Last weekend we returned to Essex to celebrate mum's birthday. My brother had booked a table at The Boatyard in Leigh-on-Sea, which I hadn't been to before, but had heard good things about – and the summer menu looked great too.
The reservation
was booked for 12:30pm and already it was fairly busy – mainly families and
groups of friends enjoying the sea views. We were also entertained by a singer,
whose name evades me now. He was great, also playing the guitar and belted out
acoustic versions of all kinds of music – ranging from Oasis to Lionel Richie.
He was very good and had a three-part set that lasted for the duration of our
meal.
Let's get
straight onto the food. We all decided against starters and went straight to
main courses – hoping we'd have room for desserts. The summer menu boasts some
lovely fresh fish dishes, platters for sharing and on Sunday, there's a Sunday
sharer – a bit like a mixed grill. Plenty of choice, without being too
overwhelming.
Alfie had the goujons
and chips from the kids’ menu and he would have been better off just sharing
the bits off our board – as we needed the help, and he didn’t eat that much. He
ate all the chips and had a few spoons of baked beans before picking at the
fish.
Ash went for
the famous fish and chips (£17): two large pieces of chunky cod with thick
chips, tartare sauce and mushy peas. Again, there was no scrimping on portion
size, particularly with the fish – one piece would have been sufficient. I
didn't try any, but it looked great. And Rob went for the jumbo king prawns
(£25) – and boy, were they jumbo alright! So juicy and succulent – in a white
wine, garlic and parsley butter sauce. While they came with a garlic focaccia,
he also ordered a side of fries. I have to admit I got a little food envy.
Had we not
planned a trip to Norfolk where Cromer crab is very much on the agenda, I'd
have taken a chance on the seafood platter: Cromer crab, cockles, winkles,
smoked salmon, prawns, shrimps, and mussels. Honestly, there's nothing better
when you're by the sea. Sitting and watching the world go by, with a couple of
those polystyrene pots, simply taking in the sea air – just wonderful. Anyway,
I digress…
The service was
great throughout and our waitress, Ashleigh was friendly and knowledgeable. Ash
had wanted an IPA and she mentioned The Boatyard have brewed their own. So, he
tried that on her recommendation. We were also given a sample that ended up equating
to around half a pint. It was night and light, although had a bitter
aftertaste. I’m not really a beer person though.
The Boatyard is
definitely a place suited to an occasion – even if it is seeing family or friends
after so long. I would definitely return when back home. There are some lovely
walks and areas of the beach are nice too. We ended up going for a walk after a
meal, just alongside the railway track, which goes from Leigh to Southend. We
didn’t make it that far!
Love, Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx