La Petite Petanque - A Joy and Delight!!

Our travels took us to Westcliff on Sea on Monday 19th August and the cafe/bistro
La Petite Petanque, a converted bowling pavilion nestled in a quiet leafy square. First impressions were excellent. The restaurant has been painstakingly and artistically converted to portray a chic 1920's tea room complete with photographs, elegant ladies hats, gloves and handbags - the entire decor is a feast to the eyes of a bygone age.

Our welcome could not have been cheerier and although tempted to sit outside, or in the conservatory, we finally plumped for inside the restaurant in order to admire the decor. The menu was extensive ranging from breakfast, brunch, light bites, afternoon teas to a varied choice for a three course lunch. The men chose the Lamb Crown Cutlets whilst one of the ladies chose the Lemon Fish Tangine & the other a Steak & Stilton Salad. Followed by Malibu & Coconut cheesecake for three and a huge slice of Coffee and Walnut cake for one. The food was freshly prepared, exquisitely presented and tasted absolutely delicious. Extremely good value for money too.

The La Petite Petanque has been a wonderful find for us and we would strongly recommend this restaurant to all. We look forward to returning asap.

We very happily award this venue 6 stars.

The Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill

We'd read lots of great reviews for The Bell, Horndon on the Hill, so today Four Go to Lunch in Essex set off for lunch in high expectation. There's no doubt that The Bell has much olde worlde charm but first impressions of the restaurant area was that it was a bit dark. However we were seated quickly by a cheerful young waitress (we hadn't made a reservation) & service was very prompt. We all chose from the bar menu rather than a la carte as we all felt that for a mid week lunch it was rather pricey. You could say we chose typical pub grub like gammon steaks, leek & apple sausages & chicken salad - but oh my - how untypical was the presentation!! Beautiful food - beautifully presented and not at all typical. The desserts were equally tasty & looked gorgeous on the plate. We definitely enjoyed our visit, even with the presence of a couple of determined wasps!! We award this venue 4 stars.

The Bell Inn, St Olaves - Plentiful & Good

The Bell Inn at St Olaves (Norfolk) is well worth a visit if you're ever in Great Yarmouth area. Situated on the banks of the River Waveney, this lovely old pub has a very pleasant beer garden as well as it's own moorings for passing boats. The interior whilst olde worlde has contemporary dining areas and is very welcoming. A good selection of home cooked food is available and the portions are HUGE - too big for comfort to be honest. Excellent service and good value for money. We award this venue 3.5 stars

The Cherry Tree, Woodbridge - Out of Essex

At the beginning of July  Four Go to Lunch in Essex took off for Suffolk & Norfolk. We stopped for lunch in the delightful old town of Woodbridge, Suffolk and popped into The Cherry Tree Inn. This is a lovely 17th century building with lots of character - it is also quite famous for its real ales and a Real Ale Festival had just got underway when we arrived. There were the usual pub grub choices on the menu mixed with some interesting specials including a Cromer Crab salad with new potatoes & granary bread which was very fresh & delicious. The gardens here are perhaps not as picturesque as might be expected but very nice nevertheless.  Service was very good. 

We awarded this venue 3 stars

The Anchor at Hullbridge - Food from the Gods!!

Well - what can we say about The Anchor at Hullbridge? It was simply perfect in every way. A warm welcome followed by excellent service, followed by exquisite food in the most delightful section of the restaurant called The Orangery. The impressive menu lived up to its promise of top class cooking and the catering team have obviously worked hard on presentation too. It certainly has that "wow" factor. On a lovely summers day it was a delight to look out at other diners eating in the gardens - the bar menu looked as scrumptious as that of the restaurant.  We all agreed that such a high quality of service, atmosphere and cooking was worth our highest accolade.

We have awarded this venue 6 stars - highly recommended!!

The Old Dog - Full of Olde Worlde Charm

So our NINTH venue was The Old Dog in Herongate - a really lovely olde worlde pub/restaurant in a country location on the way to Brentwood. First impressions were excellent, a friendly welcome and an inviting restaurant lay out. The menu was extensive. The food was first class, plentiful and obviously cooked from scratch. We all thoroughly enjoyed every bite and the only negative comment would be that it was all a bit on the pricey side compared to other similar venues. The small gardens looked beautiful - ideal for an afternoon tea. 

We would not hesitate to award 3 and a half stars.

Shepherd & Dog, Crays Hill - Friendly Staff

And so for our EIGHTH lunch with a visit recently to the Shepherd & Dog at Crays Hill. Lovely  welcome although did feel the table reserved for us had seen better days. Again we all ordered different dishes and they were all OK but not brilliant. The desserts were splendid! Attentive & friendly service too.

We award this 2 stars.

The Whitmore Arms - Superb!

Another inspired choice for our SEVENTH lunch was the Whitmore Arms in Orsett. Perhaps not as roomy as the Old Windmill but certainly as friendly a welcome and excellent service. The menu was impressive and the food superb & beautifully presented. The combination of great food and fabulous service make this venue a treat to savour time and time again.

Again highly recommended and another 5 stars.

The Old Windmill, Hanningfield - Sheer Delight

Our visit to the Old Windmill in Hanningfield proved a wise decision for the SIXTH outing. The exterior and interior are both fabulous! The welcome was warm, the staff very attentive and the menu extensive. We all chose a different dish and none of us were disappointed with our choices. Beautiful food eaten in comfort. Highly recommended. We award this 5 stars!!

Hutton's Courtyard Cafe - Chelmsford

Hutton's Courtyard Cafe was our FIFTH venue to visit for lunch, set in the beautiful grounds of Hylands House in Chelmsford. Sadly another very cold day in early Spring 2013 so we couldn't sit out in very nice courtyard. The interior was a bit cramped but the food was super - all home made and truly delicious. So far though, of all the places we've been, we found the staff pleasant enough but pretty much disinterested. However we won't be deterred ans hope it was just an off day. We would definitely go back sometime soon, not least because we can take our dogs.

We award this venue 3 and a half stars.

Greedy Chef

Our FOURTH outing took us to the Greedy Chef in Bowers Gifford near Basildon. Unfortunately there seem to be no pictures available. The staff were very friendly and the restaurant is very nicely done out similar to ye old tea shoppe. It was a very cold day when we went and a draft was felt throughout the building whenever the door was opened. Again there's not a huge menu but the chef was very helpful. The food was well cooked and satisfactory. We give this restaurant 2 stars.

Cafe on the Water - Hanningfield

The Cafe on the Water at Hanningfield Reservoir was the venue for our THIRD lunch. It has a wonderful view and the outside seating for the summer has an even more spectacular panorama. The interior is quite basic but pleasant enough and the food was plain but well cooked & plentiful and good value for money. There isn't a large choice on the menu but we'll definitely return later in the summer to take advantage of decking style exterior. The situation of this cafe is key.

We would give this venue 2 stars.

A Pre Christmas Treat

Our SECOND outing was just before Christmas 2012 - we'd had to have a break due to Mick having a heart attack!! To celebrate his return to health, we booked for The Lordship in Writtle - another part of the Tiptree jam empire. It was an excellent choice. Although busy, the staff were welcoming and friendly. We all went for the traditional Christmas meal - three courses including a free glass of wine. It was all well cooked and beautifully presented. The added attraction at The Lordship is a beautiful shop that sells a variety of goodies and has a fabulous deli counter. Very highly recommended. 

Another 4 stars!!

A Good Start with The Lock Tearooms

Our FIRST outing was a visit to The Lock Tearooms in Heybridge Basin. Part of the Tiptree Jam empire, the Lock was an excellent first choice. The weather wasn't particularly kind to us but the welcome from the staff was warm and friendly. We all have different tastes in food, but our simple lunch was plentiful, beautifully presented and tasty. The view of the marina was lovely. Our only minor complaint was the difficulty in parking. We plan to return when the summer eventually returns

.

We would give this a definite 4 stars.

And so we begin.......

There are some advantages to increasing age and one of them is more free time! We decided that the four of us, friends for 40 years, would go out to lunch in various places in Essex as often as possible, and on occasion further afield- for the most part we've enjoyed it. There's something of an adventure to eating at a pub, restaurant or cafe that you've never tried before, although there's always the risk of disaster!!

We decided to share our experiences - just for fun.