Bambu Vietnamese in Colchester

Food was very tasty, it came out quickly. The service was good and a nice atmosphere.

Lovely place, taken a good few friends here. The drip coffee here is absolutely amazing and I'd strongly recommend it! Always very hospitable and understanding - don't be afraid to say you don't like something, they'll swap it out for you.

After a fantastic experience at this restaurant a year ago, my friend and I returned with high expectations. Unfortunately, this visit was a disappointment. First, the atmosphere was less than inviting; loud, club-like music played throughout our meal, making it hard to enjoy a relaxing dining experience. The service added to our frustration as we found ourselves needing to repeat ourselves multiple times. Whether it was due to the noise or a language barrier, communication was clearly an issue. As for the food, it was underwhelming and didn’t justify the high price. The curry tasted store-bought rather than freshly prepared, and the meat didn’t resemble the chicken we had ordered, which led me to leave it untouched. The only part of the meal worth mentioning was the egg fried rice. The wait for our cocktail was unusually long, and we had to pour our own water, which felt lacking in hospitality. Overall, this experience left us disappointed, and I wouldn’t recommend it. We won’t be returning.

Excellent food, and friendly service in lovely surroundings.

It didn't fail to impress, food was great and service too. We will definitely go again.

1st time visiting Bambu and wasn't disappointed. Excellent food. Great atmosphere. Very good value for money. 10/10

I really interesting backstory and a superb rustic setting The food was wonderful staff very attentive and great value for money

The food here is always fresh, hot and served quite promptly. It wasn't too busy midweek so the atmosphere was very relaxing.

Quite a good vibe here, very busy, understandably, because it's a really nice place to be. The staff were really busy, hence they couldn't really cope with a really full clientele and that's why they only get an average score, but they couldn't be more willing or friendly 😉

Great food great staff but because of this it's very busy always book in advance to guarantee a table

A hidden gem in Colchester! We ordered various types of pho, other mains and numerous starters and were very impressed by the quality of the meals and service. We sat outside and the staff turned on the heaters and brought out blankets which was a nice touch. Only negative is the parking - nearest parking were in a block of flats. Some parking spaces have reserved plaques on them and some don’t so that is something to keep in mind! Overall, I would highly recommend if you are looking for something different to eat. Would come again!

Superb! Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and great value combined with the best Asian food I've had in this country in one place. Already planning our next trip in the diary.

This is an amazing restaurant with a great menu. Only draw back is its location, no parking but saying that it’s worth the walk. I have been here many times and every time the food is astonishing. The staff are lovely the restaurant is clean and authentic.

We sometimes eat here in the evening after visiting the zoo We usually get the Bambu special pho or the bun no hue and the flavour is always tasty. Loved the tofu poppers. It’s not the spongy tofu but the silky tofu in the most lightest coating and paired well with the caramelised soya sauce - delish! We always go with young kids and have been made to feel very welcomed

Just love it here - food is always good whatever we choose - staff are extremely nice. Great outside seating area when the weather is good - lovely to see the place busy as there is no chance of passing trade. Can't get enough of the Vietnamese spring rolls!

I had the fishcakes which where like flat pieces of rubber with no taste. I only eat one which took 5 minutes of chewing before I could swallow it. My wife had the mixed grill but left the pork. It seem to consist the bits you would remove before serving, very fatty and chewy but the rest was okay. It was very expensive for what it was.

My partner and I are from the Colchester area, and Bambu has become a favorite spot for us. We love visiting regularly because Vietnamese cuisine is my absolute favorite, thanks to its fresh ingredients, aromatic herbs, and delicate blend of spices. I started with the Seafood Mix and Edamame beans, followed by the Cari Mì Seafood as my main dish. As always, the meal was delicious, the rich seafood harmonises perfectly with the delicate flavours of the curry, creating a truly satisfying experience. The atmosphere and service at Bambu are consistently excellent, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic and delightful Vietnamese dining experience.

Restaurant next to a river opposite a naval cadet training ship. Interesting place.

The food here is just great. The food is so fresh and flavorful. The staff members are friendly, respectful, and helpful. The restaurant also has a good atmosphere. It's a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'll definitely be visiting again.

Sunday lunch. Great food . Great atmosphere. Highly recommend

Owner and staff are amazing great place to go with friends, food is great and atmosphere is fantastic on Sundays with music that captures the vibe On a side note park at B&Q and walk round as there is no parking

Amazing food, love this little place

Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten

My partner was happy with the food, I thought it was okay. Service got a little lost but no major issues.

Such a hidden gem with such good food. I would definitely recommend the place. Has indoor and outdoor sitting area, staff were really friendly and kept checking on us which was nice. All in all, great place.

Potstickers and Pho were lovely. Service was quick so no waiting around for ages

Lovely tasty food. Reasonably priced. Polite staff. A little small. Parking not great. Try the sharing starter for two Will be back

Overall ambience was good. Food was okay

Cosy and friendly staff. Food was incredible. Highly recommend

The food is amazing, I love it here highly recommend

Amazing food and atmosphere. Good location

Fantastic experience and didn't know it existed....tucked away in a residential area. No parking though.

Really lovely restaurant - we sat on the terrace and it was so calm and relaxing amongst all the plants. We had prawn summer rolls, honey ribs, pho with marbled beef and aubergine with pork mince. Everything was delicious and the service was outstanding. We will be back!

The food was good but one of the servers showed a negative attitude to us every time we came here, it was inpatient and not friendly at all.

Three people, 24 per person, which feels much more cost-effective than eating a bowl of pho alone. The shrimp rolls and shrimp skewers of seafood mix are delicious. I dipped the shrimp skewers in the sauce and ate it with many other dishes. There is shredded mango in the salad, which is exquisite🫰🏻 The spring rolls from mixed grill are fragrant and crispy, and the roasted chicken and roasted pork are full of caramel flavor and have a honey-like flavor. The pho soup is also delicious. marbled means well-done and rare means medium-rare. Fried squid is a no-brainer. Recommended chill & salt sauce The environment is very good. There is no wind and it is very comfortable to sit outside. There is no service charge for three people.

Definitely one of the best restaurants in colchester!! Could not fault a thing

Lovely meal with friends, wine list could be more exciting, however food was good. Not as authentic as it could be but lovely all the same. Parking is very poor though

AVOID!!!! I got the Bambu special yesterday and prawn summer rolls and have been throwing up non stop since. Definitely food poisoning 🤢

Went Friday night for dinner .we're told about this great little Vietnamese restaurant hidden at the Hythe opposite the lighthouse boat moored on the river colne .looks a bit uninspiring from the outside parking horrendous as its residents only so beware. But thats the only downside. From the moment we arrived until we left the staff were smiling courteous and willing the restaurant was clean tidy and felt like we were away from Colchester. I started with the tiger beer had too 🙂we had the tasty starter for 2 so fresh spicy but not too much then I had mixed grill with lemongrass chicken perfection cooked well herbs and spices just right and a pho beef soup .Well done everyone will definitely recommend and come back soon .Will also go in afternoon they have a great outside area .🙂

I really liked the food and would go back again.

First time, went with family last night. Delicious food, friendly staff, fair prices! Already arranging to go with friends. Hungry just thinking about it. I had pancake rolls then a large bowl with beef and 🍜 noodles Mmmm

The seabass and fried rice was great, so was their summer roll! However, their selection of desserts was underwhelming. The atmosphere was incredibly cozy and the Vietnamese aesthetic was well put together.

Lovely little restaurant. A bit tucked away, but the food and the decor are great. Particularly perfect for a warm, sunny day - it can make you feel as you are on holiday! Great for a relaxing weekend dinner.

Ordered the vegetable spring rolls and lemongrass chicken noodles and both dishes were saturated in grease :| there was also not even a hint of lemon in my chicken, it was literally just chicken chow mein. Everything was super overpriced as well. We won't be returning

Worth the detour to stop here with a significant other or group of friends. Very well presented food which tasted even better!

Lovely food, so much flavour - Great restaurant & really decorated beautifully. We will be returning😋

My partner and I have always loved Vietnamese food, it’s one of our fav cuisines, however since moving back to the Colchester area from london we struggled to find authentic food….but finally we have. This restaurant is as authentic as it comes! Food was delicious, fresh and full of flavour. Portions were of a decent size and it was all very reasonably priced! Staff were helpful and friendly, the decor was lovely and the restaurant is set in a great spot. Parking was easy. Looking forward to their brunch sessions during the summer.

A special find. Parking was difficult as located around apartment buildings but it would not put me off going back. Food and staff were amazing 👏

I have lived in Colchester my whole life and didn’t know this place existed until we were introduced by friends. Bambu is situation within the downstairs of a block of flats in the Hythe. But don’t let that put you off. From entering the decked area outside overlooking the river, on to the authentically decorated quaint but impressive dining area we were greeted by the owner and her efficient staff. I was a little reluctant about my Vietnamese food experience as I’ve never tried Vietnamese food before but the starters and main course were to die for and very reasonably priced. Would I return? Absolutely what an Amazing restaurant! Oh and the cocktails are very very good!

Myself, my husband and three children went to Bambu today for lunch for my birthday. We’d never been before but were thoroughly impressed! Every dish we ordered was delicious, I can’t decide which dish I liked the best and already want to go back tomorrow! The balance of flavours were perfect and my children really enjoyed it too. Nothing was too super spicy and my smallest who is 2 really enjoyed the egg noodles, with my older 2 boys having a taste of everything and really enjoying it. The staff were also very friendly and helpful, I would definitely recommend!

Absolutely fantastic food, quick service, very friendly staff, With a great atmosphere... Would highly recommend!!!

Beautiful restaurant, lovely staff and amazing food 😋

My favourite restaurant in Essex! Amazing food!

Friendly staff. Quick service. Loving atmosphare.

Lovely Birthday meal. Four of us went out for dinner here the first week of January, we were expecting the atmosphere to be a bit quiet and we were so wrong. There was a buzz about the place, all the tables were full and I think that is testimony to any restaurant. The staff were friendly and attentive, the decor was perfect and the food was second to none. Enjoyed everything about this place and can’t wait to return! I am especially looking forward to their bottomless brunch events as I have heard great things. Thanks BAMBU

The food was great and so was the service. We were definitely a little loud and they were very polite. We appreciate that. A tad pricey but definitely worth trying.

This was my first experience of Vietnamese food, and I have to say it was amazing to taste and beautifully presented. The service was friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere was excellent

What a great dinner out we had. The restaurant design feels like home to me, the food was tasty, attentive staffs, good service and didn’t have to wait long for the food to come. Directions and parking to this area quite tricky for first timers. Better suggestion is to book a table in advance as they can be full, specially in the winter time where all customers are prefer to have a seat inside. Overall we are so happy and will be back again.

Another amazing meal..... the manager always goes the extra mile to make your visit special 11/10 .

Very tasty and the price is reasonable.

The place is good, nice food but probably pricey a bit.

Prawns were rock hard and over cooked and you only get 4 and two of mine still had the intestinal tract. Chicken pho was literally just noodles and boiled shredded chicken that smelt like dog food, no herbs or veg or anything, I was so looking forward to this but even the broth was flavourless like dishwater. Never had a Pho like it. Spring rolls had a nice flavour but were soaked in oil even seeped through the box so that ruined those. Heard so many good things but this isn’t authentic it’s just a waste of your money.

Nice place a lil small if u have a large group of people but the food is amazing. Me and my partner come here a lot

Such a beautiful atmosphere, excellent service and really enjoyed the food here. Will absolutely be going back.

Super dîner. Tout est bon. Le personnel très sympa et à l'écoute.

First time at the Bambu .First impressions, I love the decor ,a little bit noisy at the start 19.15 Saturday night ,but once people started finishing and leaving it was better ,I could actually have a conversation with the person opposite me on my table .when the starter came ( Tasty mix for 2 ) I wasn't disappointed 😋 it was delicious and well presented on the platter. I had sea bass for main with lime and a side of stir-fried vegetables and Jasmine rice 🍚. The tastes where heaven on my tastebuds. I would recommend this restaurant to others .maybe slightly later to eat. One downside the parking is not the best and the lighting under the arch and along the walkway and up the stairs deffo need to be brighter

We booked for 6pm on Friday and the restaurant was quiet with only a few other earlybirds. Although, by the time we left at 7.30 all tables were taken with a variety of younger and older families and couples. We really enjoyed the food, the staff were friendly and attentive and the service was excellent. Will definitely be back there.

Amazing food and amazing service. The curry sauce was to die for.

A hidden gem. A lovely, cosy authentic restaurant with great choice on menu. Service great too.

Went to the bottomless brunch. Fantastic food and value for money. Lovely afternoon . Highly recommended.

Very lovely place with a great food and atmosphere

Ace service. Met all guests' dietary requirements.

Great food, the staff were so friendly and accommodating. Nice independent restaurant options to sit outside and in.

Great food, great service and it was lovely to sit outside.

Service is excellent, food is good and nice atmosphere.

It’s my favorite place from all Colchester. Food it’s amazing!! Stuff brilliant. I love this small family restaurant. Thank you

I had booked 3 nights in a Hotel in Colchester for my partners Birthday. I also booked restaurants for the nights we were there. The 2st night I booked Bambu. 10 out of 10 superb cocktails, a great bottle of wine & superb Vietnamese food. We had the big sharing platter & were not dissapointed. The ambience, the decor. The amazing friendly staff & the fabulous food makes for a fabulous night out. Thank you all Bambu staff ,you gave a us a wonderful time.

Always, always delivers super food!! We have bern here as a family many times, worked through the menu and the food quality, consistency and service is first class every time. Real bbq meats over charcoal and authenticity in the menu items. It’s always busy and rightly so, the lady owner and her staff at front of house are lovey and the chefs are very special also, all I would say is go… you won’t be disappointed at all!!

impressive! the food was delicious and the staff were accommodating. we were sat inside but my friend was starting to feel hot and we asked if we could be moved outside and they were able to without a problem. there's a wide choice of amazing vietnamese food and good choices for vegetarian too. they had nice desserts as well. the atmosphere was comfortable and the other customers were enjoying themselves too. very nice evening!

First time trying this restaurant after hearing good things from family. Very good food and atmosphere, seating could be better as chairs and benches are hard after a while. Definitely worth a visit and plenty of great fresh dishes to choose from. We Will be returning again

I was very impressed with the food and the service. We had a lovely lunch and the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and made sure that we were happy with our meal.

Beautifully decorated and a lovely ambience inside. We ordered the seafood sharer which was fantastic! I thought it was a really decent price too, I had the noodles with prawns for main and it was lovely, perfectly seasoned and the prawns were lovely and juicy. Would definitely recommend trying here, quick, friendly service also :)

In the past food always has been good and piping hot. Great Service and food served quickly. Restaurant clean and nice interior. Last meal i had was greasy but i will still return and hope it was a one off.

1st time to Bambu and went for a Birthday treat and what a treat it was. Lovely food , drinks and staff friendly . Food was steaming hot , tasty and if you ate a chilli .. Wow 😂. Finished meal with no dessert but my family wanted to try the Vietnamese dripping coffee so some had hot and others had the iced coffee ( which was lovely ) . We parked along road near the old B&Q and walked down the start of Wivenhoe trail to Bambu. We sat outside due to weather being just ideal . Lovely location . Go and see it yourselves you will not be disappointed.

Unfriendly staff Returned food uneaten, oily and tasteless, was not asked reason why food not eaten Failed to consider customers needs Walked away as I was talking Refused request for 2nd empty tea cup

Having decided to try this type of food we were pleasantly surprised to find this restaurant amongst the concrete jungle it hides in. The restaurant is very popular and having got there at 7:30 pm Saturday night the place was heaving and vibrant. We were...

This is a lovely Vietnamese restaurant on the river. Food was delicious, such a lot of lovely choice on the menu. For a sat lunchtime it wasn't very busy, I have read mixed reviews about the parking and don't see what people are worrying about....

Nice to come back here with family again as hadn't been here since the lockdown. Same reliable menu with wide choices of things to appeal to all palates, from soup type dishes to chili hot and spicy! Not bad value still, so it's easy to...

What was supposed to be a beautiful night out with my fiancé was ruined as a member of staff kept trying to flirt with my fiancé completely ignoring the fact I was sat there with her, even when I tried to pay the bill he...

The food is nice but I understand that things cost more but the portions are much less for same money. I don’t know about you but I can choose to eat elsewhere with such low value for money

Excellent food and atmosphere on the restaurant. We had a mixed starter which was lovely and a variety of mains which were all delicious. It is a bit awkward for parking and the surrounding area looked liked a rubbish tip when we drive through the...

I've visited Bambu alot over the last few years and can honestly say it is the best resturant in colchester. The food is delicous, the atmosphere is great and the staff are always friendly. The resturant itself is alot great to sit in as well...

Their website links to a payment site which allows you to order and pay. It was pending payment and awaiting confirmation for a while so we rang and they said they do not use the wb ordering anymore and the website will refund. Totally unprofessional...

I have been running past this restaurant since 2020 and have been wanting to go for ages. I finally went last weekend and it will now be one of my go to’s in colchester. Not the easiest location to get to but so worth it...

Top quality food. Only second time we have been here but realised we should go more. The food was really good and felt fresh and well prepared The flavours were exceptional. Service was very friendly and efficient.

So very quite Sunday lunch restaurant looks great and the staff friendly. I had a lovely lemon and peach tea which was refreshing and different than coke. We decided to order the mixed seafood platter which had four items and a great fresh and zinngy...

They took a booking 30 mins advance on a Saturday evening which was amazing. We had amazing service by all the staff and really delicious food. Amazing decoration as well will defo go to Colchester again for this restaurant!!!

Been here a few times and the food is just amazing! This is me and my friends go to restaurant, staff are so lovely and the restaurant is nice. Just in the middle of a housing estate so its a bit of a gamble for...

Meal with friends following recomendation. The food was delicious mixed fish platter for starters then we all had different mains we all liked the food very tasty ! well looked after by staff Would recomend will come again

We went to this restaurant on Valentine’s Day and had a fantastic meal.The decor was inspired, we couldn’t fault anything. The staff were friendly. Great experience.