Estuary restaurant in Southend-on-Sea

Visited The Estuary by chance after watching a show at Cliffs Pavilion. Served by really friendly waiting staff. I had the all day breakfast which was perfectly cooked. Speed of service was very good. Would definitely recommend.

Breakfast was cold (restaurant wasn't busy) poor quality food - scrambled eggs cooked in microwave so we’re stringy /presentation!!! and so overpriced! Overall a Sloppy approach

Always a pleasure to eat here. Great food, great service.

Overpriced, it’s Southend not Mayfair! Staff not friendly no welcome, way over priced for cooked breakfast and at midday the large breakfast is stopped and replaced by the all day breakfast that is identical but £1.75more? Needless to say, I left and had a great breakfast next door for half the price.

Love but we both felt chilly could have put the heating on!

Awfull! I’ve been a few times before and never had a problem antill yesterday lunchtime. The waiter young girl mid 20s, never seen someone with so much attitude before! My food came but not my drink I asked 3 times for it, I ended up having to go get it myself from the bar. I wouldn’t eat my food by the time I got a drink it was stone cold! I asked for the bill she slams it down on the table. Never once did I get asked how my food was or anything when she could clearly see if hasn’t been touched.

A quick lunch with delicious food and quite large portions. We had Bang Bang Chicken wrap and a Steak Ciabatta both with curly fries and salad. They were freshly prepared and served quickly.

£17 for a ham and cheese ciabatta, which arrived with no cheese. On request a slice of cheese was chucked in. On a second request the cheese was melted. No butter at any point. Terrible food and service. The breakfast is nice (and cheaper than a sandwich). But overall a terrible experience.

Hade a Banana milkshake it was really sweet and was quite a strong flavour but would come back

We were looking for some light meals but the dishes offered were quite big portions, so one main and one starter were plenty for a quick lunch. Tasty food and great service. Thank you.

The staff was not friendly and we were rudely chased of our terrible as there was another booking which we where not told about when we came in.The food was basic and overpriced.Before reading comments I initially thought it was a racial matter

Massively over priced 3 soft drinks, 2 sausage and chips and 1 beans on toast £50! Came out within 3 mins of ordering! I get we are down the seafront but my goodness I have never felt so ripped off

Had fish & chips no taste at all must be frozen.Service terrible .Don't not recommend.

What a let down!! After our visit in the summer which was brilliant we thought we would drop by on a wet & windy Sunday for lunch . We should of driven by!!. Poor food , no atmosphere & staff not really bothered. Chicken & Ribs : Chicken over cooked dry & burnt . Steak & ale pie (heated in microwave) mash & veg were served cold along with Luke warm gravy . At no time did servers ask if everything was OK. £55 down the drain. As we left other customers plates had left cold veg!!!!

Not a restaurant if you don’t accept dogs dribbling and shaking their hair in the restaurant. We were given the wrong bill , 3 times more than what was expected, when we got the replacement bill it was still incorrect . 😏

Very speedy service with a menu with lots of solid choices. The food is definitely on the more expensive end for a bit of an informal setting- it's a bit of an inside/outside set up but was comfortable enough. We benefitted from the 2 hour Street parking directly outside and enjoyed the views.

A table was booked for a birthday celebration for 12 people during the week. We were assured the table would be end to end with a gap to allow people to get out. On arrival the tables were separate (6 and 6) A member of staff said that was the only way they would do a table of 12 and that was it. Also that they wouldn’t have said it would be a long table with a gap BUT the young lady who took the booking most definitely said it would. The 2 members of staff were very rude who spoke to us. Absolutely disgusting manners. We have fined here several times but certainly wouldn’t bother again nor recommend this restaurant, due to the attitude and service of the staff. Which is a shame because we have always found the food to be very nice. At the end of the day it was The Estuary’s loss as we took our custom elsewhere, had a wonderful meal, with perfect service and lovely staff. A bill in excess of £400 was lost by The Estuary and future income too.

Lovely restaurant, i have been going there for over 10 years

Great food, brilliant portions and good coffee with a view! Dogs allowed on the decking

3 underwhelming meals, bang bang chicken was dried up & had a vile taste that both of us did not like so we harly ate any of it & to add a sprinkle of sesame seeds to cover the dried out chicken did not work(remove it from the menu please it is not nice at all!) Hardly any food on the plates for the £20+ price per plate!! Nearly £80 for 3 soft drinks & 3 early children sized meals! The garlic bread has halved in size since last year & so have the chips. The chops have gone from the menu. The staff are slow & unhelpful. We waited 40 for food in a half empty restaurant. Won't be rushing back & would not recommend 1/10

Food was nice but doesn't reflect the prices in my opinion. High service charge added for just two people. Wouldn't recommend overall based on the prices.

I like the place near the sea shore.

Good place bug portions. Quality goofld. Lovely wine. Will definitely visit again

The food was wonderful, perfectly cooked poached eggs and a really tasty vegetarian sausage. Very expensive but we weren't disappointed with the quality or quantity. Americano was awful but the Espresso good. The service could be better although the girl that served us was both polite and efficient Totally overstaffed (maybe they were expecting a rush!) so I would have thought they would have more time to clean the tables, at least.......

Good food and drinks, good prices and great service.

𝕍𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕖. ℍ𝕒𝕕 𝕒 𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕥

Lovely food, huge portions. Fantastic setting 😊

Lovely meal, great service but a bit pricey!

Over priced,,,,,56 pounds for lunch. :(

Stopped by for a late lunch with my children and grandchildren. It was very busy but we were seated immediately. Staff were lovely, service was quick and the food was excellent. 5 stars all round.

Tasty food although a bit pricey, very friendly and helpful staff. Will go again

Over priced for the food that is served. £17 average for lunch deal. Got the grilled fish. Fish was good nice flavour but the potatoes and greens were literally boiled and flavorless. My aunt bessy in the freezer tastes better. No personality to the venue really

Average food at a very high price. Staff were nice and friendly Olives, cornichons and garlic tasted like they had been poured straight out of a jar that had been sitting in the back of a cupboard for a long time, tasteless. "Luxury" salad with a very small pot of crab was as I said before...average! Scallops only come in a sweet chilli sauce or garlic....no option to have them cooked without! Reason was "They have to be cooked in a sauce" Why not butter? Poor selection of ales. No ipa. £98 for side dish of olives, starter of scallops, 2 luxury salads and 2 drinks each! Not really good enough Proof that people will go to a place for the name and not because of the food. Overall - Meh!!

I used love this place but now I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Unfortunately the staff are not properly trained, They served me a drink once on a dirty glass and last time on a broken glass and when I told them, they didn’t apologies for it and showed a strange attitude, pulling faces like no one could see them. At least they gave me another glass with a new drink but not acknowledgment of the problem. Also we felt rushed to order, during eating and to leave. If you go out to have a nice time they will ruin for you and they don’t seem to take in consideration all the bad reviews about the service. The food used to be good but the last three times we went there it was very disappointing and each time more expensive. Buttered Fish over cooked, cold chips, watering chorizo paella, too expensive for such low quality service and food. Just avoid it if you don’t want feel robbed and disrespected by their staff.

Prawns were very bland and not worth the £22. Food also gave me an upset stomach.

Very bad. The staff doesn’t give information about the food ,very poor service i ordered fish and chips .First time i ate that type of fish so the girl who served us didn’t tell me that ,that fish is with bones and very less meat on it .more deeped in tempura than fish. My daughter ordered scampi which were raw inside the fries also were not fried enough hard as rock was everything.we asked to talked with the manager,when she came the answer was that if I don’t like that fish I suppose to order another portion of something another and also to pay again when she saw the scampi she said that that’s not their fault. I am sorry mrs. Manager but i didn’t fry and cook that food.If you want to eat choose another restaurant in southend on the sea . The biggest and worst disappointment !!!!! You will be thankful for this information 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

the food was alive when I called to have it replaced, they said you have to pay the same price to replace it, the manager came and yelled if you don't like it, it's not our problem, very bad service, not tasty food, I would rate it less than zero, if possible

Not Happy with the breakfast today eggs benedict came on top of bubble and squeak ? When hubby wanted bubble and squeak on his fry up 🤣And when I said no I want muffins they changed it and than never toasted the muffin why and came back soggy now with my transfered cold eggs benedict on top great thanks I couldn't be bothered to complain twice over an over price cold breakfast

TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE! The service was terrible, the food was bland, the manager was rude when I asked to return the ‘slush’ they had given me when I ordered a raspberry mohito. Go only if you want a terrible experience,

Excellent food, great menu, attentive staff. My only complaint is the disabled access for wheelchairs, small ramp, not wide enough to steer my powerchair with confidence so ended up having to get out of chair and get up the step with help, then my father put chair on manual wheel and squeezed the chair up the ramp with help from a passer by. It would be great if disabled access could be made on the side of the decking.

Good food, lots of choice and a fair price considering it's seafront location

Lovely place. Not cheap, but I was just absolutely delighted to find somewhere along the seafront that served actual panfried fresh seafood, rather than just the same greasy old fish and chips that you can get anywhere else. I highly recommend the scallops.

Rude telephone manner..won't take a booking, because they knkw they'll be busy.. "You'll have to sit at separate tables then!" Atches was better when it was smaller more independent..

Disappointed with the attitude of the staff who were only interested in rushing us to eat and get out. Not the first this has happened.

Used to be really good but we haven't been for a while and it has definitely gone downhill...off a cliff actually The muffin was stale and dense, the hollandaise was tasteless and the coffee was luke warm Then the bill was over £40 for 2 average breakfasts It was the middle of summer and there was hardly anyone there where it used to be rammed I unfortunately understand why now Such a shame - this place used to be a beacon of fine food in a row of mediocre cafes Not any more

Absolutely lovely place for breakfast along Southend Sea Front . Just be-aware that the prices are quite steep for breakfast however you are rewarded with lovely food . The portion sizes were quite average but the service was fast and very polite . There is outside seating and when the sun is out its fantastic . The seating was very clean and tidy and no issues to report . Just wish the prices were slightly cheaper however we will most definitely be visiting again

Nice food even though it was higher priced than others. My fish was over cooked but nicely presented. Couldn't work out if it was fresh or frozen.

The food in this restaurant is fantastic however it is hugely let down by one or two members of staff who clearly have a huge attitude problem and give off serious amounts of sass when asked for something as simple as a menu. They need to remember when they pull faces behind the customers backs, the other customers can see them!

Usually excellent, this day service without a smile or anything thing else!

Good quality food and service. The seafood was particularly good. A little on the experience side at close on £30 pp for mains with drinks

Excellent choice and service as usual. Only place to go in that area of the seafront. Plus good views out to sea

Cracking breakfast and great service. Thanks guys.

Although it is quite expensive you do get a good amount food the service is good staff a friendly and you do get a good view of the Thames One thing I will say is they add a service charge to your bill so bear that in mind

Booked a table for 6:15 for my friends birthday at no point were we told that the restaurant closed between 7 and half past. We were Rushed through our meal. Begrudgingly asked if we wanted a dessert, no coffee or more drinks were offered. when we paid the bill there wasn’t a thank you. Extremely rude staff and a spoilt evening all for the price of £72. I felt guilty for using the toilet because the staff were hovering around the table waiting for us to leave. We only ordered a duck salad each, a bottle of water and two deserts. The duck salad was very nice.. other than that I would not recommend.

Lovely meal. They were very busy but the service by the young waitresses was great

Food and location were great, the service was a bit slow and we had to remind staff of our requests, but otherwise good.

Busy and right opposite the sea/estuary. Great for a sunny day. Big portions

We decided to give this a go for breakfast. We ordered the full english and my goodness, it was not what you would expect given the price. The toast wasn't toasted, it was greasy and was probably done on a griddle, the sausages seemed watery, the bacon was presented very fatty and covered in black specs which also indicated it was cooked on a dirty griddle. Choose carefully..

I feel ripped off I could of made a better breakfast at home. No flavour I had avocado on sourdough and poached eggs and my partner had a large breakfast it's not large and not nice watery sausages and very greasy. And to say its overpriced is an understatement the food a tea and a coke cost us £41.38!!!! We saw the price but expected it to be gorgeous for that but thought we would treat ourselves as its our day off. Won't be stepping foot in there ever again. We let the waitress know but she wasn't interested.

Lovely place, stunning view. Staff all really pleasant and friendly. Food outstanding. Empty plates all round

Having enjoyed several years visiting The Estuary with excellent food and service, we were very disappointed yesterday. The staff were inattentive and the food was poor. CRAB BENEDICT: The toasted muffin was so rock hard to cut that I had to tear it apart and even then with difficulty. The waitress seemed surprised, saying the muffins are fresh every day.....did she mean fresh straight from the freezer? The tomato slice was unripe with the white very hard core insitu. Could not cut it. When I asked the waitress to pass the comments to the chef she apologised but did not return with any comment from the chef, nor was there a gesture of goodwil off the bill. FULL ENGLISH: Bacon not crisp with blackened spots. Toast soggy. Tomato not cooked. Very disappointing, will not be returning. Could have done better ourselves. Prices up, quality down....other cafes are available.

Reported to Southend City Council. We looked at their menu online (Screenshots taken for Food Safety Team). It had a decent amount of items labelled GF. Based on the clearly marked Gluten Free choices we drove 20 minutes to visit, paid for parking, sat down and waited to be served. We ordered drinks, then several minutes later a waitress came back and took our food orders. I ordered the Paella, clearly labelled on their website and on the printed menu as Gluten Free. As I have a serious allergy to gluten I double checked, please let the kitchen know I am allergic. 2 minutes later the waitress came back and said, "sorry there is a printing error, the paella contains gluten". Fair enough, at least she checked (side note, 99.99% of paellas are GF, goodness only knows what they've put in theirs to make in not???) I was asked to select something else. I thought play it double safe now, so I went for the ham, egg and chips. Again, 2 minutes later a different server came out to inform me that was not gluten free either! I said this is not good, printing things as Gluten Free, if I had not double checked I would have had a serious allergic reaction. He said, he knew, and had just spoken to the person who writes the menu.... Is that the same person who publishes your menu on your website, non-sense, just a don't give a damn fob off. Thankfully Southend City Council take blatant disregard for allergens seriously. Anyone writing a menu has a legal responsibility to check what they're writing is safe - These are irresponsible idiots, one error, fair enough, 2 and goodness knows how many more is utterly irresponsible and dangerous - Reported and will share on various social media sites. Establishments like this have no care for peoples health & safety. Lastly, we drove, 20 mins there, then 20 mins back (hungry), paid for parking and they charged us for our drinks!

Very poor weekend menu, the favourites are not available at weekends

Service excellent, food amazing and freshly cooked home made

Great meal, good company,lovely staff and really reasonable. Very impressed and will definitely return.

Crowded and cramped place to sit with a dry customer service on a busy day. Food was not great for the price. Loved the variety on the menu though.

Lovely place to eat outside while the sun sets. A bit pricey, but the food we had was very good - my pasta portion was huge & even better than expected. We got a table immediately, even though it was quite busy & we had not booked.

4 of us ate here before gong to see Paloma Fairh, the staff were friendly and attentive and took our drinks order straight away, we took our time looking at the menu which had so much choice I will have to go back 😀. 2 of us settled for the skewers which were delicious, hubby had the fish pie which he said was very tasty and the other guest had the goats cheese salad. They got our food delivered very quickly allowing us time to stroll to the theatre for the show in plenty of time. We will be back 👍😀

Food good - table spot was too noisy - managed to move. Friendly staff.

What an amazing restaurant.. stopped here on the way to the theatre. Beautiful views to complement the outstanding food. We will definitely be returning to try more of the menu

A pleasant but very expensive breakfast. £135 (incl. Service charge) for 4 adults and 4 kids. Sausages, hash browns and ham were of superior quality but overall, for the price, it was not the best.

Nicely spent day on a motorcycle. Plenty of parking space and places to eat. Watch out for police in unmarked vehicles

For the money, you would expect the best food and service out of all of The Arches. The last two times we have been here the bacon has been dirty, we don't mind crispy but this is from not cleaning the griddle in between batches, so all the black carcinogenic grit remains and comes off on the bacon. This time we decided to complain to the waitress and she went off to the kitchen to enquire about fresh bacon and she never returned. I presume this is because it would have come out the same and this must be their standard, she could have returned with an alternative option or apology. Cleaning the grill is quite a basic chef skill so it is very disappointing for what would have been a decent breakfast.

Good looking restaurant on the seafront parade across from the beach. Not a place for a cheap sandwich lunch though, more for main meals but decent portions for the money- which was lot. well presented. All wraps, nearest thing to a sandwich, were large and came with chips, classic, curly or sweet potato. Service was a bit under par and not as good nor friendly as we experienced everywhere else in the area. We did unwittingly catch them not long before closing and were the last customers of the afternoon, closing at 3 it seemed. That said they obviously let us in and took our order. We did feel a little hurried as they were clearing away all the outdoor tables and chairs whilst we watched from inside. Indoor and outdoor seating.

First time at the arches, never again!!! The food is very Oily. They actually served my food with a bit of oily kitchen towel to soak it up with. Wasn’t really happy. Food was so greasy I couldn’t eat it all. There’s no need for that much oil on the plate

Great food, great views, great service. 👍

Having visited the Estuary for years, this occasion I noted things had gone quite a bit downhill. I had bubble and squeak with ham and eggs, and my daughter had pancakes. It was all poor quality. The eggs were ok, but the pancakes were microwaved and out of a packet, the strawberries were tasteless. As for the ham, watery and equally tasteless, it was worse than the absolute basic offcuts you get at Lidl. Staff could have been a bit more attentive, but we're ok. Food just needs to be way better.

A great restaurant with a great view, the being served looked and smelt delicious, my wife had a seafood pasta dish that was lush, I had the Scampi and chips, which was the best I've ever had anywhere 10 / 10.

I frequently pop in for a meal and am always more than happy. Fast efficient service at a reasonable cost

Smartest looking café in the Arches at Westcliff-on-Sea, but the food is rather mixed. The Pork, Parsnip & Apple Cider Casserole and Steak & Mushroom Pie were OK, but the Scampi & Chips were not. The light lunch portion size was fine, but the chips were dry and the tartare sauce was tasteless. The menu is expensive, a high price to pay for the view. All in all the 4 meals plus 2 glasses of wine came to £83.00

We ordered 3x poached egg on toast with halloumi and feta. There was only one slice of toast for £13.95...so was frugal at best! My mum's was burnt and and this was the showstopper... mine was half a piece of toast - it literally was half the size of the other frugal 1 slice of toast the others had... basically it was the very small tail end of a loaf of bread. Absolute joke... and I think it's disgusting they even put that on a plate...it's a blatant pxxx take... like they thought I wouldn't notice..I also ordered a side of bacon for £2 thinking there would be 2 slices and that was just one slice of which tasted of nothing. There was also no feta as per the description on the menu and all our food was cold. I would not go here again EVER. They are cutting corners and getting away with it and at those prices it is shocking. A con of a place - avoid at all costs.

Parked our scooter right outside the entrance, door was opened by the front of house. The chap was very pleasant and sat us on the bar stools where we ordered coffees while our table was prepared. We were a table of six with two small children for a birthday brunch. My daughter and I had a glass of bubbly which came with a strawberry in the glass. I would highly recommend the bubble and squeak, ham and eggs, delicious. The waiting staff were very attentive and accommodating of the little ones. Food came quickly, was piping hot and cooked perfectly. After passing this restaurant for years, so pleased we tried it and will be returning.

Lovely fish and chips this afternoon on our visit to Southend. Great service and delicious food. We will be back when we visit again! Thank you.

Dined here with friends and the food was great with nice view of the seafront Staff are ok bit slow keeping the drinks top up if you at the far end of restaurant but .in all a very pleasant experience

We love it here, always great food

Worst £50 spent at The Estuary Westcliff (Arches) if quantity is what you are looking for you’ll be satisfied but if you looking for freshly cooked food and good quality produce, you'll be extremely disappointed. Don’t be fooled by the volume on the plate as it’s an attempt to mislead you and lure you in!! All day breakfast (we thought would be a safe bet) it was a reheat without a doubt. The bacon and sausage was less than average, the chips were partly cooked with raw centres but crispy outer. The salad was as dry as an “old leather shoe”! The service was just as exceptionally poor and one young girl was thoroughly RUDE! Clearly had no customer service training. We had an uneven table, spilling our drinks every time we tied to cut the food. We asked if she could possible address levelling, all other establishments would offer to level with something similar to a beer mat or napkins etc She said there was nothing she could do without even offering a solution. We then asked if she’d possibly try a few napkins to level under one side of the feet. She came back with several napkins, plonked them on our table and walked away!! I was horrified by her appalling attidue and expectation that it’s for the paying customer whilst eating to address self levelling the table ourselves. I would strongly advised boycotting this chain of bars as both the Leigh Broadway and the Westcliff Arches are a true disappointment and biggest waste of money. It was a real let down and I’d advise anyone to seek independent restaurant where your money will be better spent and invested in a better standard all round. It’s very much a weather spoons with Miller & Carter prices. Will never return and would not recommend to anyone.

Twice I have been turned down by this half empty restaurant because we were 5 with two pushchairs! We were happy to sit outside but the staff wouldn’t let us move the tables so we all could all sit together!! How small minded, there was nobody else sitting in the space! We went and spent our £200 in the Mews where the service and food was amazing, and they went out of their way to accommodate us!

Shakshuka was amazing. Very big portions and delicious food!

Never been to this place although always been meaning to!! Myself & my daughter decided to have lunch here last Saturday, 3/2/24. On entering, I walked down to a table & was stopped by a male waiter. No greeting or smile just ‘have you booked’, no I replied & was about to say I was unaware I had to but was cut off & told the table was reserved but pointed to another table saying you can sit there! Hence, we decided to leave & take our custom elsewhere. Definitely won’t be going back. Manners cost nothing 😡

Do not order Sea food Paella, still recovering from the sickness that it gave me a couple of hours after I had it, and it was the only food I had that day so it was definitely that. I am really sorry, because the service was great, but I am not very sure about the food quality.

I had the seafood paella, which was a very large portion and tasted amazing. One of the nicest ones I have had it was hot flavoursome and well presented. I would definitely recommend this.

A lovely meal, plenty of choice on the menu, good service and certainly a very nice atmosphere. I would really recommend that you give The Estuary a try.

Couldn't get my head round £20 price tag on a simple salad. Get that it's on the seafront, but it's a cafe not a fancy restaurant

Excellent breakfast. Friendly staff nice outlook.

New Years Day, so a restricted menu. All breakfasts were £15 or so, expensive for what it is which is why I don't go more often.

was taken as an elective subject in our school - I was bored out of my mind

Dreadful service, need to talk to their staff about being friendly! Food was ok but still a bit too expensive for what it is worth

Cracking food and drink, can't wait to go back

Great place for breakfast, good food, great service and dog friendly too!

Food was ok,but if I'm honest not the price tag it comes with,under cooked chips,they forgot to bring and weak coffee. Better places around for tastier food