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STARK, Colchester, Essex

STARK

4.8
4.8
61 Reviews
£41 and over
Modern European

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 1 time today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • 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.

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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 61 people are saying

STARK reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
STARK offers a "superb experience" with its Michelin-star quality tasting menu, "expertly served" in a "charming, peaceful environment." The "incredible food," crafted by Chef Ben and served by Sophie, is "refined and complex," making it a "must try." The "intimate" atmosphere and "warm, friendly" service enhance this "truly amazing" dining adventure.
61 Reviews

  1. John

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and good service. Wonderful experience.

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  2. Dave

    Essex1 review

    4.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Had great evening, both service and food were very good.. I gave this 4 stars but only because there was no option for a 4star plus. This was a gift from our children but will definitely be returning in the not too distant future.

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  3. Angela

    Essex12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A must try! You can taste the care & attention that goes into every dish, everything was so tasty. We will be back.

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  4. jamie VIP

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Exceptional on every level. Do opt for the wine flight.

    Is this helpful?

  5. simon

    London6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 13, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was good but pretentious really . Some of the course were great but others very average for the money

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  6. Sue

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A little gem of a place, food delicious, beautifully presented and prepared by Ben and served with a big smile and knowledge by his wife Sophie. Highly recommend.

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  7. David

    Essex1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our first time at Stark and we are already planning our next visit as it was a superb experience. We thoroughly recommend the restaurant, it fully justifies it’s Michelin star.

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  8. Tim

    Essex1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We couldn't have asked for a nice evening. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were friendly and attentive.

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  9. Matthew

    Cambridge1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The best food we have ever eaten. So glad we went and will definitely return. Also amazing service and venue

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  10. Malte

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, very well prepared and presented, very good value for money. Small, cosy restaurant, very friendly.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

STARK is rated 4.8 stars by 61 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

Booked 1 time 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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