CONCLUSIONS normally get put at the end of Taste Tests, but on this occasion I wanted to put my judgment at the start. It can be summed up in a single word.

Brilliant.

In terms of all the things that count – food, service and atmosphere – the Saltings Diners is a tremendous new addition to the food scene in south Essex.

In terms of lovely, fresh food at a price that seems hard to believe, the Saltings beats any other venue I can remember in almost 30 years of reviewing.

The Saltings Diner opened this month in the old Dome pub, which had been closed for a number of years. The decor is homely and well-scrubbed, with wooden flooring.

In fact, the atmosphere successfully combines some of the charm of an English teashop with the warmth of a roadside diner in the Midwest.

My companion (my daughter Matilda) kicked off with grilled barbecue chicken wings. Cleanly cooked, with excellent, unfatty and flavoursome chicken, they came with a memorable sauce.

My tempura mushrooms came with a triple dip of sauces. They looked gorgeous, but that couldn’t save them – and they disappeared in a trice.

Consumption was suspended just long enough to appreciate the flavour and, once again, the clean quality of the batter.

For the main course, Matilda chose the home-made beefburger.

Unfortunately, the Saltings has arrived too late on the scene to be a contender in the Echo’s Best Essex Burger stakes, but this one, with its excellent quality beef and distinctive, herby back-taste, would have been a sure contender. I opted for the chef’s home-made pie of the day–a hearty steak and mushroom.

The unusual, and unusually delicious, soft casing surrounded a very generous filling of thick steak pieces.I cannot praise it too highly.

The home-made desserts were equally five star. My daughter is a creme brulee buff, so in her case there was no contest. Her verdict: “One of the best ever”. I chose the home-made cheese cake. The soft topping hit that much sought after tension between astringency and creaminess to perfection, the biscuit base provided exactly the right balance of crunchy contrast. Wow. And the friendly service echoes the qualities of the food. Like all true diners, it is completely lacking in pretence. But it is injected with that vital ingredient, love. We will return!

TOM KING

THE SALTINGS DINER, LOWER ROAD, HOCKLEY.

01702 230278