Compleat Tapas Spanish Restaurant in Colchester

I am surprised to hear the great reviews for superb afternoon tea . Unfortunately it was not the same for us. Went for a Mother's day gift afternoon tea. Standard but would not return. Sandwiches were dry, bacon inside was mostly the fat . Small cakes were not homemade either. Service was perfect, very attentive throughout. Lovely friendly staff. Shame the food was a letdown. We have had much better afternoon teas .

Very friendly welcome from Danny. Very attentive and chatty. Afternoon tea full of variety and was able to take a goody bag home afterwards. Mum and I had a nice time and parking is a bonus! Had a lovely time xxx

This was our first visit to the Colchester Boutique Hotel and we were not disappointed. The afternoon tea was delicious. The sandwiches had deep fillings and were fresh and very tasty. The scones were served with butter, jam and cream and tasted homemade. To all this was added a whole variety of small cakes, including macaroons. There was far more than we could eat so we were offered a doggy bag. The setting in their small restaurant was cosy and comfortable and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. We shall certainly be back as everything was superb from the booking procedure onwards.

My wife and I chose to use a voucher that we received as a Christmas present at The Colchester Boutique Hotel. We were very glad that we did as the staff there were attentive and made us feel special right from the start, from when we we were ushered into the free car parking space behind the hotel (very Handy). The afternoon tea was superb made up of everything that you could wish for from freshly made sandwiches to specialist cakes and homemade jam and clotted cream scones (yummy) after we had eaten we were given a tour of the hotel, which is a period listed building with all original features, we also toured all of the rooms which were very very clean, well decorated throughout, right from the room with the four poster bed to the room with the bath suite which was to die for. We will definitely be going back but next time we will stay for a night or two to truly relish in the opulence and treat ourselves. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon.

Our family party was served an interesting and delicious selection of freshly cooked tapas. Some ventured to eat things they would not usually order and enjoyed them. Nothing was too much trouble.

We recently pre-booked a Traditional Afternoon Tea at the Blue Ivy in Colchester. We do not visit Colchester very often and it was a very wet and windy May day! However, the hotel was very warm and cosy; the atmosphere and the service were excellent, and the Tea itself was of a high standard and beautifully served. Many thanks.

Best Spanish food I've tasted outside Spain. Everything was freshly cooked - even the complimentary bread rolls. Genuine ingredients, short but imaginative menu, simple wine list, evidently cooked with real pride in their Spanish roots. Would recommend arriving half and hour before you want to eat, as fresh cooking may keep you waiting longer than other restaurants.

We had a lovely evening in the bar of the Blue Ivy. The service was friendly and attentive (thank you Daniel from Malaga!). They had some Spanish music playing - it felt like we were on holidays! We didn’t have the tapas this time, but last time I did they were really tasty, a good selection. Such a nice little hotel/restaurant/bar!

We visited for afternoon tea on my husband's birthday with a six month old in tow. We received a warm welcome, the dining room was exceptionally comfortable and the selection of food we received could not have been better. The management clearly care about this hotel and it deserves to thrive. We shall be returning for paella and tapas soon. Date of stay: January 2019

We booked a table at The Blue Ivy for our wedding anniversary last week, we received a phone call to check we were still coming as we were told the restaurant was empty, which turned out to be true, my wife and I were the only diners on a very wet Friday night, so not much atmosphere. Firstly I would like to say that Daniel, the general manager was very helpful, affable and engaging, willing to chat about Spain etc. We were given complimentary bread & olives, just like they do in Spain, however we intended to have paella for a main course and some tapas as a starter but were informed we should have let him know about the paella before coming as they needed notice. I was disappointed as I had checked the website prior to coming and that stated only 30 minutes notice was required, which obviously we would have been happy with! We ended up having half a dozen tapas which were good but pricey for what we had, for example stuffed mushrooms @ £5 (online menu states £3 so that needs updating) turned out to be 4 very small stuffed button mushrooms, we also had 2 Albondigas (meatballs) which in other restaurants usually have a sauce but these didn't, this plate was £6. We weren't offered a wine list but given a choice of about 4 different wines, I chose a glass of Rioja which was very good. When we asked about a dessert we were told they didn't do them, nor were we offered coffee after our meal. All I can think is that as were the only diners that night they were in a hurry to send the kitchen staff home? Bearing in mind this is the restaurant to a hotel I found a lot of this a bit strange. I know it was a quiet night but I was somewhat disappointed. I really wanted The Blue Ivy to be good as this was our first visit there and as I stated earlier in this review the manager, Daniel was very good. Sorry Blue Ivy, not sure we will be back.

was staying at hotel for work,had evening meal.food was amazing.daniel,helped me choose as I've never had before.enjoyed so much

Had a wonderful dinner - the menu it was personalised by a wonderful host. The selection was just right. It made a wonderful night even better. I am sure the wonderful staff would be willing to assist making any special night even better

Me and my partner went there for a light evening snack and we loved it. The guy that served us (the manager I would assume) was amazingly friendly and accommodating, constantly trying to make sure everything's good. The food was really good and truly similar to what you would get in a tapas restaurant in Spain. We'll be definitely visiting again.

I took my son here for the first time and he loved it. We shared a delicious tapas lunch in the garden. We chose some previously untried dishes and they were lovely. We loved the red pepper dish, the meatballs, the stuffed tomato and Daniel gave us some Manchego cheese and rosemary to try. Finished off nicely with a coffee and a marshmallow dessert. I’ll be back soon. And thanks to Daniel for being as welcoming as ever.

Lunch out with friends sitting in the lovely Blue Ivy garden. We enjoyed a range of tapas dishes and some were from the new menu. Our favourite was Langoustine in a light batter. The salads were delicious as was the warm bread, prawn pil, pil and calamares. We finished with lovely coffee. As always Daniel was a great host and spent time advising us on our choices whilst also leaving us to chat. Can't wait to visit again.

Overpriced, awkward manager who wouldn't leave us alone, ignored the fact it was my girlfriend's birthday, and kept trying to get us to spend more money.

i resently went to a birthday bash at blue ivy from start to finish we had a great night.daniel the owner couldn't of made the evening any more special.decor of the property was very nice.the spanish tapas was amazing.it was a night we didn't want to ends will be returning very soon.thank you all for your hard work that evening.

Just stopped for coffee at the Blue Ivy on a whim. Ended up staying for a long time and having a lovely chat with the owners as a private tour of the hotel - including the honeymoon suite and want to stay there! 4 poster bed. Cute and cosy.

From phone call to finish an amazing time .

This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and the service was excellent. The food was all freshly prepared on site and was some of the tastiest tapas I have had.

Friday night in December, the Blue Ivy was empty of diners except our small group.

We live locally and decided to try the Tapas restaurant at this boutique hotel. We were not disappointed!

Must have been an off night as our food wasn't like photos on their website. Two meat balls, two prawns over priced for what you get. The web site is incorrect it says they do meals and Tapas apparently they haven't served meals in 8 months only tapas

This was a girls night out. We always find the decor in the bar and eating area really lovely and welcoming. The Spanish food is gorgeous and so are the cocktails. The service is also really good. Definitely be back again.

Such a lovely restaurant, had 6 different tapas dishes and all were delicious. Danny was a brilliant host who gave great advice on the dishes and was very attentive! Will definitely be back!

Danny provided sheer passion whilst delivering an outstanding level of service. The food was delicious. Establishment is elegant, yet comfortable. Highly recommend to all

This has got to be the worst food I've ever had in a restaurant, I wanted to try as it had good reviews but I was greatly disappointed they served me hard uncooked beans for a high price which made me feel ill and the owner wasn't friendly at all. Would not recommend.

We were looking for a restaurant and happened to stumble on this gem. We saw the tapas sign and gave it a go and we are so pleased we did!

Had a lovely birthday meal here. Everything about the meal was great. The service was amazing and the food was delicious. We let the waiter pick our dishes for us and he provided us with an amazing feast of tapas that didn't break the bank.

Tapas brilliant, we had a great table in the window - it was relaxed, easy and very enjoyable. The owner and staff are very friendly without being in your face, just a perfect experience!

We ordered a certain dishes and parts of them had been substituted without being asked if it would be ok, or if we would like to order something different.

My girlfriend and I visited the restaurant for Sunday lunch and were much more than impressed. Daniel/Danny (the general manager) was very welcoming and very accommodating. Due to our commitments on the day - Danny kindly organised the kitchen staff to be able to get our meals out to us almost immediately at midday (considering they only open at midday on Sunday) - this was very greatly appreciated and the food was delicious. It was very refreshing to have such a warm and happy welcome from somebody that very clearly takes great pride in his work/reputation. I look forward to returning in the next week or so to sample their amazing tapas menu and also their freshly prepared/cook to order Paella. The decor is fantastic and Blue Ivy has a very warm and welcoming feel to it. Keep up the amazing work and super high standards. Bravo Danny! Truly - thank you very much. Will and Monita

築300年のホテル内レストラン。マラガ出身のオーナーが経営するタパス料理店。海が近いコルチェスターらしく、シーフードが美味しい。ハモン生ハム、チョリソーとひよこ豆のトマト煮、パンコントマテなど英国であることを忘れそう。

Had pre-theatre tapas at Blue Ivy before going on to the Mercury Theatre. Service was very good, with the waiter explaining the Spanish dishes and advising on how many dishes we would need (2-3 per person, we went for 9 dishes between 4 which was perfect). We had a good mix of dishes which were all tasty and they came with complimentary crusty bread which was really good. We were in and out within an hour which is what we wanted. A nice setting adjoined to the Blue Ivy hotel, we were happy with our meal and with the service.

Came here for a pre theatre meal after reading all the recommendations - I'm sorry to say that it is without exception the worst tapas I ever tasted . The calamari was soggy - straight from the freezer to the pan , the patatas bravas had no spice - no sauce other than a little blob of spicy mayonnaise on the side , £10 for a few slices of cheese ..... I could go on .... the waiter was so attentive, very polite and helpful and was quick to change the calamari when I complained. Nice place just don't eat here

The tapas was the best we have had definitely would recommend for a place to eat in Colchester. Authentic and excellent tasting.

The afternoon tea was fantastic, great value for money...very yummy indeed! The hotel itself has character and class. The service was exceptional and my mum and I would really recommend this venue for an afternoon tea tipple followed by plenty of sweet treats!

Well, what a gem of a place, beautiful building decorated impeccably in keeping with its history.

Valentine's menu pre booked, excellent sea bass as a special treat An excellent evening from Prosecco pick me up to indulgent desert Hasta la proxima !

The food was delicious and filled us up. Definitely coming back for the recommendation of paella 😋Service was Fab from Danny the Spanish waiter. Delight full staff and their is parking to the rear. 👍🏻

a beautiful setting for a wonderful dining experience. a wonderful time had by all incredible food. service was great thank you Daniel and the menu full of choice to suit every palate. will be returning in 2017 and highly recommending to everyone!

I really enjoyed dinner at the Blue Ivy, the tapas was amazing, and we also had the paella which was really tasty and had a great selection of seafood in it. The service was brilliant and the staff were very friendly and made sure we had everything we wanted. The venue is lovely and the decor is to a high standard. After our meal we went into the bar for a couple of drinks, the atmosphere was great and again the bartender was really nice and gave information regarding drinks and recommended particular drinks which we really enjoyed. The whole evening was brilliant from the food to the drinks afterwards, we did not need to go anywhere else which was nice to stay in one place. We sure will be returning in the new year for another great evening out. Thank you :-)

Selection of Tapas excellent, flavours exceptional, service by Danny brilliant made me try seafood which I loved. Will return to see Flamenco dancing !

Had a really authentic tapas lunch with excellent service. Great value and great food. Our waiter was very accommodating, would come again!

Let me say first of all that the food was excellent and the room was warm and cosy with a real fire, however we waited more than 1 hour for the food to be served . This was a mid week night with very few people in the restaurant, but the big problem was that we were charged £18 for a bottle of 'Silver Ghost' which is available at Majestic Calais for £2.49....

Great food, great service, great atmosphere We were a group of 10, pre-booked, and we tried every Tapas on the menu - All excellent and very authentic, with a great wine selection also Highly recommended Muchas gracias

We found this by accident walking up North Hill, we stopped for a drink and decided to pop back and try the Tapas.

Had a beautiful Sunday lunch here and was made very welcome, highly recommend this place. will be going back very soon!

We booked in August and paid our deposit. Twice we went in to confirm the booking and to choose the food we all wanted before the night. The first time they had no record of our booking but rebooked it. The second visit to hand in our choices they said they hadn't got our booking. Then we were told the menu had changed. The Manager took our orders and said apart from a couple of deserts they would be able to serve the foods we had chosen.we were already wondering if we had made a bad choice. We arrived to find the Restaurant empty. We were the only party in the whole Restaurant all evening. There was no music or atmosphere and only the head waiter to serve us. The starters came out together but the table was cluttered with cracker wrappers which we asked if they could be cleared away. We asked for water but only one bottle was brought out to us. There was no bread for the person who had the soup . When the main course came they brought out 2 dinners and an extra risotto which no one had ordered. That was left in front of my Husband. The rest of the dinners didn't come out until after the 2 who had got theirs had finished. Some peoples were cold and the food was not what we had ordered. Turkey dinner the turkey was in pastry. The beef was also in pastry . No veg either. It really wasn't up to par. They gave us a discount but that is not what we wanted. Would never return

Took the other half out shopping on Sunday and popped in for Sunday lunch at the Blue Ivy as we heard the food was good. The restaurant was busy so will definitely book next time but they squeezed us in anyway! The food was great the staff were friendly and the atmosphere warming. Would definitely recommend the lamb shank! Desert was cracking just gutted we couldn't fit another in! Best place I've had a roast.

I was looking for a place to hold my Birthday dinner as no one in Colchester was interested / has availability for a group of 16 people unless you paid for their ridiculously expensive Christmas menu. I found the Compleat tapas at the Blue Ivy Hotel online and went to speak directly with the staff. Daniel was really welcoming and helpful and reserved a private room for me at no extra charge. On the day we arrived early for a drink in the bar area which was very nice and this helped everybody to meet each other and to break the ice.

I booked here just by luck As I couldnt find a place in Colchester who would let me book for 16 people unless we paid for the christmas menu! I am so glad I found this place. Daniel was an excellent host and made everybody laugh. The bar is really nice and classy and we were given a private room. The table was set up nicely and the food was very good! The paella is very big and if you have tapas it becomes actually too much. Recommend to share it between 3 people as the tapas is a must!

We booked a table at 6:30 on a Friday evening and the very first thing we were told was " we haven't got everything on the menu, we've run out ( at the start of service !) the maitre d was like a prancing peacock, loud and showing off plus constantly telling off the young staff members rather than guiding them. We had to ask 3 times for a menu and then my my was given one and I was not, when I asked for my own it was treated like the most ridiculous extravagance. We ordered two tails dishes as starters ; my calinari was ok but the accompanying alioli was just ' poor quality shop bought mayonnaise' and my wife's potatoes bravas was a dish of very roughly cut roast potatoes served with a small dish of again, cheap tomatoes keychup, we should have then. My wife had a vegeatable tag one as a main and this was mostly kidney beans rather than chick peas and tasted rather stewed, my steak was less than mediocre. The bill wasn't cheap and the whole set up was a great lesson in how not to run a restaurant; poor service, No atention to customer needs and ridiculous food - avoid this place at all costs.

We had a lovely night and the food was amazing the tapas and wine made the evening of you are in town come visit

Spent two nights. The rooms are spacious and clean. The bed is really comfortable. The shower room has those nice waterfall showers and the water is always hot.

Very, very pleasant service. Tony Montana is awesome. Ask him about his trip to Bolton. Would come again.

We enjoyed a couple of beers by the fire and a small selection of Tapas to cover for afternoon tea. The atmosphere was superb and service excellent. Thanks Daniel for your enthusiasm

There's nothing i didn't like about this place - great food (we had the paella, potato bravis & spanish salad, ample for 2), excellent service, great value. The interior is classic english, not spanish as you might expect, as its part of the Blue Ivy Boutique Hotel - but the decor actually adds to the experience, a nice quirk. Perfect for a date/couples. And big separate rooms for larger parties.

After having enjoyed a gorgeous Spanish tapas meal here last week I returned with my parents for a birthday meal.

Attended a birthday party in the upstairs room. The building is lovely and staff very helpful. Daniel looked after us and he was great, went out his way to make our afternoon enjoyable and happy occasion. The food was delicious and what we couldn't eat (lots of cake!) they kindly wrapped for us to take home. I look forward to returning for an evening meal soon.

This is my new favourite restaurant! My friend went on the sat night and was so impressed that she took myself and her parents back the following day.

We were given a private room for a friends 30th birthday afternoon tea. I was able to drop off the decorations the day before and the restaurant manager decorated the room and it looked great. The afternoon tea itself was really good value, plenty of sandwiches & delicious cakes. The restaurant catered for pregnant woman & diary free. They even make a large carrot cake especially for the birthday girl (as I told them it was her favourite). We couldn't have asked for more and would definitely recommend.

We had decided to hold our small wedding reception here, with only 15 guests it really was the perfect venue. We had chosen our menu and both James and Daniel were brilliant every step of the way. We greeted our guests in the bar area with a glass or 2 or bubbly and then through to the private dining room for our meal . The food and service were excellent and the whole experience was perfect from beginning to end. A huge thank you to James, Daniel and all of the staff.

I had the burger and the cheese bored. The burger was OK. Nothing special. Home made coleslaw was nice very watery tho. The salad on the side had some nice big pickles which were nice and rest of salad mainly cress. I feel the burger lacked flavour had to layer it in bbq sauce.

It was good to see the best of this old-world lawyers' chambers melding so harmoniously with the quality of the food. The service we found impeccable and on the evidence of one weekend lunch we brought friends to enjoy another the following week. We spend a lot of time in France so the fact that on all three occasions we have visited we did so practically alone. Maybe with so many fast food and ethnic choices in the town centre the demand for the more traditional menu is presently limited. Good food at good price and acceptable wine equally reasonable, we are surprised Blue Ivy Restaurant climbs no further up the table of top eateries in Colchester.

The food Hot tasty, Service Very Good Staff Very good a Chatty, Funny ( James & Dan) Bar very nice good look out of Windows to watch the world go by very good chairs in Bar area Good selection of wine's beer's

Went to this restaurant on a friends recommendation and I'm glad i did i was very impressed. Me and my partner took my mother in-law for her birthday. We all had the chicken in white wine sauce for main and it was outstanding i eaten in many restaurants in London with huge reputations that simply don't compare. We retired to the bar that was furnished beautifully we will definitely be returning soon really no drawbacks from this place only the location is a bit out the way. Saying that there is a car park to the rear but we don't drive. All in all A*

It was by accident that we stopped by the Blue Ivy and all we can say is "what a bit of good luck"!

Service is absolutely awful! We pre booked a private dining room, people that ordered burgers their burgers were over cooked, the chicken was dry and food was cold! They are understaffed and the waiters that were working were rude. The desert took over an hour to come out and when we asked where it was they said that they were busy working out the bill! The worst place I have ever eaten!

We went for dinner on a Saturday night, and were very impressed indeed with the food, and the service. The Décor is also very impressive, and makes you feel suitably relaxed. There was a very good menu selection, and wine list, and the prices are reasonable. The only disappointment was that there were not many other diners in the restaurant, perhaps due to its "off the beaten path" location. This did not detract from our evening, and I joked to my wife that I had hired the entire restaurant for her! I would certainly recommend eating here, or even just having a drink in the bar.

Visiting the Blue Ivy for the first time Saturday afternoon for afternoon tea

I have been once when they first open, was a bit disappointed. But it was the first day opening. The original chef was a let down so they had a temp chef on the day. The menu was wrong, but was quickly replaced with a new one. The restaurant manager was a bit too in your face and we felt that because we did not order wine he couldn't care less about us. I found him a bit rude to the young waitress. The food came but carrots were solid. But from what I can tell now the food has improved, although the restaurant manager is still a lot to be desired. He reminded me of the holiday waiters that wants to be your friend just to get you to come back the next day. That's ok when your on holiday, but people don't want someone like that in a quality restaurant. I would eat there again as I know the food has improved, but preferably when the hotel manager is off. The bar is great. Bare in mind when I went it was first day opening so your bound to get a few hiccups. I would recommend you try it for yourself.

Been to the Blue Ivy a couple of times now and each time it has been an enjoyable evening of first class food and excellent friendly staff. The menu is varied and something can be found for everyone. Get Dan to do his Manuel impersonation!

Called in for dinner. Dining room small. My husband had mackerel pate, fish pie, fruit crumble and really enjoyed all. I had goats cheese salad, chicken breast with veg really good. we had medium priced wine Total only £59 Amazed, very good value for money.

We took friends to the Blue Ivy restaurant for a meal. This was the first time for us too. We were very impressed, there was a nice little garden area to enjoy pre-meal drinks and the restaurant itself consisted of two small comfortable rooms decorated in traditional style. The food was very tasty and imaginatively presented. The wine we had was very nice and reasonably priced. A most enjoyable evening and we look forward to going there again.

Having dined twice at the Blue Ivy Hotel I can strongly recommend it for it's good quality, expertly cooked and well presented dishes.

Visited for lunch as a party of 3 on a Saturday lunchtime when we were only the second table in the restaurant. We'd been lured in by the Express Lunch menu (main courses from £5.95) advertised on a board on the pavement outside, and curiosity, as I once worked in the building when it was a solicitors. It wasn't the best of starts when we were presented with a menu that wasn't an express lunch menu. When we queried this we were told that that didn't exist anymore and they actually had a new chef and a new menu. Not a problem as there were lots of enticing dishes, priced around the £10 mark, and we ordered two fish pies and one burger. Quite an extensive wait ensued and around 25 minutes later we were presented with two huge fish pies and a hearty burger and chips, all beautifully presented. The pies really were a big serving - literally teeming with fish and twice the depth of your usual fish pie dish. Sadly this came with its own problems, as although steaming around the edges, they were both cold in the middle. We brought this to the attention of the waitress who couldn't be more apologetic and took them back to the kitchen, assuring us that fresh ones would be brought out as soon as possible, and offering us free drinks and desserts. No complaints about the burger, except I had finished it by the time the second fish pies arrived, happily much warmer in the centre. The food really was delicious, it just doesn't quite come together as a package at the moment, with a slightly shambolic service style and lengthy wait times. We opted against dessert, mainly because our express lunch had turned into an extended lunch and we didn't have time, and because the main portions were so large we were completely stuffed! When we paid they had taken one of the fish pies and all the drinks off the bill which was a kind gesture and how a credible restaurant should be run - because of this, I would return. The owner was also kind enough to give us a tour round the hotel so I could see what my old office had become.

Funnily enough, we visited the restaurant (we were staying in the hotel) at the same time as the four reviewers who posted such negative reviews below. Our experience could not have been more different.

From the moment we arrived at the Blue Ivy the service was exceptional the food was delicious and beautifully presented. We were given a tour of the hotel and Daniel the restaurant manager was very knowledgeable about the history if the building. We would recommend this restaurant and would also stay as the rooms are decorated to a very high standard. Thank you you Daniel for a lovely evening, we will see you again soon. Donna and guests

We go to ivy quite often and love it. The food is great and reasonably priced. The maitre d' is always friendly and accommodating. The wine selection is good and is regularly changing, good pairings are offered when ordering food. The bar staff are friendly and will make up cocktails to your taste. Nice place for good food and drink.

Ok where do I begin? We came here for a friends birthday, a group of 12 of us. 3 days Prior to the meal the staff had been informed that one person in the group, me, had a gluten intolerance. When I asked for gluten free menu or to hear my options, the waiter said there is no allergy menu but he would check with the chef for me. The menu is pretty limited anyway. He came back saying I could have anything except the linguine or the Wellington. When I looked through the menu there was battered fish, burger with brioche bun! All containing gluten. I didn't want to ask again so decided to choose chicken with carrots and bubble&squeak; as this would be the most gluten free option. When my food arrived it had a sausage roll pastry on top of the chicken! Containing gluten, had I been trusting of the staff and not very clued up on my intolerance, I may have eaten it. I checked with the waitress if I could eat it as I had made it quite clear that I could have no gluten, she came back to tell me I couldn't eat it. The chicken was okay, a little odd as most of it was just roast chicken, and one wing was bbq. We never received the carrots and the bubble&squeak; was more like mash potato with leek and cabbage in it. It was lacking a sauce and quite dry. In our party 3 people ordered fish and chips, this was nothing fancy, tasted pretty standard, two of the fish and chips came out when we were all eating, one of our friends had to then wait and watch all of us eating, his fish and chips didn't arrive till 10 mins after everyone else's food. When he asked where his food was it was pretty clear that they had forgotten to cook his. Another member of our group ordered a £29 medium/well steak, he left most of it as it was cold and very rare. We encouraged him to tell the waiter so they could correct his meal but he didn't want to make a fuss and ruin our friends birthday dinner. The boys in our group ordered peronis, they were asked to have half peroni and half a house beer because peroni is popular! Later when they tried to order more peroni they were told that the restaurant was sold out - however a little while later the waiter gave a peroni on the house to the member of our party who had had to wait for their meal, even though he was drinking wine and we'd just been told peroni was sold out.

We visited the Blue Ivy with friends after not being able to get a table at Greyfriars despite over two weeks notice! We hadn't tried it before but the website made it sound very tempting.

Whilst searching for somewhere for two couples to have good food in comfortable surroundings, we came across The Blue Ivy Restaurant. Our friends duly booked, and when checking their professional website it held out great promise.

We visited the restaurant as a party of 4 who eat out regularly together and enjoy fine dining. We had looked at the website before visiting and we were excited at what we saw. In the review I will share the good, bad and ugly parts of our experience:

We ate here for our anniversary in April. I'll start on a positive-the staff were lovely and attentive. The decor is also lovely but sadly lacking in atmosphere with no background music and no candles on the tables in the restaurant, which you would expect in this setting.

Called in this restaurant on way back from a morning out, My friend who's vegetarian had fish and chips (only option apart from a risotto) . I had the roast lamb,,, when it was served, I thought how greasy the gravy was,, it was very runny and you could see the grease laying on top of it. The lamb was full of fat and I just managed to cut a few strips of meat off from the edge. there was 1 carrot, a few strips of leeks and cauliflower that was far to hard (under cooked ) my friend who had fish &chips; was barely the size of a fish finger in batter and half a dozen chips. We didn't bother with a dessert. Wont be going there again.

The service was friendly, knowledgeable, polite and efficient.

Only called in here in the off chance for a quiet coffee with a friend. Lovely ambience not too busy attentive staff who went the extra mile even seeking out a Chocolate Brownie for me. Definitely going back for a proper meal.

Beautifully decorated we arrived and took a drink in the seating area awaiting our table looked very promising, but that's where it stops,we were shown to our table and given the menus, we were asked if we would like a bottle of complementary water wish the waiter brought to us aahhh tap water put in a bottle but we just smiled. We asked the waiter for a wine list he said he didn't have on so asked what do we like he said have the Chenin it's cheaper, he bought over Sauvignon which was OK. Our starter came Camembert to share was ok , then the mains ribeye steak and dauphinois potatoes well the potatoes had no flavour at all the rib eye wafer thin and laid on a bed of uncooked Spring green,horrible. Then there was the risotto leek and mushroom leeks were burnt on top and no flavour at all .the waiter was loud the room was cramped not with people but with tables crammed in. We had cheese to finish quite nice. We asked for the bill and put payment down the waiter took money and didn't return with our change 15 minutes later we had to ask for it. Very very disappointed won't return

I recently took my husband to Sunday lunch here. Our reception a little bit disorientated and the communication between the restaurant and the bar was a little bit lacking. However, the head waiter/manager managed to create theatre and atmosphere. I loved mysalmon starter but my husband who ordered the belly of pork found it bread crumbed and fried and was dry. Our mains were absolutely excellent, with a very tasty sirloin cooked rare as we requested. We also had cauliflower cheese which was divine, although the Yorkshire pudding resembled fried pancakes. I thought my roast potatoes were the best locally. The bar area was very pleasant as was the barman. We are definitely going back!

The recently opened Blue Ivy restaurant seems to have lost its way since the unexpected departure of food maestro Paul Boorman. To our surprise we were the only diners on a recent Saturday night, and the bar area had less than half a dozen customers. The duty manager was attentive enough and we had no complaints. But local foodies seem to be going elsewhere, leaving this place struggling. One tip : if using the restaurant carpark, ask staff to help you drive safely out onto North Hill when leaving. Passing pedestrians are rarely aware that cars can come from the very narrow carpark exit across a busy pavement.

Table for two here for Friday night dinner (probably in November, not long after it first opened). This used to be a solicitors office and they have refurbished it as a hotel and restaurant. The bar area is a bit small, but comfortable all the same. The manager noticed us looking around and asked if we wanted a quick tour. He showed us two of the bedrooms and quoted the prices they are charging and we were very impressed by the quality of the room for the price they charge. They have a nice outdoor area outback when the weather improves. Back to the food.... Starters, main and dessert, and EVERYTHING was exceptionally good, and we thought pretty good value! At first the restaurant was a bit quiet and we worried that the ambiance would not be good..... sadly many Colchester people choose the chains over the unique independents, however by the time we had our main course the restaurant filled up nicely. Wholeheartedly recommend it!

Beautiful building. Staff attentive but not overly so that you are smothered. For starters had the soup which was very tasty and filling. For main chose the chicken casserole - again was wonderful and nice size portions. Was so full couldn't manage a desert but am sure they would be just as impressive. Well done to all the team for your friendly and professional service. I will definitely book a room in the near future.

Have stayed at this hotel & ate in the restaurant the evening of our stay.

Visited this new Restaurant for first time with friends as a pre Cinema special.

Really nice decor and bar. Good atmosphere. Waitress staff very pleasant. Food - soup very small purée served in a glass tube but tasty albeit small 6/10. Steaks ok but dauphinoise served as croquette. Risotto spoiler by mushrooms and bland. 5/10. Desserts good choice 8/10. Overall ok.

Came here for Lunch, the food was outstanding, well presented, tasted beautiful and the staff that served me were welcoming and polite. I was given a tour of the premises and was seriously impressed. would gladly recommend to any one.

These places need support so much competion in Colchester the owners have gone a long way and put a lot of time and hard work in this place so give it a try have a Sunday roast then write an honest review yes tad expensive but you pay for quality good luck to alll

Nicely decorated place, good value lunch menu. Brilliant service (Daniel) and food Was delicious. Would recommend this without hesitation!

5 friends out for the night..Nobody greeted us when we first got in there, Stood around for 5mins before anyone spoke to us.Was told from the beginning that they was low on Red & White wine.Thankful they had the wine we wanted.The restaurant was empty but they decided to put us on the smallest table.5 people had the starter 3 came out but had to wait for the other 2, when it did arrive it was wrong. Far play to the waiter he said that they would not charge for the starters..main courses was shocking..had to pour our own wine on numerous occasions. Better staff training in hospitality and service I think. Unfortunately a birthday dinner was spoilt. Really disappointed, won't be returning.