Astare in Braintree

Used to go a lot. Prices have sky rocketed since it first opened so my visits have been less regular. Attended earlier in the year, and the meal was ruined by fellow dinners, family of 6 sat in the middle of the restaurant. Great parenting displayed by giving their child an ipad, on full volume for the whole restaurant to hear. Im not against kids in restaurants, and fully expect noise and tears, but the sound of peppa pig mixed with the ambient restaurant music is unbearable, and inconsiderate. I bought this to the attention of the staff, but nothing was done. I only paid half price, by refusing to pay full, not because it was offered. Returned last night, and same again, only this time adults, firstly playing videos loud on their phone, then finished their meal and made a video call. Again, staff did nothing. Ive seen a better class of dinner in mcdonalds. People that inconsiderate should be asked to leave, especially in a restaurant charging what they charge. If its loyd enough for me to notice, then the staff can hear it

Went for the first time last night. Amazing service. Lovely decor and the food is simply fantastic. The flavour was mind blowing. I will be back. Loved it. Great job Astare

Wonderful place, warm and welcoming

Christmas party with a small group of colleagues. The food was outstanding. Be mindful of not over-ordering, as they bring out delicious hot Turkish flatbread and dips initially. The portions are very good and the food is all cooked to order. So, service 10/10, food 10/10, atmosphere 10/10. Highly recommended and will definitely be back.

The food was very tasty. We did the lunch time 2 course meal for £13.99. So great value for money 💰.

Nice design of restaurant and comfortable to sit in. Chicken was ok. Meat in the moussaka was plain, dry and flavourless. Rushed out at the end of the night just before closing time. Told dessert wasn't an option and told to come in earlier next time. Yep, can u believe it? No discussion of this when we entered the restaurant at 10pm. Spent £150 in that short period of time and felt rushed. No need for this -especially as a private restautant. Its not like its a big chain restarant. Was expecting more of a homely, personal touch. Not a great way to ensure your customers return.

Great place, the food was fantastic

Fantastic restaurant have eaten here many times. The foodand service is fantastic as are the staff.

Incredible restaurant great food and service absolutely recommended

Lunchtime delight with a couple of friends..lovely!

One of the best restaurants in Witham. Food is delicious and the staff are extremely helpful, friendly and professional. ❤️

I would to highly recommend Astare restaurant as the best grilled and flavours. The ambient is nice and relaxing and the serving is always on time. I would return with pleasure.

Beautiful comfortable restaurant, very attentive friendly staff and great service. But above all, the food is amazing. Will definitely return

If you like kebab you will like it here. Great tasting food and highly recommended. You will not leave hungry.

Myself and a very well behaved young child went for an early dinner. Restaurant was very quiet looked like there were far too many staff and even though it was so quiet we had about 4-5 different servers throughout visit. The staff on the service were polite however, the restaurant as a whole lacked the usual warmth and genuine hospitable feel of most great Turkish Restaurants. The vibe of the restaurant was very lifeless not enjoyable at all. All the waiters were polite and when I asked for a mock-tail that matched my cocktail they were very accommodating. The food was a huge let down unfortunately. Main culprit was the bulger/rice mix that came with my dish, it had spoiled meaning it had not been stored correctly or just purposely left out. That to me is unforgivable, The Turkish Bread did not seem fresh or cooked all the way right something was not how it should be. The salad lacked the beautiful notes of pomegranate molasses, sumac, whilst there was a lemon wedge it just did not have the lovely flavour it could and should have. Whilst the lamb was soft the usual seasoning that should surround and penetrate the meat were just not there so tasted rather bland. The other guest who was with me chose chicken nuggets and chips and at £9.50 for what it was I think 3/4 nuggets and portion of chips I think that is a lot. After just mains and a drink you still get added service charge which is fine so just be aware. When I only left a small tip in addition to the service charge the atmosphere became considerably more frosty. Ultimately The money would not ever be a factor as I personally have often spent £500+ on a good restaurant in my opinion this is not a good restaurant. Its overpriced and seriously under delivers. What is unforgivable is serving the spoiled food which both myself and other little guest are having poorly stomachs because of since early hours. I have left many a Turkish Restaurant raving about it and cannot wait to return this unfortunately was not one of them and I am fairly sure unless some bug overhaul happens I will not return. God knows how they are still in business with the restaurant being like that so many staff for absolutely no reason often standing and looking out the window.

Great! Lovely food, friendly service and relaxed atmosphere.

Interior finish is really nice, quality surroundings, fittings and furniture. The food is a clear 10/10. We had the lunch time menu, it looks as good as its tastes. Blown away!

Excellent food, great service from attentive staff, very clean. We had a small family dinner and everybody was pleased and impressed. We'll be coming again.

If you like Turkish, then this is the place to go. Friendly staff and great food.

Never been here before but me and my husband both love Turkish food so we visited for our 10th wedding anniversary. Staff were polite friendly and attentive and the food was so delicious and fresh. We'll definitely be coming back. Very quick service to considering how busy it was being a Friday night!

My favourite place to go for a Turkish. The food is amazing and the staff are attentive. Never had a better piece of salmon.

Honestly one of the best restaurants I've been to all year and I've been to a lot of overpriced ones in London. Kudos to the waiters and chefs. Literally everything was perfect: the food, the service and atmosphere. I've had a lot of Mediterranean food as I used to eat at a Greek takeout place as a student regularly, but this is next level stuff. My dad who hates eating out even seemed pleased. Will definitely be back.

Still The Best in town. Excellent food great service. Staff very friendly always got a smile. Very welcoming.

Great food, great atmosphere and excellent service. Couldn't believe we got a table as its always packed.

Great food, and attentive staff. Will be back soon

Came here for a last minute meal with my partner, staff was very attentive and food was delicious! 🤤

Had a lovely meal there tonight, efficient service, friendly and welcoming staff x

A welcoming atmosphere, wonderful food. Quick service with delightful waiters. Only downside is the 10% service charge. Added £25 to our bill. There was 6 of us for birthday celebrations.

Incredibly tasty traditionally prepared Turkish food! We went for dinner there on a weekend night, was very busy but the service was friendly and easily 5 stars. We didn’t have to wait long at all for bread and dips to start, wine, water then our mains all under an hour. Recommend the mixed grill & chicken sarma. There is parking at the rear of the restaurant as well. Highly recommended for Turkish food lovers!

Nice decor and clean environment. The service was fairly decent all though you do feel abit rushed in the restaurant. I had a mixed grill, The chicken wings were slightly overcooked for my liking were slightly dry the rest of the meat was satisfactory. Nothing not to like about the food just very average! I think this restaurant is slightly behind it's competition for example Sark in Maldon or Mosaic in Braintree is much a more enjoyable experience and the food is cooked to a higher standard.

Great place to visit, great atmosphere.

Great food, friendly and attentive staff. Starters were amazing. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend

Very good food and nice atmosphere friendly staff high quality and recommend places thanks 💯

Lovely meal and clean place to eat

Friendly stuff and very delicious meal...

The most attentive service, delicious food and reasonably priced. I took my mother here for Mother's Day and she can be quite picky. She was won over by the delicious hot starter for 2 meal and then her sea bass. The rest of us were also delighted with the food and great service, despite them being busy. You get a massive thumbs up from us and we'll definitely be back

I had whitebait for starters was a pretty big plateful very nice. Then for mains I had the lamb ribs. They come up with no sauce just very tasty not small portions. Very busy so must be a good place.

Lovely mothers day lunch with my beautiful family xxx

The most attentive service, delicious food and reasonably priced. I took my mother here for Mother's Day and she can be quite picky. She was won over by the delicious hot starter for 2 meal and then her sea bass. The rest of us were also delighted with the food and great service, despite them being busy. You get a massive thumbs up from us and we'll definitely be back.

Really friendly staff and the food was beautiful. Will definitely go back.

The whole experience was superb. The staff are amazing as is the food Worth more than 5 stars

A brilliant restaurant, amazing food and fantastic atmosphere

Good food with plenty of choice , we were a group of 6 and found it hard to talk to each other across the table as the music was pretty loud. Very busy evening but waiting time was minimal.

Great experience, good atmosphere, waiters very friendly. Went for my birthday and celebrated with my friends, at the end of the evening they brought over a cake and sang happy birthday to me without being asked. It really made my night

Lovely food and service. Lacks atmosphere

Lovely food, great service, hugely inflated prices. A bottle of Turkush pink fizz £36.90, mains averaging £18 and upwards. I couldn't fault the food, but nearly £5 for a couple of tablespoons of tarama is ludicrous, as I used to shop in Turkish super markets and get 500g for £3 max. I understand the need to make a profit but this is just extortionation.

Excellent food, great service and nice environment, I really liked this place.

One of the best Turkish restaurants in Essex. Big shout out to Ayhan!!!!👍🏻👍🏻

Love the atmosphere, food and hospitality. Definitely must go place.

It was a bit of a shame, the food did not reflect the cost or service. My mushroom starter was tinned mushrooms, not great, the meat was a bit chewy, ok, but not the best, however the staff were very helpful and friendly. Not sure I would bother again!

A very good restaurant best in the braintree Witham area always good food never had a bad experience always happy to see you

Great atmosphere, lovely decor, food amazing and staff so attentive and friendly. Visited many times with friends, a definite go to, highly recommend!

I really recommend this place, the food is perfect, big and also stuff is wonderful and really helpful.

Great food. Very good service. Friendly atmosphere

Lovely food and a great meal out. Starters were slightly above average, and the meat platter was really well cooked and seasoned. Shame there is no doner meat on the platter however. It was quite noisy and packed in, and the male toilets are upstairs so beware of that for accessibility issues. Other than that, recommended!

Delicious food, lovely atmosphere!

Excellent food and service! We were a large group 15 but were catered for superbly. Excellent hot and cold choices and children’s menu was good too We will return

It was Absolutly awfull not cooked properly couldn’t finish it salad wilted meat like offal not barbque properly some of it cold left with stomach cramps within half hour of eating some of it wouldn’t recommend it seriously bad all show no go

Been on the loo all night after eating in this place terrible experiences would not advise going here

Absolutely love this place!! The food is really good, tasty, well presented and amazing value for money. The staff are great too! Will visit more often.

I had a date there with Orange Bombshell, she was amazing and everything else was on very high level, except couple next to us staring at us. But i believe they had their reasons for that .

I recently dined at Astare Turkish restaurant with my family and we had a fantastic experience. The food was delicious, and the flavors were mouthwatering. The restaurant's ambiance was cozy and inviting, adding to the overall enjoyment of the meal. The staff was friendly, making me feel right at home. I'll definitely be coming back for another delightful meal.

Just a lovely lunchtime. Staff attentive but not intrusive

Food was amazing staff were very welcoming will be back

My friends and I really enjoyed our meal here. The food was cooked really well and was delicious; it was very fresh and not greasy at all. The service was very efficient. Large clean restaurant. I would recommend eating here.

Fabulous meal. Highly recommend this restaurant

Astare has been recommended on a few occasions so we decided to try it out. We were given a warm welcome and the atmosphere was nice. We ordered the set menu and was very impressed. The portions were good and it was all very tasty.

We had a lovely evening at Astare! Booked an early table, and the restaurant soon filled up. We had starters of Halloumi and spicy sausage, both delicious! For mains we had the chicken and lamb sarma beyti, also just as nice. Lovely wine and cocktails. Really good restaurant with great staff members. Highly recommended!

Food was very nice very typical Turkish food which I love!!! But sad to sad the service was not so good very rude waiters and management needs to crack a smile once in a while been here many times and always the same! Can say only go for the food definitely not the service.

1st visit - very impressed - food was excellent and service too. Lovely environment and authentic music in background.

Very cosy place, great choices of Turkish cuisine, prices are good. Sadly,staff not the most happy /chatty people. As it wasn't very busy when we went,staff just pasted up/down,made me feel uncomfortable. We had a problem with a cocktail and there didn't care less to make it right. Staff didn't really make you feel special. Food was great, service not the greatest.

Me and wife have been many Turkish restaurants in our region but we never seen any restaurant like here ..friendly ,atmospheric and most importantly delicious Turkish food We absolutely love it

We have been to Astare several times over the last few years and are always impressed with the food, atmosphere and service. The garlic king prawns are the best I’ve ever had! Can’t wait to go yet again!

Disgusting service over the phone from the manager/ owner. We ordered online and only received part of my order. Was told, ‘what the hell do you want me to do?’ over the phone. Then manager/ owner hung up phone rudely on me. Despicable service. How dare you talk to a paying customer who has just been conned out of a meal that way! We will be actively avoiding this restaurant and advertising their horrendous customer service. How dare you. Paid over £77 for 3 meals and starters to only receive half. Told it wasn’t their problem. Should not be in service if thats the way you treat paying customers. Shameful!

First time i visited with my daughter for my birthday. The service was brilliant,the guy who served us was very helpful and friendly The food itself was amazing.everything was piping hot and so full of flavour , the portions were very filling. Will definitley be...

Not worth the money one has to shell out for low quality and bad tasting food. Disappointing is an understatement. A kebab takeaway in the industrial estate in Witham serves far tastier food for less. Don't waste your money. You will be left with nothing...

Astare is forever our go to for Turkish food! We have been so many times and never been disappointed. Portion sizes huge, lovely fresh salad along side your main meal every time.

We visited again for the first time in a couple of years and the food, service and surroundings are all the same great level as before. The lunch menu remains fantastic value, albeit a little more than two years ago. There are good options for...

Lovely traditional Turkish food with a modern feel! Staff very attentive and felt we were looked after well. Chicken Iskender was delicious!

We were very well looked after and as I dont like spicy things the manager helped me with my choices. The food was amazing and so was the service.

Meal with friends Been this place quite few times,always busy,fresh and nice food. Definitely will be go there Again. Thanks

We have been there with my family. I will recommend everyone who are fancy about Turkish Food. Astare is the one of the most delicious Turkish Restaurant around essex. Food was absolutely lovely. Service was friendly and very quick. Very warm and friendly atmosphere.

Visited for a small family birthday meal, as always the food and service were first class. The restaurant is always spotlessly clean with the highest attention to detail and nice decor. The staff are attentive without being overbearing and the food is always freshly cooked,...

We use this restaurant about once a month , but no more . Food good service good a nice place to be .But what used to cost £45 for two is now over £70 for two , that a big increase in less than 2...

We took some important clients here for lunch and it was fantastic. The service was second to none, the food came quickly which was great as against the clock and the food was beautiful - really fresh and flavoursome. All the clients commented on how...

Maybe I’m too old for this sort of place, but certainly is expensive style over substance. Not even cooked on a bbq, so no lovely smokey flavour

choice of the birthday girl and what a great choice. From booking it and from the first moment we entered until the moment we left the service was excellent. The staff were so friendly and helpful. No issues with birthday cake that we brought in...

The service was excellent, fast but not rushed and very friendly. The food was flavoursome and delicious and the atmosphere was excellent. It was very busy which was lovey to see and a sign of how well the restaurant is received.

The sharing starter was amazing, however, my seabass main was disappointing and over priced for the amount of bones that had to be removed from each mouthful, so much so I had to ask for a bowl for them, this put me off so I...

Have been twice now, outstanding food with incredible service. I look forward to coming back soon!

Staff polite and helpful food is great

Great food, great atmosphere. Will go back again soon.

Amazing service and over all great food

Very popular. book to not be disappointed. fast efficient staff but not rushed. on street parking opposite

Lovely place to go and eat. Food good, service good, staff very friendly, prices average to a little above average, but overall highly recommended. Well done Astare

Their food is amazing!! Got a takeaway this evening and the food was ready to collect on time and the order was complete. The food is very fresh, delicious with generous portion sizes. We have tried other restaurants but these are the best.

Really good food & atmosphere. We hadn't booked but were offered a table straight away. Definitely the best Turkish food outside Turkey!

Superb food nice atmosphere and friendly service we will b back

My first time, lunch with my mum for my birthday, food was excellent, will definitely go there again.

Excellent food and Excellent service very friendly and welcoming. Recommended anyone to pay a visit you won't be disappointed.