The Camelia Restaurant in Southend-on-Sea

Came here for Sunday lunch with family. A lovely meal. Service really good: beautiful decor in the restaurant. Reasonably priced. The roast was not the best I have ever had but for a restaurant roast was really nice. Also came with cauliflower cheese which was delicious. The star of the show though was the biscoff cheesecake. By far the best cheesecake I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot in my time! Including from the cheesecake factory etc) . This one topped them all. Will be returning for the cheesecake alone!

Lovely lunch with my wife food was excellent service was very good the staff were really nice and attentive

Great atmosphere, amazing service and food was brilliant! Highly recommended

It doesn’t get better than this.

Regular here. Faces seafront good food not too expensive delicious drinks.

Lovely food. Great service, lovely people

Level of the service is very low. The food not great either. Overall very disappointed.

Food was first class. Service was excellent.

Lovely food and a really warm service from the staff. New restaurant layout feels intimate and modern. Will definately come back soon.

Prawn and salmon cocktail was one of the best that I have ever, had. The potatoes were awful, as if they have been cooked 3 times, were hard and a funny colour.. The brownie was hard and very hard to eat from the tall dessert glass. I wouldn't return.

Made very welcome and well looked after, recommend this venue for any event. We were celebrating a life of a wonderful man.

Very nice . Lovely staff , very helpful.

Lovely restaurant in a pleasant setting. Our waitresses were very friendly and attentive throughout. Food was very nice indeed as were the drinks. Perhaps a little pricey, particularly the drinks, but overall very nice. Would recommend to others and return ourselves after a while.

Afternoon was good, staff very friendly and helpful.

We had Sunday roast lunch - set menu. It was very busy I recommend to reserve the table. The food was ok - the Yorkshire was nice. But potatoes weren’t crispy. the veg was on the undercooked side for a couple of us. The portion size was plenty. The dessert were on the large side and good. Service was good and accommodating. For the 4 of us with drinks (5) it was £120ish.

Nice decor and service, the menu we felt was a bit pricey but good portions. The starters were lovely and generous, but the mains were a bit hit and miss, never tried desserts we were just too full .! Drinks were reasonable and a good selection.

40th wedding anniversary celebration.

Lovely overnight stay, had my own room which was perfect, clean, comfortable and very friendly staff. Ate breakfast which was more than ample and great service. Located in lovely part of Southend so recommend

Love Camelia Hotel. Staff are wonderful and food is lovely. Afternoon teas are well worth trying. Me and 3 friends go for coffee every Saturday and Monday morning. They know exactly what we want without asking. It is place to visit. 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

They do lovely coffee and afternoon teas

The food is superb. Never had nothing bad in there

It was delicious and very good service

Staff are lovely. Very nice to sit outside and watch the world go by.

Me and my Friend came in today as Billy's was packed,the food was Exceptional,the waitress Danielle was really friendly and chatty,compliments to the Chef

First time here, would definitely come again. Amazing food, brilliant service by Danielle. 5*

We first went on a Saturday evening for a meal which was really nice and will definitely be going again the food was delicious, very helpful staff and a good choice on the menu, and a specials board. We then went a few weeks later for afternoon tea which was a bit disappointing the sandwiches were very uninteresting, but they were okay, the cakes were very nice though,, what disapointed us most was that we only had enough tea for one cup each and they only had full fat milk☹. So we would definitely recommend evenings, but we won't rush back for the afternoon tea. Sorry.

Lovely, good service and value.

Great cocktails and lovely food.

Every visit to the camelia is a great experience fabulous food amazing friendly staff .the jewel of Southend seafront.

Really good service and excellent fish and chips. Will definitely be back.

Superb place overlooking the seafront. Just had a few drinks but will be back for the lovely looking menu. I literally can't wait!!

Totally disappointing food very low quality

Arrived in Southend on Sunday to attend a family funeral yesterday (Monday), Whilst strolling we stopped at the Camelia for a coffee on the terrace, this expanded to a snack three small plates ( thai fish cakes , tempura prawns and chicken in buttermilk batter) all were generous portions of excellent quality. We returned for breakfast in the morning on the terrace again a very good experience It was therefore an easy decision for us to return to the restaurant after the funeral for drinks , with a few relatives and friends after this 5 of us stayed for dinner; we were not disappointed All 5 diners had excellent meals and were unanimous in their praise for the quality of food , the cooking and the friendly efficient front of house service . I am very happy to recommend the Camelia restaurant , should I find myself in Southend again in the future I will be sure to book a table

We sat on the sun terrace and had a "tapas" style lunch. Food was very nice, served quickly and good sized portions. Staff were attentive and we had an enjoyable afternoon. Prices were reasonable.

Tried to give me food that I hadn't ordered then told me that I had ordered that. It didn't meet my dietary requirements. They took part of the food away and complained when I requested that it was prepared without the allergen having sat on the rest of the meal. It was a very expensive and disappointing meal.

Had a lovely afternoon tea with my sister a lovely gift from my daughter in law and my son really recommend camelia very clean and fantastic staff

Nice atmosphere and very friendly staff. Great food

Lovely place for lunches and dinners, seating outside overlooking the Thames Estuary.

Great atmosphere, had xmas set menu, great choice and food was lovely. Staff very attentive and friendly too

When the weather is good nice to sit outside .Good Menu

Afternoon tea was very nice however had a gift voucher worth more than the tea and still had to pay for any extras

Great night, cracking food and lovely hosts

Many years ago I went to the Camelia with work friends and we all agreed we would not revisit. May I now put this right and say I have visited the restaurant today and would highly recommend it. Lovely food great service and ambience excellent. Please try this restaurant for yourselves

First time visit and it won't be the last. We shared 3 small plates for lunch plus a bowl of chips and all the food was excellent. Lovely presentation and it was delicious. Staff were very friendly and prices reasonable. The baguettes, served with chips which passed our table on the way to other customers looked more like a meal in itself. We had a table outside overlooking the sea and it was lovely. Luckily we live within walking distance so will be going back soon.

Great food,lovely Staff,highly recommended

Great choice of dishes, Outstanding customber Services and very attentive staff on duty at all times.

Good food, good service, good ambience and reasonable prices.

Lovely afternoon tea , lovely staff , nice and chilled. Will be back very soon.

Lovely lunch, staff very friendly & attentive ..would definitely recommend

Lovely setting, lovely service, lovely food!

Excellent atmosphere, superb service, menu not quite as varied as I would have thought, chips with everything!!

Love the Camelia, an absolute gem, lovely delicious meals at reasonable prices, all the staff are so warm, friendly, and efficient. The only place I'll go to eat out at the moment, as everywhere else the service is pretty poor with a dose of "I can't be bothered attitude" Well done Camelia 👏 keep up the great service!

Staff really lovely, and the food was amazing.

12th April great news for all hospitality with outdoor space.We arrived and found a table available for lunch today, nice outdoor area parasols and heaters were up and warm. Lovely friendly lady welcomed us give us our menu ..Great choice we decided on 3 small plates for £20 but there was many other dishes to choose from.Drinks was out in no time and food didn't take long at all, must say the Thai fishcakes and tempura prawns were delicious not had them before we really enjoyed them we will be coming again thank you for a great first lunch out after such a long time.Food 10/10 customers service 10/10

Perfect evening. Decor is elegant and there’s a calm and beautiful ambience . Food excellent. Covid secure. In fact we felt a million light years away from the covid crazy 2020 we’ve all been through. Staff were friendly and professional, we felt welcomed and looked after, thank you Kirsty and Jamie.

We had a great table, distancing in place well done:) Great menu and food delicious, fab cheeseboard

We visited the restaurant at the hotel having stayed there many times before and eaten there toWe opted to eat outside as it was a lovely eveningWe ordered starters and mains the waitress (dark haired ) was excellent and nothing was to much troubleThe starters arrived and we were impressed they were lovely The steaks arrived and we said they weren’t cooked as we requested we had asked for medium however one was blue and the other rare as qualified chefs we find this unacceptable and sent the meals back when they came back they gave us each other’s steaks as I had cut mine I went into the bar and said I would pay for these and asked for the bill Another employee (blonde hair) came out with an attitude and said did we want our drinks in takeaway glasses we refused We have been there during our stay this week for drinks and have never been asked for contact details - they don’t seem like o have a track and trace in place

Stopped for a bite to eat on a sunny Sunday & felt the need to say how nice it was. The service was impeccable, with clear instruction on the covid changes. The blonde waitress was friendly, chatty & helpful. It was clean & the food & drink was lovely! Would definitely come back

We ate in the restaurant on our first night stay and again for breakfast the food was locally sourced and really tasty The dining room is very welcoming and The staff where really helpful and very attentive keep up the good work

We chose this restaurant for Sunday lunch for our parents’ 60th wedding anniversary and were not disappointed! There were 15 of us and we had the large room at the back of the restaurant. We wanted to decorate the room with a large banner and balloons etc and the staff were so helpful. They also provided us with a cake table and stand for the cake we’d brought with us. We had pre ordered our menu choices in advance for ease. The food was beautifully presented and very tasty. Not all of us had starters but we did ask if we could have some bread after the starters came and this was brought to us promptly and was served warm, which was really nice. It was lovely that our meals came out at the same time. So often in restaurants if there is a large party, there is a delay with some of the meals. Not at the Camelia! We all had the Sunday roasts and there was plenty of meat, vegetables and gravy! With extra cauliflower/broccoli cheese coming out too! The Yorkshire puddings are almost a meal in themselves!! A must to a roast dinner! The vegetarians in our party were catered for well, with separate vegetarian gravy. The desserts were beautifully presented and extremely tasty. A 3 course Sunday lunch was £19.95 and such great value as the quality of the food was outstanding. Everyone in our party had nothing but compliments about the food and the friendliness of the staff. Nothing was too much trouble. Thank you so much, you made the celebration of our parents’ diamond wedding anniversary a very special occasion. We will definitely be back and will recommend this restaurant to family and friends.

I treated my Nan to afternoon tea at the Camelia after hearing good things and it didn’t not disappoint. Good selection of Sandwiches and great variety of cakes! I would like to thank our waitress Leanne who was very attentive and patient, absolutely great customer service!(thanks for putting up with my Nan too)

We haven't eaten here for while so felt it time to remake our acquaintance for a Sunday lunch catching up with friends. Overall it was a very good meal, good quality food at a reasonable price and some excellent wine.Service has always been great here but whilst it started off faultless we felt it fell away a bit toward the end of the meal and after dessert we felt a bit ignored, a bit to their detriment as we may have ordered another round of coffees or drinks had we been asked and its never good to have to go looking for someone to do you the bill.The trainees could really do with some sharpening up and it would be nice if one of them didn't look so stern and miserable as we felt asking for anything from her was a major inconvenience.Maybe a rare off day for service but as the food was so good we will give it another go.

Eight of us visited The Camelia Restaurant for Sunday Dinner and throughly enjoyed it. The service was very good, the food was also very good and we were not rushed and eat at our own pace. Especially liked the ambuience of the place which is like having dinner is someone's front room, big front room. It is noisy because of the size but this should not detract from being a very good place to visit. Nice menu too.

Visited the Camelia for a friends birthday. There were 18 of us in total and we were sat on two long tables parallel to each other.There is a massive car park behind the restaurant which is free.The afternoon tea was perfect. Sandwiches and cakes were lovely and the scones with jam and clotted cream were devine! The tea was lovely and there was plenty of it. The service was very very good.The only negative I have is that the lighting is quite odd for a restaurant. It’s very bright and not inviting. This is not a major issue but a personal preference.

How on earth can a place be empty on the lead up to Christmas.You are lucky if you can get a booking never mind be the only people there. Each year neighbours join us for a Christmas lunch somewhere local-ish. This year it was the Camelia. Some one must have known something we didn't. We sat in a totally empty restaurant just the four of us, NOT wearing our "cracker hats" to feast on a very dried out Christmas lunch. Lots of Turkey on the plate in fairness, but dull pre-cooked hotted up roast potatoes, yikes it was awful. We left unfulfilled lost our merriment, sloped off home, shoulders hung low, slain by our experience and saying heck we screwed that one good and proper.......Hmm me thinks better research for next years little get together.

We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon tea in a relaxed environment, with an exemplary standard of food provided and excellent customer service; the staff were all friendly, helpful and nothing was too much trouble. Many thanks to all for giving us such a positive experience and we will be returning!

Nice broad menu and food was lovely. Staff were very pleasant too. Enjoyed a lovely glass of wine too...

A beautiful Sunday lunch with all the trimmings friendly staff, excellent décor,lovely atmosphere,would, really recommend.we will be returning thank you.

I had arranged to meet friends here for coffee and home made cake on a gloriously sunny day. We sat outside, protected from the elements by clear panelling and parasols. The staff were polite. The aspect here was ideal and even though we overlooked the main seafront road, this did not interfere with our get together. The coffee was good, but unfortunately tea cakes were not available and two of the cakes we ordered did not cut very well and they were unable to serve them to us. So my anticipated coffee with cake experience, did not come to fruition, which was disappointing. I will try and return another time.

Walked in with my partner and a baby. Ordered 2 chicken burger wich was dry and deep fried, absolutely tasteless,the salad on the burger was unwashed.. When my partner mention that to the waitress ,the respond was i will make aware the chef..

Made a last minute booking and were suitably impressed by both the service and food.

Staff were friendly and helpful.

We have been suitably impressed by this restaurant in the past but on a recent lunch visit with friends we found their standards had significantly dropped. The menu was very sparse - only four main courses to choose from. Same with starters which included WINTER SOUP! The only fish dish was bland and uninteresting, and the meat dish came with kale and mash potato. The kale was tough and inedible. Word seems to have got around as there were only four other diners in the restaurant and they were having afternoon tea at 1.30! Now definitely off our list.

We went here for Sunday lunch and was the best roast dinner I’ve had in a long time loads to eat we only had the one course and that was huge

my husband said he was taking me out for lunch so we Popped in for lunch today at the lovely Camelia , sat outside in the beautiful weather , service was excellent by both ladies and so helpful food was fantastic I had tomato mozzarella pesto ciabatta tasty and very delicious my husband had chicken burger with chilli Jam again very good he loved it we both left full and happy we will be back again

Food cold and second time no better , waitress very good shame as she gets the front of it all, my partner ate on her own won’t go back again

First visit to the Camelia Hotel for Sunday Lunch. We had the set Sunday Lunch Menu which offered loads of choice and options depending on whether you wanted one, two or three courses. We both had Prawn Cocktail to start followed by Roast Lamb and Roast Beef then a berry Eton Mess (one to share - as the main course was so huge) to follow. The food was fantastic. The staff were super friendly and efficient. FABULOUS! Would highly recommend.

On a recent visit to Southend we used the Camelia cafe/restaurant for mid morning coffee/cakes. Nice "seafront" location, with a sheltered outside area, and a nicely decorated restaurant/bar. Excellent home made cakes. Friendly/helpful staff. Looking forward to our next visit for a "proper" meal.

I fancied afternoon tea, at no notice we arrived at the Camelia to be greeted by a very personal young lady, Laura. Hands full and busy she gave us a cheerful welcome, we hadn't booked is it possible to get afternoon tea, let me ask the chef she said and before we knew were we were a white table cloth appeared and twenty minutes later appeared a lovely fresh selection of finger sandwiches, freshly cooked scones and fancies. Laura is an asset to to the Camelia, she couldn't do enough for us even though we had given zero notice when in fact you have to book ahead so they can prepare freshly baked scones . Perfect, thank you. We'll be back.

The great Tripadvisor reviews drew us to The Camelia Restaurant after visiting Southend to watch Southend v Shrewsbury Town football match. The football did not disappoint and neither did the restaurant on so many counts. From the time we walked into the restaurant to the time we left the staff were so attentive, friendly and really could not do enough to please. The food was really delicious, well cooked & beautifully presented and the bottled of Shiraz (Chalk Hill) we shared was the one of the best I have ever drank. Our evening at The Camelia will be fondly remembered & we really hope to visit again soon, perhaps next season if both teams can escape relegation!!

Took my mum for an early mother's day treat. Good coffee and a pot of peppermint tea. Delicious fresh sandwiches. Hot scones straight out of the oven and an amazing array of sweet treats including brownies, eclairs, white chocolate dipped strawberry, fruit tart and the best meringue I have ever had. Fabulous service, cosy environment and reasonable prices. I'll definitely be back

Visited her with the Mother in law and her sister as it was her birthday!. The service was excellent and the food fantastic. Because we booked early we had the table in the window overlooking the estuary.

We booked this hotel for a friend celebrating her baby shower and indulged in a delicious cream tea.

Me and two friends went for afternoon tea on a Saturday and had the place practically to ourselves.

We visited the Camelia to enquire about the rates for there rooms. We decided to stay for a drink in the bar, we sat at a table with a beautiful sea view in the bar. In such lovely surroundings we felt compelled to stay for the dinner. The staff at the reception and bar were extremely polite helpful and friendly. The menu was very reasonable with a good choice of either a set meal, Al Carte, or daily specials. While chatting with the waitress for a recommendation of what we should choose to eat,we mentioned we were vegetarian, she said that the she would go ask the chef what vegetarian specials were on. We were offered 2 lovely veggie options, we decided on the tagliatelle with roasted vegetables and Mozzarella. Wow what a great choice one of the best meals I have ever tasted, absolutely delicious, as was the starter and Bailey's cheesecake for dessert. Would just like to thank the chef for taking the time to cook us up a lovely 3 course meal. This is definitely a great choice for a tasty meal, in beautiful surroundings, we will definitely be back.

My son booked afternoon tea for us here as a surprise Christmas treat for me.

Have visited many times for a meal, as live locally, always friendly and helpful sometimes no need to book depending on time of year. My brother often stays there when he visits us too and is always happy with the accommodation. The last time we had a meal there was for my son's birthday.

very friendly helpfull staff, very good quality food served here. with a warm welcome. real coffee, staff do the toast. so no messing putting bread through a toaster.

Came to Southend for one nights stay, arrived around 20:30hrs and needed some dinner. Popped along the road to find the Camelia Hotel and dropped in to see if we could get a late meal. Wow.!

Just returned from a birthday treat of afternoon tea at the Camelia. A warm welcome in a lovely setting with views towards the seafront & the convenience of free parking directly behind the hotel. We were offered a wide selection of teas, coffees & other drinks to start. The sandwiches & wraps were incredibly fresh & tasty followed by a warm scones & a delicious choice of cakes & sweet treats. Our waitress was so friendly & checked on us often to ensure we had everything we needed. A wonderful relaxed afternoon without any pressure to leave. Once again the afternoon tea beat us so we were able to bring the leftover cakes home. Would thoroughly recommend.

We came here for our wedding anniversary, lovely room with Seaview. Spotlessly clean, staff were very friendly and our evening meal and breakfast was faultless. Can’t wait to return.

Went there with a large group and starter for a vegan toast with tomatoes on! Main was not good pasta with tomato sauce again my throat was on fire!

We came here for an afternoon tea - lovely welcoming staff and fabulous food. Very tasty sandwiches but the cakes were fantastic, especially liked the freshly baked fruit scones!

The hubby and i had a lovely Afternoon tea at the Camelia. We enjoyed lovely views with tasty coffee, cake and sandwiches. The waitresses were friendly and polite, we had a nice relaxed lunch.

Along with a couple of friends I lunched at the Camelia Hotel today. It was boiling outside but lovely and cool in the restaurant and we had a nice table overlooking the beach. We were welcomed by our waitress Lucy who was lovely, very helpful and efficient. We all ordered the oriental chicken salad as it sounded so delicious, and it certainly exceeded expectations. With generous amounts of tasty chicken, and a delightful salad including orange, coriander, and cashew nuts it was presented beautifully and tasted great. No room for dessert so coffee to finish. Other tables were enjoying a very tasty looking afternoon tea. A really nice lunch and we enjoyed it so much we booked for our Christmas night out!

We have been for afternoon tea here on many occasions as part of a large group, a couple and a family with a young baby. Each and every time the food and service has been excellent. They have always been very accommodating to us when we have had our baby with us which is greatly appreciated.

See hotel review for detailed comments, I would come again. Staff and food met our expectations. Friendly, courteous waitresses and good food

We've recently moved back to Southend-on-Sea and the last time I ate at the Camelia was probably around 1982 (17 then, 53 now!)...so, not long ago! We picked a very hot Sunday and at the time England were decimating Panama in the World cup. In fact we'd chosen to try it out, as I wanted to take my Mum somewhere different for her upcoming birthday.

I have been meaning to write this review for a while, we first went here for a quick drink while out for a walk, they couldn’t have been more welcoming. Jamie , who was behind the bar that night was a gin expert and suggested some amazing gin and tonic combinations with botanicals. We have since been back for dinner a couple of times and been served great food and really good prices, with absolutely outstanding service. Cannot recommend this place enough.

Now a regular haunt for us when walking along the seafront. They do THE best hot chocolates in the world. We haven't eaten inside the restaurant but have sampled lots of the wraps and sandwiches and have loved every one of them. They will often get a doggy bowl and biscuits out for us. Lovely friendly service