One of the worst experiences in a resturant I have ever had. I complained on the night (01/04/09) and sent this to their website - No reply After receiving a number of good word of mouth reviews I booked a table last week for 6.15pm last night. (A Birthday treat). When I booked it was explained to me that you would wish to have the table cleared by 8pm and I explained that that suited us fine as along with my wife we were bringing out 7 year old son and my 80 year old mother - so obviously wanted an early finish We arrived about 6.10 pm yesterday and were taken to our table, at the time only about 12 other dinners were present. Although pre-dinner drinks were served straight away, after some confusion concern my wife's request for Dubonnet and being presented with Drambuie, it wasn't until around 6.40pm that we were finally given the menus. (Oh I will add that the,then, over friendly waiter took it upon himself to pour some of the wine in a glass for my son and encouraged him to take a taste - Yes my 7 YEAR OLD..) We ordered about 5 minutes later (my wife and I the only ones having a starter) and then waited half an hour for those starters to arrive (by which time we had been in the restaurant over an hour). Then it wasn't until 7.45pm (1 and a half hours after we arrived - and 15 minutes before we were supposed to give up our table) that our main courses (and the first things my son and mother had eaten all evening..) finally arrived. No explanation apology was offered at any time. On their arrival I actually ordered my son and mothers desert as I said to the waiter that after awaiting an hour and a half for these I didn't want to spend another hour waiting for those.. (I will also add that during our time we had seen other people arrive after us and served before us) 8pm arrived , we did get our deserts quickly after finishing our main course , and the restaurant filled up with new dinners obviously waiting for our and other tables to be vacated and making us very feel rushed to get out I asked for the bill and was presented with one - but only for the drinks we had had I suppose after the 'service' we had endured I could and should have just put that money on the table and walked out but I was honest and showed the waiter the bill. Once again, no apologies, in fact he virtually snatched it out of my hand and went into the kitchen with it. 10 minutes later , with a different waiter, it arrived back corrected (but again no explanation - no apologies) So I got out the exact cash (I certainly wasn't going to leave a tip) and waited. 5 minutes later we got up - left the cash on the table - showed ourselves to the door - found our own coats and left (And to add insult to injury we had already seen some 8pm arrivals not only have ordered, but have had their starter served within 20 minutes of their arrival!) The food (when it arrived) I have no complaints at all about - but could we enjoy it after what we had gone through to finally get it.. What a great Birthday meal I had had - NOT!!! +++++++++++++++++++ As I said I sent the above to the restuarnt back in April (and a reminder) with my e-mail and postal address - To date NOTHING All I can do now is warn others of my experience read more

READ THIS....... Simply Seafood is just amazing! (The review by Suzytrue is rubbish) I am a regular customer of Simply Seafood Restaurant and not once when I booked did I not get offered both the Terrace and the inside. The inside of the restaurant gets full ever so far in advance, normally 2 months (probably because the food and service is exquisite), but the outside is also available. I have sat out there a few times with family and friends, and although it isn't as warm as the inside, it is quite lovely to be able to sit outside in the winter in ENGLAND. I have always loved going to Europe in the winter and sitting outside with a warm heater on me, having a drink with friends, however never been able to do so in England until Simply Seafood opened. It is covered and is heated as much as possible. From what i believe the outside opened due to popular demand. And the only reason for it not being covered like the inner part of the restaurant was completely down to planning permission. When you think of how many customers go there during a week, (i would say almost full every night, so has to be around 1000 per week) seeing 3 complaints on this site is a joke. The prices at Simply Seafood are average, they are no where near as expensive as the Boatyard but more expensive than McDonalds (clearly what these people writing these other reviews are used to). The average starter is around £6 The average main is around £15 The average desert is around £5 When all of the Fish, Vegetables, Deserts, Herbs, Spices, Fruit, Soups etc etc is Fresh (which simply seafood's food is), i think those prices are extremely reasonable. And my gosh, you get so much for your money. I recommend: Lobster Bisque Soup Scallops with black pudding and chorizo Prawns in Chilli and Garlic butter Grilled Seafood Platter Line caught Halibut Seabass with orange jus and sauté green beans. If you have something that you like better, eg, the Seabass but with potatoes instead of green beans and with creamy parsley sauce instead, they are very happy to do that for you. I believe that " Suzytrue's Husband" booked it late (when he was meant to book it weeks prior) and she just wants a good moan. Ps, let them know if it is a birthday or an anniversary. This review has been agree by: Mr & Mrs Prescott Miss Baxendale Mr Andrews Lady Isabella Ward Mr & Mrs Watkins read more

Location 1 The Cockle Shed, High Street, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2ER Tel 01702 716645 Open Tues-Fri noon-2pm (last bookings), 6pm-8.30pm (last bookings); Sat 8.30am-10am, noon-2pm, 6pm-9pm (last bookings); Sun & Bank Holiday Mondays 8.30am-10am, noon- 3pm (last bookings) Web http://www.simplyseafood.co.uk Email dine@simplyseafood.co.uk Disabled Facilities Location Aptly named, Simply Seafood serves just that however there is nothing simple about the quality of dishes on the extensive menu. We found it took some considerable time to narrow our choices down as we sat looking out over the fishing boats and peaceful waters towards the distant lights of Southend pier. While it came as no surprise that there are no meat dishes on the menu, I was amazed at the extent of the vegetarian menu, having expected it to be limited to just two or three options. The long wine list also demands some consideration, whether buying by the bottle or glass. One of the many things I like about this restaurant is the fact that, for almost every dish, you are given the opportunity to select either a starter or main-course portion size. Just imagine the range of choice this presents you can mix and match the menu to suit your tastes, appetite and budget. All the seafood is freshly caught the same day it is presented on your plate, and lightly cooked to preserve delicate flavours and textures. The setting is both contemporary and intimate and the staff couldn't be more helpful. There is also a seafood delicatessen attached to the restaurant which is open during the day, so you can experiment with your own culinary skills having been inspired by the cuisine at Simply Seafood. My friend and I enjoyed an exquisite feast of scallops, tiger prawns, sea bass and salmon en croute, followed by a delectable passion fruit and mango mousse. Everything was presented beautifully, the side dishes of vegetables were fresh and brimming, and the bread is baked fresh in the kitchen. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, and you can take advantage of the attractive, heated outdoor terrace area for alfresco eating all year round. Starter-size dishes range from £3.95 to £14.95, and mains from £6.95 right the way up to £49.95 for two to share the magnificent Emperor's Seafood Platter. read more

SO starting from the entrance. We arrived promptly for our table and rather than being shown to the table and coats taken it was pointed out to us and off our Waiter rushed. He reappeared asked if we would like drinks, I took the wine list saying I would order something from it, he began to rush off again, when I pointed out my wifes coat he, grudgingly took it. Ten minutes later I had to beckon him over to take a drinks order. The wine and water were then promptly delivered. Delicious bread with a pesto and chili, balsamic and oil dip were presented The order was taken and my wife opted for a main only, I went for the Mussels, they arrived promptly, the sauce was a little bland, needed more of everything but was OK the mussels were poor quality, I would hazard that they were cooked separately and added to the sauce, many had failed to open fully so were discarded. The mains arrived without the seasonal vegetables we had ordered, by this time we couldn't be bothered to take issue. My main of Skate was off good quantity and very nicely cooked though the capers had been added as an afterthought as there was no infused flavour and it came swimming in butter, but I would give it 6 out of 10 My wife opted for the large plate of Scallops with black pudding and chorizo, which looked excellent and was immense proportion. The looks didnt deliver, the black pudding was of poor quality and over cooked so it was grainy, the chorizo was poor quality again lacking that lovely smokey flavour and over oily and the Scallops were frozen and overcooked. We didnt bother with dessert. All of this takes place in a small dinning room under a flyover next to a railway track on one side and the Cockle beach on the other with JCBs unloading the boats. All in all I would give the place 4 out of 10, they need to up the quality of the food dramatically and the service needs to be shaken up. Our waiter seemed not to care, this will go the way of many decent eating places in Southend i.e Bust, the world has moved on and people expect so much more, especially when paying these prices which are only about 10% cheaper than J Sheekey or Scotts read more

This was a shocker. I thought it might go wrong when I tried to make a reservation. I got the answerphone saying their reservations open 4pm. It was 4.25.pm when I rang. I left a message stating what I was looking for and asked for an uregent response as I had to make plans for the evening one way or another. Anyway no callback but I rang them an hour later and the person I spoke to confirmed that she had got my message. She didn't aplologise. We (my wife and I) turned up at the appointed time and we were firmly told they didn't have a reservation for us. No aplogy but we were given the only available table - by the kitchen door. It was noisy and smelly. The Service was ok some of the waitresses were helpful. The male waiter needed some soap though. He didn't smell to good. The food: First course was bland and unimaginative. The second appeared as soon as we finished the first. We had decided on the very expensive Halibut on a bed of cabbage. The latter was like eating chewed up newspaper it was so tough. My fish was tough as in overcooked. When I told the waiter he said he would tell the chef. That was the last I heard until a waitress asked me how the food was. I told her and she said she would tell chef. Much later a manager spoke to me about my complaint and again said she would tell chef. No apology. When the bill came there had been no reduction for the food which I could not eat. Still no apology. Only when I insisted that I would pay no more than half the price did they grudgingly accept this but again no apology. It could have been so much better but the place is very busy with tables crammed together and overworked staff. It was one of those places that avoided consideration of their diners. read more

We lunched on a Saturday a couple of weeks before Xmas in the inside restaurant: it was two thirds full which we were told was unusual as it's normally full . We left it late to book, left a message on their anwerphone and they got back to us in 30 mins to confirm. The service was good: they attended to us promptly when we arrived, offered us drinks and menus and the food came up in good time. Overall the food was average and didn't really live up to the 'billing' of the restaurant itself. We had the chowder and grilled sardines to start with, and the sardines were nice and moist so they had not been overgrilled. The chowder was good if a little oversalted for our taste. That was followed by our mains, the skate accompanied by honey roast root veg and seafood gratin. The skate was fine - a good size - but the veg had seen better days: they were soggy and looked as though they had been reheated: definitely not fresh nor honey roasted. The gratin was the biggest disappointment: it was far too dry and had more gratin and potato that fish. We passed on deserts. With a bottle of decent Spanish rioja our bill came to £68 which was about what we would expect to pay. Overall we felt that the restaurant had a nice feel, the staff were trying hard but the kitchen needed to up its game. PS we saw the comments on the previous reviews re the outside and in December would not have eaten out there, heating or not! read more

By reading the reviews above, I can see the credit crunch is not affecting Sarah Wells We have eaten at the Savoy and the Ritz and not just used to Mcdonalds food as inferred by the manager at Simply Seafood. I agree with Suzy, we ate at the restaurant al fresco in the freezing cold, everyone was sitting in their coats and complaining that the heaters, that kept switching themselves off was not adequate. Not a pleasant night out. We waited for months to book a table, only to be very dissapointed on the night. Towards the end of our evening three tables of people asked to be moved into the main restaurant area as the tables in there had been freed, no one offered this to them, they had to ask. The bill came to around £400 and this was the first time we had to scruitinise a bill, we felt so dissapointed we asked for the service to be removed, which we have never done, as the waiting staff were quite good. When my friend complained they advised that there was not a manager working on a Saturday night, I find this hard to believe. The responses my friend has recieved are rude and it appears that this restaurant cannot take constructive critisism. We and everyone we know will not be visiting ever again read more

Dreadful!! We were a party of eight and were made to sit in the al-fresco area which had been covered over with plastic sheeting, on patio furniture, and it was FREEZING!! If it's like that in November I dread to think how it would be in January. There was an inadequate patio heater which had no effect whatsoever, and the plastic wasn't even sealed off; there were gaps everywhere where the north wind could blow through! We might just as well have sat on the beach. We were told that they couldn't make it any warmer. There was no manager available so I emailed them a couple of days later to say they should tell people the situation at the time of booking; we were paying the same (very high) prices as those sitting in the warm restaurant building. The manager came back a week later with a tissue of lies saying that our person who'd made the booking had 'chosen the terrace'; yeah, right. Any business worth their salt would have apologised and maybe offered a gesture of goodwill, but from their attitude, they're so far up their own what'snames, they obviously don't feel the need. We won't be going back. read more

I ate at this restaurant last Tuesdays night, and then embarrassingly I came back Thurdays, Friday and Sunday. It was just amazing. The staff are so friendly and the food is incredible. The menu was huge though, so will take me a while to get through it but there is something on there for everyone and every mood. I ate the prawns in garlic, two of the scallop dishes, both soups, the cod and the salmon. One word to describe it all...... WOW. The toilets were gorgeous and the decor was just so lovely. I am in love with a sauvignon called KUKI, i had it and then took 2 bottle home with me :) Their are 2 waiters in particular that made the whole experience, George and Samantha. And the two managers Sara and Kaylee are lovely. This is a family run restaurant and it just ticks all the boxes. :) :) x read more

Nice food but its down hill all the way after that. My party were booked a table for mid November and we were sat in a shed outside! The heaters only worked sporadically and by the end of the evening everyone in the shed were sat at their tables with their coats on. One free round of drinks was offered as compensation but on checking the bill some of these drinks had been charged. We were told no manager was on duty that night to complain to. My friend e-mailed Simply Seafood a few days later to complain and was informed that when I had booked I had been told that I was to eat in the shed and also what table we were to eat at. This was not true. I was going to say give this establishment a try in the summer months but after lying to my friend I would have to say stay well clear. A FORGETABLE EXPERIENCE. read more

We have now eaten at simply seafood on numerous occasions, it is fantastic, each and every time the staff are extremely friendly the service is very good and the food to die for, we have been fortunate to dine on the terrace as well as in the restaurant, 2 totally different atmospheres but equally as exciting. as for other peoples comments terrace covered in plastic, we believe they must have been elsewhere, we dined in November on the terrace and had to ask the waiting staff to turn the heating down as it was warmer than the sunniest day in leigh this year. Long may the proprietors continue to offer the vast varied food and wine menu, along with first class service that we have received each and every time. Nick and Wen read more

Just Incredible. My partner and I were having our kitchen renovated and therefore couldn't cook. But Simply was our salvation. We enjoyed our homemade diner at Simply with a nice cup of tea or glass of wine, in their very comfy chairs and atmosphere. It was just so relaxing and inviting. We didn't eat their every night, we just ate there a few times a week for 4 weeks during October and have been back several times after that. We got served by a very sweet waitress called Sabine, she works on the outside part of the restaurant which we tried a few times. It wasn't as comfy as the inside but was very relaxed and warm and food was just as good. Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

I have visited this establishment on several occasions and have always had a great experience. There is something for everyone, my friends and I love most of the dishes on offer, and the menu is large, so we keep going back. The service is great, friendly staff who can't be more helpful! I have read a couple of the poor reviews on here and I'm seriously confused?!? I always have a bit of a laugh with the waiters and have never had bad service. My favourite menu items are the lobster bisqe, the salmon, cod, the scallops, and the clams. Fantastic! read more