El Pulpo in Braintree

Lovely evening upstairs with table and chairs as downstairs is high stools and high bar like tables. A bit expensive but worth it for service and food 👍

Outstanding dining experience for me .. This by far the best restaurant I've been to in witham ...okay to be fair it's the only one....but I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. It's quirky and cosy with a great atmosphere The staff are top draw in my opinion... especially Debbie a great lady...me and the wife loved it and will be back and back and back....11 out 10

A memorable dessert experience, to say the least! I was the only one in my group to order dessert, and when it arrived, the waitress called me “little piggy wiggy in the corner.” While I appreciate humour, I wasn’t quite expecting farmyard commentary with my treat. Perhaps a bit more tact would make guests feel more welcome. Thanks for the unforgettable moment! Good is always good though

Fantastic food, great wine selection and run by a really friendly couple. Going back there again tonight!

Food amazing! Sangria amazing! Connor amazing!

We visit Whitham 3/4 times a year to see Family. We cannot bring ourselves to eat anywhere else. It’s a unique setting with amazing food. So glad we stumbled across this gem of a place. The food gets better with every visit.

We visit Whitham 3/4 times a year to see Family. We cannot bring ourselves to eat anywhere else. It’s a unique setting with amazing food. So glad we stumbled across this gem of a place. The food gets better with every visit.

1st time visiting this establishment on Friday. Immediately greeted, genuinely polite and helpful staff, cosy restaurant and really good food!

1st time visiting this establishment on Friday. Immediately greeted, genuinely polite and helpful staff, cosy restaurant and really good food!

Tapas and cold beer! What's not to like about that? Great food, freshly prepared. Served with passion

Absolutely Brilliant not visited for a long time but still as good as the first time. Could not recommend it higher

Great food, great service and atmosphere and the owners and staff are brilliant.

Love it here. One of our favourite places for Tapas. Staff are friendly and attentive. Food is amazing and everyone in there is seen to be having a good time.

Just visiting the area but found this and was very happy with all aspects. Lovely staff, excellent food and well priced so all very good and recommended.

this great little tapas bar really exudes Spanish dining. I would be recommend this place

Absolutely loved this restaurant and everything about our visit was brilliant. The waiter and waitresses were friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. Book well in advance if you want to sit on the ground floor.

Excellent family run restaurant. 5star FSA! Definitely going back.

Visited to celebrate a family birthday. All the staff are friendly and helpful, from the moment we arrived, attentive barman, to the cheerful ladies who served our food. The food is absolutely amazing. We ordered a couple of dishes each to share: Pork belly(highly recommended), Chorizo in Rioja, cauliflower bang bang, calamari, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and lemon chicken, I'm not sure how we had room for dessert. But who can resist chocolate brownie and ice cream. Really must visit here more often to eat.

Lovely experience with great food.

I’ve been here a couple of times before and never written a review, but it’s long overdue. This place does not disappoint, lovely friendly warm service from the minute you walk in to when you leave. You can tell this place is independently owned, the love and care that goes in to it is evident! Atmosphere was buzzing from when we entered (I’d like to add it was a Wednesday night and felt like a Friday)! The owners greeted us, and said our name for the reservation before we had to, which makes you feel really valued as a customer! The best croquettes and squid I’ve ever eaten (I say this every time), so much so, we ordered more along with the rijoca chorizo (it’s to die for). The only one thing I would say, and this is constructive and not at all criticism, because the night was 10/10. We were served by the young blonde waitress, and as lovely as she was, we did ask a few questions about the menu that she had no idea about. No judgement here at all, as she could be new or helping out and not regularly there, so I appreciate this might not be a true reflection. However, with so much love and care that’s gone in to the menu, it might be lovely if all staff can share the small details and a basic level of knowledge. That is the only thing I can suggest to have made the whole experience even better! Still 5 stars all round! Thank you for having us, we will be back!

Our favourite restaurant in Witham, having been here a few times before the food, service & drinks are superb. We went yesterday for bottomless brunch & by far the best value brunch I have ever been too, relaxed atmosphere, no pressure with what was being ordered either, 100% will be back again soon.

My wife and I went for the first time on a Saturday evening, after they were able to squeeze us in last minute. We sat in the bar area which had a great atmosphere with brilliant service from all of the team, including the chefs. The food was brilliant, save for the calamari, which wasn’t to our liking. We will definitely be making the trip to Witham, to come again!

Popped in on the off chance of getting a table for two around 4.30 on Mother’s Day Saturday and was originally told “no” then asked to just wait for a bit while they double checked. We were really grateful they took the time to accommodate us on what had just finished being a busy brunch session going into a busy evening. Every single member of the team seemed to speak to us at some time during our visit, their chemistry is what makes their restaurant top notch! Loved the 3 sisters - so warm, fun and friendly! The young chap who flitted between serving and clearing up was great too. The food was great, service prompt, drinks choices extensive and atmosphere was brilliant. On talking to the owner’s partner at the end he informed us they’ve tweaked a few things over the years but as we said to him I feel they’ve struck gold with it now, all the cogs are turning perfectly. Well done to the whole team! Ps Espresso Martinis were perfection

Really good food. The 3 for 2 tapas were great and their specials of the day also. 6 dishes are more than enough for two people. Recommended

El Pulpo is just brilliant! All the team run just like a large family and cannot do enough. Zak the chef produced the most amazing paella and i can’t thank you all enough for a great christmas lunch party.

Fantastic atmosphere, possibly a bit loud, but that's part of the fun. Food pretty good overall, some every good, service excellent. Will be back.

Great good service was superb Could not find fault good value the atmosphere very good love sitting on the high chairs in the bar

Food here is always 10/10. I’d recommend a table upstairs as downstairs can be really noisy and you end up being knocked constantly by the people at the bar. I’d recommend for tasty tapas 🤤

Bottomless brunch with friends, love this place, if you haven’t tried it then you should, food, drinks, staff the whole experience was amazing Can’t wait to go back

My wife booked this to celebrate our anniversary we have just moved to the area and decided to give this place a try . We have a holiday home in spain so have experience in eating good spanish cuisine and were very pleasantly surprised how authentic and delicious the food is at el pulpo . The restaurant itself is a fantastic mix of old English low beams and slopy floors and rustic spanish furniture and artefacts which gives it a great atmosphere . Staff here are efficient and friendly making the whole evening a very lovely experience. We will definitely be back

This is a great place to go with your spouse or friends. I live in London and I never experienced the quality of this tapas restaurant in the capital. Octopus is the must to try plate. Felicidades al pulpo y sus trabajadores. En especial al chef

We have just returned from a Saturday bottomless brunch. The food was fantastic and quickly brought up. The service was exceptional, our glasses were kept topped up, the staff were very attentive and made us feel very looked after. The ambience of the restaurant was brilliant, we can't wait to come back and do it again.

Great Spanish tapas lunch I have visited El Pulpo several times and it's always served good quality food freshly cooked, no microwave in sight just great food and ambiance. They do specials like three for two on tapas on Tuesday Wednesday. Bottomless brunch and paella Tuesdays. Great friendly staff, fully recommend this place

Went here last night it was amazing 3 dishes each is more then enough. Bread and olives to start was nice. Never had ox cheek before but tried it it was amazing. Defo will be going back for paelle tuesday.

amazing food, fun and lively atmosphere with great spanish music. A real credit to the cool couple who run it!

Lovely little restaurant/bar. Great tasting tapas food - about 3 tapas plates was more than enough for lunch per person.

Incredible! Me and my fiancé just recently moved to Witham and we love to find little gems to dine and enjoy a nice meal at and my goodness was El Pulpo one of the best night outs I've had in a long time. We started with a pleasant and warm welcome from the team and sat right near the entrance where we could enjoy views from the chefs cooking, music playing and drinks pouring from the bar. Me and my partner were recommended to get 3 dishes each but we went for an extra dish plus an appetiser because we was very hungry haha! We've been to a few tapas places in our years of finding great places to eat, so we knew what to expect but that didn't stop the waitress from giving her humble, pleasant opinions on what type of food to recommend and what's on the chefs special list....amazing hospitality! The cheese and ham croquettes were to die for and they compliment other dishes when mixed together. I loved the pork belly, it was seasoned perfectly, soft, and the crackling was unreal. I had no complaints with all of my dishes, they were all tasty and plenty to eat, you won't be disappointed on portion size. We'd highly recommend this lovely independently run restaurant and loved it that much we have booked again for next month! Keep up the great work El Pulpo.

Fantastic restaurant with amazing food. A bit expensive but so worth it. Service was lovely and staff were incredibly friendly. Cocktails were strong, although a tad bit pricey but you really do get what you pay for. Will be coming back

I had an excellent meal in this restaurant the Tapas was better than I’ve had in Spain Staff friendly and attentive We’ll worth a visit, I’ll be taking my family next time

Lovely atmosphere/decor and the staff were brilliant. Food was good. Rather expensive for the portion sizes. Service charge automatically added on top too.

Such a chilled atmosphere, felt very comfortable. Pork fillet was a delight, white Rioja went down very easy. Dave and Susan the perfect hosts, attentive without being intrusive. Thank you xx

Wow. First time we've been here for many years. We were blown away by the food and the service. Just beautiful. My husband had the perfect birthday. We came for lunch and left on the last bus back to Maldon! Thank you so much. What a lovely couple you are and what fantastic chefs you have. We will see you again soon! Carolyn and Kev. X

absolutley amazing brunch with amazing service, beautiful family run resturant that serves exceptional food. Will definitely be back!!

Great food, great service, lovely menu executed really well. Thursday evening dinner with my daughter. Have been a few times before, but greeted like family. We had prawns which were good, calamari which was amazing , dressed crab with light Asian seasoning and amazing fresh coriander and chilli.

First time visiting .. the food was very tasty although a little on the pricey side .. but that is why a night out here is a special treat

Lovely lunch on Saturday X yummy good and great atmosphere

Our Bottomless Sangria brunch was brilliant! Their tapas is amazing and so tasty. Such a selection, will be back to try what we didn’t manage. Great service too!

Excellent restaurant, great vibe, quality food and not the tiny portions you often get in these places. Highly recommended

Went for a few drinks and tapas at the bar last night - food, service and atmosphere were excellent.. and the cocktails!! Top notch bartending from Josè (really hope I’m spelling that correctly!) - will definitely return soon.

Living in Spain and here on business I was a bit skeptical about whether they would do the food justice. But Bravo El Pulpo!! The food was excellent and some of the best tapas I’ve had. Friendly helpful staff and service. Definitely worth a visit.

This is a great restaurant with a great atmosphere. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. The downstairs area is cosy, very traditional and love that it’s an open kitchen. Will definitely return.

I love this hidden (or perhaps not so much hidden) gem of Witham - the restaurant was busy, with a great atmosphere and food beautiful and authentic. Drinks are delicious and will definitely be going back for another dinner with friends. We sat upstairs and atmosphere was just as good as when we went last tie and sat downstairs by the kitchen, which was my preference but even so had a great time. The venue is a very old so even if your not drinking when you get up to leave the atmosphere and flooring make you feel giddy - you'll know what I mean when you go and get up after a few wines upstairs! Will be back for a bottomless brunch for sure!

A little treasure in Witham High Street. We have long wanted to try this tapas restaurant so today was the day as we were local. The dishes we had were fab specially my dish from the special board - Beech Smoked Mackerel with horseradish & beetroot. That was my dish of the visit. The cheese & ham croquettes were also worthy of a mention. Perfección. A great wine & sherry selection. El Pulpo (Spanish for Octopus/Cephalopod) is small so book early if you are a big party & want the small upstairs dining area.

Returned again for the Valentines Special. Top quality food, with good menu choices across all three courses. Excellent service, a free glass of Cava, and a take-home treat for us both. What more could you want.

Wonderful restaurant. The food, staff and atmosphere were all faultless. The food was absolutely delicious. We loved how the dishes we ordered arrived as they were prepared and ready straight from the kitchen, so we kept getting all our delicious dishes hot and fresh. The staff were so friendly and attentive. The toilets were immaculate. Can’t recommend this wonderful restaurant enough.

Great atmosphere and food was beautiful and authentic.Drinks were delicious and will be back for bottomless brunch.You have to make a reservation as it’s fairly busy all the time.Best belly pork and paella around.

We go there every week as food is excellent and service fantastic this is one of the best places to eat in Witham

Absolutely love this restaurant! Very good service and scrumptious, fresh food. Staff are very friendly. Great choice of food and drinks.

My second visit and a short review. I will review just one of the splendid dishes which was octopus with a negroni rice. It was an absolute delight with such depth of flavour. These dishes are made fresh by the hardworking chefs at the open...

Excellent service, great choice of food that comes in tapas style dishes. I love it, you your friends and family can sample delicious 😋 meals that can be shared. My granddaughter’s love small portions and they have a choice of food to sample. Please note...

I came with my sisters for a birthday bottomless brunch and I can honestly say that both Andy and Leslie who served us were both fantastic and very friendly, cant recommend this place enough the brunch is such great value for money too, the lamb...

We just got back from a lovely meal at El Pulpo. Staff were very friendly and welcoming and the food was lovely. The place is quite small but has a cosey vibe and great atmosphere. We had about 8 tapas plates and all we great....

Quality from the minute you walk through the door Staff,drinks,food and atmosphere. I have visited this restaurant several times on whilst in Buiness and socially. I do live approx 220 miles away but any time I am in the area this is the first place...

on our way home popped into Witham and found this gem!! The food was sublime and service was great totally recommend this to anyone who likes tapas and small plates

Went here for evening meal. Tapas were all great but very average paella so not sure why you have to order 24 hrs in advance. Service attentive and friendly. Will go again

We love this place as the atmosphere is one you can settle into. The specials are always superb and the owner has taken real care with the menu to make sure it's authentic. The wine and drink selection is great as is the bar itself...

Kept hearing good reviews, and decided to pay a visit early Saturday evening. Bar area in front was buzzing and we were greeted by Sue the owner, and a great barman. It felt like we were being greeted as long lost friends. Thank you for...

The food here is amazing! Random Monday lunchtime visit. The monkfish, octopus and croquette tapas were my favourite. Octopus cooked to perfection. Good little find. Will definitely return.

I was taken here for my birthday and I was very pleased at the amazing selection of food and very friendly server, Kim, who was helpful in choosing what to eat. The food is fresh and well seasoned and there was no shortage of choices....

Being new to Witham six months ago, we stumbled across this place just before Christmas and loved the food and service so much that we decided it was the right place to celebrate my partner's 50th birthday this month. El Pulpo's did not disappoint!! They...

We visited on 22nd May three of us. I ordered gazpacho day before .(traditional Spanish cold tomato soup) ..it was delicious as chef made two..one with beetroot...wow so tasty and one with almonds more delicate ..could have eaten another as so good. We ordered a...

Love it...always great atmosphere...super food...try it...enjoy...

Great choice of food, wine and the owners and staff were very welcoming. All of our food was cooked to perfection. We sat downstairs and it was a great buzzing atmosphere. 10/10 all round from us and we will definitely be going back.

The food is amazing, the portions are generous and the service is fantastic. Far and away the best restaurant in Witham!

As a Spanish person living in the UK, you get used to the sound your soul makes as it rips apart every time you go to the supermarket to find paella being sold in the refridgerated aisle. This equally applies to most restaurants pledging "authentic...

I was expecting big things but food wasn't amazing, staff were lovely and it's a nice setting but felt food lacked flavour and came out one by one

Benidorm in Witham. Very average food. The price of the tapas is not reflective of quality and quantity…if you touched the calamari with a napkin the grease would just inundate the napkin and we are taking about 6 calamari rings at £6.50…The two most decent...

Olivia and Carla were absolutely professional and gave a first class service. They were exceptional and cannot praise them high enough. Superb.

I’m a regular here whether it’s with Husband or friends. Menu always being updated with the latest specials and never had a bad meal here. Our favourites are the croquettes and pork cheeks. Great atmosphere downstairs in the bar area. Friendly staff, what more can...

Food nice ,staff good seating in my opinion not the most comfortable!!!. This was down stairs.

Absolutely great! We stopped in for some tapas and a wine for Saturday lunch - our first time. Amazing selection of tapas, all SO delicious! A lovely vibe inside too with perfect service and plenty of wine to choose from. We’re looking to move to...

Love the food...great atmosphere...super staff...try it. You won't be disappointed...enjoy.

I always mean to write reviews but never seem to get around to it but ... If you like Spanish tapas, you must travel to here. We live in London and came before seeing my niece in Guys & Dolls. I booked at short notice...

Just found this place and very impressed

So many awesome dishes to choose from, many of which are gluten free. The scotch egg is a must! Service was excellent. Great atmosphere downstairs.

I have eaten here as a couple several times to take advantage of the lunchtime offer of 3 tapas for a £14 if I recall correctly. The food is freshly cooked in an open kitchen area and has always been faultless. The lunchtime offer has...

It's nice to have a change from the normal run of the mill restaurants/chains and this is a great example on the main drag in Witham. Usual range of Tapas dishes plus a few specials which are very tasty. Staff are friendly and helpful.

We’ve been here before multiple times but this was the first time for the bottomless brunch. Wow. We definitely got our monies worth! Fresh, hot tapas dishes and regular top ups of our drinks, often without asking, for 2 whole hours, what more could you...

Great food and really friendly staff

We stopped by here last Saturday lunchtime after seeing the restaurant on a YouTube vlog. We are in the process of moving to Witham and wanted to check El Pulpo out for ourselves as we love tapas. We were certainly not disappointed, and we will...

Amazing food, very kind and accommodating staff. Bottomless tapas and drinks on Saturday is the best, delicious food, brilliant selection and excellent value for money.

Booked for Saturday night and were told the only table available was downstairs - didn't matter to us as we had nothing to compare to. Our table was right next to the open plan kitchen so we could see everything being prepared if we looked....

It was our first time visiting after recommendations, and it exceeded all expectations! The food is amazing, but so is the service and ambience! A truly wonderful experience! Thank you to the waitresses, and also to the chefs.

Food was okay, a touch pricey but had a calm atmosphere and such lovely staff, definitely a good place to chill out

Went with some friends for the first time, for dinner here and was great the staff were so nice and the food was amazing definitely going back.

Really friendly and quick service. Food was very tasty, loved the prawns, squid and lamb particularly.

I'm not sure why we haven't been here before!? What a gem. Great atmosphere. Friendly and attentive waitress who was very knowledgeable about the menu. Food was very tasty, we have already decided what we'll have next time we come! Thank you fir a great...

Have been to El Pulpo a few times now. Booked this time with friends and sat in the Captain’s Room. The service (as always) was excellent, very friendly and very attentive. Nice check in from one of the owner’s too. Food was excellent, some great...

Had another lovely meal here tonight. The dining experience really is spot on...not rushed, great food and wonderfully attentive staff. Has become one of our favourite restaurants!!

I may be a little bias because it is so near to me, but love this restaurant. Quality food, great atmosphere, lovely hosts and staff. Top nosh.