Southend-on-Sea
Garrards

Garrards

Grand View Apartments 136 Broadway, SS9 1AA, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

Full • Steak • Drinks • British


"2 adults and 2 children restaurant empty on arrival at 5.00pm (had booked online). Seated, ordered drinks and food served by a disinterested, dishevelled looking waiter. Drinks came promptly but as restaurant was empty not too difficult to manage. 45 minutes later we asked the whereabouts of the food no real answer just a sort of murmur we thought of leaving at this point but the children were hungry and in the event food came out about 5 mins later. Children’s meals were ok. Both adults had a fried chicken burger meal one was so dry it was like trying to cut into a brick, the dessert spoon of pulled pork was all right. The other person was so hungry at this point they ploughed on with their not quite so dried out, tough chicken a bit less well done than the brick! No one came to check if food ok or to clear the table and ask if we wanted dessert, more drinks, coffee. We asked for the bill from the waitress who was just starting her shift mentioning the brick like chicken as she (partially) cleared the table after about 30 mins of sitting amongst the debris. She advised we should have sent the food back and she was correct but after waiting almost an hour to get it (and not having another 45 mins to spare) I chose to pick around the rest of the meal. Rosemary Fries ok (though not much flavour oddly). Bill arrived quickly but no one came back to take payment so I went to the desk and paid. Bill total about £79 and a £7 odd service charge. The 10% service charge should have been deducted at the very least as other than putting the plates down on the table no other service provided. And, even though the food should rightly have been sent back, an apology for the very poor quality of the food with some sort of explanation should have been forthcoming. Needless to say we won’t be going back in a hurry."

Calypso Taste Of The Caribbean

Calypso Taste Of The Caribbean

1350 London Road, SS9 2UH, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

Vegan • Jamaican • Caribbean • Vegetarian


"How have not eaten here before?!?! This is food for the soul. Food made with love. Food from heaven. Food to slurp with rum and sail into the Caribbean sunset! This was just like being in Jamaica and it’s crazy good! With outstanding COVID recognition,...your friendly waitress takes us to our booth and all you can notice is the happy faces throughout this confined and vibrantly colourful decor and the pungent smells floating through the restaurant en route. You are presented with a simple menu to peruse and then eclectic and kaleidoscope of rum options to drink. I’ve course I had to select a board of premium rums accompanied my dinner and my mum and wife slept on a medley of cocktails. With recommendation for our waitress, you ordered the lamb patties which were generously full of filling and golden brown, we also had the sweetcorn fritters which were doughy and perfectly cooked to crisp, but the showstopping starter was certainly ackee and saltfish that tantalised the tastebuds. However, the main courses was as authentic as Bob Marley. The jerk chicken was pleasantly spicy and smothered over the chicken to create a balance of healthy meets punchy flavour, and the coconut chicken was beautiful smooth like caramel, sweet and delicious so creamy rich like nothing tasted before. Even the the fried plantins and curried beans were cooked to perfection and a kaleidoscope of flavours, it’s all about the goat curry. Wowsers!!!! That’s how you use allspice to create a boggy goat curry cooked on the bone. Definitely not mutton. It literally melted in my mouth. I will go back just for that dish. That’s how Jamaica’s national stew should be cooked. It was better than slow cooked rib of beef I had recently in a Michelin starred restaurant. With a rum and raisin sponge shared for dessert, we left full to the brim and enjoying meeting the staff, and seeing their passion. Even though I did leave with a slightly annoying melody of steel drum covers of songs running through my head, all can be forgotten very quickly as you still taste the all spice and savour the experience until next time. Thank you Claypso, that was a heartwarming and tasty dinner. As I’ve said, Ja-Makin-Me-Crazy!"

Ru Turkish Grill

Ru Turkish Grill

107 Hamlet Court Road, SS0 7ES, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

Kebab • Mexican • European • Mediterranean


"Don’t waste your time. Had a table booked for 19:30 for 4 people on Wednesday 24th get a call from the restaurant at 19:11. To say inform me that unfortunately the restaurant is having to close due to an issue. Found that odd as we was already outside over the road having a cigarette so our other mate when in said about the booking they were going to close because they were quite its only just gone 7pm in the evening. How stupid to make that decision so early. The lady served us looked so unhappy you could see that she didn’t want to be there at all. One table of 5 another table of 5 a table it 3 my table of 3 was meant to be 4 but our other mate wasn’t able to join us ; . We had to ask 4 times for extra chill sauce had to ask where our breed was drinks. Only a few tables getting orders wrong having to chasing up is. Absolutely ridiculous we order some olives I don’t like them but my mate did they were going off as they were too mushy we still got charged my mate had only eaten a few the lady serving us even said oh do you not like them we told her why we didn’t eat any yet we still got charged. The meal was ok not very hot salad tasted like vinegar when salad is going out of date. we still got charged service charge we didn’t pay as we legally don’t have ti pay this my mate did as she didn’t want to feel uncomfortable or awkward. That’s down to her but we could hear the other table of 5 saying the lady isn’t good that not what we ordered. I’m glad ti know it’s not just us. I paid my part of the bill cash yet again we had to sort the issue out I was given the wrong change how can you make this mistake when the till tells you how much change to give. A real shame as this place used to be good you would think that with everything going up that you would do your best to try make customers want to come back. I can’t believe we had to chase up our drinks, food sort out the change. Toilets are so clean the restaurant looks good very good music but the chef didn’t have a hair net or a kitchen hat on or a facial hair net on. Not very hygiene friendly tbh"