Reviews in Colchester

I visited the Barn garden centre cafe recently and was so impressed. The food was absolutely delicious with an excellent range to choose from. The place itself has such a lovely atmosphere – really good vibes and a relaxing setting to enjoy a meal or coffee. Highly recommended if you’re looking for somewhere peaceful with great food and friendly service.

Went here for lunch, one sandwich on the menu for kids, cheese on toast £12 - we looked at the menu and left

Very impressed with the experience. We were treated politely and not rushed, and looked after very well at the table. We had a choice of table, and noticed that everywhere was clean and well presented. However I did feel that the menu was a bit on the pricey side for what was actually on the plates.

This is a lovely venue with excellent service. However the menu items and the meals themselves have not been as good as usual since the last menu change. Wondering if we need to change venues for our meet ups.

Brought 2 friends who were staying with us, for breakfast. My husband and I regularly eat here so already know how excellent the whole experience is. Our friends were completely blown away by the friendly, competent service, the lovely setting and relaxing environment and the selection and quality of the food received. Everything was cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. You couldn't fault it.

Saturday lunch, absolutely delicious, couldn't fault a thing.

Who ever your chef is you need to keep hold of them….Best Breakfast my Wife and I have ever had. Lady who served us was lovely too and so were the plants we bought after Breakfast. We will be back as will lots of other people judging by the comments we overheard.

Another lovely relaxing lunchtime

Visited with two friends for lunch. The cafe's decor is very stylish and makes for a lovely setting. The service was brilliant, we couldn't fault it. Good choice of food and on the whole, we enjoyed what we ordered (coffee and walnut cake was a little dry though). We thought the menu was a little pricey though. However, I look forward to visiting again in the future.

The food was great but service disappointing as we had to chase for our drinks and food.

Food always good and super desserts. Love they change menus every few months. Service good and lovely to browse the shop and plants. Very enjoyable afternoon

We often go for Sunday Roast, usually to celebrate some family occasion and have never been disappointed.

Lunchtime for six people - mixed feelings about quality and particularly disappointing that Coronation chicken was actually a dry tikka masala mix. Other dishes were generally received well enough though a bit bland overall and far too much salad on most. As with many restaurants the specialist coffees were delivered to table too cold and were returned three times. Atmosphere, surroundings and service were all good as always here. Our sense is that the quality of food has noticeably fallen compared to several visits in 2024 and the experience overall is therefore not as good.

Usual good food and service in very pleasant surroundings.

Went for breakfast with a friend, which we've done many times before. As always, food was exceptional, service was efficient and staff were friendly and welcoming. Lunches are delicious too, as are the cakes. A lovely, pleasant environment to meet, relax and enjoy the company of friends.

We hosted a lunch party to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary at the Blue Anchor. Everything about it was perfect, food, service and atmosphere. We felt the meal was very good value for money. Additionally the events manager helped us to arrange even the tiniest detail of the day, for example liaising with our cake supplier.

Visited yesterday - Sunday 8th June and had the most delicious braised brisket roast. Crispy potatoes, huge Yorkshire pudding, fresh vegetables and a delicious cauliflower cheese. Coffee was also fabulous. Would highly recommend and will return asap!