The Mews in Southend-on-Sea

Fabulous dinner at the Mews. We were early and aware the kitchen would open, but we would have time to browse the menu and make our selections. In the event the chef gave us a small starter to be having whilst we looked at the options, which was such a kind gesture. The food was absolutely delicious, service first class and again we had some little extras provided by the kitchen. Shout out to Ronnie who was amazing!

What can I say. A true authentic gem, of the alternative / underground Southend cultural, culinary and musical scene. Not to be missed. On the edge of the architectural rich conservation area of Southend, the original part of the town, Clifftown, this venue will not let you down, architecturaly rich and historic, enjoy fabulous food on a Friday night or Saturday night, on a date, or with freinds and family, a quiet drink on a week day afternoon or evening, or take in live dj sets on a Saturday afternoon with the West facing front sun trap on an afternoon. Or a total party vibe on a Saturday night dj set, this venue has you definitely covered ❤️🎶🍺👌

This place is near the conservation area, but not on the prettiest street! Not sure I'd feel safe at night. The building is gorgeous along with interior and furniture - very shabby chic. The Mews heavily advertised Mothers Day on their social platforms so my partner and our baby went for a roast style Sunday lunch, wine, soft drinks, dessert, coffees - food and drinks were average. I went to try and change my daughters nappy but there was no room, space or anywhere safe to do so in the upstairs toilet, I tried downstairs which was bigger but still no baby change - I asked the staff and it was suggested I lay my 1 year old on the toliet floor!!!! How absolutely revolting! I wonder if they would like their bare backsides sat on a public toilet floor!?! Or if they would do this to their own children. Disgusting!! I have since put comments on their Instagram but they are always deleted, a private message to apologise or a Voucher - even though it would never have been used may have been a nice gesture. Top tip: Don't invite people to celebrate occasions (particularly Mothers day) if you do have adequate facilities.

This wonderful place provided us with such a warm welcome and a delicious meal for our wedding. Couldn’t fault their service, food and efficiency all done with smiles . Tables looked beautiful. Their help in preparation for the day was invaluable . Thanks to all ❤️

I was a guest at a 40th Birthday party. The Mews was astounding !!! Clean but old school Proper pub atmosphere Great service, dog friendly, will visit again anytime that I am in Southend

Brilliant roastie and the team are fab. Great place to spend a Sunday afternoon! 👌

Fantastic Bar, really friendly staff, great atmosphere, great range of drinks and food, highly recommend. our now go to bar in southend, great find off the Main Street tucked away on a quiet road.

Saturday afternoon, Good Weather Great Atmosphere. Loved the decor and service was quick and polite. Music was brilliant as my friend was DJing. Would definitely Go again

Great value and lovely food. Went for Sunday lunch with a wheelchair user which I specified on the online booking. The staff was very accommodating, friendly and helpful. Food was good portions, well priced. The day we went, there was a problem with their card machine which we ended up going to local cash machine. But overall it was a lovely pub and happily would go back again when I will be back in town.

It was a wonderful place to go on the of chance grate cocktail 🍹 at 9.95 and they helped with my needs and gave me a glass that helped with my needs the entertainment was a moment in time with a personal experience that was breathtaking for my partner mayed her day when the entertainment allowed her to sing with him and it was amazing to see it was child friendly and dog friendly it was an amazing night to not have your phone to fine a wonderful boutique place and they will even phone a taxi for you

Well what can I say another fantastic day /evening getting spoilt by my FAVOURITE CHEF in town ! ,, service as always amazing 🤩,, and welcome on board Emily great cocktails you know I love a Bloody Mary and you guys certainly do it well ♥️ All of this and in the Mix amazing djs courtesy of SHINE ✨ to top the whole experience off ,, Top Marks all round ☀️♥️

Had the most amazing dining experience here at the mews, not only was the venue super cool and quirky but the food was insane! The service was absolutely spot on and such a breath of fresh air to have high quality produce cooked to perfection, the staff couldn’t do enough for you and the cocktails are incredible! Can not find a single fault. Can’t wait to come back! What a hidden gem fantastic thank you

The best place for dinner and drinks!!

Never really leave reviews but working in hospitality for nearly 30 years I feel like I have to .. the place - food and staff are absolutely outstanding! Can’t fault it!

First visit to The Mews. Hidden away near the public carpark. Recommended by a friend. Chilled atmosphere with old mismatched furniture that works. Had the Sunday Roast Beef which was tender and tasty and my wife had the fish which sen liked. Friendly and attentive staff. Nice place for a leisurely Sunday afternoon lunch.

We had a great Sunday lunch here. The food and ambience were great. Service was excellent, nothing was too much trouble, particularly Archie who was so helpful and kind. Def will return

We ate in the restaurant upstairs and is was very good. The music downstairs was a bit loud for me, but then I'm old now. Food was very good, I had the beef and wine stew which was excellent, as was the scallop starter. My 3 dining companions also said similar things about their food. The serving staff were top draw, friendly and attentive in the right measure. There was never any pressure to order or leave. Not sure what other reviewers are talking about, there is a good selection if drinks and prices are reasonable for drink and food. As for shabby chic, the hints in the name and as with most things it's in the eye of ghe beholder; I appreciated it.

Lovely little restaurant good food and friendly staff

Really good choice of drinks and lovely venue. Often have DJs in. The food is delicious and very well made but it is the decor that makes it

Had an excellent Sunday Lunch at this quirky and stylish restaurant/bar. The roast beef was perfectly cooked and served by welcoming staff. Fitted us in though we hadn’t booked.

Yet again a Stunning Sunday roast can't get any better in essex thanks to foxy and Mumbles and team service was lovely will be back

Just been in for a lovely Easter roast with me and my boyfriend. We both had the Lamb and it was absolutely delicious! The guy who served us upstairs was very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our time so much that we then went downstairs for a few cocktails made by some very lovely bar staff. Would highly recommend!

Went here with a party of 6 and was very much looking forward to the experience as it stated that it was the second best roast in essex. Arrived and wasn't asked to be seated had to ask if we could go to our table. Once sat down the lady waitresses were absolutely accommodating.......the starter was good..however when the roast dinner arrived all 6 of us were disappointed. We had 2 bowls of vegetables between us all....and the vegetables were hard as rocks...no gravey offered apart from those with chicken meals. 2 cauliflower cheeses between 6 when one was burnt. When complained to the male waitir we were soon ignored nmby him.and all throughout our meal.he was looking over and chatting to other staff abiut us. Made us feel very uncomfortable!!!! The potatoes and meat were not cook properly and overall for 40 pound per head this was one of our worst experiences. The atmosphere was shocking and not what the wesite makes it out to be. If you want a decent roast please don't go anywhere near here. P.s the dessert was nice.

Took my dad for his birthday with the family for the Sunday roast. Food was bang on. Large portions for the starter's, mains and desserts. Service was great. Friendly and helpful staff. Beautiful looking restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. Thanks to Foxy the chef and his team for making it a great birthday meal.

Very disappointing. Had a sunday roast, at 4pm on 24 March. Price was £20 for 1 course. beef was very tough, veg selection was a small pot of thinly sliced carrots and a couple of small pieces of shredded cabbage and 1 green bean. When i complained they said all the veg is pre made and they cant change whats in it. Waited over 45 mins for the main despite booking a table in advance. Crab starter was bland and uninspiring, basically a crumpet with melted cheese and a fishy smell to it with a small salad garnish Didn't fancy a dessert after that despite being offered one free for the issues I mentioned above Seats were very uncomfortable, had to swap chairs mid way through the meal. And the ambience was awful, loud music, in a stuffy warm close room. Had to shout at my friend to be heard. Service wasn't very attentive, had to ask a server during the meal for condiments and salt/pepper Won't be coming back, this place is very overrated

Love love love this place Lovely friendly staff Food is great Had such a lovely evening tonight and every time I have been! My favourite place to go x

Phenomenal roast and excellent service. The mews has a wonderful atmosphere too. Very cosy. 13 of us were there for a birthday celebration and we were looked after by the attentive staff.

Beautiful pub with the best Sunday roast

Brilliant food.. brilliant service … all in a lovely venue… looking fwd to sampling you DJ evening.. well definitely be back

Beautiful place to eat, staff are very polite and food is very nice, dog friendly as well!

Went to the mews for an anniversary dinner, was excellent all around. Food and cocktails were amazing and the carafe of water with fruit was a nice touch. Staff was incredibly attentive, the soup of the moment (tomato and bacon) was the best ive had in a while and the steak with bourbon butter was to die for!

Such a unique restuarant with a chilled out vibe. Perfect for a romantic date, the food is great too 👌

Needs to decide whether a club or a serious restaurant. Thumping music downstairs, forcing dinners upstairs to shout to converse. Shambolic food service, 50 minutes wait for starters, cold scallops. Luke warm mains. Poorly presented front of house staff. Such a disappointing experience. Could be much better, but management need to take a long cold look at getting the basics right.

Such a beautiful building and look to this place & lovely friendly staff just let down by it's below average beer choices. Guinness served out of a can is such a shame.. Just a no no for Guinness. All lagers are all of similar kinds, Stella & Madri are both more the beers you'd expect to see at your local Spoons, needs more more original ales / beer choices (Sharps Ale was an option, but just not nice), or if they are stuck with these, maybe some craft beer can selections from the fridge would have given my review a higher rating. A shame as an Guinness lover and ale lover, you'd expect a bit more. Fell in love with the building and feel of the place, but it made me and friends want to not stay for more than 1 due to the above because none of wanted any of the beers & likely wouldn't come back unless the selection improved. Will pop in again in a month or so to see if things have changed. Also think they need more tables for 2, me and my partner sat at a large table which only had 1 chair at it, and had to go looking for a chair for a while.

Lovely Restaurant, great food, great atmosphere, great staff! Very enjoyable experience. Will definitely be revisiting

Such a shame really good meal spoiled by what seemed like every booking sitting down as same time service was a joke only saving grace was the food excellent as always unusual booking system keep that in mind when booking Food worth the shambles of service seemed like a free for all who's running the staff?

Had a lovely meal today at the mews only thing why did the entire restaurant sit down at the same time we did 40+ people really didn't understand the thinking behind that so noisy and cramped money grabbing opportunity is what behind this poor decision poor sevice only saving grace was the meal was excellent thank you kitchen team shame on serving staff

Excellent venue, atmosphere and food. The service and staff were all great. The food was superb especially considering how busy. All food came out together and was hot and delicious - top. Itch - would definitely recommend

Amazing place xx staff were fantastic, had such a brilliant time xx I can’t wait to go back xxxx

I would like to say that our experience tonight in a very busy restaurant, was excellent. Apart from good food, all the staff were lovely and one lady in particular was very concerned that we wouldn't be overwhelmed by some very large groups of diners. She went out of her way to order our taxis and even waited for them to arrive. The only downside was some gentleman who made us wait outside in the cold for our taxi because there was a private do on downstairs. We were in a corner, out of the way and i would hope he wouldn't treat his 80 year old Mother in the same way!!! Thank you to everyone else.

We was a family of 6 coming for Sunday Lunch @ 4pm we was placed on a table in the middle of the restaurant which caused 3/4 of our party to be disturbed all the time as staff was walking by , and staff members was not careful when they was walking past either as they was just , perhaps they should have less tables in the restaurant making it a more comfortable dining experience. It was a real shame as the food was good just a a shame about the table and service was slow . Would I come again yes but I would make sure the table I booked was not in the middle of the restaurant.

Always a great atmosphere great serve and great food. Can’t ask for better to be completely honest.

What a buzzing little gem. The atmosphere was so inviting from the moment we walked in with amazing service throughout our evening, we were made to feel so welcome with many little touches with sincere hospitality that went above and beyond expectations. The food was delicious, tasty and very reasonably priced.

Lovely food very friendly staff.. enjoyed our evening in there

Nice place. Had a really good Sunday roast. Good service too

What a wonderful place a hidden gem in southend back streets had a excellent evening meal my scallops were sooo good my partner loved his beef stroganoff left room for a rich and scrummy chocolate orange cheesecake a big thanks to chef and his team and a special mention to Briony and her team made for a wonderful evening definitely be back. Sarah

Had a fantastic Sunday lunch today at the mews Japanese chicken is amazing roast chicken and beef absolutely stunning beef perfectly pink and perfect chicken wrapped in smk bacon with sausage and sage stuffing a big thanks to chef foxy and chef mumbles will was friendly and professional will be back soon

Great staff, great food. But the music volume was a bit much for me. Another visit, and the music level was fine for me, and the staff were great. But some of the seats are pretty worn out, and can give you a numb bum if you stay too long...

Another great occasion spent at the Mews enjoyed by six of us in 3 couples. The atmosphere is always pitch perfect, enhanced further this evening by a duo playing live music. The food was tasty and service attentive, professional and non-intrusive. The low lighting sets an atmospheric vibe in this quirky candle-lit setting. Reasonably priced, everyone had a smile on their face, diners and staff alike. What’s not to like at this hidden gem of a restaurant and bar?

This was our first time at The Mews, and I was excited that we were going somewhere different. The staff were under a little pressure, but they did have two other tables to serve. We both had the roast dinner, and it was delicious. My husband had roast beef & I had the chicken. There was plenty of vegetables. The staff were very friendly.

The food was really good, good different takes on well known dishes and a very good choice. Service was prompt, professional and attentive. The only negative was the music downstairs, on a Saturday evening in central Southend I suppose it’s to be expected but gentle crooning or decent piped music is one thing but this was like heavy thumping club music in the early evening and out of place and intruded on conversation in our family gathering, it’s the only thing that would make me wary of coming again at least on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was done up very nicely.

Booked The Mews for an anniversary lunch for 29 guests on Saturday 30th September. Always a nice atmosphere there and this was no exception. Friendly staff who provided excellent service. Good menu, tasty food , well cooked and presented. Good range of drinks available. All of us enjoyed the venue, food, drinks and the atmosphere. For a special occasion , lunch or dinner or a bar meal don't hesitate to visit The Mews.

One of the best restaurants in town a d there's not many of them !!!!

We books The Mews to celebrate my friends hen do. We were a large group of 10 friends and the booking and arrangements were seamlessly dealt with by the front of house staff. The decor inside is beautiful and cosy so perfect setting for meals out with family and friends. The menu was varied and interesting and to be honest there were a number of dishes I would have chosen. Our table waiting staff were attentive and professional helping us with drink orders and any other requests. The food was delicious and the portion sizes were good. I had Japanese shredded chicken, sea bass and a mini cheeseboard. Each dish was well presented and delicious. Highly recommended experience with live DJ’s downstairs if you wanted some after dinner entertainment. Great experience and will definitely go back to try the roasts.

We had a nice meal. The food is an asian fusion so may not be to everyones taste. The portion sizes are good and the Sea bass was delicious. The menu is varied and competively priced.

A great find. The staff are all friendly and helpful. The restaurant is nicely decorated. The food is cooked fresh and served hot. Absolutely delicious!! There is a 12.5% service charge which I prefer to tip as I feel fit

Popped into The Mews for an early evening drink with friends, only to discover that it was 'Friday Curry Night' so decided to try the downstairs curry menu. What a delight; super tasty food with authentic flavours. Everything was fresh and superbly presented with side orders available to complement the curries on offer. For the set price of £16.00 you receive a wonderful curry of your choice served with rice or fries, poppadom and a fabulous fresh mango chutney. I decided to also try the onion bhaji too, with a lime pickle condiment. All served with a choice of beer or wine. Can't go wrong and all in lovely surroundings. Highly recommended. Thank you The Mews.

WOW what a recommendation couldn't be happier lovely looking building in and out the food was fantastic the coconut breaded scallops sooooo good and the tacos wow must not forget the lamb and ribeye perfect cooked to my liking (rare thing i find)Many thanks to chef Foxy & chef Mumbles definitely coming back Many thanks phil

Fantastic roast and a la carte . Friendly attentive staff and cute shabby chic wonderfulness.! Loved the music and buzzy atmosphere, lovely time and hope to revisit soon

Best Sunday roast 😍 flavours were amazing and food was piping hot . Mussels for starters were lovely too! Quirky little find , will most definitely be back . Lovely, friendly, attentive staff. Compliments to you all & the chef . Next time will save room for desserts as they looked amazing !

Brilliant Sunday lunch! We booked last min for Sunday lunch with our 15 month old which is always a stressful time. The staff made us feel so relaxed and really done so much to make our meal out as enjoyable as possible. Nothing was too much trouble for them or an inconvenience. It was so nice to enjoy and nice meal out as a family and not feel anxious that you are going to be a problem. The food was so delicious, I had all 3 courses thankfully I could take my dessert home with me. I did ask for everyone’s names to include in my review but I lost the piece of paper. Thank you to all the staff at The Mews for making our lunch so enjoyable we will definitely be back and I will be telling others.

Most draught beers were off so paid ten quid for two bottles of Mortetti which were warm. Won't be returning.

It was our first visit to The Mews. After phoning on the same day, I got booked in at 6:30 on the same evening. I knew there was a DJ in the bar, but was told to go straight up the stairs for the restaurant. What can I say. The ambience was lovely. Exposed brickwork, rustic tables, candles and fairy lights. I had the prawn cocktail which really was special, I could have had it for a main, lovely. I followed with the lamb. This was great. The lamb, whilst pink, was perfect, the potato’s and onion were lovely and the sauce brought the dish together. My boyfriend had the scallops and steak, both of which he declared very tasty. We didn’t have dessert as BF wasn’t feeling well. I loved this hidden gem and will definitely return. Massive thank you to the serving staff, who were very friendly and attentive. They made it a really good experience.

Absolulty spot on..Food Service Ambience GREAT lovely Staff, atmosphere , buzzing Well done to all would highly recommend ,also been back several times since...

Saturday with Shine event.... Great venue

We had a very nice experiance here. even with 18 Persons without reservation, the team showed its full performance. we were friendly served and the meals were brillant. it took a bit longer but we all were completely satisfied. we will be coming again!

Omg this little place is phenomenal, the decor, lighting all create a wonderful atmosphere, they had a singer playing during the food which was awesome. The food is AMAZING !!! THE CHEF "FOX" is fantastic, the food is fresh daily, I had a cheese board, it was huge !! It was an awesome night

Disappointing roast, mediocre and uneventful. Waited a long time for our drinks. The roast dinner arrived so quickly, cold potatoes, thin gravy. The meat was good, but overall not great value at all. Poor service,. staff friendly but too many waitresses kept coming up to our table and appeared to have forgotten our drinks.

Lovely food atmosphere pleasant if not a little loud tad expensive but very enjoyable

I've visited here before (last year) but was disappointed this time compared to the previous visit. When we were seated, we waited almost half an hour to be served and a while for drinks. It was busy, though, but we had about four different waitresses asking us the same question, which got irritating… My Sunday roast bizarrely arrived too fast (before drinks) and didn't appear to be piping hot or cooked. The potatoes were dry and cold, and all four looked lonely. The gravy was very thin and uneventful. The Yorkshire pudding was dry and tepid. The mixed vegetables were overcooked and unappealing. The cauliflower cheese was nicely baked in a dish, which rescued an otherwise dismal roast dinner. The pork belly was well-cooked and delicious. Otherwise, I would've returned it to the kitchen. The school dinner chocolate cake was delightful, though, a lovely idea for a nostalgic pudding. I want to come back and try and a different day and time. But not in a rush to come back for a Sunday roast!

The food is really good. The vast majority of it is probably home made / made by one of the chefs they have. All the staff are friendly and helpful and very accommodating for dogs in the downstairs area. Had the Friday “curry and a pint” offer and it was excellent all round. Would definitely go again, thanks very much.

Great vibes, great music, fab staff. Home from home

Best roast in Southend!! My favourite place to go for dinner/lunch, little bit pricey if you like having drinks and starters so a treat every now and then but it’s well worth the price. Cocktails & deserts are lovely too!! Nice attention to detail & friendly staff 10/10 :)

Blown away. Our first visit to this lovely, quirky place. We had a lovely meal. Ribeye was one of the best I have had. My wife had lamb, again, one of the best she had had. Food was piping hot and accompanied by attentive, friendly...

It's wonderful place. I've been visiting with my family.

Will not return! Over the past two years I have been to the Mews several times. There have been issues: an old lady sat on a chair that broke underneath her and when I asked about their health and safety policy there appeared not to be one. I invited her to our table to look after her as the staff didn’t seem overly concerned! Then three weeks ago I went for lunch, the chair I went to sit on had the fabric ripped off with foam exposed. I know it’s shabby chic but as someone else mentioned, it’s now just shabby! This evening I went with my partner and our two small dogs as the Mews say they are dog friendly. The look on the manager’s face was one of disdain. We saw a table was reserved for 6.30pm but it was 7pm and they hadn’t arrived so we asked if we could sit there, the response was no they will be here in 5 minutes. So we sat outside for another 30 minutes and no one turned up for that table. I went to speak to the manager and he still tried to insist the 6.30pm people were coming (this was 7.30pm) I told him I felt totally unwelcome and will not return. They need to update their furniture and more importantly their customer service!

Hidden away very shabby chic..floorboards and big mirrors. Seating upstairs or down. We booked our table for a Sat Lunch. Staff are friendly and service with a smile. Had the Veggie Burger and school Jam Sponge with pink custard for desert delicious. Friends food was equally fab. Washed down with a Bottle of wine and a Cocktail. Great tunes playing in the background.

I totally recommend Pie and Pint night… the pies are huge and delicious! We will definitely be back to try their curry night

Nice atmosphere apart from being far too loud where I couldn’t even hear what my friends were saying on the table. The food tasted good but only criticism is you don’t get enough food for what you pay. I was told I would get root vegetables with the pork belly but got one parsnip and one carrot. An extra few vegetables is fair considering I paid £21.50 for it.

Had a lovely Sunday dinner, the Beef and Yorkshire Pudding was beautiful great veg to 👌🏼 10/10 guys

Super food served in a great atmosphere, the pie and pint menu was fantastic value.

Excellent Lunch on Mothers Day All the staff so welcoming food excellent.

We all had a great Mother’s Day lunch. Everyone’s food was delicious and all the staff were attentive & friendly, despite all the tables being full both upstairs & down. We’ve never had a bad meal or experience here and are lucky to have such...

We popped in for an impromptu lunch. And all I can say is wow. Nothing is too much trouble for Foxy and Bunny food was amazing as always and had a good old chat with Bunny. Had a wonderful few hours before going back to...

Lovely food and such lovely and friendly service, but music far too loud,did turn it down when asked but not for long, love the music that was played but as I said much too loud, would certainly come back.

Good choice of drinks at a reasonable price served by friendly staff

We drive to Southend from London for this gorgeous Sunday dinner. It’s a really cute pub with lovely decor and lovely food.

Food was nice. Staff helpful and I love the decor and the ambience

We arrived at The Mews this afternoon in the hope of 5 of us having lunch not having booked (which I now know was a mistake) however the very friendly staff member said he would see what I could do and magically after a drink...

Great bubberly place..Staff Friendly & Attentive..food was AMAZING...would highly recommend....well done to all ...

Excellent. Lovely service and food. Well worth a visit.

The food was absolutely fantastic, the staff were so friendly and helpful. Great atmosphere, will definitely be going again!

Arriving late on the Valentines, Greeted by fantastic staff and management downstairs and just as welcoming upstairs, A busy evening but done with class and professionalism. AND THE FOOD IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL! A restaurant for our town to be proud of, phenomenal food, well...

No draft beer available ehen we visited. Place is going for shabby chic but actually just looks shabby.

My daughter and I had lunch at the Mews today. All I can say is that the service and food was absolutely fabulous. Front of house, bar, was a lovely lady who could not of been more helpful and kind. She not only served our drinks but also our food, so very efficient. My daughter and I mixed up our lunch, prawn crackers, dip, duck spring rolls, Bilbao buns etc, we could not fault it. We then decided on desert, I had the passion fruit Eton mess, my daughter the jam sponge, it was all very delicious. As we were leaving we met the Chef, what a delightful, happy chap he is. Full of smiles and so very very likeable, great chef too. I say to the Mews, well done to you for having such wonderful staff and a fabulous chef… long may you reside in Southend.. a little hidden jewel.

Great ambience and excellent service, the food was great for a leisurely Sunday lunch. Would highly recommend it and will call in next time we are in Southend.

Most wonderful afternoon at the Mews today with my family. Been meaning to bring them here for years, and before the meal was even over they had already decided they would definitely be coming back. Food was delicious, restaurant was beautiful and staff very friendly. Can’t wait to go back!!

We ate at the Mews on Christmas day and were not disappointed. The food was lovely and in abundance. The team were in good spirits and super helpful even with it being really busy all day. Not my first time here and it won't be...

Absolutely brilliant restaurant and bar. Celebrated my birthday, and nothing was too much trouble for this amazing team.

Really accommodating with lots of vegetarian options. Staff, drinks and food are all equally as brilliant.