Sands Bistro/Restaurant

I can’t believe nobody has been there yet! This restaurant is probably the best in the city. Yes, I have not been to many there, but this is one is good stuff!
We went there last summer and I booked it because of the good comments on other websites. And I am glad we did. We arrived there and the place was packed, there was only one little table available next to the window, overlooking the beach and the Estuary. The sun was setting down and the a candle was alight in the table. And yeah! That was our table.
The menu is not really extense BUT the quality is AMAZING. We had a lovely Camembert cheese, fish and a risotto and I still remember it like one of the best foods I have ever had since I moved to the UK.
Oh, and there was a lady playing the piano and singing. Really nice.
I would recomend it to everybody :)

Oh dear! What an awful place to eat. If you want to talk, bring a megaphone or you won’t be heard as the crescendo of noise was over-​powering. The noise of shouting, crashing plates and cutlery being thrown about was just an absolute delight, (not).
However it was delightful to see the young children running about, playing with light sabres and screaming; banging the back of chairs and allowed to continue for the whole meal.
After the staff demanded to know what we wanted to eat. Telling us we wanted a drink and we had to choose a meal tapping a foot whilst waiting. Walked off ran around the table and continued to try and annoy people as much as possible.
The food was not too bad but the menu was very limited and difficult to combine to make a decent meal.
We could not decide whether it was like a prison or mess hall, possibly a gistapo serving us may have been more impressive; maybe alike to the school days of chaos and confusion. If the bombers flew over or the tornado we would not have heard it above the noise.
The food could not be eaten and I myself went to the chippie and got a small cod and chips as they didn‘t even have that.
Score for food out of ten highest ten
Food = 1
Service = 0
Ambiance = 0
Music and entertainment = 0
Well must go again then! When hell freezes over.

I had a lovely early morning breakfast in here with my son. Very yummy scrambled eggs and Salmon and not a bad price for freshly cooked food. The staff were very pleasant. I, m going to try one of the evenings with a singer or pianist.

Overall a nice experience: restauranr was nearly empty and quiet, a pianist provided with not loud background music. Food was very very good indeed and the meat one of the best ever tasted in Southend! Not cheap. but worth the try.