The Seafood Shack

4.3 (59)

£26 to £40

Seafood

32-35 Eastern Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2ES

Make a reservation

The Seafood Shack

4.3

£26 to £40

Seafood

Southend-On-Sea

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 8, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

Welcome to The Seafood Shack.

We are an award-winning bar and grill serving fresh seafood, flame-grilled dishes and mouth-watering classics, right in the heart of Southend and just steps away from the seafront.

Our menu features hot and cold seafood, grilled meat classics, vegetarian, vegan as well as gluten-free dishes - all freshly prepared for your enjoyment. We keep our customers excited with rotating specials to discover every week.

Our bar manager Jake will keep you spoiled with a selection of premium tapped beer range, carefully curated delicious wine and cocktail list to perfectly pair with our gorgeous food.

Takeaway is available but we highly recommend dining in to enjoy the full Driftwood experience.

Founded by lifelong friends Sandy and Wendy, the creators of the original Shack, Driftwood is a place created by shared passion, friendship and love - and you can taste it in every sip and bite.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Seafood, Grill, Oyster Bar
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–8:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:30 pm Bar Wed, Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
01702 668394
Website
http://www.seafoodshack.social/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
32-35 Eastern Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2ES
Neighborhood
Southend-On-Sea
Parking details
None

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at The Seafood Shack.

4.3

(59)

4.3Food
4.3Service
4.2Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Seafood Shack delights with its "fantastic food" and "friendly and attentive staff." Customers rave about the "delicious, fresh seafood," praising the haddock and chips as "incredible." The atmosphere is "relaxing," making it perfect for celebrations. Despite occasional availability issues, the "service is great," ensuring a memorable dining experience.

59 Reviews

S
SALLY
Indiana1 review
1.0
Dined on October 24, 2026
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
I made a reservation through open table for this location and on the day of I decided to cancel. No where does it have a cancellation notice of being charged for this location that is prominenantly displayed. when I opened the app, the reservation already showed completed, I had a message trying to confirm it that I was not sent on my phone number and then charged $26 and the reservation was actually in the UK. I will never use open table again as this was a total scam
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J
Julie
Essex2 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 3, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was delicious. Have eaten here many times, always good.
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L
LISA
Essex3 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 2, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely lunch - first time we have been , will definitely be back
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E
Ernie
London1 review
3.0
Dined on September 26, 2026
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Still nice food but quality seems to have gone down since our last visit . Was to say won’t be rushing back
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A
Anthony
Essex1 review
5.0
Dined on September 25, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was as wonderful as ever. Shared a crispy prawn mix to start, followed by main courses of king prawn katsu curry and the mixed seafood salad. Everything was fabulous and the service was perfect.
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A
Ann
Essex1 review
5.0
Dined on September 18, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
The Seafood Shack serves amazing food with friendly and courteous staff who could ask for more
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C
Charlie
Essex1 review
5.0
Dined on September 4, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was brilliant! This is the third time we’ve come and each time the haddock and chips has been incredible!
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J
Julie
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 4, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was fantastic and we dipped into a mixture of starters and mains all in one go. Staff were friendly and attentive without being obtrusive and although there was a gathering that was a little noisy the staff were quick to come and apologise (not that it was needed). Drinks were reasonably priced and there was no rush for us to leave. I'd like to add that we were running a little late but the staff were fabulous when we rang up, not making us feel pressured in any way, so we arrived excited rather than stressed.
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C
Chris
London4 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 30, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious, fresh, and with great service. Would return.
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T
Tracey
London1 review
5.0
Dined on August 28, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very nice experience. Staff was very welcoming and attentive. Will definitely be going back.
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Seafood, Grill, Oyster Bar
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–8:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:30 pm Bar Wed, Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
01702 668394
Website
http://www.seafoodshack.social/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
32-35 Eastern Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2ES
Neighborhood
Southend-On-Sea
Parking details
None

FAQs

Portions are generous, guests commonly describe large, filling servings, and the seafood boil and sharing dishes are noted for good quantity.

Yes, The Seafood Shack is often chosen for anniversaries and special meals, with guests highlighting attentive service and celebratory touches.

The Seafood Shack feels warm and welcoming, a clean, modern bar-and-grill with a relaxed, friendly vibe and attentive staff, a setting many guests call enjoyable and convivial.

Yes, families are welcome: the restaurant has a kids menu, staff are accommodating with prams, and multiple guests praise it as great with children.

Business casual is the guide, aim for neat, comfortable clothes; many guests also dress up a little for anniversaries and special occasions.

Saturday evenings are a favourite, several guests describe fantastic Saturday visits, praising the food, service and lively atmosphere.

The Seafood Shack was founded by lifelong friends Sandy and Wendy, who created the original Shack and Driftwood concepts.

How FAQ content is generated

Make a reservation

The Seafood Shack

4.3

£26 to £40

Seafood

Southend-On-Sea

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 8, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 6 times today

The Seafood Shack

Make a reservation

The Seafood Shack

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

Reviews

Review summary

Additional information

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The Seafood Shack

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