Looking for the perfect place to dine out in Essex?

Whether you've got a special occasion or fancy trying somewhere new then we have you covered. 

Using the AA Restaurant Guide for 2023, TripAdvisor reviews and local knowledge here is a suggestion of the best places to dine across the county. 

Has your favourite made our list? Or maybe you have another suggestion. Let us know in the comments. 

The AA Restaurant Guide for 2023 has plenty of restaurants across the county of  Essex, leaving diners spoilt for choice.

Restaurants included in the guide span Southend, Colchester, Braintree, Brentwood and more across the county.

Currently in its 29th edition, the AA’s Restaurant Guide for 2023 gives foodies detailed breakdowns of restaurants by county, including a detailed description of each destination and updates on chef changes.

The guide also informs readers of opening times, sample menu prices and provides images of many of the featured locations, to give readers a feel.

The subsequent scores from the assessments of AA-inspected establishments are formed on the experience of the hotel and restaurant inspectors who dine on that occasion.

Restaurants are then awarded a score of 1-5 Rosettes, depending on the inspector's visit.

The top scorers across the board saw three restaurants awarded a score of three Rosettes.

These were:

Talbooth Restaurant, Dedham

Gazette: Rebrand - the Le Talbooth restaurant will now be know as Talbooth Restaurant

The restaurant was established in the late 1952 and its picturesque setting beside the River Stour makes it the perfect dining place.

The restaurants boasts "carefully designed, meticulously prepared and exquisitely presented" dishes.

The venue won TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Award 2021 and has received 664 excellent reviews.

One of them said: " The celeriac velouté was a masterpiece, and roast beef a total delight.

"Service, as always, was punctilious and polished."

Haywards Restaurant, Epping

With head chef, Jahdre Hayward's, extensive CV and culinary knowledge the restaurant focuses on modern European cooking techniques

The Haywards garden is fully established and provides a large variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers that are used in the restaurant.

It gets a five rating on TripAdvisor with guests praising the "beautifully presented" dishes. 

One review said: "If you enjoy good Michelin type food not at silly prices then make yourself a reservation here. You won't be disappointed."

The Flitch of Bacon, Little Dunmow

Gazette:

The inn’s name is derived from a large side of cured pig and pays tribute to the medieval heritage of the Dunmow Flitch Trials, made famous in Chaucer’s Canterbury tales.

Reviews on TripAdvisor rave about the food. 

One said: "Everything about this remarkable small restaurant is just about perfect.

"We enjoyed the 4 course lunch menu and found it delightfully tasty, creative, well-proportioned, and excellent value for money."

Plenty of restaurants across the county were awarded a score of two Rosettes.

These include:

Marygreen Manor Hotel, Brentwood

The hotel is described as the "home of luxury". 

Reviews said: "We had an absolutely delicious meal in the Tudor Restaurant which was outstanding and the menu is clearly very well thought out and planned. A real treat."

Ranfield's Brasserie, Coggeshall

Ranfield’s updates its menus seasonally and has special menus throughout the year. 

One TripAdvisor review said: "The owner chef has for years served up interesting dishes combining superb local ingredients with the odd exotic twist.

"The current menu continues to delight with something to suit all tastes and the service is friendly and efficient."

Church Street Tavern, Colchester

Church Street Tavern opened on February 2014 as a tavern with ground floor bar and lounge and first floor restaurant serving simple, freshly prepared, wholesome food.

It was also awarded the Michelin Plate award for good cooking.

Most of the ingredients do come from local (30 miles) farmers, growers and fish from inshore day boats on the Essex, Suffolk and South coast.

The beer, wine and other beverages are no different.

One review said: "The lunchtime menu was absolutely amazing and delicious. Great price with the offer of two or three courses that also included a glass of house wine and coffee."

Cloisters, Colchester

Gazette:

With a wide range of menus on offer, GreyFriars says it is proud to be able to satisfy all tastes and preferences at any time of the day, from breakfast and lunch to parlour afternoon tea and evening dining.

Its Cloisters restaurant offers modern European dishes "given a superior British touch".

Customers can also enjoy locally sourced ingredients including oysters from Mersea Island, Lexden beef, Dingley Dell pork and East Anglian fruits and vegetables.

One review said: "The restaurant is beautiful. The food was exceptional and well presented." 

The Sun Inn, Dedham

Gazette:

A proper coaching inn with an elm bar, an open beamed dining room and a snug oak panelled lounge all with open fires, the Sun was handed the Michelin Plate award for good cooking.

The menu varies throughout the month with produce off Mersea day boats, meat from rare breed animals, wild game in season and vegetables and fruit from East Anglia and around the UK.

It is a partner restaurant with the Church Street Tavern.

One review said: "What a gem in the heart of Dedham - the food is really top quality."

Square 1 Restaurant, Great Dunmow

Square One is situated in a Grade II* listed building in the historical town on Great Dunmow. 

The restaurant is being run by head chef, Ritchie Ewer who continues to deliver high-quality food & service along with the dedicated team.

The food has received rave reviews on TripAdvisor. 

One said: "Each dish celebrated a multitude of different tastes. Delightful young chefs who were proud of their work. Highly recommended."

The White Hart, Great Yeldham

Set in a beautiful exposed oak beam room the restaurant serves up a range of delicious dishes. 

The meat, game and vegetables are all sourced from local suppliers.

One review said: "We highly recommend food at the White Hart. We both had 3 courses and could not fault any of it."

The Pier at Harwich, Harwich

Being part of the Milsoms Hotel branch, the Pier restaurant boasts a gin library which offers more than 100 gins across four shelves.

This is the perfect spot for seafood lovers, as the menu celebrates modern classics, exciting grill dishes, fresh fish and shellfish.

Reviews said: "We chose our dishes from a full and unusual menu. Everything cooked very well. Service friendly and efficient."

Galvin Green Man, Howe Street

Gazette:

The restaurant is set in the beautiful Essex countryside, close to Great Waltham in a building dating back to 1341.

The place offers panoramic views and an extensive garden, with a menu centred around locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

It features British dishes as well as comforting pub restaurant classics.

One review said: "The food here is delicious, surroundings really pretty and the service very friendly. Couldn't fault anything. Loved it and will be back."

The Roslin Beach Hotel, Southend

Gazette:

Diners can tempt their palate in the beachside outdoor dining areas, or treat yourself to one of the hotel's famous afternoon teas. 

Reviewers have high praise for it on TripAdvisor. 

One said: "The dinners , breakfasts and Afternoon teas were exceptional."

Bell Inn Bistro, Thorpe-le-Soken

The Bell Inn has recently won Channel 4’s 4 In a Bed and has been awarded an AA 2 Rosettes for Culinary Excellence. 

One TripAdvisor review said: "The Bell Inn manages to achieve one of those quite rare blends - the feeling of a cozy pub and a high end restaurant.

"The menu is quite extensive with a really good mix of options including burgers to lamb-shank, steaks, fish etc."

Essex diners can also access top-quality food across a list of one Rosette restaurants.

These include:

  • Caesar @ Dolphin, Braintree
  • The House by Hilly Gant, Braintree
  • Samphire Restaurant, Chelmsford
  • Rubino Kitchen, Colchester
  • Milsoms, Dedham
  • The Blue Anchor, Feering

Gazette: Quality - The Blue Anchor, Feering.Quality - The Blue Anchor, Feering. (Image: Google Maps)

  • The Garden Brasserei, Orsett
  • The Cricketers Arms, Saffron Walden
  • Holiday Inn Southend, Southend
  • Ellis's Restaurant, Stock
  • The Hoop, Stock

Other honorable mentions include two Michelin restaurants, Kintsu, Colchester and the White Hart Inn on Mersea Island.