Monti in Southend-on-Sea

We have visited this family run restaurant a few times and it never fails to impress. From the warm welcome upon arrival from Enrico Jr and Sabrina, the attentive service and mouth watering food that leaves you wanting for more. There is nothing more to add. We will definitely be booking again soon …

Service was brilliant, starters were lovely, mains ... well we ordered wild boar ravioli off the specials menu, when it turned up it was 8 bits of ravioli swimming in oil. Had no flavour we also got a pizza which was OK. In a way me & my partner are glad we was sharing.

What a beautiful, family focused restaurant! Inside was stunningly decorated, filled with family photos and elegant decor. Monti's has been recommended to me several times, and everyone who did may have undersold how lovely it is. The food was great, a treat for my mum and I, we couldn't decide what to have so our waiter (I didn't get his name but he's the owners son) was amazing and brought us a selection of starters and he was wonderful! Sadly, he had a couple that came in after us who were pretty rude, but he handled them with grace and total professionalism he was brilliant! Really can't say how lovely our visit was and this will definitely become my new go-to restaurant!

Saw the reviews and ratings, however something isn’t right. Nice restaurant and lovely host, however the food was lacking on several levels. Presentation, taste, portion. My friend said it’s the worst lasagne he had ever had, my main meal of veal was my very finely cut ( almost wafer thin) as regards the taste let’s say it was interesting, no veg, just potatoes. . My partners main was ok but it should have come with fresh veg but came with something like ratatouille. , should of been explained on the menu. I cannot say it was a bad meal just not good and not good value. We won’t be returning. I hope others have a better experience, ours was just so disappointing.

Beautiful decor and ambience. It was quiet when we were there so can’t fault the service. Menu was varied with some more unusual choices, which is really fab. Food was absolutely delicious. It’s so nice to go an independent restaurant. The chef puts on specials list so a chance to try something different. Thank you, we will return.

1/5 Awful cold food given with a £50+ hot food order. Refused refund even when all the food was brought back uneaten. Unprofessional and intimidating behaviour from staff and management. Have to resort to a letter before action to legally obtain refund.

The restaurant has had some new options added to its amazing menu. I also really like the new tables and decor. The service here is the best in town with great attention to detail.

My wife and I went to this amazing restaurant. We are italian and we felt immediately at home. Sabrina, Enrico Sr and Enrico Jr deserve all the best for the great emotions they made us feel. Than you again

Outstanding Food, Family run business, we have been coming here for over 12 years, it’s changed owners in that time. But wonderful food throughout that period. They have a new menu which we had to try out. We were a party of seven in total four adults and three children. The children all had pasta, I had their new Pinsa (like pizza) but less dough content if that makes sense, very tasty and crispy, my friend had the chicken in mushroom sauce with cauliflower, and the guys had pork medallion with pasta and monk fish with vegetables, and lots of skin on fries. Plus cheesy garlic bread. I only took one photo. Well worth a visit, and is very much a family friendly restaurant. We made sure we left by 7.15pm when couples started to arrived, to give them peace.

This restaurant is a little gem of a place on Southchurch Road in Southend. The service is absolutely fabulous from the minute we walked in until we left. The owner explained to us that the restaurant was a family owned business and that the majority of the dishes were home made. I had the carbonara which was delicious and extremely authentic Italian. It really was yummy. Four of us thoroughly enjoyed our food and appreciated the complimentary lemon cello at the end of the meal! We will definitely return soon! Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

This family run restaurant is a diamond in the rough exceptional food and the owners couldn't do enough to make it like being back in Italy there was no rush so you could enjoy the food, great wine and a great atmosphere this little gem i highly recommend 5 star

Came here with couples for a catch up. Staff and surroundings were very pleasant. We had two courses but a garlic bread for a starter which wasn’t on the menu. Mains we all had something different and all agreed it was very nice. We all had a pudding also all very nice, I had a bowl of ice cream which also wasn’t on the menu but they were happy to do so. Overall we had a great evening, in pleasant surroundings, attentive but not pushy staff and a great catch up. Well recommend Monti,s and thank you for good food and a nice evening.

Visited this fabulous restaurant for my partners birthday. From the ambience, the food and the wonderful staff/owner, I can truly say one of the best Italian meals we’ve had. Looking forward to returning there very soon for another delicious meal.

Excellent ambiance, impeccable service and delicious food. First course mussels were perfect, I had a calzone for mains which was excellent. Service was attentive.

The service was very slow, I waited for an hour for my main meal to come and I had to ask the waitress for it too. My pasta tasted like salt and pasta with hint of fennel taste which wasn’t a good combination. The customer service was good and they were helpful to call the taxi for us. Probably wouldn’t go again.

Disappointing. My son raved about this place as he is a regular patron, so we decided to take the family along for his birthday. Nice ambience, but quite cramped table. Ordered food and drinks. Drinks took ages to arrive and then only half of them, had to wait another ten minutes for the others. Starters arrived and two of them were wrong, so they had to go back and we had to wait for the two correct dishes to be cooked and delivered. Then we had to wait a further 50 minutes for the main course to arrive. We was told on numerous occasions that the mains were "just being plated up" - but that took over 15 minutes, and even then my Calzone didn't arrive for a further five minutes after all the other mains. Kudos to the staff/managers I could see them going mental in the kitchen about it, but when my Calzone did arrive it was incredibly doughy and undercooked, I ate about 2/3rds of it as I was hungry, but left the rest, mentioned it to the, what I assume was the manager, she took it away and I could see the kitchen staff performing an autopsy on it, but they didn't come out and give me a verdict. Still was charged full price for it. Will not be returning. Lots of better Italian restaurants in the area, even some of the "chain" restaurants are better than this.. Felt sorry for my son and he kept apologising to me and saying "it's not usually like this", so didn't make a fuss as it was his birthday - why should he apologise for a bad restaurant experience? Doubt the restaurant will reply to this review as they tried to distance themselves/ignore the issues that were very apparent.

On our first visit to the restaurant, the owners made us feel really welcome; the service through the evening was excellent. I had the goat’s cheese an black pepper for starters, my wife chose the battered zucchini from the specials menu. They were divine. Not a scrap left on our plates. We then both had pizzas for our mains. These were delicious, lovely home made thin crust base (the owners prepare everything from scratch from 6am in the morning each day) and there was plenty of topping. They were both delicious and we both agreed this pizza was the best we’d tasted; the only downside is that all other pizzas are now ruined. We then had the chocolate and pistachio binge from the specials menu. This was the perfect end to the perfect night, not overly sweet choice buns filled with a pistachio crème that was gorgeous. Not the cheapest night out (with the extra tip we added on top of the service charge, we paid £75 for two ; if you are having wine this would easily be £80+; but it was certainly worth every penny and then some more. We shall certainly returning next time we are in Southend

Easily the best pizza I have ever had, lovely staff/owners, everything made by them on site and you can tell. We will definitely be back next time we're in Southend. If you want Italian food in Southend I doubt you could find better. Do your taste buds a favour and visit Monti ❤️

The staff at Monti are really friendly and welcoming , service is first rate and the quality of the food is excellent. A fabulous lunch was enjoyed by our party. We wouldn't hesitate to come again, and have been recommending Monti to all of our friends.

Wery good food, both starters and main corses. The service was fantastic and the athmosphere was booth relaxing and nice. Takk ❤️

We went here for our daughter’s birthday . The service was poor, staff were very nice but it was so slow. We waited an hour for our first course. Second course took forever. Had to ask several times for our drinks. A large group with...

Fantastic family run and family friendly restaurant with first class service and food. Montis helped us to organise a last minute lunch for 18 people. The food was amazing and the service could not be faulted. I have no hesitation to recommend Montis. Thank you...

Fantastic traditional Italian restaurant. Food quality outstanding. Staff management lovely and professional chef amazing. We travelled for a second visit with friends from East Sussex as such a fabulous restaurant well done everyone involved. Neil Winstone Alfriston East Sussex

We have been to Monti's today and am quite surprised at all the excellent reviews. Our experience was actually quite disappointing. It was Sunday lunch and, apart from a table of 10 ladies, we were the only couple in the restaurant. We felt the starters...

First time to Monti’s and will not need an excuse to go back, the staff were very friendly and professional and clearly had pride in their work. The food was delicious, of our table of 8, everyone left happy

Fabulous! We had a great time on a Sunday lunchtime. Food was great, service great, drinks great! We would all definitely recommend.

New refurbishment is amazeballs!! Staff were superb! I had the crab linguine which was lovely but was lacking acidity. I asked for a wedge of lemon and after one squeeze the flavour balance was perfect. Sorry to sound like a food snob but I think...

Enjoyable meal. Food was excellent. Service was a little slow to start with but the food more than made up for it. Just writing a bit more as I have to type 100 characters

Gorgeous food and attentive service, lovely ambience. We've been on our own as a couple for a romantic meal, with a friend for a Saturday afternoon catch-up, as well as part of a larger family group celebrating a birthday. Each time we've come away satiated...

Excellent meal here on Saturday night. Arrived at 7pm and the restaurant was full. Super atmosphere. Beautiful lighting, romantic and very inviting . Attentive staff, great food. Best risotto I have ever had and my husbands` Ox cheek was amazing apparently. Great value and would...

After a long tiring week went for dinner with my wife. We both enjoyed our pasta dishes which were very well prepared with lovely flavours. Friendly staff and lovely ambience.

This little gem never let's me down, I had the Veal and Spaghetti on this occasion, perfectly cooked, tender but with a light crispy batter, thoroughly enjoyed. My partner had ox cheek with mash, beautiful. Great wine, great staff, this place is highly recommended

Wow!! This was a lovely surprise, our first visit, the restaurant fasciae is quite narrow at first glance , but the restaurant goes back inside a long way and was inviting. The service was attentive and helpful, The menu was attractive and the food was...

Went last night with friends. Three of us our meals were ok. My husband ordered risotto and it was awful. The rice wasn’t cooked and it didn’t look like risotto. The rice looked like long grain. So he sent it back. Ten minutes later another...

The title says it all. It’s like being transported to a little ristorante in Rome. The family pictures and authentic decoration, alongside the warm welcome make you instantly comfortable. The food is exciting and menu extensive, with classics which are true to form such as...

Excellent range of gluten free food, best gluten free pizza I’ve ever had, definitely would recommend. Very hospitable and friendly We don’t live locally but will be making the drive to come back again

Absolutely delightful, authentic Italian cuisine, great atmosphere, great service and, as everyone knows, or should know, a good restaurant should stand on its house wine and Monti’s did not disappoint. Will be returning to this busy, well run friendly establishment and happy to recommend it.

Our dental practice is a short walk from this charming restaurant and they catered to our very large party of 27 people on a week night at short notice. The food is always wonderful and the owners are a delight. Very welcoming and accommodating! We...

Was in the area shopping and booked Monti for early evening meal to celebrate my daughter's birthday. It was a very quiet, rainy Tuesday evening but the staff made us feel so welcome and so special. The food was fabulous, atmosphere/decor and service second to...

Nice Italian restaurant, lovely mix seafood fritters , seafood risotto, spaghetti with clams and panna cotta Will definitely come back

A real hidden gem. Outstanding food and service, We had the ox cheek and steak for mains and they were outstanding

A fantastic menu. Food was amazing. Really rustic, tasty food. Some unusual dishes. Cocktails good too. Will definitely revisit, soon!

We found this little gem of an Italian during our visit to Southend. Simply the best Italian food we’ve had outside of Italy. The lovely family run team were so friendly and attentive and made us feel so welcome. I would highly recommend to visit...

Delicious food, friendly service, great atmosphere. We had a lovely antipasti platter to start, and our pasta was just right. Delicate flavours put together with care. We'll definitely drop by next time we're in town.

We’ve been here a few times with friends, family as a large group and a couple. There is an extensive menu and we try something different each time, we have never been disappointed. The restaurant is about 25 miles from where we live and absolutely...

The staff in this family run restaurant were superb in their waiting services. They were very busy on that Sat but all those who serve out table were always polite, patient and smiling!Pastas and starters were above average and their Italian charm made our late...

Fresh italian ingredients, nice portions, friendly staff and homemade tagliatelle which are the best.

Thank you for having contributed to the exaltation of tastes and tradition for the event of my niece Francesca.

Very impressed with decor of restaurant. A lot of thought gone into selecting different pictures etc. Warm and welcoming staff. Good service. Food simple and authentic. I would go again.

Lovely food as always, menu choice is now smaller but really tasty 😋. Atmosphere love for all occasions

Locale originale con una bella storia della famiglia Monti, carbonara eccellente ed una ragazza che serve ai tavoli gentilissima e...

Went in with great expectations but was disappointed. Beautiful restaurant, clean, nicely decorated, comfortable seatting, wonderful lighting. 10/10 for the waitress service she was absolutely charming! The food was disappointing & that is the very reason I'm sure that people come to give this restaurant...

My husband and I enjoyed a quiet evening with absolutely delicious food. I had one of my favourite meals, the parmigiana, and this was likely the best version I had ever had. Ox cheeks softer than should be possible and gorgeous. Followed by the best...

We had a really good meal here. It was very busy on a Friday evening with a couple of groups which made it lively but the staff kept the service going well. Our pasta dishes were nice, the decor is bright and unusual. The pricing...

What can I say - poor service and awful food. We went with friends who always rave about this place - all 4 of us came away deeply disappointed and still hungry. Drinks were ordered and arrived - that was the highlight. We then ordered...

Visited Monti as a couple (1 english 1 Italian). Food was good with a special mention to tagliatelle al ragu di cinghiale (boar meat). Service was excellent and very attentive. Would definitely recommend.

booked this place after reading some good reviews on here but i was not impressed, after sitting down and ordering drinks, the waitress managed to knock both drinks over and i was soaked in lager and wine! the manager was apologetic and we ordered food,...

My wife and I visited this restaurant for the first time and I cannot fault it in any way. The staff are super attentive yet discreet and the food served was of the highest quality. The interior has a nice ambiance. I am so glad...

Absolutely wonderful meal yesterday. Been before and food is always outstanding. I had the pan fried cod which was amazing and my husband had the spaghetti bolognaise which was just fabulous. Italian cooking and flavours at it’s very best, complimented by delicious red wine from...

Another wonderful experience in this well Know restaurant in Essex. The best Italian restaurant you can go to eat. This time I took filet with lardo and Burrata, Isn’t must to say…. (I was to busy eating) The meat was soo tasty and juicy 🤤...

Wonderful home cooked food. Lovely polite staff, atmosphere is a perfect blend of a top restaurant while making you feel at home. This is just what southend needed. Will definitely be going again.

Came for a family meal early (5pm)on a Friday . Service/ food / staff 10/10. Service was prompt, food delicious and smiley helpful knowledgeable staff. We were the first customers of the eve as we had a 1yr old with us. Resturant soon started to...

Fantastic restaurant with the best staff and service anywhere I’ve being. The food here is at a great standard and a wide selection is on offer. The pizzas are very good and can be adapted to individual choices. Cocktails are on offer as well as...

We had a lunch reservation, myself, my partner and our two Daughters (11 & 1). We were not disappointed! The staff were very welcoming, knowledgeable and attentive from the moment we arrived to the time we had to, unfortunately, leave because we had ultimately finished...

Absolutely delicious meal. King Prawns to start, Veal for mains. Chilli Spaghetti very tasty. Nero Davola very good too. My only concern, very bright lighting, dimmer please

Absolute gem of a restaurant that feels like home from home. Can't rate the food of the staff highly enough.

Went again last night and had another fine meal, mussels to start followed by crab and spaghetti, delicious. My wife was just as enthusiastic about her whole squid to start and an escalope of chicken with spaghetti olio. Terrific.

Definitely the best restaurant in Essex in term of quality and atmosphere. Went to Monti last friday on my Birthday. We were immediately greeted with a warm welcoming by the staff. Had a lovely drink to the bar and continued the evening at the table....

Great food, great venue, great staff, great value, what else do you want when you go out for a meal the place has changed its name from the Lemon tree, so if you ever went there then you must go back I will be amazed...

Overall a disappointing meal; the starter was probably the best part but was very small. The mains took a long time to arrive (understandable given how busy it was but still seemed an excessively long time) and were ok apart from a long strand of...

Best pizzas in Essex. As simple as that. I’ve been to the restaurant once or twice and it’s never failed to impress me. The restaurant feels like that of an Italian home, and the waiters make you feel apart of the family!

This is a real Italian restaurant, not a typical formulaic version. Best genuine Italian cuisine in the area; great family-run atmosphere. Try it !

I love Italian food and the food here is absolutely delicious, no doubt about it. However, we went on a very busy Saturday evening. Too busy. The tables were crammed in, and that’s no reference to previous social distancing, this would of been tight tight...

We have visited this restaurant twice now (spending £250 over two visits) as a couple and while the food was nice we felt that they wanted large tables only? On our first visit we were seated on a small table behind the kitchen door in...

Absolutely lovely food and staff . Amazing atmosphere, food great , first time here but for sure not the last

We was welcome'd by the host, very friendly and helpful! Our server RYAN! was a excellent waiter and he was very friendly and funny and will definitely will be coming back again! Food was good but all in all the service from ryan and the...

Visited this gem of an Italian restaurant with friends yesterday. The food was amazing, the service was excellent and friendly. Although the restaurant was busy there was a totally relaxed atmosphere. Although the cost was a little above what we would usually expect to pay...

Taken as guest to Monti's. was surprised to see a menu that differed from the usual Italian. The Sous Vide Ox Cheek was so good, but next time I will leave out the starter because this was a very large piece of beef long slow...

Wow! What a find! Such a lovely meal. Fantastic food, freshly prepared from a menu with something for everyone. Friendly and welcoming staff. What more can I say! The whole family had a great time.

When I pay £9 for a starter ( which was some tomatoes grilled on toast) I expect to be in a top class restaurant with ambiance and first class service. I was disappointed to be shoved (again for the second time, after we had booked...

We went for an evening meal whilst away on holiday. The food was amazing tge waitress was so lovely. A very lovely meal. Thank you

After spending £90 plus a wrong order, argumentative waitress im about to make a ham toastie as im still hungry, A better cabanara from a tesco microwave meal and the thinnest pizza ever..Dont waste your time or money

All I'm going to say is BRAISED OX CHEEK!! << Be sure to order it! Ok, I'll say more... though the restaurant may be located slightly off the beaten tourist track, it's well worth venturing out for. The place is spacious and the vibe is...

Very warm and friendly welcome started the evening off well and that continued througout the whole evening. All staff attentive and delivered great service, would definitely go back

Second visit to this hidden gem of a restaurant. Food is delicious and the service is impeccable. Family run, this is a must for anyone who appreciates good food, good service, and a wonderful ambiance from a dedicated family and team who are just brilliant...

A fantastic family restaurant that is now becoming busy so don’t delay and get booked in fast. Great food and service as always the aronchi was a great adhesion to the menu. Great pizza for me as well.

Our experience at this wonderful restaurant will remain with us for ever. From the minute we entered we felt welcome. The staff are delightful and take time to make you feel relaxed. They are obviously happy in their work and there is a real feeling...

We have visited this lovely little Italian since it opened and could not recommend it more highly. The food is incredible, the staff are warm and welcoming and nothing is too much trouble. It is walking distance from our house and its the best find...

We chose Monti from Trip Advisor and were not disappointed. We were warmly welcomed and chose from the extensive menu. The waiters/waitresses were very attentive and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We would recommended this restaurant to any one looking for a first class meal...

We arrived at the restaurant at 7:00pm on a Saturday evening and were surprised how busy it was. It was also a lot bigger than we expected. The waiting staff were very attentive and pleasant. There was confusion regarding whether vegetables were included in my...

Me and my partner came here for dinner in June at the recommendation of our friends and it did not disappoint. Brilliant service, beautiful food and we will be back as soon as we can! Highly recommend Monti.

My girlfriend and I had a fantastic time here. It was a family restaurant that took pride in their strong work ethic and fine Italian food. We were both impressed and loved the food; I couldn’t get enough. The service was incredible. Everyone was so...

Visited here a couple of evenings ago. Amazing menu, fantastic staff, reassuring that some of the other diners were Italian, always a good sign. To start hubby had Scallops and Wagu beef, which was delicious and I had Asparagus and a Poached Egg, which was...

I was at Monti with my son. Absolutely fantastic lunch. I have ordered a Fish Grigliata Mista and as you can see from the pictures the portion was huge and flavour trust me was amazing. It was not the first time I was there but...

Staying in Southend for a couple of nights … found on google and reviews looked ok / good … it really is a hidden gem .. tucked away in an unglamorous location… you soon forget when inside … the staff are welcoming and attentive… the...

The food was nice but the portions were tiny, you would expect double the size. A £21 steak off the specials board was smaller than a burger pattie. The cheesecake was minute. Its not a London restaurant, you expect a local Italian restaurant to have...

We came across this restaurant by chance and we certainly were not disappointed . The staff are attentive and the food is so lovely. We had huge king prawns in a garlic sauce with quid ink for starters. Mains were a Diavala pizza and a...

We went along tonight for a wedding anniversary. Been meaning to go for ages but with Covid etc just never seemed to get around to it Seen the great reviews so thought let’s give it a try Nicely decorated Great welcome Plenty of knowledgeable staff...

If you are wishing to eat proper, good, genuine Italian dishes this is the place. I can tell this as my wife is Italian and she loved every dish she ordered from pasta to Cannelloni alla Siciliana desert! Service is professional and warm, with a...

A pleasure to receive a take out from here - It was not cheap BUT it was wholesome, good quality food that was worth every penny. My son had meatballs and pasta - he didn’t talk the whole time and considering he is 11 and...