Donkey & Buskins in Colchester

I went to the Donkey and Buskins with my son and parents for lunch yesterday. Service was superb - very prompt during an obviously very busy afternoon. Our meals were beautiful as well, the fish pie was delicious (topped with crunchy capers, which was a nice unique touch) as were the pie of the day, and the lambs Liver and Bacon. All cooked and presented to a really high standard.

Lovely traditional pub with a gastro restaurant in the back half. Quite location with plenty of parking. Well above normal pub fare and very reasonably priced. A lot of the food is home made.

Five stars all round. The staff are always so polite and attentive. The restaurants decor is beautiful, very homely and rustic. The food we’ve had in the past and to date is of such great quality, portion sizes are generous, food is fresh and the meat is obviously locally sourced it’s just beautiful. One of our favourite pubs to eat at. Really top quality food and service. Thank you.

Very good pub grub, ample meals, good value. Friendly, pleasant staff. Good ale.

Had a lovely late lunch here with my mum . Tasty Turkey ciabatta roll and a portion of chips . With a pint a cider Lovely friendly and helpful staff and a cozy relaxing pub. Will definitely return soon.

Lovely food, lovely staff, the second time we’ve eaten here at lunch time. Both times whilst eating the pubs dogs have wondered in and hovered around the table, having a dog standing watching you eat is not what I want. Others around us commented about the same thing.

Excellent lunch with friendly staff. Great pub.

Came across by chance Sunday lunchtime and restaurant was fully booked, no problem as there was space in the bar. Very friendly owners and staff. We ordered Sunday roast and it was outstandingly cooked and very generous portions absolutely recommend, just book a table as its busy ! we will return thank you !

Great pub serving good food all day! Friendly staff too.

Nice Pub with good beers, and a nice lunch menu. Friendly staff and very popular, being very busy for a Tuesday lunchtime.

If I could give this place ten stars I would. Superb friendly service and fantastic roast lunch.

Good pub, good food, big portions.

Great food. Great value. Great beer. Brilliantly dog friendly, thanks to the landlord’s two friendly lurchers. Fantastic garden. Easy access car park with generous spaces. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Beer garden is awesome - well worth a visit. Quick and friendly service

Visited on a Sunday , hadn’t been before , they were very busy , my friend and I both ordered the roast pork, it was really good , perfect roast potatoes and vegetables, we ordered dessert although after the plentiful roast we didn’t really have room …but forced them down 🤣🤣. Our waitress was very friendly . I would advise to book as it is very busy, the gardens looked lovely too.

Simon and I had a wonderful weekend at the Donkey and Buskin. Very clean and comfortable rooms. However nothing compares to the amazing welcome we received from the owners, and staff. This is the sort of welcome you get when you go home. Jan goes above and beyond to make you welcome. Thank you Jan and Alan and all your friendly staff. We hope to come back soon.

My second visit here, the first time we just had a starter as a snack. This time we both had delicious main courses, I had the liver and bacon and my partner had the steak and ale pie, both came with creamy mash and plenty of veg. The location is great and the garden is pretty to sit in and eat. The pub has two dogs which are friendly and like to come over and say hello but are no bother. The staff are really friendly and attentive, we will definitely be back for a third visit!

Visited this bar restaurant on a Sunday afternoon for a drink only the food looked and smelt absolutely amazing. Will definitely be revisiting to try out their food.

What a lovely pub, super food and lovely staff. A delight to find liver and bacon on the menu, it was delicious. The desserts were lovely especially the Lemon Meringue Pie.

Found the pub on a Google search and decided to give it a go. The pub was well looked after and clean. The food was really good. I had the liver and bacon and my two companions had the Pie of the Day (Steak). The pie was pastry top and bottom and full to the top with chunks of meat, not like some places that use steak gravy and just put a pastry top on. The beer and cider was good. On the whole a great lunch. Very attentive staff.

Went today with 4 adults 2 teens and 2 babies. We didn't realise there was a children's menu which could have helped but other than that the food was a good size for the price. I had the Korean burger which was slightly spicy from the kimch and sweet from the teriyaki sauce. Two chicken thighs that are breaded on a bun. We had the rock eel, haddock and vegetarian wellington. Chips were lovely and crispy outside fluffy inside. Everyone was very pleased with what they had and plates were left clean. We sat outside and the toddler was safe to run around. Other children were playing but it wasn't too loud. Beautiful borders and hedges give a lovely feel to the area. The outdoor seating closer to the pub is more romantic with a fish pond which is secured with a rebar protector over it so it is safe for toddlers. A lovely mature birch tree hangs over some of the benches. Just a lovely romantic atmosphere but not too stiff for kids to run around. I didn't really have a look inside but what I saw was a clean modern but rustic feel with nice decorative touches. The patron's dogs were all on leads and relaxing. The old pub dog was wondering about greeting people and has a cute bandana asking for him to not be fed. I don't think he realises this because he still uses his old puppy dog eyes and I heard he might help himself as people leave their tables. Another dog was quite vocal at him and he didn't really respond so he's a good calm dog and put up with our toddler harassing him a bit.

Wow what an amazing experience. Myself and my family had a Sunday roast with starters and dessert. The food was amazing. Fresh full tasting vegetables and roast beef like I've never tasted before. All cooked to perfection. Highly recommend and certainly will return. 10/10 on service and quality of food.

We call in here for a meal or just a drink. The food is always very good and I love the fresh Skate. Its always beautifully cooked. The service is always pleasant. I will have to call in and take some photos as the picture showing is very out of date. The patio has a wonderful big umbrella covering 5 benches, all new, marvellous if it rains and also provides shade. Certainly is the best place to go if you want to sit in a garden.

It is a popular place for lunch with our family. The food is delicious, with plenty on the plate without looking swamped. (Overloaded plates put me off. ) Attentive friendly staff. Certainly, a place to return to.

One of, if not the best beef roast dinner I have ever tasted. Every item was bursting full of different flavours! Reasonably priced - 10 out of 10!

We have come here a few times now and find the beer garden perfect! We always bring our dog and he loves it aswell. Except this time we were sat at our table in the garden and an offlead brindle greyhound dog came over to our table and snapped at our dog who was on lead. We were later told by another member of public that this was the owners dog and the same thing had happened to their dog aswell by the same dog. My husband had to get up and pull this dog off our dog because it escalated further as our dog became submissive and did not know what to do. We also witnessed the other light coloured greyhound (also offlead) begging and sitting by peoples tables whilst eating their food. Just a heads up to people if they want to bring their dogs if theyre abit tetchy with other dogs as owners dont seem to want to keep their dogs on a lead.

It's a drive there for many which is a shame if you want to make a night of it. Loads of outdoor space, really nice employees, plenty of parking, and very good food.

Had Sunday lunch here today my wife had the pork roast & I had the turkey roast both had ample portions of meat & vegetables I must add the roast potatoes were the best ever. For desert I had lemon meringue pie the portion was huge & delicious. The staff serving were very friendly & attentive the best roast ever.

It was quant and very relaxed very friendly good parking staff very helpful toilets clean and charming food good but drinks expensive dident seem wheelchair friendly had steps to entrence from carpark would go again the garden seating very good but wont be drinking wine at 10 pound a glass 🤪

Great food, drink and staff. Great service.

We have eaten Sunday lunch here before, it was excellent then and still is. It is nice to sit outside in the good weather and the service is friendly and prompt.

Lovely village pub and great food we had the sea bass and king prawn linguine which were both lovely

Excellent location, room beautifully clean and very comfortable. Warm and friendly welcome. Dinner delicious especially the homemade lemon meringue pie. Good value for money. Would recommend.

Had a fab birthday lunch today - was lucky to get a table for the four of us. Friendly atmosphere and staff Menu choice excellent with lots of fish choices on the specials board in addition to to the varied standard menu Abbot Ale was best I’ve had for a long time. My son and I had the pie - pastry beautiful encasing tender beef - wife had the haddock and chips - all cooked perfectly What more can I say - perhaps book a table instead of relying on getting lucky

Just popped in for a pint and some chips. Great service and a lovely garden in a very quiet setting. We are going to go back for a meal. Well worth a visit.

Good food, good beer and friendly service 😀😀

Just visited again for lunch with my family. The food was yet again amazing, well prepared and presented and delicious. The fish and chips was spot on and the homemade quiche was tasty and great value and looked great with the salad and slaw. Overall this pub is so consistent with its food quality, presentation and how freshly cooked everything is along with it being served piping hot. What is there not to like? We would highly recommend it as it it knocks spots off of many other country pubs in the Colchester and surrounding areas. The staff are all lovely and very efficient and friendly. Can’t wait to go back again.

Did not experience rooms. Great service and food. Excellent location.

I love this place. Good quality food, including the best Sunday roast. My wife and I have now been here a few times, and it's become our firm favourite in the Colchester area. Very cheerful and professional staff and a lovely cosy pub atmosphere with a lovely garden.

First Timers- Beautiful place, food 5star .. staff forward leaning.. as a chef I'd heard good things ( but never expected it to be this good) Thanks guys ❤️ great job 👍

Went for lunch with friends, didn't book, greeted by friendly staff who seated us. Very nice food. I had Venison sausages and seasonal vegetables with onion and red wine gravy. It was cooked perfectly. Well maintained gardens, clean and tidy inside, reasonable prices. I was very pleased with the whole experience.

Excellent food, super hosts. Good selection of beers. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Would highly recommend

We stopped for an unplanned lunch only so didn't book a room . Free parking available and the location is very tranquil. Friendly staff and the food was outstanding, also came out quickly. Really recommend this place and by the sound of it it gets busy so would be worth booking to avoid disappointment. Can't wait to go back

This is our local pub and unfortunately they can be unfriendly. We have eaten and drank here, never had a good experience. We pulled into the empty car park while my partner cycled past to give her support and were asked to leave, we have not been back and don't plan to return.

What a lovely lunch I’ve just had (still sat at the table). My partner brought me here for a birthday lunch and I’ve got to say it was one of the nicest meals I’ve had in ages. I had whitebait to start, lambs liver & bacon with champ mash for main and lemon meringue pie for pud. Everything was delicious, well cooked and the portions were huge (burp !). It was really nice to be in a pub and experience proper freshly prepared ‘home cooked’ food for a change, none of this chain nonsense here !! Service was really friendly and atmosphere was relaxed and friendly too. Would highly recommend and we will definitely return. Thanks for a lovely meal.

Good bank holiday lunch. staff very busy had to ask 3 times for sauce and condiments.

Great food , good atmosphere friendly service.

So good we visited twice on our trip to Colchester. Friendly staff and excellent service. Food was always well prepared, hot and delicious. Probably the best steak and ale pie I've ever eaten. Good drink options including several cask ales. Atmosphere is everything I expect from a proper pub.

Attentive staff, great choice and incredible food. Both the cheese fondue and prawn cocktail starters were delicious. Main rump burger was ace. Friendly pub, great staff

Amazing pub, amazing food. And dogs are welcome 🙏

Called in for lunch on a Friday and was immediately impressed by how busy and welcoming the place was despite the rural location. Ordered the steak, which was very nice. Little to fault about this place, would recommend to others.

Meal with family which was amazing

Lovely meal, as usual.Varied choice on menus and specials. Staff very friendly and attentive. Very enjoyable.

Staff very welcoming and friendly. That’s it really, I didn’t enjoy the food…why can’t chips be cooked and drained properly…the more there are refried the more they resemble what they’re fried in. The lemon meringue had too much cornflour and although very tangy had the consistency of playdough, the pastry was trying to be shortcrust but didn’t quite get there. Disappointing

This was a bit of a whim after collecting a market place purchase. OMG what a find, the staff are genuinely lovely and the food Wow to die for. Will be recommending this for sure. One of the nicest pub meals I’ve had in over a year 😋

Very friendly lovely food will go back again

Unexpected visit due to road works blocking the road at Peldon. Had the Battered Plaice and it was exceptional!! Batter thin and crisp to the last piece, exactly how you always hope it will be , but never is. The Place was very large, moist, white and fresh and covered the plate. With the addition of my favourite real ale "Abbot" i was in heaven. The 2 ladies both went for the Lambs Liver and Bacon which was equally well received (although i know they both prefer Calf's Liver). Not exactly local to us but i am sure we will soon be back.

Nice meals and country pub atmosphere

Thank you for your amazing service and the food was delicious my family had a great time. We will definitely come back to see you again.

Had a lovely meal there today bank Holiday Monday. Will be back to try something else off the menu

Had Sunday lunch here today with the family, absolutely lovely, food was fabulous, finished off with a Lemon meringue pie to die for, service was brilliant, all the staff was happy, very friendly & chatty, definitely be returning here in the very near future. Thank you

Lovely little country Pub. The menu was a bit small but there were plenty of options on the specials board. Good choice of beers and wines. First drinks order was a little slow however, understandable as the restaurant was very busy.

Great Sunday lunch, dog friendly. Might be advisable to book a table.

Visited today and had roast pork with selection of fresh vegetables, homemade yorkshire and roast potatoes. My friend had the vegetarian mushroom Wellington which was also amazing. Service was excellent, pub was busy with a great atmosphere.

Took parents here recently for lunch. It was amazing as always. Two had the fish and chips and one had the scampi whilst I had the homemade chicken and leek pie which was gorgeous! All the other meals were 10/10 well preserved hot and good quality. We keep going back because the staff are lovely and the good is so good. Keep it up you so deserve the praise.

A busy country Pub/Restaurant on the south side of Colchester. We were welcomed and shown to our seats. The menue was varied plus a good selection of 'Specials'. Although busy, our meals were soon served and each was delicious and freshly cooked. Too full for a sweet we are are looking forward to a repeat visit soon.

A Great pub and I have always loved this pub, I have not been there in quite a while but they still have a great menu and a good choice on the menu and specials. We hadn’t book but were made to feel very welcome with amazing service. We will definitely be coming back again

Great local pub with nice local people

Just moved to the area and took my family for a Christmas Eve walk to the pub. My 12 and 14 year old children, along with our impeccably behaved Labrador were turned away…. On Christmas Eve. I’ll never set foot in there again. I took a party of 8 there a few weeks ago for a work function (I’ll take my work functions elsewhere too) and the food was adequate.

Lovely local pub for either just drinks or food also. Good menu, good food, great service. Have not stayed here so can't comment on the rooms

What a wonderful night. Food was amazing. Carols round the Christmas tree was so amazing even had a snow machine. Thank you to all the staff and the hosts was a lovely night x

Our 4th visit and we were not disappointed. The staff are always so friendly and helpful. The pub atmosphere is welcomeing and the food is big wow. We will continue to drop in whenever we are in the area because the Donkey and Buskins does not discriminate against dog owners. 🐕 I can recommend the steak and ale pie. It's pastry is crisp, the steak filling plump and satisfying - excellent. A true work of art.

I had the steak and ale pie and it was marvellous! Good service too

Bar staff seemed a bit off, lovely pub and garden, dogs welcome

Food and service exceptional....looking forward to our next visit.

Visited last night for a meal with my son, daughter and son in law. Lovely pub with really relaxed atmosphere. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. My daughter and I had the lamb shank which was delicious. We all enjoyed our meals, starters and mains . My son particularly liked the bubble and squeak with Fish and son in law the Sea Bass. We have been here before and will certainly be coming back.

Very friendly staff, great food. And dogs welcome in the bar area.

2nd visit for food . Very friendly and very good menu

I took my wife out for Sunday Lunch for her birthday and it was excellent, service was brilliant and we had a really good time. I was reading some of the recent reviews on tripadvisor, when I read ones like the recent one from the Badminton Club though its difficult to understand why the owner chooses to loose regular custom for the sake of a couple of glasses of water, most pubs will provide reasonable requests for this as part of the service, not the most commercial PR decision really, nothing to do with us but it seemed a bit self destructive to me, still its your pub, and we had a really good experience when we were there.

I'm a volunteer driver with our local Community Bus and drove 14 locals for lunch at the Donkey & Buskins today - 1 Nov. I've been doing this for 10 years and have never had a 100% full marks satisfaction score. They all loved it. Service was great and attentive. Lovely people involved with the business. The food was excellent - special mention must go to the "home made pie of the day" .... wowza, that certainly hit the spot with those that had it. Everything was excellent - not one murmur of complaint. I will bring another Group here in a couple of weeks time. Today's diners insist I bring them back again .... which I will. They also looked after me as the driver. A great pub. Lovely village. Lovely staff. Great food. 'Nuff said methinks 👍😉😁

Lovely friendly atmosphere.. lovely food, great service…

Come here for lunch occasionally, usually very nice. However, unlike a lot of pubs, they don’t offer small portions for those of us with smaller appetites which means a lot of waste. This time, Ordered ham sandwich ,had to cut a lot of fat off ham, and bread appeared very dry. Will give the pub another chance though. Has the pub changed hands recently ?

Went for lunch and were lucky to get a table without booking. Had starters and mains which were delicious. Will visit again certainly.

Visited for lunch and the food was lovely. Not the biggest place but the decor is good, the staff friendly and a lovely beer garden.

Lovely pub. Nice garden. Great starter, the chicken burger didnt taste great. Not sure ill eat here again but always worth another go. Set in a nice location all staff were friendly. Lots of parking

Booked a table for our sons 21st birthday lunch a month before, on arrival there was a little confusion about our allocated table as we had our furry friend with us, it was quickly rectified and we got comfy in the bar area, the bar team were super friendly and kept us all fed and watered, food was delicious and we rolled home for a much needed nap. Love this place. Looking forward to a long winter of roaring fires and walks to the Donkey & Buskins. 😍

Been coming here every Friday for months with a decent sized group. Every week we have at least two rounds of alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and often order a few snacks. Tonight one of our party ordered a tap water - on the way out the male owner cornered the young women in our group and told her that she couldn’t order tap water because ‘he doesn’t make any money from that and he works in the service industry so can’t be having people order tap water’. Very intimidating, very rude, very entitled, and very poor customer service. I will never return to this establishment based on the comment made this evening. One comment about tap water has lead to this establishment losing loyal customers or ‘consistent income’ because clearly this owner cares only for what’s in their customers pockets and not about the experience they are having. Extremely disappointed is an understatement.

Very good food selection. Friendly staff. Easily accessible dining and loos. Large parking area and gardens. Small plates also available. We only went for lunch, not to stay

Planned evening with girlfriends for midweek food and drinks. Ordered a bottle of house white wine and food. Reordered wine as a group of 5 only to find they charged £37.50 per bottle - for house wine. Asked waitress about the cost to say they don’t do house wine and they have more expensive bottles. Made out it’s our problem as should have asked for wine list. Perhaps, as a customer, we should have been informed there’s no house wine and offered a lust to chose from. Eek, need a mortgage to go here for mediocre food in a pub. Wont be returning

First visit to the pub this evening after a long day furniture shopping. First thing was the friendliness of the staff: nothing was too much bother for them. My wife is Coeliac & the waitress explained what Gluten Free options were available for her. She chose the sea bass & was most pleased with her choice. I had the home made steak & ale pie & my father opted for the rock eel & chips. Desserts were the sticky toffee pudding with custard & 2 of the Gluten Free chocolate assiettes. Quality of food was superb and portion sizes generous. Just loved the atmosphere of the place, we were made to feel very welcome. As we have just moved into the area we will most definitely be returning to the Donkey & Buskin very soon.

Lovely pub in great location. So pleased to find it still here after 40 years. Won't leave it so long next time 😊🍹

Didn’t stay here but came for Sunday lunch - which was excellent! The pub has a lovely, homely, cosy feel inside and ample outdoor seating too. Good sized car park. Vegan, vegetarian options and GF available too. Dog friendly inside and out. Service was quick and food came out in a good amount of time too! We will definitely return!

We moved to the area recently and took our son & daughter-in-law to the restaurant. The food was amazing, the staff were very helpful and friendly and the restaurant was decorated beautifully and very clean. We will be back.

Loved sitting in the garden on a sunny day, sipping my iced coffee and sampling bread and olives. Nice atmosphere.

Lovely place for a couple of drinks, however food is over priced but you get what you pay for.

Stayed overnight in one of the converted stable units. Very welcoming, super clean and everything we could possibly need for a comfortable night. Great breakfast tray

Had fantastic pie and mash meal with delicious lemon meringue pie on the way home after being at the local spa. What an amazing meal. Service was excellent, staff very friendly and attentive. Hadn't booked, so we were very lucky to get in as they were busy. So glad we took the chance to pop in and try. Would definitely go back & recommend. Was an excellent gastro experience. Thank you 😊👍

This is my second visit and I booked a room for the night this time round. Very clean room and the food is amazing. Very friendly staff what else can you ask for

Best home made Pie I have ever had! Great friendly service, Burger was amazing too. Wouldnt hesitate to recommend.

Very good food, quick service and friendly staff, will be back soon