The Arches in Southend-on-Sea

Appalling The rudest staff I have ever met Don't do the job if you don't enjoy it Management needs to address the waitresses...bitter, rude, aggressive

Popped in just for lunch, very busy but we were well looked after and got a table after only a couple of minutes wait while having a drink. Halloumi chips and chicken strip starters were very good indeed. Sizzling ribeye and cajun chicken fajita was really high quality and of a good size, served as expected on a sizzling skillet. Cod and chips also presented and served really well and was of high quality. Reasonable prices for the food, on par with restaurants in the area. Overalm a great experience and would go again without doubt.

Enjoyed our lunch. It was sunday and very busy so short wait for table. Staff friendly. Lots of families. Places this busy tend to be good and we enjoyed what we had.

In calling to book a table, (my partner has a speech impediment) they hung up on him on 3 occasions when he stuttered, despite him asking them to allow him time to speak, as it takes a little longer to complete some sentences. I’d never dine with them now, as they were so rude on the phone with how they treated him and don’t deserve the business if they treat customers like that. Nobody should be made to feel that small in just trying to book a meal out.

Can’t believe that when the table was cleared and my meal had hardly been touched nobody bothered to ask why I hadn’t eaten it. Overcooked Poached Eggs, Dry Ham and Bubble and Squeak that tasted like peppered cabbage - dreadful Customer Service!

Four of us had lunch here this week, the fried eggs were overdone looked like boiled ones and we found expensive for what we had.The cod was not very good either. The worst restaurant along the parade

All food was good. Can recommend the Bubble & Squeak with ham & eggs, and Full English. Shame that staff can barely crack a smile and treat most customers like they are an inconvenience.

Lovely setting,and nice restaurant,the young girls who were serving, were very polite with quick service.The food was tasty and well presented,but at a price,I'm an old man (51) and maybe a bit out of touch with things ,but genuinely find the prices of things expensive,and the food here was no exception.Would go back on special occasions rather than a week to week basis, definitely worth a visit.

FIRst visit was during the eat out to help out, We were served lovely food, you certainly won’t go hungry and the food is delicious. I had Cajun chicken, bacon and avocado salad,my mum went for grilled skate and again thoroughly enjoyed. Covid safe 👍🏻 Second visit we were given 2 tables to make it covid safe as there were 5 of us . This time I had duck fajitas, sounds unusual but tasted fantastic. Price is very reasonable. You get a good meal out, with lovely views and Danielle is lovely and all staff very helpful Now we have discovered you we will definitely be back!

Fantastic meal, generous portions and great sea view. Very Covid safe. Oh and friendly staff. Kitchen closes at 7pm so be early

We've visited quite a few times and on this occasion took visiting family for a late post hangover breakfast. Service can be quite slow so there are improvements to be made on their customer service. No toilet facilities means that you have to use the public loo's which are virually next door. Food is always freshly cooked, nicely prepared and presented and can't be faulted. Not the cheapest place to eat but certainly one of the better cafes in the Arches.

As a family we enjoy visiting the Arches. Enough to choose from. Food always good. The view out across the water makes it worthwhile. Either for a quick coffee or dinner

My wife and I fancied smoked haddock on a Sunday morning for our breakfast so decided to go to the arches and fabulous it was to . A great big portion of yummy haddock with a huge chunk of farmhouse bread and butter and a cup of coffee loverly it all was to . Set us both up for the day

Went to have lunch with my daughter yesterday Tuesday 23/04/2019 We waited about 10 minutes to be served waitress was quite abrupt with us We ordered mussels and cod and chips my daughters mussels were fine how ever it was obvious the fish was old and had been frozen as the flesh was gray and it was tasteless when I told the waitress she said I should have told her earlier I would have but she was not available as she was chatting with her friends however I did get a free latte The setting of the restaurant is great but we would not go there again as there are many other restaurants to choose along the Esplanade the restaurant was the Estuary Arches

So many places to eat in Southend but many serving same menu - went in here as offered avocado on toast for breakfast which I love! It was delicious - options for toast so I had sourdough. Avocado was warm, served with hot vine tomatoes and 2 poached eggs all lovely. Husband had nice haddock. Good coffee too. Wandered along in the evening looking for non fish and chips dinner and ended up here again - we shared fairly standard Greek starter then I had Haloumi salad - plenty of it and very nice. Couldn't manage dessert, shared a good bottle of dry white wine. Sitting in the sun watching the world go by - fab! A bit dearer than fish and chips but so much more enjoyable. Staff were friendly, bit slow at the end of the evening in getting bill etc but forgive them as think had had a very busy day!

Bad meal and after service. Ordered Pan-fried Skate, had it before at The Estuary Arches and was ok last time. This time however the Skate turned up swimming in butter, I mean puddles of butter. Told the waitress, she apologised took plate away changed the plate for a clean plate minus puddles but food had been saturated in the stuff, meal was inedible. Informed staff when paying bill but just stared at me. Will not be going back in a hurry!

K so we were in Southend today on bank holiday Monday and had lunch at this place for the first time. We had dined at some of the other restaurants along that strip and decided to change today. Lunch was a bowl of very good pasta for my Wife and Scampi and chips for my Son. I had steak and prawn skewers. My steak was not as I had asked (medium rare) but was ok, nothing more than that, a bit tough, but didn't send it back as my Son was happy to help me out. At £63 including service charge it was quite a bit more than you have to spend, and I have given it 4 out of 5 only because we sat in the sun and enjoyed the experience but maybe not all of the food. This price was for a drink each and main course. Not sure if we will return or not.

no one in the restaurant but told to get the children to keep the noise down...they were laughing! no high chairs or children's menu either. They might as well put a sign up to say children are not welcome! I would rather their honesty! I won't be going back.

Estuary Restaurants The Arches, French Toast with Bacon, £7.95, never had French toast made like this, no Vanilla, No Cinnamon,no syrup,just Floppy Bread dipped in egg(Not even near French Toast should be, should be crisp and softer inside with vanilla & cinnamon), Please rename it as thats NOT French toast, easy to find Recipe online for the chef, decent service,tables packed in no room to move,all the arches eatery look nice and the food looks nice, top location when the sun is out,and beware £2.90 just to park your car for 40 minutes, Traffic wardens around waiting to pounce, no fault of the Restaurant owners of course, but with high menu prices and parking it works out expensive.

I have been here a couple of times for breakfast/lunch the food is usually quite nice, however on this occasion the food was horrible. I had a jacket potato with chicken, Brie and spinach. The potato tasted like it was reheated from the previous day, and the ‘chicken’ was mainly gristle, it was nasty- very disappointing.

We have been going to this relaxed venue for years. It used to be my "unwind" Thursday night treat when I was kicked out early by the cleaners. I know the two main chefs & the owners, so it is always a friendly visit, where the staff are always willing to meet your needs, unless really busy, then some items like omelettes are not served.. It always amazes me how they cook so many meals, so quickly in such a small kitchen & always fresh & hot. Great place to go if you are using the Cliffs Pavilion, because it is a short distance away and easier to have a bowl of soup or just a cup of coffee or a large fish & chips, which they are famous for. Council run toilet are available at the end of the block. They were the first to enclose the open air front section, where you can enjoy the warmth in the sun or keep cosey in the Autumn, but watch out when it is really cold weather. Although heaters are provided, where the kitchen extract used to discharge into this area, once enclosed it was directed outside, so the fresh air make-up to the kitchen[ comes through the front door and through the cafe, leaving you to need extra clothing to keep warm. Other than this the experience & views are terrific.

We stopped here on the off chance to have a late lunch about 3:30.

We go here regularly, on our way to Southend Airport. Always a good breakfast here - I really like the grilled vine tomatoes. They don't mind if you swap the sausages for baked beans. The bread option is brown or white - I like this too. My friend had scrambled egg with smoked salmon and the portion is huge. Good range of coffees too.

Fantastic ! Mother's 82nd birthday, 7 of us in total, great, really great service, food all well cooked and served together. All very happy.

Good quality food superbly cooked. Eggs Benedict at breakfast a definite winner. Very popular so go early.

The arches are well Known in Southend and probably one of the oldest establishments of the town . We normally...

Booked for Boxing Day lunch but they didnt confirm as promised and when I called them the "manager' told me...

Best thing about this restaurant is the view. The fish pie would be better called mashed potato pie with fish...

We ordered the skewers to share with an extra skewer and side portion of rice. The food was absolutely brilliant...

Tuvimos nuestra cena en el estuario. El menú es rico y variado. La comida es de una gran calidad y hay mucho. Todo lo que vale la pena el precio de una parte quizás para el jugador griego como entrante.

Ha sido a un asado, Dinos no podría haber sido peor. La carne fue acomodado en los bordes y sin sabor. La textura era tan difícil, como el cuero de los zapatos!

Huevos escalfados sobre una tostada espectáculo del abundante tocino. Queridos chef. Usted clavado. En el clavo. Y su camarera. De nuevo. Perfecto hosting. Atento. Atractiva. Limpio y ordenado. Y tan rápido para traer el té. Un comienzo perfecto para un día en familia. Gracias.

Hemos estado yendo a la fuente para un desayuno tarde antes del Día del Boxeo en panto durante los últimos 10 años y Ray y su equipo son siempre tan acogedor. El desayuno es excelente, con una buena selección de buena calidad, la comida bien cocinada, un montón de pan tostado con mantequilla y un buen café de filtro.

En un soleado pero fresco Noviembre mañana nos presentamos para el desayuno, nos sentamos dentro, ya que era un poco frío. Era acogedor y me dieron un menú variado. Yo tenía todas las frescas salchichas y huevos tomates frescos a la parrilla hechas a la perfección y la presentación era perfecta. Bien hecho chicos volveremos.

Had a livery breakfast here we went for the smoked haddock and mice proper chunky bread and spot of tea what is better than that in a cold Sunday morning overlooking the sea with the sun shimmering on it .

I find it strange that the row of restaurants known as "The Arches" is on tripadvisor as one, they are individually owned. They have their own identities and I'm sure what they deliver differs. We chose The Estuary as it looked modern and my friend had been recommend to try it out. We ordered the full English, it was really delicious, the sausages and bacon were from a good source, not over processed or pumped full of water. My poached egg could probably have done with an extra few seconds as it was slightly snotty. After eating we ordered another couple of drinks, waited 20 minutes and had to reorder, it had got busier, but I'm still not sure how this was missed. Would I go back, probably, yes, but not often, the location is wonderful, produce great, but for the price you pay for a breakfast and coffee, is questionable. Personally I'd rather go out for a meal in the evening to a pub and papy the same.....each to their own.

This was our second visit, once for a quick lunch, this time was for dinner before seeing a show at the Cliffs. You are right on the seafront and you can sit either inside or out, both are covered. The menu has plenty to offer and if you sit inside you can watch the chefs preparing the food, which is good. We had starters and main courses each with soft dtinks and coffee, it came to £25/person - and we were in and out in 45 minutes. We liked the informal feeling and also the friendlly and helpful young staff. easy parking as well just along from the restaurant on the seafront.About a five minute walk from the Cliffs, turn left out of the Arches walk along and go up the steps next to Rossi's.

The service was excellent & the staff were very friendly. Although the prices were not cheap the food was excellent & definitely worth it. I would definitely recommend The Estuary at The Arches Palmeira Parade Westcliff-on-Sea to everyone.

nothing better, for brekkie or lunch especially on a sunny day these cafes have been here for ever, each with their own theme, menus slightly vary in each cafe good choice of menus, some do specials boards, too its average priced but a pleasant place to sit and enjoy,toilets are in a building beside the cafes, there is meter parking

We were just waiting for friends when we decided to have some coffee, but we end up order mussels in provencale sauce which was very hearty and tasty and apple and blackberry crumble which was delightful!

The arches are a Mecca for breakfast / lunch/ Dinner especially on a sunny day as you can sit just a few yards from the ocean . The veiw is great if the tide is in and you can just sit under your umbrella and watch the ships go by up to dock and unload there cargo from all over the world . Or the small boats / yachts boning up and down . Family's are walking past all the time but this is not a problem or hinderance to anybody . What the chefs of the arches contour up in there minute kitchens is amazing and there will defiantly be something that's gets your taste bubs buzzing . Service is good along with reasonable prices so you will have a great meal whatever time of day you choose to dine

A very good breakfast with good quality ingredients. Polite staff and quick service. Very enjoyable and a nice view of the sea too

Stopped by for a bite to eat for lunch today. Friendly service. We both ordered the estuary burger,we waited about half an hour for our food and boy was it worth the wait. Big portions loads of salad with our burger and chips. Will be back again soon.

Varied menu, we choose the cod n chips which comes with mushy peas, vegetables or salad. (really good salad).Lovely views, friendly staff, I will be back to try out maybe the mussels.

Lovely fish and chips are always available but also a very comprehensive menu. The staff are always very efficient and the tables overlook the Estuary and when the sun is out just lovely!

Believe this particular restaurant is called the estuary but am not certain and is about second one along from the casino end and has a raised deck inside. Well was a full kilo of mussels cooked in white wine, cream, fresh lemons, red onion and garlic. The mussels were big and plump and I had only one that hadn't opened ( I threatened it but it still didn't cooperate). The mussels were served with a huge plate of either sweet potato, curly or regular fries and a warm baguette (we had the curly and sweet potato and they also were excellent), All washed down with a very reasonable priced bottle of prosecco. Needless to say w'ell be back.

What a great place to go when the sun is shining. A row of cafes/restaurants which is most popular for brunch on a weekend. They are all similar but a couple of favourites are Waters Edge and The Estuary where the food tends to be of a higher standard, however all very similar and lucky to get a seat in any of them if the weather is good. Worth a visit

Arrived 1150 three of us and had to ask for a menu after long wait..Ordered and waitress tried to put us off ordering food by saying 30 min wait ...That was fine with us and teas delivered promptly... Then after 50 minutes of waiting the table who had ordered just before us said they had waited an hour but were going to give up ..... I wished we had

I have been a regular at the Estuary for a few years and have always been very pleased with the food both before and after the recent refurbishment. However I went there this Sunday and the quality off the food was very poor. Gone are the nice plump herby sausages being replaced but what I would describe as cheap catering sausages. The fried bread must have been taken out of a chip pan and was horrid.The tables are a joke we sat at table twelve crammed in a corner, and had to wait for the couple next to us to finish their meal before we could get out. And to add a final insult there is now 10% service charge added.Fortunately there are about another 6 or so other restaurants to choose from in the Arches.If the owners should happen to read this then please feel free to be ashamed.

Went to The Estuary this morning for breakfast with friends. The waitress took our orders but a simple order of 4 slices of toast - 2 with beans and 2 with cheese, seemed to totally confused her. There were no other customers when we arrived so we couldn't understand why we had to wait nearly 45 mins for our food. I looked inside to see if the food was coming and noticed our waitress sitting down eating her own breakfast. When our breakfast eventually arrived, the order of toast with cheese and beans came with only 3 slices of toast, the waitress saying it wouldn't all fit on one plate and she would bring the other slice of toast and beans separately. It never arrived and when asked for it, she said she would get it but never returned. When she started to clear the table, we asked what had happened to the last slice of toast. She said she had asked the chef and he had said that all 4 pieces had been served. This was totally untrue and we told her so. She said there was nothing she could do. When the bill arrived, we had been charged for the full order so we again said we were not happy as we had not had everything we ordered. At this point, the chef came out and insisted that he knew what he had served and that there were 4 slices of toast. There was no question that we had been short changed over the order but even supposing the mistake had been ours, we felt it was totally unacceptable to treat customers in this high handed manner. We will certainly never go there again and if you are looking for efficient, timely and polite customer service don't even think of going to The Estuary. A thoroughly bad experience with plenty of much better places to choose from on either side.

My friend & I went to The estuary on Monday for lunch we choose to go there as it looked the nicest once we had sat down we waited approx 10 but no one served us so went inside for waitress to tell us she will be over ,so we ordered when our cups of tea arrived the cup was dirty told waitress she said all the cups are like that ! Also no milk with tea then our lunch came sandwiches ham for me & Cajun chicken for my friend which is served with a small salad and coleslaw no fork to eat salad no napkin had to ask again ham was nice but chicken was warm so bottom of sandwich was really soggy not nice again when time for us to pay had to go inside to ask for bill and was told it's waitress service believe me there is No service in this restaurant a sandwich and tea is £10 ahead expect better for this price won't be going back !

Arrived at The Estuary on a sunny Tuesday afternoon sat down and was served drinks quiet quickly, ten minutes later the waitress took our order then the wait began considering there was only three tables being used including us we then waited over 1 hour for two salads and whilst we was waiting no one come over to apologise check for drinks as they were all to busy chatting out the back!!!

Had a lovely meal at The Estuary@the arches - sat in the warm evening sunshine with a peroni and watched the people walk by... We ate goats cheese salad and the steak and prawn skewers which were all delicious - we love this place!

Popped in for a bit of supper. Lovely bowl of cockles to start but should be for a fiver! I had fish pie - nice but overloaded with prawns more a prawn pie really but was nice. Wife had the cod and chips - not great, a few too many bones in the cod which is so off putting and not home made chips which should be the case especially dining at a seafront. 10 % service charge added - really..?. A bit cheeky as they don't even have a toilet! Would we go back? No

An excellent choice of eateries in this row of restaurants. The food served in each is quite similar but the value is good. It ranges from fish and chips to roasts. Most now are licensed to sell alcohol.

A small row of cafes on the sea front, set in the arches underneath the road above. With a range of fish and chips, breakfast and lunches, and a couple of Rossi's ice cream stands, it's a great, scenic view for a quick bite. Very small restaurants, and very over crowded in the nicer weather but when the water is in, it's really beautiful to sit outside.

The Arches is a row of small cafes overlooking the sea which do a whole range of traditional and easy to cook fare - fish n' chips, pies, pasta, etc. Not licensed, and quite cramped, so it really is a case of "eat and go" but very good value for money and great in the summertime as the sun sets over the river.

Seated quickly on a very wobbly table and were left for a while we chose, ordered and food arrived promptly, a few items missing from the orders for quickly replaced. We were not offered any condiments with our breakfasts so had to go and get them ourselves. We ordered another round of drinks and had to re ask for them 15 minutes later. Great food but the wobbly table made it hard to eat and slightly scruffy and unorganised staff let it down.

Rude staff at Dinos and nasty fatty fish at Captain's Table. Expensive mistake. Don't feel like returning to Westcliffe any more, especially after 60 minute trip there.

all the arches are good, we usually go int he one with the blue hawaiian parasols. the staff are friendly the fish and chips are consistently good, omelettes and salad are massive. good value for money and lovely setting on the prom, even when it's pouring with rain! Very seasidey!

A lovely evening weather wise and nice seaview. However, after entering the garden cafe, our choice of the differing cafés at the arches that night, we had a drink.... Nice enough.... Then chose to order.... What a disappointment! Jumbo jacket potato was not up to its description size wise, moreover it was poorly cooked, lumpy and had the appearance of being microwaved... The salad was indeed a garnish... The other meal cod and chips... Ordered the small and indeed it was... The whole experience was made worse by the neighbouring cafe`s gorgeous selections, that would be worthy of being described as jumbo. Advice for visitors here, have a coffee as pleasant service then move on.