant for basically been a traveller, they racistly profiled us before hand I checked if there was any available reservations when I went to the front desk to book a table they said “no sorry we’re fully booked” there was 1 table in the entire restaurant that was being occupied every other table was empty 0/10 racist restaurant

Very good experience, friendly welcome, nice atmosphere, food was great, staff were very attentive and helpful, all in all had a very pleasant Sunday afternoon, thank you.

Looked on the website Lots! Of availability for seating I went in the restaurant and because I had a Irish accent they were “fully booked” and there was maximum 5 people in the restaurant the racism this day and age is disturbing 0/10 wouldn’t recommend

Lunchtime visit. Service extremely slow with only 1 server trying to cope with approximately 20 covers. We explained we had time constraints and were assured that there would be no issue and our food would be with us 20 minutes after ordering. 40 minutes later the food hadn’t arrived. Eventually the starter arrived with the main course. The Caesar salad for £15.50 was overpriced with limp lettuce, overdone croutons and a small amount of chicken. Not a good first experience

Great service, lovely fresh food. Always have a great meal at this restaurant. Would highly recommended A****

We visited here as a family of three for a Father’s Day lunch. As soon as we entered, the staff were really lovely and saw to us straight away. I have been to many Ask Italians, but this one was definitely up there with one of the nicest. The decor and atmosphere was really nice, and the staff are very hard-working. The food was really good and definitely worth the money, especially the kids menu where the portions are a very big size. The food itself was delicious as usual, and the service was very quick.

Lovely people and excellent food

Tthere is a good variety of dishes available on the menu ,all very tempting , unfortunately this was not in reality. the food lacked flavour and apart from a very average pasta , there was very little else on the plate , which also was very scarce. These days some restaurants need to "up their game" ,i realise it is not the same eating at home but ---- for example , a meal deal from Waitrose across the road is far cheaper ,bigger portions and much better quality!

Nice old building and food very nice. Service was slow, one waiter for the whole restaurant at lunchtime, maybe 8 or 10 tables, is not enough.

Really clean place, Great atmosphere with lovely food, most of all the staff are really Courteous and extremely polite, Manager Lucas was on the ball with staff and food being under his control, would highly recommend

Jane, the waitress was excellent. She always gives us the best service with a lovely smile

Attended the Ask Italian in Billericay. Food was really good, superb service, and casual, unhurried experience. Particular shout out to Stephen, who served us, his attention was very welcoming, friendly, and, really importantly, took one of our young party's nut allergy really well, highlighting the menus outlining allergens very seriously. Right from word go, Stephen was on the ball, and paid so much attention to detail. Thank you, and we were reassured around this serious matter, and had a great time!

We are not at all impressed with the quality of the food. The chips were undercooked, the beef pappardelle barely had any beef brisket or sauce, it was mainly just plain pasta that was stuck together. It was definitely not worth the money, it was not restaurant quality and we will never be ordering from Ask again.

Me and my family had a wonderful time this evening thanks to Mia who provide a great service

Jane and Jacob were great, perfect service had a lovely time

Lovely food and amazing service from Anastasia tonight, thank you!

Had a lovely meal for starters we had zucchini fritters, roast potato fondue and lasagna bites , really tasty. Made all the better by the great service by Jane .

Food was cold, items missing and the quality of the food was poor

Very nice lunch and reasonable will go again soon

One of the Mains was missing from the delivery unfortunately but was nice when it all arrived

Missing all the sauces I even paid extra for robbery

Ellen was absolutely lovely. Our food was amazing. We had the ravioli and it was sooo yummy

Jane was amazing, it was fully booked when we first got there however with only a 30 minute wait she was able to squeeze us in instead of waiting almost an hour and half. Food and service was amazing highly recommend and Jane had fast service and a lovely server.

Ordered a meal (starters and mains) for 5 adults for collection at 5.15. A total of over £100. Husband went in to reception a couple of minutes before collection time and was informed it would be ready in a few minutes. About 10 minutes later he was informed the zucchini and gnocchi weren’t available. Not sure why he wasn’t told this on arrival? Having chosen an alternative for one of the starters which he was told would be only a couple of minutes he then proceeded to wait for a further 5 minutes. We were told there were a couple of desserts in the pack as an apology- shame we found out later that they were 2 slices of salted caramel cheesecake, not something any of us would eat. Worse was to come when serving the dishes at home. The loaded beef ragu fries starter topped with mozzarella had NO MOZZARELLA! The main course spaghetti pomadora topped with mozzarella also had NO MOZZARELLA! I phoned the restaurant and was informed that unfortunately they had not had the delivery that day and had no mozzarella. If the restaurant had difficulties with ingredients why couldn’t it have phoned me and given an option to cancel rather than being deceitful and allowing us to only find out once we got home. This was supposed to be an easy option for family guests to enjoy. Unfortunately, it was anything but stress free . So disappointing. (Still waiting for the promised refund)

Very disappointed with our visit to Billericay. We both had what they called a Premium Pizza. Frankly an insult. The base was bland and not what I call Italian. The tomato and mozzarella were barely there, too much chilli and frankly tasteless. Who said that it's premium, laughable. The restaurant itself is big and tables well spaced, pretty empty when we went. Wish we had gone to an independent. We usually go to Chelmsford and Lakeside.

My review was taken down so thought I'd post it again since they are trying to cover this up instead of addressing it. I ordered home delivery and what I received was a joke. I have attached a picture of what we ordered compared to what we got. I spent £60 on our order and was so looking forward to a nice pizza and this turned up. I can't believe the nerve they had to send this out to us.

Had a really lovely time at Ask this evening, fantastic service and really nice food. The staff went above and beyond to make our experience as best as possible!

Food was ok really not special tho £125 was pricey for what we ordered if I’m honest , this incl one alcoholic drink a glass of wine and 3 sifts so cost was entirely food

Delicious food and great service 😋

Bit shi7 really. Food poor... Service good

Uncooked dough and incomplete starter. Second time I’ve had poor food/service from Ask. I won’t order again, it’s a waste of money

Cosy atmosphere, delicious food

Felt like deliveries where priority over customer in restaurant...

Went as a group for a family meal. Food was good for a chain restaurant. Would return for sure. Reasonably priced.

My wife and I had an excellent Valentines day lunch, as always here food was delicious, Staff friendly and helpful, well done Jane, on leaving we booked for our next visit.

Karl was absolutely fantastic and made us all really welcome x

*disclaimer, the service rating is purely about waiting time not our server!* The food was great, the service was a little slow but our server Ellen made up for it, she was super helpful and really friendly and approachable with anything we needed. thank you Ellen for a great time! We took our leftover food home and Ellen was more than happy to help us with containers, bags, and she noticed how much we loved the chilli oil so have us a small pot to put on our leftovers which was really sweet!! She also took the time to top up our bottle of wine throughout our meal! :) Thank You Ellen!

Worth the wait but the wait was long

We went here one evening with nine people for a family birthday. Service was slow from the start of the meal, although the young male manager was polite. We got our starters and drinks relatively quickly, but the gap between starters and mains was then over an hour. The restaurant was almost empty - there was our table and three or four others - but at one point we saw the staff packing several orders for delivery, and they weren’t in a rush to get to our orders. If you’re going to offer a takeaway service, make sure you can still serve the customers in your restaurant! Our pizzas were fine but the pastas were cold and not very appetising. No one took our drinks order apart from the first round, considering we were there for over two hours. One of our party went to the front desk to ask to speak to the manager about our bill as we weren’t happy with the food and the service, and was dismissed rudely by one of the waitresses before they tried again successfully with another waitress. Not sure what happened - obviously we were a slightly bigger than average table but nothing out of the ordinary. Would expect much better service and food for the price.

We had a lovely meal, the food was great especially the carne piccante calzone. I regularly visit ASK and think the prices are quite reasonable. I look forward to the welcome fresh lemonade however, unfortunately we didn’t get it this time. The waitress who showed us to our table hardly spoke to us and we then went on to wait approx. 15 minutes to be offered drinks - it was quite busy though. We were served our starters and the cutlery and napkins were chucked down, followed by the plates which I was disappointed about as other tables had already had cutlery set. It wasn’t a very personal experience at all which was a shame but the food was good.

A very pleasant evening Christmas Eve . food was good ,Service too .its what we have come to expect from Billericay ASK . Trust me not all are as good as this one .

Amazing place. Took my daughter for a dinner. The food was very, very tasty. My daughter can be fussy about food, but not here. She enjoyed every dish we ordered. Service is pleasant too. Thank you.

Got totally ripped off, charged £19.80 for playing cards we were told were a gift for the children from ‘the elf’ was told it couldn’t be refunded over the phone, went into the restaurant for the refund and it still hasn’t appeared on my online banking 24hours + later. Avoid unless you want hidden charges on your bill

Usually really enjoy the Billericay ask when we dine in but ordered take out yesterday and it was appalling, the calzone was the size of a single slice of pizza and had literally nothing inside it, how the chef thought it was acceptable to send out for an almost £20 meal is crazy. Totally disgusting

Foods great, service even better - always with a smile, what’s not to like.

We were supposed to have chips and they were missing

The food was good as usual but the service was not. We waited quite a long time after the starters and then two meals came out then the third meal came out and we had to wait for the fourth meal and one of us had to get up from our table to find someone to ask for more drinks. We were very disappointed with the lack of service on this occasion.

Had a lovely time and great meal

ASK Italian in Billericay is a culinary gem that consistently exceeds expectations. From the moment you step in, the warm ambiance and attentive staff make you feel right at home. The menu is a tantalizing journey through authentic Italian flavors, featuring well-executed classics and innovative twists. Each dish is a masterpiece, showcasing fresh, high-quality ingredients. The welcoming atmosphere, combined with the perfect blend of tradition and modernity, ensures a dining experience that leaves a lasting impression. ASK Italian in Billericay is a true celebration of Italian gastronomy, and it's a delightful destination for any discerning food enthusiast.

I usually don't bother giving bad reviews, but I feel I need to say something... I'll start with the positives, the food was very nice and the company was great. It took about 10-15 minutes to take our drink orders and a further 20-25 minutes for the drinks to turn up. We did remind them 3 times. I had given up timing the rest, but it was a long time before we received our mains. I think the thing that annoyed me the most was when I told the manager (assume he was the manager) whilst paying the bill about the service, he didn't even say sorry, just made some story up about running around in the kitchen trying to organise things. Word of advice... even if you dont mean it, just say sorry!!!

Popped into Billericay's ASK Italian for dinner last weekend and it was honestly faultless. The restaurant was perfectly clean, the service was impeccable and the food was brought to the table in good time. We really thoroughly enjoyed our time here - Thank you for having us!

Been sitting in the restaurant for 1 hr 20 mins so far..and I'm still waiting for a pizza. The waiter is friendly but the kids are starving. Not sure whether to continue waiting or go somewhere else....suspect I'd eat sooner if I did to elsewhere. Sadly I wish I never came here.

Had a great dinner on 15th September. Food and service were excellent. It's never going to be like eating in Italy but the antipasto and Gran Riserva Peroni were very tasty! Recommend.

Very nice service. Food portions are on the smaller side but tasty. Overall, it was a pleasant experience

Requested deliver for 7.30, arrived at 8.15

Took about 90mins. Food was cold. Restaurant didn’t answer the phone. It was so spicy it was hardly edible. Avoid

I LOVED the food it was amazing

We have been put off visiting here a few times as the entrance section smelt like toilets! But we had a voucher so we gave it a shot and we are glad we did. We sat at the back (away from the smelly entrance) and the food was lovely and staff were super friendly. We loved the atmosphere and I’m sure we will be back!

Beautiful food and charming staff

Excellent food and service. Friendly staff.

Wildly overpriced for very average food. Starter sent back as it was cold. Sea food pasta had very little sea food in it. I don't know how much you have to pay these days in a British restaurant to get a half decent meal. Avoid this one.

Very nice Italian on the high street. Good menu and tasty food

My family have been to this restaurant many times. They have a nice interior with tables and chairs as well as tables next to a sofa with chairs on the other side as well as a cosy fireplace for the winter. They offer you a free taster of their homemade either lemonade or raspberry lemonade on arrival which was very nice and available to order from the menu. The menu is diverse and plentiful with pizzas, pastas and other mains as well as a smaller kids menu. They have lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The service is relatively fast.

Good food friendly helpful staff

1st Visit to Ask, courtesy of a gift from friend's Daughter. Welcome to Ask was cheerful, warm & friendly, was shown to our table by LD Blue Hair Although just a bit chilly at this spot, asked Jordan if ok to move, which was absolutely no problem. Enjoyed a lovely Dinner & Dessert. Service was led by Alan who was cheerful, welcoming & very attentive, in particular to my fiends allergies No Peppers No Chillie's. Both Dinner & Dessert thoroughly enjoyable. Would very much recommend a visit, although best to Book your table in advance gets busy. Many thanks to Chefs & All Staff who made our visit really enjoyable.

Prepare for a tale of a perplexing dining adventure at Ask Italian in Billericay. Picture this: we walked in, excited to indulge in some delicious Italian cuisine. Little did we know that we were about to embark on a surreal journey through an abandoned restaurant. Upon entering, we eagerly anticipated the warm greeting of attentive staff. Alas, reality struck with a vengeance. We stood there, patiently waiting, for a staggering 20 minutes. To our astonishment, there wasn't a single staff member in sight. It was as if we had stumbled upon a ghost town rather than a bustling eatery. As minutes turned into an eternity, we began to wonder if we had entered an alternate universe where diners were left to fend for themselves. Our attempts to catch the attention of anyone in the vicinity proved futile. The silence was deafening, broken only by our rumbling stomachs and incredulous whispers. Now, don't get me wrong. We appreciate a quiet dining atmosphere, but this was on a whole new level. It felt as though the staff had embarked on an impromptu hide-and-seek tournament without informing the customers. Spoiler alert: we were not in the mood to participate. In the end, we reluctantly bid adieu to Ask Italian in Billericay, with a mix of frustration and disbelief. We couldn't help but wonder what had transpired behind the scenes and whether the restaurant was operating under some mysterious, invisible management. To future diners considering a visit to Ask Italian in Billericay, we advise you to proceed with caution. While the allure of Italian cuisine may be enticing, the risk of encountering an empty void of customer service may dampen your appetite. Here's to hoping that our experience was an unfortunate anomaly, and that Ask Italian will soon re-emerge with a staff presence worthy of its customers' expectations. Until then, dear readers, may your dining adventures be filled with attentive servers and bustling establishments.

My 19 year old daughter took her mum out for dinner tonight at Ask Billericay. We hadn’t booked but were given a spectacular welcome by the gorgeous Alan ( you can call me Al!) who was hosting the place single handedly , escorted us to a great table and did a fabulous job! Food was absolutely delicious! Piping hot, served with a smile and simply delicious! We had the signature beef Ragu and a pizza. Enjoyed every bite! Fresh, tasty and beautifully prepared and cooked. Well done to Alan, 5 star service ! You are an absolute credit to your company x

Sunday evening 9/7. It started ok with the waitress taking orders and serving. No problems but then she vanished (guess end of shift). We were left with the 2 guy jokers. Ask for bill but then he carries on cleaning and laying tables (guess he wants a quick getaway). 15 mins later ask for bill again. Bill arrives with incorrect extras added. Get his attention eventually and comes back with a corrected bill. Wait 10mins trying to pay then give up and pay at bar. The joker there even asked if we want to leave a tip. On way out see the other joker having a fag in the side alley. Why walk away after giving us the bill. First time on a Sunday and never again. Last time in May they seemed to have a new manager and a lady with blond hair and service was excellent. Here is a tip - Dont leave this pair of clowns in charge again even on a Sundays

Restaurant is nice on the eye, service was average I'm afraid, atmosphere awkward.....food was ok, expensive for what it is, and not particularly well presented. Shame really.

Great authentic food! Had complementary Italian lemonade as we chose food. The garlic bread with either real or vegan cheese was superb as a starter. Margarita pizza, vegan lentil ragu, fettuccine bologna and the ravioli truffles were all delicious. The Sicilian lemon tart was authentic and the salted caramel sundae amazing. We had a variety of drinks - all lovely. And they take Tesco Club card vouchers!

Not enough staff. Many items off the menu. Couldn't provide the desert they were promoting. Very poor.

Ordered here two days in a row the first day I waited over an hour and gave them benefit of the doubt and food was nice so ordered again and it took 2 hours. Unacceptable when their wait is stated as 25 mins.

Amazing service, beautiful food and just a beautiful atmosphere, will definitely return, and a million percent recommend 💖

Food was tasty as always however my pizza was cold where it had been sat waiting for the rest of the order.

Had a lovely family lunch, waiter was very helpful and attentive.

We took the kids for Sunday lunch and definitely wouldn’t go again!! This place is nothing like it used to be. Firstly we had a fairly abrupt and rude man taking our orders… the table they placed us on was nowhere near big enough so we had absolutely no space. When our starters arrived they basically had to strip the table of everything just to fit the plates on, I really never understood why these generic chain restaurants think two adults and two kids can fit round these tiny tables. I had “the much loved” calzone, it looked good but when I stuck my fork in it , it deflated and it was very measly, I think there was probably about 3 bits of pepperoni in it. My daughter had the Stromboli pizza which was nice. My wife had the seafood linguine which was average at best. My youngest had chicken goujons with roast potatoes which was cooked with zero love or seasoning. The worst part was when I asked for the bill. When the waiter came over with the card machine he had set it to a 15% tip and was very pressing in me accepting this. He showed me I could reduce this if I wanted to be fair but this is not a good way to do business.. I really felt if I was an elderly couple or a vulnerable person I would of pressed accept without really knowing what I was doing. Tips are optional ask!! Don’t pressure people into it. I’m known to be a generous tipper but when the service is not good I don’t give anything. We certainly wouldn’t go back. It’s a shame because 15 years ago this restaurant was lovely

Lovely food,in a nice atmosphere,we will go back again.

Our waiter Alan was absolute star, great experience and wonderful food made a truly sensational evening. Really nice time, would come again!

Restaurant didn’t have order ready after 1 hour and a half and it was cold. Courier was helpful- not his fault at all. He tried his best and waited a long time for Ask to make the pizza

I only ordered this because my children and I were unwell and I couldn’t cook. I waiting over an hour and a half for the food to come. The restaurant had already made the food straight away so it was sitting out for the entire time until a driver finally became available. Unacceptable, we were all so hungry as we hadn’t eaten all day.

Very nice experience and genuinely friendly staff. The pizzas were also wonderful making the whole evening extremely pleasant.

Ordered the new dish, truffle ravioli. Small portion, not hot enough throughout, garnish of courgette ribbons almost invisible, apparently was grated. Flavour bland, not noticeable truffle flavour. We complained, told one of 2 meals would be removed. Waited too long for the bill, went to the till, the bill was wrong - twice. But the lemon chips were nice.

Sadly the Ravioli filled with ricotta & served withTruffle Butter did not live up to the hype of the 'new' menu. It had very little flavour & the courgette ribbons as detailed in the description were actually 'grated' according to the member of management we complained to. The Lemon Chips however were tasty & I'd order them again. A shame because this is a restaurant I visit often with no problems in the past. I'll go again but hopefully this was a one off.

Under new management I think and what a great experience - amazing service and delicious food. The pizza is especially good. The staff were really extra helpful and with our 2 year old too. Felt very welcome. Will be going again soon!

Atmosphere was top draw Although super busy, we were well looked after, attended too promptly Food was incredible! Hot and tasty Gatis surpassed expectations of a well rounded Manager and kept everyone happy and everything under control

Between arriving and thr main course was 3 hours. And more than one of our preferred meals were unavailable. The manager, and server were very nice, and did not charge us at all, which is why 2 stars, not 0. I will certainly give them a try another time, and hope to give a better review.

Lovely restaurant and staff. Nice ambience. Pasta fresca marinara was delicious and sooo tasty. The prawns were ok, not as fresh as I'd like but it'll do. Will visit again if ever in billericay.

Great tasting food. Delivery was late and one of our meals had been upturned in the bag.