Smugglers Cove in Tendring

I am so disappointed with the service, the manger was very rude. We booked for 7pm and there was still people eating she expected us to wait for 10 minutes then she sat our group of 8 on to 2 tables of 4 in the pub not the restaurant. We asked for a little discount because of the inconvenience but was very rude about it. I will never go there again and wouldn't recommend.

Lovely food. Generous kids meal portions. Friendly and welcoming staff. Recommend booking at weekends as it was busy. Good for a large group

We had a family meal here on Bank Holiday Monday, a table of 9 altogether and it was all great. The welcome was friendly and nice quick drinks order and arrival of the drinks. Same with the food ordering, no mistakes were made and wait time was pretty reasonable considering how busy it was. Brook P & Olivia were great, always helpful, smiling and attentive. Thank you.

After the 7 of us sat at the table we were waiting on a waitress only to realise they were not coming we had to scan a code and order on a web page we managed to find 5 of the meals eventually but not the other two asked a young lady for help to be told those meals ( mixed grill and mega mixed grill) are not on the app and that I would need to order them at the bar I asked the young lady if she had a pen and paper to take our order but no she’s not allowed we are now 45 minutes in to our visit went to bar ordered everything stuff the app what is the point of all this we could of sat at home and ordered food from the comfort of our settee people don’t go out to eat to have to do all this themselves the app has a place to leave a tip so everyone gave me a tenner as I did the work not you or your staff why not give the girls a iPad let them do the ordering and earn some tips shocking hospitality very disappointing

Poor quality meats on roast Over cooked roast potatoes No horseradish sauce, asked for English mustard was brought American mustard

Had two roast beef dinner meat was tuff as old boots should have complained about it so im leaving bad reviews as it was disgusting fo£15.78 each never again table 22 name of Oakley 25/05/2025

Arrived at the Aviator and was impressed on the cleaness from the outside, Arrived inside and went to the check in point to say we arrived for our booked table. We were welcomed but advised the check in was for the hotel. We were escorted to the table and was welcomed with a smile. We looked at the menus that had plenty on offer but my wife and parents decided to go for the special Thursday offer of Steak and a drink. I went for the cowboy burger Yee Haw. lol The food came out well presented and hot. The waitress was lovely and again with a smile. We also had a check back to see if the food was ok. It was tasty and especially my burger was well filling. We did not have a desert but was well looked after. Even the ale was nice too of Hobgoblin, Goof choice of brewery as i have visited many times. Before i left i used the toilet and it was well fresh and clean, Many pubs in Clacton should take note. All in all a great experience and well done to all the staff on the day.

Really helpful and friendly staff. Got talking about the events coming up. Really enthusiastic shift manager. Just a lovely experience. Food was delivered fast and was tasty. Thank you

My first visit and only for a beer. Quite impressed with the update. I felt comfortable sitting with a beer. A nice atmosphere. Will return to try the food.

Personally greeted by the manager liam, what great service from him and the team. Food was perfect. Looking forward to our next visit :)

We went to the Aviator on a saturday, it was busy and the pub was struggling a little keeping up with demand. Staff seemed to be doing their best and seemed friendly despite how busy they were. Bit of a wait on food, and when it came it was OK... if I were to come again, I'd try to make it on a day where it's not quite so busy (and possibly on a Sunday when they do roasts!)

Great little place to enjoy a fresh cooked lunch. We both had the stake and ale pie. It's was delicious. Staff friendly and comfortable surroundings. Very pleasant.

We arrived Sunday for Lunch and were seated immediately. Very pleasant staff. The roast was exceptional, also the sports bar was busy in the afternoon and a great atmosphere.

No longer has a carvery, and table service is no longer available. Ok, but not as good as it used to be

I must say since they have started putting on entertainment I love going there for the atmosphere and the new menu.

Wicked atmosphere, lovely staff members and plenty to do in the sports bar too.

Great evening, great entertainment in the sports bar. Lovely staff… will be coming back!

I recently stayed at your hotel and was really pleased with the overall experience. The stay offered excellent value for money—everything was clean, quiet, and well-maintained. I had no issues during my visit, which made for a very relaxing and hassle-free stay. I also appreciated the ample on-site parking, which made arrival and departure easy. The atmosphere was calm and welcoming, and it felt like everything was run smoothly behind the scenes. I would definitely stay again in the future and would happily recommend the hotel to others. Thanks for a great experience!

Great food, friendly service, wonderful family atmosphere.

Stayed at the hotel twice now while visiting Clacton so always pop in this pub as its part of the hotel. Nice beer, good food but since it's been revamped it can be a little busier than I'd used to be at weekends, because of course it is a local pub for many. Still a great pub though. And clean with pleasant staff.

Been here a few times and food has been hit or miss. Tonights meal was good, came out hot and was tasty. Great atmosphere and server was lovely.

The staff were very welcoming and attentive during our visit for dinner. The service was speedy and the food was so yummy! It was a lovely atmosphere and the staff were on hand at all times to help. I am definitely going back soon because the menu, which was huge, offers so much choice for me as a vegetarian, and I want to try all of the fabulous options! The price was good and the restaurant was clean. Parking was a breeze and the kids play area was clean and tidy. Can’t recommend it enough.

Four guests two main meals, one light lunch and one sandwich. Presented Blue Light Card for discount. Discount refused because of the light bite. Told it was company policy to refuse any discount when a light bite was included. Manager called an confirmed server's statement. Asked to cancel card payment which was reluctantly agreed then paid for light bite and sandwich separately. A discount of ,£10 was given for the balance. Seems to be a stupid and discriminatory policy which needs looking at.

Family meal , was great. No issues, professional service.

Rude waitress, cleanliness around the table was awful, ants all over the floor and empty glasses weren’t collected. Didn’t have a return visit from anyone to check on food quality. Generally staff were awful and made the whole experience a waste of time.

Great atmosphere and staff efficient and helpful

The hotel room and bathroom was clean and very comfortable. It was nice and cozy in there. I enjoyed my birthday a lot. The best is the restaurant and bar where I had delicious breakfast with my family. They have everything you can imagine. The stuff was also very friendly and kind. Thank you all for your work.

Food is okay but a little lacking in flavour. One chicken and rib platter- arrived with no corn on the cob or onion rings. When we asked the server they informed us they were out of corn on the cob and brought over 2 onion rings. We asked if this was an acceptable substitute as the corn was missing, and received 2 more onion rings. Ordered a Guiness which was poured in one (if you’re a Guiness drinker then you know how this tasted). Our two cocktails came and had to be sent back as the pump had gone for the lemonade. Same for a JD and coke where the coke was flat and had to be mixed with another Pepsi max already on the table. Staff are friendly though and service is good, they rectified every issue we had. Just a shame as my partner spent a lot of the time at the bar changing our drinks or asking about missing food items. A shame as we came a couple of months ago and the food was superb- pretty sure this is under new management! As a group of 3 we spent approx £74.

Just had a roast beef dinner and a hunters chicken. The roast was lovely, fresh veg, roast and mash potatoes. There was enough beef for at least 2 people! Very generous with the portions The hunters chicken was good as well, moist chicken breast with bacon, cheese and bbq sauce. Loads of chips and onion rings, again good generous portions Good price for great meal. Clean welcoming bar restaurant Great friendly staff

Amazing relaxing place to have breakfast. Choice was great. Food was fantastic. It was clean and very comfortable. Karen was amazing and so helpful. Will be going again very soon

We seem to go here more and more, can't really fault the food for the price, staff are always very pleasant, great

Food was good and staff were nice. Quick service. Area was clean and tidy Nice decor and music not too loud

Both ate steak, very nice snd good value

Wasn’t great food not great put in a noisy bar on bar stools not great for a Sunday out

Since being refitted with the sports bar I love this place. My go to for live sports with an atmosphere and decent grub

Excellent service, lovely atmosphere and very good food. So nice to have somewhere so close to home that we can come to, will definitely be back.

Great food and drink plus friendly staff. I like the new layout as well.

We both had the carvery but because there was not many people in the restaurant,the carvery wasn't hot like it normally is, it was just lukewarm and there wasn't much choice of vegetables,but apart from that everything else was ok.

Tip dont order starter as then your mains order is put to back and wait for mains is 45 minutes plus

Very warm and quick welcoming. Bar staff were all lovely and chatty which made it more welcoming. Food was very presentable and good value for money. Will definitely be returning.

This place as just had a total makeover and looks great the carvery as gone and that is now part of the restaurant with a new menu the food was very nice and the service was fast and friendly worth a visit £25 to £30 a head

Food was OK, nothing special. Service was good and staff are lovely. Atmosphere isn't the same. Used to visit Smugglers often, and it was welcoming.

Well this pub has had a new lease of life great entertainment line up sport on tvs, carvery gone,, but food food is still as good,

Great atmosphere, friendly staff and helpful, food was nice and accommodating for kids, would recommend, great for families

The food was lovely, reasonable price and the staff were very helpful. The pub looked great too

An absolutely delicious roast dinner - much better than the old carvery format. So hot, fresh and amazing service. Love the refit!

We had a delicious lunch and a couple of drinks at the aviator, staff were so helpful.

Came in late and had one of the best roasts I’ve ever tasted. Big plates and top quality food. I’ll definitely make this a regular spot of mine.

we have been a number of times now with family, sons and their wives and children, twice with grandsons and a couple on our own we have never been disappointed

Lovely welcome and showed to our table. There were 4 of us and all enjoyed their meal and yummy desserts. Staff very friendly and helpful so overall lovely experience which catered well for gluten free too. Will certainly be back.

3 of us went to lunch, was surprised, it was really nice, clean, staff was great, food good if you are going , best to book

It’s great to be able to sit and have a drink, more of a pub atmosphere. Lots of people there, definitely a change for the better

Staff are not attentive, waited a long time to be seated whilst staff ignored us or finished their conversations. Drinks didn’t arrive within 20 minutes and staff were disinterested when I went to the bar to collect them and check our order came through. Member of staff cleaning the area wasn’t around to help as she was having a private conversation with friends. Food was quite nice, portions were decent. Probably wouldn’t go again due to the poor experience with staff.

Good food, great service and good prices.

Good all round service.staff great. Good food.

The staff were very polite and helpful, dealing with a request for a dish to be chaged slightly, without any fuss. We had a great experience lovely food, atmosphere and the prices are on par with other establishments. Having a voucher meant we could indulge ourselves with some delicious deserts. All in all had a fantastic time and would definitely return. In addition I think it will be a new stop off place when we walk our dogs at brook park. Especially sitting outside when the weather is great in the sun, with my lady, dogs and a great pint. Nothing would make me happier. Thank you to all the staff both front of house and those in the kitchen etc, you all did exemplary. Takecare all and kindest regards Chris.

Would have got 5 stars but some food and drinks not available

So dissapointed this was our go to place to eat 4 of us ordered 1 meal was okay The other 3 of us had awful meals cold chips bun on burger had to be sent back as it wasn’t toasted as for the alterations the tables are so close together you can’t move no courtesy checks will not be booking again such a pity

I had my birthday here there was 10 of us. The fish was horrible with no flavour, had better from Aldi. The steaks were over cooked. The food over all wasn't great One of the waitress tried to put a spoon that had fallen on the floor back on the plate but another member of staff stopped her and told her she can't do that. So make us all wonder how many times has she done that. It looks lovely inside but I'm not going out to eat somewhere for the interior. So the food really needs to step up. I probably won't return unless it's because I have been invited by a friend for a birthday ect shame I tried this place several times when it was the smugglers cove and wasn't impressed and it's the same now but with a new name.

Food was hot and tasty. Service was quick although it was not really busy.

We dined in and want to say how dissatisfied we were with the whole experience. The booking was at 4.30pm. When we went to order food, for the second time in two visits there were items not avaliable on the menu. Today it happened to be cheese and tomato pasta for our granddaughter which was the main reason for the visit. So after having to choose something else for her to eat we waited for the food. Now here's the second issue. Twice when we were still eating someone came up to our table and started removing empty plates when someone at the table still hadn't finished eating. This should not happen. I appreciate it's a busy week but we felt totally rushed and unappreciated. To top it all off when my friend had literally put her wine glass down, someone else swooped past and took the glass off the table. I still had drink left. If this is how you treat regular patrons (we used to visit the Smugglers Cove on a regular basis) then it's unlikely we'll continue to visit. Taking into account, I used to visit even during covid times to support the business. Also since the refurbishment, the table spacing is so close that when someone sat at the next table the seat backs were touching. Again, we felt rushed to the point that we just left after 45 minutes of what I believe to be an hour and a half booking? Being asked constantly 'are you done?' is not the way to make diners feel welcomed.

Noisy and ok if you're happy ordering by app or at the bar - I prefer proper waitress service.

Always love coming to smugglers cove and enjoy the food although this time I had 2 bits of meat that were both the end bits and couldn't eat them.

Service very good, food very nice and menu has alot of variety. Good value too. Modern and spacious. Would recommend.

Generally a nice place to go for something to eat

Our table was booked for 6pm. Table wasn't ready for us until 6.20. Food took 45 minutes to come and that was after we had to change three meals as they had run out. And one of our meals came out wrong, so they had to redo it. Even our icecream took over half hour to come out.

Nice clean room, plenty of tea/coffee, great location for my needs , would definitely stay again.

Staff like robots kids left to run riot. Change of name and change of atmosphere and enjoyment

RIP SMUGGLLERS COVE. We have eaten regularly at the smuggler's cove over the past 5 years. We wanted to try it out after the refit. The staff are still friendly and helpful and it looks nice but I think it was better before. I didn't understand why it changed from a nice family venue to a sports bar. The food is quite expensive for Clacton now and I thnk it is better than before, but it took over an hour to turn up. Also the choice of puddings was very limited so we left without having any.

Took too long to be served between courses considering how fast they were when it reopened this is 100 times slower

Would not recommend. 15 minutes wait for table even though we booked online 45 minutes wait for mains 50 minutes wait for desert When I complained I was told by the manager very abrupt that she only had one cook one potwasher and that that's how it is now. The revamped has not worked with poor management like this. To top this all of there was 6 people behind the bar not doing much... What a dampen to my clacton holiday...

Lovely staff.clean tidy. Great food

Excellent staff and service, really nice tasty food Karen and kiren were really good

Staff helpful. Lisa waitress worked really hard

Fantastic, just been refurbished, great food,great choice of beer and fantastic sports bar

Lovely refit of the old smugglers bar. Liking the new vibe and glad to see new and more staff onsite. Drink are a little pricey but the atmosphere covers for that. Not eaten much there other than the odd starter bit so far so good. Well done guys keep up the good work. 👍👍

It used to be table service at the Smugglers and I expected the same to happen in the Aviator, so I am really disappointed that orders are at the bar. This means I and friends and family are less likely to go. I want to sit and relax when I go out for a meal..

Excellent customer service. Knowledgeable staff around Coeliac disease and cross contamination. Great menu with lots of choice. My daughter enjoyed having a burger WITH a bun which is a novelty and I was happy as I didn't have to provide extra gf food to accompany her meal. We shall return!

Have been to Smugglers Cove (now the aviator) many times, and have always had a good experience. We were looking forward to trying out The Aviator (previously Smugglers cove) now it has been refurbished. Was very disappointed. It's changed from a family friendly restaurant, to a pub/sports bar. Was too noisy. No longer offered table service, you now have to go up to the bar and que, or use the app. To be honest, didn't even stay to try the food. Was looking forward to a nice meal, but with the football on, it was too noisy. So we left. Was going to explain to the staff, but couldn't find anyone.

Such a shame this place has changed, we dined there on many occasions over the years, but went this week after refurbishment & was very disappointed, made it into 2 bars, we went to the family one & it was much smaller & not a lot of room between tables. PLEASE bring back the carvery, will not be using it anymore.

Top notch staff, clean and comfortable. Good night, stay in the hotel. The evening meal was fantastic. Breakfast was made even better by the manager Liam. My partner enjoyed meeting another Liam.

Lovely welcoming venue fantastic Irish manager, with great sense of humour. Excellent food & great service

Very welcoming & quick to take our order. We all had a regular carvery which had a good choice of meats & vegetables. The only problem was the beef was not as tender as it normally is. A bit disappointed with that but overall a pleasant experience.

Really good service and quick with food. So great for kids. Also has a little park outside for kids.

Have been here a few times and stayed at the hotel. The restaurant is such a great atmosphere and the staff in there are absolutely first class. Very very friendly, make you feel welcome and the food is beautiful.. Would absolutely love to work here. I will definitely be back again ***

Delicious! First timer here and won’t be my last!

Situated in a retail park on the outskirts of Claton town centre, The Aviator provides traditional pub food, combined with a good friendly atmosphere. Those of you who like to watch sport and have a meal this would a perfect choice with the multiple TV screens. Ample parking available. That said, the women's toilet needed to be aired and cleaned.

Very tasty steak perfectly cooked lovely hot chips and good value steak.and drink 12.95

Absolutely shocking behaving !!! Most the staff were rude when asked questions regarding the food and also Food was dry and presented appalling and the plates were hot and the food was warm.desert given without spoons or forks and had to wait 10 tens for a spoon while the girl we asked for them from was stood talking to other members of staff at the front and also my nan who has coeliac was given a normal apple crumble instead of a gluten free one (thankfully she didn’t eat it and double checked with staff). When she got her apple crumble it had no ice cream or custard because apparently the gluten free apple crumble doesn’t come with anything even though it says it does come with custard but the staff said it doesn’t so it’s false advertisement..safe to say we shall never be returning after the awful experience

Updated refurbishment lovely but very similar design as to other local establishments Food could be hotter

Really disappointed with our visit today. It was chaotic and we waited for 20 mins for someone to take our order and then 40 mins to receive the food. My grandson wanted the kids pasta dish and it was unavailable, he then decided on the kids curry and that was also unavailable. The food order for me was incorrect and had to be sent back. The food seemed dry and details such as gravy etc was forgotten. We then waited a further 35 mins for desert and had to chase it up. We concluded the separate sections to the restaurants causes more confusion and seems pointless. We have been regular customers to the old Smugglers Cove and whilst the service was frequently poor we tolerated this because the food was good. However, today the food was poor and the service was worse than previously. I really had high hopes for the new Aviator that the service would improve but feel disappointed that it remains poor and now with the added confusion of the separate sections and the poor food. I think we may now be looking for another regular ‘go to’ family restaurant.

It’s such a shame it was my leaving do that my colleagues had booked 20 of us it was very busy told only 1 roast left slow service wrong dinners brought out food really not up to standard 20 people who won’t return and who tell others about their experience !!

We dined here for Mother's Day this year and god I wish we hadn’t. My mother had a roast that was missing some components, the Yorkshire was rock solid and had to be sent back and she had a mushroom within her meat which was from someone else’s food very shocking, all our food was cold and burnt at the same time?. Me and my friends ordered a chicken burger each which comes with gravy this wasn’t in the plate and once we asked about it we were told it would be shortly and never arrived. Nobody came to ask us how are meal was throughout our experience which again was not great. Overall the food took too long to arrive and when it did the quality was not good. Such a shame as the pub itself is lovely decorated and the staff were friendly. I will not be returning here again and I would not recommend to anyone in the future. plus note there is a McDonald’s over the road so go there instead.

Well what can I say Start with drinks good selection but red wines not as advertised no merlot no malbec as advertised just a vinegar red house wine with the excuse "we have no input into what they send we just get what they have and the menu is just a guide" beer flat as if glasses had grease on them. Food starters cauliflower wings and onion bhaji too well done virtually burnt. Soup with no flavour. Shortage of sauces on dishes mint dressing stale bread. Mains again lack of detail with half the component missing from prawn salad and no tartar sauce with the scampi. Yes we did complain and they sorted it. Offer of free drinks declined. no refund requested or offered. BUT they have been open for 3 weeks and either they have not been trained properly or the lack of detail is down to inexperienced staff in the kitchen some body should be supervising you would hope. The resturant staff can't be at fault but it has changed for the worse, I can see this just being just another sports bar that you can't have a conversation with the person next door due to the noise and just drink and watch sports. Yes they were relatively busy but I can't see them coping with the summer season on the resturant side judging by the amount of tables that complained and left leaving plates just pecked at. Sorry to say something has to change and if this is the way they are going I do not think it will survive with serving food. Just my opinion I am sure some people have had fantastic experiance. Unfortunately not us. And yes we will not return

We visited as a family service was shocking. Ordered some drinks from a member of staff got told customers drink guiness out of a can wtf. Was shocked when wanted a glass and had to pour it myself other half's drink also had to pour ourselves. Worst of all we had to wait for hour and a half for food was ridiculous evey customer complaining about the wait. Food was ok but certinaly not worth the wait the venue is clearly run by inexperienced teenagers seemily front and back of house. We won't be visiting again that's for sure

Peaceful and enjoyable stay, friendly staff, food was great.

We attended The Aviator on the 29th March 2025. Our food took 45 minutes to come out and was not up to a good standard. My nephew (9 years old) complained that the child's burger meal was spicy and he has felt sick since. My niece (13 years old) has ended up with D&V after a mac and cheese meal, the steak on the mixed grill was fatty and chewy, my Partner that had the mixed grill has suffered with his stomach since, chicken on a different meal was tough and chewy and that meal was not eaten after 1 bite of the chicken, the lasagna that I had was tasteless and i have felt ill and have had bad bowels since. Our total bill came to over £100, I can honestly say that we will NOT be returning here.

Awful. Food was largely inedible. Service nonexistent as you have to order at the bar then reminded them we had ordered an hour later! The ‘restaurant’ is actually now just a pub with a cramped eating area where they’ve crammed in extra tables so there’s no space to actually eat. This was a good restaurant when it was the Smugglers Cove but now my recommendation is to avoid it at all costs. Overpriced and rubbish.

What a great night we had. We came with family there was 11 of us in total. The restaurant was super busy and yet the food still arrived piping hot and in a timely manner..all the food was lovely. The staff were all friendly and helpful a special shout out to Liam the manager and Brooke. No complaints throughout. There was a live band. So we stayed for that after and the music was outstanding and the whole atmosphere of the new bar area was so lovely to see. A much needed improvement I'd say and I really look forward to more love music events etc. Thank you to the whole team for a great evening

Superb food and service. Band playing tonight and they were brilliant. Great evening and lovely atmosphere 😄. Family night out and everyone enjoyed it.