RestaurantsEssexOngarCM5

survey result

Summary

£79
 ££££
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A favourite restaurant of all time!” – this “very consistent” Essex institution first opened in 1958 and its performance over many years has earnt it a special place in the hearts of its dedicated fan club (which includes Rod Stewart, the Beckhams and other TOWIE notables). “The food is always to a very high standard with the best seafood”“it can feel very crowded but the fish is always well cooked”.

Summary

£74
  £££
4
Very Good
3
Good
2
Average
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

This Essex institution, founded almost 70 years ago, is still “the best fish restaurant in the area”, offering “consistently great food with even better service”. It’s relatively “formal”, which befits its status as a venue which attracts generations of the county’s notables, from Rod Stewart, Denise Van Outen and Victoria & David Beckham to the TOWIE crowd.

Summary

£74
  £££
4
Very Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Established in 1958, this Essex institution is well known for its “excellently cooked fish with some imaginative and well-executed dishes”, served in “generous portions” by “well-trained and extremely welcoming staff who provide great customer service”. It’s “always buzzing with a great atmosphere”“and if you’re lucky you might spot Rod Stewart… a regular”.

Summary

£71
  £££
3
Good
3
Good
2
Average
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“We’ve visited here and in Wapping many times and we’ve never had less than a hugely enjoyable experience!” – this big seafood brasserie (est. 1958, with its London spin-off of about a decade’s standing) is one of Essex’s brightest culinary features and as such “a regular haunt for TOWIE and other local stars!”. “Wonderful fish” is the main feature of a menu of “always first-class food”. The worst comment? “It can be a bit cramped and noisy!”.

For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at Smith’s Brasserie?

Fyfield Rd, Ongar, CM5 0AL

Restaurant details

Yes
Menu,Portions
Yes
22
No trainers
140
10+
Yes

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Pudding
£13.50 £33.00 £9.50
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £23.00
Filter Coffee £4.00
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 10.00%
Fyfield Rd, Ongar, CM5 0AL
Opening hours
MondayCLOSED
Tuesday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 6 pm‑11:30 pm
Wednesday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 6 pm‑11:30 pm
Thursday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 6 pm‑12 am
Friday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 6 pm‑12:30 am
Saturday12 pm‑4:30 pm, 6 pm‑12:30 am
Sunday12 pm‑8 pm

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