Restaurants near Essex

“Hi everyone! 🍕 I recently had a delightful experience at a local brick oven pizza place named PRIVATEERS and just had to share it with you all! The chicken capris is absolutely delicious, and the staff there, especially our server, was incredibly kind and welcoming. It’s wonderful to support our local businesses, and this place truly deserves a shoutout for their amazing food and service. Highly recommend giving them a try if you haven’t yet! 🌟”

“Absolutely outstanding! 5 star experience from start to finish! Our hostess was a gem! Very kind..Our server Peter was a professional.. made some wonderful suggestions on wine and appetizers! And one of the most important parts was the food! It’s a must try! Memories were made! Can’t wait to go back and enjoy a beautiful experience if they’ve gave 10 stars the Essex would get an 11 cheers”

“Big Thank You to Alex who handled our reservation & table of 24. Great, friendly service & he juggled a lot so we really appreciated it. Food & drinks were very good. Our 1st time there - great atmosphere! Definitely check it out.”

“SO SO SO SO GOOD. We couldn’t decide so we got 3- a margherita, a classic and a mashed potato. The sauce is incredibly, and every pie was perfectly balanced with ingredients and an insane crust that was both chewy and crunchy. 🤌🏻 perfecto!”

“Totally scrumptious! The sweet potato panini special is incredible!”

“There is nothing here that I don’t like. Everything is amazing, made from scratch and fresh. Plus everyone that works there is fabulous.! It’s a lovely place”

“A lovely stop while in Essex for my favorite Matcha Tea Latte with oat milk! Grab a gourmet pastry such as a pumpkin spice biscotti or pumpkin walnut bread and you’ll be all set for the afternoon. Gf and vegetarian options too! Friendly and efficient service. Nice little outdoor seating area as well as indoor tables.”

“I celebrated my birthday at the Seal tonight. We haven't been in a while. I had the Short Rib Ravioli, Mom had the Serloin Steak, my wife had Tuna and our son a grilled cheese. Everything was delicious! Our server said she was new, but did a great job. We finished with warm Carmel apple pie! It was the perfect ending to a great night!”

“UPDATE: 12/3/25 it was so good we went back the next day! This time we had the apple cider calamari again, crab smash and lobster roll. I’ve never tasted anything better! Even their butter was good!! Try the apple cider margarita! 12/2/25 Wonderful stop! Had great service from Grace and the food was amazing. You won’t regret the Apple cider vinegar calamari, smash burger or fish and chips. The espresso martini was delicious!”

“Best ice cream around”

“Fabulous food, drinks, atmosphere and service! Highly recommend!”

“Its just take out but there are a few tables and chairs.. But i love this place. The food is always good and i like the people. I moved to my other house in another town, but when ever i have chinese i drive there.”

“The lobster rolls here are the best! The staff is excellent and the ferry boat ride is fun!”

“The food is good and the service is great. We had a long table with many people and they were able to do separate checks for everyone with great ease. (And the food all came out at the same time!)”

“Terrific location in a small New England town bordering the Connecticut River. Excellent food, wine and comfortable rooms.”

“Terrific location in a small New England town bordering the Connecticut River. Excellent food, wine and comfortable rooms.”

“Had a long horrible day. Drove my bicycle to Old Saybrook to secure a hacked bank account.
Actually got a ride back to Scotch Plains Tavern by the Awesome police force in Old Saybrook.
These guys are great!
Ended up at Essex Plaza across from the minivan which currently is my mode de transport.
Stopping at this Subway was nothing short of amazing.
The wonderful woman working there, Sabel, gifted me with a rood beer and allowed me to plug my EcoFlow River 2 into the power outlet. Even though it was only for about a half hour, the power bank now provides me with enough juice to leave this review.
The place is clean, smells great and althout very small provides a fantastic atmosphere of honest caring.
Felt 100% at home in this tiny restauraunt.
Would endorse this place without any doubt of the consideration of the wonderful people who work there.
If you dig Subway food, then this place will satisfy you.
Have a great weekend!
Don Watkins III”

“My first experience here was an awesome one. The bread, the Crispy Shrimp Rice, and the Coq Au Vin were great. I could have eaten the crispy shrimp rice all night. If it's a toss up between here and anywhere else, come here.”

“Great food. We were 4 and ordered: Penne ala Vodka GREAT Carbonara GREAT Special Burger GREAT Meat Lovers Pizza PERFECT CRUST”

“We have been to Shayna B's at least 10 times. The food is always amazing! Yesterday, 8 of us celebrated my wife's birthday. Everyone, including the non-gf folks, loved the food! The staff was great. I can't say enough nice things!!!”

“Fantastic pizza! I'm pretty picky with pizza..I was impressed. service was great too! 👍🏼”

“I’ve always had a great experience at Himalaya Cafe. You can tell that all the staff takes a lot of pride in their craft. The food is by far the best around and is reasonably priced. The ambiance is clean, warm and relaxing and the service is always very friendly. One of my favorite restaurants around!”

“Came here for the first time today. I've been wanting to try for awhile. Amazing place. Love the menu! So many different things to choose from. Tons of veggie options. I had a veggie melt with broccoli, eggplant, onions, sundried tomatoes and cheese. It was amazing! If you haven't been, great eats for breakfast and lunch!”

“We are coming here regularly, with my family, with my girlfriends... We love their selection of wines.. food is amazing, desserts are delicious too! Highly recommend it. #realtorTatyanaMakarov”

“nice place and many beers to choose from”

“Best penne alla vodka I’ve ever had. Gluten free option too! Great service as well. ❤️”

“honestly the best pizza / Italian food I've had in a long time. Thank you for many wonderful meals this summer, and I'll see you in a few months.”

“Such great service but even more so, the chefs are incredible with their creativity and delivery of unique and delicious food. Liv's is an oasis away from home....they do so much to make dinner special every time. Thank you all.”

“Excellent coffee and bagels. Top notch service. The owners and staff couldn’t be friendlier. If you’re near Westbrook looking for a coffee shop, I fully recommend Julie’s Cup of Joe!”

“real food...made with care”