The Quays

One of the few places to get real ale in Basildon. Its essentially a chain pub associated with the premier inn. Its not great but its as good as Basildon gets.

The Quays has done us proud over the years. It hosted our wedding reception, which was a lovely occasion, we’ve had some lovely food there, and it’s a good place to have a drink too.

This is located just around the back of the festival leisure park which is handy as it is in a prime location for other amenities but is also tucked away so is not in the thick of everything. It is set right next to a lake, which in the summer, is lovely as you can sit outside and enjoy the views. I have always found the staff to be polite and courteous and the food reasonably priced. I have been here with a large party (more than 10 people) and the only reservation was that the food took a long while to come out but we did all get served at the same time. I have also been here for a quick pub lunch and again the food was served nice and hot and in a timely manner. I have enjoyed many a Sunday roast here (it is always busy on a Sunday so a reservation is a must). Around the festive period it is very busy and there is an excellent atmosphere with the bar and restaurant decorated and the staff dressing up. I have also found it a good place to go for a few pre-​club drinks on a Friday or Saturday night.

This is the closest you will get to a traditional pub in the local Basildon area. It has a friendly atmosphere and caters for all ages. They offer an extensive range of drinks for all tastes and preferences. It is located in the popular area of the Basildon Festival leisure park but sits nicely behind the scenes so you are not overwhelmed by the busy night life and noise coming from the other bars and night clubs. It sits nicely over a lake also, which in the summer is great to look over when outside on their benches having a nice cold beverage. I would recommend this pub to anyone who likes the traditional style pub. Oh and they also offer great food too

Have not been to The Quays recently, and was slightly put off by magdalewm review. I have been when the weather is good and it is set in a delightful location. You would need access to a car, as I do not know anything about public transport in this area. Has plenty of free parking and bays reserved for the disabled. Have visited with friends at lunch time, where the bar area gets incredibly busy. The restaurant is more sedate area, and at the time the food was fine and value for money. Have also taken an elderly releative on another occasion and more modest taste, not into fancy dishes.

This restaurant does have a lovely position, and on a beautiful sunny autumnal day I might have been swayed by the ducks on the pond.
Unfortunately it was pissing down with rain, so we sat inside. To give our waitress her due she was a star — she brought our little girl a balloon, and was attentive and sweet. Other members of the table staff did rather let the side down, there was a lot (a lot) of chat, bitching, and general unprofessional behaviour — it’s not what you want really when you’re taking out recently bereaved relatives.
The food was, to be fair, poor. My meal (sizzling fajitas) was just dull, my husband’s (surf, turf & turf) seemed to be mostly inedible, and my daughter took one big mouthful of hers (spaghetti bolognese, usually a favourite), and promptly spat it out in shock/​horror/​frank amazement.
The other members of our party had the roasts — lamb and beef. They seemed to enjoy their meals quite a lot, and indeed left their plates almost completely clean. Apparently the vegetables were even cooked well, rather than being boiled to hell and back
Perhaps the lesson to take home from this review is that you shouldn’t order poncy dishes like fajitas in a place like The Quays?