Ugo's Cafe Bar in Southend-on-Sea - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great as always… beer & pizza, perfection!

We have come here twice in the last month and have to say the food itself is banging. The pizzas are amazing and always perfectly fresh- the anchovy garlic bread is to die for. The thing that constantly lets them down is service. Both times we have come we have made it clear we want something as a starter (burrata and garlic bread on respective occasions) but it’s always come out with/after the pizzas… if you don’t do starters why don’t you say that and just say it will come together? Both occasions we went early evening (4-5pm) when there was max 5 tables- service was still slow. On the most recent occasion when we ordered our drinks we asked for a glass of ice, that never arrived, when our food arrived asked another member of staff the same thing and it didn’t arrive so went to the bar mid meal where both staff members were just standing and barely got an acknowledgment. They don’t check back on your food if it’s okay and when we had ‘finished’ (we left half as we wanted to take it home) just went to take the plates without actually asking if we were done or how it was. I’m a waitress myself locally so am very sympathetic as I understand when you are busy things can be forgotten but there was 3 floor staff for 5 tables and yet still service was dire. I hope the service improves because the food is good and that’s half the battle. We will probably stick to takeaway from here so I can get more of that garlic bread!

We love Ugo’s it’s the best restaurant in Leigh ! Great food and lovely staff .

Absolutely buzzing, and lovely staff.. Great food..

First class food especially as in genuine pizza wood oven

Great pizza, best in the area and great service. Highly recommended

Ellie and colleagues looked after us brilliantly!

A fantastic meal, great atmosphere and amazing negronis. Some of the best pizza ever and really lovely service!

Very good pizza in proper European standard

Best pizzas I have ever tasted, perfect service and fantastic staff, plus £5 superb Negroni cocktail! 10 stars **********

Great pizzas but the service was absolutely dreadful. We watched the kitchen fulfil a load Deliveroo/Uber/whatever orders before our pizzas were even made. We waited 45 minute for our pizzas.

Best pizza in town, we love it here! Will come again soon 🤩

Average pizzas from a limited menu. Maybe needs a bit of variety.

My absolute favourite place for pizza. We always go here when I visit my dad in Leigh and it never disappoints. The pizzas are amazing! Base and toppings are perfect. I love having the chilli honey drizzled top. Other dishes are fab too; the meatballs and prawns are a must! I only wish they would open up a second Ugos in Brentwood as none of the pizzas on offer here are any where near the standard or deliciousness of Ugos.

Always a great place for popping in for a drink or a delicious pizza. Staff are great, and very helpful and friendly

Great food and service! A lovely evening :)

Pizza base has lots of taste and flavour.

Fabulous Melanzana Parmigiana and garlic bread. Also enjoyed the organic rose wine which comes in a carafe.

Great food and really friendly service. Would highly recommend

Always good, super relaxing on a sunday

Great garlic bread and pizzas enjoyed by the whole family.

Coming from an Italian family, i can honestly say these were the best pizza’s we’ve eaten here in the UK. Ugo’s has alot of history in leigh and i would recomend it in a heart beat. The vibe has always been good. I can promise you it will not disappoint

The best pizza ever! Thank you!

Amazing fresh food and friendly staff. Always happy to visit

Was quite nice, not the best pizza I've had but still a very good one, would recommend

This is the best pizza I have had since being in Napoli

Great pizza, service and atmosphere :).

One of the best pizzas in the area. Drinks are on the more expensive side and it can lack in atmosphere. When visiting recently it was very hot inside, maybe due to the sun and the pizza oven, just something to be aware of. There are a few tables outside and we managed to get a table on the day without booking for Saturday lunchtime.

Always so delicious. Best pizza and lovely atmosphere. Thank you Ugos.

Best pizza in Essex, great little restaurant! Always great service and even better pizza!

I like Ugo's and their food is very good, I just wish the drinks were 20% cheaper !

A lovely independent pizzeria. Having moved to Leigh a couple of years ago from London, we now order from here regularly, either as a takeaway or eating in. Easily the best pizza in Leigh on Sea, and would compete with the best I’ve eaten anywhere, including across Italy.

We had a our 8 month old with us and the staff were all really lovely and helpful

Great staff Great food Great service

£3 surcharge for non-dairy cheese 🙁 Otherwise, good pizza and friendly staff

The seating/chairs felt a bit cheap/unaccomodating. Our order was taken but was subsequently lost - the staff were apologetic a kindly offered to remove a pizza from the bill as an apology which was nice. The sides/starters were SUPER nice and tasty. However when the main order came one of the pizza's were wrong - potentially in a rush to get the order, re-ordered, WE could've ordered wrong.. but we'd waited so long we couldn't be bother to get it corrected again.. Empty glasses/bottles were never removed from the table for the whole duration of our visit, so our table was very cluttered. The staff were not very attentive with drink orders. Dips were generous in size which is a plus - normally places are really stingey with sauces! There was A LOT of things missing from the menu. A lot of drinks and Desserts which was disappointing. Plus we had to flag down the staff to order dessert. Sadly would not revisit despite the food being very good

Nice. Love the pizza and not my first visit by a long way

A black haired worker about 6’1ish was extremely rude the whole night and I have now come to the conclusion he is the reason for my outbreak of herpes. I had heard good things about ugos from friends and me and hubby were excited to attend. Upon exiting our new Mercedes benz (in public parking, Can you believe it!) we walked in the restaurant with high hopes, these hopes were inevitably crushed. We were shown to our table where I ordered the “Stan wick cran with shrimp” it arrived and I must say I was not pleased. The cheese was plastic and tasted like old rubber the dough was to be frank undercooked and caused long nights of pain including my bosoms. Furthermore the food was cold and I had to ask for it to be reheated. We left and fled as soon as possible. Unfortunately the unkind gentleman (who to be frank looks underaged) that’s served me was a walking minefield. Spots galore. After eating my meal and leaving the morning after I was awoken to cold sores on my mouth. I will be in contact with my lawyer.

Popped in for a bite to eat and the place was empty apart from one table. Ordered my food and four other groups of people arrived after us. Was waiting for our food to arrive and noticed all of the four other groups who arrived after us all had their food served within 30 minutes of us being there. I went up to ask why everyone else had been served their food and we hadn't, and they said they 'forgot to print a ticket so the order hadn't gone through'. Without any immedidate iniative to resolove the issue and no heartfelt apology I no longer felt like dining there so I told them I had to leave soon and to cancel my order (which ironically didn't need cancelling). I was then asked if I'd like the bill to pay for my coffee lol. Great service guys...

Always a great experience. Great pizza. Great service. Great fun.

Best Pizza Ever! P Dog Central 🪩🥂💥

We arrived at 5pm. Food was great and at that time who cares about the atmosphere.

Delicious Neopolitan-style pizza and very friendly service.

Simply stellar pizza, a bonanza of authentic flavours, fresh ingredients, and mouth watering options. This is the best pizza in Essex, no contest. Prices are fair, food was served promptly, and you can even ask for customisation that isn't on the menu. You absolutely can't miss this one!

Really good authentic pizza,was just passing and the place looked lovely and relaxing from outside and it didn't disappoint! The staff were friendly and attentive the service was quick and the pizza was fantastic. Would highly recommend.

Done a takeaway tonight and I must say.. best pizza in the area!! The restaurant looked great!

Our server Ava was wonderful! The pizza was brilliant and tasted so authentic. Lovely restaurant and good location just off the broadway

With every bite I was transported all over Italy, the first one took me to Naples, half way in, Milan was tingling and Rome brought it home on the crust with that chilli honey & garlic dip. Magical place. Highly recommend!

17 of us went here for a work meal last night and the guys were awesome. All the meals (starter, main, desert) all came out in a quick fashion, and drinks were kept topped up frequently. Always love a meal at Ugos, the quality of the pizzas are immense, and the flavour toppings are terrific (prosciutto rocket & pepperoni honey are my personal favourites) - but the service is also, always exceptional. Fantastic evening, thank you very much.

Great service and even better pizza!

Had lunch there today and met the owner James,I can honestly say the pizzas are incredible,James has so much passion for creating the best experience, and this really shines through in the pizzas. Having worked abroad in italy and getting to enjoy some really great pizza,I am very particular about where I can enjoy them over here in the UK.Im very lucky this place is local to me,however I'd drive hours even if it wasn't just because of the quality of the pizza. Best pizza place this side of Tuscany.

Literally the best pizza in Leigh. My go to is always the pepperoni honey. Oh and get the garlic dip too for the crusts! Game changer! 👍🏻

The best pizza in town! After recently moving to the area, I’ve had multiple people recommend Ugos to me. I had the hot honey pizza and it was superb! The service and speed was impeccable, I’ll definitely be returning ASAP

Absolutely brilliant pizzas, love that they have kids pizzas too - only downside is the additional charge for vegan cheese even when swapping over with dairy, it’s a £3 supplement which is pretty steep/unnecessary.

The best pizzas in town and well priced cocktails that you can't really get in many places. Ugos offers unique food and drink. It's become a favourite for me and my wife. The £5 Negroni is particularly good for me, and my wife loves the chilli honey cocktail.

Ordered takeaway pizza from here. The pizza was delicous, however the dip I ordered was missing (so check the order). I will be eating in the restaurant next time!

Best pizza I've had in a while! Delicious, full of quality ingredients, and cooked in a real oven! £5 Negroni as well, OMG.

Great pizza, great service/staff and always a great atmosphere

Do not go here if you have a gluten intolerance. I took my pizza loving children who did love it. And the pizza is amazing. Definitely 5 star pizza. But for my gluten free husband Ugos options were poor and over priced. This is the first place we've eaten where the options without gluten were so bad.

Awesome vegetarian pizzas - just brilliant bases, best sauces and really tasty toppings. The team were very welcoming and looked after us throughout our dinner.

What fabulous pizza….the best I’ve ever had! They were really busy but the service was still great. A really buzzing atmosphere but not too loud that you couldn’t hear. Highly recommend!

Probably the best pizza I've had in England. Cooked to perfection.

I don’t want to be too negative as I’ve had pizza delivered from here several times that’s great that I’ve not reviewed but unfortunately the dining in experience doesn’t match up. Tonight myself and my two young kids arrived at 5.40 and ordered 3 pizzas, after 30min realised that a table that arrived later than us were being served, in fairness the waitress saw this and promptly looked into and apologised for the error and assured me we’d be seen to next and that my kids pizzas wouldn’t be charged. This was sufficient for us but again another table was then served ahead of us and when the pizzas arrived only the kids were ready and then when all 3 were finally done it turned out they’d gotten one of the kids wrong. By this point it had been nearly an hour and whilst I appreciate the gesture when we got home the pizzas had clearly been rushed to get out as weren’t cooked anywhere near to standard we’d been used to previously and some of toppings were underdone.

Delicious pizza, nice drinks, nice atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to others

We got delivery to home which arrived exactly when specified, and was very tasty. Chewy, sour, crusty dough with generous toppings … just like pizza should be.

Nice place, busy so best to book. Good pizza, and easy to see it being cooked in the wood oven. Good value for money. Better than other pizza places in the area.

This place really is the best pizza in town! And we’ve tried them all, but Ugo’s just smashes it! The tomato base is so tasty and the toppings are so fresh and authentic. We have the vesuvio and the pepperoni/honey pizzas which were Devine. And the burrata, wow. All I can say is you must try it for yourself! We will be back very soon!

Great pizza, 3rd time eating here and the food has always been top notch. friendly efficient service, decent pint of pale.

First time here as a pizza restaurant. Went with friends and its was very nice. Just a couple of negatives, we sat at the back and it' was rather dark I couldn't read the menu. Had to use torch on my phone to see it. Just a tiny bit more light would have been great and I ordered the mushroom and prosciutto pizza which looked lovely the only downside was the ham was very salty. I wouldn't order that again one but I would return. Staff were great. Thank you.

I love the food here, have been several times. Most of the time the service is lovely too! The pizza dough is to die for as they use what I believe is sour dough which is my favourite. I cannot fault the food or setting. The only reason I have not give it 5 stars is because on one occasion that i have been the service was not great. The girls were having more private conversations behind the bar rather than serving us and they also forgot to put our order through. We then did not get our food until nearly 10pm so we then felt rushed to eat it. No apology or acknowledgement given. The only reason I know they forgot is because I heard the girls say it to each other behind the bar. Since then I have been again and am going again this week so I assume it was just due to a busy night. Cant wait for my pizza!

So it's the second time I've picked up a pizza for collection at the time they suggest and it's cold and hardly any meat toppings I had pepperoni before very few and here with the sausage I've paid £15 for a brocoli pizza and it's mainly crust look at the bread left over I paid for pizza not a load of bread never again

Pizza like in Italy! Will be back for sure ! Great place in Leigh for lunch / evening out! Nice stuff ,good prices!

Pizza was good, probably best you can get in that area. Lacking a bit of topping in my view especially the cheese. Service was a bit slow but on relaxing Sunday I was not too bothered.

burnt pizza, lack of filling will not be going back. Excellent , attentive staff, good quality beer.

Unfortunately, it's not a bar anymore

Went for an early lunch. Service was great. Pizza cooked almost in front of us in the restaurant. Great food.

Before being a pizza bar, they did great food anyway - now it’s next level. Best pizza in Southend, no contest I’m afraid! High quality ingredients and a good variety of options on the menu, friendly service and owners with a good selection of beers on tap and other drinks. Highly recommend - always busy, because the food holds up every time.

Some of the best pizza in the area. Second only to its sister restrain Irmas.

We are not big on takeaways - partly because they are generally pretty unhealthy but also because of the cost. However, we’ve had a few takeaway pizzas from Ugo’s recently and tonight we had pizza, salad and a burrata. The quality of every ingredient was top notch and everything was cooked to perfection/super fresh. Portion sizes were very generous too. It’s great to have somewhere local that is consistently good that we are happy to use when we want the odd night off cooking! 10/10 Ugos x

Really disappointing. Pizza was undercooked in the middle. Went for one of the most expensive ones (Ragu) it tasted okay but was dry/barely had any topping but with cheese that wasn’t cooked through. My guest’s pizza was cheaper but was similarly lacking in topping and had lumps of undercooked mozzarella. Perhaps they didn’t bother trying with us as they thought we were tourists. We are locals and will not be coming back. Pleasant enough staff… but it took an age to get the attention of the two waitresses in order to pay - they were busy chatting and didn’t wish to stop.

Incredible pizza. I had the vesuvio and this was outstanding, cooked right in front of you in wood fired oven. Nice vibe inside very relaxed. Would highly recommend

Pizza’s were nice, but did lack toppings. No complaints for the dessert, however service wasn’t particularly good. Staff were friendly but not attentive whatsoever. Felt like 75 % of the time in Ugo’s was spent waiting to be served or plates/glasses to be cleared. They were mostly chatting in a group by the bar for long periods. We had were forced to collar waitresses many times as we were waiting for so long. It was evident to see other tables had a similar experience. Based on this, I’m reluctant to return.

We’ve been eating at Ugo’s for a while and like to visit regularly. Unfortunately, over the past 6 months or so it has really gone downhill, and our most recent visit in August was so disappointing we won’t be back. The pizzas took over 30 min to arrive (although the restaurant was empty) and they were not up to the standard of what used to be a great pizza place. The owner of the restaurant was also there and seemed to be outwardly grumpy with the staff and they seemed afraid of her, which is also what made us too uncomfortable to complain in person.

Young but brilliant team! We came here for a nice and easy meal whilst walking through LOS (Leigh-on-Sea😉). The Chef that is very tall with brown hair was a true born chef - great lad!

A mish mash of a dining experience… I’m not sure who are the proprietors of this place are but apparently it’s Emma and James ? As employers please don’t put a load of teenage kids in the firing line with little or no experience in the restaurant business.. it’s embarrassing on your part as the owners and only dents the confidence of the kids you employ. You were not to be seen anywhere… We ordered starters that were not delivered until 25 minutes later… Following the starters the mains (pizzas) were delivered to our table 20 odd minutes later.. the pizzas had the majority of ingredients ‘dumped’ into the middle of the pizza .. the middle was soggy and the outside of them semi burnt.. we didn’t complain to the the waitresses as they seemed so stressed already .. we also ordered a couple of glasses of wine that got served to us in tumbler’s and not wine glasses … we questioned can we have wine glasses.. the response was that we’re too busy to wash up the wine glasses.. come on guys you can do far better. It’s a lot of money for a poor dining experience

Take-away order for one Prosciutto Rocket. Margherita with prosciutto, rocket, parmesan & basil oil for 13,50 £. When i arrived home i found a pizza with 2 micro piece of prosciutto And full of acid basil oil. Not what i expect for 13,50 £ meal

Best pizza at Ugo’s!! Amazing choice of pizzas and drinks! Leigh is lucky to have you!

I've left two stars as the first young lady who helped me was charming and helpful, and so was the bloke. I went for a pizza, but being on my own thought better of it, and asked if it was too late to cancel. The blonde lady (she may have been the manager), then told me "maybe you should think before you order something". Yes, that is true, HOWEVER, I asked if it was too late to cancel, and I wasn't bothered about the money. Her attitude was quite rude, abrupt, and had I the time, I'd have made a complaint.

Had lunch here with husband and 4 year old daughter. The small pizza for our daughter was a great size (with some take-home leftovers!). We had a pizza each, and shared the meatballs and garlic bread starters. The food was perfect. The flavours in the meatballs and sauce were just gorgeous. The service was lovely and friendly and attentive. Can't fault them.

The pizza is good. Not classic Napolitan though

Used to be great. Gone a bit shabby. Chef using phone and making pizza. Hygiene ???

What a brilliant idea for Ugo's to change their previous business to a welcoming pizzeria and to offer proper quality wood fired Neapoletan pizza! The menu is extensive with a choice of good starters and a long list of pizzas (+choice of great toppings). Had the Gamberi, a white pizza (=no tomato base sauce) with wood fired prawns and it did not disappoint! Pizza had the expected pillowy, chewy crust lined by a series of dark charred spots (as it should) and carried a remarkable flavor. BIG PLUS: only pizzeria around the area that stock Ichnusa (Sardinian) beer! Just for that reason and for not drinking another Peroni, the restaurant deserves 5 stars! 😂🍻 Service very attentive and friendly.

Went in for a few drinks on a Saturday late afternoon. Wasn’t busy, the tables which were empty were filled with empty glasses and bottles. Had to ask the waitress to take our order. She said yes, then 10 mins later no sign. Asked again. Took our order then she walked off without clearing our table. When I raised with the staff I was told they had ‘a really busy lunchtime’ - given it was now late afternoon I didn’t see what this had to do with anything. Service and attentiveness leaves a lot to be desired, would advise they invest in some proper staff training. Really need to up their game I’m afraid

Was shown to our table, waited for over half an hour, nobody even approached us to take an order in that time. Waiting staff not rushed but spent most of their time standing by the Pizza cooking area. We left.

If you're looking for an Italian pizza, here's the best pizza in town. That's it.

Wow! Wonderful attentative service, deliciously tasty food. Had the Garlic bread, twice I must confess it was that nice. Normal pizza and some spicy prawns, forget the name but wife loved them and would have eaten a bigger bowl ;). Noticed a comment regarding the changes post lockdown, all I can say is kudos to this family business for standing up and evolving to the new now. By the sounds of what it was like previously I am sure the food would have been just as tasty but having drinkers flowing in out and then swaying in out would have put my family and I off. Not having this atmosphere brought me to you so keep making changes that you as the business knows best better serve those that wish to enjoy what you have to offer, after all anyone can by a bottle of what you may have and taste the same at home, but what we can not do is buy a pizza, garlic bread x2 and have that taste the same. Again, thank you and we will be back! 🤘

I must say, being a longtime local I was originally disappointed when Ugo's first changed from being the chic all-day bar/restaurant to solely focus on serving pizzas (because like most, I loved the curly fries amongst other menu staples at the time). That said, what Ugo's has become is nothing far from perfection. I genuinely do not think that other pizzas even come close to what Ugo's does for this particular Napoletana style. I can't say I've ever had a bad pizza and the sheer choice has enabled me to choose something different almost every time I go (although the Vesuvio is a firm favourite of mine!). Keep doing what you're doing Ugo's although if you fancy increasing the quantity of the chilli honey dip that would be appreciated. Just under half a pot for £2 is borderline daylight robbery... but, it is quite possible the best crust dip I've had.

I have been going to Ugos for years, it has always been my favourite place for a drink. I must be honest I don't think it is as good as it used to be since changing to a 'Pizza' restaurant, however went there with friends for drinks and something to eat. The menu is definitely not as good as it used to be, but it still looked like it was ok, Wrong!! it was quite honestly awful, I had meatballs followed by a Pizza, the meatballs were tasteless and only lukewarm and the Pizza was soggy. The whole group had the same opinion awful awful food, we wont ever be going back. What a shame that such a great bar has ended up like this.

Two stars given because the staff were friendly, ordered their most expensive pizza under recommendation from the chef, pizza arrived and it was the soggiest, greasiest pizza i’ve ever had. It had so much oil on top of it the United States were thinking about invading. Wouldn’t go back for food again.

We love Ugos. Fantastic neopolitan style pizzas with a great choice of interesting toppings. What really makes this restaurant is the attentative friendly staff and cosy, romantic yet fun ambiance.