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STARK, Colchester, Essex

STARK

4.8
4.8
49 Reviews
£41 and over
Modern European

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
  • Charming
Stark is located in East Mersea, Essex and is owned and run by Ben and Sophie Crittenden, who opened their first site in Broadstairs back in December 2016 with the aim of securing a better work/life balance and enabling Ben to enjoy more time with their three young children, Ivy, Rosa and Arlo. Before relocating to Mersea Island, Stark was the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Thanet and one of five in the whole of Kent.

At Stark, only one, set tasting menu is served with no options or alternatives available. Because of this, Stark is unable to cater for any allergies or dietary requirements, for any reason as all guests eat the exact same meal each night. Ben creates a menu from high quality, seasonal ingredients, using his creativity and passion to create delicious food and provide a unique and exciting eating experience for customers.
​
Stark is a very intimate, relaxed restaurant, whose only demand of you is that you sit back, trust us with your dinner and enjoy the experience.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Modern European
  • Hours of operation
    Wed–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    01206 616430
  • Website
    https://www.starkfood.co.uk/
  • Payment options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual

Experiences

  • Tasting menu £90

    £50.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    A set menu of the chef's choosing. All guests eat the same menu each night and, because of this, we are unable to cater for any allergies or dietary requirements. An accompanying wine flight is available and needs to be pre-ordered at the time of booking. A pre-payment of £50 is required to secure the booking and this will be deducted from the bill on the day of the reservation.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 49 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
STARK offers an "amazing dining experience" with "exceptional" Michelin-star quality food. The restaurant's intimate, stylish setting enhances its "relaxed and friendly" atmosphere. Guests rave about the "impeccable service" and the expertly crafted tasting menu, often paired with perfectly matched wines. It's a "must-visit" destination for food enthusiasts seeking "wonderful flavours" and memorable evenings.

49 Reviews

  1. Dave

    London

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best meals I’ve ever had, friendly staff and interesting venue, will definitely be back

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  2. Kevin

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely food and excellent service. Well worth a visit.

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  3. Graham

    London

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    Food is good not great. The restaurent was cold , the background rock music not our taste and the service was something you would expect in an average inn. No plans to return .

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  4. Richard

    London

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really lovely meal with my wife at Stark. A small but but very friendly restaurant. Sophie is very welcoming and explained the meal well, proving attentive service throughout. The food from chef Ben is another level, refined and complex flavours. Each dish was beautifully cooked, well presented and balanced. Really tough to find a favourite - but at a push would go for Hake, mushroom and truffle. We were also really pleasantly surprised by the duck liver parfait, which in other restaurants would usually try and avoid … but this one was so light and tasty would actively choose going forward! Great meal, definitely would like to come back

    1 person found this helpful

  5. Paul

    VIP

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 31, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was superb, every course tasty, interesting and different plus the wine pairings are spot on. Great to have a restaurant of this quality in Essex

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  6. Ann

    London

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 10, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The Food was absolutely delicious and the service exemplary.

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  7. Vladimir

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a fantastic time at Stark! The food was absolutely amazing—every dish was bursting with flavour and beautifully presented. The service was warm and friendly, making us feel right at home, and the cosy atmosphere added to the charm of the evening. We’ll definitely be returning and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience.

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  8. Esther

    Essex

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Michelin star quality food in a relaxed, intimate and stylish restaurant. Here’s hoping it becomes Essex’s first Michelin star restaurant soon. Food was superbly cooked and presented. They serve a set tasting menu only so ensure you are up for trying new tastes.

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  9. Thomas

    Essex

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 6, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We visited for the first time on Friday 6th December and had a wonderful experience. Each course was a taste sensation, with some wonderful and intriguing ingredient combinations. The service is excellent and the whole experience was truly memorable. The chef is a real star!!!! So treat yourselves and visit soon!

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  10. Julia

    Essex

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 23, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a lovely place. Delicious food. Would come again.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

STARK is rated 4.8 stars by 49 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for STARK

East Rd, Colchester, Essex CO5 8TQ

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Colchester
  • Hours of operation
    Wed–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Modern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment options
    Mastercard, Visa
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