Cibus in Colchester

Wanted to eat here for a while, tried calling to book table and number just cuts off. Sent them email to book table, they responded with one word CLOSED. If this is the way they treat their potential customer, then I am sure they will be closed permanently!!!

We had a wonderful meal, with massive portions. Loved the meatballs and then the salmon. The service was wonderful. The presentation of food and drinks were fun. It was a great evening, thank you

My best friend took me to Cibus on Thursday for my birthday. It could not have been better, lovely food, fantastic service and I really felt special. Riccardo was super attentive and I’m looking forward to going back. Thank you Cibus ☺️

Absolutely fantastic food, amazing evening food portion were great, plenty to choose from and everything was cooked perfectly, decor and service were both first class. Will definitely return and recommend.

Had a good meal with excellent service by Roberto. He was very helpful and gave good prompt service. Nice touches of bread and olives to start and a selection of chocolates at the end of the meal.

Great restaurant! Staff were absolutely amazing and the food (and wine) was fantastic! Highly recommend!! They were great with the kids too!!

I wanted to like the restaurant… the waitress was very nice, but the food and general ambiance really let her down: - the menu is tatty and wrapped in plastic - the choice was very limited and uninspiring - the food itself was not great: my “pappardelle” wasn’t even pappardelle, it was fettuccine… It was overcooked. The ragu wasn’t great either, lacking any depth of flavour - the gamberi e funghi were poor… a small number of very small prawns with a slightly odd taste, drowned with cream and large chunks of mushrooms The ambiance was very odd, with horrible muzak playing to a restaurant of no other customers. I’m afraid to say I can’t see the place surviving much longer, unless they address the fundamentals of an Italian restaurant: simple dishes, using high quality ingredients, served in a convivial atmosphere… unfortunately they are a million miles away at the moment

Food was great but it was the service that stood out. Nothing was too much trouble (we were a large group) and they were very generous. The staff knew their menu and drinks and happy to advise. Great night had by all and we all rolled home very full and a little drunk and everyone was happy. The Italian biscuits at the end are a must!!

Restaurant almost empty all night which probably tells you something. Starters were OK but mains which were mainly steaks were not cooked as ordered. still trying to figure how you cook a T-.Bone so well done without hardly browning the outside especially as it was asked for medium rare. Sirloin was tough. Did not enjoy the food at all and we won't be returning any time soon. It was a birthday treat for me and only the company was excellent. I don't mind paying high prices if the food is good but it wasn't, We like to try new places but his one fell far short of expectations. Great shame. No response to our comments to them either.

We went for a family meal for a birthday. Overall it was very mediocre but with a hefty price tag. The food was all pretty bland and undercooked, steaks and lamb meat wasn't rendered. The salad was dry an undressed and the sides were bland and small and it's a pricey meal which is fine if the food is good, which this wasn't The service wasn't terrible but wasn't great either , had to call them for our drinks order even though the restaurant was pretty empty and no check back was done. I told the waiter the food wasn't great and he didn't say anything or react. Not worth it dont bother, plenty of good restaurants in Colchester to try. Avoid if you can!!!

Me and my friends had a terrible experience with this place. The food was really bad and disappointing! No flavours at all, no seasoning... Overpriced for what you get and experienced. Spaghetti carbonara was the most terrible dish on the menu! However, nice atmosphere and great indoor design, but the chef definitely need to take into account these bad reviews and improve the service.

We went for a quick pre-theatre bite to eat and rather wished we had more time to enjoy the place. The interior is light and airy with plenty of space between the tables which is an absolute positive these days, great decor and lighting but could do with a little more imaginative pictures on the walls. We were served a great mixed bread basket and a good choice of wines by the glass We shared a starter of Fried Calamari with garlic aioli ( not enough garlic for my liking though!) which was freshly cooked and crunchy. Mains were a Risotto with fresh asparagus, green peas which was delicious and Tortellini pasta with spinach & ricotta in tomato sauce. Lovely fresh pasta cooked perfectly al- dente. No time for a dessert as we had a shoe to go to. There are some negative comments in some reviews about food and price. Not cheap agree - but we were impressed with the food which was well cooked and enjoyable. Will be happy to return for a proper night out at some point. Waitress was lovely and attentive by the way!

Mycket bra mat, vin och service. Vi hittade restaurangen av en slump men det visade sig vara en av de absolut bästa i colchester

It is with great regret that I write this review, but with two emails with no reply in almost 2 weeks I felt I needed to. The staff are very attentive and the restaurant was decorated well, but the sad excuse for the bruschetta was terrible, a classic dish to be made so bad is shocking!!. My portion of calamari was very small for almost £10 (yes I know food is expensive but don't put it on if not value for money for the guest). My calves liver was over cooked and dry, (I didn't complain at the time due to my guest) the accompanying vegetables were over cooked sloppy peppers and half roasted potatoes. If you would like cook Italian food grab your self some pasta, cherry tomatoes and basil and you could save yourself a fortune and cook at home (no matter how bad you think you are at cooking). The come dine with me style food they serve here is well worth the swerve!!

The Cibus website claims it is the “Italian restaurant which has taken Colchester by storm,” which is quite a claim. However, we were attracted to it by its menu and were really impressed by the decor - a lot of money spent to transform it into a very attractive restaurant. The food was very good - a starter of shrimps and mushrooms cooked in cream and Sambuca, followed by an excellent rack of lamb, although the portions of potatoes and veg which came with the lamb could have been slightly more generous. We both had desserts - tiramisu and panacotta and these had obviously come straight from the fridge and were too cold. Another plus, however, was that we only had a glass of wine each and these were topped up for free. I don’t think that’s ever happened to us in England. The staff were great, very friendly and attentive but we we were slightly worried it wasn’t busier at prime time on a Friday - it deserves to be and we will certainly return. And at £80 for the two of us it represented excellent value. I don’t think Cibus has taken Colchester by storm but It is certainly a welcome addition to the town given the lack of very good restaurants. Give it a go!

Excellent restaurant, great Italian food, very good service, highly recommended, would definitely go there again!!

Outstanding food and presentation of each and every dish we had. Staff are so well mannered and very polite. The atmosphere is so lovely and a beautiful place inside and out. Could not fault a single thing, the whole evening from start to finish was...

The food was no other than Shocking. Salmon was like leather, mushrooms stewed for hours it seemed and Lobster no words to describe how bad it was. The two Girls serving were lovely. The ambience is lovely. Unless they get some chefs in there I...

I must have either been lucky or people expect the Ritz but I cannot fault anything at this restaurant. I booked a table on NYE 2021 for myself and partner. I can say from start to finish, the service, food & ambiance were first class....

I booked a table for two for Christmas eve at cibus,an Italian restaurant that we had never visited before,although extremely local.As we had been to the cinema prior to our meal,cibus was located just round the corner.a well planned Christmas eve did not dissapoint. Upon...

Eaten here a few times now and they never fail to surprise. The staff are brilliant and the food is delicious as always!! See you guys again very soon

This was by far the worst meal I have ever been presented with . The Chef needs sacking! They must have had a job lot of octopus as that featured in nearly every ‘special’ . I opted for the mushrooms for starters …. Just a...

Went for lunch with friends, it was very quiet and this led to a lack of atmosphere. Wine choice extremely poor. Food was nice, but portions on the small side.

Simply awful. Do not waste your money. Worst food we have ever had. Visited on a Thursday evening for a family birthday, what a wash out. The restaurant was very quiet. Only a few other tables were occupied. The restaurant lacks atmosphere. Lights flicker. Staff...

We were so disappointed with Cibus on 20th November. Like a similar reviewer we were looking forward to the new version of Il Padrino, but it was worse than average. There is nothing to recommend it. The lighting is too bright, the banquettes are hideous...

I really enjoyed my lunch today (Sat 13th), so I am very puzzled by the earlier negative reviews. They weren't my experience at all. In fact, I think this is my new favourite restaurant in Colchester. The Italian waiter was friendly and helpful, including with...

I came to the restaurant for dinner with 4 friends, we have previously all been to the venue numerous times when it was Il Padrino and we’re looking forward to trying out its new replacement. However, there were many aspects of our evening which were...

Was very disappointed. Expensive when some of the dishes are so small. I have had more food on my plate in a Tapas Bar. The portion size was random, one of the special dishes had more potatoes on it, than the 3 of us were...

Given its pedigree and background an Italian with a good site and decor should be a destination. Two wines by the glass!? One red one white. Sadly all three dishes we ordered were disappointing, the zuccini fritti weren't crisp, the sole overcooked and the 'calves'...

My friend and I went for lunch today in Cibus. I chose the Spaghetti Carbonara and my friend a Risotta dish they were absolutely delicious and very good portions also. The Service was first class and the decor was Beautiful. Also the restaurant was spotless....

We had a lovely meal here yesterday. The service was excellent. The food was superb. I would recommend and will be returning soon 👍

Confirmed booking made by email. Arrived to find the restaurant closed. Sign on the door stating closed for 5 days due to COVID. Later discovered they have been closed for weeks. Whilst restaurants have had a hard time over the last couple of years, there...

We went to this new Italian restaurant and we were welcomed by the owner. The staff were very pleasant and helpful throughout the evening. We could not fault anything. It was nice to sit down and enjoy excellent food with the family in a relaxing...

Do yourself a favor and visit this lovely restaurant!! The service is unmatched with the attentive staff and absolutely amazing food! Atmosphere here is so relaxed and it’s the best meal we had in a while. Highly recommend!