The Maldon Smokehouse in Maldon

Had a long relaxing lunch with my partner. They were super busy but the staff were so efficient. The food is high quality yet simple. Loved it.

Lovely hidden quiet spot to enjoy platters of seafood. There are lots of tables and benches inside and out. Great selection of platters and boards to choose from. It was great to enjoy a lazy, tastey afternoon, sitting by the water without feeling rushed.

Such a fun, quirky place with brilliant food.

what a perfect lunch ,the staff ,the food ,the ambiance and price well worth the trip.If only you could book (I know it makes it so exclusive) but it would take the tension out of "will we get a table or not" . The down side is they are closing on the 29th of Sep as new owners are taking over, I ask them please dont change this place or staff they are perfect . Steve Foster

Fab view and off the beaten track but expertly cooked seafood plates and platters. The scallops and prawns we had were cooked in a lovely garlic sauce which wasn't too strong as to overpower the delicate taste of the scallops. A real hidden gem!

Lovely hidden quiet spot to enjoy platters of seafood. There are lots of tables and benches inside and out. Great selection of platters and boards to choose from. Plenty of bread, poratoes, and salad. It was great to enjoy a lazy, tastey afternoon, sitting by the water without feeling rushed.

Lovely place on the river. Food excellent. Lovely friendly staff

Amazing place with fresh seafood. The service was very attentive and friendly! Highly recommend!

Excellent place to visit if you can find it.

Quality of the food was second to none. We had a platter to go, it was fantastic! We look forward to visiting again and eating by the river when it's a touch warmer!

Nice hidden away place with river views, flies were a problem as we ate outside. Wooden benches could do with a paint . My partner and I had a beer and the smoke meats and seafood platter which at £70 was way too expensive for what we got. Overall a nice place to visit but probably wouldn't go back again.

Stopped here for lunch whilst out walking our three dogs. Lovely setting by the river. The food was amazing as was the service. I had the Gambas al Pil Pil and my wife had the Scallops and Prawns. Very welcoming and dog friendly and we will definitely be going back. Highly recommended.

Celebrated an 80th birthday at the smokehouse The food was amazing, probably the nicest smoked fish, prawns and chicken I have ever tasted, the buffet style spread was beautifully presented with salads and fresh bread with nuggets and chips for the little ones We will definitely return for a meal as soon as we can

We had a lovely family meal outside. The staff were friendly, catered for children & the food was excellent too!

Very lovely staff, dog friendly and great views. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is we felt the seafood platter for 2, at £70, was overpriced.

Lovely location, great food a friendly helpful staff. Thank you

What a find! Great selection of seafood and a very tasty chateau board. Great afternoon with friends for a girls lunch. Lovely staff, wasn't rushed sat drinking for a hour after lunch. Great views, looking forward to returning in the summer.

Our 2nd visit, food was fanstaic not cheap but very good quality, fresh crab and smoked pawns, prawn and scallops, and a smoked meat / cheese platter. We was looked after by the owners very friendly and welcoming people. Quite a drive for us but would go again. Great setting on the tidel bank of the river Blackwater.

Had a fab day for my birthday. The service was 100% , we was made to feel welcome and comfortable from the start to finish 😊 Nothing was too much trouble and very friendly throughout our visit x On the downside, the menu was very limited and for those who are not great seafood lovers there wasnt any other options apart from chips, leaf salad and bread. I appreciate this is a seafood place but it would be nice to have a few things for those who are not so much keen on seafood. Fish & chips, crabcake salad or even a bangers & mash option would be perfect for those who enjoy such a lovely enjoyable place. It wont stop me coming back because I love it but I dont want to eat chips and bread everytime 🥰

Had a really great meal here. Highly recommend some smoked cheese to take home too!

We've been here several times over the last few years and every time the food has been amazing, the service friendly, and the river - muddy! The place is obviously very popular in the summer with the outdoor tables and we did wonder how warm it would be in the cabins on a cold winters day but they were well heated and we were toasty. Food was amazing as usual, we both had the burger for the first time and both agreed that it was tasty, filling, and original - neither of us have had a burger like it before. We'll be back for sure.

We have been here on several occasions for birthday celebrations as the room at the front with a view of the river is wonderful and brilliant for up to about 17 people to sit around one horseshoe table. The last occasion this month was no exception and we ordered plates of seafood and vegetarian plates for starters followed by a varietuy of dishes from the full menu - all of which were much enjoyed. Matt and Erica were brilliant both in the preparation and organisation and also in the actual waiter service. You can take your own alcohol if you wish but they do have a license and if you wish to decorate the room for an occasion as we did they are fully supportive. I have had loads of comoliments about the food and the venue and would highly recommend for similar occasions,

We thoroughly enjoyed lunch today (sasuage & mash/fish and chips) both meals were great and generous portions... but what really made our visit was the lovely waitress she was brilliant, nothing was too much trouble, she waited on our dog too bringing him different treats. Shout out to the lovely waitress!!!

A hidden gem! Fabulous tasty food with a wonderful view! We had the smoked salmon which was smoked here and was so delicious ! Well worth the little drive along a narrow road down to the estuarys edge. Can't wait to return in the summer to sit outside. You can also take your own wine to have with your meal!

This is the third time I have been here, and have enjoyed every visit. Recently under new management ( which was actually the management a few years ago) The overboard platter is huge and varied. No complaints about any food (chips are superb) They have a selection of wines and beers, but are also BYO, with no corkage fees. Main dishes are around £25, which can add up, but if you take your own wine it works out a good value for money meal. I’m and outdoor seating on the river bank.

We had a really nice meal at Maldon Smokehouse. It was our destination on the walk from Witham to Maldon and well worth the trip. Very reasonably priced, good portion sizes and really nice staff. Seared scallops and smoked prawns was the stand out - with all the butter sauce to mop up 👌

Wow! A riverside setting in the old Smokery huts of Maldon. Rustic charm and easy parking! Tucked away giving it a unique feel! Absolutely fantastic service, food and ambience. So good we’re going back for brunch today.

Small restaurant. Run buHuband and wife. Lovely food. Lovely people ❤️

Visited Saturday lunchtime with family. Had a wonderful experience, fantastic food and service. Lobster burger was amazing and the staff so friendly, accommodating and welcoming. Love this place as it is like nowhere else around and just a little quirky. Well worth a visit.

One of the best meals we had so far in Essex. All ingredients fresh and tasted amazing. So surprised about the salmon and sea bass wellington, great flavour and recommended 100%! Cozy place and very kind staff, price for quality is great and it is also pet friendly which is super! we will be back for sure

Such a good place to visit. Great food, lovely staff and great location.

Such a good place to visit. Excellent food, really lovely staff and great location. Highly recomended and just a little bit different!

Slightly delayed review - we went on Saturday 4th Excellent location. Friendly & professional staff The food was PUKA - tasty & very well presented. We have been before - so knew Ice buckets and glasses were offered for our own wine! Excellent sea food and you should try the smoked nuts! Been a few times now and whenever we take anyone, they love it Thank you Maldon Smokehouse

Great place to eat food mega do not hesitate.

Food was superb and the team were helpful and friendly. Superb views as well. Good selection of really fresh seafood and oysters to die for. Well done guys really good.

I had a late lunch at the Maldon Smokehouse on a Friday afternoon after visiting the nearby Combined Military Services museum. It is around half a mile on foot from the museum partially along the bank of the River Chelmer. I arrived at around 3 o’clock (it closes at 4) and was able to get a table overlooking the river. I had rollmop herring to start, scallops and crevettes (large prawns) for main and salted caramel ice cream for dessert. To drink, I had a couple of glasses of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (the restaurant now has a licence to serve alcohol). The food was excellent. The bread accompanying the food was great too. I really liked the garlic based sauce with the main course. Service was really good and I paid around £49 excluding service charge. A special mention to the proprietor who got one of his staff to run after me as I had mistakenly been given someone else’s higher bill. Much appreciated !

Returned to try the new breakfast menu, Tried there full English breakfast, Excellently cooked, well presented, Extremely tasty 😋 Will return soon.

Very enjoyable lunch with friends. Great selection of food and all delicious !

I highly recommend The Smokehouse. You are made so welcome, you can sit in or out with amazing river views. Extensive menu of very high quality, delicious food. No one rushes you. From 10M breakfast/ brunch will be served. There is an antique shop too.

Great food in a restaurant tucked away down a side street by the river. Very pleasant staff would recommend whole heartedly

Uncomplicated, unfussy with great simple but tasty food. Everything tasted great and everyone walked away vowing to return.

Dropping a pin in the map I detoured to Maldon on my way from Margate to Norfolk. An unexpectedly delightful, rustic, authentic venue right on the river. Idyllic spot, even on an overcast, damp day (Summer must be nuts). As much as I wanted the hot stuff, the platter was appealing (though I would have preferred more of the home-smoked king prawns rather than the mountain of Atlantic prawns) accompanied by a good bread basket. Super friendly and informative owners (?), and as they knew I was time-poor, they boxed up my leftovers and even threw h in extra bread for my journey. Will definitely be back - Maldon looks to be a gorgeous wee town. Thanks team !

Enjoyed a lunch with friends here. Fantastic food and good service.

A great place to spend on a nice summers day. Quality food & now serve drinks 🍻 excellent venue thoroughly recommend 😁

Went for the first time today on recommendation. We were completely looked after from start to finish. Amazing food and service in a beautiful setting. Can't think of a better place for lunch on a sunny day. Best smoked salmon ever.

It's ok here. I ordered the katsu chicken, however, it tasted more like coronation chicken.

Welcomed as friends, treated like family, ate like kings! Lobster burger special was superb, as was my takeaway salmon pate. Thanks to the Smokehouse team, looking forward to our next visit, J&S.

This place is an absolute hidden gem, if you like fresh food you need to try this. Even the bread melted in my mouth, that’s a first for me. Probably my favourite place in Essex

Really nice place, great atmosphere by the river, fantastic food, lovely to see seafood cooked well and not just the usual fish and chips. Very friendly and efficient service, Well done guys we will be back, loved it.

Arrived at 7.10pm. Well before closing at 8. Told they were closed? Place was empty so no idea why they couldn't serve us. Won't return

Matt and the team are amazing at The Smokehouse. They honestly couldn’t be any more helpful and accommodating when arranging my hen do there. What a fabulous location and blessed with high tide, blue skies and delicious food. Highly recommended!

This is a gem of a find - tucked away on the banks of a river, with incredibly high quality seafood. BYO setup. We tried (and I’d highly recommend) the large prawns (lovely smoked flavour from the cooking technique), the scallops, mackeral and crab cakes....

Lovely tranquil setting, real peace haven. You have to be a bit brave to take the cul de sac, narrow lane that leads to the place but well rewarded. Food good, possibly the best fish cakes ever. Good parking

Friendly and informal but excellent food in generous portions. There were nine of us and we just about had everything on the menu. It was all first class.

Lovely food but very pricey Limited car parking spaces Not open long enough fri/sat evenings Closing at 9pm would help

I was craving a smoked mackerel sandwich and fries. They don’t officially have sandwiches on the menu but chef especially made some up for us, complete with horseradish and salad. Absolute delicious, packed with gorgeous smoked mackerel that hit the spot and was a reasonable...

Highly recommend Matt and his friendly team. Great function room and the food was superb. Thank you

We just picked up an amazing take away platter for two, including premium seafood, fresh bread, a luxury salad. Chef threw in a smoked cod roe which was delicious. Next time we will stay for lunch in this amazing location.

Delicious food on the river, very chilled out vibe on a beautiful sunny day

What a lovely restaurant, by the river. Top class food, but not at all pompous. Very attentive and friendly service. Best of all, extremely dog-friendly. I had crab cakes, which were perfectly cooked and delicious. My wife had smoked prawns, which was new for us,...

Had an awesome lunch here with my partner and her aunt n uncle. Although the clouds came over there is a lot of inside seating which retains the view, which is nice. Super attentive and wonderful staff, We had the tasteboard for two x2, n were super impressed when the waitress came out wielding 2 door sized boards! Such a great selection of smoked goods, seafood and cheeses. The wine list has a modest yet decent selection, but I’m informed that you can BYO (for corkage I assume). When we went to look at the smoked goods, the smoker was eager and informative. And the wears were delightful, the smoked soft cheese is awesome. Wish I lived closer to it, but look forward to coming back.

Amazing seafood in a lovely location. Would highly recommend the seafood platter (especially on a summers day overlooking the estuary)!

Omg where do I start took my husband and whole family and was amazing food brilliant atmosphere whole day was fantastic, situated on the river front indoor area and outdoor area seating we will be going again thank you all for making my husbands birthday...

Fantastic. The food was amazing, great friendly service.

Quirky place with a slightly different menu than many other eateries you may have visited. Menu choice is fairly limited, but they concentrate on what they do best. I had the crab cakes which were delicious and huge (almost too big, but I powered through to the end!) I chose to dine on my own and just "people watch" - as well as take in the wildlife on the estuary. Being only a 20 minute walk from my house I was able to walk up an appetite & then walk off some of the calories - long route home via the busy promenade park. The fantastic sunny day made this a wonderful afternoon, the view is a little industrial with the huge Tesco superstore the other side of the water. But hey, this is Maldon Essex.... Not Provence!

Too lovely to tell you about it

I went to the Malden Smokehouse with my sister and niece for lunch, it was fantastic we had some share boards , we had the meat and cheeses board and the garden board with aubergine and garlic potatoes and some small plates , which had...

Nice location and the food tasted nice but was expensive for what you get, we left feeling hungry and wouldn’t go back to again.

Fantastic food & setting. We had cockles, smoked mackerel, nuts, crab cakes, prawns, scallops & bread. It was really tasty. We’ll be back.

Adored this! Group of 6 adults and 2 children under 3. Food was beautiful and a fantastic range of things on the menu. Staff were able to suggest edits for children meals and were able to accommodate that 3 of our party arrived by bicycle.

Very expensive taster board disappointed and £4 for a bag of bread a £1 a slice and £3 for a can of coke won't recommend Mersea Island is far better and cheaper

If you love fresh seafood and smoked cheese and smoked cured meats then you've got to go to this unique restaurant 👌. The best by a long shot.

There are no words to describe the lovely food, and how amazing place to be.

First time, and most certainly won’t be the last! Absolutely platter with a bit of everything. We were blown away with the delicious flavours of it all. Smoked chicken and duck, cheeses, meats, fish and shellfish. A couple of cheeky glasses of Prosecco topped our...

Excellent grub. Loved it ! A secret tucked away gem of a place! It's bring your own booze ! 😉

Love this restaurant. Food is amazing. Right in the river. Difficult to find down a little lane but parking available when we got there. Antique shop next door also worth a look.

Absolutely delicious food, amazing setting, and fantastic service. Would highly recommend if visiting the area.

I have been to the Smokehouse on a number of occasions and we decided to have lunch today. I ordered the smoked chicken and quite honestly as far as value for money is concerned, I was very disappointed. Simply very sparse food for the price...

11 hours agoI would like to thank everyone for such a lovely afternoon on Saturday 13th May....Chef...the food was absolutely fantasic, we all enjoyed everything you served up to us. Staff...so friendly and attentive, with smiles and chat that made us feel so welcome. We...

I would like to thank everyone for such a lovely afternoon on Saturday 13th May....Chef...the food was absolutely fantasic, we all enjoyed everything you served up to us. Staff...so friendly and attentive, with smiles and chat that made us feel so welcome. We was permitted to dec up our table for a birthday celebration with all our bits and pieces which made it a special day for our Birthday girl 🎈🍰🥳🎉 No complaints at all and will be seeing you soon 🥰

An amazing place, food, atmosphere, and setvice

This place is a hidden Jem. Very good food , good service and nice location by the Riverside.

I am a huge fan of the Smokehouse and there are many reason why, on Saturday we had a party of 24 for a birthday celebration, having multiple menu choices can always be a pin but Steven , Matt and team were so accommodating from...

Lovely lunch today. Dressed crab back on the menu and with Matt back in the kitchen we were able to make a few changes to our choices without any fuss. Delicious fresh crab cakes, spicy prawn pil pil, smoked crevettes , salmon and smoked pate....

Make sure you come and check this place out the food is amazing! Rich looked after us like a gent! Will be coming back

We live in Cheshunt four of us went down there for lunch and the food was excellent I would recommend it Two. Other friends

We attended the Maldon Smokehouse recently and though service was prompt, the food left a lot to be desired. I had the Mediterranean Fish Stew, and it made me feel quite sick. The saffron potatoes were powdery, the monkfish was rubbery, and I feel like this dish had just been whipped out of the freezer and heated up. It was £24 for the small dish, and I was left with not only a bad taste in my mouth, but an upset stomach. Will not be coming here again, unfortunately.

Wonderful restaurant at the end of a quiet lane and next to the river. Superb seafood selection which is fresh and delicious. This is our second time visiting and will definitely return again. Great sitting outside when the sun is shining and cosy inside when not. Staff always friendly and helpful. Can't wait to return again!

We had the taste for two platter, food was amazing! presentation was very good, service was very good also, would definitely recommend to others, will definitely be going there again.

Absolutely fantastic food - brilliant, helpful friendly service and a great location. Nothing is too much trouble. And oh those oysters! We will be back very soon.

Fantastic lunch, just wish it was open for longer!!! The sharing platter for two was out of this world as we're the desserts (we had the chocolate delice and honeycomb Cheesecake). The location is also lovely, really private and secluded with beautiful views. Dog friendly too which was an incredible bonus as its always tricky for us to eat out with the family.

What a wonderful place. I've been meaning to go here for some time. Sitting by the river, eating the most wonderful sea food beautifully prepared. What a treat. Thank you so much.

What a fantastic place. We turned up late in the afternoon, 16 of us, and they couldn't have handled it better. Definitely worth exploring!

We had a delicious late lunch here. Beautiful spot by the water, loads of seating indoors and out. Very friendly service. The food was DELICIOUS. We will definitely return.

What a fantastic place, loved it. As I still had to cycle another 50 km with a heavy loaded bicycle, I asked for a few specific items of the menu, everything was possible, thanks for that.

This great location has so much potential, but it fails on almost every other count. My husband vowed never to return after our last visit when we went to celebrate and ordered lobster and chips. The very small half of lobster was over-cooked, chewy and...

Arrived not knowing what to expect. Rustic and quaint. Food … picnic platter absolute heaven sea food, meats and cheese. The staff were wonderful we were seated on decking next to the tidal estuary it was bliss. Although it is in the centre of Maldon once there you merge into the marshes wildlife watchers dream. I don’t want to recommend because I don’t want it to change. It melted our hearts x

Food was delicious especially the sweet smoked herring. We even had the pleasure of watching a deal swim up and down

We drove down a lane as per sat nav… and for a few minutes thought we were in the wrong place! BUT we found this wonderful shack with some top notch fish and smoked meats. Staff were lovely, luckily the weather was really good so...

Wonderful delicious seafood, most of it smoked on the premises, large menu, very rustic place and lovely friendly staff