Oliver's On The Beach in Southend-on-Sea

As a weekly regular I could sing the praises of Olivers every time but it's been a fair while since penning another review. Suffice to say nothing changes....a warm welcome, consistently good produce,well cooked and served by polite friendly staff. Colin Oliver and the gang deserve nothing but the highest praise. Head and shoulders above anywhere else you would find refreshment from Leigh to Shoebury. Long may you reign in our opinion.

Disappointed Would not swap poached eggs to scrambled on the haddock breakfast as they don't serve scrambled eggs. The poached eggs were under cooked. They dished up the bacon sandwich on the cheapest white loaf you can buy. The bacon was nice though and the staff friendly . Was not worth the money , would not go back sadly

Had a lovely lunch with a friend. Food was lovely and staff were very friendly. We both had the beer battered cod which was cooked perfectly. The peas were cooked to perfection, I hate over cooked peas. My friend had the mars bar brownie and I had the walnut affogato which was amazing.

Like to start by saying this is actually my favourite spot for lunch and I’ve had many wonderful lunches here so really hoping this was a one off. Was told wait for table would be 1/2 hour ended up being an hour. Ordered immediately when seated but it was 40 minutes until we got our food. My avocado.mozzarella , pesto with olive bread was half the size it normally is and to add insult to injury the chips were undercooked and hard. 😭.When I unscrewed the lid of the ketchup bottle it exploded all over my white linen dress before I even attempted to pour it 🤷‍♀️. Husband’s club sandwich was delicious though he was given the choice of granary or white to be told half an hour later they’d run out of granary so it would have to be white after all 😂. Could’ve redeemed themselves with deserts but we’d been in there so long and the wait for food/service so poor we’d run out of time on the parking.

Rejected my request to buy a take a away coffee and use the toilet My family and I have frequented this establishment many times over the years. I will never go again!

Had a fantastic meal today 18th April at Olivers. The Steak & Stilton pie is one of the many dishes on the varied menu. The portion sizes are larger than expected and extremely good value for money. The staff are very friendly & helpful too. I can only say thank you for the lovely meal. We've been there three times now, and will continue to visit each time we're in Southend!

However the welcome was warm and the food as delicious as always! Arrived at around 12.30 and my husband parked and nipped in to put our name on the wait list to receive a telephone call when a table was free. He was told about 15 mins but we got a call a little sooner than that :-) We'd parked right outside and had paid for 2 hours parking so that was good. I hobbled in (using a stick at the moment due to knee trouble) and was greeted by two lovely cheerful waitresses. We were given a table for two in a full restaurant of various aged patrons and quite a few very well behaved dogs which are always lovely to see. As usual it was a difficult choice to pick a meal from the large standard menu and the Specials board but we eventually chose to share a Halloumi fries starter followed for my husband by the Steak and Stilton pie and myself the cottage pie served with 5 different types of vegetables! Both were wonderful. We already knew what we were having for dessert so didnt need to see the pudding menu ! We went for our usual favourites in my husband's case the Walnut Affogato and for me the Pavlova ( I have yet to have had a better one anywhere). I also really enjoyed the Strawberry and rhubarb lemonade as it was a lovely fruity flavour but not too tart. So well worth the hours drive to get there! It is definitely one of our favourite casual places to eat at and we look forward to visiting again. Thank you to the delightful and pleasant serving staff and the very accomplished cooks in the kitchen who turn out such lovely meals in such a tiny space 👏👏👏

Visited with my family and got the last seat, right by the window with a view of the sea. Ate brunch as we were too early for lunch, The food arrived quickly, with good portion sizes, and all fresh ingredients that tasted amazing. Would thoroughly recommend

Visited today was welcomed by friendly staff .comfortable seating great views of the beach and sea. Ordered the fish platter which was delicious , mum had steak and Stilton pie with lots of veg was also very tasty .Every meal I've had at Oliver's has been superb . Would highly recommend a visit , but be careful no booking system .

Absolutely lovely breakfast and great views. Staff are so lovely and friendly too. Highly recommend. There was a queue for breakfast when we left as it is so popular.

Very nice place, location and food. But service was slow as waited after being seated 15mins before our order was taken. But would definitely return

Came down on recommendation, just wanted coffee to start with my mum before we decided whether to eat. But they would t give us a table unless we definitly ordered food. Had to walk away as we didn’t know for sure. Shame to be basically be turned away as might not spend as much as they would like.

This place is amazing. You feel like you’re sitting in the middle of the estuary. They have a great selection of food from breakfast lunch and dinner. The staff are always friendly and attentive.

This spot Is great for every occasion!From breakfast to lunch, Always amazing food and attentive staff. I would recommend it

I love this place! It is very busy so be prepared to wait for a table but boy is it worth the wait. The food is home cooked and there is a specials menu with a great selection on. Will definitely be back here.

Great location, varied menu. Friendly staff. The food is of an exceptional standard. Home cooking meets restaurant quality!👌

Went for coffee at 11:50 on a Sunday after a long walk, after entering was told they were just clearing some tables and she would check, a couple of minutes later another lady came over and said we can’t have a table for just drinks. As life long residents of Southend this is the First and last time we will try to use this place. Went to The Beach Hut instead where nothing was to much trouble despite being very busy.

The seafront was rammed on a beautiful January Sunday and the only parking spot was outside this little place. Had to wait 15 minutes for a table but well worth it. King Prawn tacos were yummy!

On a short trip out of London I decided to take my family to Southend and stay at this little cozy restaurant. Very good choice as the food proved to be up to the score in here . Very friendly staff and fast service. Food was absolutely delicious from starter to dessert. Just be prepared to wait to be seated as the place is small and many people are willing to eat here. I would gladly come back !

I Came in today 30/12 for the first time ever ( it will be my last ). We got seated after about 5mins. 3 ladies came in after us & got seated. We were left for 20mins. The lady waitress served the table that had came in after us & when I said something the waitress said ( oh give me 2minutes ) I was ok with that. 15mins later we are still waiting to be served again. We decided that after 30minutes of waiting we was going to leave & go elsewhere. As we left the waitress said ( oh you're next )!! Well I'm sorry but it's a bit late now. We have come to another nice place further down the road where we got served straight away. I'm a waitress & I wouldn't leave my customers waiting 30minutes without being served or acknowledged. Safe to say I won't be coming back!!!

Been to Olivers a few times. Food is always superb. I was recommended the steak and Stilton pie which came with a host of fresh veggies. Its was delicious! 4 stars as had to wait a while but that was my choice.

We thought we’d return to Oliver’s as the food last time was excellent. Parked up opposite with no problems as there were lots of empty spaces… .. .went to pay, but the Council charges were so high, so we decided to drive on and we’ll come back by foot another day. Shame that the parking charges are so high!

I think you gave to the know the owners to get a table now , I went to rake my mum today for lunch I lady in front of me east for a table for two which they had then she said I will just go get my friend so that table had gone then was told they had a table of eight coming along soon ??? I thought it was first come first as me and my mum got back into our car we saw the lady that was getting her friend walk up the road !!!!!! I’ve given up now they sat you cannot book but beg to differ kit good business

Gorgeous breakfast. A short wait for a table on a Sunday. Beautiful view over the Estuary on a sunny autumn morning. Friendly, attentive service. 10/10.

Visiting from Somerset....wanted somewhere for breakfast before the long drive home. What a fantastic place! The food was exceptional (best Eggs Benedict Ive had and the sausages are amazing!) Staff were lovely and what a great spot on the seafront! Will definitely be going back 😊

Food amazing really tasty, good size portions. Staff weren’t great wouldn’t come back on that basis as it made it an unfriendly atmosphere

A small cafe right on the sea. Extensive breakfast and lunch menu. I can recommend Eggs Benedict! Friendly service. If we were staying longer we would return

Really enjoyed the food last time I went here(few years ago) and went again with my partner and dog for my birthday breakfast. Sat outside which we were happy about as inside can get claustrophobic. Cannot fault the food, it’s always incredible. HOWEVER I had to ask 5 times for tap water! I don’t think it was too much of an ask. My breakfast started to go cold as I was sitting there waiting for just a glass of water with my food and was told “we’re really busy in here so you’ll have to wait”. I’m more than happy to get myself if needs be. We also asked for fresh dog water, as the bowl that was out was dirty. This never came. Again, something I would have happily done myself if I was welcome to the facilities. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I was asked “will other dogs not drink it?” I told the lady that I don’t know, my dog has pancreatic and liver cancer so would have liked clean water for her. To when she started looking for some. My dog shouldn’t have to have cancer to get some clean water. We ended up giving her one of our cups anyway. We paid (didn’t get given a receipt so had to trust the amount) and started walking away, when we were chased down asking if we had paid. I felt embarrassed by this. The message could have easily been passed on either just by a tick on the receipt or verbally. It was a sad start to my birthday. At least the food was delicious

The food was amazing staff were very nice And helpful the portion sizes were big , and delicious . I would recommened coming to this resturant if your

I popped in on Sunday 13th August and I was disappointed and a little embarrassed (as there were other customers) to be told I can't have 'just a coffee", and that I have to order food as well. The waitress also seemed a bit unwelcoming as I was on my own with my dog. (Dog friendly apparently?) I declined her offer of 'we'll let you have a coffee this time as you are here now' as my custom was obviously not welcome. Very poor customer service.

They were lacking in space. Vet little food options and there was a supposed 20 minute wait that in Reality took over an hour. 1star deserved

Great little seafront cafe. Do the full English along with other healthy dishes. Plenty to choose from for all dietary needs. Nice decor, good staff. A small busy place to visit. Our bill came to £65 for four people, that was 3 full English breakfast’s, 1 Welsh rarebit, 2 rounds of teas and coffees. Worth a Sunday morning treat

Shhh this place is amazing, don't tell anyone!!! It's my regular place to eat locally. Views of the estuary, very varied menu, lovely staff, no alcohol served. Desserts amazing!!

Visited on sunday 9/7/23 …absolutely brilliant. 100% spot on Excellent service , food ingredients and presentation. Staff including chef all very chatty and helpful. Establishment small but spotless. Keep doing what your doing !

Regardless on whatever the seafront strip has to offer from Leigh to Shoebury, Olivers still remains the best in our opinion. Food is always of the best quality and served hot. Staff who are friendly and helpful. A visit to Olivers at any time for any meal is still a pleasure.

Fantastic all round, the service, the food, the view. It doesn't get any better then this in Southend! Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs was magnificent!

Locally sourced food, great service and good food with lots of choice The food is freshly cooked and tasty

we were seemingly forgotten as we chose to sit outside, but the food was well worth the wait. would come again, but would probably sit inside

Popped in for lunch. Fabulous food and service as always! Would highly recommend the tempura prawn tacos, they are wonderful. My husband had the arancini balls which were also delicious, but the tomato sauce they were in was another level! Fab lunch x

Great cafe on the sea between Southend an Westcliffe. Really nice food and lovely service. Fab view of the sea too. Will definitely visit again

Had the huge roast beef dinner, tons of gravy, absolutely superb little place. Staff are so friendly, lots of laughing from the kitchen, menu is varied for such a small place, staff do everything to accommodate you despite the limited covers. No alcohol served. Not...

Absolutely spot on from start to finish. Food was superb. Highly recommended 👍🏻 Barling Beauts are a must

Amazing food and service, view across estuary is amazing. Restaurant is small so arrive early or book to avoid disappointment

Staff are amazing, food is freshly cooked and local but wait can be long sometimes although always worth it

Always guaranteed a wonderful meal. Can’t fault it. The girls work really hard and are always very friendly. Well worth a visit. We love this place

As a regular to Olivers its been a while since I last made a review. This place is still a jewel in the crown along the seafront. Great selection of meals and lunches or breakfasts. Staff who are the friendliest and kindest. Hygiene standards never...

Arrived just before 12 noon , we were warmly greeted and welcomed by staff. The waitress explained , that they were now taking lunch time orders and as breakfast menu, was just finishing. We were more than happy to wait. We ordered a pot of...

We had breakfast. Nice enough but unfortunately cheap thin granary bread was used & coffee not great. Lovely outlook & very friendly staff however where we were seated you could see the shelving unit was full of dust & cobwebs - so not great!

Located on the beach, with great food and great service... What else do you need. What a wonderful find, we will be back soon

I’ve wanted to go here for a while, it was hubby’s birthday so seemed like a perfect excuse. It really lived up to our expectations. The food was gorgeous, quality ingredients and cooked to perfection! The staff were lovely, and the setting is idyllic. We...

Lovely spot with great view, staff all very nice, sadly cold coffee, incorrect order and very basic food. cheap sliced bread and ham sort of thing I would expect from a service station.

A good start to the morning: One full English and one Eggs Benedict from an extensive breakfast menu served outside in the September sunshine. Recommended

Popped by hoping they’d have a table for 4 adults and 2 toddlers and they moved some tables to fit us in (brilliant!) My daughter had a chat with the chefs while we were waiting - so friendly and chatty. Great choice of food -...

We have eaten here at Oliver’s on the beach quite a few times now and every time the food has been amazing. Lovely little restaurant. Thank you everyone!

We visited Oliver’s this morning and had the best breakfast, Lovely setting. Great friendly staff, and nothing to much trouble. Will definitely be back. Food is the best quality.

Lovely spot on the sea front. Service was a little slow but the food was fab and would be very happy to go back. Sent a message about availability of parking not knowing the area and didn’t get a response.

Very busy and very hot yesterday, but friendly welcoming smile from waitress and dee-licious fish-finger sandwich. Can recommend.

First visit for us. Always busy so we waited out in the sunshine with a couple of drinks . Lady took our phone number,we waited 30 mins and boy was it worth it ! Delicious food. Excellent value and quick service as they knew we...

the breakfasts are just fabulous, the lunches are great as well. food cooked to order and always fresh and they try and use locally sourced products as well. This is a really great place to have breakfast or lunch. Waiting can be a pain sometimes...

first time for me, but my friends have eaten there before. the food was really well presented, fresh and delicious. the staff really good and didn't rush us out. thank you. I will definitely be coming again

Just an update as a regular to Olivers. The chefs, staff, waitresses, food is always first class and outshines most of its rivals. No frills or gimics Olivers is clean tidy hygienic but most of all serves delicious food. Always a smile from the ladies...

Been to Oliver's many times you cant fault the service food it's all first class,highly recommended for everyone

Would have rated it zero stars if I could!!! Review “I took my mother to Oliver’s on Saturday for breakfast based on the reviews, and what a disappointment… the staff were rude and dismissive; the bacon was dry and the sausages undercooked and to top...

Whatever you eat here it taste's good, they try to source locally and it tastes like home cooked food. Great value as well. The experienced ladies that run it are friendly and lovely.

Impromptu visit passing through….. quality food, fabulous choice, all home made ! Definitely recommend this place … friendly staff 👌

Excellent freshly prepared menu made on the premises, you can tell a lot of care has gone into the food. The smashed avocado and muesli were delicious. The service was friendly and we were very well looked after with a superb view of the beach....

This was the first time I have ever visited Southend-on-Sea and we decided to take a drive along the sea front to find a suitable cafe where we could park. Happily for us we stumbled across this place. I chose the Club Sandwich and I...

Having moved to the area six years ago kept walking past and saying have to try there. So today we did. It's small inside but comfy, has a loo and reasonable prices. No alcohol served but can bring your own, unknown if they charge anything...

Absolutely wonderful place with amazing views across the sea. Cosy place with wuaint atmosphere and delicious food! Good service and great quality! Would highly recommend!

Had breakfast with the family here fro the first time. What a lovely find. Staff are so attentive and the food was lovely. Good to see such good choice for veggies all though I had the full English. The serve a lovely cuppa of tea...

I cannot praise Oliver's on the beach enough the food is consistently good reasonably priced and during lockdown it was our saviour Bacon sarnie and coffee ☕ sitting on bench 2 metres apart from friend sometimes in freezing cold what more could you ask for...

2nd visit. Called in for a coffee last weekend and saw others having beef casserole which looked scrummy. Couldn’t manage it as eaten earlier but had a desert. The bread and butter pudding with custard was excellent. Today, I went back (yess from Hertfordshire) for...

What an excellent little place for breakfast or lunch! We were only in Southend for two days and visited twice. Excellent food , well prepared and promptly delivered by lovely staff. We will return

Have visited several times, always excellent food served in generous portions. Great service, cracking location. They don't trade on the name, they just deliver superb and interesting meals at sensible prices

We recently spent some time in Southend and popped into Oliver’s on the beach twice for breakfast. Food was lovely, staff friendly and views amazing

Absolutely fantastic! Popped down for a lunch with my Dad, we shared the sardines on toast which was delicious! Then I had Cod Tacos and Dad had Crab tart. My tacos were incredibly good, couldn’t fault it at all! The service was brilliant, they were...

Im quite surprised by any negative reviews as the staff seem really helpful and nice and the bacon sandwich has really nice bread and lots of good quality bacon. I’ve been a couple of times and has been consistently good

Decided to pop in here for a breakfast and was met with possibly the biggest attitude on a waitress I've ever seen. Was sat in the back even though all the window seats where available it seems they are saved for regulars only. The cutlery...

Sandwiches were very wet, clearly chef made them using either defrosted bread or prepared them on a wet board. Took a long time for very amateur food. Nice teas.

I have never had a worse sandwich….the bread was soaking wet and had turned to mush. And a 40 minute wait! I would recommend you to eat anywhere in the area other then here! Seriously, don’t waste your money.

Wanted scrambled egg with breakfast, we can’t change the breakfast we were told ! so if you buy scrambled egg on toast, extra then you can add it ! Any establishment that can’t alter the type of egg you have if you want it isn’t...

It's amazing how much is packed into such a small space. Amazing fresh food from a large menu with amazing panoramic views of the sea (tide dependent). A delightful and memorable experience that I'll be sure to repeat!

Came for lunch 2 adults and 2 kids . Had a 10 minute wait for a table but it was worth it . Extensive menu & specials . The tiger prawn linguine was a good size and tasted as good as it looked . Kids...

Came here as we were looking for somewhere for lunch outside of the main Southend stretch. Comes highly recommended on TripAdvisor and very pleased to say it didn’t disappoint. I don’t give 5* too easily, but lovely location, very friendly staff and the food was...

My son and I visited Oliver’s for breakfast the other day, staff were very friendly although we waited a while before anyone asked us what we would like to drink. Once we had looked at the menu, which is very extensive my son and I...

A hidden gem, right on the beech, very deceptive from the outside. We all had a great lunch, significantly better then the restaurants right by the pier. We will definitely be coming back

Discovered Oliver’s on the beach yesterday when visiting Southend with my family. We had our 9 month old Grandson with us. We were lucky that a table inside was becoming available although there was seating outside as well. The staff were so accommodating and could...

Walking along the front of south-end-on-sea we spotted Olivers, quick trip advisor check ✔ then went to check if they had a table. 5 minutes wait and a table available, absolutely beautiful location right on the beach sea views, little compact inside but this added...

First visit here today with a friend . Absolutely delicious food throurougly enjoyed every mouthful . We shared the Halloumi fries to start which were cooked to perfection. We had the tiger prawn main course. The prawns were very flavoursome served with a lovely fresh...

I went today for breakfast my partner had a full English, everything on the plater was the best produce you could possibly find from perfect barring bangers got to be the best sausages ever! To the bacon that was thick and delicious, I had eggs...

My husband and I visited today and had the most wonderful lunch. Services was brilliant and the food was absolutely delicious! It is a must visit!

My husband and I stopped here with our 3 year old for breakfast last week during our stay in Southend. My husband had the full fry up, I went for the avocado on sour dough bread and they made a mini breakfast for our 3...

We had lunch here today, the service was friendly and quick, the food was excellent and there was lots of it - none of us managed to finish it all. Recommended.

We discovered this place at lunchtime today and we were really impressed. I had read previous reviews that it was quite hard to get a table because the venue is quite small but,because we were dining after 2pm we got a table immediately and a...

Last Friday myself and my husband ended up in southend and we were rather hungry and couldnt find anywhere to eat so decided to try Olivers On The Beach. Seeing as diners are still having to eat outdoors at the moment due to the pandemic,...

At last we can get back to eating and going out, even if only outside. Got about 5/6 tables outside and service is very friendly and the food is excellent. Lovely burger and super chips and salad. Lovely cinnamon bun for dessert. The menu isn't...

Amazing food, take away only at the moment but grab some food and sit on a bench with great views over the sea. I recommend Halloumi fries, Panko Crumbed Calamari (so fresh, melt in your mouth) & Cinnation bun, (deliciously moist). Maybe a bit expensive but well worth it.

Well, still stuck in lockdown, so it’s just takeaway at the moment. But when you can have an excellent Barling Beauty sausage sandwich that’s enough to tide us over...

I make no apologies for reviewing Oliver’s again. After restaurants having to adapt to takeaways once more, we are trying to do our bit. We normally go for Egg and Bacon or Egg and Sausage sandwiches, but I tried a Full English this weekend - I was wondering how this would hold up on a paper plate, but needn’t have been concerned - presented on a sturdy ‘plate’. Barling beauty sausage, a couple of rashers of bacon, 2 fried eggs,mushrooms,baked beans and grilled tomato - oh and two slices of granary- I could not fault the food or the presentation considering it was a takeaway. Thanks to staff for continuing to provide delicious food and especially my full English!

We had such an amazing lunch as always. Gluten free food excellent. Service excellent. Staff so friendly. So relaxing.