The best restaurants serving British food in Thurrock East of England

This is a great place to have a catch up with friends, they offer lots of events that give you an excuse to leave the depression pit lol. They have a weekly free quiz which me and my friends are regulars for and the friendly banter with other players and staff makes to evening more enjoyable.

Reviews are subjective, of course, but when I looked at them I couldn’t believe I was about to write about the same place. I don’t know if they are under new management or have had a massive change in staff but we did not have the best experience. Our starters were ok but the roast beef and accompanying sides were not very good at all. Our beef was overcooked which made it very tough and also without seasoning. The potatoes were just about ok but the veg was not great at all. The servers are all very young girls who really didn’t seem to know what their job was and we felt that it could have been their first day doing this kind of work. Our waitress was the best of the bunch fortunately so we were served drinks promptly. There were very long gaps between courses, especially between the main and dessert which was about 20 minutes. It was almost like they were waiting for everyone in the restaurant to finish their mains before dessert was served. However, when it was, it wasn’t very good at all. I am sorry that this review isn’t better and I do realise that this is just my opinion.

Gluten free food excellent, so friendly

my local for years, great food and atmosphere and friendly great staff 👍

We visit the sandmartin on Thursdays for dinner and the quiz. It's best to book a table as sometimes there are a lot of teams entered. Megan does a brilliant job of reading out the questions and answers. She also helps us oldies when we can't scan the QR code or if we lose the page altogether. Always with a smile! The atmosphere is fun and loud and always entertaining. Thanks Megan. Keep up the good work. See you next Thursday.

Great place to watch sports, especially six nations. Handy parking and just off the main road. Nice and clean inside including the loos

This little cafe is a little gem. Staff are warm and welcoming. The food is freshly cooked and delicious. The 2 young men were delightful. Well worth a visit.

My husband & I had lunch here, garlic prawns gammon, egg & chips, the food was served fresh, hot and very tasty, we had a chat with the chef, all the staff was friendly, look forward to revisiting.

Had pie and mash, breakfast and kids had sandwiches; it's a nice cafe, meals were great, staff friendly and helpful; value for money.

We often bring the dogs here during the week for a quiet pint and to sit in the garden with the dogs. Friendly staff and very relaxing. At the moment there are 2 marquee in the garden which are perfect when it rained the other evening. Can get a bit busy at the weekends. Awesome.

We went on 20th April to celebrate my dads 82nd birthday we was a group of 9 people. We had a 4pm sitting. We chose Sir Henrys as the previous month we went there to celebrate my mums 78th. Completely different level of service at the weekend. The restaurant was busy the food was not up to scratch. I ordered goats cheese starter the presentation was poor it was like someone had thrown a few salad leaves on a plate with onion and tomatoes and a blob of goats cheese. For mains my dad and uncle ordered mixed grill which came up not only really fatty meat but it was swimming in grease they couldn't eat it. Me and my aunt had the salmon linguae - the salmon was rock hard. The serving staff kept asking if every thing was ok and we told them it wasn't but they didn't seem to care. When we paid the bill they ask again if everything was ok and we told them the above again - Again they didn't seem to care. They never took of the £20 deposit I paid to secure the table so I had to call the following morning. The manager called me back - I told her all the above and same as her staff didn't seem to care - just kept saying I am sorry it didn't meet your expectations on this occasion. I told her my dad and uncle couldn't eat their meals to which she replied well the servers said all the plates were cleared. This is NOT true but the tone in her voice it was clear she wasn't going to do anything about it - The least she should have done was credit them - Poor customer service - Hopefully the owners see this review and learn the manager there lacks customer service skills. She ended the call in a sarcastic tone saying hope this hasn't put you off coming again you enjoy the rest of your day!

I have been here a couple of times for a drink. But this time, I had something to eat. From the outside, The Royal looks like it needs some tlc. The outside seating area could also be improved with some potted plants and fairy lights to make it feel more cosy. However, when you enter the restaurant, it is fresh and newly decorated. The decor in the restaurant is really nice and looks great. I like that the bar and restaurant have models of ship on display (links to the history of Purfleet). The cocktails here are well priced and there is a good selection to choose from. I only ordered a couple of small dishes. The chips were seasoned nicely and tasted good. The chocolate fudge cake was delicious, I'd like to have some raspberries alongside the cake for that extra flavour. There is a good selection of food on their menu. When I visit again, I will be trying food from the main menu. The staff were friendly and the service was quick. There is also a pool table to play. I'd come back here and recommend The Royal for good food, drink and cheap prices.

We go to the cafe at least each week and dog friendly and it is so good

Sometimes the “ hole in the wall “ can be the best place to eat. This is one. Full English breakfast was delicious! Great if you want to get away from the overpriced chain restaurants.

Wonderful place to eat, really good food The service was great I had a breakfast which was well done Thoroughly enjoyed it