The best restaurants in Tendring East of England

What is going on here with Morrisons café. it has gone drastically down hill...No coffee at all for weeks on end, ( not even the costa coffee machine working. and that's not in the café) so thought we'd still have breakfast and a cup of tea. could not believe our eyes. big sign up on the counter..NO BREAKFAST.. !!!! What is going on, this is a relatively new Morrisons store.. why is it impossible to fix the coffee machine or even get a new one. The old Morrisons was so much better, the service, the food, the staff were more approachable and polite, now the staff are moody and rude the way they speak to the customers, I asked why no coffee or breakfast and she just said.. NO and walked out the back. This needs to be addressed big time by the management, but looks like they cant be bothered either or this would've been sorted by now.... Back to Tesco or Asda for us ..WORST MORRISONS CAFE EVER..!!!!

We eat here most weeks either for breakfast or lunch (sometimes both!!) and I can honestly say you will hard pushed to find better. The staff are fantastic, friendly, efficient and nothing is too much bother for them. If asked they will adapt the meals to your preference without any complaints. The fish and chips is still the best in Clacton, fish is juicy with lovely crispy batter and no grease, chips are the same. I can not praise the staff or cafe highly enough.

This cafe wins the prize for rudest customer service in my whole lifetime. There is no excuse for rudeness I understand they might have had a bad day but no need to take it out on customers especially as my husband had just died, quite upsetting for them to be so unwelcoming. We will stick to Flagstones such a different experience

Alfresco’s Restaurant, Marine Parade E, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 IPU, Essex Staying in Walton-on-Naze for a week in September was a revelation – there was the iconic Naze to the north of town to explore and those spectacular beaches both sides of the pier to enjoy. The pier itself, by contrast, was rundown and in need of some real TLC - then there was the state of the town centre. There may be a couple of new mid-size supermarkets (looking fresh, familiar and full-of-life), but the high street that once was and the line of commercial shops have … faded. Why? The place seemed stuck in the 1950s. Hadn’t anyone invested in the place since then (well, apart from Messrs. Aldi & M&S). And what has all this to do with Alfresco’s place? Well … in a roundabout way it does for Clacton when we drove over there for lunch one day was bursting with confidence, bright lights, buoyant commercial centre, pristine pier and lots of people bustling around the centre. The two towns are 13 km apart. It was this thing about contrast that came across. Sure, it’s been many (many … many) years since we were last in both places – growing up in central Essex, the coast was always within easy reach, first for those seaside holidays in the holiday camps that once were then, subsequently (amazingly), personal transport became affordable. First the motorbike/scooter then the car (and the girlfriend). What’s not to love about the NE Essex coast of those days. After parking the car in Agate Street just off Marine Parade we headed for the pier looking for a place for lunch. There was Alfesco’s place a little further down Marine Parade East and overlooking Clacton Pier; to one side of Pier Gap where the road slopes down to the pier. This is where the road-train starts/finishes its tours around the town. The restaurant was one half of a building with a ‘Food Court’ sign across the roof line; the other half was a fish&chips place. We subsequently found out that they were both owned by the same people - neatly providing for both traditional seaside foods and for those who prefer the foods that have invaded from North America and/or southern Europe in recent years. We headed into Alfresco’s Restaurant – through the outside courtyard into the snazzy-looking glass-structure that enclosed the inside dining area with the counter at the far end. Seating for around 50 inside and outside at four seat/tables and benches. We were the only people in the place and, it seemed, lunch was finished for the day and the place was about to close up. Glance at the clock - it was just after 14.30 – and mine host was amenable to a couple of jacket potatoes with side salads; ‘Easy’, he said, ‘everything is set up’. Friendly … we liked that. We were seated with our drinks and food within 10 minutes. It was, as he said: Easy. The meal was delicious too – large hot potato, cheese on the side and sufficient greens to supplement those carbohydrates. The wall above and to one side of the counter was awash with food options of all kinds – sandwiches, grills, burgers, lasagne, fish, jacket potatoes, sides, etc. – jacket potatoes were an easy (and tasty) choice for us – the second time that week. We hadn’t thought about convenience to the restaurant – it just worked out that way. Service, approach, comfortable table, good value and delicious light meal – complimenti. We paid GB£15.45 for the meal: GB£5.50 each for our meals and finishing with a pot of tea and a cappuccino. It had been a pleasant 40 minutes looking out over the surrounding courtyard and pier below – where we headed after leaving Alfresco’s for a quick tour around. The place was alive with people; the fairground activities buzzing with the vitality that only electricity can provide – light, sound, movement. Peter Steele Maldon Essex 21 October 2019

Terrible, the worst halep kebab I have ever had and the most expensive. It’s supposed to come in a specially prepared tomato sauce which is usually thick, rich and tangy with the odd slice of mushroom and green pepper. What little sauce there was in this one was watered down tasteless tomato which turned the sliced pitta to mush in the bottom of the tray, no extras just watered down tomato, the meat wasn’t very nice either, thin, narrow strips. Horrible. Rip off. Won’t be going back.

Food was absolutely awful. And we bought a variety. The jacket potatoes were old and dry and inedible. Rock solid on the bottom and impossible to cut with even the sharpest knife. The Tuna wasn't even mixed with mayo, they just squirted a bit over the top. The pizza was complete cardboard and flavourless, one slice and it went straight in the bin. Chips seemed refried? Again inedible. Cheesy jalapeño bites were OK but clearly just basic frozen Iceland food. Never again. Also trying to contact the restaurant was odd. I called probably 9 times with no answer and when eventually I did get an answer, the guy didn't know what was going on. Didn't appear to know what was happening at the restaurant. He sounded in bed or half asleep. He gave me two different numbers to get hold of restaurant both of which were not in service?

I've eaten here a few times and it has been good. When I visited today, a customer was telling the front of house how bad the food was, and I ignored that, due to my previous experiences, however, I should have taken note because the hotel has decided to employ an incompetent chef. If this hotel wants me to spend money there, they need to employ competent staff. They haven't. I won't eat there again. Ever, and you shouldn't either. You've worked for your money, and spending it should be in a place that respects your hard earned. Boycott this sham of a restaurant.

Now The Golden Wok and have done a review for this here, the Golden wok is a great takeaway and i hope they stay open as it has become out go-to Chinese food takeout.

I had a footlong Meatball Marinara for lunch about an hour ago, from within the outlet rather than from the "Drive Through" part. The Sub itself was very nice, perhaps a little expensive, but the wait to get it was not appropriate in my opinion (probably ten minutes?). There was one customer in front of me that was being served as I got there, and two behind me. It appeared that there were a number of staff in the outlet, but only one allocated to the inside service counter and the Dive Through was not busy.. She was doing the best that she could, but at least twice one or another of her colleagues passed by the counter without acknowledging that there was a queue or trying to assist. Will I go again? Probably not.

Kebab was missing any salad and sauce after asking for it and the meat was so undercooked after trying a bite or two I binned it. Shocking and they couldn't care less

Be aware of being overcharged. A rude/miserable man tried to over charge me and when I told him he hung up on me. I was a regular loyal customer and now I won't ever go back again.

I asked for the £8 chicken meal they gave me the chicken half raw inside and no colsaw that was part of the meal deal.dont recommend at all

Very friendly staff. Good food. Not so keen on the music a bit young for us. The desert was fabulous Toffee and Honeycomb cheese cake. The Shiraz wine was also very good. Good service from DaisyT

Had fish n chips from here. Absolutely disgusting. I'll never return to this place.

Ordered 2 items at my caravan in Clacton and waited over an hour so rang the restaurant to be told they only had 1 driver so was cooking it nice and fresh and would be delay but will be with me next , waited another hour and the delivery never came