By Phil Harrison
A good steak house is a hard thing to find but residents in Essex might just be sitting on a hidden gem right on their doorstep.
The Miller & Carter Silver Jubilee in Leigh-on-Sea, offers a steak to rival some of the best steak houses of London.
I arrived on a quiet weekday evening and was surprised with how busy it was – but by the time I left I understood as this is the kind of place people come back to time and time again.
The seating area above the bar had an ambient glow and the welcome was warming yet relaxed – a must have for a good steak house.
Beginning the night with a morish cheddar baked mushroom starter (£3.95) and cured meats (£3.75) for my guest it was not until the main course arrived that the restaurant truly comes into its own.
I ordered the 12oz Ribeye steak (£14.95) expecting the usual slab of meat and chips ensemble – what I got was a wide range of accompanying sauces, a quirky iceberg salad with choice of dressing, onion loaf and grilled tomato.
My eyes widened as each item was brought to the table and even a mammoth appetite after a full day chasing stories and only a half-eaten packet of crisps still could not help me finish it all – although I gave it a great effort.
The steak was cooked to perfection with a rich peppercorn sauce, while the unique iceberg lettuce salad with Caesar dressing and onion loaf gave a surprising twist to the usual pub take on ‘steak and chips’.
My guest’s smoky BBQ chicken (£9.75) was a great alternative for those who are not a fan of steak and offered another filling and delicious meal for under £10.
The dessert menu was a seemingly endless list of decadent delights that took a while to reduce to just one choice.
I eventually plumped for the summer Eton mess (£3.95) while my friend chose the profiterole sundae (£4.50).
Both arrived brimming with cream and were devoured in minutes as our earlier claim that we “could not eat another bite” was put on hold while we tucked into our rich and fruity desserts.
By the end of the night we had already planned our return with the Miller & Carter Silver Jubilee now ranking highly as a great place to bring family and friends for a high-quality yet still relaxed meal.
To book a table at The Miller & Carter Silver Jubilee call: 01702 522 357.