Ye Olde Smack in Southend-on-Sea

Great location and good hospitality , Francis was an excellent host who really looked after us and the other guests , he worked hard and made the whole experience special.

Amazing night And especially Francis he make our night so Friendly and amazing service definitely we come back Much love

Love coming to this pub, always such a great atmosphere. The bar staff are always friendly no matter how busy it is, Especially Greame, who is super attentive and always has a smile On his face.

Great pub great food and drinks - great staff. Graeme Donnelly behind the bar really looked after us - will definitely go back again !

Brilliant service again thank you to Graeme our barman who made us feel welcome. Love this place such a great atmosphere.

Great place for food and drinks. One of the nicest pub in Leigh.

Best pub in Essex by far! Amazing food Amazing atmosphere and super friendly staff 👌

Lovely place to visit winter or summer…cosy and friendly.

Absolutely amazing pub, great atmosphere and live music for the cherry on top

January, we sat outside on the terrace one of those rare January days where the sun was shining , the tide was up , big ships were sailing past and it was hard to imagine ANYWHERE, you would rather be, a few beers or Proseccos ,..paradise, people Moan about the winter button a day like today it was heaven on earth. Lovely place this nice people whats not like and so close to home ,we felt as if we were on holiday!. Highly recommended.

I’ve been here countless times over the last 20 years, and before the pandemic, this was a favourite of mine for food. Sadly, my recent experience has changed to a negative point. The prices have increased significantly, but the food quality was not up to its usual reputation. The food was warm at best, but the steaks were very chewy and void of flavour. The portion sizes have also significantly decreased, and it’s no longer worth the money. The staff also didn’t take away our plates till after we’d left; so we were sat with dirty plates for the entirety of our stay. The positive points is that it’s dog friendly. Fine for drinks, but until there’s been a solution to the smaller portion sizes, expensive costs of the food and an improvement of food quality, then I won’t be eating here.

Lovely charming place right at the sea with a sea view if you catch the tables up front wich isn’t a problem in January 😉 Service is really friendly too

The pub felt very inclusive on arrival with families, dogs & babies etc But the food menu definitely wasn’t The options for Gluten Free are not existent on the menu and nothing is labelled with GF or wheat free symbols. You can ask at the bar when ordering but the staff knowledge is very poor and also the guy that served me rolled his eyes and huffed as I asked him questions. And when the food arrived my sons meal at no surprise came incorrectly and had to be sent back If you have any allergen to foods this is not the place for you to eat. Would not use again 1. due to options available and 2. Lack of interest's to help from staff

We pre-booked a festive lunch for our work Christmas lunch. When we arrived, the barman just looked at us. We said we’d come for our pre-booked lunch. He pointed to a table in the corner and said sit over there. So we sat for 30 minutes and no one came with our food. We went to the bar and got told they don’t do table service and we have to order at the bar. But we had pre-booked our food online and paid £20 deposit. Eventually they understood and went to cook our food . Another 30 mins past and the price of drinks were extortionate. The tables were old worn and shoddy . No effort made for Christmas lunches . Not even a table cloth or cracker. The toilets were even less desirable , no locks on doors and looked like a few punch ups had gone on in there. The food came and it was lovely. Then we went to pay and they didn’t know how to split the bill. We stood for about 40 mins while the man worked out how to use the till. In the end one of us paid, but they didn’t not take off my £20 deposit and said it would be refunded to my card , which they swiped. A few hours later I get a call asking me to go in to collect £20 cash. I was long gone by then as it’s a 30-40 minute drive from me. I have had no time to go and get it and why should I when diesel and parking would cost nearly £20. I have emailed them to ask for them to refund to my card and had no reply. Let’s just say the service was so shocking that I won’t be going back.

Lovely pub with a great atmosphere

We have been to the smack twice lately and on both occasions we have received excellent and friendly service- especially from Graham; who, even after the kitchens were closed one time , snuck in and found me a much appreciated dessert ! I can heartily recommend the Smack’s own Ale ( which Graham also steered me towards). Food was great, views are lovely - we watched the sun set over the water while we finished our drinks. Top notch!

Great Pub- come here all the time with friends and never had a bad experience- really great service, especially from Graeme, lovely to chat to and a great bartender!! and the atmosphere is amazing. Couldn’t recommend enough- the Smack is one of the best pubs in leigh!!!! :)

Great venue to hold get togethers for occasions. We celebrated a friends engagement the service was amazing as was the food. Definitely recommend!

I was with you Saturday we ordered food to our table and drinks, which was great then we then ordered ore drinks from our table, then two more of our group turned up we ordered there food but could not order drinks to the table ,this had been turned off from the app, so i went to the bar i gave up after an hour waiting ,i went back to our table expecting my friends would have been served there food but no ! i asked a Gentleman i belived to be the manager well first of all i told him i had been at the bar for an hour, he replied its busy !!!! why there was no more staff i have no idea any way i asked how long our food would be he said 30 minutes , i asked if he could get us some drinks he said no we would have to go back to the bar, he did say he refund my money for the food transaction 243430044000010248239 £35.75 which he did not do! We went a few doors down to the Peter boat which like your place was packed but was served stright away when we asked about food they said we are full at the minute give us half an hour, and we did enjoy the rest of the night, first time i had been in the Peter boat but will not be the last. have a great day you may want to pop in you self and see how a pub is run.

Lovely meal just had, attentive staff thanks to Graham for keeping us supplied with drinks and food.

Overall a good experience and great experience, The service was great however more staff would have been nice. The server was very attentive and tried to accommodate as best he could.

It is a special place, which I particularly like, to which I return with love every time I have the opportunity. I spent a nice time with my friends here.

Really friendly staff, popped in for a quick drink with the dog and was given very quick service. Ethan was really great at the bar, he asked me how my day was and got some treats for my dog as well. Overall would recommend if you’re looking for somewhere in Leigh for a drink.

honestly the best pub around! Service was really quick and the decorations made the experience even better !! thank you Graeme and Caitlin you guys are the best!

Food amazing, atmosphere was phenomenal and the music/band was amazing too. Ego coming back

Love the smack.friendly service and good environment.massive beer selection and we spent afternoon going through the many whiskeys!! Great place day or evening!

So nice just pop in for BEER and Meal. Nice staff and helpful. PUBS need more people going in them and keep them around. Children welcome and fill welcome.

Well as a local myself who is a regular I invited my colleagues/friends to visit for pre Christmas dinner. We booked for a Tuesday for 2pm and took advantage of the Christmas menu. We had a mixture it Duck (which was amazing) Turkey (really lovely) and a festive burger. The starters and puddings were also taken advantage of. We wasn’t rushed, the team looked after us as though we were guests to there home and were very attentive. I maybe bias as I am a regular with my two big dogs but they team have really got it right. It felt festive but not over the top. My group enjoyed it so much they all want to plan a revisit after Christmas. As a regular you did me proud today. Thanks to all the team including the fabulous management, bar staff and chefs for a lovely afternoon in your hospitality 👏👏👏

I was charged for an extra drink 😕 the refund was quick when challenged.

Serving staff and bar staff really helpful and friendly. Food was good could have done with few more roast potatoes but was very nice .

Really cool atmosphere and great decor throughout. Very friendly staff. Lucinda was super helpful. Would recommend and return.

Had a lovely little lunch today I’ve travelled down from London This is a sometimes go to but had a great time today Can I just say thank you so much to tamzyn - brilliant service, such a lovely lady - see you again soon

Good little cruiser by the sea, food was awesome

Great pub with great atmosphere! Very friendly helpful staff . Stopped here for lunch good food and drinks and it’s right by the sea . Definitely come here again

Stopped at the pub for lunch today, and we had such a nice time!! The food is great, the service is super nice (thank you Francis for being so welcoming), but most importantly, what set it apart for us is that it is extremely dog friendly 🐶 dogs are allowed inside, they even have a dog station with water and treats. Our doggy loved it. We will definitely come back. Thank you!!

The old smack has bright the in side bar slightly but will need any other staff member on hand to assist when astablisment get buissy.

Fantastic pub in a great location, has a real ye Olde pub feel which goes with the name. The food tasted fantastic and was presented well, decent size portions too which can be hard to find these days. Relaxed atmosphere with friendly, chatty staff all in all we had a great visit and would definitely return.

Great pub with very friendly staff and good selection of wine. One of the best fish and chips in the area. Highly recommend

So, as a local I can say that this is the best staffing the Smack has had. I used to visit here often prior to moving to Leigh. Francis, Daniel and all the team are doing a great job. They are friendly, approachable and personal. They can have a great chat with everyone and make you feel super comfortable whether you’re a local or just visiting. Recently, I had a few drinks here and a small appetiser. Very happy with how quick the service was and despite it being super busy, you can find quiet alcoves and spaces to tune out.

Great service and food roast beef was amasing.friendly staff.have to come back definitely will be coming back. See you soon

It's a lovely pub, didn't eat on this occasion, but have in the past and the food was good. Always a nice atmosphere.

Tamzyn serves like no other. Pay rise. Now

Give Lou and tamzin a pay rise!!!! Cutest people ever

Best place to spend time with good beer at true pub with its history.

Great local pub with a warm, welcoming atmosphere! The food and drinks are good, but what really sets this place apart is the excellent service. Graeme, our favourite barman, always goes above and beyond to make sure we have a great experience. Friendly, attentive, and full of laughs.

A lovely homely feel on a cold evening. Welcome staff Clean. Great food and lovely drinks. (Thank you for the extra sauce pot lorenzo).

Had a lovely evening courtesy of Barman Graham. Food was delicious and staff were friendly and professional. At all times we felt welcome and would love to come again.

Perfect afternoon soaking up the sunshine, great beer and amazing fish & chips!

Lovely brewery owned pub in old Leigh. Fish and chips were really good as was the beer.

Visited today - on a very wet August Saturday. The pub was quite full but we managed to find a table for 3 of us. The staff were all very friendly and welcoming. Drinks ordered - and bought back to our table (quite an obstacle course due to the amount of people) We ordered food via the app. All the food came out at the same time - and was nice and hot. My chicken burger had just the right amount of spice and sauces. I was really pleased with my food choice. The only minor niggle - was that I had added the option of onion rings - which, for £3.50 - they served me up with 4 onion rings (which became 3 when the OH said she wanted 1 of them) A nice olde worlde feel inside too, with some quirky decor. A great place to come and spend a few hours.

Great place for a drink and meal. Went here with the family and Lorenzo at the bar was very helpful

Nice place to sit and have your food and drink. Friendly staff, good food at a decent price - London's (Beckenham in fact) Toby Carvery should come over and see how its done - which is probably why they don't have a review page, right TC! They have experts when I went there for the first and subsequently the last time that could carve your meat 'waffeer thin". And I do mean 'Waffeer".

Little bit disappointed. Come down on a busy Friday night and can’t fault that the bar staff were on par with drinks and keeping the queue down. The entertainment was great too! We ordered food quite late so we understand the staff are tired and waiting to go home, however we received our food. The service at that point was fast and we had no issues, however the nachos were not what we expected. Barely any cheese , everything cold and nachos themselves were just deep fried tortilla wraps. We understand that there is personal preference, but wouldn’t recommend. Then we waited quite a while for a desert. We asked the staff about this and they went to check, but again another 20 minutes passed before receiving it. Unfortunately the sticky toffee pudding was as hard as a brick on the top and certain parts were inedible, and the custard was clumpy and barely luke warm. We ate what we could as we were starved and didn’t want to waste our money however it was quite disappointing, and I don’t we’d come back for food.

Ordered food to be eaten on their balcony over looking the water. Made for such a great experience and the burgers were amazing, definitely keep coming back again and again just for this alone

Wonderful place to have a drink and food . Great staff , pleasant atmosphere.

Didn't have food but did see someone else food looked good,had a few beers felt very relaxed 😎

Amazing stop at the Ye Olde Smack. Gorgeous pub and the food was lovely. Staff were so friendly would definitely return

Nice old place, bit of history and friendly staff that serve big portions of food.

Never eat in the ye old smack, after waiting almost an hour & asking how long it was going to be the food arrived, the duck dish was over cooked with a hard fried egg who was supposed to be runny only to find a piece of plastic in the food, we also ordered 3 x roast beef roasts, the veg was more or less raw, the beef was very undercooked with a slimy texture that couldn’t be cut , the 4 frozen roast potatoes where undercooked, the meals have left the 5 of us feeling sick!!

Came here for some lunch today burger was really good and so were the chips would recommend 👍

Beef on Sunday Roast was tough and chewy and potatoes were small and overcooked, suggest you avoid!! Duck Hash potatoes were inedible due again to significant overcooking. Essentially an expensive pub lunch lacking quality.

Great pub in old Leigh. Always a good relaxed atmosphere and although it can get really busy, you can usually get served ok. Superb terrace out back overlooking the Thames estuary. A gem.

Lovely old pub, great food, lovely staff, relaxed atmosphere and great sun terrace

The pub seemed quite , not many people entering this pub, mainly because of overpriced food and drinks I decided to order food here hoping for a nice fish and chips, at nearly £18 id expected a nice generous meal with plenty to eat as a day out on a bank holiday Monday in August 2024 wasn’t a good visit at the pub, needs a change in menu or chef , I wouldn’t be surprised if this pub closed because of people not attending due over priced, and small portions of food, this pub needs addressing for better service, i came here a few years before and the food and drinks was very good. But sorry to say this time around was disappointing..

We came here for a Sunday roast and the food was awful. Looks like it’s all frozen food warmed up in microwave.

Excellent steak and ale pie. Great lively atmosphere it's quicker ordering through the app

Great food and great customer service. Francis is such a good host. Thanks a lot

My favourite pub in the area. Francis, Graham and Caitlin are super welcoming and friendly no matter how busy it gets! Cosy old school English pub by the seaside.

Francis the assistant manger, is very welcoming and helpful when it comes to any questions, and Caitlin is good too!

During my vacation travels around London & Essex, England I Found this cute pub on the coastline of Leigh on Sea. The experience was the highlight of my trip from America. Such a traditional pub was made so lovely and enjoyable for an amazing Friday night experience . It will be one me and my Freinds won't forgot and we will be certainly returning tomorrow night for Round 2!! Special thanks to Francis, Mac and Lorenzo for the service from the nights bartenders which it was a pleasure to meet.

Lovely food and drink excellent customer service! Spoke to Francis behind the bar he was a very kind and helpful chap. Poored a spot on perfect Guinness which will convince me to come back for more 😄 highly recommend. Well done to Ethan for being helpful with food and for running around all day working 🤣 overall if you’re going for a day out in leigh would very much recommend the smack!!

Me and a few friends had drinks at lunch and Francis, in particular, made it a great afternoon. Great place, great people. Would recommend.

Great place for a drink and food lovely view of the sea friendly staff

We are often here and Francis has been a particularly great addition to the staff. Always friendly and willing to help out and has brought a very personal touch to our local.

I live just up the road and the Smack is my local. There’s a great atmosphere, lovely setting at the outdoor tables and we always have a great time at the quiz on a Thursday. The staff are lovely, Graham is wonderful and Francis has been a wonderful addition, always looking out for us and making sure all is alright.

Enjoyed a late lunch whilst in Leigh-on-Sea

Great service, friendly and helpful staff, the food was delicious definitely will be returning

Lovely place and lovely team Francis lovely person and very friendly and definitely we come back and hope to see him again and was one of the best memories

Was recommended to chillax in here after meal at Peterboat Good choice

The food was awful won't be back

Lovely outside space on the balcony

Kat was brilliant, and really looked after the table our group had.

Decent quality food and really speedy service. Kat was really friendly and an extremely welcoming host, thanks!

Lively, pleasant, great atmosphere but the menu is not the best so we chose to have a drink only but that was because we only wanted a small snack so not a criticism on the pub but reason for no score.

We ordered food and the service was shocking! Just slapped the food on the table and left, I understand that they’re busy as England was on but never seen anything like it.

Good pub good food and atmosphere

Food is poor, we were served reheated chicken and the wait at the bar is very long. Good selection of drinks which is positive

a really nice pub with a lovely balcony and very welcoming atmosphere. Served by Kat, who was very nice

Amazing staff and perfect beer garden overlooking the water. Our favourite summer spot!

The best experiences with my family and the smile face of Francis batista thanks to this guy my family have amazing experience definitely we come back soon

Great time with family amazing service

Good choice of beers, good for sport but worst toilets in south east England, especially if a woman!

Great pub, love coming in with family for a few beers and a bite to eat

I was served by a very charming Barman, Lorenzo, the level of service was above and beyond any other bar I’ve been to. I love the atmosphere here and the pint tasted even better with a friendly face who knows remembers your name to pour it for you. Give this man a pay rise!

absolutely amazing - the two on close last night were amazing! (we didn’t get there names!) waiting for us to get our student discount up and let us finish celebrate the end of our degree in full fashion! amazing night! got 2 bottles of prosecco and both were amazing

I've been going to the smack for years and I love the pub, along with the others in old Leigh. Previously it wasn't my favourite place to eat because I don't think it's fresh but it was OK. I noticed the menu had changed, face lift if you like so I took my daughter and father in law there yesterday to give it a go. Unfortunately I didn't think it was great. My chicken kiev was so over cooked the chicken was tough and the breadcrumbs hard to crunch through. I didn't eat most of it. The chips were lovely , burger was good and the chicken sharer was tasty. I am assuming it was a one off but I think it's important to share feedback. Outside of that, very friendly pub and good atmosphere.

Love it here. Staff are always friendly and chatty and great views when sat outside out the back. You can sit here for hours for drinks, great food and wonderful views. Always happy to come back when in the area.

Battered halloumi fries are delicious.

Very authentic place tucked away in Leigh on sea.

very disappointed. i went there for my birthday last month and went for food upon arrival i was given menus and sat down with my friends and ordered via the greene king app, once i had ordered my friends around me attempted to order and it showed that everything was out of stock ,seeing this we went up to the bar as asked what the issue was and apparently they stop serving food at around 7 and we had arrived just before then, obviously we had requested a refund and then moved to the next restaurant (the peter boat) which had 100x better service overall. a few days later i had received my refund and it was not even half ,i had received just over £3 after i had spent well over £15 and i was not told at all that i would not be receiving a full refund ,obviously i had called the restaurant up and a member of staff had given me an email as the manager was not there at the time. i had emailed with all the details i was told to give over and i have not received a reply even after following up with a second email. so overall my experience was horrendous and i do not recommend, but i do recommend the peterboat that is just next door