I have been to the Essex on a previous occasion for a themed afternoon tea and that was fine but going for an evening meal was a total sham!
I booked a table of four for a couples evening out with friends but soon regretted my venue choice. We would normally book a table at the Pointers or The Taverners where the quality of the food served is always good. I don’t eat Iceland type food in my own home so I tend to avoid the kind of restaurant where they serve microwaved slop to paying customers. On the evening we ordered, lamb pie, fish and chips, sausage and mash and a chicken burger, the menu was quite limited but we were all happy with our choice. We waited well over an hour for the food to arrive, despite there only being 3 other tables with 2 people on each. The food was not worth waiting for and really was a very poor quality and not cooked well! The fish was soggy, the chicken burger so over cooked and dry, the sausage and mash was a spoon of lumpy mash with burnt sausages and a few rubbery beans on the side and the lamp pie was a solid brick with very little lamb! It’s hard to complain when you’re out with friends, I didn’t want to spoil the evening and they all felt the same. We didn’t stick around for dessert just paid the bill and left. The most shocking part of the evening was the bill, it was so overpriced for what we had and way more expensive that some amazing restaurants on the island. The average meal was between £13 and £15 which I don’t mind paying if the food is good and a good quality but for the food we were served it was daylight robbery! It’s a real shame, the venue is nice and The Essex could be a great place to eat but I will not be booking a table again!