Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Essex

OpenTable

Updated 05 October 2026

Looking for the best special occasion restaurants in Essex? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Alec's Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (150)

£41 and over

Seafood

Brentwood

About the restaurant

Alec’s Restaurant opened in 2010 and has established itself as one of Essex’s leading fish Restaurants. Alec’s prides itself on quality ingredients and exceptional service.
Unwind with a premium bottle of wine or signature cocktail in the comfortable lounge before taking a seat in the elegant main dining room, which can accommodate 120 guests.
Roaring fires in the winter and a delightful outdoor dining area in the summer, only enhance the elegant building.
The menu at Alec’s Restaurant is traditionally British and sets out to provide simple, quality fresh food. Although predominantly a seafood restaurant serving the finest fish and shellfish, mouth-watering meat dishes add to this impressive menu.
We are proud to follow the MSC code of conduct for sustainably sourced seafood. Plus, all seafood and fish are wild and ‘day boat caught’ from across Britain.
Please note that this restaurant operates a strict policy of no children under 12 years, and a smart casual dress code.

Top review

Natasha

Dined 3 days ago

Fabulous food. Fantastic service . Overall an incredible dining experience

Aspera Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (422)

£25 and under

Mediterranean

Benfleet

About the restaurant

Welcome to ASPERA Restaurant
Aspera offers you the warmest Mediterranean welcome since 2016. We want you to feel at home with us, take your time to enjoy the finest Mediterranean-style cuisines cooked freshly using locally sourced ingredients. Mediterranean cuisine is the food from the lands around the Mediterranean Sea and its preparation and we thrive in bringing this richness to our dishes using only fresh, wholesome ingredients and traditional mix of spices.

Top review

Ray

Dined 6 days ago

We were all very pleased with our lovely food and the service

La Dolce Vita

4.9

4.9 (28)

£26 to £40

Italian

Billericay

About the restaurant

At La Dolce Vita, we invite you to slow down and savour the moment. From the first pour of a bold Italian red to the final spoonful of tiramisu, we bring the authentic spirit of the Mediterranean to Billericay High Street. Whether it’s an intimate midweek dinner or a landmark weekend celebration, experience an atmosphere of refined elegance and a welcome that feels like coming home.

Top review

Joanne

Dined 3 days ago

First time at this restaurant and it was lovely. The food and service were both very good. I had the asparagus risotto, profiteroles and Prosecco. It was reasonably priced and the profiteroles were particularly scrumptious! I will definitely be going back.

Smiths Restaurant Ongar

4.8

4.8 (6010)

£41 and over

Seafood

Ongar

About the restaurant

Priding ourselves on our motto ‘Famous for fish’ Smiths Restaurants is a name that has become synonymous with fine dining and quality, attentive service. Our restaurants are located in Ongar Essex (just off the A414) and Wapping in central London (near Tower Bridge). Both restaurants boast an extensive menu of fresh fish that we offer to cook in a variety of ways to suit every palette. We also offer locally sourced meat dishes to accommodate those who prefer their food terra firma. To compliment the quality of our food we have worked closely with well renowned independent wine merchants to ensure we have a selection of wines that are the perfect accompaniment to every meal. The only problem you may have a Smith’s is being spoilt for choice.

Top review

MarkGold

Dined 1 day ago

Always top notch, never disapoints. Stealth service at its finest

Le Bouchon Brasserie & Hotel

4.8

4.8 (1222)

£25 and under

French

Maldon

About the restaurant

Le Bouchon Hotel is a grade II listed, 300 year old Georgian building which has undergone an extensive refurbishment programme restoring the building to its former glory. The renovation period was used to combine some of the original period features of the building with furnishings and classically styled decoration that complements the original style of this house.

Top review

Sharon

Dined on 27 Aug 2026

We had a fabulous meal which was presented beautiful from very attentive staff

Black Rock Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (798)

£26 to £40

Steak

Clacton-on-Sea

About the restaurant

Welcome to Black Rock, where quality ingredients and great service come together. We offer a distinctive dining experience in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere centered around exceptional food.

Our signature Steak on the Stone puts you in complete control of your meal, allowing you to sear every bite to your exact liking right at your table. This keeps every piece piping hot and packed with natural flavour from start to finish.

Beyond our prime cuts, our menu features fresh seafood, pasta, gourmet burgers, and hearty vegetarian options. We take pride in preparing our dishes from scratch using quality, locally sourced ingredients to deliver incredible freshness in every plate.

Top review

Lucy

Dined 2 days ago

We dine here as a family all the time and they are always polite and good is wonderful.

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

4.8

4.8 (3279)

£41 and over

Afternoon Tea

Leigh-on-Sea

About the restaurant

Here at Mad Dogs & Englishmen we have become renowned for our themed Afternoon Tea’s and wonderful cocktails. Enjoy the eclectic surroundings of this unique venue. We offer an immersive experience, a feast for the eyes and the taste buds! The Parlour Tea Room at Mad Dogs and Englishmen provides a vintage setting to enjoy Afternoon tea. We’ve become renowned for our themed teas which offer an unforgettable experience. The Botanical Rooms is upstairs and hosts our cocktail bar and also hosts our themed afternoon teas.

EVENTS

THE PARLOUR TEAROOM seatings at 12, 2.30 & 5 pm
18/04 - 12/07 Cabaret Rouge Parisienne
18/07 - 01/11 Beauty & the Beast
07/11 - 03/01 A Frozen Afternoon Tea

BOTANICAL ROOMS seatings at 12.30 & 3pm
24/04 - 30/08 The Little Mermaid
05/09 - 08/11 Neverland
14/11 - 03/01 Alice in a Winter Wonderland

Upgrade to the VIP table for up to 4 guests for £10pp

Please ensure you select the correct time, venue and event when booking.

Top review

Joanne

Dined 2 days ago

Lovely atmosphere, the service was brilliant. Food delightful. The theme was lovely. Would highly recommend.

STARK

4.8

4.8 (177)

£41 and over

Modern European

Colchester

About the restaurant

Stark is located in East Mersea, Essex and is owned and run by Ben and Sophie Crittenden, who opened their first site in Broadstairs back in December 2016 with the aim of securing a better work/life balance and enabling Ben to enjoy more time with their three young children, Ivy, Rosa and Arlo. Before relocating to Mersea Island, Stark was the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Thanet and one of five in the whole of Kent.

At Stark, only one, set tasting menu is served with no options or alternatives available. Because of this, Stark is unable to cater for any allergies or dietary requirements, for any reason as all guests eat the exact same meal each night. Ben creates a menu from high quality, seasonal ingredients, using his creativity and passion to create delicious food and provide a unique and exciting eating experience for customers.

Stark is a very intimate, relaxed restaurant, whose only demand of you is that you sit back, trust us with your dinner and enjoy the experience.

Top review

james

Dined on 16 Oct 2026

Sensational food and wine pairings were spot on. Friendly and efficient but unobtrusive service made for a wonderful evening. A real foodie treat.

The Eyna Basildon

4.8

4.8 (1252)

£26 to £40

Turkish

Basildon

About the restaurant

The Eyna is a new, refreshing, traditional Turkish cuisine coming to the heart of Basildon. With a open-plan dining experience, open kitchen & central bar, we're sure this will be your perfect location for all types of events or casual dining.

Top review

PavelGold

Dined 4 days ago

Great place to dine, lovely service, top class. Food is delicious and authentic. Zarina was attentive and provided outstanding service.

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The House by Hilly Gant

4.7

4.7 (1445)

£41 and over

British

Braintree

About the restaurant

We've been serving the people of Braintree and beyond since 2015 and in that time have humbly become ‘one of Essex’s best restaurants.’ We have received recognition from the AA, having been awarded an AA Rosette for ‘culinary excellence’ for five consecutive years, and then in 2023 we received our second rosette, putting the restaurant amongst the top 10 restaurants in Essex. Our food is of course one of our main focuses, but we don’t just stop there. Attentive, relaxed and friendly service is as important as the food and our objective is to make your visit an enjoyably memorable one. Our exceptional wine supplier, Peter Watts Wines (based up the road in Coggeshall) allows us to offer you delicious wines of an exceptional quality. Then add some cocktails, jazz, personality, creativity, a few hidden quirks and we like to think this all culminates to create a truly wonderful experience. Life is about memories; we want to be part of your best ones.

Top review

Les

Dined 2 days ago

Food was marvelous Staff friendly Cozy surroundings

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