The Grove in Southend-on-Sea

Keen to visit The Grove after the new refurb but won’t be bothering again. What a shame they’ve gone to all this effort only to have awful customer service. They spent most of the time we were there restocking the fridges with glass bottles which made a right racket. Staff did the bare minimum taking our order (no interaction or smile) and slammed our food on the table when it arrived. We eat out a lot in Leigh and all the other restaurants do the customer service bit so well. The Grove might need to go and see how other restaurants are doing it and retrain their staff.

We had a fab time last night at the Grove! Food was lovely, service was great - big shout out to Noah!! Will definitely go back 😊

The new decor looks nice. The outside deck looks lovely for when the weather is good. The food was tasty enough. The staff pleasant enough, but it was getting very tiresome after asking the third person for the bill before they brought it. The staff did look a bit scruffy. Some had a T shirt with the Grove logo on it, which was fine, but where some of the girls were cold they were wearing their own cardigan or sweat top over the Tshirt, which did not look good. Need to get uniform sweat tops too. The staff did seem a bit tired and worn out and one was eating out of a tupperware container in the restaurant. Maybe they needed a meal break?

Awful experience, we were looking forward to visiting the grove since it had been refurbished but it was a really disappointing experience. From start to finish it was a complete disaster, took about 15/20 mins for someone to ask us for drinks, not the end of the world, after we ordered we had 3 different people then ask if we’d ordered drinks, we finally got them and then ordered food, again 3 more people asked if we’d ordered food, they seemed to lack any form of system when ordering food or drinks. We waited over an hour for the food, in the meantime we ordered more drinks, a latte and peppermint tea, a green tea arrived which they changed and a cold latte, which I just drunk as I was losing the will to live. We noticed there was only 2/3 people in the kitchen and the restaurant was only a quarter full so figured things were just running a bit slow. We finally asked about the food, a young girl, whom was very polite and apologetic about it said the order had been lost and the kitchen didn’t have the order, I’m not really sure how this happens but we didn’t really fancy waiting another half an hour to an hour so we just left, she said we didn’t need to pay for the drinks which was appreciated but we left hungry and disappointed and we won’t be back which is shame as we used to love coming here.

Fantastic food last night at The Grove. Great way to spend a first date, service was warm and friendly even if they mixed our drinks up 🤣

Had a well presented Sunday breakfast in this newly reopened diner. Eager staff dealing well with the bustle.

We went to check out the newly refurbished Grove and we weren't disappointed! The decor was great and the atmosphere was warm and inviting, the staff were brilliant and welcoming and the food was absolutely excellent. Seriously couldn’t fault the food. Some stand out dishes I’d recommend were the Salmon poke bowl, the prawns, the scotch egg and the Jerk chicken! The wine menu is great, which is quite hard to find and the cocktails we had were lovely too. Can’t wait to go back here - especially when it gets warmer so we can enjoy that gorgeous terrace.

We had lunch here today to see what was new since the Grove's refurbishment and my friend and I were not disappointed. The menu has a great selection of new dishes as well as old favourites like the chop salad. There was a lovely atmosphere and the new decor is gorgeous. Will definitely be returning with haste! Would highly recommend.

Really lovely place. The food was excellent and the waitress was charming and friendly. Big fan of this business.

Had a wonderful meal here and will definitely return. Friendly service with really high quality, delicious food. A standout in Leigh for me.

Excellent service- pleasant staff. We had a takeaway roast dinner well worth the money.

Lovely vibe, was sat outside on a sunny day. Loved the music and the food was great. Lovely service too 😊

Only went in for coffee but very welcoming , will go back.

Can’t praise this enough. Food was delicious with huge portions. Only the Christmas menu was available, which has limited choices, but we were all happy with the selection, and the price was very good (£25 for two courses or £30 for three). Will definitely return in the New Year.

Lovely food and view, we had a nice time

Our experience was very poor - a catalogue of errors and bad customer service - the kitchen closes in between breakfast and lunch service - which is fine if they told you when booking. Every drinks order had an error and we had to ask every time for drinks and extras. The lady manager had a very unfortunate communication style which obviously then feeds down to her staff (most were miserable and this came across). The food was mediocre, especially for the price. The decking on a sunny day is fabulous spot and this place could be so much better - come on owner, please look at the experience you are giving from a customer perspective as the little things make a big difference ❤️

This restaurant is very fantastic!! I ate a fish of the day, seabass, very fresh and very good.

Popped in for an early dinner. Place was empty bar 2 other customers. The meal I ordered was not available. Which begs the question, why let me order it? There was nothing else I fancied, so had a drink. Left and went to Old Leigh instead. Disappointing.

Best breakfast I've had in years, thank you! Views beautiful, in a proper sun trap. Staff were lovely 😊

Went for a lunchtime treat and it was lovely. Staff pleasant, friendly and helpful if a little uninformed. Food was very good and gluten free options were lovely. Well priced. Overall very lovely lunch

came in with my sister and nephew for lunch and the food was lovely and there was an amazing view. all the staff were nice and we were seen to quickly.

Lovely venue, great food. Gluten free options were good and tasty. Overall lovely lunch. Parking was easy. Beautiful decking for Al fresco dining. Next time we come will try evening

Wow this place has gone done hill. Used to be an old favourite but the food wasn’t great and lunch for me and two kids cost £95. Won’t be going back

Fantastic food and super friendly service

View from the terrace is the only reason to come here. Shocking prices for small plates/starters and it wasn't quality food. Something easily knocked up with left over. Cod tacos for example just a tortilla smeared with guacamole standard cod bites. Tiny squid and so so disappointing. Paid £33 for 2 starters and sparking water. Awful.

Went a while ago had a good time worth a go.

Very good quality food. Lovely atmosphere. Reasonably priced. Great view over the estuary.

Had a gorgeous breakfast of pancakes and berries it was scrumptious and lovely weather to be outside in the sun, highly recommend.

We decided to go to the Grove again as it is under new management. Sadly it was not a good experience. Clearly the location is great but the food lets it down. The service was slow and we were asked if we wanted our starter with our main meal!!! The Scotch Egg was unavailable thus settled for a prawn cocktail that was just about OK. However the' Seafood Salad Special' was tasteless as no dressing on the salad, the avocado was raw and small portion of seafood appeared to be recently defrosted. A nearby table were complaining that they had waited two hours for their meal. We didn't bother with dessert and left via the main entrance that goes past the kitchen area. Quite shocked at how messy and chaotic the kitchen was with piles of dirty plates and dirty pots and pans everywhere.

Wasn’t previously a fan of this place but heard it was under new management so met a colleague here for business breakfast. Beautiful deck, fast, friendly service and the food was superb. Reasonable price for the quality and service.

Brilliant terrace for dinner or drinks. Cannot wait to try the food. Very courteous staff. Proper little sun trap.

Excellent service food very nice will return

We had a lovely relaxed Sunday lunch at the grove. We booked over the phone and the young lady who took the call was super friendly and acknowledged out pre-allergy warning professionally. On arrival we sat in the covered indoor area but still with open access to the veranda. The staff were lovely and really accommodated one of our parties’ (many!) allergies. The older gentleman was a great host and we had a fantastic lunch! Set just above the busy old Leigh - this is the place to have a nice lunch with a variety of fresh dishes and a nice bar serving local Leigh on sea beers in cans. Reasonable prices, good food, lovely staff - what more could you want!

Food was delicious, service was not the best.

Lovely place shame about the kids left to run about great that kids can eat there but it's not a play zone .

Had an amazing lunch here today. Fish and chips perfectly cooked with all the sides (pickled onion and gherkin, tartare and a wedge of lemon). Friendly service, great views. Will be back!

What an absolute gem! We visited The Grove this afternoon. Had a couple of drinks and some snacks. We sat on the terrace and were pleasantly surprised by the amazing and friendly service we received. Drinks and food were just so lovely!!! We will be returning soon. Thanks for a lovely afternoon, we were well looked after by your wonderful staff xx

All the stars food was lovely great atmosphere

Great views, great service & a great experience! 😁

Popped in for a drink with our dog at lunchtime and ended up ordering lunch because we loved the choices in the menu. Sat on the deck area with beautiful views over the estuary. Background music playing, excellent friendly service, delicious meal. There was a lovely buzz and chilled atmosphere. Water bowl for our dog. We will definitely be back and have recommended to friends already

Ordered a few things, everything was delicious. Friendly staff and a very cozy vibe inside.

Friendly staff, lovely food and amazing deck, but not enough staff and so things quite slow.

Excellent restaurant, breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner

Breakfast ok not the best. Fantastic views.

Visited today with my family and had a fantastic lunch. The scotch egg was amazing and the wild mushroom dish was excellent too. From the mains, the highlights were the wild boar and fennel pappardelle and the fish and chips. Lovely service and looking forward to having a meal out on the terrace in the summer.

Very nice food Quite expensive. More Café than dining room.

Popped in for breakfast on way to London. Presentation was good as was the food. Coffee high quality…… building has been there a while and is looking a bit tired in places. When the prices are high you expect the surroundings to be a little better. Service was also ok but we were the only people there😀

Amazing food and staff fully recommend

Great atmosphere, lovely food,staff friendly and helpful Food plentiful I would say the bread basket is too big,lovely but way to much...you could easily feed 7 people on it Will we be back...definitely

Sometimes you want a simple lunch to bide the time. Yet we stumbled across a little gem with the Grove. Whilst the menu was simple, we was able to devour some homemade dips and a delightful crab chowder which was Boston-esq. However the venison scotch egg was noticeably pungently gamey and the fig with goats cheese salad was both sweet and sour in a good way. Washed down with a selection of awesome wines, and a view over the estuary, it was very easy to relax with some tasty food and relaxed service and dining experience. They even looked after our two young daughters perfectly.

This is lovely to sit outside in summer with sea views. Also nice to sit inside. Food is lovely I really love their salads and visit regularly. I’ve not been disappointed yet . I would recommend this restaurant

Fantastic place for food and drink

Came here Saturday for lunch with two friends. The venue is so nice on a warm sunny day. They seem to have changed the decking area as in done it up nicer out the back with glass on the side so even more nice views. I had the buttermilk chicken burger which was delicious as were the chips. Only negative would be the amount of times the waitress came over to take first our drinks orders and then food and then when we wanted to pay nobody around to ask apart from a young boy who said "okay in a minute" and then still didnt bring the bill.

The staff were very nice and polite and helpful. The food was very well presented and of good quality.

We decided to give this restaurant a go knowing it had changed hands from original owners. We were seated in an almost empty restaurant. Very pushy waitress who didn’t give us time to look at the menu. Came back a second time when our third person arrived. Still asked for more time. Ordered our drinks. Ordered our food. Vegetarian burgers arrived with no avocado as stated on menu or aioli accompanying either of the burgers. Requested, and only one aioli arrived despite two burgers ordered. Avocado then arrived as per menu. As a secret shopper, I noticed several things. Hair was touched by waitress many times as was a hand wipe across and under her nose whilst at the till. Lime was picked up by fingers and placed in glass. Then served. Same waitress greeted and petted a dog at the door and one assumes her friend. No attempt to wash hands. Chips were being dipped and eaten at the servery by waiting staff !!! Whilst two of our meals were delicious, there was no attention to service at our table. No offer of dessert despite us sitting there for 30 minutes. No offer of tea or coffee ! We requested our bill. Paid and left . On checking our bill we had been charged for the Aioli. Without a doubt this restaurant has dropped to a 1 star rating. It’s staff would benefit from a reminder of hygiene and customer service. We will not be returning.

Just called in for a drink after our walk. Sat on the terrace beautiful views, friendly staff. Will book for lunch in a couple of weeks.

Popped there yesterday about midday..we had our dog and garden looked fabulous with lovely views...there is a sign thats says wait here to be seated..unfortunately the waitress told us you have to book so we couldn't have a table even though half full.

Had a great evening, food was good. Waiter was comical and attentive. The view was delightful.

Our second visit to The Grove. Our meals were excellent and cooked perfectly. All the staff were super helpful and friendly, a nice atmosphere and great view. Looking forward to our next visit. J & P

Nice views from the back of restaurant:-sea etc…has a cliff/front of a ship feel about it, sit and enjoy a nice glass or bottle of wine, food good, general menu something for all,

Great setting but food average and service appalling. Veggie burger was not as shown on menu - suspect it came out of the freezer and certainly was not home made. Waited 25 minutes for desert menu/drinks to be refreshed. Gave up and had to go in search of waitress to get the bill. The restaurant wasn’t busy - not even half full. Avoid.

Very rude and disrespectful staff. The service is very poor as well!!!

Beautiful setting for outside dining. Service was lovely but a couple of simple requests were not met. (No beetroot and avocado was missing) Not the end of the world and I’m sure they would have rectified it had we asked. The new ownership seems more relaxed (in a good way).

Arrived after the main lunch period, maybe didn't help? £12 for the most tasteless, uninspiring sharing dips... hummous (actually beetroot hummous although didn't say so on menu) was inedible. Cheese with sweet chilli dip fine. Bread, dry and horrible. Service was mixed, one lovely friendly lady, one much less so. Were intending to eat meal here, forewarned, we moved on elsewhere.

The food is very nice but I have to mark down because of the service. The waitresses seemed stressed even though there were only a few guests. The service was just very sloppy…plates slammed down, glasses dropped, everything so rushed. One waitress was checking her phone all the time and another waitress was eating whilst working. We didn’t order dessert because we felt like an inconvenience and just wanted to go (we have tried this restaurant twice now and same each time, so I have only given this review after second visit). Also extremely slow! We waited forever for our food and it was almost empty.

Nice location and nice service. The staff were very pleasant, polite and efficient. Foodwise was mixed. My chicken burger and skinny fries was lovely. My wife’s salmon salad was less impressive. The dressing described on the menu was Orange Maple. What arrived was balsamic. The salad was almost all lettuce; one small tomato, one small piece of cucumber and 2 small pieces of beetroot. When charging £15 for a salad, having 99% of the bowl as lettuce, with bottled balsamic dressing vs the menu description, is not really acceptable. We won’t be back sadly.

Lovely food excellent service all round great place lovely weather.

Fantastic staff especially Sam!! Food was amazing!! Best view in Leigh - fab atmosphere and more good things to come - I had the Malaysian Curry and it was superb!! You must come!!

Really disappointed food was not great and they couldn’t wait to kick us out at 10pm!

Had the most delicious fish and chip takeaway last evening. I was welcomed by friendly staff and the food was freshly cooked. Homemade tartar sauce along with possibly the tastiest fish ever! Try it out for yourself you won’t be disappointed…

Had these delicious fish and chips last evening from The Grove… Tasted so good and freshly cooked in front of me… Possibly the best take away fish and chips ever!

Don't deserve any stars because we booked a table for 6/ maybe 10 I suffer with a severe lung condition and before I even sat down I was told I had 5 minutes to order food as the kitchen was closing at 4 when I told the waitress we was waiting for others coming from London she completely ignored me and told me they had no chef's, they had my number so why didnt they call to cancel??? Then when the drinks arrived the waitress dropped a bottle of beer over my brother inlaw's head that soaked his jumper and trousers at no point did she apologise she just plonked the drinks on the table, when the food arrived it was utterly disappointing full of grease, not to mention I had my year old granddaughter and was placed directly in the sun, when I asked for some shade I was told to WAIT, my son moved our tables so we could have at least a little bit of shade under the tree. All in all absolutely appalling service terrible food and very very limited menu, they didnt even have sandwiches or cheese and biscuits available. By the way the toilets was filthy and lucky I am skinny as you could barely move. AVOID THIS PLACE IF YOU WANT GOOD FOOD AND SERVICE.

Sadly not the service that we expect of The Grove. It took over 45 + minutes from the time of order to serve our food ( 4 people in our group) It wasn't as if they were very busy either, but they seemed more concerned with the people in the garden area than those in the actual restaurant 2 other parties in the covered area had the same problem Seems we were completely forgotten about despite being right in the middle of the restaurant and having the staff constantly walking past us. And then when they did remember us there was no hint of a apology in any shape or form just "your food is being plated now" Doubtful we will be going again.

I used to be a regular at The Grove for breakfast. It deteriorated when the new owners took over so I had a break, decided to try again yesterday to see if it has settled down. The answer is No & I won't be visiting...

Used to be a real gem, unfortunately last visit was a shambles. Waited ages for food, was offered an order that wasn’t ours. And then when outs did turn up the fish and chips was mediocre with a poor version of a salad on the...

The website says open until 10:30 as well as still advertising Xmas 2021 ( should have been a clue). Turned up and saw the OPEN sign on the door, walked in to be greeted by my favourite line “alright ?”. Told that stopped cooking food...

The food tasted incredible and well presented. I would highly recommend trying the chicken burger. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating with beautiful views across the Thames estuary from the rear terrace. The chilled music adds a nice touch to the ambiance. The service was sadly a little slow on our first visit, but the restaurant was extremely busy and perhaps understaffed, but this restaurant deserves a 5 star rating for its great atmosphere, excellent food, and friendly staff. We will certainly be back again to try the new menu!

It sunny. You are busy (everyone booked as we were told). It’s bank holiday. You then fail by not putting on staff that know how to take orders or communicate clearly, and then fail to have food that is available. Poorly planned and didn’t manage the expected crowds. Really poor show and unfortunately, I’m not the only one to complain today, multiple walk outs and complaints. Staff were simply not good enough - polite, but really slow service. Left waiting on arrival. Left waiting for menus. Left waiting for drinks, table Clearing, repeat orders, water…. Terrible in every single way. Missed orders. Incorrect orders. No idea on menu availability- we were first there! All the staff were really really bad. No idea on how to communicate. If you don’t have it - say so. If you don’t know - find out. If we can’t pay by card outside - tell us! A really bad visit, that put us off from returning. Food was just ok.

Great location and food however very slow service. Over 1 1/2 hrs to get our meals and then over.charged on the bill !!

Dreadful service. Had to wait over 30 minutes for someone to come over . After placing order and waiting for over one hour only to be told that they had run out. When the coffee ce it was like warm. What a waste of beautiful Saturday I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

I ate at the Grove this weekend and it was truly awful.1 hour and 35 minute wait for 2 salads that were mediocre at best when they arrived.No apologies for delay.4 or 5 staff some lounging against the counter part of the time drinking and...

Booked a table for 2 on a Saturday night. Had a late booking and we were the only customers but this did not affect a warm welcome, delicious food and huge portions! We were not made to feel rushed at all. Would recommend

Had Sunday lunch here and sat inside. Got irritated quite quickly with the door to the patio being frequently opened by the waiting staff who had to serve diners outside on the veranda. This made the inside eating area cold so I kept my coat...

I don't usually bother with special Valentine's Menus as they're usually overpriced for what they are, but The Grove's fixed menu for 2 looked good value on paper so we decided to give it a try. We're glad that we did! Not only was it good value, the good was also really good, tasty & decent portions too - so much so that we didn't manage to make it to dessert (which undoubtedly is our loss) Staff were friendly & just the right level of attentiveness. Thoroughly recommended & we will be returning soon!

Rather reduced menu. Beer good though.

Waited ages for a menu that didn't come. Tables seated after us received theirs first. Walked out in the end.

Great location with super views from the patio. Friendly staff, good service. Dog friendly patio area. Definitely going back.

Really enjoyed my meal beautifully presented and really tasty had garlic bread and salmon salad Service quick and very pleasant

Short staffed due to Covid, waitress and chef short. Pancakes burnt on one side - not fluffy like they are usually. Breakfast for two people took 55 minutes. Such a shame.

Popped in for bank holiday brunch as other place we headed to was closed. What luck, best veggie breakfast I have ever had. Also service really quick and friendly. Go here!

We visited The Grove between Christmas and New Year 2021 and we were really happy we did. We had vegetarian breakfasts and our son had the banana and sultana toasted slice. Everything was delicious. The breakfast has halloumi, avocado, poached eggs (perfectly done for my partner/a bit under for me but still good), beetroot hummus, rocket, roasted tomatoes all on sourdough bread. So good and just the right amount. The extra rostis we ordered weren't necessary! Our son loved the fruit slice. We had coffee with oat milk and tea with soya milk- both were lovely. The service was really friendly and the atmosphere tranquil. A perfect antidote to the drizzly weather outside. Highly recommended.

This restaurant made us feel right at home. This was the best stuffing I’ve ever eaten in my life! (I’m pretty sure I tasted bacon in it) the turkey was juicy and delicious and the portions were huge! The appetizers and desserts were also spot...

Excellent food lovely restaurant

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast today on the heated terrace. There was a varied menu and it was difficult to choose! I had buttermilk pancakes with Greek yogurt and berry compote which was absolutely gorgeous. The full English breakfast was amazing and just the right...

Good service and food. I was shown to the road side on the eatery I believe there maybe sea views but that wasn't offered to me. Would have been five stars then. Fabric napkins always worth an extra star. Will visit again and hopefully get the sea views.

After wanting to try The Grove for a while, we chose to visit it for breakfast. We sat on the outside terrace, however after 10 minutes we had to go into the restaurant and ask for menus. 10 minutes later a waitress took an order...

Lovely food. Gracious and friendly staff. Nice views.

Food was lovely and good sized portions, the staff were all very friendly and polite. The restaurant had a calm atmosphere and was dog friendly which is always a bonus in my opinion.

The day we went they may have been under staffed. One waitress checking messages constantly on her phone did not help. No toilet paper in any of the toilets. The food was average. The lamb burger was dry. The hamburger rolls are great though. The external deck seating has good views.

The food was over cooked. We waited 40 minutes for our meal. We saw one of the chefs putting food in his mouth then with the same hand, he put food in a container without washing his hands.