Chef Canton in Colchester

Food was lovely. Eat as much as you want for 23. pounds. Staff were so friendly. Would highly recommend. Will be going back there.

First time here, delicious food, happy and polite front of house staff. Excellent quality food. One of the best Chinese restaurants in Colchester. Will be returning very soon

It was fun, I like their buffet idea.

Host, Waitress & chef incredible!

Visited here for a friends birthday back in August, this was my first time visiting an all you can eat Chinese buffet where the food is brought to the table and you can order as much as you like for one set price at £25. Was really impressed with the service, the staff were friendly and they were so level headed at the amount of dishes being ordered by everyone in the restaurant - they knew all the corresponding numbers to the dishes and didn't seem flustered at all! You don't have to order everything in one go either. The food portions were smaller than I expected but this actually works really well as it means that you don't have to worry about having loads left over before you order something else to try off the menu. I really liked the set up as I was able to order things I had never had before or was a little unsure on trying as I was able to share it with my friends. The food quality was excellent, I especially liked the chicken in honey sauce, chicken in lemon sauce (which tastes exactly like sugar and lemon pancakes!!!) and the salt and chilli chips. The satay chicken skewers and salt and chilli chicken wings were also very good. Slight downside is the food does go cold quite quickly unfortunately. I thought this was great value for money and I would definitely like to go back.

Visited here for a friends birthday back in August, this was my first time visiting an all you can eat Chinese buffet where the food is brought to the table and you can order as much as you like for one set price at £25. Was really impressed with the service, the staff were friendly and they were so level headed at the amount of dishes being ordered by everyone in the restaurant - they knew all the corresponding numbers to the dishes and didn't seem flustered at all! You don't have to order everything in one go either. The food portions were smaller than I expected but this actually works really well as it means that you don't have to worry about having loads left over before you order something else to try off the menu. I really liked the set up as I was able to order things I had never had before or was a little unsure on trying as I was able to share it with my friends. The food quality was excellent, I especially liked the chicken in honey sauce, chicken in lemon sauce (which tastes exactly like sugar and lemon pancakes!!!) and the salt and chilli chips. The satay chicken skewers and salt and chilli chicken wings were also very good. Slight downside is the food does go cold quite quickly unfortunately. I thought this was great value for money and I would definitely like to go back.

We tried this restaurant for second time,we went for a buffet first time and was absolutely amazing,and tonight just had dinner ,mini crispy spring rolls,chicken balls, sweet and sour chicken,fried rice and marmite chicken, all tasted absolutely divine,you can tell they were freshly cooked.The owner and the staff are very welcoming and attentive.

Service was good food wasn't bad had abit of a language problem with one staff but sorted very quick

Have been going to Chef Canton for many years. However, not been recently and had seen some negative reviews. Well, what we had tonight was fresh, hot, and still tasted as good as it always has. As long as you only order what you will eat, then there is no issue. Service is fast and staff are great. Thanks again, we had a lovely evening.

Visited chef canton for a buffet meal sadly I was a little disappointed the beef was very tough and the egg fried rice was fried in a lot of oil the portions were very small. There was more bone than meat on the spare ribs. As a buffet I felt the meal was much too pricey. But having been to many other buffet I did not feel it was unlimited no desert is included and desert can be had at an extra cost. Honestly I would not recommend this restaurant.

Set price all you can eat (some days some items are extra). Food good, service good only down side is the noise. When busy you can barely hear your neighbour let alone those opposite you at the table.

Superb food, service and friendly staff. Thank you to owner Soo and his team for making our first night in Colchester so good.

Birthdtreat by son and his gf. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Sadly the beef in the beef chow mein was tough and dry so not eaten The Thai green curry sauce and satay sauce were like water chicken was tough Beef in black bean sauce also very tough

Lovely food as always at chef canton, food came out hot and service polite and friendly. Nice options to choose from. Portions were right when choosing multiple options. A great way to try new dishes. Nothing is too much effort and if you want more dishes you can have more!

The service was decent, but unfortunately the food was not so good! Ordered from a la carte menu! The last pancake had foil on it and salad was brown! Rest of the food was nothing special at all had much better. Really won’t be going back!

Food tasted lovely but the portions were skimpy. Didn’t even get a proper dinner plate to eat from. Pricey too with an extra 10% service charge added on without asking us first. A bit presumptuous if you ask me! Anyway, May suit some but not for me and won’t be going back there.

Good atmosphere, a little tightly packed in. Great service. Good food at a good price, as long as you don't order alot of drinks.

This place was really easy to reach, staff very attentive and friendly, quick service, amazing food, defo worth your money for an all you can eat 😋 Overall a really great experience never been before but will go back!

I think some of the portions can be quite small but having said that food is really good decent wait time and actually good value for money. It's definitely one of the better Chinese places in Colchester!

Just a brilliant place to grab some food.

Perfect staff perfect food, couldnt widh fir anything better

Great value for money. Tasty food. All you can eat. Clean. Friendly staff.

Really attentive and friendly staff. Went for the buffet on a Sunday. The food was ok but everything was oily and the meat was dry. The shredded duck was cold. The squid which was ordered came out as white fish.

The food was ok but not the best when u think about the cost it can be expensive 24 each without drinks and they have a cheek to try and charge for what u leave

With friends. Tasty food, served fresh. The service was good and I particularly enjoyed the noodle dishes. Some of the sauces needed to be thicker, feeling ‘watered down’. Overall worth a visit and would recommend. Good value.

What used to be a good place for a decent meal has changed massively since the last time I visited. For £24.99 each, whilst I appreciate it's a quantity over quality mindset for places like this, the quality should be better than it is. The tastiest thing we ordered was the curry sauce and the soy sauce for the duck pancakes, but the rest of the meal was quite poor sadly! I understand they are trying to reduce possible waste, however, 6 pieces of small chicken isn't exactly an adult sized portion (when I say small, I mean no bigger than 2p coin!!). The yellow bean sauce was lumpy and claggy, the chicken itself was chewy, the ribs are no bigger than a matchstick and I think you'd get more meat from a matchstick too! With drinks on top, we paid over £60 for 2 of us and when I think about how much good quality food I could have got from my local Chinese takeaway for the same price, I can't believe we paid what we did. I remember when Colchester had Embassy buffet round the corner from this place, the prices were cheaper and the quality was better, and that's saying something! The only positive is how much we laughed on the way home at the "chicken strips" that were served (see photo!!), would have been cheaper and tastier to get a box of Birds Eye chicken breasts from Iceland and a pot of curry sauce and cooked it at home!! Such a shame as it used to be a good place for all you can eat Chinese food with bigger portions and tastier food.

Great food with great service loved my meal , thank you

We have been to Chef Canton quite a few times and typically really enjoy it. However we ordered it as a takeaway on Sunday 7th April and was extremely disappointed. We had ordered at 5pm as soon as they open for delivery and expected the food to be fresh. It was awful. We had spent over £50, the batter tasted really old and greasy. The chow mein was inedible. We ended up throwing all of the food in the bin and ordering from elsewhere. So disappointing to the point we will not be eating here again.

Best food ever! Hightly recommended❤️

Wouldn’t go anywhere else, food is lovely especially marmite Chicken and staff are always excellent

Amazing restaurant,has been a regular fixture of ours for well over a decade and counting. Excellent food,attentive staff,a gem of a restaurant and take away is available, in the heart of Colchester.

Great meal had at the restaurant. Excellent choice of food, really tasty and well worth a visit.

Went as a meal for 2 last month after it came highly recommended. We were booked in for 5.30 on a Friday evening. The food was just normal chinese food, decent but nothing to shout about! The service was great, super quick inbetween courses and very attentive when clearing the bowls etc. My only bug bear was that we were sat almost directly infront on the check in and order desk, meaning we felt we were constantly being watched by staff and people coming in to order etc. Other than that, we’d go again but probably as a larger group :)

Great Chinese, would 100% recommend Four of us had a great meal on a Sunday lunch time from the all you can eat menu. The quality of the food was excellent, full of flavour. The service was great and the staff extremely friendly. Will definitely return.

Amazing food and service. Unfortunately today, we had booked for mothers day for 5 people and paid 5x£5 deposits when we booked the table and were told as my elderly grandfather couldn't join us we wouldn't get the £5 deposit returned for him, after paying £115 bill and being regular customers for over 20 yrs. 4 of us were seated in a corner on a table for 4. Had we booked for 20people and 4 turned up I'd understand, but we didn't even take up a table for 5 meaning they lost custom, we took a table for 4. Really disappointed a simple gesture that wouldn't have cost them anything couldn't have been granted. When it was questioned, it was stood by.

Two of us shared a meal here this weekend. The restaurant was busy as expected. You can choose either the a la carte menu or the all you can eat menu for £25 pp. I guess it depends on how hungry you are! The food was hot, freshly cooked and very tasty. The satay sauce was oddly clear and watery rather than the thicker paste we were used. Likely just a regional variation. The staff were friendly, helpful and the service was professional and ultra swift. It's not a criticism but more of an observation. The eat all you want menu is very popular with groups and whenever we've eaten here most of the tables are taken by larger groups who can share and benefit from that menu. Couples will invariably be slotted in and not always in the most comfortable or preferred table setting. In summary, nice food and staff but be aware larger groups can dominate the dining experience.

Two of us shared a meal here this weekend. The restaurant was busy as expected. You can choose either the a la carte menu or the all you can eat menu for £25 pp. I guess it depends on how hungry you are! The food was hot, freshly cooked and very tasty. The satay sauce was oddly clear and watery rather than the thicker paste we were used. Likely just a regional variation. The staff were friendly, helpful and the service was professional and ultra swift. It's not a criticism but more of an observation. The eat all you want menu is very popular with groups and whenever we've eaten here most of the tables are taken by larger groups who can share and benefit from that menu. Couples will invariably be slotted in and not always in the most comfortable or preferred table setting. In summary, nice food and staff but be aware larger groups can dominate the dining experience.

First time dining out in Colchester. Great selection of food with great taste and the owners make me feel welcomed. Would recommend the buffet set menu with a wide variety of food. Will be back again!!!

Really friendly and efficient staff and great generous portions of food- what’s not to like! Amazing value for money, will definitely be returning.

First time at this restaurant which has had lots of people recommending it. Took my grandsons and daughter and we’re very welcomed and received very good service - the food was very good and plentiful - we will be returning 😀

Great all you can eat Chinese in Colchester! Would highly recommend and good price too. If you go past 7 best car park we found was NCP multistorey car park.

We have eaten at Chef Canton many many times, and will continue to do so. The food is always good and always served hot. Great service and a reasonable price considering it us an "all you can eat" Restaurant. Excellent hygiene and distancing measures being observed during the Covid crisis.

Food excellent very cold not much Christmas atmosphere

Absolutely love this place , friendly waiter service to your table ,, and the food is brilliant,, you cannot order a few dishes at this price and you can choose from over 100 dishes that are all such good quality,, bravo Chef Canton and staff … have been and will be coming back as long as you will have us 🫶🏻😜👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Lovely meal. Fast service. Friendly staff

Best Chinese buffet in Colchester. Order fresh from the menu, quick service and really tasty food. Decent value for money and friendly owner and waitresses. Deffo worth a visit. You won't be disappointed

We haven't been here for sometime but we forgot just how good the food is. Everything is cooked to perfection,freshly cooked to order and so much choice. Staff are friendly and tge service is exceptional

We were out as a family, grandparents, daughter and her little one. Our first time and it was really good. The staff are lovely and could not have been more understanding of the screaming grandson. They are happy for you to take as much time as you need (which is not always the case with all you can eats). An all you can eat buffet which was good throughout. We had various starters, and when we eventually moved on to ordering the main courses and side dishes we were not aware of how much food there would be. Very generous portions and all tasted great, with no urgency to get through it all.

Friday and Saturdays the quality of food declines a little so prefer to go there mid week and it is superb

We had the place completely to yourself group of 8, really great hosting and really no delay in getting our food! Everything I ate was cooked well and tasted fresh Might have been different if there was more people there but for me this was the ideal dinner!

Small but cosy place. Love the style of menu and being able to try new foods and flavours. Food was fresh and tasty

Lovely food, served by friendly, happy staff. Totally recommend

Been going with friends for a couple of years. Food has always been great even though the service can be hit and miss. Havent been for a few months but went again last night and have now been put off going back. One good thing with an all you can eat is you get to try out different dishes. I love it as I always have my "usual" with a takeaway. I shared rice with my friend. One rice bowl was not enough for 2 people, 2 bowls too much. I also ordered noodles. My friend didnt want anyway but I couldnt finish the whole bowl myself. We ate all starters but left some main. First time since going we got told we are not allowed to leave leftovers and would be charged extra. She said she'd let us off this time but also said we shouldnt have ordered so much rice! I felt like I was a child being told off. Last thing I want to do is eat there again and worry throughout the whole meal that I wont finish. How is that enjoyable?! I hate wasted food and as they were funny about it I asked if I could take it home. They said I wasnt allowed but would obviously rather bin it! If Im going to spend £24 I would like to get my moneys worth as its more than I'd spend on a takeaway. If not I may as well go to a non all you can eat as at least I'll be charged for what I chose to order and any leftovers I wont be given the evil eye over and also have the option of taking it home. If they dont like it, maybe they need to do away with the all you can eat and make it a normal chinese, or do a serve yourself buffet so at least the customers can chose their own portion size (e.g. a taster of something new to try rather than be given a large bowl that could be wasted which they now dont like). It's not us who's over filling the dishes, as they chose the quantity that goes in the bowl to serve us. Like they say, if we want more we can order more! So maybe they should be dishing out smaller portions if wastage is an issue. It's a shame as the food is nice, but what was meant to be an enjoyable evening last night left a nasty taste in my mouth. I have now told my other friends who normally go there. They wont be rushing for a visit any time soon. So now you've lost more than one customer through this. Such a shame as it WAS a nice place.

Warm welcome, nice table, selections could have been better. No shreaded smoked chichen, no meats with ginger spring onions. Ribs on starters too small. Satay chicken and chicken in lemon sauce tasted same. Just different sauce on top. Portions 2 small. How ever as a visitor to colchester several times and thinking they cannot cook in colchester, think this is better place to eat in colchester.

Amazing buffet. order from the menu cooked fresh and brought over to your table

Visited on a Saturday night. Was explained that it was the all you can eat buffet that night so we opted for this rather than the a la carte menu. Food was average, some dishes nicer than others - would recommend the chilli beef, crispy duck and satay chicken. Nice that food is cooked fresh rather than being a buffet where you fill your plate up. We certainly got our moneys worth but it was the standard you’d expect from an all you can eat. Would rather they focused on quality rather than quality.

It was OK but slow taking away dishes starter plates left meal finished still had drinks had to ask waitress to clear the table

Mmmmmm… ok so this place has been in Colchester as long as I have. Nowadays it’s an all you can eat freshly cooked style place. I’ve been here lots it is pretty good value if you are hungry but don’t expect gourmet Chinese cuisine. It’s very basic flavours but you truly can’t knock the value. Islets good for a big group booking as you can try upto 100+ dishes

Terrible food, the worst i have ever tasted. Even worst to have to pay left overs. They told us it was 23 per person and we payed more than fhat. For 2 teas and the meals paied total 60£. Staff is very friendly thought.

The buffet was disgusting, no seasoning, the portions for 2 are really for 1. The wait staff don't listen. Everything was just flavourless. Then to be told we have to pay leftovers.

The meal was lovely and the female staff very friendly & helpful.

Disappointed as this use to be a good meal out. Haven’t been for about 6 years and everything was just poor. Small portions, watery sauces, inattentive staff and quite honestly overpriced for what you get. Poorly lit male toilets with dated and dirty fixtures. The food wasn’t terrible but sadly we won’t be going back.

The best Chinese we've eaten in a long time. Lots of choice, made to order. The restaurant was very clean and the staff were friendly, can't wait to go back.

Amazing place amazing food amazing people thank youx

Worst food I have ever tasted in my life. I went for all you can eat £22.90 as well as my son and my wife had the ala carte, we were shocked to experience how the food tasted. It’s not even Chinese.

Lovely meal ,food excellent,will definitely be returning.

Absolutely LOVE this place!! The food is always reliably delicious, the staff are friendly & helpful and I really enjoy having dinner out, here. A real treat every time, highly recommend!

The best Chinese food in town! The staff are really lovely and the food tastes so fresh.

7 of us visited here tonight and it was amazing. The food was cooked fresh. Nothing was too much trouble. The staff was very polite. We are on an all you can eat evening. We didn’t over order, but they were genuinely happy to get us anything we wanted. Very professional, very good systems in place as our food came out in good time and was clear it had just been prepared. We will be coming back. Thank you for a great experience.

Tried booking a table by ringing the reservation line for 2 days in a row. I left a voicemail message asking for a call back and explaining what day and time I’m trying to book a table for. I never had any call backs nor did anyone ever answer the phone. I thought therefore that maybe there’s no need to book then so I turned up on the day and they asked if I had a reservation. I explained that I had been trying to call for 2 days with no answer and that no one had returned my voicemail. There was no apology, nothing. The manager looks at the time and says you can have a table for one hour but that’s it. He seemed really put out, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. As people who go here will know, it’s all you can eat. I was essentially offered to pay the same as everyone else for all you can eat but I’d only have the table for half the time usually allowed for everyone else. This was supposed to be my birthday meal too. I had to decline their “generous” offer as the plan was to actually relax without such a strict time limit. The lack of apology, the attitude and the absolutely impossible task of trying to book a table, are why I’d rate this place 1 star. If booking is essential then they shouldn’t make it so difficult to book…

Insanely good food and a very good price. I will definitely go again

Very tasty food but absolutely useless and really slow service. It’s a shame because it use to be a great chinese.

All you can eat buffet is a lie, spent £300 between 8 of us on drinks and food and just about got the starters we ordered. Had to share 1/2 mains between all of us and never received the rest of our order whilst tables around us were being given multiple dishes for 2/4 people a table. The food was mediocre but for a buffet was what I expected, I did expect to get what I ordered though. Won’t be going again even with a gun to my head!

I love abroad and was looking forward to a Chinese meal ,we were told the price per head on booking and was surprised when the bill was presented to find it was 10 pounds extra per head because it was December! The portions are small but manageable and the green curry was lovely and spicy .

Delicious food, unfortunately prices keep increasing. Could be warmer.

Bit noisy . Service a bit slow . But lovely evening

Food was ok to be fair but the whole place was grubby, and the whole experience was not very pleasant. No table cloths, floor was dirty as where the toilets. It is more like sitting in a canteen that a restaurant, not a nice place to eat

One of the best buffets in town. 100+ different dishes to choose from and the atmosphere was awesome. Aesthetically fits the cuisine really well and the quality of the food is fantastic. Really worth visiting for fans of Chinese cuisine. 2022 Edit: The quality is still fantastic and now the #1 buffet.

Probably my favourite restaurant in Colchester. Food is wonderful and the staff are beyond helpful. Booking often needed on busy nights.

Booked a table the day before for 7 pm turned up at 6.55 pm to be told r table is not ready and to come back in half hour. Was not happy to b told to come back in half hour after we had booked a table the dsy before

Expensive but worth it. Food is really good... could do with a better selection of beers.

First time visiting Chef Canton we were treated to excellent food, a wide choice and every dish looked and tasted good. Great value, we will definitely visit again.

Great place, great food - all you can eat... but from the menu. Really good service.

Delicious food everytime, always great service and reasonable price

Had a rather awful time here, I'm afraid. Waiting time was up there with the worst I've experienced for any restaurant, and by far the worst of anything that markets itself as all you can eat. We were served a couple of starters for while we browsed the menu fairly quickly, but were then completely ignored for an hour. After flagging a member of staff, we were told that it was because of a large table at the back of the restaurant, but this was only comprised of about 8 people and half the rest of the dining area was empty. Really, even if the whole place had been full to bursting, the business model of these establishments requires speed, and I've never seen a kitchen so overwhelmed by so few before. Perhaps it was just a bad day in the kitchen? Unfortunately, there's no way to know, and as much as I hate not giving second chances, I just won't chance going back again. There's no way to know how quick service will be when you sit down, and once you have any food at all you're essentially trapped in there. Absolute waste of an evening.

Always a lovely experience here, always friendly staff and great options for the price

We realised to love coming here but sadly the last two times the food has truly been awful and the portion sizes have been reduced so when a table of 5 order duck you do get enough pancakes but not for duck so you have to order more which then causes a wait so 100% not ideal! Also if you want banana fritters, they never have enough banana's so they lose out on more £ which is unforgivable really! Will be finding somewhere else that deserves our custom! This review makes me so sad but as this is not a one off experience, I felt this review was necessary!

Food here is amazing. And great value for money

First time going to Chef Canton and it was a brilliant experience the food was hot, fresh and so tasty the lovely people that served us were friendly and very helpful. Will be going again soon.

Excellent food, very fast and friendly service, the food comes quick and is piping hot! 😋

Go for the buffet it's a great way to try new dishes without breaking the bank! I recommend the new Zealand mussels! And the steamed dumplings. Also a great way to practice your chopstick skills. If you can't use chopsticks you can't eat it we always say and the kids do really well.

Fresh, hot and very tasty. Plenty of variety and helpful staff.

Fantastic western Chinese restaurant situated next to the Bull pub. They offer an all you can eat option on certain days (as long as you finish what you order and don't leave uneaten dishes or they'll charge extra, which is more than fair). The food is very tasty and well prepared and the portions are just right. All the classics are there such as crispy chilli beef, kung po chicken etc. Food comes out quickly, but sometimes you are left waiting for dishes, when it would be preferable if they all arrived at once, but a small niggle and probably unavoidable. Again, great western Chinese cuisine at a good price, recommended.

Had a great birthday meal really good food only 1 dish was bad but we ate the whole menu chicken balls probably the best I've ever had and nothing was greasy Cant wait to go again plus birthday boy gets free meal

The food here and value for money is exceptional. Orders were taken and food came quick. Ive docked one star as we had to wait quite a bit between orders and needed to get staff attention. We will definitely be going back soon 😍👍

Great food and fantastic service as always.

Another amazing meal this evening that was served by the team at Chef Canton tonight. 5 star rating. This is by far the best Chinese food in town and I highly recommend this facility

Best Chinese restaurant in Colchester always good food

Great food, although not all food turned up together, but I understand it can be busy sometimes. Friendly staff too.