Reviews in Colchester

A lovely meal cooked really well and great service. Plenty to choose from on the menu and good size portions but not too big that there wasn’t still room for a desert. A traditional pub with a nice atmosphere. The well in the middle of our table was an unusual feature and quite a talking point.

Lovely lunch at the Blue Anchor. Staff were excellent as was the food - not rushed at all and left us to have a very relaxed lunch (and a bit!). Only thing missing for me (as designated driver) was some Guinness 0% - otherwise hard to fault and would recommend

Good food and service as always. Disappointed though with limited dessert menu as items had run out excuse was we were busy! That’s not good enough knowing how many bookings you have in my opinion as someone in the food service business.

Nice atmosphere and food good although a little pricey

6 course taster menu, all lovely except the soup was a bit heavily seasoned....,.a polite way of saying it was too salty. Service very good and although we were very early we were assured that was ok. We've been before, and we'll go again.......although we live 35 miles away!

Good food. Nice atmosphere. Great service. Easy parking

We came with our family for our 55th wedding anniversary on Sat night. Food cooked beautifully, staff cheerful and efficient, good atmosphere and we were seated around a roomy booth. Well done ,we would love to return for the next family event.

Booked for my partners birthday, staff were exceptionally helpful in the build up and on the day. There was a large number of us and all enjoyed their food greatly. Good value and lovely ambiance. The staff kept checking in all night, nothing was too much of a problem for them to sort.

Our Sunday Roast was excellent, tasty succulent meat, roasted potatoes and veg perfect and vegetables lovely and fresh. We all managed dessert which was varied and appreciated by all.

Look out for the specials board. They are amazing! Great place and warm welcome. Will be back soon

We had Sunday lunch here and it didn't disappoint. My only criticism would be the root vegetable wellington mainly consisted of mashed potatoes and served with roast potatoes which was too much and all the roast dinners seemed to be lacking in seasonal vegetables. Amazing Yorkshire puddings though! Atmosphere and staff were exceptional and very attentive, nothing was too much trouble.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch. Atmosphere, food and staff we exquisit. Will definitely be going again soon. Thank you

Lots of choice of roast meats for Sunday lunch as well as several other food choices and we all enjoyed our meals. They happily cater for gluten free and there are choices of desserts and a good selection of cakes. A place we are always happy to return to for good food and service where they don’t rush you to leave your table after eating. Also an easy system of online booking and table service which is much appreciated.

We had an amazing breakfast, great food and atmosphere . Very good service

We visited The Hare and Hounds again after some time away, and overall, it was a good experience. The roast beef dinner stood out as a highlight—nicely cooked beef, crispy roast potatoes, and tasty gravy. The red cabbage and cauliflower cheese were particularly enjoyable and a personal highlight. Everything was freshly prepared and plated well, showing care in the presentation. It's easy just to chuck everything on a plate with a roast dinner and cover it in gravy, but it was clear this isn't the case at H&H and the kitchen takes pride in their work. The staff were polite and attentive. The young brunette haired waitress was nice and enthusiastic who served us throughout. The Hare and Hounds remains a solid choice for a tasty roast dinner, and we will happily return for another visit. All guests in our party of 8 were impressed.

Had lunch with family on 16/11 - food was absolutely amazing - would highly recommend the Blue Anchor. We will be returning again very soon!

Usually I absolutely cannot fault the experience at the barn cafe. We've been coming for years and the cleanliness, friendly and professional staff cannot be contested. They are outstanding but on our visit on Saturday for lunch, which we booked our table in advance to save disappointment, as they're usually heaving, but it was extremely quiet and all I can put this down to was the lunch menu. Although everything on there, I'm sure was extremely tasty and made with the best ingredients, it was extremely limited. Not everyone wants a full proper meal at lunch and there really wasn't much choice. 1 panini, 1 salad bowl, fish n chips, tart, falafal. It was so limiting it was the first time I'd just ordered a scone. I really do love coming to visit the barn and the cafe has always been the biggest pull. Absolutely the best in Colchester in my opinion so I do hope they take heed because a half empty cafe on a Saturday afternoon is not a good sign and methinks that the new menu is to blame. I hope to visit again and see their usual selection available. If it's not broken don't fix it!

Fortunate to visit the Hare & Hounds twice this weekend. Two completely different meals both most enjoyable. The shared camembert starter on Saturday was a tasty starter to very nice meal and Sunday's roast was excellent. personally i would like to see more interesting vegetarian options on the menu. Mac 'n' cheese, vegan tart or vegan burger not very exciting.