Dog & Pheasant in Colchester

A lovely meal. We sat outside as it was a lovely summers day and there was a friendly atmosphere to the pub with a mixture of tourists and regulars. The food was good and served quickly and reasonably priced as well.

My family visited here today (06/06/21) for a Sunday roast.....Well I don’t even know where to begin, the food arrived on the table cold, the beef was shrivelled up, the ONE parsnip on our plate we did have was full of air and black outside and the gravy was stone COLD. So we approached the manager “Debbie” she had zero people skills and was disgustingly rude. All we got as a response was “well the plate underneath is warm so why are you moaning”. We even said we are not out for a free meal but she just needed to make the chefs aware. Also serving a roast dinner in a soups dish is just strange?! Debbie needs to go on a managerial course to learn how to speak to the general public. We will never be visiting here again and as for recommendations goes it’s a 0/10.

Came here today for lunch. It wasn’t busy at all. We ordered our food and it took 40mins to arrive! It wasn’t busy so we couldn’t understand why there was such a long delay. When the food arrived it was average at best. I couldn’t eat mine. A real disappointment

Excellent food and service. Fish (fish and chips) perfectly cooked. Welcoming and very friendly, and dog friendly.

Nice place and well located for the holiday camps across the road. All four of us had baguettes with chips and my pulled pork one was great

Just returned from a visit to this pub whilst in the area. Brilliant service from brilliant friendly staff and brilliant drinks - thank you!

10/10 delicious food. The burgers were huge ☺️. Lovely friendly staff too. We will definitely return should we re-visit Mersea Island

Excellent service as always. Friendly staff who are very helpful. Meet all the covid pub safe procedures.

We stopped here for a family meal as it was close to our campsite. They have a dog friendly bar called Bessies bar, our dog was treated like the queen she is! When we were brought our drinks, she was brought a bowl of water and biscuits.The food was great and plentiful with lots of vegan/veggie and gluten free options. I had the hunters chicken gluten free and the chef even made gluten free onion rings!A really friendly and welcoming place and nothing was too much trouble.

4 of us in for Sunday lunch and it exceeded our expectations, even including cauliflower cheese and honey coated carrots with the roast. All the covid rules adhered to, so altogether a very enjoyable and safe experience.

Decided to have a long walk with Sunday lunch halfway. Booked the Dog and Pheasant 2 days beforehand. Arrived 30 minutes early after a 2 hour walk and enjoyed a pre lunch drink in their garden. I ordered Roast Lamb my husband the Roast Beef. Both meats were fantastic as were the roasties, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables . Cabbage gorgeous, cauliflower amazing ,carrots on another level. Never tasted such delicious sweet carrots before. Gravy horseradish and mint sauce served separately. Felt very safe in these Covid times with the protocols that they have put in place. Will definitely be back. Well done to you all.

We booked for late Sunday lunch. We felt very safe on arrival, we were seated promptly and very friendly staff quickly took our drinks and food orders. For starters, we chose home made soup, it was piping hot and delicious, served with generous amounts of bread and butter. We ordered Roast Beef and Roast Lamb for our main courses. We weren’t disappointed, we were presented with huge portions, the meat was superb, accompanied by loads of fresh vegetables and fantastic gravy, too much really but we managed to eat it!!! No room for pudding this time sadly. We will return maybe room for a pudding next time.

The best Sunday roast we have had for years . Staff were friendly & helpful . Covid rules were enforced for our safety but did not interfere with the great atmosphere .Would highly recommend to anyone who wants a proper roast dinner .

We haven't been to the dog and pheasant for Sunday lunch for six months, since lockdown. They have completely got the safety precautions spot on and their Sunday roast was a celebration of delicious food. Totally scrumptious! Fabulous staff, chefs and atmosphere. Would recommend to everyone

Had a family meal out last night very mediocre food. Management extremely rude and aggressive. Avoid would be my advice the Island has some wonderful eateries so don’t waste your money going to the worst place the Island has to offer.

Excellent food, Fish and Chips out of this world. Chicken burger absolutely delicious. Well presented, first class service. Made us feel like one of the locals. Well worth a visit.

Good local pub. Staying at nearby campsite, I booked this nearby pub for dinner. The place was busy when we arrived so would recommend booking. Good choice of local beers and choice of dishes. Reasonable price and portion size.

We had a drink in this place and it was friendly and very cheap. Weather was beautiful outside and was very quiet

We ate here sitting in the garden on a sunny day. Gammon very good and burger was too. Umbrellas to use for shade. Great food, good Covid social distancing policy when ordering and dogs welcome.

superb pub serving fabulous food at reasonable prices,well kept real ale the best on the island by far all served in a covid friendly manner by the friendliest of staff cant wait to return

We have been going here for past 10years good has always been lovely staff very lovely service quick so this year under new management have to say we was disappointed until we arrived and sat down had an excellent meal with lovely staff the lads serving all friendly and helpful and very attentive the lady in charge was so friendly and helpful we went twice Friday night and Monday evening we sat in conservatory and inside the pub and both experiences was absolutely smashing thanks all for a great time and we shall see you in may if not before on one of our day trips RE: COVID all very clean toilets clean and lots of soap and hand sanitizer everywhere THANK FOR A LOVELY TIME

Hearty well cooked food. We had ribs and a crispy pork belly. Both dishes were very generous portions, and the cooking was better than the normal pub fare. The service was friendly and quick.

We enjoyed Sunday lunch before checking in to our holiday park. We shared a white bait starter and then both had roast beef. We washed our meal down with a lovely larger and a good aspinal cider

The fish & chips meal was huge and delicious. The chicken burger was over priced for what it was. Waiting a long time for food and service was ok. Not the best place we went on the island.

Visited with a large family recently whilst on a camping trip and forgot to ask if they were dog friendly, we rang and they managed to rearrange tables so we could sit in the dog friendly room :DFood was very yummy - fantastic chips!! Great local beers and ales available and very friendly staff. Reasonably priced and a nice relaxed atmosphere. When we are back in the area we will be back again.

Must compliment you in your corvid19 health & safety,1 meter distancing, hygiene with sanitizers etc superb service all in all a great experience highly recommended

For a quick weekend in Mersea for the first time, we ate out at 4 of the top 10 trip advisor restaurants and I really feel that The Dog & Pheasant (at time of writing) in 9th place, is a crime. The ambiance, quality of food and service were all brilliant and far better than the restaurant in 3rd place.They seated us, my family of 5, at short notice in the smaller dog room (we had a dog) and from start to finish, everything was excellent.My initial disappointment at there being no steak available on the lunch menu was soon forgotten when my fish and chips arrived. A meal that I don't usually get very excited by, and often reserved for a second choice, was spectacular. Really the best battered fish I've had. So fresh and flavoursome. A day later we ate at the number 3 restaurant which, being nearer to the sea, I foolishly presumed would have very good fish...it didn't compare to Dog & Pheasant.Please visit and get this restaurant further up the list where it belongs.Oh and I nearly forgot to mention the halloumi fries starter. So good.

Stopped off for a drink as a family bubble. Great place. Didn’t eat but the plates of fish and chips that went past looked amazing !

Perfect food and drinks, friendly staff and customers, large portions. Family and dog friendly. Best fish &chips in the island!

our first meal out in 6 months. Family of 4 plus dog and we were able to sit inside (separate room allows dogs inside). Also plenty of seating outside. Delicious food, huge portions, typical pub food. Friendly service and good social distancing measures. Strongly recommend.

Went here with family (10 people plus 2 dogs for Sunday lunch. Food (and there’s lots of it) and service were both exceptional. Despite the social distancing (SD) challenges the staff were excellent - their only issue seemed to be that they couldn’t accommodate more walk in guests because of SD. We had booked on the Tuesday so PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE.After great service and food the bill seemed such good value that I went back to check they hadn’t under-charged us!!Lovely place, run by lovely people.

ordered 4 meals, chicken salad x3 Roast chicken x1.the chicken on one meal was raw inside even though they told us it was cooked.i have cooked enough chicken to be able to tel if its raw or not.The roast chicken was ok ish, although the roast potatoes were full of grease and rock hard like they had been microwaved after they had been cooked to warm them up.The yorkshire pud was more like a bath sponge soft and squidgy .All in all pretty much of a let down.they deducted the cost of 1 meal.Beer was good though

Had a nice drink down the dog and pheasant today, we was impressed with the organisation for post covid19 restrictions, they had a good one way system in place and everything was clean and tidy. Would recommend and visit again.

We were camping at fen farm just across the road nd was told yo try the pub as the food was very good...We tried to go on our 1st night but they were fully booked, so booked for the nxt evening We arrived nd Debbie who runs the pub recongized us which is lovelyWe decided what e wanted but explained that my partner has a health issue Debbie explained to Steve the chef nd he came to see us nd said he could adjust what we had choosenNd what an amazing meal we had the food is outstanding nd staff so friendly nd very helpfulWell done to Debbie nd Steve the definitely are a treasure to the pub We will be visiting again

It's an amazing place. Very cosy and nice atmosphere 👌 Food is 10 out of 10 !!! P.S It's under amazing team of new management 👏

Arrived around 12:15 for a 12:30 reservation, nowt but smiles at the bar, amazing how you can arrange beer mats. Were many courtesies from both staff and punters alike - good start. Ordered a couple of drinks, wife wanted one as well, so gave her one of mine. After 10 mins or so asked if we could be shown to our table in the dining area. Table was by the window, only 2 seats, fortunately, only 2 of us. Ordered 2 starters as wife wanted one as well, she had the prawn cocktail, - non alcoholic as she was driving, and I had the soup, tomato and mushroom. Not has this combination before, but will again - scrummy. The non alcoholic prawn cocktail was completely devoured too. Guess wife like it.Main course arrived, the Sunday Roast, timing by the staff was brilliant, as was Sunday. We had both chosen beef. Well, was there a bit of fat, was there a bit gristle?? Alas noooo...The cut of meant was fab. Was accompanied with broccoli, Mersea pudding (like Yorkshire but made on the island) and roast 'tatoes. Now here I will grumble. To many, stopped me from clearing the plate, even the wife struggled. On paying the bill (alas not a charity) at the bar, husband of the licensee came and spoke with us. I really pleasant guy wearing his Harley outfit, just loved the cap. What one does not often hear, or even ever hear is his parting comment as we were leaving - "Thank you for visiting the pub". Now is that class???So if you ever visit Mersea Island, you must visit the Dog and Pheasant and like us enjoy the ambience and atmosphere, which I again will gladly repeat.

Popped in for dinner in the pub. Food great, service excellent, staff very helpful and accommodating. For a friendly, easy dining experience, I don’t think you can go wrong. Lovely place. We’ll be back!!

fantastic service new landlady and staff were nothing short of exceptional. Food was generous, nicely presented and above all tasty and well cooked. Highly recommend this pub since it's new owners have taken over . Great atmosphere thank you and see you again soon.

Stayed in Mersea for a week, went here about 5 times.... Loved the food, atmosphere. ... Really. Fun

The staff are all friendly, polite and very welcoming. The food is AMAZING,big portions and delicious, good price for the food. It was lovely sitting inside with the log burner on during the cold rainy day! Would definitely recommend.

A great meal two weeks running, nothing was too much trouble and now has a doggy area, perfect for us....

The staff were very helpful and polite. The pub had a very nice atmosphere everyone was friendly. The service was brilliant and the food was lovely. All in all a great experience thank you Laura

We always head to West Mersea, but decided on a change.Unassuming local pub with older decor. Sadly just one other couple in for lunch whilst we were there.Great menu choices and quite reasonably priced.The homemade chips are DELICIOUS !!Friendly service from the lady behind the bar.One negative - it was freezing inside. Needed the log burner on.Will definitely go back, possibly to try the Sunday lunch.

Just left the Dog and Pheasant after the most amazing Sunday roast !Certainly could not in any way , fault this place.....whatsoever !Ordered starters and main roast , with drinks at the friendly bar , then sat down in anticipation as my partner and I were both hungry after a brisk walk on the estuary .In just a matter of minutes, the prawn cocktail starters were served before us . This starter was just gorgeous and the sauce absolutely spot on . When we finished these, it was again , only a short time , giving us space between courses to savour the moment , before both beef roasts were presented .The taste was just out of this world , very well cooked and just delicious !, Our compliments to the whole team who did a brilliant job, and to the chef .....the cooking is just awesome ! Thankyou for such a great experience

Food was fabulous, nothing to much for the staff, extra gravy, extra vegetables, starter was like a main meal. Could not, not have desserts. Would highly recommend - in fact I do highly recommend.

Whilst staying on Mersea Island my wife and I joined friends for an excellent meal with good service at the Dog & Pheasant. Recommended to anyone visiting this lovely Essex backwater

A friendly pub with a roaring fire, chatty barmaid and delicious food! The menu is extensive with generous portions! Recommend - we will be back!

Stopped of here for lunch & a pint. Friendly welcome good local beers. The food was plentiful & tasty (the chips were the best we've tasted in a long time).

After taking the dogs out we popped in for Sunday Lunch, we need to book really! Different staff this time but just as lovely Nice time again Thank you to everyone, locals and girls at the bar.

At last a pub that serves a home cooked ( better than mine) Sunday roast! We all went today on the recommendation of a lady we briefly spoke to in the pub last night. The food was excellent. The pub was buzzing and laughter could be heard all around us. Friendly staff and a really old fashioned traditional feel to the place. A great pub

Walked in on a Sunday lunchtime so it was busy but they were very accommodating as with no booking and I don't eat meat. Staff lovely and food good. Nice pub roast! Thank you again, just wish we lived nearer! 🍻

Come down from Scotland for family visit . And came here for Sunday carvery. Wow. Would definitely recommend this place . .

Long story short I asked for a Diet Coke at the pub and sat out in the sun for a little bit having my Sunday roast (good) started feeling dizzy which I thought was from the little sun I had however then realised it may have been full Coke not Diet and went inside to check at the pub where they assured me it was Diet however felt really really terrible for quite a bit. Won't eat there again. Rude older waitress didn't help either.

What a gem , took a chance and walked from the ferry with prawn and 4 YO , well worth it , great food and beer , lovely staff and good atmosphere, if it weren’t for the walk in 30c I would go back regularly

While at a holiday park with my rather large family and pet dog we were looking for some decent homemade food! Now to cater for 2 fussy toddlers and 2 teenagers can be quite a task!

Made to feel very welcome by staff and customers My husband is blind and they could not have been more helpful Lunch was just like my mum cooked, thoroughly enjoyed it and will be going back in September when we will be visiting Mersea again

One woman behind the bar thinks she runs the gaff and the landlady contradicts her self as she has special rules for different people, this place is not a nice place to be as it is also dated and looks as if it’s falling apart

Although this pub promotes dog friendly you can only go in the garden Such a shame when they have 3 areas to eat but none designated to people with dogs. Looking around 2 of the areas were empty. Surely a lesson should be learnt.

I recently visited the dog and pheasant and am proud to say they have amazing food and great service.

I visited here with family and ordered medium ribeye steak which was wafer thin and over cooked. The dining room looks like a dingy 30 year old lean to/conservatory.

We visited this pub 3 times during a recent holiday and on all occasions the food was very tasty and well cooked. We loved the Beefburgers and the Mac 'N' Cheese. We preferred the bar to the restaurant area as it is more comfortable.Staff are very helpful. Despite its location it is a traditional local pub and not at all a tourist type establishment,

Had a couple of good meals here over the weekend. The food is tasty and well cooked and the staff are very welcoming and friendly. We would definitely pay another visit if we ever return to Mersea Island

Ever gone to a local pub and felt a bit of an alien?! Well, this pub is definitely NOT that ripe of local! All the locals as well as the lovely staff all chat - so much so we started to know some of their names! I urge you to pop in - they are so friendly - even if you are on your own. The food is really scrummy - empty plates every time. Wish this was my local!

We've enjoyed some brilliant meals here whilst staying at Fen Farm across the road but it's a bit hit and miss when trying to plan. On Good Friday, a telephone call established only that they weren't sure whether they would be open all day for food or whether the staff would need a break during the afternoon! As it turned out, we missed out on lunch! Whilst fully appreciating the excellent garden, maybe opening up one area (the part with the tiled floor) to families with clean, well-behaved dogs would be something to consider. Conversations we have had indicate that they really are missing out on the huge business opportunity offered by campers close by.

The place is no dog friendly but that is because it is small plenty of room in the garden though. Warm and friendly atmosphere staff fine meals were good would recommend it

We have just been treated to lunch at the Dog & Pheasant - omg what a difference from when we first lived here many years ago! Decor and tables immaculate. Food delish and service excellent. Will definitely go again!

Visited on Sundays evening for food with my little baby and family. Lovely warm welcome. Compared to the first place we tried. Really helpful and kind. The food was stunning couldn't fault it. We will defiantly return when we next visit!!

The best sunday lunch , just like your mum or gran made . 1st class fresh home cooked food. Anyone who visits will not be dissapointed

we stop here for lunch very busy place got a table where we were ask if we wanted drinks why we look at the menuthey had a very full menu reasonable price. meal was very good will visit again.

Visited here for an early evening meal, four adults and two children. Fabulous food, I had garlic mushrooms to start, with pork ribs/chips & coldslaw (ribs were wonderful and plenty of them). Lovely/well kept garden area to sit and enjoy a drink on a summers evening, although it was too cold during our visit. Sat in the light and airy conservatory with plenty of room and a nice relaxed atmosphere. Service was very good and the price was very reasonable. Good choice of dishes, £160 for six (including starters, mains, drinks & wine). Would recommend you book and go early, as they stop serving round 7pm ish.

My boyfriend and I were staying at the local campsite and due to bad weather thought we would nip to the pub for dinner! We were greeted warmly by the bar staff, given a table quickly and made to feel very welcome! We both had the chilli con carne which was home cooked and delicious and again the service for food was great!

Locally known as the Dog and Duck. Cosy pub and friendly staff, nice open fire, menus change often and is varied with a few favourites

Popped in for a cheeky pint. The landlady was polite a friendly. Reasonable priced drinks and the pub was clean and well maintained

Nice enough place to drop by for a break while out walking. Not memorable but quite good, friendly service. Extremely average and functional. Certainly wouldn't go for a special occasion or out of my way but might drop in again if passing by on foot

I hate giving any venue a score as low as this, however.....No dogs allowed, which is fine, more than happy to sit in the garden. only 2 beers on tap, both of which i can get anywhere, again not a game changer. Bar lady began pulling my pint only to stop midway through walking off out of sight and returning with several plates of food for other customers. upon returning she resumed work on my beer only to stop again to have a quick natter and say goodbye to a local. she, again, returned and finished her long winded pint pouring project and took my money.

Very good selection of food on the menu to suit all tastes. The ribs are one of the best for taste and value I have had. The meat pie is delicious and my wife had a fish cooked of the menu which was amazing. Always best to book to avoid disappointment. Dogs are not allowing in as due to the camp sites there would be more dogs than people. Dogs are welcome in the garden

Visiting Mersea for the first time, we were pleased to see they do not allow dogs inside-how refreshing! We hoped to find fish and chips , pretty standard fare for any pub. There was none on the menu, so I had fish pie . I found two prawns and a teaspoonful of fish under a huge portion of mash - this should really be renamed mash pie and I left most of it . I commented to the server, who said he would 'tell the kitchen', but I didn't discover what the kitchen said. I see now a similar comment was made in May , so plainly management does not read these reviews, had I seen it first, I would not have ordered it, probably we would have gone elsewhere. My husband's gammon was horribly over cooked. We were really disappointed and will not return.

Very good pub food..fish and chips very good..nice ribs..friendly warm service..very good value for money.

Alison and her sons make this place amazing - superb local service and food all round, they all look after the regular customers and all the staff are lovley

Sunday lunch with the family and very reasonable. Not everything fresh cooked on the premises but overall a very nice meal. Outstanding staff made this a great luncheon for the family. Will def go again. Plus the locals are very friendly.

We visited the pub for the food side of things. The food portions were massive. Defiantly worth the money. Even the kids portions were huge. Warm cosy atmosphere and very welcoming staff. Highly recommend a visit.

A very pleasant warm hospitable country pub. First class meal reasonable prices. Definitely worth a visit.

We only called in for a drink but it was a lovely pub nice dry white wine they had a very extensive food menu up on the wall with lots of specials and it got quite busy for food we went on a Saturday lunchtime

pleasant ph which does meals - food ok nothing special but eatable. ph was quiet as it was september

Stumbled across this lovely pub, Bar manager and staff were excellent in every aspect, food excellent and freshly cooked to order. Ample servings, would recommend anyone to try the food.

A lovely meal and plenty of it. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. And very accommodating as we had our 4month grandson with us nothing was to much trouble for them.

This is good pub food but not any thing special. They do serve later than the restaurants which was good on our first night. It is a shame they do not do fresh food especially fish.It was quick service and well presented.

Visited two days on the trot. Food excellent and plenty of it. Staff were very welcoming and looked after us well. Would come back

I visit this pub almost every weekend. Great Service, Food and Value for Money. The owners are very welcoming. Really good size portions and typical British menu. Thoroughly recommend a visit. Great selection of Beers, Wines and Spirits.

Once the best pub grub on Mersea island, now the worst.

Staff were friendly and welcoming behind the bar. Waiting staff were very young and inexperienced and slightly disinterested. Good selection of children's meals and adults meals. Portion size was excellent and prices were fairly average. We went at 5pm and sat inside where we watched it getting busier. Pub was attended by locals who sat at the bar and by tourists and visitors who sat at the tables and outside in the lovely beer garden. It was great to see locals supporting their local facilities but it did block access to the bar for everyone else who were ordering food and drinks and trying to pay their bill. I would recommend leaving a small service area clear at the bar because it did feel a little intimidating.

My husband ordered ham egg and chips, he basically got the ham shavings from the bottom of the chopping board! Why didn’t they just say they’d run out of ham! Barmaid is as miserable as sin and you can’t help but feel like your are seriously putting them out even being there. Such a shame, only the locals banter make this pub. We won’t go again. There is homemade food being served in this pub despite the bar man telling us the ribs are cooked for 12 hours

We stopped here for a meal on our way back from a day out as we were staying at the holiday park just down the road. They said they wasn't serving food in till 6pm. We decided to go back to our caravan and return at 6. So glad we did, you are made to feel welcome as soon as walk in. We both decided to go for the Ham egg and chips. It was excellent, the Ham was hand carved and plenty of it. Would have no hesitation in eating here again!

We got the ferry from Brightlingsea, walked along te Mersea shore, thru the WW2 park, and along the road. Staff friendly, nice ploughmans good beer.

Amazing how a bar can be so full with so few customers, so first you actually needed to get to the bar. Seemed to be one person serving "who came & went". Having eventually ordered the 6 of us plus two under two`s went outside into the garden. The first two meals arrived, quickly followed by the last two, however the order for the middle two had been lost in the kitchen and followed sometime later..General opinion was the all the roasts were excellent with generous portions so 4 stars for that. But personally i would only give 2 for the organisation!!!.

Booked a table for 2 at 19.45 on the Friday evening of the late May Bank Holiday.

We visited here when we visited a nearby caravan park for a night. As we were on the east side of Mersea you're pretty much limited to the Dog and Pheasant unless you want to drive to the other side of the island. The place was quite busy on a Friday evening with a mixture of locals and visitors from the same caravan park, and the atmosphere was very friendly. We had a bottle of wine between us that was quite pleasant as pub selections go.

OK so it doesn't look much from the outside, and it is located on the quieter East, but the standard of the ale and the quality of the food is well worth a trip out. And, you can walk it all off at Cudmore Grove afterwards! The Sunday lunch in particular is delicious. Proper meat. Fresh locally sourced vegetables. Divine puddings. Well worth a visit at any time of year.

This was the nearest pub to our holiday park so we planned to go for supper . It was only 730pm but the guy behind the bar wasn,'t sure if the chef was still cooking . As the whole place looked dark and a bit dated we didn't wait to find out . This pub has a captive audience in East Mersea but failed to offer what is needed.

What a smashing pub, we were a party of eight, the food was piping hot, and all our dietary requirements were met. The staff were super friendly, the bill was not ridiculous, and we all left without having eaten a desert because we did not have room for one. We will return. Thanks for a pleasant evening