Southend, French Restaurant Guide

“Great food, great live music and great attention to detail” add up to “a perfect venue” at this country pub, run for 35 years by former rock musician and self-taught chef Paul Clerehugh (ex-Sweet). It’s a “lovely building with great décor and a nice atmosphere”, and if the “portions are way too big” – most guests are very happy with that.

What to make of TV-star Tom Kerridge’s Thames Valley pub, which helped catapult him to stardom in 2012 when Michelin awarded the place two stars. The choice of this ordinary-feeling inn on the edge of town was always “a little quirky”, but for many years satisfaction levels here held up even if the “ambience varies depending on where you are sat, as it can be nice and atmospheric, or you can feel very much shunted to one side”. But for the most part, folks historically didn’t quibble: they just focused on the down-to-earth style and “very high-quality British cooking”. The latter is still sometimes applauded, even if dishes can seem “more traditional and less interesting/exciting than expected”. But the overall tide of sentiment has turned in recent years, with a growing view that “it’s such a pity that what was a fantastic restaurant has now become overpriced and overrated”. Even those who still hail it as “quite possibly the best gastropub in Britain” can still view it as “seriously overpriced and certainly not worthy of two Michelin stars”. And that’s still the upbeat verdict. More representative of feedback are those who say it’s “horrendously overpriced for what is only reasonable pub food” (“two stars? I’m sorry, but that really is a case of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’”). Despite this being one of Michelin’s worst ongoing conclusions, with their history of kowtowing to TV celebrities we’re not betting on a re-rating any time soon.

2022 Review: “Reliable cooking with a buzzy atmosphere” makes this 20-year-old city-centre outfit a useful option; it also gives vegans a decent choice of dishes.

This former coaching inn has “everything you’d expect from a Roux Brothers brasserie” – plus a fascinating history as one of the world’s top nightclubs in the ‘70s, when John and Yoko dropped in; it was reborn again when Alain Roux and his late father Michel Roux senior took over in 2017, and the “superb atmosphere by the river” currently abets “top-quality” French cooking at “reasonable prices” too (a snip compared to their Waterside Inn, a couple of miles away).

“Romantic, extravagant, memorable… and expensive” – Raymond Blanc’s “magical” fifteenth-century manor in a quiet village south of Oxford remains the most commented-on destination in our annual diners’ poll outside of London. For some lucky diners, it’s “an annual pilgrimage” for “a perfect weekend away” – “lunch can take all afternoon with a wander around the glorious garden” and an overnight stay in one of its cosseting suites contributes to the “best experience ever”. Even though it’s actually owned by LVMH nowadays, M Blanc himself is still often on-hand and contributes to a hand-on approach that’s “so professional”. And aficionados say that: “yes, you pay a lot of money; yes, some may find it a little less trendy in its decor and outlook; and yes, the cooking is in a specific style; but, this is an experience in wellbeing and one of life’s treats”. All that said, concerns over “gigabucks” pricing were more in evidence in a year that saw some discontinuities in the kitchen as chef Luke Selby took over from Gary Jones. While most reports still drooled over “outstanding cuisine that’s hard to better”, there were more who – while acknowledging “first-world problems” – found the food “underwhelming, having dreamt about going for years” (“was expecting to be wowed and enchanted like at other top rivals, but I rather found it all rather oversimplistic and non-memorable”). Still, for the majority the verdict remains “an absolute delight from start to finish” – “an indulgent place to dine and stay”.

“Traditional but still at the peak of its appeal” – Alain Roux’s Thames-side “stalwart of French haute cuisine” is “still the most glorious of gastronomic treats”. Founded by his late father, Michel, in 1972 – with the closure of Le Gavroche in early 2024, it now becomes the surviving flagship of the famous Roux dynasty. “Service is incredible”, with “the friendly staff offering the warmest of welcomes”; and the “magical setting” by the river “is very hard to beat” and means a summer meal here can start with a glass of fizz either on the waterside terrace, or actually on the river in their electric launch. The “sublime” cuisine is resolutely of the old school (a signature dish is ‘Lobster Medallions with Vegetable Julienne and White Port sauce); and backed up by an “exciting wine list” in a similar vein. “Obviously it’s also incredibly expensive” – to an extent a few regard as “clearly overpriced” – and some would argue “surpassed by quite a few other restaurants, despite its three stars”. But, “if you can afford it, this is THE place to go for romance and if you really want to splash out, the rooms overlooking the Thames are a perfect location for a night away (because one night is all you will be able to afford…)”

This “very nice old village pub” has been transformed into an “authentic French restaurant” by “fabulous hosts” Antoine & Camille Chretien, who named it after their son. It’s a “lovely venue” that “stands out in the area” for its “superb cuisine” – no mean achievement when the next door village is host to Raymond Blanc’s famous Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.