Sunday Lunch, The Garden Restaurant at Orsett Hall

I recently shared my spa experience at Kukana Spa at Orsett Hall, a luxury hotel in Thurrock, Essex. The second part of my treat was Sunday lunch in the Garden Restaurant, at Orsett Hall.

The Garden restaurant offers far more than standard hotel fare and operates as a stand alone setting. The chef, Robert Pearce, was crowned Essex Chef of the Year 2013 and the restaurant Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year, as well Overall Best Restaurant of the Year at the 2013 Essex Tourism Awards.

As you can see in the pictures below, the decor is modern girly with lots of flowers and flashes of colour. The atmosphere was friendly and it seemed to be a popular spot. On the afternoon I was there, I could see a mixture of ages and groups from a hen party, to a large family celebration and couples.

The menu consisted of attractively presented European classics, some with a twist. Everything I ate was fresh and flavourful. It would have been nice to see some more imaginative vegetarian options (enough with the mushroom risotto) but that’s a standard moan I have for 99% of restaurants.