There’s definitely something fishy going on here in Essex – but only in the most delicious sense of the phrase. Here’s our pick of the best seafood eateries across the county Maldon Smokehouse - seafood overboard (Image: Maldon Smokehouse) Maldon Smokehouse, Maldon. Once you’ve discovered this gem, tucked away down a tiny lane alongside the river Chelmer, it’s sure to become a favourite.
An imaginative menu allows you to develop a taste for this traditional cooking and preserving method: the motto here seems to be, if a food can be smoked, it will be! Expect, then, not only smoked local seafood – from crevettes to anchovies and roll mops - but meats and cheeses too. The Smokehouse deli options include the popular Seafood Overboard, a large platter holding a generous selection of fish: smoked prawns, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon pate as well as peeled prawns and crayfish served with bread and Greek salad. Should you by any chance have any vegetarians with you, they can tuck into a garden board of home-smoked humus, garlic potatoes, Italian salad, olives and smoked mixed nuts and honey.
An extensive wine list offers everything from Pouilly Fume to mini bottles of fizz – great for those who want a treat rather than a whole bottle. Regular visitors come back time and time again not only for the food, but for the relaxed dining set up – there’s a rustic beach house, plus plenty of riverside tables outside – lovely on summer days, these offer a .