Bellapais Steak House & Greek Restaurant in Colchester

Really good food, proper portions and a nice atmosphere. Definitely a must visit for all.

Visited the restaurant on Sunday 24/11, a group of 7. First issue was the booking. I understand the restaurant is popular and it's a rarity to find a table so we were looking forward to our reservation. We booked for 7pm and got a confirmation text for 7pm. The day of the booking though, we got a reminder message for a booking at 7:30pm instead. Not a big deal but we never got a call or email to ask or inform us of any changes. Regardless, we waited for an extra 30 mins with nothing to do. We were received with little enthusiasm, but that's okay, we were there to eat, not be celebrated. But when our server came to us, she seemed annoyed to take our order, quite aggressive, and quick to be done. We thought it was weird and felt a bit uncomfortable, but we are not a confrontational group. We just wanted to have a nice steak and a chat between us. When our order arrived, unsurprisingly it was wrong. The server insisted that we ordered what she brought - well we didn't. The worst part was not getting a steak fillet instead of a ribeye, it was the awkward silence and staring of the server when she expected us to just take it and made no offer to fix the situation. One of my friends backed off and accepted the order, but I had to go back and insist as her behaviour and attitude was absolutely unacceptable. At the end, we got offered a free drink and they replaced the wrong order, but we really had to fight for it it seemed. Overall, the food was incredible, someone at the back of the house is doing a great job. So go for the food, but don't expect consistently good service. Final bit, when we got our bill at the end, they had, of course, kept in the wrong order (more expensive) and we had to ask for it to be removed. On top of everything, they don't do customer copies of the receipt, we had to take a photo of the notepad page the order was taken on with little scribbles of what the prices were for each item. A sad service experience and a shameful display.

excellent food as always , amazing how the standard never falters, great friendly service always a great treat

Excellent food. Steaks cooked perfectly

Dined here on Tuesday 29th October 2024 with family and was greeted by the lovely staff, enjoyed the prawn cocktail as a starter along with the surf and turf as mains whilst my family members enjoyed their sirloin steaks. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Colchester area or those visiting.

Great restaurant, great service and the steak was amazing

Best steak I had in more years then I care remember ( first class)

Great service, busy but good atmosphere. Had the Kleftico which was beautiful, portions are huge. Staff were very pleasant, everything was like clockwork and the kitchen from what we could see looked spotless. Would 100% visit again.

The steak was amazing great value, massive portions!!

This is the most cost-effective steak I have ever eaten in the UK! It takes 20 pounds to eat 12oz in other places, while you can eat more 10oz by adding 10 pounds here! It is strongly recommended that steak lovers come here to eat! It is recommended to make a reservation by phone before you come.

We've added Bellapais to our shortlist of restaurants that we absolutely love and recommend. Hands down a real cracker. Wonderful atmosphere, excellent service, food to die for and reasonably priced. Just need an excuse (which could be feeble) to visit Colchester again.

The steaks are fantastic. Service was with a smile, though they did move us. It was a busy place with a good atmosphere.

Steaks were of great quality. Good portion sides too. Good service, recommended.

As always amazing food, great service. 30+ years I've been going to this restaurant and never had a bad meal 💖 still the best 40 years later!

Unfortunately we got a table facing the toilets, things are a bit cramped. Table next to us contained people whose language was appalling. Food was good on the whole but 6 stalks of asparagus for £8.50 was a bit steep. Too cramped to make me want to go again. Better places to go.

Portions too big lol. Best food but so much of it! Great atmosphere and service. Hadn't been for quite a while but unchanged and just as good. Highly recommend.

Very good, couldn't of asked for anything better, brilliant service Very professional and welcoming , 10 / 10 With the size of every meal

I've been to Bella Pais 3 times now. And it never disappoints! The portions are generous and the quality is sky high. Just book a table. You won't regret it!

Absolutely the best family running little restaurant, definitely the best food and service you can get in Colchester.The stakes was melting in the mouth. 😋👌Thank you so much Alex for telling us about the restaurant history and amazingly friendly atmosphere. Definitely will coming back again and again, this is the proper way to do business guys- you are the best and will see you soon again many thanks regards Sol.

Staff friendly and accommodating. Cosy and busy restaurant. Enjoyed the food but was a touch lacking flavours. Portions are very good. Perhaps the shoulder of lamb had lots of seasoning. The flavour had not gone into the meat. It was very tender.

Where do i start? It was my father in laws 60th birthday and from the second we walked in till we left we where greeted by a young man, he was very professional and his advice on the menu was great, very well spoken. I live in london and i workout everyday so i always eat high protein food, and trust me, living up london i have tried alot of steakhouses. I knew BELLAPAIS would be nice but wow! Normally i dont eat the fat on my steak but this one was by far the best tasting steak ever, the fat melted in your mouth like butter! Every single bite left me speechless. I also had the keftedes and it brought back so many memories, jut how my mum used to make them! I have never ever got up and spoke to a chef about the food, ever, but this chef deserved every single compliment under the sun, i went and shook his hand! Once we all left everyone that was with us said they will 100% come back. My mrs birthday is in september and we are 100% going back for that lovely juicy steak, then its her brother birthday january then mine in feb and so on if you get my drift! Well done guys absolutely amazing experience! Oh yeah and my dog also loved the tbone i brought him back!

I can't fault the service or the food. The atmosphere was really good. There were a few birthdays the evening we went including one on our table. Everyone sang Happy Birthday everytime which was nice. The only complaint I have is the tables are too packed together. We were sat very close to the kitchen and the walkway to the toilet which spoilt it a bit. I don't think our table should have been where it was however I get the need to seat as many people as possible. The waitress was friendly and had a good sense of humour which was needed with the people (men 🤣) on our table. My steak was cooked to perfection, exactly how I asked for it. Overall a very enjoyable meal. We will definately be back again.

The best steak in Colchester. The food is great and the portions are enormous. You definitely need to book in advance as even weeknights are busy.

Amazing steak. Very tight for space but the steak was delicious.

Had such a wonderful evening here Tonight, was for my mums birthday and they made her feel very special without it being embarrassing. Was really lovely of them. The service, atmosphere and of course the food were all incredible. The steak, I went with 10oz fillet, with a Diane sauce, mushrooms and chips and the whole thing was amazing. Mum's food equally yummy. 100% recommend anyone who likes steak or Greek food, to please go here!!! Make sure you book, it's so popular. Gem of Colchester. Loved it. Thanks Team 💜 😊

Bella Pais serves the best steak in the world in my opinion! The staff are always fantastic, the portions are HUGE and the atmosphere is always good 😊

First visit, but certainly not our last. Large Party celebrating friends special birthday, food was delicious, generous portions, reasonable vino prices, good party menu, excellent customer service throughout. 5* Highly recommended.

Great place with delicious food.

Delicious food and fantastic customer service every time!

The best Steak House in Colchester, no other restaurant can touch it, always go here for our birthdays , anniversary and other Special occasions

Great food, huge portions and friendly service

Best in town easily, Sorry I meant best in Essex... had to update this

Never fails to deliver a perfect meal, good service and vfm

Always superb! Best steak in the city

Fantastic food ,fantastic service. Would definitely recommend

a long overdue return visit to this wonderful little restaurant in my old home town. The food and atmosphere were as good as ever - always busy no matter what night of the week you visit and booking is essential. The fillet steaks, peppercorn sauce and large cut fries were superb whilst the floater coffees rounded the evening off beautifully. Finally, a special mention to the delightfully enthusiastic and professional young lady who went above and beyond in looking after us - you are a real credit to the restaurant. Thank you and hope to visit again soon.

Four of us had a lovely meal, couldn't fault the food or the service! We will definitely be coming back

One of “the” BEST restaurants I have been in a while. I am Coeliac. They were brilliant with GF options and all round just brilliant service. A family run business… huge portions as well so much so I ended up with doggy bag as the food was too delicious to waste. 💯 recommend

Small, cosy restaurant perfect for a date

Without a doubt, the best restaurant in Colchester and hands down the tastiest steaks with massive sides. We come here each year for our anniversary and this is the 11th year and the food and service remains 5 star. If you don't leave with a massive smile on your face, there's something wrong with you. The portions are massive and the steak is the best I've ever had.

Everything was perfect even that the person I came with was disrespectful the staff Alex managed it very well and the food was awsome. I am definitely coming back for the food, environment and staff

Great food, plenty of it, wouldn't have ordered a starter had I known how large the plates of food was

If you love a steak, then this is the place to enjoy a good one. Second to none!

A cozy restaurant with a vibrant atmosphere. Steaks are the real feature of the menu but one of our party had swordfish which was perfectly cooked. Our steaks were cooked exactly as ordered. Rare was indeed rare. Portions were huge and sharing side dishes and starters is advised, as is taking the leftovers home with you. Staff were helpful and intuitive. The wine was not astronomically priced. Will return here, thank-you.

The food is incredible my tone was cooked to perfection sides were full of flavour fantastic 😀 😋

Fantastic Thursday evening out. Delicious food and huge portion sizes. This place never lets us down. Moussaka had great flavour. It's always packed so book in advance especially for large groups. I had the smallest steak and it was still huge. Ordered a side of sautéed potatoes and peppercorn sauce which came in bucketloads.

The best food, great service, great atmosphere as always! Loved it!

A good place to dine if you want real, properly cooked food instead of the shipped in generic stuff that you get at many of the other eating places. The Calamari was tasty and soft, the mussels were equaly good. The Kleftico lamb shoulder I had was cooked to pefection as was the Stifado beef in red wine and the portions were very generous. We will definitely go to the Bellapais again and can highly recommend this dining venue.

Delicious food, very generous portions and a lovely atmosphere. Very friendly waitress too.

Food is amazing and would definitely recommend. booked out tho so do it months in advance.

Always superb looked after every time

Hands down the best place for steak in Colchester. Great service and amazing value for money. Can't recommend this restaurant enough.

If you want you best steak, look no further top food and top service! My favourite place to eat.

Always great food and great staff,still my benchmark.

excellent service,perfect food!!

Food took a while to come but it was well worth the wait. Absolutely delicious.

We had are works Christmas due there There was 22 of us attended the staff we lovely. Everything thing came out to our table at the same time and the fod was cooked perfectly

Been coming for decades “brilliant” & very consistent. We love Andy & the team

Absolutely amazing place to eat.

Restaurant, too cramped. Plate, too full. Food wasted due to there being far too much on the plate. Think of the increased profit if they put 'normal' portions on the plate. My Kleftico was lovely, I just couldn't eat it due to my starter being far too large.

Great food ,great staff great wine

What's not to love about Bella Pais? If you've been here you know. If you haven't book now for a future night out. Excellent menu, huge portions of yummy food. The steak is awesome!

Amazing, best steak we have ever had and the service was exceptional! Well worth the money but very reasonably priced as well. Big portion sizes so definitely over ordered but just fantastic!

Had a fantastic evening there for my birthday meal. The food was amazing and massive portions. The service was first class, thank you to the wonderful staff.

Always love it here great service everytime great staff

Excellent as always. Best meal in the town centre.

The best Greek food and steak around. I cannot fault them a great all round experience and I highly recommend them

Brilliant service! Excellent food that couldn't be faulted and 2 very happy adults! It was a perfect date night and we were looked after soo well. Looking forward to returning! Good value for money

A lovely little restaurant that does amazing steaks. Sides were very nice too and staff were very friendly. We knew the place was popular so booked our table well in advance.

Not really the exciting place and food we read about. Neither delighted nor disappointed.

I have dined at Bella Pais twice now and I can't fault the food, service and atmosphere here. On both occasions, the food was absolutely delicious and the portions were very generous. I would highly recommend you try Bella Pais, but make sure you book a table as it's very popular (and for good reason)!

First time here after trying to get booked in with the family for a couple of months. Was it worth it? Hell yeah! The premises is small(hence the booking in advance for more than 2 people) and very cosy but that adds to the charm of this restaurant. The staff are awesome 👌 very welcoming, very professional, efficient and very friendly. All what you need in restaurant staff. The food? Well then.. thats the best bit. HUGE portions(don't be tempted to go ott on sides) and the quality and taste is stunning. You won't be disappointed. Definitely recommended and we can't wait to go back again . 10/10

What a find, perfectly run family restaurant with a great atmosphere. The food is a model of consistency and delicious, the steaks are divine and enormous, bring your appetite!

Lovely food and pleasant Staff.

Wow, 1sr time after many recommendations. Lovely food, portions huge. You certainly won't go hungry here . 😋

Best steaks we have had, really enjoyed the food here

Best steak I've ever had in the UK. Wonderful food and lovely service. Book early....

Do you crave food that is ambiguously Greek French and Italian?? If so, this may be the spot for you! The best part of this gastronomic experience is certainly the company brought along for the adventure, so see to it that your companions have low palatal expectations. Under no circumstances should one ever order the eponymous calamari (barring desire for an over-cinnamonned dish). The various steaks with sauce turn out to be more of soup with soggy beef. Otoh the service was fantastic and the ambience is awfully cozy. Got a table easily without a booking.

What an amazing place! Food is fantastic and the steaks are the best in the area. Advisable to book as it is so popular! Can’t wait to go back!

Best steak I’ve ever had! Great food and atmosphere. I would 100% recommend

Fantastic restaurant, can see why it's so busy all the time. Booking ahead is advised.

Food and service were excellent never been there before but will definitely be going back 10/10 .

Best steak we've had, very fast and friendly service, even took the t bone home for the dog, we'll worth a visit. 🥩❤️

Really lovely staff and always busy with an excellent atmosphere and ambience!

Shame to write this review as we really enjoyed the food, however, the rudeness we experienced over the past two days has been disgusting. We had a booking for yesterday but had a genuine medical emergency in that I had to go to A&E for symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. Anyone with a brain will know how serious that is. When we called to advise we would not be able to make the booking as we were in hospital, the person on the phone just stated that we would not be able to book again but that my partner could under his name (?) Ok - next day my partner called to try and rebook us in, to be told fully booked, when asked what about the next day they PUT THE PHONE DOWN ON HIM. If you cannot make exceptions for genuine medical emergency’s then we wouldn't want to eat here anymore anyways. Appalling lack of social skills and total rudeness towards people for no reason. Do better.

Superb food, and service, had the sirloin steak which must have been 20+oz and cooked to perfection. All portions are large here, you will not leave hungry!

Really lovely, food is amazing. Made my wife’s birthday really special. Thank you.

Steak was best I've ever eaten.....superb!

Fantastic food and service as always....one of our favourite places to eat, highly recommend 👌

Incredible steak! The restaurant is well designed, although it gets busy it is a quaint little restaurant and the food is delicious.

We have never been before but rocked up at opening time (5pm) to see if we could get a table. We were lucky they could squeeze us in. Portions are massive and fantastic quality!!

I had fillet steak OMG. Was so good. Ordered way to many sides. Service was superb.

Always my go-to for a steakhouse! Been there for so many years and it hasn't changed.

Zum Geburtstag wurde ich hier eingeladen und es war sehr gut. Wir hatten Zaziki und Knoblauchbrot zur Vorspeise (die beide leider ehrlich gesagt schon zuviel waren, aber soooo köstlich!) Zum Hauptgang hatten wir "Lamm Kleftico" und "Surf and Turf". Beim Lamm war Salat und Pommes dabei, beim Surf and Turf war nichts außer Knoblauchsoße dabei. Die Pommes, die ich bestellte, waren auch hier zuviel! Die Krabben wurden auf Wunsch auch aus der Schale genommen! Guter Service am Tisch und in der Küche! Der hat natürlich auch seinen Preis! (Beide Biertrinker!) Vielen Dank für einen sehr gelungenen Geburtstag!

Had a 22oz steak with Diane sauce and it was perfection! Service was very good and it's quite a small place so atmosphere was really nice too. Will definitely go again.

Great food Skate wing and pork kebab generous portions great atmosphere

This is without a doubt my favourite restaurant in Colchester. The food is delicious, service is great and the portions are huge!

Colchester best restaurant who needs a Michelin rated restaurants when we have the bellapais we will be back

My 60th Birthday. Food fantastic, service and atmosphere great. Book very early to avoid disappointment.

We had a wonderful meal in this delightful little restaurant. We were warmly greeted by our server and shown to a candle light table near the kitchen. The decor is fabulous, the staff are very smartly dressed and it certainly has a very relaxed atmosphere. The food was absolutely incredible and the portion sizes were huge, although it was very reasonably priced. The staff were fantastic and very friendly, when they realised it was my birthday they even brought me out a cake! I would absolutely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good steak or an authentic Greek dish.