Talbooth Restaurant

Went here for a special birthday celebration, food was lovely and the atmosphere is so pleasant. the service was a little slow but nothing to be upset about. we enjoyed a nice walk around the area after. highly recommend

Went here with my girlfriend for a late anniversary dinner and had 3 courses. I asked a few questions about the menu and George was really helpful, polite and gave us great information to help choose the right dishes. We both really enjoyed our meals tonight – great service and food!

We travelled from southend.for lunch and on are arrival. The setting was stunning with the newly cut lawns and a beutiful river flowing past the venue. On arriving at the restaurant we were greeted by a lovely young lady. Who asked if we woukd like to sit inside or outside along the side of the river bank.. We chose outside as it was a pleasant day... At first are waitress and waiter we're very attentive.. And brought the ordered cocktails quickly. Which were lovely... The three of us placed are orders two ordered the special starter of the day which was the scallops. And I ordered the lobster.And one fresh oyster. The lobster starter was very refreshing and tasty.. The scallops were unfortunately very salty. We did mention this to the waiter thinking he would go back to the kitchen. But unfortunately we felt it went in one ear and out the other as he did not come back with a explanation.... Which we did not expect from a fine dining restaurant... As regards the oyster when we asked if the oysters were sourced locally he did not know but thought they might come from Merseyside.. Which surprised us all as there is a famous oyster farm locally in maldon. He also went on to say which surprised us saying he really did not understand what all the fuss is about regarding the delicacy and taste of oyster. As all they do is filter water. Moveing on to the mains.. We had one duck. One lamb. And lemon sole. All three main courses were ok but for the price we did expect a bit more perfection. As regards the duck was over cooked and quite chewy. No opportunity from the waiter to be able to request how the duck was cooked. When ordering.. But the, sauces were very full bodied and tasty. The lamb dish again was over cooked and along with the sweet breads very chewy. But the fondant potato was a joy along with the sauce. The final main dish was the lemon sole.. Which was of a very strong smell. And laid bare on a plate which did not look very appealing... But for us it was the smell. My feeling was that it was not that fresh but I may be wrong... But in are experience in the past when haveing lemon sole in other restaurants we never experienced this smell.. The accompanying vegetables were fresh. And tasty. So to sum up the mains. I feel that a bit more. Attention To the cooking of the meat dishes and Pehaps the option of asking the customers how they would like there meat cooked. As regards to the lemon sole I not sure what to say. Moveing on to the deserts. Well this is a completely different story. And I feel another chef was involved as the quality. Standard and taste were amazing the mille-feuille was out of this world with amazing flavours the sorbet really packed a punch and was enjoyed. The chocolate cheese cake. Was most probably the best cheese cake I had tasted in years full of flavour stunning. And finally the poached apple rice pudding.. An absolute delight. Refreshing and tasty... As regards to the amenities at the restaurant were clean and well presented including the the disabled toilet.... To sum up... An absolute stunning location. Well presented... But for the price I feel a bit more thought shoukd go into the main dishes. Pehaps giveing pay customers the option on how there meat dishes are cooked. Ie. Rare. Medium. Well done.. And Pehaps the presentation of the lemon sole should be rethought..... This is not a cheep venue woukd I say it value for money. Unfortunately at this moment in time I woukd not say it's value for the money.. But the surrounding areas are stunning and very relaxing...

My wife and I visited the Talbooth on 6th September to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Before dining, we enjoyed a scenic boat trip on the River Stour arranged by the River Stour Trust. Huge thanks to Maggie and Graham for being such fantastic guides, and to Alan for organising everything for us. The restaurant itself was outstanding. The staff were attentive, the views and atmosphere were beautiful, and the food was simply exceptional, some of the finest I’ve ever had. Considering the quality, the pricing felt very fair, and I genuinely couldn’t fault a thing. My wife highly recommends the Dingley Dell pork belly with dauphinoise potatoes, an absolute highlight. We’ll definitely be returning. Thank you to the Talbooth team for making our anniversary so memorable.

Great choice of menu. Lovely attentive, friendly staff. Wonderful setting right beside the river. Would highly recommend.

Very expensive but the atmosphere was so nice. Service is great, prompt and polite. Portion sizes are on the smaller side which encourages a 2-3 course meal.

Had the opportunity to dine here a week or so ago and it was outstanding. Beautiful setting in an old, cozy building, fantastic service, tremendous food made from British ingredients and a superb wine list. Special shout-out to the staff whose service was perfection without being intrusive, and Ivars, the sommelier, whose enthusiasm for wine just brings joy into any conversation about which wine to pair dinner with. His recommendation was absolutely spot-on. Will be back sometime soon, hopefully.

Absolutely fabulous restaurant with thoroughly professional staff and delicious food with options for everyone. There is plenty of space for each table so you can chat without having to raise your voice or be overheard. The tuna tart starter is definitely worth a particularly mention, although all the dishes for our table for four were top drawer.

We had dinner here the other night and also had lunch last summer. It was full as a cocktail party in their function rooms so service was a little scattered, whereas last summer service was excellent. This time our starters were delicious, but my main was vegetarian and badly conceived & flavorless. They did take it off our bill. This meant I had room for dessert instead which was fabulous - blackberry fruit leather cannelloni with apple cream inside. My husband had Welsh rarebit for dessert which was brilliant & then sparked several other diners ordering it!! Overall a nice night & last time lovely lunch sitting outside by the river. Just improve the vegetarian option & would have been 5 stars!!