Il Camino — Restaurant in Maldon

I took my mum here for dinner on a very rare evening out. We chose this restaurant because of the reviews left here. Unfortunately we were so underwhelmed and disappointed.

The negative experience started as we walked in the restaurant to be met with a strong musky, stale smell that was very unpleasant. The decor was in dire need of a touch up and the area was grubby. The window we were looking at had a long, filthy curtain that was pulled to one side up the wall with a dirty extension lead running under it.

We were given bread as we sat down that was stale and we were unable to eat it. We both chose the pork in red wine jus and asked for it to be cooked so there was no pink in it but was also tender. When our server told the chef we heard him complain about this request. It is entirely possible to cook pork well but retain the flavour and soft texture. Unfortunately the pork was chewy and the red wine jus had not been reduced enough and so smelled and tasted of red wine. The vegetables had not been seasoned, just partially boiled and so the carrots were nearly raw.

All in all it was a very disappointing experience. We were both shocked at the quality of food and the cleanliness and upkeep of the restaurant itself as the reviews we read were positive and the food prices per dish were not cheap. The food was over priced.

To top all this off a 10% service charge was automatically added to the final bill, I can understand this for a large group of people but is not appropriate for just two people.

Really sorry to say that we...

The definition of mediocrity. The service was perfect, the waitress friendly and amiable. However, the food was extremely disappointing. The starters were decent however they were nothing special. The mains were just thrown on the plate with no care. The venison was tough and bland with no real taste that would discern it as venison. When we complained, the chef came out and assured us that the meat was of high quality, which confirms that it was not the quality of produce but lack of skill as a chef that created a poor meal. With the meals there was a side of tasteless vegetables that really did not add to the meal. The steaks were okay, there was nothing notable about them. The same could be said about the Brasato di Carni Miste which was average, the same quality of food can be and is regularly prepared in my home. The pork belly was very tasty and we had no problems with. Finally, all the items that came with a sauce were drowned in it, this was a poor attempt at hiding the lack of flavor. I am extremely disappointed in this meal and would never recommend...

A small restaurant with exactly none of the traits and trappings of a large chain. The very reasonably priced food was served by an attentive waitress in a relaxed atmosphere. Hard to put my finger on it, I can only say the food was more like Italian home cooking than I'd expected, but nevertheless brought to the table quite quickly. We all really enjoyed it. There used to be more restaurants like this, but they're getting less common. Enjoy it while it's still there . Italian...