La Romantica in Rochford

Meal of my life! I am lucky to have had many good meals in my life, however on Saturday night I had the best meal ever at La Romantica. Words simply cannot sum up my experience. It is like being dropped into Italy with such a warm welcoming but busy restaurant. We was greeted with a special board which made my eyes light up! The lobster and prawn tagliatelle is without a shadow of a doubt the best thing I have ever eaten, this was complimented with hands down the best garlic bread topped with tomato and chilli which somehow meet the obscenely high standards of the pasta. Overall this was an absolutely phenomenal meal. Simply the best, I cannot wait to go back!

The staff here are very polite and friendly. We were sat at a table and had food on our table within 10 minutes. Atmosphere is clean and orderly, though a bit cramped, but utilizes the space well. The pepperoni pizza was wonderful. Perfect place for a nice dinner out at a great price.

Excellent quality food and great portions. Service is very good and has a lovely atmosphere

it was hard finding somewhere open on a monday for my brothers birthday but having before we found this restaurant was, couldn't fault it the food was lovely

Although the first waiter was baffled by 10 of us, which I reserved for they were pleasant. It feels like a family atmosphere, at home. Excellent monkfish. A good evening

My friends and I went to the restaurant for the first time yesturday evening. We found the food and the service to be excellant, absolutely would recommend😊

Visited here with family and friends on 25/10 . As always the service was brilliant and friendly. The food was great and I just like the close family type atmosphere. Overall I like this place and I will visit again. Also good for coeliacs!!

What a lovely little find. Food was great and the service was lovely. We will definitely be coming back soon. The carbonara was the best I’ve ever had

Me and my wife went there for her birthday for a meal, was lovely service, food was amazing, bruschetta was perfect and the pasta we ordered was packed with flavour and portions weren’t small, all food tasted fresh and cooked to perfection, we will definitely be coming back for future dinner dates. 👍✅

A lovely evening spent at this amazing restaurant. The food and atmosphere is fantastic. With a wide range of food options available.

We booked a Friday night with Elvis. The set menu was really good. The food was hot and well presented. The steak wasn’t as good as had on previous visits, but that’s down to the butcher more than the chef Elvis was a great sport, had people joining in dancing and singing. Would definitely recommend, in July we saw Freddie Mercury and would attend again. Marco and the team are very friendly and always make you welcome x

Last minute booking that we were lucky enough to have accommodated. Food was amazing, service excellent, will definitely be going again.

We had a brilliant night. The food was delicious, fresh and hot with generous portions. Could not fault the staff on what was a packed, incredibly busy night. The service was second to none. Amazing atmosphere and Ed Elvis was brilliant. He had a great voice and knew how to engage the crowd, really interacting and making it fun. We will definitely be back for another tribute evening.

The service is good, and the food is nice. The portions are generous for the price. The lasagna and pizzas, in particular, are really nice.Grazie😀

Went for our anniversary. Unbelievable service. Marco and the team are so attentive. Our first time but it won’t be our last. The size of the steak was unreal and the homemade soup I’ll be craving for a long time. Support a local family business. The food is so much better than the chains in the high st. Fraser check out Samantha’s limoncello spritz! Best ever

Nice place to eat, 1 criticism, tables too close together.

Visited on a Sunday lunchtime for a family birthday. We had a mix of set menu and a la carte. All food was lovely. Fresh ingredients, generous portions and well cooked. Loved the service, great mix of characters that made us feel so welcome. Would definitely recommend!

This I a nice restaurant, but again this come up on Google as I walked past it 😅

We came with friends and were the last to leave as we really enjoyed the evening.

Marco the only Italian in the village!!! What a great place to eat, great atmosphere, amazing service; such good quality food. The pizza was the best I’ve had in a long time. I definitely recommend this place

Had a lovely anniversary dinner there tonight, food and staff were excellent, the mushrooms stuffed with brie with bacon and chilli jam were so tasty, could have eaten a whole plateful. Hubby had asparagus and goats cheese wrapped in parma ham which he said was very tasty. Mains, again first class, were cod with roasted pepper and paprika and chicken in a port and mushroom sauce, both accompanied by saute potatoes and veg which were perfectly cooked (nice to have savoy cabbage, broccoli and carrots instead of the usual green beans). For dessert we shared the pistachio cheesecake as we were quite full by then, which again was so yummy, all washed down with Baileys coffee and rum coffee, again delicious. Will definitely return, restaurants like this are hard to come by. Thank you to the staff for such a delicious meal and lovely evening.

Small place, clean and chic and the food was delicious, in a short time.

Had a wonderful meal and service was fab. Friendly people. Only two of us and well looked after.

The food was excellent. Good choice of wines and other drinks. The service was friendly and efficient. Good ambience. No criticism of this restaurant - 1 to try!

Ive lived in Rayleigh since 1966. Never visited this place before. Its amazing. I actually had lobster bisque soup and loved it. Will go again for sure.

Had a lovely meal here, will definitely be returning & telling family to visit.

Lovely little restaurant, with a big atmosphere!. Staff were really friendly. We didn’t feel rushed to order or leave our table after deserts. Food we ordered was lovely, big portion sizes. Felt bad not finishing it all. Would highy recommend.

Great Great evening good company nice occasion Great atmosphere and the service was excellent thanks

The most amazing Italian. Friendliest staff, such a warm welcoming place. Me and my boyfriend have been 4 times now and love it even more than the first. Thank you guys

Wonderful traditional trattoria that has been around for 50+ years. Highly recommended

Love this restaurant, great atmosphere, food and a great crew, I accidentally smashed a glass, I felt so bad but they made a joke saying "were Italian not Greek" so sorry fellas! And for all those thinking it's OK to smash glasses it's not, it's very naughty!

Food and service was great. Massive portions and good prices.

Fantastic restaurant .. lovely staff and brilliant food They didn't bring the mains up straight away after the starters gave us a breather Will be going back 👍

Always good. Since I've moved to essex this is my favourite italian, the food is great, staff are amazing and portions are perfect.

Service was excellent, very friendly, and tended to your every need, making sure you were happy at every course. Food was fresh and very very flavourful

Fantastic food and service as always. Highly recommended. Quality italian food and dining experience. Popped in on the off chance on a saturday night and was accommodated even though it was very busy which i expected. Left feeling very full but in a perfect way. If you want proper italian cuisine at good prices with fantastic service this is the place to come. Thank you and see you again soon.

Food was amazing! Service was excellent! Atmosphere was lovely! Marco made us feel very welcome Will definitely be returning what a lovely restaurant.

The food was ok, we had to ask to place our order as we sat for ages waiting to be served, the place was very busy so I can understand why we was having to wait. Because the restaurant was packed and tables very close together it was very noisy, we had gone with friends for a catchup but unfortunately we couldn't hear each other. I can't complain about the food or the staffs friendliness just the length of time it took to take our order and how noisy it was. Lovely for celebrations but no good for a catchup.

Went to a theme night, menu lack of choice, 2 course starter and main £44.95.Drinks very expensive

This was our 1st visit to La Romantica for our wedding anniversary & didn't fail to disappoint the food was filling & freshly home cooked. Service was great & attentive. It was like visited my Nonna's house, very traditional & authentic

By far the best Italian in Rayleigh, not just the food but the atmosphere too. Well worth a visit.

Great place to go for lovely food.little bit expensive but worth it.

Absolutely beautiful food very friendly stuff

My girlfriend and I visited La Romantics for a special dinner, hoping for a romantic experience. As we entered , an unpleasant smell hit us and despite being noticed by a waiter at the bar, we felt ignored. The crowded seating arrangements and waiters brushing past us created a less-than-ideal atmosphere, making our Valentine's Day reservation less enjoyable.

Great food and service, their Sunday roast was absolutely lovely.

Lovely people, lovely food, great atmosphere and very well priced, highly recommend

We were there last Saturday as a party of 10. Amazing food, service and value!!!

Food and service both were 10/10

Amazing food , lovely atmosphere and the service was brilliant .

Love this place food and staff perfect

Great service good food. A smaller venue gives a more personal service from the staff.

Large portions of food and the tribute act was great fun

Great place to be with all your friends 😊

The food was really good and came in big portions. We came on a Saturday night and the restaurant was full, great atmosphere and friendly service.

Food is so delicious. Love the food here so much. The staff are attentive, efficient and friendly

Great sized portions / good value for money Recommend booking as it was very busy on a Saturday night.

Very good food and great service!

Highly recommend this restaurant! Delicious food and wide range of dishes freshly made. Specials always good too.

Fabulous food! Can't wait to go back

We were treated to lunch at La romantic. The food was excellent and service great. There was a great family atmosphere. Highly recommend. Sunday 5 Nov 2023

Wow, what an incredible Sunday roast. Marco was so accommodating and attentive. The food was superb we could not have faulted it. The service and the food made an incredible Sunday family evening! Thank you so much. I can’t wait to be back again soon!

Had an amazing waiter who made our experience the best it could possibly be, even letting us borrow some spear glasses to read the menu! Food was delicious and good portions. They even blasted happy birthday through the speakers and put a candle in our dessert for our birthday celebration. Couldn't recommend more, will be returning!

I'm not one for noisey places ,but the food service and the company made this a wonderful experience.

Not one foe noise but it was worth the food and my campion was charming

Pizza tastes delicious and beer is even more delicious. I love it this place

Food was fantastic, but they really squeeze people in only about 20cm between the tables. Not ideal for a romantic night out with my wife, and they added 10% service charge to the bill on a table for 2 surely it should be my choice if I think the service was good or not, sorry won't be returning.

Fantastic food, service and atmosphere, will definitely return

Excellent night, excellent service, excellent food. Loved it.

Excellent meal at La Romantica last night. Reliable as ever, been going there ocassonally for 50 years. A bit noisy as surprisingly busy for a Tuesday evening which shows how popular it is. Should go there more often. So much better than the chain pubs and restaurants.

Judging by the reviews on here we were looking forward to our meal. We’ve had some tragic news In our family and after some weeks had past we wanted to go out for a meal. The service was absolutely terrible and the man who seemed like the manager made us very uncomfortable. He was very abrupt and swore under his breathe. The other waiters seemed scared of him. We went out for a reason and it was sad that it was ruined when it’s a big deal for us to all go out for a meal. Sorry I’m sounding like a Karen we just thought it should be said.

Had a fantastic evening, the staff are so helpful. All our food was excellent quality.

Lovely friendly atmosphere. Food was fresh tasting. Great wine choice with good advice from the waiter. Staff are very attentive, cannot wait to return.

The food was very good and the staff were very friendly.

Always a great night visiting La Romantica & Marco. Superb food & great wine

Great Italian restaurant, welcoming staff, good size portions of the best food. Not the cheapest but you won’t complain about the portion sizes. Never left hungry or unhappy about anything. Can’t recommend this place enough to anyone. Also do great tribute nights through out the year, well worth booking for a good night.

Very enjoyable food and service I had the skate and vegetables my wife the full Sunday roast.

Food was lovely. Staff very friendly also great knowledge of Italian food. It's a great atmosphere staff laughing and joking with customer's. Seemed most people had been there alot knowing staff by name. That's always good if they come back eh?

La Romantica has been in Rayleigh since 1969. As such it serves classic italian restaurant food, with all the usual cuts and sauces you expect: veal, bistecca, pasta, pizza etc. The Sunday roast is worth the trip, and the two course fixed menu is great value. It's a little dark inside and a little cramped but this adds to the atmosphere. A real cornerstone of Rayleigh high street.

The cheesecakes was amazing, so delicious.

Great evening of entertainment, food delicious

Spur of the moment dinner out but what a great place to have gone! Family friendly atmosphere with beautiful tasting food. Service was faultless and would happily come back here again.

Great service and food. We were there for our son's 18th birthday on a Monday evening but there was still a very nice atmosphere in the restaurant and we were very well looked after.

Wonderful meal on Mother's day. Thanks to staff who worked so hard.

Excellent service..Excellent food..Best Italian we have ever visited. Mothers day menu was superb.

Huge portions, delicious food and lovely staff

La Romantica has a good atmosphere. It is easy to get to from the Rayleigh train station. The wine list is fine with a few red and a few white wines. Food was good and lots of choices. A nice place to visit.

Everything about this restaurant is great. Great Atmosphere, Great Service and Great Food. The staff are exceptional and always attentive, with a wonderful sense of humour.

I'm singer Gary Oliver great audience food look nice friendly staff I had fun singing for them

I've lived in Rayleigh for 3 years now, my parter her whole life For ages she's been asking me to try La Romantica and finally I did. Well wow. Shared the chorizo and pepper stuff doughballs to start and some of the pork belly. Flavours were unreal. All beautifully cooked. Mains I went for the rest lamb rump which was unbelievable. The most tend lamb I've had in years. And the sautéed potatoes and veg in the side just delicious. Ended with the tripple chocolate cheese cake which was just spot on. Looking forward to going back and sampling more of the menu!

Excellent from start to finish. Food wonderful. Staff is very nice and attentive.

A lovely little restaurant with very attentive staff and the food was beautiful. I would like to come back for their music events they hold. Really lovely experience.

Very enjoyable meal..nothing too much trouble,and staff very friendly.

I've been here quite a few times over the years. Always great service and lovely friendly staff. Food was piping hot. Nothing was too much trouble. Prices are reasonable.

Very tasty perfectly seasoned food. Very fairly priced, and portions were large. Waiting staff are friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed our evening and will be returning.

Lovely little Italian restaurant in Rayleigh, food is very good, staff are friendly and helpful, we went on a Saturday evening and it was very busy but didn't have to wait to long for our meal, and there was a singer later on to get everyone in the mood for a good time, would definitely recommend

Went for a Christmas get together, it was very nice although food was basic and cramped with soany people

Had a Christmas get together with friends . Service was really good . And the "Blues Brothers " brilliant . Good fun .

Simply the best Italian in Rayleigh. I know chains have their place, but nothing takes the place of an authentic, Italian owned a run restaurant. The food is amazing and plentiful. The service is excellent. The house red wine is so lovely. it's all you need. Wouldn't go anywhere else for an Italian in this area.

Still the best Italian in Rayleigh.

An enjoyable night out, did was great and they really looked after the kids! A good array of specials on the board and plenty to choose from the main menu.