Tomassi's in Southend-on-Sea - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

As a pensioner, this is ideal for me. I don't feel intimidated coming to eat on my own and the food, especially the proper coleslaw is lovely. BUT PLEASE BRING BACK CHICKEN KIEV - I MISS IT

Classic dishes well cooked.Great service. Can't fault it.

Very good place, pleasant and calm atmosphere. Fast service. It was very tasty)))

Went for supper. Food was good but some items not available. I would recommend going for lunch rather than dinner as I suspect there would be more items available. I had liver and bacon. Very nice but would have liked a bit more liver. Also had the chocolate nut sundae which had LOADS of nuts, totally recommend it.

We were served by Ana ,she was rather abrupt Reached across us nearly spilt the soup.Seemed to be rushing to clear are plates before we Had finished eating Yes it was busy but felt like we were being rushed.

Cheap bad quality food. All cheap canned and pre-made ingredients used for cooking. Cappuccino was alright.

Ana was just amazing! Extremely accommodating for myself and my family (young boy). We'd spent the day at the beach and found this restaurant just before heading home on our 3.5hr journey. It was great to have something other than fish and chips as an option. The menu provided great options (including fish other than just cod). As my son was hungry, they brought the food out very quickly and amended the menu slightly to accommodate his diet. Ana checked in on us throughout the evening and made us feel comfortable, extremely friendly and made my son happy. We'll definitely return when we next visit Southend and maybe a little earlier. As we came just before closing, we didn't get to experience the restaurant within it's peak time.

Really lovely place to eat . Fabulous menu and great atmosphere

Usual speedy friendly service- sensibly priced good family cooking

This is two places, a café and a restaurant, there are different menus for each but you can order from both in the café. The food is good, plentiful, and good value for money. The staff are polite, prompt, and welcoming. The range of salads is definitely a highlight, and they're massive as well.

Very tasty, clean and cozy. A big plus - the staff knows Polish and Slovak. I recommend.

It says closed at 7pm, it was closed at 4:15pm. Thanks

As always: the best in Southend!

Fantastic here the service was very quick and friendly staff

It's an institution, fabulous place to eat

Food was very tasty, Anna that took our order was very friendly, funny, she definitely has a sense of humour too, nice place & cosy 😊 If you wanna eat a nice panini, jack potato in southend I recommend this place ✌️🤍

Absolutely 1st Class,Food,Service, And The Wonderful Waitress,Always Had A Smile On Her Face,,Didn't Get Your Name...Highly Recommended

cannot fault this what so ever my fav eating place xx

Didn't have desert, just dinner, little things were missing like asking what sauce for chips, enough napkins, speaking about specials. Maybe they just don't like cfas(come from aways) but other than the initial welcome, they seemed cold. Staff also seemed not to know where things were, telephone was ringing somewhere. They seem more orientated towards deserts so maybe that redeems it?

Popped in to the café yesterday for a bite to eat with our 2 small granddaughters, food was ok, waitress who served us was a hit miserable, ordered the 4 year old a jacket potato with cheese nothing else, got told I’d still have to pay the full price! Children’s drinks bottled apple juice at over £3 per bottle or J20, 2 scoops of ice cream over £5 pound each, spent £65 in less than an hour, I’m surprised that people queue for a table, sort out the attitude of the waitress and you’d probably be busier.

Really love coming here to eat , always end up having the skate it’s so nice! Lovely place for a three course meal. Only thing that lets it down is the toilets I don’t think they are very nice, seem a bit smelly.

Had high hopes going back to Tomassis after many years, but left very disappointed. We visited on a Sunday around lunchtime, was shown a table by a waitress who seemed less than happy. The menus on the table had little choice,jacket potato, sandwiches,or fry ups. I assumed this was an Italian restaurant as it used to be ?? No such thing,no pasta,no lasagne,no pizza. Ordered a toastie and a potato,both adequate. I looked forward to my decaf americano,until the waitress informed me to stay away from anything decaf as all they had was instant ( I do that at home) My wife ordered a latte with oatmilk,ended up with a 'mild latte flavoured drink' with essence of oatmilk but very watery, declined this and had it taken off the bill. We seemed to be in the middle of an argument between an annoyed server and a kitchen member, who was being told off whilst we were just 2 feet away. When we came to pay our bill,I asked the waitress if this was an Italian restaurant or not, she shrugged her shoulders and replied 'not really sure' !!!!! Tomassi's seems to have an older clientele,but seems more like a middle of the road cafe,but alas not a shining Italian as hoped. I wouldn't make a special journey here,not would I recommend!!!

Lovely place. Incredible sundae with kids.

The good: Location, staff accommodating, clean establishment. The bad: bland food, clearly not everything is freshly made to order , and expensive! Shame, as clearly locals love the place. Sorry we just think it was OK and nothing special.

Food was plain.we had sandwiches. It was on the thinnest bread and hardly any filling. The staff were more interested in the regular customer than us.The toilets were disgusting. Sticky floor .dirty walls and toilet paper on the floor .plaster with blood on the floor.

Lovely food the waitress service is very good Lovely and warm 😀

Great atmosphere, clean and friendly owner. We had full English Breakfast which was great. Nice coffee.

5 stars for the ice creams, 3 stars for the rest of the food (nothing wrong, but generic and nothing special). 100+ year old historic restaurant with extensive ice cream menu in sundae style. This place is one of my favourites for desserts. Especially recommend Italian black magick (the one with Italian cherries) and Chinese black magick, similar but with added candied ginger. They serve peroni. The venue is clean and pleasant, good courteous service.

Will visit again nice food food nice staff 🙂

so love this place. food always amazing and never disappoints. Great for a catchup. the fish and chips are the best 👌 👍 .

I always enjoy coming here to eat. The food is excellent, and the staff are always polite, and friendly.

I love this place, like many I've been coming since I was a child.

Food is excellent along with the service thus it is always very busy and a bit noisy.

Lovely roast dinner. Friendly staff. Very busy.

Tomassi's - I have been visiting this restaurant for a long time almost 30 + years, but for some reason never reviewed it. I think I'm well placed to leave an honest review. Good quality food. The menu hasn't changed much but that menu they do very well. The deserts are a main feature. Service is always friendly and polite. Prices remain very respectable. The atmosphere is always very good. Parking is at the rear and after 6pm is free. Facilities are clean and accessible for everyone. This is a very traditional restaurant which has run on a reputation for almost 70+ years and will always be one of my go places. I would highly recommend

Was very very impressed and with all the staff my cousins took me there today lovely meal from 3 of us. Back. Soon

They refused to serve us. They had a diabolical reaction to serving customers with allergies. It was a categorical ‘no’ and were pretty rude with it. Such an outdated, uninformed attitude in this day and age. The staff and owners need to educate themselves. If you do have allergies and you want an outstanding place to eat then head to Fish & Wish, who were welcoming, confident and courteous with the most wonderful food.

I was a cook at Tomassi's with Miguel a d José in 1972

Wednesday 18/10/23 waitress unusual accent. Pounced on as soon as we sat down “ What drink would you like“ Food ok is’h but what really got me was pot of tea issued with one Demerara sachet not to mention the price. On your own website you are showing two sachets of Demerara with a tea . You would think after trading since 1910 that parties concerned would realise that Demerara is for coffee and white sugar for tea or maybe a job lot of Demerara has been sourced. Toilets o.k !

Monday lunchtime, busy, great value and service, lovely food and smiley faces all around. 10/10

Lovely place with great history! Waitress was very attentive and welcoming. Food was good and decent portions. Regret not trying their famous ice creams!

Dreadful service and mediocre food. The waitress Anna was miserable and not at all helpful. We were not offered any condiments to go with our food or sugar to go with our coffee. I chose to visit this cafe as I used to go there with my Nan when I was a child and thought it would be nice to reminisce. My visit was very disappointing and we will not be returning.

I ordered the Full English breakfast and it was delicious 😋 Highly recommended it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Couldn’t find anything to moan about.

After a short wait we were shown to a table and then ignored. Lots of staff around but they seemed to concentrate on clearing tables. Other groups who were seated after us were served before us. We got up and left after about 15 minutes.

Food mediocre, not completely fresh. Fries fine. Service friendly, fast and well organised.

Visited on 09.08.23. This place was recommended by family members who have been coming here for many years. Queued to get in, was sat at the only table left whether we liked it or not. Had to ask for a menu. 30 seconds later was asked to order, told waitress "ANNA" was not ready yet. Was hounded by waitress to order. Finally ordered food and was not asked if we would like a drink, had to ask for a drink. Had main, dessert, tea and coffee. Whilst drinking tea and coffee the bill was put on the table, may have wanted something else but obviously ANNA" knew us better than we did. Whilst looking at my friends phone "ANNA" took my credit card off the table and tapped it to take the payment without asking. When has it ever been okay to take a person's card without their permission and take a payment. Tomassi's you need to sack her as she obviously cannot be trusted. Would of complained at the time but could only see a bunch of useless waitresses hanging about as if they had somewhere better to be. WILL NEVER BE COMING HERE AGAIN AND WILL NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE!!!!

Terrible especially if you have an allergy

We had our lunch, two Piccata Sicilians and one Grilled Gammon. It was delicious. Staff was helpful and warm welcoming. We had no waiting time. Had a nice table for three. Well decorated, clean and comfortable. Meal was quick and hot. Food was good for value. Nice place to dine in at Southend-on-sea. We were looking for a good restaurant all over the city, I think we got this the right choice. Enjoyed the meal. Highly recommended.

Had a family lunch (10 adults and 1 toddler) celebrating a family members 40th birthday. We couldn't fault the service, food and friendliness of the staff. A big thank you to all.

Very disappointed with this restaurant, me and my wife booked today Saturday 29th July for lunch at 14:00 and arrived at 13:50 pm to be told they were not ready and to go away by an elderly lady with poor bobbed haircut ,my wife was 7 months pregnant and totally shocked as we could clearly see there were empty tables, really glad we did walk away and did not come back as we found a better more pleasant place who deserved our money. Totally disgraceful you should be ashamed, I will keep well away from this place.

The food was fabulous, the staff were very helpful and welcoming, and there was a warm friendly atmosphere. I will definitely be going back here the next time I visit Southend.

Been coming here for over 40 years and this is the first time ever I've had a bad experience. Staff were great on greeting but our waitress with the curly haired Bob was awful 😖 only took our order for starters took ages to then take our main meal order. Sat ages just to eat our meal and when we asked if our order was going to be taken you would have thought we were making her go out of her way when it's her job. Three times I said no lemon as I have to carry an epi pen for severe Allergy and still got sliced lemon on my food. Like others have said they completely ignore food Allergy. I will only ever go back now if I'm desperate which is a real shame as I've been coming since I was a baby with my nan.

I been going to this restaurant since the 60s, but the last few times the food had been very poor, taste like cheap ding meals . Waitress r lovely and helpful food very disappointed will not be returning

Always had a good experience here but yesterday the service was so slow that myself and another diner went up to the counter to order but still had to wait for table service. Despite three waiting staff, priority was given to cleaning displays and tables despite not being busy. Took 50 minutes to get and pay for a cold drink, sandwich and an ice cream sundae.

Always a friendly smile to greet you.

Mediocre food with a massive markup, not a fan at all.

We absolutely loved Tomassi restaurant, the food was lush , and the staff members I think now are our friends, will definitely come back when we are next staying in Southend on sea.

Fabulous food and service and restaurant area. The only thing that I felt let you down was your toilets bit smelling not checked and unisex I think keep toilet separate mens and ladies only

Really niceaamd staff who managed to get us in even though we had no reservation on a busy evening. Really nice food served quickly. Nice, quiet and private booths.

The food was terrible. Fish was supposed to come grilled but instead it was soaked in oil. Skate was also full of butter. No seasoning at all. 15 mins waiting for card machine to pay.

Tomassi's is a Southend institution. The ice cream and sundaes are the speciality of the house. This is a pleasant place to enjoy the ices, a light bite or a meal. The people are friendly and efficient. Will definitely keep coming back.

Beautiful setting, friendly staff, incredibly tasty food! Had dinner with the family. There’s something on the menu for all ages, all palates. • The potatoes in the below photo are the tastiest potatoes I’ve ever tasted, so soft, so buttery, yet they don’t fall apart! They melt off your tongue • Their take on the Caesar salad is creatively delicious, generous, and healthy • The perfectly cooked steak can’t be faulted and while I avoid desserts anywhere I dine, I did shamelessly devour their “mystical macaroon” and that will be the first and last time I have any dessert. It was really good, too good for my taste but I understood why people eat them. I’m hoping walking a few extra miles will help me feel better about breaking my no dessert rule, but glad I tried it. Thanks for the wonderful service!

I don't get to this restaurant as often as I would like. Love the food, good selection and good value. Happy, friendly staff, great service.

we hadn't booked , as a party of 7 we were lucky that they arranged tables so they could accommodate us. The food is very fresh and delicious and is really reasonably priced, service was very good too, certainly no complaints.

Really enjoyed the food and service and atmosphere. It was a quiet time of the day and chose the fish and chips. It was very good. Loved the touch of the seasoning on the lemon wedge. When sprinkled the parsley also drips on the fish. The fish was lightly battered. I had a jacket potato and I love that I had that option. It was fantastic! The chips were good too. Also had the ice cream. It was the chocolate one with nuts. Also lovely and well presented. Will be going back for sure.

I am absolutely disgusted with the attitude I received towards my severe nut allergy. Firstly their menu stated that all their food/ drinks/ ice cream contained nuts or peanuts which is very misleading and untrue. Then when I made the waitress aware of my nut allergy I was told that they do not like serving people with severe nut allergies. Also she said that ‘there is nuts everywhere’ which implies that they are unhygienic and have no regard for people with allergies. Every other place I have been to always cater for those with allergies… i did not ask to be born with a nut allergy and see this as discriminative behaviour. For those with any allergies I would not recommend.

A decent cafe, a little wait but they got us in within 5 minutes, food came quick and the panini’s were really good. Drinks were good too, but a little expensive at £3.25 for a juice. Overall good atmosphere, nice staff and decent food!

Went here for lunch booked a table. Food was lovely. The customer service however was rude. Being rushed off our table and told our table was booked for someone else at 2pm. We were not told we had a table for a amount of time . Bill put on table while being given coffee and then brought the card machine to pay before finishing our drinks. While putting our coats on the people who were at our table after us were told to sit down before we left.

Loved it, great food and atmosphere!

On the day me and the misses went in really had a good time the service was very quick and hot

Monday noon and a steady stream of diners arriving...always a good sign. Clean and airy cafe. Impressive full menu but also a quick bite menu. And a huge dessert selection (so many ice creams!) If you fancy a quick bite I'd recommend a panini or the full English brunch. Service was prompt and cheerful.

How can I start off.......well when I lived in the area I would take my two little girls to Tomassi's not so much for a treat but because I wanted to go there. It was always a cut above the rest, a safe friendly place I distinctly remember Mr & Mrs Tomassi dining upstairs and the two girls hassling them. Now my youngest is 24 and has a 4 month I just felt it right to take my little girls back and it was like slipping into your bestest, comforting jumper. Absolutely fantastically magical what a brilliant time with great staff and out of this world food also great value. Thank you for surviving & 100yrs strong, this will now be our once a month experience. Update to the latter Tomassi's is an absolute Gem, so many years & visits I cannot fault it. The service is and always was impeccable, I seriously love the atmosphere & the food/menu added a few more photos of how relaxed my granddaughter was.

Excellent place to eat, staff very friendly and food great.

The food was very good and the dessert was delicious we went for valentine’s Day and it was really nice staff was really nice and friendly.

Party of 8 of us at 2pm on a Saturday Nothing special, staff not very assertive, chicken over cooked, scampi was OK but too many chips just to fill the plate, lasagne was ok. It was the anniversary of a family member passing so did not want to make a fuss and complain. Under normal circumstances I would have. Those who had a desert said they were lovely and coffee was good too.

Lovely food, very friendly staff! I used to come to Tomassi's with my grandparents when I was a small boy over 50 years ago! I hadn't been since i was about 13 as I used to visit them from Brighton with my parents. It's been a long time but it's still brilliant at Tomassi's. It opened in1932 the same year my mum (who was from Southend originally) was born. Would highly recommend, can't wait to go back. You have to try a Sundae, go for the famous Knickerbocker Glory!

A large and very pleasant restaurant/cafe which has been popular for many years. I ordered fried plaice with French fries. Portion was modest but plenty for me. Food quality was good. Waitreses are pleasant and efficient- the place is well run. A great place for lunch or early dinner

The food was excellent and the service swift and friendly. A lovely lunch.. Oh and the sundaes were exceptional, made with ice cream churned on the premises 😋

Always great food and lovely staff

I have been going to this restaurant for 50 plus years. Originally on opposite side of the road. I always found it excellent in every possible aspect i.e. food, service, cleanliness, management etc. However, now that Southend has achieved City status, the High Street is more like the ghetto! Remember Keddies, Dixons, Offredis etc! It seems that Tomassis has unfortunately deteriorated with it. Just had an afternoon coffee in the Coffee Shop. Coffee was good. No cakes or pastries in sight. Expected dainty sandwiches with no crusts, generous filling, and choice of bread. Got 2 "door stops" straight from fridge. Solid and unappetising. Scant spread and filling. Very disappointing. OK a cold Winter's day, not the height of Summer when it might be more lively, but not a patch on previous experiences. I really hope that Tomassis will regenerate after pandemic, cost of living crisis etc.

Great experience as always. Had the sausage and hash and vegetarian brunch, all cooked well. Lovely ice cream desserts too.

I went to that place yesterday with 4 other persons and got disappointed as the table was not properly cleaned to start with. Also, the waitress was rude and unwelcoming. Poor experience.

Went there for the first time. As usual she asked us how many of us so we said 4 adult and one child and high chair is not required. So she went and came back within 5 min and we got a seat. Once we started to ordered a friend of mine only ordered a dessert to share with her husband as it was around 3pm andthe rest of us oreded 3 main and one dessert. This waitress was very rude and making her and us feel really embarrassed as she said 'next time if you want to only order desserts she should take a seat at the other side of restaurant'. So 3 of us want to want to eat and 2 just want dessert. That's ridiculous!!! Unasseptable behaviour as she was trying to say something to her work colleague at the back and they were all looking at our table. First of all no one ever ask us before they sat us down what we are going to have and we did not demand where we should be seated. It's not our fault if we got a seat there and secondly 3 of us want to eat lunch and 2 had lunch already so only dessert. So are we supposed to split into two different section within the restaurant???? That make no sense to!!! That experience made us felt insulted embarrassed. Never again.

Staff not very friendly. Asked to wait outside the shop whilst it is raining until seating is found when I had a year old in a push chair

Good food and friendly staff. They tend to overheat their panninis making them hard.

they wont let you in if you got a food algae food was not good waitresses very poor give it a wide birth

Have been to tomassis a few times and it is consistently very good. Normally have the mixed grill and jacket potato which is always lovely but had the shepherds/cottage pie, cauliflower cheese and peas and carrots. Lovely and warming and huge portion. The Italian black magic dessert is to die for but had banana split. Banana was black in places and overripe. Florida cocktail was superb. Very enjoyable. Server was great and warm and welcoming atmosphere and decor.

It has been a five star treasure in this city for so many years that it almost goes without saying. But still a pleasure to find it is as good as ever.

I have eaten here a lot of times over the years and the staff are friendly and food is very good. You will find Tamassis at the end of the high street near the seafront.

The service was excellent but POOR quality of food.

Brilliant absolutely fantastic food and service...good size portions unlike most Italian restaurants. Recommend every time.

Unfortunately I would have said its not even worth one star but I will give that due to the staff being very friendly and it having a pleasant and cozy atmosphere..... However, the food is another story, Meat overcooked and tasted very cheap. Whipped cream was harder than usual more like clotted cream and was warm, had no taste either. Prawns tasted ok ish. Unfortunately later on that night me and my partner ended up ill from what I would only put down to cross contamination and we still are not right now, I will be making a formal complaint and taking this further, avoid at all costs!

Best food always nicely presented and very fresh great choice of seafood too

Very dissapointing, food was tepid and uniformly orange regardless of what dish it was supposed to be ! The chicken chasseur was appalling. Maybe the fish & chips would be a safer choice.? Wont be visiting again

One of the oldest Italian restaurants around with a great traditional feel. It’s a very impressive feat to have been trading for so long in the area and is testimony to how great the food is. I really love the pizzas here. Excellent service and a great location. I’ll be back to try more of the menu when I’m next in town

very nice restaurant, enjoyed a lovely sunday roast. Waitresses polite and very helpful. food was good

We had evening meal at Tomassi's this weekend. It was, as usual, a v enjoyable meal and good value. We were found a table in the main restaurant on this v busy Saturday evening and the service was v good. We have been there several times in the past and remain impressed by the politeness, friendliness of the staff and the hard work they put in; it definitely stands out. The food is always very good - two really nice salads, drinks and a starter for £25. I would certainly recommend.

Skate, I love Skate, and I was so happy to see it on the menu here. Fantastic I really enjoyed it

Excellent food. Friendly staff. We went on Tuesday for our anniversary. We have been going for over 10 years. Highly recommended.