The Cork Dork in Southend-on-Sea

Party of 12 mature friends visited here on Saturday afternoon/evening. Were having a lovely time, great atmosphere, waitresses brilliant, spent a small fortune as this place isn't cheap. Then we had to deal with the owner's aggressive, rude behaviour, who decided it was time for us to leave as we weren't ordering drinks quickly enough. He has since had the audacity to accuse us of drug taking due to receiving a poor review. Benidict you should be ashamed of this accusation and should take a long look at you customer relations. We won't be coming back.

I visited The Cork Dork, and it was an experience I’ll never forget—though not for any of the right reasons. The place itself has potential: dimly lit, cozy vibe, and a decent wine offering. But everything fell apart the moment we interacted with the owner - Benedict The level of hostility and disdain for customers is beyond unprofessional. Apparently we were not spending enough money so asked to leave. Despite spending hundreds before he arrived. I have never been made to feel so unwelcome any where. The waiting staff were gems but the atmosphere changed when he arrived. I was told he hated people like me when I quietly suggested he made us feel unwelcome. Quote “you have been drinking the same drink for 10 minutes” “can you leave your table as you are not buying drinks” and “clearly you don’t know the hospitality business”. The lack of ventilation, condensation pouring down the windows, single bathroom cubicle for the entire bar and rat traps on view amongst the patrons aside. If you're looking for a place where you're treated with respect, save your time and money. There are plenty of bars in Leigh that know how to run a business without making you feel like you're a nuisance for just being there Shame on you Benedict for being so rude and arrogant. Perhaps you’d had a bad day but that’s no excuse.

Great venue and service. Will be back there soon.

Hands down the best bar in Leigh. Good value food and drinks and the friendliest staff you are ever likely to meet. A must for any occasion or just because you want some homely intimate vibes and somewhere to relax and people watch. The deck is great for a sundowner and some cute nooks indoors to tuck yourself away in. Did I mention the staff he he.

We had a lovely time here with excellent service and nice wines. The Charcuterie I especially recommend from the food menu, fabulous creation. Staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable, atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed. I'm definitely coming back. Gets busy around 6pm ish, so get there in good time. Outside seating is also available.

Great spot with great atmosphere! The staff was great , especially Lauren. She greeted me with a huge smile as soon as I walked in and you could tell she truly is a kind person with a silly sense of humour. From personality to professionalism she has it all!! The Cork dork is really lucky to have her. Will definitely be back. 10/10

Totally agree with all the 5 Star reviews. Great place day or night. Am a bit of a regular so am slightly biased but my faves the cheese board for sure. My go to every time with a glass or 2 of wine down there. Chilled atmos, fab staff and deffo plenty of bang for your buck. Can't stop going. Thanks for being in Leigh.

Hands down the best bar in Leigh. Good value food and drinks and the friendliest staff you are ever likely to meet. A must for any occasion or just because you want some homely intimate vibes and somewhere to relax and people watch. The deck is great for a sundowner and some cute nooks indoors to tuck yourself away in. Did I mention the staff he he. 6 Stars if I could.

Good food, better service, great wine. The atmosphere there is incredible

Had a lovely evening - lovely wine and lovely charcuterie. Richard and Lauren have been outstanding every time we have been. Very welcoming, friendly and personal just how it should be :)

Expensive..£26 for a bottle of house wine!! You aren't in London..

Popped in last night for a quick visit enroute too dinner ......welcomed and delt with very well...give it a go if you love ya vino...i dont ...but they found one i do now......

Just wanted to say thank you for an incredible day yesterday and the double birthday extras. My brother and I loved every single minute of your bottomless cheese, wine and desserts. The service was incredible and the food just delicious. Music was wonderful and the whole ambience surpassed expectations. You are a real hidden gem that we will be spreading the word about. From a family that know a lot about hospitality and lovers of cheese and wines we were wowed. Thank you so much.

Lovely place and really friendly staff, huge wine selection, they do a few bits of food too, £10 for a large glass of house red, £10-25 for large cheese or sharing board, really nice place

Great service and welcome. Large selection of wines. A few more beer choices would make it perfect for me!

We had a gorgeous girls night out at Cork Dork. Between 5 of us we had 2 boards (mixed cheese and meats) which was delicious, and plenty for us all. Staff are friendly, professional and super helpful. Happy to help with wine recommendations to suit us all. Would highly recommend and we will be back.

Great cheese board and wine, lovely evening out

First visit here, and wont be our last! Caught the end of the Sunday singer Nicola’s act, which was very good. Great choice of wine and the cheese board is amazing. What a lovely find.

Great place to spend an afternoon drinking Wine and eating Cheese

Lovely afternoon, amazing place, thank you

Warm welcome, excellent service, with passion for the delicious thoughtful selection they offer. Really looking forward to returning!

Such a nice wine bar! Recommend trying the boards. Lovely staff and dog friendly!

Perfect place to drink wine, in a friendly atmosphere. Primordial soup house white is easy drinking without looking through the extensive list. Great vibe. Friendly staff.

Great little wine bar / shop. Friendly service and a cracking cheeseboard.

Super cute and cosy spot. Thank you for separating the cheese from the meat on the charcuterie board for me - the cheese hater!

Fantastic staff, could not fault them and apologetic as a party had over run causing delays. Wine was wonderful and the Charcuterie was really nice. Definitely recommend. 😃

Just spent a lovely evening doing a bangle making workshop here, the workshop itself was brilliant with Black and Sigi, the girls were so helpful and the jewellery is beautiful. Setting was perfect, wine and cheese board always goes down well and staff all super friendly as always!

Went for the bottomlesss brunch and it was immense. If you want a wine they just leave you with the bottle and attend you as soon as you are running low. Cheese and dessert was also top drawer

Amazing place with a great atmosphere. Have been here many times and the staff are always brilliant - friendly, welcoming and helpful. The wines on offer are great and their cheese boards are amazing!

Absolutely beautiful! This place is so perfect! The wine is amazing and the food is delicious! The service was sooooo great and fast would defffo recommend!

Amazing Atmosphere with the live music on a Sunday, I’ve been on other occasions mid week and it was just as fantastic with good music and great wine and cheese! Lovely staff that makes it even better!

lovely atmosphere, especially on sunday with live music, it’s so inviting and the cheese and wine selection was amazing, staff were fabulous as well

Was a great atmosphere. Wine and cheese boards were amazing with great service aswell.Will definitely be coming again.

Wonderful little place, can't fault a thing. Great service from minute you walk in. Atmosphere is amazing, wine selection awesome, incredible live music on. Sunday evening. Cheese board was massive and very tasty. 11/10

Popped in on a Friday afternoon, lovely atmosphere with impeccable service from attentive staff.

First visit and we will go back.

Excellent service. Great Atmosphere.

I only drink wine at the Cork Dork.

Went here last night with 6 friends. We had a brilliant time. Really friendly staff, amazing food and drink. There was live entertainment and he was brilliant, really got everyone in the Christmas spirit. Would defintely recommend

Good atmosphere and food, definitely a must visit however, communication is very disappointing as I'm still awaiting a response to an enquiry via their message page on the Cork Dork website a couple of weeks ago...

Love that you can get all the wines by the glass, love the cheese platters, friendly service & great atmosphere

This has to be the best wine bar in town. The most wonderful atmosphere, the BEST cheese and charcuterie boards EVER, and the wine is sublime. Whenever I've been here, the staff have been amazing, the live music always brilliant, and the whole experience just exceptional. If you've never visited, it's an absolute MUST. They hold lots of festive workshops too, so if you want to get your craft on in a great venue, with delicious wine and cheese, get your butts here. ❤️

Amazing local wine bar, and best bottomless brunch I’ve ever had!

Been trying to get here all year! Well worth the wait. Great atmosphere, was busy but great. Really enjoyed ourselves . Can’t wait to go back

A lovely wine bar, with a great selection of wine, service was excellent. A bit disappointed with charcuterie board , there was nothing wrong with it , but the cheese wasn't anything exciting it was all very nice just not great. But then I am bit of a cheese geek.

Had a great time good to meet the owner. Nice busy vibrant fab cheese board. Especially lived the figs.

Great little wine bar. Made to feel really welcome. Will be back

Great little find for me. Good selection of wines for the size and location, an eclectic atmosphere and wonderful meat and cheese board. A win win.

Just went for a drink with friends...excellent value wine with a great choice.Brilliant.

Lovely atmosphere, fab selection of wines and nibbles. Great vibe in a relaxed local wine bar.

Great selection of wines and nibbles to go with them. Dog friendly too. Will definitely be back.

We went to the Cork Fork for the first time on Sunday and it was great! The food and wine is very good and at very reasonable prices. Luke the singer was also great which made for a great atmosphere. I would have given this place a 5 if it wasn’t for the service. It’s not bad they just need more staff, especially on a busy Sunday when they have live music. We were there for 3 hours and had to grab the attention of a member of staff every time we wanted a drink, they weren’t actively coming to us. It’s absolutely wouldn’t stop us going back

Great little place, with friendly knowledgeable staff and of course great wines

Popped in here after work last night with my partner. Such a nice environment! Wine is very reasonably priced. The staff were absolutely fantastic. Really welcoming and fun. Will be back soon.

This is a lovely little wine bar, nice choice of wine, and ideally located near chalkwell station so that you can enjoy a bottle or 2! They also serve lovely cheese boards which we enjoyed on our visit. I particularly enjoyed the truffle cheese! This venue has the added bonus of being dog friendly, although I didn’t have my dog with me on this occasion. I hope it is here to stay!

A really cosy wine bar ! Lovely ambience by the sea and very warm and friendly service .Highly recommend. 🥰

Excellent wine bar in the heart of Chalkwell, a short walk from Leigh Broadway. Cosy atmosphere, relaxed vibes, awesome music, a great place for casual drinks, or a celebration day and night!

Excellent wine, nice atmosphere and great staff. Nice to finally have a decent bar in chalkwell.

Me and my wife (and our dog) had a great evening here - the staff were friendly, and the wine good & well-priced. Highly reccomended.

Just been there for an xmas drink to start the weekend off lovely atmosphere and staff lovely will definitely be going again on a regular basis happy xmas to all the staff from chris

Superb place, with lovely vibe. Just perfect for a quiet drink and great array of wines available. Long awaited bar with some style in Leigh.

Nice wine bar with a good selection of wines, good cheese platter, friendly staff

Just gorgeous. Gorgeous wine, gorgeous cheese and gorgeous atmosphere! Perfect place to go after a long day at work, settle down relax and indulge your worries away! Highly recommend the Chilean Merlot. Thank you to the lovely Ruthie for her charming and attentive service. Loving the new business! Can’t wait to come back and visit again!

We loved our experience here a few weeks ago. The house wines at £20 each are great value and there were 6 of each type (red/white/rose) to choose from. The charcuterie cheeseboard was the best I’ve ever had at any restaurant, amazing value for money with so much cheese, meats, crackers, grapes, nuts, chutney etc. the service was excellent, the staff were really friendly and attentive and knew about their wines too which adds to the experience. The atmosphere and decor was perfect, nice music playing and candles lit. We are very pleased to have this at the end of our road and will be back for certain.

Friendly reception. Warm ambience. Excellent wine choices with expert advice. Mega Cheese board!!

Ruthie and Ewan were amazing, the most attentive staff. The charcuterie board was beautiful and very high quality. Vibes were much better than anywhere else in Leigh (in my humble opinion!) The owner was present, friendly and personable. A must visit for anyone in the area.

Wow. What a find…a new local treasure. Wine selection to live for, cheese board to die for. Wholeheartedly, recommend… Al

Lovely people, lovely wine. It seems to be very popular. Welcome addition to Chalkwell

Increasingly raucous 40th birthday in here last night. Friendly, happy staff, decent wine list and a great atmosphere. Had a great few bottles of vino verde and an ice cold bottle of picpoul and shared meat and cheese platter with the usual suspects of cheeses, nothing remarkable but all very nice. It was incredibly hot and I had to keep going and standing outside (might just be me..) but otherwise, lovely and I'd definitely go again. Thanks for having us!

Simple things work. Nice atmosphere, good wine, decent selection available, good service, friendly staff. Well worth a visit and a quaff of wine. Will be back.

Had a lovely relaxing evening here the other night with a friend and we had a lovely glass of the South African red wine and olives. Then later we had the very tasty cheese board. Great atmosphere and very friendly, helpful staff members.

Had a great time on Saturday evening. The place is really cool with candle lit light and old tables and chairs. Wine was great and the best cheese board I've ever had with a selection of 5 cheeses, loads of biscuits, nuts and fruit. Highly recommend

Shared a bottle of wine and cheese platter with my daughter. Both were excellent, will visit again.