The best restaurants in Braintree East of England

A fantastic evening at AKA. They were generous and welcoming hosts throughout the evening. It was my wife’s birthday and they presented her with a card, a poloroid of us together, a rose, and a dessert! The food was delicious. So beautifully prepared and incredibly tasty. It was a tough choice as to whether to do more small dishes or have a main course. It was all so good. The wine was very good also, with a knowledgable waiter who helped us choose. We will definitely be back!

Excellent lunch, could only manage two courses, there was so much on the plate, the staff, Shelley and Ali, make this a warm friendly place to come and enjoy your meal. Looking forward to my next visit, this is indeed a hidden gem.

Amazing food and service. Everything went really well. Chicken tikka dansak top notch. All our party said their food was delicious. Spotlessly clean, friendly and welcoming.

We visited for my husband’s birthday. Excellent food and service, a lovely atmosphere, and the Tuesday “buy one meal get one half price” offer also made it great value for money. They even sang happy birthday to my husband when they brought out dessert - overall a really good experience and we’ll definitely be back.

Amazing pizza and tacos. Lovely atmosphere and the staff are amazing. Great for kids with colouring pens and paper. Food is consistently excellent, one of my favourite places to eat

Visiting Halstead as a stopover before a family wedding in the local area, we arrived at lunchtime looking for somewhere to eat. A local suggested The Little Book Cafe. We both selected a breakfast as we were very hungry caterpillars or should that be Bookworms? We were not disappointed. A really genuine welcome, friendly service, excellent quality hot food and drinks. We could not have done better. Tucked away just off the main street in Halstead, opposite the Baptist Church, we would recommend this for a visit.

Excellent lunch today with friends. We all ate off the festive menu. Two eating duck. Two eating turkey. Plus dessert. 100% recommended.

What a hidden gem! We found this tea room by chance when we were coming back from the Ickworth estate. We were greeted by a warm welcome of a real fire and friendly staff. The food was just as good. It’s all home made and cooked fresh to order so be prepared to wait, but it’s worth it. We had a club sandwich which was substantial and a broccoli and Stilton quiche. Both meals were tasty and filling which is just what we needed on a cold January afternoon. Thank you for caring about what you do!

The pantry is my go to for a quick coffee stop! The coffee is always delicious and their variety of fresh cakes impressive! Always a very friendly service too!

My friend and I could not find anywhere in the town centre for lunch and came across The Glass House by accident so decided to pop in. We were pleasantly surprised by the comfortable seating and privacy as we sat left of the door. Staff are polite and attentative. Food was freshly made, very reasonably priced and tasted fantastic!! A bottle of fizzy water cost £1.. Yes I know I was shocked too!! 2 x luxury panini, 3 huge slices of coffee & walnut cake, 1 slab of chocolate cake, pot of tea, hot chocolate and a 500ml bottle of fizzy water came to £18 Absolutely excellent place to eat and will be returning!! P.S we didn't eat all the cake, took some home for the boys

Absolutely fantastic place for food and/or coffee. This place is run by WONDERFUL staff. The chef has a real passion for food. The Saturday night foraging menus are something to write home about. We enjoyed every single bite- Thank you

Great food and great people, very friendly. Service was great and quick. Couldn't have asked for better. Really enjoyed our Sunday Carvery and will definitely be returning. Thanks again.

Fabulous location in beautiful village. Great service, drinks and food, especially the sandwiches. Highly recommended.

This is the best cocktail bar EVER, the cocktails are the best I have ever tasted, the staff are lovely and welcoming each time we go. This is my favourite place …a proper little gem ❤️❤️

pretty sick, loved the place, gotta love the coronation chicken. reminds of me of when elsa had coronation. cake was fabulous darling.