Smiths of Ongar in Epping Forest

Went for Sunday lunch - and as always a lovely meal and excellent staff. We have been quite a few times and can always say we have had a very nice and relaxing time. Whilst it is not the cheapest restaurant - we have always had a enjoyable meal. There is always a good selection of fish dishes which is one of the reasons we keep returning. Yesterday my husband had the octopus starter which he said was very good. The staff are attentive but not over the top - and even the young new member of staff are well trained and a credit to the restaurant. We were also here on Christmas eve and even though it was busy it was all still great. I will always recommend this restaurant.

Awful service. We were looking to book a table for a friends special birthday. There were 10 women and when we tried to book were told we can only book for over 8 people if it is mixed sexes. When I questioned the reasoning for this and explained we were an older generation and wasn't a hen do, the lady could not really explain apart from saying that they once had 70year olds who made alot of noise!!! We were planning to book for midweek which isn't their busiest of times. I can understand if they took no bookings for 8+ but don't understand why you can't all be one sex. Certainly wouldn't go back to this restaurant due to the rudeness of the this lady who answered the phone.

Starters were delicious. The mains were average. I was disappointed to discover the chips and the skinny fries were the frozen kind, available in any supermarket, which I detest as I find them powdery. Meals in this price bracket should not be served with frozen chips. Those who had desserts looked excellent. The service was professional, not at all friendly. I won’t be in a hurry to go back.

The place was packed to capacity. The noise levels were ridiculous, not helped by loud music playing all evening. Consequently we had to talk loudly and it did not come across as a very relaxing experience. Our table was positioned in a awkward spot in the restaurant with people moving around us left right and centre. The food was nice but nothing special and overpriced. My main coirse was a fish gratin which was ok but the fish was a little overcooked making it tough to eat. The service was good and staff were very attentive and excellent but I have to say it all felt a bit like style over substance. This is my second visit here (the last being 6 years ago) and sadly I won't return. Having been to cheaper Michelin starred restaurants I know a good thing when I see it. The loos also needed more regular attention. Toilet paper all over the floor. I just hate that.

This was our 3 year to celebrate my wife's birthday. Just a few words, disappointed. I do not mine to pay a service charge but the service was so bad it let the side down. The food was good but we all said how slow the service was, I even asked for the bill 3 times, then got up and asked at the bar and still waited another 10 mins. We will find a new restaurant for next year, what a shame

A fabulous restaurant for a special occasion. Not cheap. Quite expensive really but wow! The food is second to none. Totally and utterly delicious. Best food ever xxx

Great set lunch menu. Herring Roe to start with Moules et frite to follow. And a complimentary birthday ice cream, too.

We celebrated our anniversary there and the food was delicious. Fantastic food and wine menu choices and specials were amazing. The service was very attentive. Harley looked after us and was very friendly, helpful and polite, as were all the staff. Highly recommend. Cannot wait to return.

Had a lovely meal for a special family Birthday. Normally go on a weekday for the lunch menu. But it was a weekend visit this time and food, atmosphere and service excellent as always and perfect for a celebration.

Although Smiths is known as a fish restaurant, it does the best roast dinner we have ever tasted! The meat is so tender and succulent and the veg cooked to perfection! The Bakewell tart was also the best I have had! It’s a pricey Sunday lunch but well worth a treat! Excellent service and ambience!

Have been a long standing customer but always plumped for the fish, which is always excellent. Today we went for the roast, 3 roast beef and 1 chicken. Absolutely fabulous. Melt in the mouth meat, crispy fluffy roasties, tasty veg and yorkshires. Now our go-to for Sunday roast. So glad they now open later on a Sunday.

Lovely visit as always, staff friendly and attentive

Best fish ever seabass and hubby lobster 🦞 gorgeous

Lovely evening spent at the restaurant with food of high quality and with staff working hard to ensure we had a great experience.

A mixed bag I haven’t been here for five years, so we would go for a birthday treat. The prices have gone up, but the quality in my opinion has gone slightly down The wine is a extortionate price I’ve been to the best fish restaurant in Marbella and the same glass of wine is half the price The set menu is ok value, and I had a nice meal. My husband’s teriyaki chicken starter was swimming in way too much sauce. The fillet steak was tough. The skinny fries were definitely not skinny and they were greasy and overcooked. I felt that it was very rush rush and I didn’t have enough time to study the menu Before ordering. the table area we sat at was in an awkward position as I wasn’t directly facing my husband. I was facing other diners and felt the table next to us was too close.by the end I had a stiff neck. we left straight after finishing. Unfortunately, I will not be returning any time soon.

Beautiful restaurant, stylish and classy table set up. Service excellent and food outstanding. We chose from the lunch set menu which had a wide selection of dishes to choose from. We started with a smoked mackerel pate and a classic prawn cocktail followed by sole and seabass. Generous portions and good value for money. Faultless all round, we especially appreciated the non automatic service charge and were happy to give a decent tip of our own choosing- well done Smiths we’ll definitely be back! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic food, service and ambience. We will return.

Lovely lunch with family that was first class from start to finish

Have been to Smiths on other occasions and once again it did not disappoint. Restaurant really nice, staff attentive and professional and food a high standard with an excellent choice. We chose the Set 3 course lunch menu which also had a good choice and represented good value. Our meal was fish apart from the dessert of course which was delicious and well presented. Thank you Smiths we will be back!

Another positive experience of enjoying a wonderful lunch at Smith's of Ongar. On this occasion I was joined by two special friends, on their first visit to this restaurant. We enjoyed a relaxing catch up reunion, having been allocated a quiet table as I requested. The food choices suited us all. The service was friendly and efficient. There was a buzzy ambience which was slightly unexpected for a weekday lunch. However, the staff clarified this was because of more bookings for customers who had avoided a busy Mothering Sunday and chose to celebrate today instead. All in all, this was a successful lunch for myself and my dear companions, being able to enjoy a high quality meal in a relaxed and accessible to us venue.

Food was very tasty and very filling. We had prawn and crab with Thai glaze and scallops to start followed by cod fillet. We ordered mushy peas, chips, dauphinois and asparagus. Didn’t have room for a dessert as the side portions were large and the cod was huge. Have been here before and would definitely return. The service is excellent and the bread rolls are epic..

Highly recommend! Lobster was insane!

Exceptionally good Mother's Day Lunch. Good menu, plenty of choice. Loved the Sweetcorn and Crab soup. Sirloin roast was amazing as always. Deserts to die for and choice to take home, so full but still managed to share one at lunch. All very good and still best restaurant in our vicinity.

We went to Smiths for Mother’s Day lunch. It was very busy and the staff were rushed. The food was superb and we enjoyed the meal very much. It was quite an expensive meal but we think it was worth it.

As always, Smiths is a wonderful experience and my 88 year old Mother was thrilled to be back. My disappointment was the very limited fish menu for such a special occasion.

We were celebrating my son’s 18th Birthday. What a fantastic evening! Lovely food and great service as always, and a wonderful atmosphere. Thank you again!

As usual a delicious meal, wonderful staff and generally a lovely treat. We are always so well looked after and know the food will be consistently A star. Thank you!

Service was acceptable but not particularly friendly. Was not offered menu for dessert. When we asked for the bill we had little time to check it as someone came with the card machine waitress straight always and said she thought when we asked for the bill we were ready to pay.

The quality of the food and service could not be faulted - the best seared tuna that we have ever eaten. Being the Saturday before Mother's Day, the restaurant was very full. This did not appear to affect the service but it was quite difficult to hear at times.

Very attentive, but unobtrusive service by all staff with a good knowledge of the food.

As normal a warm welcome into Smiths service was first class, starters and mains absolutely amazing, drinks , including two cocktails were served quickly. It was my wifes birthday meal and yes Smiths did not fail to impress, a lovely desert served on a happy birthday plate, with candle, again thank you to all staff. We'll be back soon.

Can’t fault Smiths, I took my mum here for Mother’s Day and we both loved everything from the service to food. It is a little on the expensive side but it’s also worth every penny. I will definitely be coming back

Service was excellent. Main course, lemon sole in batter disappointing. Far too much batter for very thin pieces of fish. The old oil flavour of the batter overrode any taste of fish

Brilliant - I would have no hesitation recomending Smith's to anyone. We were a party of four and for two of the party it was their first time at Smith's and they will return. The staff and food were fantastic - as always.

Smith’s doesn’t need a review . It’s full every day. You can’t eat there without a reservation. They have found the magic formula for a great restaurant. Been many times over the years and will come back

Exceptional value. Set menu lunch time. Very fresh and thoroughly enjoyable

Staff efficient and attentive - very good food and fair value.

YES WOULD RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT OUR MEAL WAS EXCELLENT AS USUAL. STAFF ARE VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. A BRILLIANT NIGHT.

Outstanding food, service and decor. We've eaten here a few times now and never been disappointed. Quality of the food is unbelievable and waiters/waitresses are very subtle but provide the best service. Beats top London restaurants hands down and prefer the layout of Ongar to Wapping. Thanks for fantastic family birthday celebration.

As always great service with top notch food , can’t wait to return again.

Food was excellent but food was late and then we were rushed to give up Our table

A superb experience from ambiance and service to food and wine. The upstairs bar is lovely too. We will definitely be back very soon🙏

Enjoyed a nice lunch with friends on Saturday. Food as always was exceptional, not cheap, but quality ingredients cost money. All the courses were expertly presented. Service is efficient and a little robotic, but I’d sooner had that than a messy service. Wine list is good as is the main drinks menu. Save room for dessert as they are all yummy.

Always had excellent food whenever we've been but, on this occasion, disappointed with our main course. We chose the Cornish Dover Sole with Crab Arancini. The sole was over-cooked and the crab balls were dry. We had to wait longer than usual, as the waitress said the chef wasn't happy with the dish. It felt like we were given food that had been kept warm! Not what we expect from Smith's. We didn't say anything at the time, as we've had so many perfectly cooked and presented meals at this restaurant, we're hoping it's a one-off. Shame they don't do oysters, though. They were always delicious 😋

We enjoyed our lunch, as always, at Smith's Ongar, and were looked after by Martin,which was a pleasure. We were also impressed with Sammy, so polite and professional. The food was excellent, and that's why we always return - it's THE place for fish. We're already planning our next visit.

Excellent service Lovely food The lunch menu is good

Friday lunch today was totally packed out. There were so many guests that there was no room for casual diners. I went with my wife and two couples who had been there before. All the food was carefully prepared and absolutely delicious. From the lunch menu I chose butternut and miso soup followed by slow cooked beef short rib with caramelized onion and red wine gravy. My wife chose fish soup followed by pan fried cornish sole fillets in parmesan and parsley crumb with prawns in a cream sauce. Both mains came with creamed potatoes. Our friends all chose fish as the main course. The merlot wine was an ideal complement (compliment?) to the beef. We didn't have time or capacity for a desert. Our only criticisms were the excessive noise and the delay in taking our order for coffee. Allow about £65 to £80 each for two courses, coffee and modest amount of alcoholic drinks. I would definitely return but only after forewarning my bank manager!

First class quality food and very generous portions. Such beautiful surroundings. Bit of a wow factor when you walk in. Somewhere to celebrate a special occasion. I feel some vegetables could be included when you pay over £32 for a fish dish, however everything is an extra cost. I would recommend this super restaurant.

Converted regular customer to this fabulous restaurant but here’s the thing. I probably have been eating here for over 25 years, but noticed over the last 5 years , it’s getting better. Food still top draw but now the service is matching the food. This time thank you Eden for attending to our every need. My Daughter, who was visiting from Australia, was very impressed. Please pass on my thanks to the whole team that makes a lunch an experience to savour.

There was plenty to choose from on the menu. The food was excellent and the service impeccable.

Tried the weekday evening set menu and it was exceptional. We had the choice of both the set and a la carte menus but we felt there was a wider choice on the set menu. We tried the herring roe - haven't seen this on a menu before and they were lovely. The lemon meringue torte was perfect. Everything else was Smith's usually high standard. Thank you

Lovely meal as always at Smiths Attentive service and freshly cooked food to order Great selection of dishes on set menu for the evening Nice touch to recognise anniversary celebration for us at dessert Would always recommend to eat at this restaurant ..chose carefully to avoid meal being too expensive

Haven't visited for a long while but was not disappointed. There was a good variety on the menu and our meals delicious. The service was excellent. Will be back again soon.

Superb food, fantastic staff, great atmosphere. Look forward to visiting again.

Lovely lunch was nice service and delicious food a favourite birthday meal 70th nearly as old as me smiths !

Absolutely fantastic as usual. You cannot find fault with the food at all.

Always very good. Service was excellent. We went Sunday late lunchtime and the restaurant was full with a very relaxed atmosphere.

The food was good and the staff very attentive but not intrusive. It just all felt a bit rushed as there is a set time to have the table - we would not have been able to fit 3 courses in the time of 1 hour 45 mins. We were offered coffee but hesitated as there was only 5 min left of the timeslot - the waitress kindly got permission for us to extend by 30 mins.

Amazing food! The service was outstanding, friendly and professional and extremely attentive. Thank you for a lovely afternoon.

This was our first visit and we all really enjoyed it. Best roast potatoes we had in a restaurant. Will definately come back

Enjoyable experience for 7 of us celebrating my mum's 90th. Food & service excellent, one slight mistake with a late side dish but this was removed from the bill without me even asking. Atmosphere was lively & buzzy & we would all definitely return. 4 of us had also been to the one in Wapping & agreed both restaurants are consistently very good. One minor quibble was that, although the carpark is quite large, we found it hard to find a space. Don't let that stop you visiting though.

Absolutely perfect from start to finish!! Highly recommend!!

Excellent service, fantastic food with a good choice even for a meat eater like myself. The staff are superb and the level of service is perfect. The roast dinners are a good size as are the starters. Highly recommend but booking is essential as it was full when we arrived.

I’ve been coming here for a number of years and have always enjoyed it. However yesterday was another level, the food was exceptional and the service spot on. I would recommend without hesitation

Always outstanding food and service at smiths. Roast dinner was the best I have had!

Can never go wrong at smiths! Food is always unbelievable, service is unreal. Beautiful experience always

4 of us dined at 8.45pm on Saturday. We went a few years ago and it was a wonderful return with great staff, welcoming ambience and lovely food. We will return hopefully sooner.

Outstanding food and fabulous service as always. Great atmosphere on a Saturday night.

As normal perfect meal experience and of course great food

Fantastic food and excellent service. My fave place to eat for a special occasion and you couldn't ask for a better experience.

Rushed food and abrupt staff. 1st and last time I come here. Felt rushed to get us in and out. The online menu is different to what was offered. When I asked if I could have calamari on its own I’m told a stern no. So I asked for a bread roll which was cold (clearly been sat in a fridge). Butter so ha Rd I couldn’t spread it. Food was ok. Smiths at Wapping is outstanding so expected the same here but nope. I suggest you make the journey into London for outstanding service, warm bread and fantastic food. Not here at ongar. Staff need to learn manners and not rush to get you out for the next sitting. A little bit of accommodation with a menu wouldn’t go a stray.

Whilst the food was very tasty and well presented the service was below what we would expect. The staff were very polite but as the meal progressed they became more and more pushy about clearing our plates and glasses. By the time dessert was served we began to feel that we were under pressure to finish as quickly as possible and to vacate the premises. One of our party needed to visit the toilet midway through dessert and his wife had to literally hold on to his plate to stop it being taken away, as it was all the other plates were cleared before he returned making him feel very uncomfortable. A cloakroom ticket that had been left on the table by myself was picked up unrequested by me and I was then asked if we wanted our coats! We have used your restaurant several times in the past travelling from Colchester to meet up with friends who live in Hornchurch but this last visit will probably be our last because this is not the first time we have experienced this problem. If you have a policy of only allocating two hours per booking then why not advise clients before the event as would have been more understandable, and had we known we would not have booked in the first place.

Smith’s really have it sorted. Consistently excellent food choices, the chefs really know how to treat fish and all presented beautifully. Staff attentiveness is spot-on - never too much and never too little. While it is more at the ‘special occasion’ end on price, we keep returning and will continue to do so.

Had lunch for my fathers birthday and as always everything was exceptional. The food was delicious, the service fantastic and the atmosphere perfect. Couldn’t have wished for a better celebration

Lovely meal and a great experience. Would highly recommend

The food was immaculate, the waitresses/waitors were very formal and kind, they were always on hand and quick with everything, can’t thank them enough.

Amazing food and service. Always guaranteed to have a good meal to celebrate a special occasion

As usual food is amazing! Comfortable atmosphere with great service. Food was on point me and my partner both for the prawn cocktail as a starter and both went for the salmon for the mains. The food certainly doesn’t disappoint, sophisticated and dressy atmosphere but not pretentious. Service was on point and the staff were very friendly and on the ball. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great seafood restaurant

Arriving a little late we were warmly welcomed and shown to a nice table. Outdoor coats were efficiently taken care of. Service was friendly without being overbearing and all the team who served us had a customer first attitude. Food was, as always, excellently cooked and presented. No dessert was taken but excellent Latte coffees were enjoyed. The reasonable bill was presented quickly and settled. A very happy experience which we hope to repeat later in the year.

Disappointed this time long weight between starter and main. Was compensated by free drinks but when the skate came not as good as usual so disappointed as taken friend for her 70th birthday.

lovely atmosphere ,great food and the staff were great

Another great meal at a great restaurant with great service and great atmosphere you can tell we think the place is great!!!

Excellent quality ingredients, cooked straightforwardly to give you the true taste of their dishes. This is particularly the case for simple cooking of freshly caught fish.

Excellent luncheon-fantastic menu-will visit again

Superb meal as always for my wifes birthday. Service was perfect. The young staff should be congratulated for their positive attitude, and attentiveness. Food was excellent , we have never had a bad meal amd again this place did not dissapoint.

Never disappointed the food is always excellent and good service - favourite restaurant for Sunday Lunch.

I have been going to Smiths for years and I have never had a bad meal. Always happy and service is always good.

Excellent service as always, especially Michelle. Food was fantastic too.

Great food and service as usual. Very busy, which is a good sign but was quite noisy. We are regular visitors and have yet to find a better restaurant in the area.

Unreal food lovely atmosphere will be back for more !

Shame we could not have table 12 as usual or another corner table so that I did not have my back to the restaurant. Other than that, everything was perfect.

one of the best restaurants I have eaten in, food was amazing. Staff are really organised and friendly. They also have a great bar with a good selection of cocktails

Food was great, third visit which didn’t disappoint.

a little disappointed, if honest. birthday celebration which seem to have been missed on the day… too many staff rushing about keen to remove anything half used or asking whether we needed more drinks without actually engaging us.. fish dishes all over cooked, seafood the same, yet the main plates that the food was brought to the table on were cold.. and that’s the point, a very impersonal experience and little attention to us or the details.. felt like the restaurant had lost its soul and purpose, only interested in going through the motions… shame

From the minute we walked through the door it was service with a smile . Attentive staff , great food and a great ambiance. We will definitely be dining there again.

Top quality food. We came here with a party of 6 and everyone enjoyed their food very much. The staff were excellent and very helpful with any recommendations. Would definitely recommend coming if you like good fish

As always fabulous meal, first time been at lunch time just as good as evening! Will definately be back.

Had a wonderful evening from start to finish. The service was outstanding. Food was amazing. Highly recommended going here

Great, great food! For a special occasion, a wonderful restaurant. Can get a little noisy sometimes. Weekday evenings are normally quieter than Friday & Saturday ones.

Ammonia!!! The majority of the party we were with came down with bouts of sickness. We sent 3 of the main courses back due to the fish smelling of ammonia. The manager ( I presume) dark haired middle aged lady with glasses was extremely rude. Avoid at all costs