Shoeburyness Conservative Club in Southend-on-Sea

Exactly what the name suggests - its great!! - been here a number of times, mostly for funerals - cheap beer and great atmosphere!

You'll not get a better or bigger roast dinner than here,its gorgeous,five star Lena, everything from baguettes to Fish Friday ,I had to put my piece of skate on another plate it was so big

Could not even think of turning the oven on at a weekend anymore. For over a year we have eaten there, many times unbooked but Lena has always fitted us in (or provided a takeaway), Lena's cooking is superb, her front of house staff, Donna, Katrina and all are all wonderful, no problem to much. Quite simply the best thing to happen to Shoeburyness Conservative Club, and also Shoeburyness itself. Well done girls!

Attentive staff, nice decor, good food. Menu is changing seasonally and staff was happy to accommodate my extra requests.

I have dined here regularly for Sunday lunch with friends for years. Food is always very good. Lena is a wonderful chef and really helpful. Her food is usually very tasty and plentiful. Staff work hard. Small issues lately like- The other week we had a late lunch, my pal was still hungry and couldn't get a dessert because all the staff were outside smoking, waited ages for them, so he gave up in the end. We tried to phone for a Sunday lunch booking but couldn't get through to the kitchen so had to go through to the bar phone, who told us the kitchen staff were outside smoking. Sometimes if you eat your Sunday lunch very late the portions tend to be smaller, especially the meat, my mate said he had a child's meal a few weeks ago but it was a late sitting. I must point these are the exception not the norm,

Sunday Lunch is excellent. Choice of roast dinners. There is often entertainment on a Sunday afternoon.

Well presented home cooked food. The menu changes daily offering a variety of starters,mains and desserts. The staff are helpful and always cheerful providing a clean and friendly atmosphere.

My partner and I are members and we thought we would have lunch mid week, we have been before for Sunday lunch and it was very nice indeed, but today [Wed] I had Lamb Shank and It was delicious the best I have ever tasted, well done.

We have asked to join the club after experiencing the food that Steve prepared for us today. Beautifully cooked, served promptly and well presented. The atmosphere is completely relaxing. We look forward to regular visits to this friendly community.

Fantastic atmosphere,great service and food!I dined there with my friend,'The Chief'.Highly recommend this establishment.

We were a party of 9 during a very busy service on Sunday, 4 adults, 2 teenagers and 3 children. All of us were made very welcome and enjoyed delicious 3 course meals from a menu especially set for Mother's Day. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food, which was expertly prepared and served to us by Steve and Karen, and their friendly team. Steve and Karen are known by their Logo "Real Good Food", and they certainly lived up to their name. All Mums at the meal were presented with a special little gift, very much appreciated, thank you very much.

We eat here often, and would like to mention cook Zoie, she has exceeded expectations, her roast dinners are excellent so tasty and fresh,along with her other dishes she makes from fresh ingredients.Such a pleasure to eat there and the assistant staff are friendly,efficient and polite.

Had a really lovely meal of Italian meatballs in a tomato and basil sauce,my family had the Lasagne.Along with Antipasti for starters,tiramisu and limoncello syllabub for desserts.We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal,the portion sizes were very substantial and the prices were really reasonable.Well done to Andy the chef 😊

Had a few meals here and always been great . Have some great entertainment on Saturday nights with live music

Had quite a few meals here and they have always been amazing.lovely food and great friendly staff.Merten is a great chef ..works really hard and always makes you feel very welcome nothing is too much trouble.Highly recommended.dinnin

A big thank you to Merton and the hard working Staff at the Club. Once again you have excelled our expectations. We look forward to seeing you again in the very near future, next time to sample the Christmas menu.

Have been here several times and the food is excellent. Today had beef stew with mashed potato. Beef was tender and the stew very tasty with onion carrot and swede. Would highly recommend. Friday is fish lunch but there are other choices for non fish eaters. Only drawback for general public is you have to be a member of the Con club. I would say it is well worth joining just for the food

Thanks to Merton, the food at the Con Club is so good, my husband will happily eat there twice a week, and that IS a compliment.We can find nothing but praise for the food that Merton cooks.The food not only tastes delicious, but it looks delicious too, and the food is piping hot and served on piping hot plates. without a doubt, some of the best meals we have eaten have been cooked by Merton.

When I come to visit my friends in Shoeburyness we always go to the conservative club, since Merton has been the chef, as the food is of such a high standard. My friend always rings in advance to order fish pie which Merton makes especially for us if it is not on the menu. It is delicious! I wished they would allow non members in to enjoy the food, as today at lunchtime the dining room was quite empty, whereas it should be packed. Merton is so pleasant and nothing is too much for him. I eat out nearly every day so am quite fussy, and would not normally eat the same dish each time I visit a restaurant, but in the case have made an exception as I thoroughly the fish pie, although next time I visit will try sometime different! Thanking you. Christine & Marion

We had another top quality Sunday lunch there yesterday, and I also had Friday fish lunch a few days before. Both absolutely superb.I just cant help but keep heaping praise of this high caliber on this restaurant, it defies logic that such a small kitchen and so few staff can repeatedly serve up such an amazing variety of fresh tasty food and plenty of it, at extraordinary keen prices.Testimony indeed of the chef Merton, who is also the steward of the club and his high pedigree of culinary expertise, Merton hides his light under the proverbial bushel and has trained in his earlier life under Michelin star chiefs and has cooked for Royalty, which grins through in the mans methods and professionalism.Merton has elevated not only the cuisine but also the bar and the club to a new high level that has hitherto not be seen before.It is such a pity that the restaurant is not open to the general public under a diner only membership scheme. Perhaps one day the clubs committee will awaken to such an idea which will only see the increase in clientele and profits from the culinary delights that abound.It is worth joining the club for the food alone. As a hard to please sort of guy, it has made a convert of me.

Visited yesterday with hubby and a friend. We all opted for the Friday fish lunch, salmon fillet, haddock and I had the baked skate wing. All excellent. Will definitely return.

I cannot recommend this establish enough to while away a Sunday evening.I plumped for smoked kippers on the specials menu. A veritable feast of fish.Will certainly come again.

Visited for Sunday lunch.Food very well presented, tasted delicious and was very good value.Surroundings were very nice, and had a good atmosphere.Staff rushed off their feet, but coped very well.Well worth a try.

Cant find anything to criticise with the food, service, quality, variety or price here. No matter who is in the kitchen, Merton or Ian the results are superb.The sizzler nights are not to be missed Nor the Fish Fridaysand definitely not the superb world beating Sunday lunch.Weekdays lunch and evening meals are top notchand the absolute best cheese cake you ever tasted tests the will power of anyone.....Mertons famous Peanut butter cheesecake, I dare you not to like it.

We simply love our Sunday lunch here; so easy and the food is so good:but tomorrow is our son's Birthday Sunday lunch; so good ,and fun. The food is delicious and well cooked, and delivered to your table by loverly waitress's of which nothing is too much trouble! . Really looking forward to our Sunday treat.

My mum cook's the best stew and dumpling's I know,,,,However Ian you have met her standard's thank you for your amazing lunch/dinner's,Thank you and your staff for the ambience.

I had a wonderful meal at the Shoeburyness Conservative Club, the fish pie was pure perfection with superior quality! the chef and friendly staff (Zoie the waitress ) made my experience very enjoyable and satisfying, thanks :) Sue Morton :)

Chef Merton at The Club serves up some really tasty dishes. 2 courses for a tenner. You can't beat that especially when the food is so good. I think he should make the chicken curry I had his signature dish. Really tasty, not too spicy and great portions. Keep it up Merton. Andy H

My Wife and I booked early to have the Thursday evening sizzler night experience, which turned out to be a fully booked event. We met with friends who had also booked and tables were rearranged with zero fuss by the helpful staff.We are on a diet so we were always worried about the calorie count which turned out to be a non issue as I will explain.There was a choice of four or five freshly prepared starters, we chose the home made Tomato soup, which was so tasty I could have had gallons of it.The main was Chicken or Steak as it was a sizzler night, Boy did the dishes sizzle. All the main courses had a variety of specially prepared sauces. We both left the sauce off due to the diet. (there may I think also have been breaded Scampi, but this was out of our calorie range). My steak which was a large tasty juicy tender expanse, cooked exactly as I wanted it, I had a large green salad with it, as well as fried onions and mushrooms and Merten the executive chef extraordinaire specially prepared steamed rice for us both despite it not being on the menu.My wife opted for the Chicken, green salad and rice which could have been a bit plain due to her not choosing to have the sauce, until Merten's attention to detail paid dividends when he offered to prepare a fusion of fat free spices and herbs especially to dress and lift the Chicken. My wife was very pleased at the result and having tried some myself I must say it was very good indeed.We were stuffed by the generous tasty portions and blew the diet with a desert of Coffee and walnut cake and ice cream which was surprisingly light and didn't dent our dietary efforts according to next mornings scales, despite the huge slice we were each given.Service as always, was prompt and attentive with a smile and the staff were their usual happy, smart and tidy selves which is always a good sign of well ran eateries.The price was under £20 not too sure, cant remember but I do remember it was fantastic value and a culinary experience and service unequaled anywhere else for the top quality eating.We and other members are increasingly pleased and extremely satisfied at the way the Restaurant at The Con Club has come on leaps and bounds under Mertens stewardship. Hopefully, it appears the Club may have learned by past mistakes of interference in the restaurant by Political non Chef types who have tended to spoil the broth so to speak.This restaurant operation should be nurtured, cherished and encouraged by The Committee, who it is fair to say may not have always realised the full potential of the restaurant and perhaps could have given more support to previous operations by previous very good chefs. The past could be a valuable lesson. Now the Genie of the restaurant business at the club is out of the bottle, it should be left alone to work its own magic unhindered and unmolested by anyone else, Merten and his fellow chef and staff definitely know how to deliver a top notch, first class eating extravaganza.It is by far one of the very best food establishments in town for quality and value. If it was open to non members of the club it would be swamped with diners 24/7. Well done everyone concerned you are a credit to your art, it is indeed a pleasure to eat here..

I've been a member of Shoebury Con Club for some time and always known it to be a friendly welcoming place; it's more of a convivial social club rather than having a political outlook. The restaurant has been part of the club for many years but has really come into its own since Merton took over as chef. We visited on a mid week lunch time and had the special which changes every day. On this occasion it was Cajun Chicken which was served promptly, freshly prepared, displayed beautifully and the spicy taste was as good as it looked. The staff were friendly and welcoming and prices are great value for both food and drinks; I must try the steak next time as from what I've heard that too is excellent. There is a fish Friday which is very popular and Sunday lunch is often fully booked. We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience and will definitely be returning!

Just had the most amazing food at the con club today! We was with a family of 8 for Mother's Day! Everything came out hot fresh and delicious! The staff were so friendly, and the cheesecake is to die for!!! We was at the roslyn beach hotel the week before and I would say the food here was so much better and half the price!!! Thank you for a lovely day!!!

It is an absolute joy to eat at the club as we know the food is always excellent.The food is freshly cooked, pipping hot added by very generous portions.taste and good value for money. Varied and exciting menu. It is well worth a visit, you will not be disappointed

Great tasty home cocked food served hot, in time and in more than adequate portions. :).. Almost not worth the bother of cooking at home!...some nice salad choices (goats cheese and walnut, Caesar for example) would also be good - otherwise I'll end up like the size of a house!Recommended for sure :)x

Chef and staff have relaumched the club. Service is fantastic and food consistently excellent quality, taste and value. Expanding menu with weekly specials are only making things better. Never had nor heard a bad word, waited a while for this to happen. KS

I have eaten at the club on several occasions now and recommend it to all. The food is home made using fresh ingredients and the portion sizes are generous.The fresh soups and desserts are to die for, especially the baileys white chocolate cheesecake. Trust me, you won't care about your diet when you try it as it is that good! It is a good idea to book a table on weekends as it does get full quickly.

Having dined at this club for a few years where the food has always been very good, my wife and I have noticed that lately under new stewardship that the quality level of food produced has improved to a new very high standard. The fresh produce and expert cooking is a testimony to how the establishment is bringing up the quality of the overall dining experience to this private members club.Sunday roast offers a choice of meat and the usual trimmings as well as the normal menu if you should want it. Portions are very generous in size.There is also a wide desert selection and the staff are very pleasant, industrious and helpful, whilst being well turned out. Hygiene levels are very good indeed.Prices are very competitive, probably the best value you can find locally for the quality you get.There is also week day lunch and Friday fish day sets new benchmarks of excellence.Evening meals are also catered for.You should check with the club regarding restaurant opening times as it is closed some days.For those of you who have strict political affiliations who may be put off by the name of the club, it should be noted that the club is a non profit making private members club so all profits are spent back into the club, which only retains the old Conservative club name. No monies go to any political group. Guests may be signed in by members and membership is available to everyone should you wish to join.We thoroughly recommend that you give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

I have eaten at the club on several occasions and found the large portions more than satisfying. Always something different on the menu with a fantastic selection of home made sweets, if you have room. Their Sunday lunch is the best I have ever had with a choice of beef or pork or a bit of each. They are starting to have a fish Friday from the 7th Feb. 2014 I am looking forward to trying their fresh fish meals.

Since taking up the post of resident chef some months ago, Merton has breathed fresh life into the restaurant. The place is now fully booked most weekend's due to the excellent standard of the reasonably priced food. Don't forget to look at the chef's special board for some real culinary treats,all fresh produce served at your table by the friendly and efficient staff. If you can find room don't forget the sweet menu.