Food by John Lawson in Southend-on-Sea

My experience at this restaurant was not at all good. My mushroom soup was less than a half of a bowl and luke warm. The chocolate pudding was very small. Total Cost - £28. And I strongly object to a 12½% service being added to the bill. Will never return to this restaurant and certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the Sunday roast in this small restaurant

Lovely little family run gem in Leigh. We had the lunchtime Plat de Jour which was excellent. Flavours, textures, presentation and service were spot on. What a great restaurant, highly recommended.

What an amazing gem of a restaurant! Had absolutely no idea it existed until the Sunday times reviewed it recently. Amazing food, Lovely staff, lovely atmosphere and a really wonderful Sunday lunch which we Combined with the £25 unlimited wine offer (and is an absolute bargain! ). Would highly recommend.

Excellent lunch from the Saturday menu. Great value for cooking at a very high standard. Lovely service from front of house and from the young chef who brought food to us. Felt like a real treat.

I remember when "Industrial Chic" was a thing, bare brick walks, concrete structure, pipe work, and cables exposed. Still much evidence here, along with Stirling board and other basic materials. We went on a night when the Tasting menu was all on offer. It consisted of several courses, most of which were fairly nondescript, and mostly served without cutlery, fingers to be used or just one big spoon. Each course was ceremoniously brought to the table, and a description rattled off. One member of staff mumbled such that we asked for the description again and still didn't know what we were getting. Drinks were priced as expected, high. And don't expect to have a coke/cola mixer with anything. It's not stocked. Whilst some service can be too intrusive, we were not once asked if all was well, and when we left, there was no "Goodnight" or "Thanks, please come again.""" So we opened the door ourselves and left. Pricing high for a little room in Leigh, especially when an unannounced 12.5% service charge is added.

Portions especially on beef far too small. Presentation and service great choice of wines good

Excellent Saturday lunch. The food was of a very high standard, the service welcoming without being intrusive. Very good value for the quality on offer.

Food was stunning. Wine (we tried 3) fantastic. Love the ethos and the execution. As a bonus, we happened to visit on a live music night, which normally I would avoid, especially as we were seated within a few feet of the singer, but she was wonderful and the level perfectly judged. The set menu is fantastic value for any dinner, let alone one of such quality. My only, tiny complaint is that the water was not chilled or iced. We live an hour's drive away but definitely plan to return. Superb

The service at food was excellent. The server was helpful and informative. It was obvious that a lot of care had gone in to preparing and presenting the food, but it just wasn't my kind of place. I found the food a bit fussy, and the portions rather small. I like the idea of a small menu. I think it means all the ingredients are fresh and carefully chosen. The prices are quite high, but I think that reflects the quality of the food. I just wish I had been able to appreciate it more.

Really good food, much improved over last visit

Lovely little restaurant, great food. Had the tasting menu and every course was great. Service was impeccable. Staff super friendly.

The Friday evening tasting menu linked to the wine experience was sensational. Each course and matched glass of wine were explained by very knowledgeable front of house and kitchen staff Everyone we met were not only friendly, but also seemed to really enjoy their job.

Great food and okay paired wine. Very little atmosphere as only people in restaurant for lunch

Fantastic Sunday meal in March. The food was delicious, interesting without trying too hard to be so, and very well made. The place has great vibes and the front of house team were welcoming and gracious. I am a vegetarian and felt there were great options for me that were so much better than the usual. My husband is a dedicated carnivore and was also delighted with the beautiful lamb. Very gracious hosting - I promise to never return with my toddler!!

The quality of the food was exceptional, and I highly recommend it. 😉👌

Lovely food, lovely atmosphere, lovely staff. Thanks for a lovely evening. Only feedback would be filling the tap water glasses up more please

Very special food & friendly service at this lovely restaurant in Leigh. Food is beautifully presented & tastes amazing. Very good value for the numerous courses & original flavours. Many thanks for the unexpected birthday card. Nick & Katie

Superb dinner 🤌🏻 We went for the wine pairing. The food courses were tasty as anything and were presented really well. The venison was cooked perfectly. The wine served wasn’t from the typical wine regions that you may expect which gave a really interesting pairing. There was one little hiccup at desert when orange was served within the desert. I told the waitress at the start my partner was allergic to oranges and they’d speak to the chef about switching the ingredient. This might have been forgotten but they quickly took the desert back and switched the ingredient to apple. The head chef then brought out the desert himself and four complimentary glasses of cava as an apology. A very kind gesture. Food is a really great place and we’ve been there twice now.

The food is excellent. Really innovative and very tasty. The only negative was that the restaurant was quite cold at lunchtime but it was a particularly cold day. The menu was good value for the quality of cuisine.

Amazing from start to finish best restaurant by far. Can't wait to go back x

Wouldn’t come back or recommend. First impression the restaurant looked shut massive curtain when you walked into so no one could work out how to get in very un inviting. We had the biggest table the staff thought was good idea to make us sit right by the front door where the door doesn’t shut when people walk in basically on top us it was FREEZING!! Draft coming from the walls where the gaps plastic bag shoved in the cracks. Didn’t ask for the bill yet they brought it out to us and when we asked for coffees was told no we had to leave as they wanted the table back no apologies even though we spent loads in there food was the worst tasting menu we have been to very bland had some fish scales in my food and food was served cold. Staff was very unfriendly, need to scrub up on their table service, hardly any options for drinks so if you’re looking to have cola with your brandy I would say go to the corner shop next door! Only one bottle of wine to choose from. Looks like it could do with little glam up things where broken and seat booths were sloppy and uncomfortable and BRING your big coat and where uggs as it’s freezing!!! Wouldn’t recommend to anyone

Amazing food, perfect customer service and a nice atmosphere. Had the best focaccia and arancine ever and both were gluten free! Even with a gluten free and vegan diet they catered our needs without any complaints. Highly recommended!

Absolutely delicious food, creatively put together to produce some fabulous dishes. Loved the focus on sustainability and local produce. All the staff were extremely friendly and attentive. Very reasonably priced for the truly fine-dining level of cuisine. Cosy, quirky atmosphere and thoughtfully curated drinks menu. We'll definitely be back!

This place is amazing. My partner and I loved concept of good quality, healthy food that provides your body with nutritional support. Every single dish we had was delicious and had so much flavour. One of the best meals I have ever had. We can’t wait to go back! We have tried a number of Michelin star restaurants, ‘Food’ is the new favourite!

Back to try new chefs menu A return after a couple of years to try the new chefs food (turns out he is a returner). The ethos has changed a bit since last time. There were a choice of small and slightly larger plates. Reasonable selection of choices. We started with:- Cold meat plate Mushroom Potato slices with cockle Mayonnaise Meat was a cold plate with nice pickles, the potato was delicious but the Mushroom was sensational. We had two main plates, one chicken one mackerel both delicious. Drinks were lovely, though, whilst kombucha was very good, it is quite costly. Quince desserts were delicious Nice clean compact toilet. Had a long chat to chef, who remembered me from two years ago! Really nice guy with a real food passion. Returned from honing his skills in fine dining venues.

The food here is Michelin three star quality, meaning that you can't find better. The ingredients are treated with respect and an enormous amount of effort goes into their preparation, which left me happy with the size of the (not inconsiderable) bill at the end. What separates this from a starred restaurant is all about the physical stuff: environment, service etc which is fine by me. This is not Nouvelle Cuisine. The tasting menu is small portions, but the quantity and pace means that you can enjoy each fully. Someone who prefers quantity to quality should probably not eat here, nothing was served with chips, either. The dishes reflect what is possible with the ingredients chosen by the chef, again this determines the palette, it would be fascinating to return another season, like spring, to see what has been done. I was driving so didn't drink, but I can thoroughly recommend the house Mocktail, my wife enjoyed the wine. The waiting staff were local and friendly. All in all one of the best food experiences I've had.

Lovely as usual! Our third visit and despite having to leave early to get back for the babysitter the food, staff and wine pairings were incredible as always!

The Boatyard was great, really enjoyed the experience and the food.

I booked for my husbands birthday. Lovely welcome, superb food (made you really appreciate what you were eating). Very knowledgeable waitress who was passionate about what she was serving and the whole ethos of the restaurant. We will DEFINITELY be back. We'll done to an amazing team

Lovely food Great atmosphere Staff friendly and very informative Nothing to much trouble Had lovely evening

One of the best lunches I've ever had. Absolutely phenomenonal food in a stunning setting with a wonderful friendly team. The fact all produce is sourced within a 25 mile radius and they have a health but delicious organic menu... Wow. Absolutely incredible. I hope I can return one day. I can't recommend more highly.

An excellent meal in this sustainable and ethical gem of a restaurant hiding behind the most modest of entrances. Friendly staff serve up inventive dishes that follow the seasons. We had the 3 course Sunday lunch and left 2 hours later very happy and very satisfied.

I booked the Mother’s Day set dinner for my Mum and I, we were both so impressed by the food and service. We’re both plant-based, and found the food served to be incredibly tasty and varied in each course. Also left very full! Thank you for a wonderful evening and experience. The portions were just right, started off small, but the main was substantial and filling. Incredible chocolatey vegan dessert and plant based truffles which came with the bill which we were both too full to eat. Will be back!

A really nice menu and the staff are clearly passionate about the ethos of the restaurant. Every detail to supporting local businesses and sustainability is incredible even the plates from a local store with prints from local shells. The food was also very flavoursome. Wine was perfect too. Really affordable and great to be supporting local whilst doing it. Highly recommend and I hope to see more venues open across the UK.

The ‘Chef for a Day’ experience was given to me as a gift and it did not disappoint. All the team were passionate about what they do and you felt that throughout the restaurant. Very shortly into entering the kitchen I felt at ease, they educated me about their ethos and I felt I learned a lot about food and wine throughout the day. The wine pairing was lots of fun and Paul was hugely knowledgeable. Each of the 4 courses were thought provoking and the 3 supplementary dishes still had the same level of effort and thought put into the main courses. I look forward to returning as a dinner.

A friend paid for us to have the taster menu. First the positives, good service, nice decor, the food was good(I wasn't blown away though). The big downside for me was the portion sizes, eg one course was just 1 broccoli floret and a slither of see weed. After 3.5 hours and 6 courses it might be reasonable to feel I have had a proper meal but that was not the case. On this experience, it would be hard to recommend the restaurant which is a shame.

Absolutely fantastic, we just had a Saturday evening meal at Food and it was genuinely wonderful, worth every single penny! The food was some of the freshest, most delicious and creative we've ever had - unlike some other reviews here, we didn't leave hungry. We left fully satisfied after 6 courses (and some extras) of delicious food and drinks. The staff were so lovely and nothing was too much trouble, all of the dishes were explained to us as they came. Dinner service starts at around 6pm and is paced slowly (but not too slowly!) to finish at around 10pm. Everything is seasonal and you can tell, the tomatoes were a particular favourite - absolutely delicious!! We will definitely be back and cannot wait to do it again. I cannot recommend Food enough, fantastic!

Lovely concept to source local and seasonal produce but I found the portions way too small (we went on tapas night so lots of very tiny courses). The wine was lovely and the service was excellent but the food was not as amazing as you would hope, especially with a hefty price tag of £160 for two people. I had a bag of crisps when I got home 😳

Special experience but still hungry

Had a fantastic Saturday lunch a week ago. Interesting food, full of flavour, a strong sustainability ethic, and a wine list filled with the unexpected. It would hold its own with restaurants in London. The staff was lovely as well. Far and away the best food in the area.

A Seasonal Success… So, if you are seeking a hearty meal then please move on, this is about the science of diverse micro digestion and an exploration of flavours, with the additional of flavour explosions that tantalise, excite and unite! Thanks John, we will be back soon!

Simply outstanding. One of the best meals I've had and at an incredible price. Faultless service. Delicious food and a great wine. I still can't quite believe the standard of food, each and every course was superb.

First time here and enjoyed the experience. a bit expensive for us

Just had lunch here, really top drawer meal, interesting, beautifully prepared, cooked and presented food in pleasant surroundings. A sophisticated experience but without the stiffness. And all up, good value too.

Absolutely phenomenal. I enjoyed all the courses and the wine pairings were sublime and were clearly well thought out. The staff are all friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Delicious cocktails. It’s a real treasure and I’ll be back to sample in a different season for sure.

Great food, great atmosphere. Very attentive staff. Fabulous Sunday lunch.

Absolutely delightful afternoon on Mother’s Day. Mum and I throughly enjoyed John Lawson’s food, the concept and atmosphere. The staff were attentive, friendly and knowledgable. Will definitely return.

I'm disappointed to be honest. I've dinned in many restaurants and many cuisines around the world, especially living in Australia for 30 years. John Lawson's philosophy is born from his experience of suffering from cancer and exploring only locally sourced, sustainable, seasonable foods. I'm 100% on board with this, however having dined there 3 weeks ago enjoying the Sunday roast where the protein was pork, to be served 3 weeks later and the only difference was the protein now being lamb was a little underwhelming. Everything was the same, from starter, entree and dessert. I would have thought that a chef that prides himself on reinvention would make some subtle changes as at £55 per head it isn't cheap. Perhaps not relying on repeat custom. Even though the protein changed the wine was unchanged, another subtle thing to consider. Some subtle changes could make a huge difference. Otherwise, food taste is nice service is good. Is it amazing - not really given the price.

Really enjoyed the Friday lunch special. Wonderful service, fantastic interesting wine selection, and the food was inventive and flavorful. Was a little sad there was no bread to mop up, we heard the sourdough is delicious (but only available at dinner). Can’t wait to return!

Amazing food, lovely people and a cute, intimate atmosphere.

This food experience is really great, yes it's pricy but..... The food is really local and seasonal, e.g veggies from an organic farm in Tillingham etc, so don't expect avocado salad. :) if you want a plate full of chips this isn't for you.

I love the concept here. Locally grown sustainable food. Everything comes together to create an atmosphere that suits the rustic “dig it up and serve it up” ethos. The presentation, decor, furniture and even crockery take you away from Essex 2021 into a farmhouse dinner. So… why not 5 stars? Well, for an adventurous tasting menu, the food was disappointingly bland. None of the courses were truly memorable and they lacked flavour. I imagine some lovely herbs could also be grown locally and might add to the experience. Final comment. This was, despite the food being a bit below expectations, a fabulous night out and really good value for money.

Birthday treat and this was exactly what I had. The taster menu is not a menu. Instead, you have different courses which are made from the best ingredients available that day. We also decided to pair the wine and this also was a great choice. The wines and the explanation superb. You can see why this eatery is so highly rated. If you appreciate high quality food this place will not disappoint.

Every time it's a great experience. Food is such good quality and the flavour combinations are fantastic. Looking forward to our next visit.

Literally amazing. Favourite place to eat! Cater exceptionally well to vegans ☺️

Excellent food, service and value. Each dish was amazing and loved each and every bite.

A festival of flavours in my opinion.

Amazing food by the best chefs in the world. Have an open mind and you won’t be disappointed.

Always a great evening, fantastic food and wine. Best restaurant in Essex by far

Had a delicious lunch. Food was interesting and delicious. Excellent wine. Thank you.

Great food, Great service, as always, well done guys

Had the Seafood Tapas lunch here (Oct '20) which was incredible value for money. Really tasty selection and good sized portions. Menu varies (we had sardines, mussels and fishcakes), but will always come with potatoes, bread and salad. You can also supplement the meal with starters - we had the choice of oysters and/or whelks. Small, but perfectly matched wine selection. Great service - very friendly and efficient. The restaurant itself is small, but stylish. Tables spaced out adequately and Covid precautions taken (masks and sanitiser).

Brilliant food staff fantastic not very covid safe people were walking around with no masks on and not all tables were socially dustanced

Visited for the opening of the Saturday seafood tapas, opted to try each of the starters (oysters, and whelks which were in possibly the tastiest garlic butter we've ever tried) alongside a glass of wine and the tapas selection. The restaurant is small but well proportioned and very tastefully decorated. The staff were helpful and knowledgeable, explaining each dish and the background to the selection. As a final hurrah for our trip to Southend-on-Sea it was a lovely end to our few days and would absolutely recommend a visit for the tapas. At £12pp the portions were generous and delicious.

Lovely food, great service. Will definitely be back x

Amazing dining experience. A must try for a special occasion

Ordered the fish and chips this evening from their new take out menu and was extremely disappointed with it. The portion was so small and the sauces unappetising and inedible. At £14.95 pp I expected a much higher standard.

This place has relaunched itself, during lockdown, by selling wholesome local produce, veggie boxes and some specialist booze. Good idea folks. However, like the restaurant itself, the concept was great but sadly falls way below the mark. The veggie boxes are ridiculously overpriced; I  did buy a load of local asparagus and a dozen free range eggs, but wow, where was the taste?

I've been meaning to try this place for a while, the food is notably good and as everything is gluten-free and dairy-free - just like me - it's perfect. They have a big emphasis on healthy food, as well as it all being gluten-free, and as part of that they serve seasonal food, and lots of it is local too.

Went on a veggie night can’t fault the taste of the food but portion size are way to small for the money and the wine is well over priced when your paying good money for food i don’t expect to be leaving a restaurant still hungry. 2 of us came to £181 I would go back but there portion size has got to change as the wine prices to

On a recommendation from a friend who had the taster menu one evening we booked for a Saturday lunch which is just fish and chips. I’m not keen on either fish or chips but it was his birthday so we went. The chips were large and fried in goose fat so were like mini toast potatoes required cutting in half to eat. They were lovely. The fish was neither greasy or wet but at the end of the day just plain old cod in a rather tasty batter. So a decent fish and chips but at £17 to be expected. A bottle of beer was £6.50. It’s a small restaurant, seats about 20 so staff were attentive and pleasant. I’m told the food there is good and based on this experience I can believe it. If you’ve got the money give it a go.

Was given a voucher by our daughter for Christmas to spend at this restaurant and we chose to go to their Italian evening on 6th Feb which was advertised at £35 per head plus drinks. Through viewing other reviews some may consider this expensive but we certainly did not consider it so as it was for a 4 course meal with some added treats. The food was excellent the service attentive but not intrusive and while the restaurant was virtually full we still found it cosy. We were more than full after eating our meal and will certainly return.

Sunday lunch , not been for a few months but still outstanding food!! Free flowing carver and Liam just gets better

Another excellent meal at Food, by John Lawson. Ethically sourced dishes, local and seasonal. Fantastic service and a lovely environment place to spend the evening.

Great food, attentive staff, lovely atmosphere

We booked for the wine matched with the food menu and I have to say we were not disappointed. On booking i mentioned my allergy to fish saying as it will be part of the set meal don't worry my hubby will eat it. They rang & asked if I would be happy to eat the vegetarian option instead, which when presented looked identical to the fish - no fuss no bother so wasn't made to feel a pain.

Tasteless, impersonal, non appetising, overpriced, poncy, bland. These are some of the best words to describe this establishment.

Went for a romantic meal and it was delicious. We had the accompanying wine as well, service was very good and everything explained. We did add on the cheese at the end but feel this was the only low point and should have ended on the high with the chocolate. A lovely evening.

Visiting here with friends and i can happily say its well worth the money, the food the service and the whole experience was on the money,

Lovely fish and chip lunch yummy specials cocktail great service

Best local restaurant by far! Amazing food perfectly paired with some gorgeous wines served by knowledgeable, friendly staff in a very cosy and comfortable atmosphere. Can't wait to visit here again!!

Everything was great, food was delicious, front of house was amazing, but had to cook when I got home as we were all still hungry

Brilliant food and drink. As someone that is very picky I wasn’t expecting to eat much but ended finishing everything. Great service also. Highly recommend.

First visit for Sunday Lunch. Fixed menu including an amuse bouche with superb local and seasonal produce and free-flowing organic Prosecco for two hours. We had dishes that we wouldn't ordinarily have ordered and everything was absolutely delicious! The restaurant itself is very contemporary but has a great vibe and the staff were super friendly and helpful. Despite being sceptical about the concept, we had a really delightful lunch - one we will remember and will return soon. Highly recommended.

Exceptional, well done John & team.

The best beef I have ever eaten, served with crispy roast potatoes, it is our favourite place to have Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is super, with free flowing cava, a relaxed way to spend a Sunday. Thank you to all the staff for making us welcome.

Beautiful food for the Japanese night

Lovely intimate atmosphere. Friendly, knowledgeable, professional staff. Exceptional, interesting and unique food with excellent wine pairing.

Love the philosophy behind this restaurant. Great food, atmosphere and service. Highly recommend.

Restaurant is situated on Leigh Road amidst a number of similar establishments, and serves Gluten Free and dairy free food.

The layout of the restaurant is very poor, seated next to the door with a curtain pulled across which left us getting blown away each time the door was opened. The toilet is situated behind a sliding door opening in to the middle of the restaurant, very indiscreet!

The layout of the restaurant is very poor, seated next to the door with a curtain pulled across which left us getting blown away each time the door was opened. The toilet is situated behind a sliding door opening in to the middle of the restaurant, very indiscreet! 1st course of violet potatoes did not look appetising but just about ok. 2nd course of cod was only slightly better. 3rd course of venison was actually very good and the only saving grace for the evening. 4th course of quince ( not sure where it would be locally sauced ) with ginger ice cream was the most disappointing course. The quince was tasteless and the ice cream was icy with only a hint of ginger. We went for the option of wine matching, while the wines were ok they did not represent good value as the servings were rather small. While the ethos of the restaurant is laudable, they seem to have put these above the quality of the dishes and most importantly the taste. When spending over £220 for three people you expect great dishes.

We had a taster menu on Saturday night. The food was superb, gluten free sourdough that didn’t feel like it was a brick, mouthwatering tender venison, goats cheese made on site... man that was a treat. The wines to pair were worth it as well.

Me and my wife decided to try this place as we fancied something different and although the restaurant is free from

Booked for a tapas night and it was delightful, as a big lump the portions were small but after 3 courses and an appetiser with paired wines it was definitely enough.

Amazing food, service top notch !!! Forst time visit but definitely not the last 😍😍😍

Fabulous gastronomic experience! Healthy and delicious food cooked to perfection with high quality carefully hand-picked ingredients, local, organic and fresh. All carefully prepared and lavishly arranged to minute details. Incredibly flavoured dishes cater for the most demanding tastes. Wine pairings (all organic) perfectly selected for each course. Service impeccable, staff lovely, attentive and knowledgeable of the intricacies of haut cuisine and wine service. A must for anyone who loves good food, wine and cosy and intimate places.

Fabulous gastronomic experience! Healthy and delicious food cooked to perfection with high quality carefully hand-picked ingredients, local, organic and fresh. All carefully prepared and lavishly arranged to minute details. Incredibly flavoured dishes cater for the most demanding tastes. Wine pairings (all organic) perfectly selected for each course. Service impeccable, staff lovely, attentive and knowledgeable of the intricacies of haut cuisine and wine service. A must for anyone who loves good food, wine and cosy and intimate places.

Superb food, excellent service, fantastic venue, this place really sets the bar high in Leigh-on-sea. I wish I had visited before today!