Vegan
Beer/Wine
Take-out
British
European
Breakfast

Fully licenced vegan restaurant with seating for 85 inside and out. Est. 2013 and expanded and turned vegan in 2018. Offers breakfast, lunch and dinner; afternoon tea, and a weekly tapas and live music night. Same owners as The Acorn in Leigh-on-Sea. Open Tue-Sun 12:00-22:00. Closed Mon.


Venue map for The OakTree
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84 Reviews

First Review by LeighLady

Hayley(Ve)

Points +37

Vegan
14 Apr 2024

A must try

If you're local you will almost definitely already know this place, but if you're a visitor, you must find it.

I've been several times over the years and it's always great.

The service can be a little slow but it makes it a relaxed meal, where you can just enjoy yourselves, without feeling rushed.

Merlinsword

Points +39

Vegan
04 Apr 2024

So tasty and a classy atmosphere

A really lovely restaurant. Tasty food, I had steak and mash, and my friend has lasagna. We also shared garlic bread and hot chocolate. The whole meal was divine!
It has a classy atmosphere inside with nice decor, and it also has friendly staff.
It great to see a vegan restaurant in Leigh.

Pros: Tasty food, Classy atmosphere , Cute paintings of animals

RockPTFitness

Points +333

Vegan
25 Mar 2024

Lovely vegan restaurant

Delicious Sunday lunch at this lovely restaurant.
We went for the nut roast, which was delicious, but they have a lovely big menu full of interesting vegan dishes. I wanted to try their battered 'prawns' and famous mac n cheese, so got them too. Both were so good!
We were really full, but had to try the cheesecake for pudding and I'm so glad we did as it was excellent.
Another great vegan find and can't wait to go back, maybe for dinner next time!

Pros: Delicious food, Interesting menu , Good value for money

ema_mort

Points +203

Vegan
24 Feb 2024

Love this place

Been here several times before and love it. Most recent visit was during half term with my two children. The two for one offer was available on small plates so we ordered a selection plus one child meal. It was great to be able to try lots of different dishes as so hard to choose! We loved everything we had. A great atmosphere and super friendly service.

Pros: Fully vegan, Great offers available on certain days , Super friendly staff

jghbagpuss

Points +24

Vegan
29 Jan 2024

Never disappoints!

I've been to The Oaktree numerous times over many years and every time it's been a pleasurable experience. They have recently changed their menu and its just as delicious as ever. The staff are friendly and courteous and the ambience is always relaxed. It's particularly lovely in the summer when you can sit outside in their pretty decked area. Highly recommended.

Pros: Nice surroundings , Excellent food, Friendly staff

WiktorBernatowicz

Points +284

Vegan
06 Jan 2024

Best vegan place in Essex

Great place with nice atmosphere and superb vegan food.

Pros: Fully vegan, Great food, Classy interior

Cons: The only con is desserts. Nothing special

Phiyaah

Points +46

Vegan
17 Dec 2023

Really tasty food

Have been here twice when in the area, and both times it has been excellent. Massive menu with loads of options. Nice calm atmosphere.

ChrisCzechurself

Points +34

Vegan
15 Sep 2023

Top notch

Visited The OakTree whilst on business for 2 nights in Basildon. First impressions is very important for any business and the staff immediately made me feel welcomed and are very nice and friendly. Really nice atmosphere and decor. I loved the food so much that I went back the following day. There is plenty of choices to choose from, and if anything that was my only personal issue...not knowing what to choose (not a bad issue to have) When I eventually made my mind up I was not disappointed. Highly recommend this place.

Updated from previous review on 2023-09-15

Pros: Amazing food, Plenty of choices, Great staff

Cons: Need to relocate closer to my house

Kari M

Points +44

Vegan
30 Jul 2023

Tasty flavoursome lunch

Had a lovely lunch in the garden of this classy restaurant. It was busy, especially considering it was a Friday. Myself and my wife and I had a different salad bowl each and found them interesting, tasty and filling. The dessert menu was decadent and tempting too, we couldn't resist. We'll definitely visit again.

BlueRinse

Points +547

Vegan
30 Jul 2023

Really nice restaurant

All vegan place, really nicely appointed inside. The staff were sweet and helpful. And the food was excellent.

Pros: All vegan, Nice ambiance , Menu has something for everyone

francescarlett

Points +187

Vegan
18 Apr 2023

Amazing!

Great food! Found it as a lunch spot and will definitely be back!

SJS5

Points +470

Vegan
27 Mar 2023

Lovely meal

We had dinner Sat night, lovely venue, great staff and yum wine. The cauliflower poppers were huge so not pop in your mouth poppery! Lol. The fish and chips were lush but the Pad Thai wasn't to our taste, usually with a light sauce and sprinkling of peanuts but this was more of a satay sauce. We would have tried a pud but were too full. Next time!

Pros: Lovely venue , Great staff, Nice food

Cons: Not all plates amazing sadly

Jordannnnnn22

Points +24

Vegan
05 Mar 2023

100% Vegan eatery

The staff are lovely, the menu is diverse and they do great deals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Pros: 100% vegan, friendly staff, cocktails

Cons: the food can sometimes be lukewarm

lucyyrobinsonn

Points +61

Mostly Veg
09 Feb 2023

Amazing dinner

The food was incredible, from the nachos to the ‘prawn’ linguini! I wish I could try everything. You wouldn’t know it was vegan and is just delicious!

Pros: 100% vegan, Immaculate vibes, Friendly staff

JoshuaMilton-Glover

Points +204

Vegan
21 Dec 2022

Lovely little spot 😊💚

Completely forgot to take more photos but lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and tasty food.

Pros: 100% vegan, Very friendly staff

MariaFH

Points +13

Vegetarian
19 Dec 2022

The Go-To for Vegans/ Vegetarians

I’ve been going to this restaurant for many years and have had the privilege of experiencing different menus. I, and other people I have brought, are overwhelmed by the amazing amount of options and the richness of the food everytime. Whatever your food preference is, they will have something for you. Jim and Sam have done an incredible job with the restaurant and they should be really proud of themselves for creating this.

Pros: Food options , Richness of dishes , Beautifully casual yet romantic atmosphere

Irons79

Points +16

Vegan
19 Dec 2022

Spoilt for choice

Absolutely love this place! I eat here all the time.

Fair play to mainstream places for giving the vegan thing a go and getting a couple of options on their menus. But they're often disappointing, either because they've run out of some ingredients, or the dishes are unimaginative in the first place.

At The Oak Tree there's so much choice on the menu, and it's rich, indulgent food, and generous helpings of it.

Curries, noodle dishes, Burgers, pie n' mash, salads, sandwiches, and other dishes you don't find vegan versions of anywhere else. It's all delicious, I've never had a bad meal here. And an added bonus is there's no worries about getting something non-vegan find its way into your food because it's all vegan!

Vegan versions of old favourites such as cheesecake among others fill the dessert menu.

Service is always with a smile and the waiting staff are very friendly.

Try keeping me away!

Pros: Choice, Portions, Quality

Cons: Can be difficult to park nearby

Fran083

Points +16

Vegan
19 Dec 2022

Really tasty food and great place!

I recently visited and had a lovely time - food arrived quickly and was delicious (lasagne was spot on) and the place felt very festive! Great staff also

Will be returning!!

VeggieCouple

Points +16

Vegan
19 Dec 2022

Wonderful

Such a lovely place

Fully vegan and so much choice. We had the cauliflower poppers and drumsticks to start. Followed that with the satay curry and quarter pounder

Presented well and full of flavour.

Also had a couple of the ice blend drinks which were very good!

Too full for desserts but cheesecakes sounded great. Maybe next time


Staff were friendly and attentive despite it being very busy.

Would recccomend booking as gets very busy

Updated from previous review on 2021-07-24

Pros: 100% Vegan , Independent , Great choice

Cons: Can get very busy

MattSheern

Points +96

Vegan
17 Aug 2022

Poor service. Average food.

I've been to the OakTree a few times now, so I feel confident that my experience isn't an isolated incident.

The OakTree only seems to employ very young wait staff, some look around 15/16 years old. I assume because they're cheaper. As a result, I've always had to try and get someone's attention to ask for a menu, or to be served and they haven't known anything about the food. Not the staffs fault, they're just very busy and inexperienced.

A couple of the starters are great, desserts have always been a highlight. But I'm yet to have a main that didn't taste frozen and very processed.

Overall, the OakTree feels like a restaurant that's run on a very tight budget. I've always left feeling like I've been taken advantage of. A real shame, I hope they can turn it around!

Updated from previous review on 2022-08-17

Pros: Nice Decor , Diverse Menu

Cons: Young, inexperienced and unattentive staff. , Poor quality, frozen food.

Adz

Points +42

Vegan
12 Aug 2022

Lovely

After a slow start ( nicely complemented wit free drinks and patatas Bravas) the meal for 5 people was excellent. All diff choice. Prawn linguine full of flavour. As were bao buns. Would come again

Pros: Loads of exciting and unusual options

Cons: Today. Slow service.

essexlee

Points +38

Vegan
07 Aug 2022

Amazing

Food was amazing. Had the 'shrimp' linguine and my wife had lasagna. Both were exceptional. Service was fantastic. Literally can't say a bad word about this place. Will be going back at the next available opportunity.

Pros: All vegan, Plenty of variety from burger to italian, Lovely staff

Cons: None

Wombatcom

Points +24

Vegan
26 May 2022

Always 5*

I've been here on numerous occasions, and every damn time the food is to DIE for!! So flavoursome, it convinces non vegans. Its a bit pricey, but you are paying for top quality food and service; I don't mind when the restaurant is this good. The staff are always lovely (thank you for the epic size slice of cake!) And that reminds me; you HAVE to try the chocolate hazelnut cake...
O
m
g
:)

Pros: Every dish (and cake omg), Staff are lovely, Really nice coffees too

Cons: Pricey, but worth it 100%, Toilet doesn't flush very well

BigSixBass

Points +437

Vegan
25 May 2022

Stylish and tasty

Wow, what a sleek and stylish interior, with great artwork on the walls.
Free parking right outside, and the best part of all, the food :)
I had the satay curry and my colleague had the "chicken" (seitan) burger. Both delicious, and the coffee was excellent too.
Top marks all round!

Fattyted

Points +3421

Vegan
20 May 2022

Phenomenal!

Wow. This is genuinely one of the best places I have ever eaten. Everything was delicious! Between my husband and I we tried the cauliflower poppers, the lasagna, the grilled broccoli, the garlic mushrooms and the bao buns. I only wish we could have tried everything else on the menu too! Highly, highly recommend!

Pros: Amazing extensive vegan menu , Freshly made food , Fantastic friendly and welcoming atmosphere

kayleighetc

Points +155

Vegan
31 Mar 2022

Amazing vegan restaurant!

Such a lovely restaurant in Leigh, cute interior too.

Pros: Good variety of options on the menu, Friendly staff, Big portions

Roxarah

Points +174

Vegan
20 Mar 2022

Full and Pleased

Service was friendly and fast.
I really was not expecting such large portions. Garlic bread was a bit too salty for my taste but everything else was lovely.
We had Pad Thai and 'Chicken' Burger with Chocolate cookie Sunday to finish. All tasted amazing.
Environment and relaxing and it did not look too busy but we went quite early.

Pros: Large portions, Friendly staff, Relaxed environment

Cons: It looked quite small




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