Ocean Beach in Southend-on-Sea

Visited today, a very busy restaurant on a Thursday lunchtime. We were unfortunately attending a Wake, however, the staff were just so helpful and attentive, given that they still had their lunchtime trade to deal with. We were about 50 people, the buffet, was a delicious, and served promptly and attractively. Teas, coffees and bar drinks were delivered by the smiling waitresses. Nothing was too much trouble. Cannot praise them enough. Hope to come back on a happier occasion, even though we live 70 miles away. The place has a great vibe and a fantastic position. All praise to the staff

Lovely atmosphere..good quality food..excellent service.couldnt fault in any way..staff great..especially Lisa who was top class waitress with personality to match...great night.

I was here today with my wife, having had a nice walk in the sun from Shoeburyness. We were seated on arrival and had a choice of tables which was nice, the time being a little past mid day. My wife ordered chorizo for starters and duck for mains and she enjoyed both, washed down with a couple of glasses of zinfandel wine. I ordered the falafel, followed by the short rib. The falafel was unusual in that it was more of a paste nestled in a garlic mayonnaise. To be honest, I did enjoy the the taste of the falafel but not the texture, which was very off putting. The rib with mashed potato arrived looking splendid. Unfortunately it was as tough as old boots. My wife asked if my meal was good and all I could say was. "it's a bit like eating the rear tyre of my grandsons bicycle". The cutlery was the normal type and I was on the verge of asking for steak knives or maybe a pair of shears. The staff were absolutely perfect and catered to our every whim. I know that if i had asked, they would have offered to replace my meal, however, I was with my wife and the whole idea of waiting for another dish while my wife continued with her meal, did not seem an option. Consequently, we finished our main course together and enjoyed the lemon meringue sundae each, followed by a cup of coffee. I can't emphasise how pleased we both were with the professionalism of the staff, who treated us to a wonderful service and treated us with dignity and respect. I was happy to leave a fair service payment in appreciation. Unfortunately, the kitchen let you down on this occasion and I shall give this venue one more try before I write it off The total for the meal and service charge was £150 and whilst my wife was very happy with her meal and the way she was treated, I felt I had been short changed with my main course, although I did not feel inclined to give the waiting staff a hard time or penalise them in any way.

First timers. We arrived at Ocean Beach without a reservation with family from the USA. Luckily there was a table available in the terrace area. Lovely view of the sea. Our waitress was very accommodating when we challenged her with various changes to some of the items on the menu. Due to allergies etc we received exactly what we asked for. THANK YOU! The cooked dishes were served hot and looked and tasted delicious. The salads were fresh and yummy. Everything down to the coffee and mint chocolates was superb.

We had a lovely family meal at Ocean Beach this evening. As usual, it does not disappoint. The menu is varied and the tapas are always delicious as are the salads, particularly the Goats Cheese. On previous visits we’ve also enjoyed the Salmon Teriyaki Noodles, Ocean Beach Burger, Chicken Milanese and Seafood Linguine. The service is always excellent: everyone is warm, friendly and very professional. Alice in particular is a diamond, she’s so bubbly, helpful and a fantastic asset to the team. We look forward to our next visit.

A great meal in a lovely spot. Food was fabulous. The fish and chips was amazing. Really good quality and good portion size

Sat out looking at sea. Tapas starters good all main courses very good short rib beef. Cod and chips. Sea bass. Chicken in mushroom brandy sauce cheesecake and waffle desserts lovely. Had a great evening food may be slightly expensive but it's good quality and presentation. Situation of restaurant is wonderful. Staff nice perhaps a bit of slow service but we weren't in any rush.

I wish I had taken a photo of the pancakes that were served up when I had brunch on Wednesday morning (28.08.24). They were the worst pancakes I have ever been served up. I have never been to a café/restaurant where pancakes are on the menu and not cooked from scratch. There were 3 round mini sized shop bought rubbery pancakes layered with banana and maple syrup and the smallest teaspoon size dollop of crème fraiche on the top pancake. Nothing special, very easy to serve up as they were packet pancakes, one banana in slices with some maple syrup and the tiniest amount of crème fraiche!! The pancakes were dry, cold and like cardboard to eat. The group I was with all felt the same in that they were bought packet pancakes from the two shops everyone goes to now . I was with friends I hadn't seen for a while and didn't want to make a fuss but I know I will not be visiting Ocean Beach again or recommending it. Brunch is something I do a lot all around Essex and beyond and I can honestly say I have never been served such poor food. Very poor show and very lazy Ocean Beach!!

This restaurant is perfect, it overlooks the sea and has an outdoor veranda to sit out on when it is warm. My girlfriend ate here on Wednesday and because it was a warm evening, we were able to sit outside and watch the sunset. To make it more memorable is that the food is amazing.

Great spot looking out over the Thames Estuary, delicious seafood. About 20 pound for a main course. Very noisy and buzzy on a Friday night but we didn't mind that. Only mark off and reason for not giving 5 stars is that we were ignored by our waitress for about 45 minutes and had to ask another waitress for the desserts menu.

Amazing mains, ordered: the cod and chips (chips weren't greasy) batter was and cod was sooo light even the salad garnish tasted great. Sea bass was light and tasted great the topping had a nice spicy kick to it. Sea food linguine: plenty of muscles and squid, sauce was delicious. Staff were so friendly and nothing was a trouble for them.

We love this place and visit most times we visit Southend. Such a lovely location with an uninterrupted view across the estuary. There is a restaurant with a decking area under a retractable roof, plus there are tables on the beach for a more relaxed drink. We always sit on the decking and have a nice lunch. They serve lovely drinks - properly chilled! Good selection of drinks. The food menu hasn't really changed in a long time but we find the tapas menu absolutely gorgeous. Food is so flavourful and fresh! We've tried other meals too which are also nice but they're nothing on the tapas menu! Music is very chilled- gives a real Balearic vibe which is great as you feel like you're in Ibiza on a nice day A great place to relax on a sunny day and just enjoy your lunch. We'll always be back

Rude managers. Made us feel unwelcome. Looking at us with suspicion. Food too pricey for the quality. Used to go there for the views. Never again.

Just left the establishment highly aggravated as we were treated like criminals by the shift manager who chased us outside with the shouting “You didn’t pay!”, but the bill was sorted out by card. Another xenophobic place where we will not go to again, despite the fact that we have been going there for years. What a way to spot a beautiful day by the sea!

We were aiming for brunch, which was delicious when we went previously but were a little late. We chose tapas, which were excellent. Portions are larger than normal. Very good coffee. Service is friendly and efficient. Can be a little noisy in the conservatory section but worth it.

Super venue with a stunning view over The Thames Estuary. Service was timely; food extremely tasty and staff very friendly. Go give it a try as you won’t be disappointed,

Greet place with sea views all around. Super lovely staff, my only down side was nobody came to the table and asked if I meals were ok or would anyone like another drink. We didn’t eat at a busy time . Another tip, u need to update your crockery as lots of it chipped and cracked Been several times and will return 😊

It was a lovely bright sunny morning so we treated ourselves to breakfast. Sadly, it was a little too cold to sit on the covered terrace but we were made very welcome inside, by, in the first instance, the gentleman behind the bar, and then by our waitress. Coffee was good and hot, breakfast came without delay. Beautifully presented and nicely cooked with high quality ingredients. We have been before and we will come again.

I have never been to this restaurant at the time we visited it was very busy we were asked if we would like to have a drink while we waited for a table.The food in this restaurant was delicious the drinks were good the service was superb could not fault the place

Yes right on the beach, good sized establishment. Inside and terrace seating and I guess the terrace is opened up in the summer but was sheltered for the early spring weather. We were there for breakfast. Good menu including the standards plus Spanish breakfast and Spanish omelette, good coffee and lovely friend service, as we found everywhere we went in Southend. Great view of the pier watching the tide come in which it did at a good rate of knots.

Had a great evening at Ocean Beach, it was a family members 80th and the staff could not have done more for us (thank you Lisa, outstanding!). Food was some of the best we have ever had - Picado was top notch. We will be back for sure. Once again, cheers

Delicious Tapas… Our Server Lisa was welcoming, engaging and helpful. Always come back to Ocean Beach it’s a favourite. Especially when the tides in!

I’m afraid I found our recent lunch visit quite disappointing. The food was under par with its quality and the way it was presented and given this the food was not worth the somewhat expensive prices being charged. £20 for fish and chips has to be one of the most expensive for the entire area and I therefore expected a wow moment. The portion of fish looked decent but not a wow with presentation and I never queried why it never got eaten. The Caesar salad at £17 was limp and lifeless and the chicken was dry and poorly cooked. The prawns in the seafood salad at £19 were the cheapest to be purchased and I never actually saw any crayfish to speak of. Deserts were tasty but even these at £7.50 seemed a lot for what they were. The male server was efficient and very nice as was the young girl but the older lady with the continual miserable face slammed items down on the table with no grace or real interest. Black mark. The place lacked atmosphere the decor is dull and forgettable and the table could of been cleaner. This was a 5 out of 10 experience we never chose this venue and certainly would rush back.

After a good start things did go a bit downhill perhaps paying at the time of ordering should of been a sign. Unfortunately although when bringing the drinks my earl grey was announced as such it proved to be the bog standard it took several attempts to attract attention of a staff member who did rectify the issue promptly,however failing to ask why I had left half of the Victoria sandwich ,which sadly was well below par.

Ocean Beach would have got a 5 star review but having visited pre covid (when i didn't review) I remembered the same small negatives that we experienced again on this visit. Menu, prices drinks, waitress service all excellent. The negatives to remember and hope that the ocean beach improve on. Having studied the menu and decided on my choices only to be told that my first choice had sold out, I then asked how many other thing had sold out before I decided again what to eat., A further two dishes were also off. Excuse it was 8pm on a saturday night ! We sat in the outer dinning area adjacent the beach, The over head electric heaters go on and off automatically so you either get your head roasted when they come on or you sit there with your coat on when they automatically turn off. Best option is to sit inside where the temperature is constant. We would return but we will remember to sit inside and ask what is not available on the menu before deciding on a dish that is not available.

Very nicely prepared and tasty food. I had salmon teriyaki noodles; beautifully cooked and seasoned, with noodles laced with tasty vegetables and a nice bit of chilli. Others had the smoked pancetta and truffle linguine, and the cod goujons. All very well done.service was a little inattentive=ttentive, given we were very early and the place was nearly empty, but friendly enough once you got their attention. Also the meals were served with a gap of several minutes between the different diners, which was a little awkward. But we still recommend it!

Service wasn’t great - apart from initial order and asking for the bill we didn’t see a waiter - we were sat at the end of the restaurant and I think we were forgotten about. Starters came out warmish and food was pretty mediocre. Overall not a great experience. We would have said something on the night if someone had asked!

Went to a workplace reunion at Ocean Beach last night with my wife. The whole place had been booked and there were loads of people there but the staff were plentiful and very attentive. The buffet that was laid on was absolutely fabulous and the staff were circulating all night with trays of nibbles and titbits. A really great venue for this sort of thing, great location, great atmosphere, wonderful staff and quality food and service. I thoroughly recommend it!

Lovely place we stumbled on whilst walking the seafront. We chose from the Tapas menu and the food was amazing. Really top quality. The staff were very attentive and pleasant. The only minor issue is the music was to loud and club like for my taste. Would have been nicer with more sedate music. Still I will return for the food, service and view.

Lovely location, the drinks came out quickly but we was waiting nearly 2h for our mains. We was in the point to stand up, pay for our drinks and go to eat somewhere else. No apology or anything. We paid the full amount. Seems like something normal there.

Amazing food, we had Tapas dishes which were really good. The staff were loveluly and were very helpful accommodating my mum who is coeliac and needs to eat gluten free. The food is at the pricier end, but it is definitely worth it, it was a lovely experience

Excellent tasty food ,good service friendly lovely smiley staff I would not hesitate to recommend eating here.

Sitting out overlooking the sea is great But the food is average at best had goats cheese salad could have been pre bought from Tesco, My wife was sent back no apology just taken away . Waitress was working hard though with no back up from anyone. Very very average

Ocean beach is one of my favourite places to visit and luckily I’m local so do visit often! Great for lunch, brunch or dinner (I believe they do breakfast too!). Food is always great, lovely choice on menu and the views are wonderful - even more stunning if the tide is in. Good for vegetarians/pescatarians. I don’t eat meat so often have the fish and chips (can choose sweet potato fries for a small extra) and I can highly recommend. The cod is absolutely delicious with amazing crispy batter! My only one suggestion is that I wish for just the evening (dinner service) there would be nice white tablecloths on each table out in the conservatory with a tea light in a glass. It would look so much more inviting and romantic too, as this place is good for ALL occasions whether it be family, friends or a romantic date. I’m sure that wouldn’t cost too much, but would make such a difference. Anyway just a suggestion. Don’t hesitate to go, great place

We had a lovely meal at this restaurant. We was served by Lisa who was very pleasant and helpful and provided a great service. Thank you very much!

We had a lovely evening out - a starter each: sardines for me; scampi for my husband followed by Sea Bass and Prawn and Salmon salad . The food was delicious - attractively presented, very nicely cooked and generous portions. Our bottle of white wine was very reasonably priced too. So what's not to like! We were delighted by our experience. Thanks.

Awful experience at Ocean Beach. Customer Service was dreadful as was the food. Since the new restaurant has opened this one has gone downhill . Would not recommend

It is always a slight concern when you book somewhere then see mixed reviews, however we found that Ocean Beach nothing less than great when we visited this week, The restaurant was quite busy but we were promptly welcomed and seated and soon approached for...

Mixed experience. Visited for lunch and it was great. Had 2 sandwiches with delicious potato salad. Very tasty. Visited again for dinner and the wait for food was far too long. They were busy and we had to wait for a table but the wait...

Love this place. Great food and great location. It is understandably very popular and not a Witherspoon type place so if you want fast food best stick to McD's. But the food is worth waiting for and the seaviews are unobstructed.

Do not attend in a group. Incredibly rude, told we were not able to sit at a table or move chairs as the group was too big. There were 5 empty tables and we had already purchased drinks. Our group then moved to the beach...

Overpriced lager it’s busy enough not to put prices up like that it sounds like greed to me I won’t be back

Love this place and never disappointed. Great location looking out at sea and tasty food. Friendly staff and service with a smile. Always enjoy our visit.

Lovely afternoon at Ocean Beach good food and good service, friendly and helpful sraff never rush you for your order unlike some tapas bars! Couldn't fault it if l tried will be back soon.

This restaurant (?) is a disgrace - we’d booked a table if 6 for lunch. We arrived on time and told there’d be a 45minute wait for food - we said ok but we’re not happy at this point. We sat down in a booth...

Visited for a nice Sunday lunch on bank holiday. Arrived at 11:35am and was told by a moody waiter they won’t serve or even show us a menu until 12:00! We decided to wait as our two young children like the beach view and was...

Just gone to Ocean Beach, Eastern Esplanade Southend on Sea, Essex, with my son. Snotty bad service, bad attitude waitress who I asked from manager .1. Not to deal with as been going since opened and never experienced bad service before. Manger.1. Was annoyed and...

The good - watching the tide come in, excellent service, clean toilets, no compulsory service charge The bad - expensive - chicken salad £19 - house chiraz wine £5.85. Poor quality chicken and poor quality wine. Better to have less chicken but better quality. The...

Service very good but beware tapas is now like children’s portions grilled halloumi at nearly eight pounds was two slices cut into four pieces and the bit of salad with it is not worth mentioning also the cheese and ham croquettes were tiny little things...

Not family friendly - When my friend and I arrived (mid week) with babies in prams/buggies, the rude staff member rolled eyes and turned us away, even though the restaurant was quiet. We said we were happy to sit outside and she declined us service.

Came here with our grandson Saturday 1st April as it’ was our favourite place for a lunch, we booked a table as it gets busy Saturday lunchtime but upon arrival managed to get a table in the conservatory area. Drinks & food order taken quite...

I have eaten her a few times and I always leave a happy customer. To start we had the Jalepeno and cheese poppers , they were not too spicy and the cheese was so creamy inside. I ordered the Chargrilled chicken last night for mains...

Really disappointed. Came here for Mother’s Day. Booked in advance and was sat in main restaurant, while tables on the terrace were free. Waited an hour for our food to arrive. The tapas food was very oily, burger was bland and salads consist of rocket...

Have had nicer experiences here so was a bit disappointed. Booked in advance but was then sat in the main restaurant (as a couple) which was full of families, whilst we looked longingly at the terrace where it looked far more romantic with lower lighting...

Lovely location right on the beach. We went for breakfast. Although they got our order wrong, it was quickly resolved, and we both really enjoyed our breakfast. Not the cheapest place to have breakfast ( 2 breakfasts and 2 hot drinks came to £30) but...

Lovely views clean and friendly .Prices are fair and food is excellent .In summer you can sit outside and enjoy the beach and the sea ,in winter its nice looking out of the windows at the coast.It sells drinks so you can also enjoy G&T...

Today I ordered ham and eggs. When you go out for a meal you expect something better than what might be offered for free at food bank for the homeless. I got ham that was obviously just a few cheap mediocre ham slices from a...

Popped in on Saturday the night on off chance to see if I could get a table for 2. I was pleasantly surprised that the portion size of both starter, white bait, and main Italian Spaghetti, were really good and very, very tasty. If I...

Food took over 45 minutes to turn up - was ok nothing special. High chair I was given for my 1 year old was ridiculous, she constantly was slipping out of it.

Popped in here on a Tuesday whilst the wind was blowing and the rain pouring. We had arranged to meet a mate who lives in Switzerland over for a few days. We were seated in the Conservatory which had overhead heaters on. But with the...

We’ve been here a few times now and although the food has always been good, the service is very inconsistent. Last time we waited over an hour for our food to arrive. This time it came out really fast! One waiter was brilliant. The other...

Really nice food, great drinks and friendly & efficient service! The OceanBeach burger was the pick of the food. Overall, a wonderful meal. Will be returning!

Party night , excellent food, great atmosphere, great music and lovely friendly staff. We all can’t wait to go again next year !

Great food and a lovely restaurant on the beach. Second visit to Ocean Beach and love the food. The Spanish breakfast is to die for full of flavours and extremely filling. My wife had the smoked haddock and that was fantastic. Definitely recommend.

We booked for a party of friends and family after our civil partnership ceremony. I have dined here a couple of times before. As always the food was of a very high standard. My partner is a chef who can be hypercritical but he loved...

We have had a pre Christmas reservation for some time and have just received email cancelling booking as they have just taken a large booking We have been regular visitors for many years since they opened they obviously put money over loyalty We now have...

Came here last minute as driving past, we thought we’d try our luck as attracted to the name (Ibiza vibe) & beautiful view. The staff were super accommodating even though it was busy. Food was fabulous, wine good, with a perfect view of the sunset.

Far better than the Roslin! Eat here for great food and excellent wine. Service good as well. This restaurant does not appeal from the outside but inside the food is out of this world perfection. And they have Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Heaven.

We had a late lunch at the Ocean Beach, lovely location and lots of choice for food and drinks. It was quite busy even though we were there around 4pm for lunch. I chose a duck noodle dish which was absolutely delicious. We sat out...

When we arrived been told takes 20min to seat at the outdoor area and advised to order some drink until. So after we ordered our drinks jug of pimms and a large lager after 5 min been told it's more likely 1hrs (x3) ridiculous if...

After visiting twice recently and being blown away by this place we decided to bring Mum her to celebrate her 96th Birthday ! Once again we were not disappointed , the service was faultless , the food delicious plentiful and piping hot ! and very...

We ate twice here on our short stay in Southend. There was a varied and unusual menu and the food was really good. We ate on the terrace both times which was very close to the sea when the tide is in.

Excellent food and a great view. We ordered a selection of tapas which was superb, nicely cooked fillet steak , tempura prawns , falafels , sweet potato fries and a leaf salad , the tables on the terrace have a fine view of the pier...

It has a nice water front location, a varied menu for food and wine, the staff were friendly and efficent. On the wholes everybody (7) enjoyed there meals, I was alittle confused by getting shrimps instaed of Prawns in my meal but may be that...

Boring food ,even though they had skate and seabass on the menu we expected a flavourful experience. Oh gosh we were disappointed. Asked for garlic sauce and they offered garlic butter ,where was the garlic ?Waitress hurried us constantly ,felt like a fast food place....

Good parking close by. Super staff. Marvellous view. The variety and quality of the food is brilliant. Highly recommended.

Son wanted to come to ocean beach for birthday! What a good choice! Best sardines I’ve ever had! Food was very good and service too

Twice I have visited this restuarant over the summer and twice additional drinks have been added to the bill. Today £30 worth of drinks had been added! To make it worse, the waitress only laughed and when she returned with the amended bill only asked...

We waited for over an hour for our food and when it came the Spanish omelette was just eggs and potato - no chorizo or onion or any flavour at all. The bacon sandwich had a single rasher of barely cooked bacon and an awful...

We visited Ocean Beach Southend today for the first time, in search of a nice breakfast after the place we had planned to eat at was full. What a wonderful surprise it was to find this modern, spacious, stylish and airy venue! And so near...

Disappointing meal for 2 after arriving with high expectations. Had table for 2 at 8.00 pm and ordered tapas. Waited an hour for 5 dishes and had to chase twice. When arrived, 2 of the dishes were cold and 2 lukewarm. Only whitebait was nice...

I was meeting my 3 older kids and my Mother for breakfast . After parking I walked in carrying my Chihuahua, to be sternly told by 2 barmen , No DOGS ALLOWED!! I explained that I’d eaten 3 times at their newly opened No 1...

We were very pleased with our meal today and appreciated the prompt service, despite warnings that there might be a delay. We had tapas: chicken wings, ham and cheese croquettes, coconut prawns and Padrón peppers.

Fabulous view, lovely menu, will definitely be back for tapas, the patron peppers were delicious. Great menu, would recommend for late lunch when less busy

A last minute plan for Tapas with a friend on a Friday evening, I was really surprised! We hadn't booked a table, but we asked if we could not be seated on the inside. They said that there would be a little wait but they...

Have been before and again not disappointed. Service was efficient and friendly without being intrusive, a nice balance. food was excellent as I remember. the atmosphere good with a lovely view being right on the beach. Only slight downside, the drinks were expensive with 1...

Have been to Ocean Beach many times and always enjoyed it. However, on the last visit the service was appalling. Nearly 45 minutes between starter and mains, server seemed very uninterested. I am hopping the bad experience was just a “one off”. It just seemed...

Staff are very efficient, very clean with amazing food, sitting in the conservatory on the beach with amazing views, a great buzz around with lots of happy diners. Definitely well worth a visit.

Ate here twice and chose from the great tapas menu. Staff are excellent. The large conservatory area, which has a retractable roof, is right on the beach.

Breakfast was really good there. Food took a little longer than expected but worth the wait. Really hot and tasty. Good service. Can’t talk about the other parts of the menu as only had the breakfast, but lots of options.

We attended Ocean Beach this afternoon for some lunch, turning up with our new born (8 weeks) twins in their double buggy. The indoor restaurant was clear as could be with only one table being used but the Front of House would not let us...

My chicken starter was extremely chewy and came with what can only be described as a teardrop of sauce then I had the meatballs for main course. When they arrived they were very pink. I sent them back as I can’t eat pink meat. The...

It's lovely to sit & have a meal overlooking the sea, we did try to phone to book for the decking but was told it was quite & 1st come no booking available. Waiting staff friendly, 3 starters, 2 mains, 1 side. 4 gins &...

First visit to Ocean Beach this weekend and it was very successful, fabulous staff, great food and local beer!!! We tucked into a good few of the Tapas dishes which were both delicious and good portions, the charcuterie sharer was a bit thrifty for its...

Went here today for lunch, had ham egg and chips for £16.95. For that price I expected something exceptional but was disappointed. The ham was rubbery and fatty. Poached eggs ~ one was hard and the other, the white was runny ~ ugh! Wish we'd...

Visited Ocean Beach 15 April 2022 at 14.00. When the food finally arrived it was very good.No complaints there.The staff were a different matter. Not one of the staff came to ask if the meal was OK. Had to get up and find staff member...

Lovely setting, We had salmon teriyaki , scampi, and delicious brownie and the salted caramel sauce was amazing. The staff where all very happy and very helpful

We stayed with some friends for the weekend who live near Thorpe Bay they decided to take us here for lunch. We weren’t disappointed. I have a serious red onion allergy if I accidentally eat it I am violently sick so I have to be...

Brilliant service, lovely meal. Had Picardo steak and salmon teriyaki. Food was hot and delicious and two bottles of Botter rose prosecco which were reasonably priced. Lovely evening and going back for breakfast right now.

For what looks like 'just a beach bar', this was a real delight for 2 winter suppers. Broad menu looks 'too good to be true' but everything we tried was fresh and well presented. Backed up by notably cheerful young staff (and rather civil customers)....