Donkey & Buskins in Colchester

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.

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.

Great food , good atmosphere friendly service.

Amazing pub, amazing food. And dogs are welcome 🙏

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

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 😋

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.

Very friendly lovely food will go back again

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

Great selection on the regular menu and some unusual dishes on the specials board. Service was good, dog friendly inside and nice outside space, for warmer days.

It’s a shame they only cook until 8pm. Always a rush to get there! Would like to see a change in menu maybe less fried food.

Nice friendly pub with great staff

Had a Sunday with my youngest brother and his family which included two little ones. Staff were very attentive, food was amazing. Massive portions. Was ready to burst we were so full after eating. Excellent value for money. Highly recommend. Would definitely come back.

Beautiful service and food. Great wine

Lunch - big, tasty burgers (we ordered a beef rump burger and crispy buttermilk Chicken burger). Welcoming, friendly staff too. Perfect lunch spot a few minutes drive from centre of Colchester so great option with a change of view from centre of town with a county pub feel.

Best steak and Ale pie ive had in a long time!! lemon meringue pie wasnt bad either! food was incredible! staff were friendly and price was about right for a nice little pub! Husband and I left incredibly stuffed! thanks for a delicious meal!

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

The worst pub landlord I have ever seen, so caught up in keeping her godl reviews she would not serve us more than 2 drinks.... if your looking to have a stag do here to have atleast 4 drinks go elsewhere because she classes laughing...

Haven't eaten here yet, but the beer and company are top-notch. Stop here ever now and then after walking the dog and always end up chatting to a friendly local. Proper country pub.

Superb food location brilliant 👍 staff great

Have just had an overnight stay at Donkey and Buskins , although room was clean and tidy , was disappointing in other ways …There was packs of serviettes and j cloths in the chest of drawers … half used shower gel and shampoo in bathroom...

Had lunch here on Father’s Day, we were 6 adults,. This is the second time we have visited for Sunday lunch in the last 6 weeks. The food is really good, Sunday lunch is huge and tasty! We shared starters, which were generous and great....

Great pub with accomodation attached. Very reasonably priced. Currently sitting outside my room in its own private little garden. The staff have been so welcoming and both they and the landlord are chatty to everyone who comes in be they locals or strangers. Plenty of...

Excellent food, great staff and service, lovely location and great traditional pub. Dog friendly and welcoming to everyone. Been here many times for food amd never disappointed. Portions are great for price, quality is amazing and tastes delicious. Food always served piping hot and caters...

The restaurant was chosen by relatives who live locally. Friendly members of staff who were attentive and didn't rush us to order as we wanted time to select our meals. I found that the prices were rather expensive, portions weren't all that large either for...

Went to the Donkey later bank holiday Monday had a lovely meal cooked to perfection. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Couldn't fault it . Would recommend a visit. Has a beautiful Garden too.

Lovely attentive service, great value,.quality lunch in a traditional independent run country pub so close to Colchester it's worth the visit

I was very impressed with the friendliness of the staff when we first got there, We had pre-booked a table but had never been there before, Although the pub was busy for a Tuesday midday, it wasn't noisy and had lots of secluded parts. The...

First time at this pub/restaurant, I pulled in to the ample sized car park and sat down with friends at the table. When the food came out it was hot, well presented, and of ample size. Eating it was pure delight. The fish was well...

I haven’t been here for several years. We’ve missed out. The food was excellent, generous and reasonably priced. The staff were attentive and friendly. The pub was clean, cosy and warm (not the usual keep your coat on atmosphere so many seem to have adopted)....

Visited this pub yesterday AND the day before. My husband and I had the Skate on both occasions, followed by the Rhubarb Crumble and I have to say, it was absolutely amazing. On top of that, we also received the best customer service from the...

I have to say the standard of the pint of Guinness in this pub have exceeded my expectations of any UK pub I have visited recently. The best pint I have tasted since leaving Ireland last week. Hats off, they are doing great things here....

Had lunch here with my family which yet again was first class food and service. The pies are simply delicious and the ham egg and chips was a lovely portion all very well presented. All the ladies who serve are lovely and friendly and very...

Visited with my expecting wife and toddler. We had the vegetarian roast (mushroom and chestnut wellington) and it was the best veggie option roast I’ve had in a long long time, certainly the best in town. Accompanied by great veg potatoes and Yorkshire. Will be...

Went for a meal with friends. Food below average and cold. However, the landlord was walking past when he heard one of my friends utter the F word. The landlord berated him like he was a child in front of everyone. If you are so...

Early Christmas do, thoroughly enjoyed by all! From when we arrived we were so well looked after, the food was freshly cooked, very tasty and plentiful, and also great value for money, what more could we ask for?! Definitely recommended, thank you, we will be...

I went for a meal here with my boyfriend and mum on a Friday evening. Can say I’ve not had food that delicious in a long time! All of our meals were packed with flavour and we were seriously impressed with the quality. We were...

I visited the pub with my wife and sons at lunchtime on Saturday the 11th September 2022. The food was absolutely delicious and the young ladies that attended to us were very polite and attentive. I would certainly recommend this pub.

Amazing delicious food in a lovely location and with great service 😀. Highly recommended! Husband said the skate was the best he had ever tasted, perfectly cooked. Desserts were yummy! Can’t wait to return.

Had a very good meal at the Donkey and Buskin last night wish we had taken the family there some weeks before when we had a catch up

This will be a very short review, just to warn families visiting this pub they don’t allow buggies or pushchairs of any type within the pub.

We are locals and regulars and have been coming to this pub for many years. Unfortunately recently we have found nearly every visit very unwelcoming and sadly the staff, even our favourites, have become quite rude. Perhaps unintentionally - they seem tired and grumpy and...

Live locally and visit regularly. Such a lovely peaceful setting and love sitting in the gorgeous garden. Staff are always friendly and welcoming and the food is constantly good. Had a great lunch again today. Would highly recommend

Donkey and Buskins Pub/Restaurant is brilliant. Excellent food, very reasonably priced, large portions and lovely staff. My friend and I loved it here. We had the grilled skate, salad and chips, was superb. So friendly and welcoming here too. Nice peaceful setting and really enjoyed...

Stopped here today as I had heard great things about the food. Well I wasn’t disappointed. Both my Husband and I had the beer battered fish and it was so tasty and so fresh it was also very hot. I have been in a couple...

Came here for a birthday lunch with family, food was lovely. Great portion sizes. Friendly staff. Great afternoon, would definitely recommend and will return!

I love coming here, me and my partner will sometimes just pop in for a drink, often leaving with a belly full of food because it always smells so good, we can't resist. Brought my family here for a meal on Saturday, and they loved...

My friends and myself have been to the Donkey and Buskin on several occasions and the food is absolutely lovely. Great menu and the prices are reasonable. The staff are so lovely and always make us welcome.

What an amazing little gem in the countryside! Warm welcome when we arrived from Ellie who was absolutely brilliant and made our lunch experience extra special. Our daughter is disabled and requires extra sauce with her meals and nothing was too much trouble, my daughter...

Warm and friendly welcome by bar staff. Both of us had the burger. It was very tasty and very large so needed to take part of it home as a treat for our dog.

Great dog friendly pub with a lovely green outdoor space. Tables are nicely spaced out so you don’t feel on top of others. Food was lovely and had a great range of options.