Ravens in Southend-on-Sea

Our office Christmas party night at Ravens was a fantastic night. The service was very friendly and I can honestly say that this was the best food of all the work Christmas parties attended over the years. Thanks to all of the Ravens team for making this a night to remember. We hope to be back next year!

Classy and Quality everywhere, not sure this is the right location for such a fine bar? Next to spoons, off the beaten track......time will tell

Visited this eaterie recently with friends. Decor is great, but why so expensive? Portions are ridiculously small but very tasty!! Would we return, unless they do a special offer, no we would not. The place was empty, & I can see why. Reduce your prices please, it makes business sense to offer food that most people can afford & fill your lovely restaurant, otherwise there is absolutely no atmosphere! !!

We booked here as a last minute choice for NYE. The menu covered all ranges of food choice including our 2 young kids. Price for adults was £60 and £30 for kids, although the kids meals were actually the same size as the adults. We were the first diners to arrive at 6pm and were treated as VIP guests. We had great conversation with a few of the staff and were made to feel very welcomed, both our children were also given as much attention which was lovely. On arrival, we were suppose to have a glass of proseccco each, at the point of ordering drinks at our table, we asked about this and was offered a bottle of wine of our choice to share instead, which actually suited us better. We were recommended starters for our 2 children as they can be fairly fussy and were also happy to cook 2 good steaks and chips for them without all the unwanted trimmings which we found very accommodating. The adults all had scotch eggs which were very scrumptious and were devoured very quickly. Our 2 children had chicken satay parcels which were also tasty, they did however prefer our scotch eggs 🙄. For mains I had the roasted duck with plum sauce with Saute potatoes. This was plated nicely, cooked well and very tasty. My wife and 2 children had steak which was ordered as medium, unfortunately these were all very well done. In fairness someone did come and ask if everything was alright with our meals and we said yes, probably caught in the moment of feeling so welcomed. I am sure they would have put this right, however this was my only criticism of the evening (Not getting the steaks right first time). However everyone finished up and still enjoyed their meals. We finished our evening with 2 plates of different desserts which were all very nice. By this point everyone was full and happy. We all had a great time and all enjoyed ourselves as it is not just about the meal and I would like to thank the staff for making this a wonderful experience. We were lucky to have the restaurant to ourselves for most of the time due to the early time we arrived which also made the experience a whole lot nicer. Would we go back: yes

Good party venue with eating upstairs and a large bar / dancing area with dj downstairs. Friendly staff especially the comedy duo "the day- o brothers " that kept us laughing all night

Attended on Friday for our Christmas party. Food was brilliant and everyone had a great time. Service was excellent and Clare who was serving our table did a fantastic job.

Had my Xmas party here Saturday and had a great night! The staff were all friendly and helpful. The food was really lovely, and the atmosphere was perfect. Thanks for a lovely evening!

Went here for xmas meal. Food average. Service poor. Clearly busy but given food pre ordered weeks earlier poorly prepared and not seasoned. Highlight was Brussel sprouts and parsnips. Rest not good at all. Wine and drinks expensive. They were very busy but really no excuse. In fairness did discount and did apologise. Not sure I would go back. My expectations for set Xmas menus is not high, but this was sub par. Pity as venue etc very nice and good level of space, and nice atmosphere.

Me and 5 others dined at ravens on a Friday evening.The restaurant was busy and the service was steady The food was top London standard. But the building itself was beautiful we loved the open air wine cellarWe all had a drink in the bar downstairs afterwards and we all agreed we have finally found a place in southend that we can enjoy ourselves we have booked again for Christmas

I took all my girls from work for our Christmas partyI think it was absolutely brilliant, the staff were superb and couldn’t do enough for us especially Becky in the restaurant, then downstairs after was brilliant great DJ and again breat bar staff, definitely going back. Thanks guys

Had a Christmas meal here tonight. Amazing food, lots of it. Good value and good ambient atmosphere. Would definitely recommend!

Well we were the first group in on the first day of the Christmas menu. Being married to a chef myself, I know how difficult it can be when you have to suddenly change from your normal menu to a “special” menu. Well Ravens not only rose to the challenge but exceeded it tenfold. Great food, great drinks, fantastic ambience. Wonderful service by our lovely waitress Ingrid and management Colin and also even an extra special touch when the chef came out! Really impressive Ravens, we will absolutely be back. Highly recommended!

First visit to Ravens on Saturday evening 10th Nov 2018. Initially, the background music was at a level where you could comfortably hold a conversation. But when the DJ turned up mid evening, the music was so loud that even on the first floor where diners were located it was near impossible to hold a conversation. Had to shout to be heard. Ravens need to decide if they are a bar for youngsters who seem to like very loud music and shouting at each other to be heard, or whether it is a restaurant. It's not working at the moment. Food was Ok but nothing to write home about. Apparently, all the original kitchen staff have 'moved on' since they opened and the food quality has suffered as a result. Shan't bother to go there again.

Our original al booking was cancelled on the day as the kitchen had a problem. When we rebooked the food wasn’t bad, but no-one warned us that the ambience was that of a noisy club. Seriously loud thumping music, couldn’t enjoy the meal or have any kind of conversation. When we mentioned it to the manager he actually walked off!!! How unprofessional & rude!!!

Can honestly say we wasn't impressed .. the food was fine bit the atmosphere was pants and the staff are none existent .. eaied a long time for our food but excused that as it was ok food .. needs a lot more attention to detail ...

Went here with 6 friends on the weekend and we were all really impressed by the food and service. The staff were welcoming, friendly and really accommodating as we were looking for brunch and even though it wasn’t their normal menu they were able to do their brunch/breakfast style menu for us! Eggs benidict was lovely and it was the best holandise sauce I’ve had in ages! Revans is a welcomed edition to Southend, prices were really reasonable and I can’t wait to book in for dinner! Thanks for an enjoyable brunch :) Abbie

the risotto was excellent, good portion size, beautifully presented. with a dish of parmesan on the side. I ordered a roll and butter, I was presented with two hot crusty rolls, absolutely delicious. the staff were very courteous and warm. Colin, Sharon, and Matthew from France.. will definitely go again.

Having been to Ravens on several occasions generally at the weekend as a “ pit stop “ on to other venues we were very pleased to see and hear the “ lounge Duo “ two very talented musicians who expertly put their own twist on various classics and up to date songs . I know this is going to seem a little brutal but I guess that’s the whole idea of this site ? If it wasn’t for the two guys , lounge Duo , there was no reason to stay on our last visit, generally it’s a presentable clean nicely appointed establishment HOWEVER apart from a glimpse of a strained welcome the staff are absolutely miserable, no enthusiasm, no smiling faces, no keenness to serve or interest in the customers which let’s be totally honest pays their wages and enables the business to survive! Surly it cannot be just me that has encountered this ? I do not doubt it has its moments but not for us , several times we have eaten which was over priced and small portions for the asking price and have still given it the benefit of another chance . It’s a shame because “ people buy people “ but not at Ravens I’m afraid . Best wishes to Ravens but I believe it’s down fall will be it’s failings as mentioned

Quiet in the restaurant but great service and fantastic food - good selection of Sunday roasts and a cheesecake with Rossis Ice Cream to die for. Not cheap but certainly good value.

Been really looking forward to try this place and was so disappointed, went for lunch and there was hardly anything on the paper menu , we also had a 1 year old with us the guy did not know if they had high chairs plus nothing on Menus for children...

Had another excellent meal at ravens fabulous service nothing to much trouble amazing cocktails... new manager seems to have everything under control, we read some bad reviews on here an we’re a little worried but honestly don’t listen the new manager has obviously turned it round. We had a great evening an will definitely be returning.

Southend has needed a new place to go for a while and it’s fair to say that a place has now arrived where you can stay the whole day,

I would like to Be giving a five star rating today but unfortunately our night ended abruptly after the young very intimidating security guard decided to stand outside the cubicle in the ladies toilets to face me alone when I came out. I didn’t get a chance to wash my hands, I was absolutely shocked and felt so anxious I wondered why he was there. He told me to get outside as he needed a word and as I stood on the stairs a second security guard came up and they both stood very close almost smothering me and asked me what I was doing? No one else was around and I was alone on the stairs with these two, I am a 50 year old professional female. They kept asking what are you doing. I said to them what have I done have you got the right person ? I explained we paid our bill it was £120 and we left a £25 tip. he replied we don’t care how much you spent! This is when I pushed past and said your behaviour is not expectable.

Attempted to have a quiet drink at 9.00 friday before taking train home but was denied entry by rude and overzealous door staff ( about 5 of them outside whom created a very unwelcoming feeling) .I co operated entirely in there request to search my small office worker bag but was denied entry on basis had a bottle of water purchased at the shop next door and doorman requested it be confiscated. Needless to say I declined and went to weatherspoon pub next door where I was treated politely Ravens is always empty with this door staff attitudes I am not surprised

We popped out for a bite to eat in Southend without knowing where to go but luckily landed on our feet visiting the recently opened Ravens Bar & Restaurant. It was very quiet but there were a few people eating in the main bar area downstairs. The bar staff were friendly and welcoming and we were sat down at a pleasant table with really comfy chairs. The service was polite and efficient and we had soon ordered our first Sunday roast for a while, both going for lamb. The food arrived in good time, not too quickly suggesting it had simply been micro-waved and not too slowly that you got annoyed about how long it was taking. The plates were hot, as were the mini gravy jugs and the dish holding the vegetables, something that I always look for first in a restaurant. There's nothing worse than cold plates!!! The meat was cooked to perfection, the potatoes tasted fantastic and had been dusted in a lightly spicy coating. This lot was accompanied by a decent sized Yorkshire Pudding and more than enough veg to share between the two of us.The vegetables were cooked to perfection too, being nice and firm but definitely not raw. We also ordered a good value bottle of rosé which came up lovely and cold and accompanied our meal perfectly. To complete our fantastic afternoon, a 2 piece band (The Lounge Duo) set up and played for around 2 hours including breaks, I can't speak for any other day of the week but Sunday afternoon in Ravens is definitely worth a go.

Went in there yesterday (Saturday 11th) for lunch whilst out shopping.

I had high expectations - it's owned by the same guy that owns The Vine in Leigh, which I quite like. I first visited Ravens just after it opened, just for drinks - it was dead, and yet it took forever to get served, I put it down to teething problems.

We ve visited twice recently... the first time for a meal which was absolutely delicious with really friendly and helpful staff

I was really looking forward to visiting this restaurant with a group of friends but sadly it didn’t live up to expectations.

Came here on a staff night out, we were a group of teachers so a good friendly crowd. Fire alarm kept going off, music kept stopping and because one of my staff sang loudly to a tune he was asked to go and find a crèche down the road and to F off! There was literally only us in there a group of about 25 and it’s a Shame as they lost our business, as we then left because of the rude doorman/Dj. Even though my colleague apologised for signing which wasn’t offensive at all and we was having a good night. Extremely disappointing and rude rude staff!

Visited Saturday evening. What should have been a wonderful birthday celebration turned into a disaster. We arrived and were ignored until someone finally took our order. We paid £65 for a bottle of champagne and asked for it to be brought up to the roof top bar. We were told to wait for it and we could take it ourselves!! We declined and it was then brought up for us. We returned to the restaurant and ordered our food within 20 minutes. The starters still took half an hour to arrive but were tasty. We then waited over an hour and finally asked how long we would need to wait for our main course. The waitress said she would check but after 15 minutes no one had come to tell us. At this point we decided to leave. The staff were poorly trained, inattentive.and were not at all bothered to serve us competently. .The restaurant manager did at least look embarrassed at what had happened. One table nearby left without eating and another couple came up to ask how long we had been waiting. It was a really disappointing evening. We ended up having to get an Indian take away!! Not at all impressive.

Food was fantastic lamb was cooked perfectly. Cocktails was great also. Clean and tidy. Staff very helpful. Will be back

Food was outstanding, service brisk and efficient. Loved the glass wine cellar. A nice atmosphere if a bit noisy, but most of that seemed to be coming from a large group on the other side. The downstairs bar seemed fairly quiet when we were there but it’s still fairly new and there’s a lot of competition around.

We came here for drinks last weekend due to their being a Hed Kandi night. We loved it. The roof terrace is a great idea and hard to find in Southend. We ended up seeing each level - the roof terrace fab, the restaurant was gorgeous and the food smelt great, the main bar level also fab and the basement for the dancing very good indeed - you can tell they have spent some money and are trying with this place.

Went to ravens with friends from out of town cocktails on the roof garden followed by a nice meal in the restaurant then down to the main bar for a feature DJ a great night and all in one place our friends from Brighton enjoyed the night would recommend for a good night out. look on the web site for events live band ect .

I went with my friends for dinner followed by drinks on the outside terrace and then the bar downstairs. The whole place is really welcoming, decorated nicely and the staff seem professional and eager to help. It’s a really good option for a group of friends looking for a complete night out (similar to brickyard in Romford).

Finally Ravens brings to Southend a venue offering everything under one roof!

I took my family and meet up with friends for Sunday lunch. I agree with other reviews that the decor is nice and ww found tge food to be very good. I had the lamb hotpot with chese mash which was tasty and well seasoned. My wife had the cod which was a good piece of fish but the sauce could have had more flavour. My friends had the beef tgat looked great and they said it tasted great. Tge kids had fish and chips which I tasted and it was very good. We did have a disappointing bottle of wine but that can be down to personal choice. The restaraunt prices are on the expensive side for Southend but the quality of food is high.

Went with a group of friends for dinner last night. The food was AMAZING and the service was great! I cannot fault anything about this restaurant. I previously had eaten lunch there too which was just as yummy! I’ll definitely be going back!!!

Sit under the bridge & listed to the music from the guys there @ least they know how to DJ it's very simple these days it's a CD not a 12 ten! The bar staff are rude & up for a fight they drop something & blame the punter @ the bar who gets heavily handed by the steroid brigade @ the front & removed. Seriously guys fantastic customer service. PS get a proper DJ & don't tell lies about whose DJing!

Went in for a drink (we are boring local business people), the barman was so hostile that we were so distrusted that we left before he finished pouring the drinks. Absolutely dreadful and probably explains why the place was empty. This place won't last long with staff like that. A shame really as the owners have obviously put the money into the venue. Sort out your staff before you have to close!!!

Had the pleasure of visiting Ravens on 3 occasions since it opened. 1st time drinks in the main bar, excellent selection of spirits beers and cocktails, served in quality glasses. really nice decor an a nice vibe.

We arrived early for our table reservation so had a drink at the bar, lovely selection of the ever popular gins. The other half had peroni which was fine, toilets were well decorated and clean, we went upstairs and shown to our table and given some menus which I thought could have been of a better quality rather than bits of paper with normal type on it. There where two large party’s in and that made it very noisy not really the atmosphere I was expecting , the food was excellent really tasty and served piping hot, I did have to ask for the desert menu as we did seem to have been forgotten . The Eton mess was delicious served slightly different from the norm but really nice, coffee was of a good quality . All in all we had a lovely evening and would definitely return but I do think that certain areas just need a little work and it would be perfect .

Ok... not the best but ok this was the 2nd time I have been in first time was great,this time round food seemed rushed not cooked or seasoned well” also cocktails were not mixed well,tables and general bar area looked grubby,and like it could do with a good clean,floors as well were sticky around bar and seating area with drink spills,hopefully they keep the standard high as it’s a very nice place ,but I was disappointed with the food and cleanliness this time round.

As always we had very high hopes for this new venue and it was nice. Unfortunately nice is not enough especially for the price. The basement was not open so we couldn't see what that was and weather wasn't great and as we were told there was no bar on the roof terrace we didn't try it. We arrived around 3pm on Sunday and the musicians were setting up on the ground floor but the bar was totally empty aside from 4 people in a corner table. The bar is ok but nothing special and looking over at the bargain shop across the road. The musicians started later and sounded good from what we could hear upstairs.

Love this restaurant and bar. Great food good wine and reasonably priced. Staff excellent. Very relaxed

booked for high tea experience. because we were early, we were placed in the bar area. There was no white linen tablecloth, , just a a plain plasticy table top. .The sandwiches and cakes were good, but you want a lttle more theatre . the plates for the sandwiches , were not changed when you tucked into the cakes. nice staff, We inspected the upstarirs restaurant, but thought the décor should be completely different from the bar area. We are talking of fine dining . but anyway good luck, hope this feedback helps

We went to Ravens for Sunday lunch and the food was absolutely delicious. We had starters, which are small but so tasty. For our main courses we both had Sunday roasts, which were delicious too and a decent size with lots of very tender meat. The service was very good too. There were a couple of men playing music, who were very good. It was a shame that there was only us and four other people in there. It is not cheap and may have to do a lunchtime offer to bring people in. I would definitely recommend.

Went here on bank holiday Sunday and wow it was dead. Looks very swanky and nicely done up from the outside and really good on the inside, but just no one there to fill it.

Just visited Ravens, first time customer. Food was amazing. The Sweet Potato Bhajis are one of the best starters I’ve ever had. Cote de Boef was cooked perfectly. All in all a really good experience.

My wife and I are big fans of this chefs creative, gastronomic talents and are so happy we have found him at Ravens in Southend. The food is truly fine dinning, very well presented and the surroundings very nice. Daniel came to see us at the table and chatted for a while. The waiting staff are very friendly and we will drive the extra miles for this experience. I have read some of the other reviews and agree some of the clientele should have made the effort, but the positives far out-way the negatives and I believe once people are aware of Daniels talents the hoodies will not find a table available. I just hope we do. Go and enjoy.

Went here for a friend's birthday. There are basement and ground floor bars, first floor restaurant and roof terrace (yet to be open, soon I hope). We had pre and post dinned drinks in the bar, nicely decorated, prompt service, even with several cocktails to make. Great cocktail menu, good gin selection and Sailor Jerry's - my favourite spiced rum and not always stocked. Can recommend the coconut mojito and salted caramel espresso martini. Dinner was lovely, attentive and prompt service, lovely food - all four of us had 3 different starters, mains and desserts and none could fault any. Would definitely go again. Wishing them every success.

Our first visit. They haven't been open long so not yet fully booked. Customer service varied from excellent to a bit inexperienced. Hopefully this will improve. I did think it was odd that as we entered there was nobody to greet us and direct us upstairs to the restaurant. The guy who I think was supposed to be on the door was chatting at the bar.

Went for date night with my wife , hoped that it would be all that the hype had promised , but to be honest we felt over dressed as most of the other people were in hoodies, trainers and shorts !

Over the moon that Ravens has opened, we will be Sunday regulars without a doubt! U won’t find a better roast anywhere! Stunning food !

If you haven’t been already make sure you book a dinner and drinks date at Ravens!