Places to eat in Clacton-on-Sea

Starting with one of the closest restaurants to our Clacton-on-Sea Seafront hotel, Charnallies Restaurant & Bar is a North American-themed eatery that spans Italian, American and Mexican dishes. With comfy booths and large portions, the family-friendly outlet is a great option for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as cocktails and coffee.

Staying with the Central American theme, El Guaca on Marine Parade is an authentic Mexican restaurant chain known for its brightly coloured decor, fiery flavours, cocktails and a lively atmosphere.

If you’re looking for elegant Italian flavours, pizza and pasta head to Franco’s. With a great location next to the Pavilion and the pier, it’s one of the more up-market restaurants in Clacton-on-Sea with a bright, airy dining room open from Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Nearby in the Pavilion, you’ll find Armstrong’s, which boasts some of the best restaurant sea views in Clacton-on-Sea. An all-day restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus kids’ options, a Sunday lunch menu and a range of vegan dishes, it’s a large, open space with a baby grand piano as the focal point. The food is decent, but it’s the location and setting – especially the sea-facing terrace – that really make this restaurant stand out.

Whether you eat in or get the food to take away, Aroy Thai is one of the best Asian restaurants in town. Open daily for dinner from 5pm, the hardest part of eating there is choosing from the 70-strong menu, although they’ve helpfully put together a series of set menu options to help streamline the process.

Have you even been to the seaside if you’ve not had fish and chips? That’s easily fixed with a trip to Geo’s Fish Bar. Set a few blocks back from the pier and an easy walk from our Clacton-on-Sea Seafront hotel, you can either get your battered cod (and buttered bap) to go or eat in at their compact restaurant. Freshly cooked, affordable and a short stroll from the pier, it’s the perfect post-beach pick-me-up.

Heading north slightly, The Pantry is a great all-day option. Located just off the High Street, they dish up a wide range of breakfast and lunch options, including a popular all-day breakfast, all of which offer great value for the money.

Alternatively, carry a little further up Pier Avenue and you’ll find the Bluebird Tearooms next to Century Cinema. Open daily from 9am to 3pm, they do some of the best afternoon tea in town, with thick luxurious scones topped with homemade jam and glorious peaks of whipped cream.

Greensward Cafe is the perfect place to stop and refuel after a trip along Marine Parade. Situated halfway between the pier and Martello Tower E, it’s a traditional café equally adept at the all-day fry-up as it is with lattes, ice creams and cold drinks.

If you’re exploring on the eastern side of Clacton Pier, Flags Cafe comes with our stamp of approval. Open daily during the summer and weekends in the winter, the small but welcoming café opens up onto the beach and serves everything from Sunday roasts to homemade cakes, hot and cold drinks and plenty of vegan treats.

It’s fair to say we’ve saved the best for last, at least if you’re of the sweet tooth persuasion. With over 40 types of waffle, it’s hard not to waffle on about Waffle On Clacton, and that’s without even mentioning their range of pancakes, breakfast options, large dairy-free menu and milkshakes, which use a calorific half-litre of ice cream in each one. Thankfully, the five-minute walk from our Clacton-on-Sea Seafront hotel will help burn off a few calories and assuage some of the food guilt!