The Oyster Smack Inn in Maldon

Visiting family and friends in the area we booked three nights here, first impressions were very good, although parking can be a challenge, fortunately we did get a space out back near our room each day. We chose one of the ground floor outside rooms intentionally, unfortunately our first night we had very heavy rain, one of the gutters must be split as the drip drip drip was annoying, also there is a smoker’s container on the wall near the rooms, one night my husband had to get dressed to open our door to ask a smoker not to stand by our open window, I suggest that this container is moved from its position. Otherwise the room was a good size with a king sized bed. A good tea/coffee tray with biscuits. A small but adequate shower room, although we couldn’t work out how to turn on the heated towel rail. We ate in the restaurant every evening, the food on the whole was good. My husband enjoyed his lamb rump, the pork belly and his burger unfortunately the chicken shawarma wasn’t to my taste, the cauliflower described as crispy had been deep fried in batter and was soggy. The wing of skate was very small and thin. The continental breakfast was the most minimal I’ve ever seen, Cooked breakfast only being offered at the weekends, limited cereal, a small fruit bowl and DIY toast. On checking out I did indeed to point out the gutter and smoking container problems but there wasn’t anyone to be found.

Booked at the last minute, but SO glad as our room was absolutely lovely. Comfortable, fresh and very tastefully finished, some wonderful touches! We will definitely return. Second to none service. Thoroughly recommended. Thank you.

Great venue, food and atmosphere. Having been using the Oyster Smack for many years. For me, it's the best restaurant in the locality.

Excellent food as always at The Oyster Smack Inn and our evening was made all the better by our wonderful waitress, Pixie; friendly, attentive, hardworking and nothing too much trouble, thank you Pixie, the Chef and Kitchen Team and indeed, all the Front of House Team who are consistently charming.

The Oyster Smack Inn is a charming restaurant and cocktail bar with accommodation (although I didn't utilise this). Built in the 1800's, the building is full of character and sets the scene for an outstanding and extremely popular local Restaurant. The dining room and bar are both classic and timeless, the coastal shades of the decor providing a serene backdrop to the dining experience. Wooden floors and hand-made furniture all work to create a feeling of quiet elegance, along with homely comfy cushions. I was the first customer through the door when I visited, in fact I arrived a little earlier and the lovely staff let me and my dog in. I said I was here for Oysters, so they said there was no problem with the kitchen sorting that out for me straight away. They made a real fuss of my dog and made me feel very welcome. The oysters were both beautifully presented and delicious. Service was excellent. It is just a short walk from the temporary terminal for the Burnham Ferry (which I used). I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone visiting Burnham On Crouch.

Had a wonderful evening out with friends. Food was great and service was exceptionally god. The made our evening. Thank you.

Room good lunch very good and excellent service by a young lady but let down By breakfast asked for continental normal it would be Croissant jam butter sometimes some fruits tea or coffee what we got was small bow of cereal bit of fruit bananas or an orange and bit of toast that you had to make yourself don’t l know it was not dear £4.99 but really can’t call that a continental breakfast that’s why it got good not very good

I have to admit, I wasn’t keen on my husband’s idea of going to the Oyster Smack. But I was glad I agreed to go. Not sure why we have never been before, as we visit Burnham frequently. Anyway…the food was amazing. My starter of truffle arancini topped by grilled (?) sage leaves was delicious, the steak was very good, and the white chocolate and ginger cheesecake was superb. My daughter chose pumpkin soup, pork belly, and a bread and butter pudding. Hubby’s choice of grilled sardines followed by a fish soup made him happy, but no room for pudding. I reluctantly shared a little of mine. The service was friendly and attentive, not intrusive at all. All in all, good food, properly cooked and served. Roll on the next visit!

Always amazing food at great prices. Sunday roast is the best in the Dengie and service is really good with a lovely atmosphere. Can't recommend enough

Great service, decor really nice and food wonderful . Unusual menu very tasty home smoked partridge on a bed of creamy risotto.

A lovely meal. We both chose from the set menu which was very good value. The staff are very attentive and the whole experience faultless.

I always recommend the Oyster Smack Inn to my friends and family. The food is always delicious, I have never had a bad experience here, always great! The team are lovely and always do everything they can to accommodate your wants and needs. Amazing local business. I will never stop eating here!

Absolutely beautiful food 100% recommend. I had sirloin steak roast and honestly best roast around

This was for a special 90th birthday celebration. The staff made us very welcome, service and food very good

Great friendly service plenty of choices on the menu and always got special on to choose from also does a good lunch menu

Having stayed here a few years ago ,we thought we should have return visit . We had stayed in the courtyard rooms and had a fantastic continental breakfast . This visit sadly was disappointing. There was not a warm welcome from the staff who were quite uninterested upon our arrival . No information available in the room. There was a strange smell in the corridor which I presume was damp . The room was basic . The staff were not rude but certainly not interested in giving a friendly greeting in the morning and the continental breakfast was anything but . No offer of coffee and not even a hope you’ve had a nice stay . I will not return . However the evening meal we had was lovely .

We visited The Oyster Smack last weekend, this restaurant impressed us with great service a good menu choice and the food was perfect. We were greeted as soon as we entered the restaurant and given a very friendly welcome while being shown to our table. Several members of staff waited on us through the course of our evening, we were never rushed but Alison we never had to wait long for each course. The bill was very reasonable and we left very happy indeed, well done and thank you to all.

Always a great atmosphere , service and food! Whether you choose from the Daily specials or the a La carte menu …it’s never disappointing!

We celebrated a family birthday, there were 7 of us one being a 5 month old it was a Sunday lunch time. Staff were patient, food was great atmosphere relaxed, price reasonable.

The atmosphere here is lovely. The staff are attentive. Above all the food is stunning, really varied and never boring. Always satisfied here

I’m struggling with this one. The website makes it look like friendly fine dining with a lot of vegan options. The decor is lovely. The staff are lovely. But the food is jaw droppingly bad. We had a moving mountains burger and fries. It’s hard to screw up the burger even if you microwave it but it had the texture of chipboard. It was in a Warburtons style bap that may have been squashed into oblivion at the bottom and f a carrier bag. It had a quarter leaf of iceberg lettuce cut in two and plonked in along with an anemic slice of watery tomato. Ketchup was served at request on the side. This was a sort of brown colour and tasted of saccharine. I don’t know what had been done to it but I imagine darkened rooms and pleas for mercy. Chips were skinny fries salted to death. Korean cauliflower sounded delicious. It was served with a slaw which was raw red cabbage and carrot, shredded. That was it. No discernible dressing. Four florets that I can only assume were cooked by somebody who had such a nasty altercation with food in early childhood that they have been out for revenge on it ever since. Hard, chewy, hateful. I don’t know what you need to do to cauliflower to make it taste of so much pain and sadness. It was covered with brown sauce so full of chili it was like vengeance against any mortals who had dared to enjoy food previously. The manageress was a sweetheart and gave us a third off. We ate what we could as we had been on the go all day and were ravenous. We left with napalmed mouths and serviettes full of regret.

The Sunday roast looked fantastic but we couldn’t resist the skate wing which was superb. Some lovely guest beer and a great stay . Staff were brilliant , friendly and really helped us out on our onward journey .

Great food & lovely atmosphere. Staff were the right balance of not too intrusive but there when you needed them.

We popped into the Oyster Smack for lunch after a walk along the river. Our lunch was excellent and the service from all waiting staff was terrific. We had a mix of set lunches and a la carte and all were tasty and sensibly priced....

We have eaten at The Oyster Smack twice this year, and have not been disappointed! Great service and the food is FABULOUS! We will definitely return!

Weare regualr visitors and had another very good Sunday lunch. The service is excellent as always and the food and atmosphere good. See you again soon for the bring your own wine night.

My partner and I visited this delightful restaurant last Friday for lunch. We went for the set menu and had only intended having two courses, but our starter and main were so delicious that we also had a dessert! The staff were attentive, efficient, and...

Great food, excellent service with a smile, very nice atmosphere. Ideal for lunch, evening meal or a celebration meal.

A central located restaurant with really friendly staff the food was fabulous and staff really helpful if you couldn’t decide from the variety!! A definite visit needed when in the area and you may find yourself returning during your visit!!

One of the best meals i have had for a while. I had 3 courses. The main was vegetarian and so delicious. Dessert chocolate brownie. The wine was nice. Friendly staff. Will definitely return.

Food excellent, friendly efficient staff, great ambience, realistically priced. thoroughly recommend for any occasion

Food always on point - I'm becoming a regular (and not even local) staff so accommodating and friendly esp Elizabeth (she rocks) clearly in right job - would highly recommend

We called up relatively late as we had recently sailed into Burnham and were Hank! Elisabeth was brilliant at explaining the timings and accommodating us. After some oysters we went straight in and just like the last few times it was superb!

Can't ever fault this place really. Staff are respectful, attentive and cheerful. The menu is so varied, you can't choose. Lots of vegetarian choices. Can't complain about anytime I've been here . Well done

Highly recommend the Oyster Smack especially their BYO wine night. such good menu, value for money and great customer service.

Visited quite a few times since moving to the nearby area, most recently for Sunday lunch but have been for weekday lunches and evenings. We cannot fault the staff or the food from any of our visits! Staff are very welcoming and accommodating especially with...

Lovely restaurant with great choice of food and mini pudding available as well as full ! Good service and very efficient staff, especially the lady with green hair !!!

We had earlier table 12pm Father’s Day, the service was friendly, attentive and food the three of us enjoyed, I would say good value for money.

We had a great meal, welcomed warmley by the staff who were professional friendly and helpful throughout, we weren't rushed at all. we had the table for 2 hours which was enough time for the 2 of us. Would definitely recommend to friends and family...

We discovered this restaurant by accident as my sister wanted oysters for lunch. The oysters were fresh, well dressed and delicious but that is not why I gave this restaurant a 5 star review. Myself and my wife had “belly pork” and I can safely...

My husband and I dined here for our anniversary and it was a wonderful meal, great food, excellent service and reasonably priced. The specials were a real mix - I had the arancini as a starter from there, followed by tuna steak for main and...

Excellent restaurant, great staff, a menu for all tastes and really superb food. Our roundtrip to visit the Oyster Smack, is over 3 hrs - and it is totally worth it! Burnham-on-crouch, is a beautiful, and unspoilt little village in Essex. And we believe that...

This is for sure one of the best places is Essex, for quality of food, choices on the menu, friendly and professional service. We have been here several times and always had a great meal at very competitive prices. Well done and thank you to...

Fabulous food, brilliant service and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend. Have been here three times in the last year and been impressed every time.

Really nice place nice staff and great food it really is nice when you find a place that is new to you and it’s genuinely excellent

First time visit after being recommended , and wow what a treat , food perfect , service and atmosphere great . Can’t recommend enough , this is our new fav restaurant

Use The Oyster Smack regularly and I have never been disappointed the staff are very friendly, and professional. The lunch menu is very good value for money, with no cutting corners with the ingredients. If you are ever in Burnham on Crouch The Oyster Smack...

We had a brilliant time at The Oyster Smack. Delicious food with choices for every taste, lovely helpful staff and a great atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this lovely restaurant; we will certainly be returning soon.

Great food ,great setting lovely staff ,always a great meal wether it's lunch or dinner monday to Sunday .

Excellent food,service and atmosphere. We are never disappointed whenever we visit. Would highly recommend it. Great value for money

This place is amazing! We are currently in our room relaxing! Room is so spacious and so so clean! Food was out of this world and the service was incredible! Highly recommend!

17 family members ate here for my husbands special birthday. We ordered from the set menu in advance as we were a large party. Food was loved by all with great size portions & very reasonable. Staff were extremely attentive & courteous. Special thanks to...

We really enjoyed our meal at the Oyster Smack, there was a great atmosphere, the staff were very attentive despite being busy, we felt like we were being looked after! We particularly chose the Oyster Smack as you advertise a plant based menu, & we...

There was a lovely girl on reception when we arrived and serving at table during the evening. I didn't catch her name but she had this great blue hair! Very nice girl, it was lovely to speak with someone who could say more than Hi...

We had a lovely lunch as always. Food delicious, just cooked perfectly. Excellent value. Staff very helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend. We will be back soon.

Have dined here on many ocassions and always have such a great experience and good food. Had an early evening dinner as we had a toddler with us. Staff were very friendly & professional. Nothing was too much trouble. I had the fishcakes (chefs special)...

Had such a wonderful lunch to celebrate my mums birthday. Food superb, service excellent and their attention to detail was second to none. Thanks to Harry for making a birthday memory for the family.

Nice food good quality friendly welcome, The bar staff need to be a bit more organised with big group parties. Maybe warning staying guests that there is a party with live music would help! Would definitely go there again for a meal

We had dinner here after Christmas. Not been here for a couple of years but OMG absolutely fantastic. Service impeccable. Food delicious and price quite fair. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a well run restaurant

Amazing food and service on Christmas Day, really made a special day for us. The food was outstanding and very good value.

We went for a work Christmas lunch. Food was delicious. We pre-ordered with no problems during the meal. Staff were very attentive.

Great service, staff are fantastic, we went for Christmas dinner & they made it perfect, food was delicious and we were made so welcome even though they were so busy. Will definitely use more often

This year the Burnham Kayak Club had their Christmas meal at the Oyster Smack in Burnham….. I know from previous years it can be hard to find somewhere that can cater for a large group at this time of year.. The Oyster Smack did not...

We went to The Oyster Smack for our work Christmas lunch. The food is always good and there is always a lovely, cosy atmosphere. I would definitely recommend The Oyster Smack.

I organised a Christmas lunch for 15 people. The staff were superb throughout the whole process from initial enquiry to greeting and serving us on the day. The menu was varied and had something for everyone at a very good price. And most importantly the...

Visited early December and was very impressed with the menus on offer. Wanted to try everything on the Specials board. Great food and good service. Will return.

I have visited the Oyster Smack many times in the past and was my first choice to celebrate my 72nd birthday with my family. The menu is extensive with a wide choice of delectable dishes leaving one spoilt for choice. The food was cooked and...

First time visit to this restaurant. All three had kidneys in Madiera sauce for starter. It is fair to say they were succulent, tasty; without doubt the most flavoursome starter we'd had in a long time. All plates were cleaned! Main courses of : liver...

Amazing food and even better staff, we booked it last minute and the room was excellent and the staff who work here made it even better! Definitely coming back! Massive is thanks to Harrison and Elizabeth and Dasha…..great work guys

Have visited a few times now and each time just as good. Sunday lunch is the best I’ve had in a restaurant, starters are lovely and always beautifully presented Staff are attentive and atmosphere always good. Can’t wait for our next visit

Myself and my husband enjoyed a wonderful dinner here on Friday night! I had the oysters to start followed by the pork belly and i have to say it was one of the best meals i have had in a long time! Erin was very...

Great food,great service.We will return soon.I had the pheasant cooked perfectly.Looking forward to their xmas menu.

Noise from street traffic, noise from adjoining rooms, breakfast not included if booking through Booking.com but book direct and same price room as with Booking.com but with breakfast included, how can that be. Decided to have breakfast there at a cost of £12.50. I was...

We stayed at the Oyster Smack in the weekend 28th October for a family wedding at the Canary Shed. We stayed in the rooms at the back in the outside buildings. Was really impressed, clean, modern, spacious and just what we needed! We had a...

Lovely restaurant, staff went above and beyond in service. They had a special surprise for my Dad a decorated plate with his birthday details on it. Really near the waterfront went for a walk up to the marina afterwards.

Visited this place for Sunday lunch after a glorious dog walk with friends along the Essex coastal path. Great menu and great service. We’ll definitely be back 🤩

Popped in here with some friends on a trip to Burnham before going for a wander around the town and waterfront. Opted for mains and a drink, rather than a full meal. All nicely prepared, with fresh ingredients from a reasonably wide selection of choices,...

What a find this place is. Came here for a wedding. Rooms excellent, clean, neat with pleasant decor. Staff couldn't be more helpful. Put this one into your diary folks it's brilliant.

First time we visited this restaurant. Excellent service the staff were friendly and very helpful. The food was amazing. The decor was very tasteful. One of the best meals we have ever had. Would highly recommend it for a place to eat. Five stars ⭐️...

I first met my darling girlfriend on our first date at this amazing little gem. Every subsequent visit is just as amazing! The restaurant is impeccably clean and the food is simply sensational! There are always special offers on the board to entice one to...

Always a friendly welcome can be expected at the Oyster Smack...Delicious fresh cooked meals, tasty desserts and you're never rushed there's always time for a chat between yourselves and also with the staff. Can't recommend enough!

An internet search suggested that the Oyster Smack served some of the best oysters in Essex. This is wrong. It should have said that they serve some of the best oysters anywhere. The two of us shared a dozen Maldon fresh oysters as a starter,...

Wonderful food, wonderful drinks, wonderful staff. Having visited for a wedding we decided to spend the next day having lunch here, as it was my birthday. Had the mixed oysters and they were really tasty. Next course was the belly of pork and again, compliments...

Sunday 29/8/22 arrived at 16.30 table was ready, really. A Warm welcome, table 👌 we both had Roast pork + dessert , food was amazing! , then I ordered bread because the Jue needed moping up without anyone seeing lol ,felt really comfortable staff very...

It's a while since we last visited The Oyster Smack, and decided to rectify that with an Express Lunch. It was as previously a delightful experience. The liver and bacon was absolutely gorgeous but it was eclipsed by the "go to" dessert of homemade honeycomb...

The oyster Smack is a must visit for me when I am staying in Burnham On Crouch. The service is excellent and they always offer great choice with their drink, wine and food menu.

After spending forever looking for somewhere 'different' and 'nice' for a 70th Birthday meal, we happed upon some reviews of the Oyster Smack. Despite to 40min journey the menu looked too nice to pass up. We booked a table for 11 and at the last...

Decided to book The Smack for lunch myself and the family were more than grateful for the excellent air conditioning! The food was excellent along with the service and to be fair in comparison to a good number of eateries we have been to, excellent...

I would highly recommend ! This was one of, if not the best meal I have ever had. From starter to dessert, I cannot recommend it highly enough. The presentation, taste and portion sizes were perfect. The service was also spot on, being friendly, attentive...

Once again the Oyster Smack has treated my wife and I to a culinary delight. We had the pan fried salmon and spiced sweet potatoes, delicious. Service as always first class and they always seem pleased to see us. Looking forward to our next visit.

This is without doubt the best restaurant I have been to for vegan food. The choices were amazing and delicious. There was absolutely no compromise because you were vegan. Can’t wait to go there again.

Decided to have my birthday meal here as been a few times before and the food has always been sooo good. The staff are amazing and so friendly they really make you feel welcome. As always the meal was amazing and just made my birthday...

Visited for anniversary dinner 2nd July 2022. Charming and comfortable. Faultless and lovely food, very attentive and friendly staff. Even our picky teenagers had clean plates! Recommend

We went to the oyster Smack in Burnham on Crouch. We have a brilliant time the food was lovely. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Well worth a visit.

We booked here for an early Father’s Day meal and wasn’t disappointed, such Delicious food on offer and the service was great. Will definitely be returning.

Our son bought a gift voucher for this restaurant as a present. Great service, excellent food, restaurant exceptionally clean.

Awesome service awesome food. Great place. Go there now. We visit there as and when can As always the service of a fantastic

Recent family Sunday lunch at the Oyster Smack Lovely staff, that are welcoming and professional. Foods pretty good too .

Excellent! Hadn’t been here for a year or two and we were not disappointed. Staff who know what they are doing with great service, drinks served quickly order taken when we were ready and dinner turned up fresh cooked and tasty. Our friends hadn’t been...

We had a delicious meal, best I have had out in ages and what was so wonderful was the staff really knew about the menu and could answer all our questions and give recommendations. This makes such a difference. We were there on a very...