What a neat place! We had the best impromptu date night at Essex and am so glad we tried it out. With the tapas style dishes we were able to try many different items and it was delicious. We did the Mediterranean sauce plate with the naan which was very good. I was disappointed with the amount of naan compared to the sauces and then having to pay an extra $2 for each additional serving. We also had a dish from each of the additional sections of the menu and everything was tasty.
The wine selection is very good and they have decent wines that are not excruciatingly marked up. We did not ask but were put in a booth off to the side of the restaurant and it was the perfect spot for a date night. I highly recommend asking for a spot by the window or a booth.
We saw a small party of 8 celebrating an engagement at the table next to us and it seemed like the perfect spot for such an occasion. I would suggest this place for birthday dinners (with relatively small parties) or even small celebrations. I am definitely looking forward to the next time we go back.