The Contented Sole

Description

The Contented Sole has been declared "the best small restaurant in Essex" at the Essex Food & Drink awards 2010. Judges said it was "streets ahead of the competition", praising its ambience, service, menu, creativity, presentation, wine list, staff knowledge, use of local, seasonal produce and value for money.

Set in a charming 18th century building in the picturesque riverside village of Burnham-on-Crouch, the Contented Sole draws its fresh, seasonal ingredients from its location - the farms of eastern Essex, the famous oyster beds of the Blackwater and the North Sea fishing grounds.

Owned by Andrew Hemingway and Stuart Burbidge, who learnt their craft in top hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, the Contented Sole is renowned for its French and English cuisine. Among its most popular dishes are Lemon and Dover Sole, Crêpe Fruits de Mer, plus a range of locally-sourced meat, fowl and vegetable courses. The service is first-class, the atmosphere sophisticated but relaxed, the wine well-chosen and the exceptional food is sensibly priced.

The restaurant is famed for the skill of its chefs and the fine quality of its food. The cuisine is predominantly French and English, and is borne of a love of the culinary art and a devotion to clear, yet subtle, tastes.

Chef patron, Andrew Hemingway, shares his philosophie de cuisine: "Wonderful ingredients are the key to the Contented Sole's reputation. We're set in the heart of a farming and fishing community and we let our locally-sourced food speak for itself. We make sure that our sauces enhance, rather than bury, the original flavours. Our food is all about taste; it's unfussy, and simply, but beautifully, presented."

We also offer an outside catering service, hampers and gift vouchers. Please visit our website for more information.

Burnham-on-Crouch is a gem! Just over an hour from central London by rail, (1hr20 by car), the sleepy fishing village is set amidst the marshy Dengie peninsula, with its beautiful, big skies, vast landscapes and legendary sunsets which arch over the broad River Crouch as it flows out into the North Sea. It's much loved for its romantic waterfront and white weatherboard cottages. Burnham is 30 minutes from Chelmsford, 40 from Southend and 60 from Colchester.

The Contented Sole has a long history of serving gourmets, celebrities and lovers of fine food.

Please visit our website to view our menus or make a reservation...