Colson's Bar And Grill in Exeter

There was a group of 12 of us for lunch, so we had to pre order before we arrived...... The time between the first and last starter being served was 15 minuets, OK for me because I had the salmon, but for others who had 'hot' soup it wasn't good enough..... If that wasn't bad for the main course they forgot one meal completely and everyone had finished before it was served. The food was 'quite' good... but not very.... The service was patchy, drinks took a long time, but the servers were trying to be helpful. The ambiance and feel of the place was good.

Horrendous experience- left to go elsewhere. Batman was so rude 27/9/34 Told us to go upstairs for an aperol spritz as they weren’t doing cocktails downstairs . When I said that wasn’t really a cocktail he said ’yes it is ‘ in a very sarcastic manner

Great breakfast, great selection. We were here for the breakfast for our stay at the Indigo Hotel. Highly recommended!

Nice Food. Mozzarella Starter with heritage tomatoes was nice and fresh. Chicken with tarragon sauce and smoked bacon mash had great flavour. Chicken was cooked perfectly. Service was great.

Food and service average. Decent location in Exeter town centre. Nice sounding menu. Major issue arose we were over charged £70. This was spotted the next day and was acknowledged by Jess the Manager. Despite 3x chasers and commitments to refund there has been no refund.

Great menu, it was just what I like in terms of food choice. Indigo guys n gals were very attentive and made sure everything was fantastic. Amy was one of the team that stood out for me, but they they were all great to be honest. Can't wait to visit again.

we booked Colsons grill back in April to avoid disappointment back in April but boy what a: disappointment it was . it was a joint graduation celebration for my son and his grandmas 85th birthday and 5 of us had travelled down from Gloucestershire to share a special meal. once seated after 29 mins we had to go and find a member of staff to take our drinks order and we had to request both food and drinks menus twice before we were issued with them . The starters arrived and were tasty however the menu stated the soup was served with bread which 3 of the guests had ordered , we again asked for the bread which arrived with 2 spoonfuls of soup remaining. A further delay until the mains and agsin tasty however the waiter had got my order wrong and so i forfeited a main as i couldn’t bear another long wait and a delay to some of our family who were travelling home that evening . Dreadful dreadful service in what appears to be a very nice atmospheric dining room . sadly we had a double whammy and had booked the again beautiful rooftop bar for celebration drinks with 30 students and families celebrating together. What a disaster this was … On arrival at 7.30 we were told there was no prosecco , only 1 cocktail was available as they only had enough ingredients for this one and none of the other cocktails on the menu ! The white wine list was completely emptied and by 9.30 the bar staff said they had no glasses to serve any wine in ! not exactly late ? 9.30 . The most upsetting thing i have just today learned about is one of the students spent £130 on what he thought were a round of gin and tonics , as he was taking them out to his friends the barman told one of the other students that they were actually gin and soda as there was no tonic left and should he tell him?!?!! Disgusted you took the money of these students falsely for a drink they hadn’t ordered ! You have not fone yourself any favours with all these very successful graduates and their families who will not be using hotel Indigo again . you could have made their day even more special but instead you were a shambles … Disappointed and disgusted

We booked into Hotel Indigo to jointly celebrate my daughter's graduation and my birthday. Everything else about the hotel has been wonderful but the restaurant was a huge let down. 40 minutes wait at table before we got pre-dinner drinks. The starters arrived first! Half the menu and wine list was not available but worse we didn't find this out until 30 mins after ordering. The restaurant was staffed by 1 guy, on his own, out of his depth and utterly bewildered trying to run both restaurant and bar solo. £240 for starters, mains and a bottle of wine. Not including service charge which we asked to be taken off. Just wish we had gone with our 1st instinct and ordered a pizza in instead.

The best steak in town and it’s my 5th this year. The quality of the meat and the way it’s cooked is amazing, and the service is excellent too. Thank you restaurant manager Jamie and head chef Jerome for looking after me so well 🙏🏽

Great service from Jamie. He worked hard to accommodate last minute changes to our party and nothing was too much trouble! Food was very tasty and good value.

I am sorry to have to write this review. Over a fortnight ago I emailed the hotel General Manager to give feedback , but apart from an automated acknowledgement of receipt, I have not received the courtesy of a reply. I am reproducing below, slightly condensed, my email to the General Manager. “I am writing to offer some constructive feedback on various visits that my wife and I have made to Hotel Indigo and Colsons since it opened. We have, on two occasions, stayed in the hotel and are looking forward to doing so again. Both visits have been very enjoyable, with lovely rooms and a very good breakfast. The hotel is also in an ideal location for a drink when we are visiting the city for the day. Colsons bar is warm, quiet and comfortable. Well done for playing only very soft and unobtrusive music. As a member of the organisation ‘Pipedown’ I especially appreciate this aspect of the venue. In the many times we have visited Colsons we have consistently experienced ineffective service in the bar area. The waiting staff are all young, which is not an issue in itself, but they seem to be poorly trained and a lot of the time simply don’t pay attention. It’s true to say that we have not had one visit which has been entirely free of frustration. So, some examples of service issues that we have experienced. > Not being acknowledged on walking in, and on taking a seat, being ignored because staff are chatting amongst themselves or using their mobile phones. > Long waits for drinks to be delivered, even though we can see that they have been made are sitting on the bar. > Incorrect billing. > Very limited choice of cocktails - 6? > Ordering cocktails and then being told that cocktails were not being served. > Ordering a second round of drinks and when politely enquiring where they were, being told that the order had not been put through. (We left as we were attending an event and did not have time to wait any longer.) > Ladies’ toilets that look like a coach party has just been through. This is not a comprehensive list, but it seems to me that the root cause of a these issues is ineffective management in the Colsons bar area, combined with inadequate training of staff and a general lack of attention and pride in the job. I hope that this feedback is helpful and that some of my observations can be addressed. I think your hotel could be a jewel in Exeter’s crown with more attention to detail.”

I had heard good things about Colsons which is why I recommended to friends We were a bit disappointed The venue itself is good. Unfortunately the food was not good value. I ordered Lyme Bay Sole for £30. I opted for Sole as it’s normally a flatfish and a sufficient helping. Instead of this I got two fish fingers - about 15% of the fish. It was fine but well overpriced. The bill for 4 was £215 for 4 mains, 3 desserts and 4 coffees with £23 service charge included. They didn’t have the Malbec we ordered either. I object to Establishments that include a Service charge- it should be at the discretion of the customer The Ivy is similarly priced to Colsons but much better value

Don’t don’t don’t visit this place, it’s an absolute disaster from start to finish. Believe me we visited on several occasions and have always had issues so will not be back again, no last chances! The reception bar is inviting and cosy and lovely place to meet friends but unfortunately the service and menu can never be fulfilled to match. Several times we had to clear a table and ask for a cloth to wipe it as only one serving and too busy to do it. Crisps sent back as stale and chewy. Each time we went, there was always a drink, cocktail or bottle of wine that we chose which was unavailable. Mojito …. No mint, Expresso Martini … made with instant coffee and curdled, no cucumber or vodka one day for our cocktail. In the champagne bar ordered a bottle of £80 Verve Cliquot and they bought over in the bucket a cheaper champagne expecting us to have that instead without asking if it was ok as they told us after they had had an issue with getting Verve Cliquot for weeks????Despite a Tesco Express across and Marks & Spencer selling it across the road no one made any attempt to top up stocks!

The service, quality of food, atmosphere and decor was not reflected in the ridiculously expensive bill. Very disappointing.

The bar experience started badly, the bar itself is half-bar half reception, the design and style make sitting on the chairs undignified, can’t imagine meeting for a couple of business drinks with knees under your chin. Asked the barmaid if they had any pink gins her answer was I don't know, she continued to look straight at me? Silence ensued until I suggested she turned around and check. Into the restaurant ‘ offered my coat to the mai-tre-d, she said she would check if they had a cloakroom, returned to say they hadn't but put it in the luggage room, onto the menu the best I can say is expensive pub selection trying to make it justified by adding unnecessary truffle oil or mixing venison with the beef burger. Such a shame! Incumpessis what is bad about modern hospitality industry.

Best Roast Dinner I have had out in many years !!! Absolutely Outstanding !!!! The beef was exquisite… so tender and full of flavour… service was great… perfect Sunday afternoon 👌

Great coffee spot in Exeter. I go here often for coffee with friends and family. It is located right in the city centre and serves as a great lounge and place to sit and have a coffee - rather than much busier coffee shops! Come here almost weekly.

I enjoyed the Flat Iron steak so much a few weeks ago and went for a repeat today, with a side of mushrooms, Great quality meat cooked perfectly by chef James and I was looked after impeccably by the lovely Amber. I even let the bar supervisor Amy pick my wines! The manager Jamie has clearly got it all going on 🙏💕

We used the restaurant for breakfast on three occasions last year, despite being very busy on the three visits we had exceptional service. The staff were very friendly, polite and professional offering alternatives to what was offered on the menu. Ania and the other staff are a credit to you.

Not impressed sadly. My husband and I went for our anniversary lunch thinking it would be lovely, especially given the prices and that it’s relatively new. Sadly it wasn’t that impressive. We were put at the back of the restaurant where there was no atmosphere. The staff looked bored to be there. I had duck parfait for starters but it was served with no bread or toast so didn’t eat much of it. We were not asked if our food was ok and the staff were not around to ask. My husband had the scotch egg which he said was delicious. We then had haddock and chips and to be fair it was lovely. We were never asked if we wanted more drinks during our meal. When the bill came it automatically had 12.5% tip added which I think is terrible when the service wasn’t great. Overall we were disappointed to spend £80 on lunch here when there are much better independent alternatives available.

Wouldn't normally leave a review, but I think this is worth mentioning. While i was trying to enjoy a pint at the bar. One of the receptionists went up behind the bar and was responding rather aggressively and argumentatively to the main bartender, the bartender handled herself professionally, but I was taken aback by the bad attitude of the other member of staff, she wss huffing and puffing on the bar and was blatently rude to our bartenders, with no concern for the customers who were sitting at the bar and in the hotel area. Overall, I would thoroughly recommend the drinks and service at the bar. However, I really would suggest that other members of staff are retrained to manage their unprofessional outbursts.

Celebrated a friends birthday with champagne afternoon tea at Colson’s. First time both of us had visited since opening and it’s a really stylish place and a lovely atmosphere. Afternoon tea was delicious and they were accommodating to change the sandwich options for one fussy eater! We had really brilliant service from the moment we arrived - one lady in particular was brilliant but didn’t get her name.

What a spot this is. In the old House of Fraser building is the spectacular Hotel Indigo and in the lobby is Colsons - brilliant menu, brilliant ambience, great value. Definitely the go to place away from the chains. Forget The Ivy!

One of the best Sunday lunches in Exeter. The staff were very friendly, we couldn't fault the service and the food was just delicious. I'd highly recommend and we will be returning!

We were greeted and given the choice of wherever we would like to sit. There was a bit of confusion as they didn't realise we had booked the champagne afternoon tea. Once that had been sorted our waiter Katy went about making us very comfortable. She gave us a second table so we could spread out. The venue looked lovely. Didn't have loud overwhelming music which was great. The tea was plenty. The Scones were big with loads of jam and cream. 4 finger sandwiches and 4 little cakes which was plenty. All extremely tasty. My friend enjoyed her gluten free version. The other staff were also very friendly. Thanks very much.

Fantastic service, nothing was too much for Amy. Food was very tasty, went with Amy's recommendations and i am now happily stuffed.

We visited Colsons Restaurant to celebrate our 21st Anniversary on Saturday 28th October. Lovely atmosphere, relaxed but still maintaining a fine dining experience. The food was delicious and very well coordinated with flavours to tickle the palate. Our server was Eryn who provided a wonderful...

Tip top, warm greeting on arrival, the staff were absolutely charming. The food was worth every penny and prompt too, really tasty. My new favourite place to dine in Exeter. Give it a go.

Tried this bar for the first time as seen the hotel had popped up and was very pleasantly surprised. Reasonable prices for beers on tap and well poured Guinness was enjoyable, and Zoe and Archie looked after me really well through visit. Decor and atmosphere...

Great burger meal and dessert was essence. The service was great. Very friendly and attentive. More words needed apparently 🙄🙄

Lovely food and great service from Katy and other staff. Would definitely recommend. I will return in the near future.

Eryn was great! Very polite and professional nothing was to much trouble. What a great experience and amazing. Will definitely book again.

We visited Colson’s early as we were going to the Exeter Phoenix later to watch a band. The restaurant was very quiet, so we expected a great meal and service. To be honest things did not go quite to plan to start with but this...

We had Sunday lunch on two occasions when the restaurant was first open. During both visits everything was excellent. However, during our latest visit standards had slipped significantly. The food was not good at all - the beef was as hard as leather, the gravy...

Nice hotel in central Exeter. Everything is in walking distance. The hotel ear clean and the staff was nice and handsome. I will recommend this hotel for people who visit Exeter. I recommend the rooftop bar Beckets.

Lovely service and very warm and welcoming staff. Food is great and diverse selection for breakfast!

Out of curiosity we wanted to try out, and support a new venue in the city centre. Our intention was to enjoy some cocktails and three course meal. There was no front of house to guide us on entry, just a board asking us to...

The family came together to celebrate my daughters birthday.We were the only people there for lunch. we were seated at the worst table between the toilets and service stairwell. We waited 20 mins before we went to the bar and asked to order drinks.My Father...

Had a very bad sunday lunch .so much so we refused to pay for it. Went with my husband for my birthday. When we arrived there was no one there to greet us. We were shown to the resturant which was completely empty. We had...

We stayed at Hotel Indigo which was lovely. Sadly we didn’t have a great experience at Colstons Bar. We ordered a single measure of a whiskey and were charged £32?!? We had already taken a sip so awkwardly paid. I emailed the bar afterwards to...

Wow! Chloe made us the most amazing cocktails at the lobby bar. The service was absolutely second to none and I cannot recommend her enough. An absolute asset to the hotel alongside Jaz the wonderful lady on reception. We felt so relaxed for the entire...

This used to be a department store, but now a great place for a bar and restaurant. Roisin looked after us very well

Amazing breakfast with lots of lovely fresh fruit and croissants. All hot food and drinks served at table and really hot. Excellent service to from Laura. Nothing too much trouble and greatly appreciated especially as my daughter was not feeling well on the second morning.

Great service throughout our meal with excellent service from Ben& Emily, food was first class, stayed at the indigo hotel attached and this was 1st class too from our balcony view over the cathedral

Waitress (Amie) was very kind and friendly place was very clean and very nice. Drinks also came very quickly

The overall experience was amazing and the decor is beautiful to look at. The staff are extremely kind and catered to everything we needed. Amie was our server and she was kind, professional and even took the time to talk with us about recommendations for...

We were at the restaurant for lunch, the waiter was friendly but inexperienced, dropping the bottle on the floor … Days later we returned for a special celebration. We had a table reserved at the Rooftop, we called saying we were late and everything was...

My sister graduated this summer from Exeter University and we came to the Indigo Hotel bar (Colson’s) for a drink after the ceremony. To say the least everything was very disappointing. The waitresses at the bar were extremely rude!! The staff in general do not...

We stayed at the Indigo hotel and had breakfast in their restaurant. During breakfast we had a coffee “explosion” which was handled gracefully and efficiently by Anya. She handled the situation with friendly service, nothing was too much trouble and all with a smile. She...

Started the night with some lovey drinks the 2 bartenders seem really sweet one girl had tattoos and one had red hair. Night was going so well untill I order a Cosmopolitan. However the Cosmo didn't seem to taste correct so I looked up the...

We were meeting a friend who was staying at the hotel and despite having a disappointing experience when the restaurant first opened we decided to give it another chance and we were very pleasantly surprised! We had a fantastic Sunday roast and the service was...

Great rooms and great service. A superb hotel with a really comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. Staff are all very friendly and helpful

Great new edition to Exeter. Beautiful decor and very attentive staff. We had lovely dinner during our stay in the hotel. Best of luck in the future.

Delicious food, had the club sandwich. Had great service from Ania who organised a great mocktail for us.

Had a great business dinner tonight at Colson’s restaurant. The food was delicious and we were really well looked after by the front of house team, with a special mention to Ben and Jamie. Thanks for a great evening!

Excellent setting- food and staff service also excellent Our server Ben was very professional and made sure we had excellent service. Also Manager Jamie who made us very welcome and also got stuck in to service

Went there for a casual drink. Was welcomed with a warm smile by Pooja. Went up and beyond with the service. Would definitely recommend this place.

Roisin did a great job taking care of our requests. Smiley, cheerful, friendly and helpful. Thanks, Roisin!

Very nice bar setting and atmosphere Barmaid Rosin has got some great suggestions and is super friendly

Very nice breakfast lots of choices with great service from Laura. The seating area has decor. ———————-

Had a lovely lunch for 1, had 7 cocktails made by the lovely Roisin! Will defo be coming back for another margarita!!

Staying at Hotel Indigo - just had our breakfast which covered all dietary requirements. Our server Ania was very attentive and professional - thanks 🙏

Ania is very attentive and polite and provided us with a lovely breakfast. It was so nice to be greeted with a happy smiling face in the morning.

Lovely selection at breakfast, although there was a bowl of olives in the section marked 'fresh fruits'. None of the bowls were labeled to say what they were and these bowls were hard to reach as they were placed too high up for me to...

ROSIE IS THE BEST WAITRESS EVER! Unbelievably kind and compassionate! Great service throughout. THANKYOU Rosie!!!

Server (Rosie) was lovely, very friendly and sweet. On the whole, lovely experience, sandwiches sadly weren't quite up to scratch but the chips were lovely! Lovely atmosphere, very relaxed and beautifully decorated.

Came for brunch and it was lovely! Was served by this lovely girl Roisin, and let me tell you she was so welcoming and even suggested cocktails she thought I’d like! Amazing worker overall, couldn’t recommend her enough!

Great new hotel, restaurant and rooftop bar. The beds are very comfortable and the decor is nice. The staff members are great throughout, the hotel, the restaurant (Colson’s) and the bar (Beckett’s Rooftop), especially Kathia & Ania. They both provided friendly and professional service and...

Lovely breakfast, very fresh, great service, Amie was kind and the breakfast was served in a timely fashion - we will be back!

I would describe our dinner experience at Colson's as nothing short of an absolute shambolic mess. We walked out after 25 minutes and will not be returning. I booked a dinner table for 5 people on a Sunday evening. When we arrived they did not...

Arrived as a party of ten at 22.15 for cocktails refused entry as closed so reduced party sat in the lower bar drinks served in normal glasses service as good as Wetherspoons with a premium tag. Away from the crowds but really.....

Today was my 3rd & equally disappointing visit, the Decor is lovely, the staff are all very nice but utterly disorganised & inexperienced. My first visit was at Xmas just after you had opened & the staff whilst lovely were completely out of their depth...

Hmmmmm. Very mixed. The food is overpriced, the service was very slow but very friendly (the waiting staff couldn't be faulted). I think you can get better elsewhere for less and quicker. The restaurant itself is very well done out and stylish.

Amazing Food brilliant service * 5 would recommend to friends and family If you haven't been don't MISS out Brilliant.

Very disappointed. My husband and eldest son have enjoyed lunch here several times so I booked in for my birthday. Two staff members we saw were friendly. Asked for meals to be hot , they weren’t . Veg cooling off while we waited for serving...

We visited Colson’s for the first time on Mother’s Day and were impressed with the great atmosphere and sophisticated decor. The Sunday lunch was delicious, I opted for roast beef which came with a large homemade Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, puréed swede, greens, parsnips and...

The first time Friday 17 Feb 2013, we went into the bar only just to look at the new place and enjoy a drink. The ambience was perfect and we love the colour scheme and furnishings. Very comfortable and pleasant to watch the comings and...

We were staying in the Indigo Hotel and dined at Colsons on our second night. The restaurant decor forms part of the Indigo hotel, which is just stunning. An amazing nod to the front store that previously occupied this building. The food was amazing and...

A mixed experience at Colsons. Almost as soon as we had sat down we were asked if we were ready to order food. After suggesting that we might want to order drinks we then had to wait about half an hour to receive them. The...

Wonderful surrounding, beautiful and attentive staff, delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere. Will be bringing back clients and family to enjoy

Cesar is a dream. The drinks are exceptional as is the service. Nothing to fault!!! Perfect service, Perfect drinks all round 10 out of 10

Went to Colson’s yesterday and had Sunday lunch. Very friendly staff, some seemed more experienced than others. The Head Barman makes excellent cocktails! I tried the special of the day which was a Salcombe gin, grapefruit, hibiscus and ginger concoction - it was really good,...

Waitress service was very friendly ordered a starter but didn’t receive it for nearly an hour meanwhile people who had been seated later were being served their food when we politely queried this the restaurant manageress confrontationally said our order only went in 20 mins...

I'm a fan of the head chef Charlotte visiting her old abode many times but sadly a Terrible Sunday lunch here at a new venue that had a long way to go before its (hopefully) good. Everything was a disaster. The venue needs a good...