Hollie Allen of Essex Foodies (@essexfoodies) is a food blogger reviewing restaurants across the county and beyond. She shares the eateries that have tickled her tastebuds this month
Mosaic, Chelmsford
Turkish cuisine
This is a gorgeous, beautifully decorated restaurant sitting just shy of the city centre. Mosaic offers all of the traditional Turkish dishes you could wish for, plus an incredible selection of cocktails! During the week it is pleasantly calm, but come Friday, it really comes to life. It makes for a great starting point for a night out in Chelmsford, kick-starting your weekend with drinks and food you’ll want to come back for. I recommend trying prawns a la crème – a deliciously rich and creamy dish bursting with flavour. There's also a branch of Mosaic in Braintree.
12th Street Burgers, Romford
American cuisine
12th Street Burgers is a new burger joint in Collier Row, Romford, serving up all things American. It opened in late February and has since made a name for itself all over Instagram. The food is unapologetically American – think stacked dirty burgers, loaded fries, thick shakes, slabs of chocolate fudge cake and red velvet cake to die for! The restaurant itself is very casual, so isn’t one to get dressed up for, but if you’re local to Romford it’s definitely worth ordering a takeaway and experiencing it for yourself.
Yak and Yeti, Benfleet
Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan cuisine
Yak and Yeti is the place to be if you enjoy Asian cuisine! This restaurant serves up Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan cuisine so you are truly spoilt for choice. Play it safe with a curry you know such as chicken tikka masala or try the chicken tikka butter masala. I would recommend the dall salmon. A light and fragrant dish available as either a starter or main, it’s wonderfully delicate and perfect if you find curries a bit too heavy.
Tim Hortons, Braintree
Canadian cuisine
Tim Hortons have recently started making a bit of a name for themselves in Essex with a branch opening in Thurrock and most recently in Braintree. I visited a couple of weeks back at a special launch event and was able to sample plenty of treats, including the well-known French Vanilla drink, which is an absolutely must if you visit. Tim Hortons is a Canadian chain serving up everything from breakfast muffins, burgers, pancakes, doughnuts to its famous Tim Bits (these are the middle bits of doughnuts – nothing goes to waste here). This is definitely the place to fuel up before a day of shopping at Braintree Village or just somewhere to stop by and indulge in some delicious doughnuts.
You may also like Best-Kept Foodie Secrets in Essex: https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/food-and-drink/establishments/best-kept-foodie-secrets-in-essex-8771680
