SEVERAL delicious Essex restaurants have been included in a prestigious guide which aims to inform foodies of the best eateries in the country.
The Good Food Guide, considered the longest-standing and best-selling advisory list, has been reviewing the best restaurants, pubs and cafés in Great Britain since 1951.
Establishments are reviewed by inspectors who are deployed to venues across the country following suggestions or tip-offs from readers.
Whether there’s a promising new chef in town or a remote country pub which has upped its game, the Good Food Guide is always on hand to give its expert assessment of the food and hospitality.
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Luckily, Essex is blessed with an array of top-tier restaurants, and some of them have now been included in the most recent Good Food Guide.
The full list of restaurants included are as follows:
1. Church Street Tavern in Colchester - Good Rating
The "perfect place" to dip away from the busyness of Colchester’s Church Hill, and a popular spot for dining in the city centre.
The Church Street Tavern is described as comfortable in its well-worn skin.
Casual temptations might include a heaped bowl of mussels and skinny fries, jaw-defying toasties, or a simple pasta with tomato sauce pepped up with chilli, olives, capers and garlic.
2. Food Leigh-On-Sea in Leigh - Good Rating
The restaurant is described as a place for "real food with an emphasis on creativity and flavour."
And although there’s just one sitting, three days a week, and no menu as such, the daily four-course spread provides an "admirable ethos when it comes to sustainability, organic produce, nutrition and zero-waste."
The result is described as an "emphatically seasonal food bursting with bright accents and textures."
3. Galvin Green Man in Great Waltham - Good Rating
The owners are better known for being the brains behind several high-profile big-city restaurants, but inspectors found it "a pleasant surprise" to find them in charge of the self-styled "pub-deluxe" overlooking a meadow by the river.
The restaurant sits in a "charming pub building" built in the 14th century which showcases exposed beams, local beers and seasonal British plates.
4. Kintsu in Colchester - Very Good Rating
Kintsu, an ingredient-led, tasting menu restaurant, provides experiences unlike any other.
The place has been noted to have "scenic views and grand entrances", although it is tucked away in a Colchester alleyway.
What is arguably described as Colchester's "finest place to eat" is down an inconspicuous alley in a plain brick building near a multi-storey car park.
5. Talbooth in Dedham - Good Rating
Celebrating 70 years in business, the "much-loved" family-run restaurant welcomes its guests to a "picture perfect" setting by the Stour.
The river-side restaurant is "perfect" to mark any occasion with "beautifully presented dinners."
The centuries-old building creates a "breezy and airy" ambience thanks to mullioned windows and white-clothed tables.
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6. The Sun Inn in Dedham - Good Rating
Piers Baker’s sunny-yellow inn opposite the village church is said to be "a proper pub success story."
With high culinary aspirations and room for ale-supping locals at the elm bar, the pub has been a popular sensation in the area.
While the split-level beamed restaurant has a relaxed, congenial vibe, the workers work "their hardest" to create a "perfect" place for their guests.
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