Church Street Tavern in Colchester

Disgusting management. Treat the staff terribly. This place should be ashamed.

Spellbindingly good food, you cannot go wrong. Not cheap (certainly not the '£10-£20' bracket I saw on one review), but will definitely visit again.

We celebrated my wife's birthday here last night, with 2 children (9,13yrs) and had a lovely evening. The atmosphere was excellent, food was wonderful and the staff pleasant and attentive. Very suitable for a family with children; the kids menu was just right. The blue cheese gnocchi was amazing!

Had a really lovely birthday meal at the Church Street Tavern. Very nice restaurant with chilled vibes. I had a really nice moules marinière, my only note I would say is that the food was quite salty though. The sauce was very salty, and the chips came salted. The other guests I dined with also thought it was on the saltier side, but I still enjoyed the food.

This is my first time in the tavern and was very impressed with the relaxed atmosphere and seating nice to hook up with my friends and also very polite staff great location aswell with parking at St Mary's near by

Always a great place to eat. Fresh produce, cooked to perfection. Friendly staff and a good atmosphere. If you’re ever looking for quality food in beautiful surroundings Church Street is the place to go.

Absolutely lovely meal. Service good but not intrusive. Very quiet but it was a Thursday afternoon.

Great food, better service! I had the set menu with the skirt steak. Highly recommended. Nice and quiet atmosphere. Definitely worth visit!

All six of us all really enjoyed our Sunday lunch here. We all started off with one of the 'bites', the parmesan custard with anchovy toast. We highly recommend these as they are delicious and a great start to a meal. Our mains were also really good and we all enjoyed them. Service was was welcoming. The venue has a lovely ambience which is enhanced by the decor of rich warm colours.

Came here for dinner on a Friday date night with my wife. Absolutely blown away by the food, especially at this price point. Friendly staff and great service too. Extensive selection of wines for circa £30 a bottle, available by the glass, carafe, or bottle. Our new regular for sure. 3 courses each and two bottles of wine...£125

Tried this place again last weekend, it’s ok. Service was good and food was good public standard but was expensive for what you got. Drinks quite pricey as well. Nice surroundings but better places about.

Beautiful restaurant, with loads of atmosphere and delicious food. Prices reflect the quality of food and service, so not cheap but well worth a visit

Excellent. Nice relaxing ambience upstairs with friendly service. Interesting menu and excellent reasonably priced wine list. Recommend the Mersea oysters.

We've only eaten twice here, both for celebrations, and both times were so good. The food was excellent and service great. We've been to the bar many times as it's our favourite. Perfect date night spot.

Lovely food, wonderfully attentive staff.

We had a very enjoyable lunch in the downstairs bar of sharing small plates. All the dishes were interesting and very tasty, one particular standout was the tomato carpaccio served with romesco. This was refreshing and summery. We also had cocktails which were well made and very pleasant. The service was excellent and the venue itself has a lovely vibe. Overall we really enjoyed our afternoon and it is good to have the option of small plates and therefore a different lunch experience.

Excellent restaurant in Colchester. We were completely satisfied: cuisine, atmosphere, service,...

Pub lunch for two. Service: excellent Food: excellent Presentation: excellent. A lunch the finest london restaurants would find had to beat.

Really good restaurant and bar. Food and service is at a high standard. Tom knows the menu, wine list and beer selection and gives great advice and recommendations. Definitely one of the best places to dine in Colchester.

We booked a birthday lunch here for around 11 people. Most people got a Sunday lunch and the food was delicious. The service was a bit slow, but I suppose when you are ordering for 11 that makes sense. The atmosphere is also great. It feels like you are having lunch in a living room, it's very cozy. We will definitely be returning again for their roasts

Regular starting point when I’m catching up with friends in Colchester. A top notch wine list with some English Sparkling on offer. Relaxed lounge, staff are always helpful and attentive. Good here is also well worth a look.

Always a good atmosphere and a wide selection of drinks to choose from

Lovely looking interior but not enough choice of food for me as I only liked a couple of items so it's not good for fussy eaters. Nice and quiet in there for my friend who is hard of hearing.

Lovely atmosphere, brilliant food! 👌

Very nice but tried to pay with cash only to learn that only took cards. Please put up some signage or on the menus.

Visited for a pre show drink and dinner very impressed with the ambiance and decor, very comfortable seating and lighting, the fixed price menu offered excellent value for money and included wine and coffee, some good happy hour drinks available as well. 5* Highly recommended

Fantastic place for a drink great dining as well

Delicious food, very friendly staff and portion size perfect for the price.

Very nice relaxed place to have a couple of drinks. Not over priced but has a quality feel about the place. Prices are reasonable and the variety is good. Cocktails were nice and reasonably prices.

Friendly staff and excellent platter to share. Will definitely visit again to eat in the restaurant.

Enjoyed a lovely evening at Church Street Tavern. The atmosphere was inviting, and the food was good. Our waiter, Will, provided excellent service, offering great recommendations. Highly recommend this spot for a memorable dining experience with superb service.

Lovely cosy place, excellent food for great price with the set menu mid week

did valentine's here with the bf and had a wonderful time - so glad they didn't force a special overpriced valentine's menu on us and had the usual set menu available still. the mussels and pork belly were great, as was the dessert and cheeseboard. service and house wine also lovely.

Excellent food in a nice atmosphere

Asked our son to find somewhere for his birthday dinner. What a find! Excellent, very good delicious food. Top quality service from a lovely knowledgeable young woman. She knew the ingredients, how the dishes tasted, and made perfect recommendations. The drinks menu is large, informative and good humoured. Wine can be bought by the glass carafe and bottle. One of the best champagnes is also available by the glass. The food ws amazing. Every flavour and ingredient noted on the menu could be tasted. Very impressed and will return. Recommend.

We came on a Sunday expecting a nice family meal with another family, walk in and the lovely lady at the bar points us upstairs. We get upstairs to be approached by an abrupt waitress who said we couldn’t get our pram to our table as there were people sat too far out in the walkway, we said oh we will just say excuse me she said no it can be parked somewhere else, so we parked it where she advised. We sat at the table and it took over 20 minutes for anyone to even come and take a drink order (it was not busy and at the end of the lunch service) when she finally came to take our order we attempted to order drinks and meals and we were interrupted to be told ‘no we will just do food first’ which we were all take aback by as generally you order drinks first. We then asked if there were any drinks for little ones and the response was ‘No, I only have fruit juices’ which we replied would be absolutely fine and proceeded to ask flavours etc. We all ordered and then waited another 15/20 minutes for drinks to the point we had to ask another server if they could chase up our drinks, lo and behold they appeared a few moments later. The food came out and it was very nice, good portions and very well done. We decided not to stay for desert as we thought we cannot sit here any longer ‘waiting’ to be served. We settled the bill and went to get our pram, the lady sever saw me look bemused as someone had laid their coats over my pram, I said ‘oh someone’s coats are on my pram’ she just looked and walked off. Dreadful service, she was rude and seemed like she had never eaten in a restaurant let alone worked in one. When we left I actually spoke to the bar maid on the ground floor to advise her of the lady we experienced upstairs as I personally do not think that was acceptable. If you go here I would advise you will be waiting a while to be served but you will have good food - eventually.

Amazing food - like really great. Genuinely friendly service and a nice place to sit. Highly recommend

Lamb Ribs, this one you have to try. So soft, is so good. Sourdough toastie also very good. Happy tummy, happy customer.

We came here for Sunday lunch and we really enjoyed it. We really like the decor of this venue and it has a warm welcoming vibe. We started off with parmesan custard with anchovy toast, from the bites section of the menu. We always have these when we come here as they are delicious. Our roast beef was really good and the veg and sides were tasty too. Drink selection was good and it is nice to be able to order a carafe of wine. Service was friendly and efficient and we had a very enjoyable afternoon.

I honestly still dream about this Sunday roast, I'd say probably the best pub roast I've had. Just so well cooked, perfect veggies... Desserts are great too. It was so good I think we forgot to take any photos...! Also a great pub building, really lovely staff, and a great location to have a wonder round Colchester to burn off the excess calories.

Had a lovely evening. Attentive staff along with nice food. Try it out...enjoy...

Impressive food and good drink. Exceeded expectations. Lovely staff and service too.

We had a lovely lunch. The atmosphere was friendly and warm. Would recommend

Very cozy, great food and drinks, excellent service ( apart from Bloody Mary - takes ages to grow tomatoes, haha). Friendly stuff. All clean everywhere.

Un bar cosy et branché où l'on retrouve des jeunes actifs et des familles. On se détend dans une atmosphère chaleureuse et distinguée. Marge sélection de bières et cocktails. Quelques alternatives sans alcool. Personnel très prévenant et sympathique.

We had a really good evening. The food and drinks were very good. The whole evening was made excellent by the great service and atmosphere created by the staff, especially Archie who was highly engaging and knowledgeable about the food and wine menus. As we agreed with Archie as part of the great banter, the restaurant should send him to Tuscany!

Absolutely lovely lunch spent with my partner on a rare day off together sans children. The food was delightful, and the service was spot on, attentive without being annoying (a tricky thing to get right). Only reason for 4 stars rather than 5, the dining room was really cold (I am not one to complain of the cold given I grew up at the top of a remote scottish glen with a wood fire as the main source of hear for the whole house) so I cannot imagine how the other diners felt. Will definitely return in the summer !

Terrible service. Was told to sit down and then would take my order. Sat for 20 mins then told last orders as they are shutting. Told I could order but would need to drink it quickly.

We arrived for a drink having had a lovely meal elsewhere. We were told to take a seat and somebody would take our drinks order. We waited 10 minutes, the order took another 10 minutes to fill. The non alcoholic wine was disgusting. The beer was not very nice either, no cask so keg had to suffice. When we paid we found that the disgusting non alcoholic wine was £6.50 and my wife’s large red wine was £12.50. What a rip off, shall not be returning!

Brilliant for beer and cider almonds are a big hit

First time dining here and I'm wondering why on earth haven't I been before?! The food was delicious. Had the set menu, which is an absolute bargain for two sizable courses and a glass of wine. There was complimentary water and focaccia without even asking. The service was perfect when they understood our needs to be only an hour for the theatre it was perfectly timed. They checked how we were without being intrusive and it just flowed beautifully. I enjoy eating out and I haven't been this impressed by the whole experience in ages. Consider me a fan and I will return!

We had a great meal here, we are all vegetarian and appreciated varied and tasty options. Good selection of cocktails and wines by the glass as well as non alcoholic choices. Nice staff with good service that contributed favourably to our evening experience. Would recommend.

It's a great place to stop. Friendly staff and a good range of drinks.

Superb service from friendly informed staff. Excellent food - one of the best Sunday roasts we’ve had and the celeriac confit was delicious. And the wine recommendation paired perfectly with the food. I’d wholeheartedly recommend.

We had a delightful evening last week. Superb atmosphere with great service from all of the staff , especially Alfie. The food was both inventive and delicious. Would highly recommend.

It's a great fancy restaurant. The food and service are fantastic. The place is elegant but casual. We loved it!

Good service. Expensive for the portion size and quality of food.

A gorgeous roast dinner and cooked my beef through at my request. One of the best cauliflower cheese dishes I've have out. Only downside was the few puddings were a bit too fancy for me - I love a hearty pudding but none were to my taste on the menu.

I whiled away a peaceful couple of hours yesterday afternoon in the downstairs bar, perched in an elegant, comfortable armchair, drinking excellent tea from a vintage cup. So many happy groupings: families, solos, friends playing games. A lovely atmosphere with charming service and if I lived here I would come often because I felt so comfortable and welcome. When my friend returned from shopping we went upstairs for an outstanding meal from the new seasonal menu. Complimentary focaccia with fragrant olive oil and a delicious homemade tapenade appeared to delight us. My venison with a spiced salt baked beetroot was cooked to perfection and such a good combination. The turnip pithfivier with stuffed onion was the furthest thing you could ever get from a pedestrian vegetarian dish - so subtle in its delicate autumn flavours. Desserts were equally inventive but we had to bolt them to make it to our flamenco show up the road. What a pub! Go there! You couldn’t do better.

Lovely place and excellent food for a Sunday lunch. Highly recommended.

Lovely cocktails in a lovely Location!

Popped in on a Sunday afternoon and the roast dinner was absolutely on point, medium rare cooked beef, generous portion and friendly, helpful staff.

As an American experiencing my first "Sunday lunch," I have to say it was delicious. Nice portions and great drinks. Not bad for the price.

OMG. So third time now we've been and somehow the food just gets better. Great decor and the service is quick and professional. Bonus being as soon as you sit down you get a bottle of still water with no charge. Why all restaurants don't do this is beyond me. Now to the food. We had Sunday roast. I had the beef and it was amazing. Also probably had the best roast potatoes I've ever had. They were epic. I had Cauliflower soup for a starter that was also delicious. Highly recommended.

Absolutely brilliant restaurant and dining in the centre of Colchester. Booked up with ease online. The place has a lovely quirky feel to it, certainly not a chain, definitely its own enigmatic style. Food was great, starters and mains all brought out not too quickly or slowly. The food was of the highest quality, extremely tasty and a decent price for a high quality dining restaurant. Thoroughly recommend

Great place and a beacon for good food and ambience in Colchester.

Great quality food and friendly staff, lots of options for all dietary requirements

We dropped in for a quick dinner before going to the Arts Centre and were given a table upstairs. Lovely decor and really excellent staff, professional and on the ball. The food was excellent and good value ~( we had the set menu which includes wine and coffee). We will definitly return.

We visited for drinks this weekend. Being 6 months pregnant I am always on the hunt for a good mocktail. Church St did not disappoint! I had a Seaward Sour (highly recommend) and it genuinely felt l was a enjoying a ‘proper’ cocktail rather than the offering you find in most establishments; a 0% beer or a soft drink! Great atmosphere and table service too. An older crowd and nice background music which means you can still hear each other talk. We will be returning to try out the food too :)

A very relaxing spot if you can get a seat - can't get used to table service at a bar and not being allowed to order from the bar

On Michelin Guide - we were not disappointed. Great food and friendly staff.

Thoughtfully designed menu of professionally crested dishes. Everything we had was delicious: Parmesan custard with anchovy toast as amuse bouche, lobster ravioli topped with crab, roast fig salad, pork ribeye, deep-fried courgette flower stuffed with ricotta served with an amazing caponata. We added an unnecessary Janssons Frestelse, also delicious. Service was perfect too. This must be the best restaurant in Colchester.

Love this place. One of thr best places in Colchester to relax, enjoy cocktails and eat excellent food. Don't forget to do the triple and eat at their sister restaurants Sun Inn, Dedham and The White Hart, Mersea Island.

Rude staff waiting for over an hour for food and ball pit closed at 6.45 when it was supposed to be open till 8pm in happy children fals informed and out of pocket food was ok but waited over an hour 👎

Alles bis die Desserts ist sehr gut und lecker, erstaunlich für die Provinz

Bery pleasant and decent place to eat great food. Kudos to the head chef and staff

Amazing restaurant and food, made me a pasta from scratch due to my allergies and it was lovely.

One of the best places in Colchester.

Absolutely delicious food. It was my birthday and there was a card on the table waiting for me from all the staff and we were given complementary glasses of champagne which was a lovely touch. Thank you

First Class! We've lived in Colchester for many years and have been meaning to pop in and try their restaurant, and we wish now we'd visited earlier. The atmosphere is inviting and the staff are warm and charming. The food & wine selection is good value and worth every penny.

Our Son took us here for father's Day, it was recommended by his friends. We were so impressed, the food was amazing!!! Nothing disappointed us. The service was incredible. We will definitely be coming back. Thank you for making our first visit unforgettable.

We enjoyed delicious small plates outside in the late afternoon coupled with some lovely English sparkling wine and later on cocktails. You can tell they choose their products carefully and design the menu to fit the personality of the place. Everything feels very deliberate and the service is casual yet attentive.

What a lovely place, our first visit to restaurant, lovely staff and perfect location, the drinks ordered in the bad downstairs took a little time to get, but allowances must be made for a Saturday night. The restaurant upstairs is more organised, timely well presented and tasty, Only a personal preference would have been a larger selection on the menu. We would go back.

Always a great experience, the staff are always friendly and polite especially Tom in the restaurant. The food is consistently fantastic, using the best seasonal produce to create exceptional dishes. The impressively curated wine list helps too...

Food was great, service was also great from all staff. Lovely feel upstairs too. Good wine list, the only reason 4/5 was that we had one bottle of wine then they had run out of the same wine so we had to switch, and it was such a tasty wine. Bar downstairs always a favourite, good for cocktails

Best Sunday lunch in colchester. Superb food and service with a lovely relaxed atmosphere

That burger was out of this world! The beer selection is lovely and it is a really lovely place to go in a lead up to a gig at the Arts Centre or the Theatre. Prices are reasonable for the quality of food and drink that you can get and the flavour selections for the desserts are simply blissful. Parking is best suited to across Balkerne Hill in the multistory with the short stroll across. A sweet cosy feel in the restaurant/bar where we ate but we were also given the option of a restaurant table upstairs. Choices were impressive with a restaurant or bar menu as well.

Does not deliver the flavours the interesting menu promises. Bland dry under seasoned food for every corse. Incorrect dishes brought out too, our pre started wasn’t delivered in one go some came after the starter was begun, after all that bland dry food the cheese was mouldy (it wasn’t a blue cheese) Appalling don’t go!

One of the best restaurants I have been in the UK so far

high end food at OK prices, good wine list, friendly staff

Dry, bland food. ended with moldy cheese. started with the lamb brushette which was dry and had no flavour. Main was the beef taglatelle, which had no flavor and covered in parmasan. Had cheese to finish (how could they get that wrong?) well that was mouldy and the sourdough bread that was coming? no that's just some cheap dry crackers. All that for just £50.

If you want a over priced place to drink and eat then this is the place to go. Lacks atmosphere and wants to be something it’s not.

Enjoyable. Stairs may be a bit difficult for some

One Saturday lunchtime two of us had lunch in the bar downstairs. We really enjoyed it and it was everything you would want from a lunchtime experience. Great vibe and atmosphere in the bar with welcoming and efficient staff. We had a selection of the...

Always a good atmosphere here at the bar in the evenings but it’s also a good option for lunch or afternoon coffee / drinks.

Lively bar atmosphere downstairss and pleasant restaurant upstairs where we dined. Charming and efficient waiting staff. Some dishes very good, but two of us had stuffed rabbit loin which was hard and dry and had no discernable filling and one of us had a steak...

Just take some time out to enjoy the elegance, welcome, and quality creative food here Avoid the speciality Burger and dive in to enjoy the real food. Some dishes were really extra special and way beyond my expectations!

I am always willing to pay for good quality food but my main course priced at £25 was quite frankly a rip off. I had a fish dish which was over cooked and under seasoned, and served with 4 tiny marble sized potatoes which had...

Very friendly staff and atmosphere. Food was lovely and generous.

Nice place but limited menu. We had the fish platter which was expensive for what you got.Service was OK but nothing special.Shame as could be a good place to meet up.