Fillpots in Colchester

We had breakfast here and although they were very busy the young staff were excellent and the food very good, many thanks to all, Terry White..

Visited Fillpots cafe today and was so disappointed. In short we will not be visiting this establishment again. It’s not the cheapest place to eat and in the past it was excellent but not now. Where do I start? Broken tea pots and chipped cups Dirty tables with a fine spread of hardened ketchup on the table I looked at other tables and these were not much better. Tables may have been wiped but not cleaned. I managed to dislodge the ketchup with my knife so it was not just a stain in the wood. How disappointing this place has now come As for the food ….. The cheese scone arrived but was tasteless and doughy This was uneatable and was returned to the kitchen My partner had fried eggs on toast but somehow the eggs yokes were very pale yellow and totally tasteless and the bread was stale It’s unbelievable that this establishment has fallen in it’s standards but the price is still high Alas we Will not eat there again

Used to be an excellent place for a coffee and scone, not any more. There was always two heaped plates of fresh cooked golden baked scones (fruit and cheese) you just had to have one - but now only hard dark lumps of tasteless dough. Have tried them 3 times in the last few weeks - but not any more, thats the end for me.

Ordered avocado and poached eggs on toast. The avocado arrived as an entire half of avocado just placed on the toast. The eggs were watery. No extra flavouring, sauce etc. Wouldnt eat here again, even though the setting is nice and the garden centre is good.

Awful cooked breakfast, for a lot of money - with a cup of tea, it cost over £15. Sausages, bacon and eggs were all under-cooked. And all piled high on an undersized plate, so beans, mushrooms and tomatoes (tasteless) were completely buried under the undercooked meats. They are still using plastic sachets for all the condiments and sauces, so fiddly, gets on your fingers and sticky waste packaging has to be scattered around your table. Just use proper sauce pots, and salt and pepper mills! So wasteful, inconvenient, and unnecessary. I asked if I could swap baked beans for a cup of tea, but this was refused with 'we cant do that' without any reason given, as if I was asking staff to break the law. So clearly they are not interested in decent service or giving customer satisfaction. A pot of tea which gave just 2 small cups of tea was accompanied by a little pot of milk that was only enough for just 1 cup of tea. A dreadful experience.

No menus on tables, no table service which means you have to go to the cashier, get a menu, find a table, go back up and order, collect cutlery and condiments and then wait at a serving table for your hot drinks to take back to your sticky table. My husband and I had our breakfasts brought out 10 minutes apart, so one of us was eating while the other was waiting. The cooked breakfast was barely warm, the fried egg was like rubber, mushrooms shrivelled up and dry and the ‘toast’ was bread. My husband’s omelette was very dry. We did report back on our below average meal, and not even an apology. The very young staff don’t want to be there and are unhelpful. Such a shame as this could Potentially be a lovely cafe if they rethought the ordering process, cooked the food fresh, and employed people over the age of 17. We certainly won’t be returning.

Came here after reading good reviews and seeing vegan options on their website but sadly was disappointed. The cafe and garden itself is lovely, bright and open. However they only offer a vegan breakfast (not available for lunch when we went) and a jacket potato. No cakes or sweet options etc. They also could not make a coffee with plant based milk which is disappointing.

Popped in for Coffee and a cake and wasn’t disappointed. It was 1pm (on a Wednesday half term) and the place was busy so lots of cakes had sold out but we spotted a couple of Rocky Roads which looked great and they were. No fruit in them just lots of biscuits chocolate and marshmallows yum yum. Coffee was ok too, never expect too much from these type of places but no complaints 👍

Arrived at 11.15 and ordered sandwiches for lunch. We were told there would be a 20 min delay as they were dealing with the 11.30 time limit for breakfasts However the two cups of teas arrived but bizarrely the milk were in two Creme Brulee dishes. We asked the waitress why these dishes and we were told there were no milk miniature jugs, also cups and saucers as they were behind with the washing up We won't bother to go back.

We ordered Soup and Bread plus an English Breakfast The order was delivered an about 2 minutes which I thought was odd, considering the time it takes to cook a breakfast The Soup was luke warm and just about edible The cooked breakfast had two fried eggs but upside down ? The egg yoke had been turned over, to hide the fact it had not been cooked from fresh. The yoke was very congealed Again the meal was only luke warm and far from enjoyable Without any doubt both of these meals had been standing in the kitchen, possibly on a hot plate to keep them warm. Hence the rapid delivery. The last time I visited about 2 years ago, I had the same problem with a luke warm (cold chips) nearly inedible meal. I complained and received a refund Nothing has changed then, so I cannot recommend Fillpots for a cooked meal

We visited today and the restaurant is cold and uninviting. Scones were hard and I would say in my view not fresh. Despite Government Regulations staff were NOT wearing masks and wandering about and visiting tables without them. I saw one member of staff pick up my wife's gloves and wander table to table without a mask asking whose they were. This made us feel unsafe! The staff are to all intents and purpose untrained it is interesting that the regular staff hand the Chef have all gone.

We arrived for breakfast with 3 adults and two small children. Good food nice staff but not really trained. We sat at a table and cleaned the area for the highchair with na wipe, which came up black. Asked a staff member who came and sprayed it and did a quick wipe with a paper towel. Asked about childrens' menus and were informed they don't do any for breakfast so had to have an adult breakfast which only got half eaten-waste of food and money. Asked about a dairy free menu for an allergic baby and none available but the manager asked the chef who was very helpful. Returned cutlery 3 times as they had food still on them. Other people also did this.

I complained very politely that their toilets weren't up to their usual standards, dirty stained toilet seat in the ladies, dust & public hairs and no soap in the disabled and was meet with indifference and disbelief by the staff! All I was trying to do was to help them keep up the high standards they normally have. Shouldn't have bothered and will not be going there again with my family or friends!!

Absolutely fantastic selection of gluten free cakes , possibly the biggest selection locally. It's a nice bike ride from Colchester too.

What a fabulous garden centre and restaurant! Called in for a quick bite to eat and had the most fabulous warm cheese scone, with a generous pot of tomato relish and a pot of grated cheese. Lovely cappuccino. Staff were happy and friendly. The new extension is bright and airy. The garden centre has some fabulous bits and pieces in the shop section as well as plants for sale. Can’t wait for my next trip there!

We had lovely catch up here today fabulous garden Center with really lovely helpful staff can’t wait to visit again food amazing they use local suppliers and you can really taste that perfect

We had a very enjoyable lunch at the cafe within the garden centre. Great food and friendly staff. COVID measures in place.

By now, we are all aware of the requirements necessary when visiting a dining venue - we REALLY don't need to be reminded in that appalling sing-song voice that the millennials use when talking to children or senior citizens. A simple 'have you sanitised/track & traced' in a normal, courteous tone is all that's required. I'm not sure why certain members of staff feel the need to big themselves up by putting customers down - quite frankly, they make themselves sound ridiculous.

I should have been in Turkey holidaying in the sunshine, sadly cancelled due to COVID restrictions. However, today it felt like I was there. We decided to eat at this Cafe, in what I can describe as a transformation in size and hugely inviting, surrounded by a well stocked garden centre. As it was lovely and sunny I decided to have a Greek omelette which was delicious, filled with olives, sun dried tomatoes and Feta cheese. Staff were very friendly. It felt almost like I was abroad. Will definitely make this my go to Cafe, already looking forward to my next visit.

The menu and the food here is lovely. But on the negative side they are doing it up and have not finished the extension and it is very open to the the elements. We had to sit there in our coats to eat and it is only going to get worse coming up to the winter. It doesn’t look like it will be finished anytime soon . Which will be a great shame as lovely place to eat but could not bear to sit in that cold again.

I have eaten here many times before, and have always had a very enjoyable meal. The food is reasonably priced, and really big portions. It’s recommended to reserve a table. If I am ever in a hurry, and with a bigger group, we tend to pre-order. The restaurant is always happy to accommodate this. I would definitely recommend the café to friends and family

I found the staff rude and abrupt. Won't use again. I pride myself on good manners and expect the same .

Always great food and great service. We go here a lot but always best to book in advance as can get very busy. Can be a bit of a queue for service sometimes but well worth the wait!

We went as a group of four for lunch and chose here both because it was half way between the two couples, and we also wanted to look around the garden centre prior to Christmas. The menu and food were good as was the attentive service. Prices were excellent for the food and drinks that we had. If there is one small criticism it would be that the restaurant annex is quite stark looking and felt quite cold inside. That's a small negative for what was otherwise a very pleasant experience.

We have just had our Xmas dinner, cooked and served today. It was absolutely gorgeous and highly recommended. Three cheers for everybody concerned from the Chef to the ever delightful girls. Best wishes from all the Staff at Horizon.

We often visit the garden centre and cafe for lunch or mid morning coffee but this time we went for breakfast. It was very enjoyable with lots of choices, Potters or Gardeners breakfast or you can have something on muffins.

Family friendly, cakes and scones are delicious, varied menu and reasonably priced. A favourite of ours for family breakfast.

Good garden centre, cafe OK ,but went along one time and cake was great, good portions and plenty of filling, went back recently, ( 14th July 19 ) cakes must have made by someone else, smaller portion and as it was all sponge and just a thin line of filling, not very nice, we all enjoy a tea and cake when we go to a garden centre but not when cooks skimp on the ingredients.

My husband & I called in to the Nursery and decided to stop for lunch.. it is a really busy café.. lots of seating, both inside and out. Strangely set out as the hot drinks are prepared adjacent to where you order food, which was a little dangerous as this is right by the door to the outside seating. Nevertheless we ordered two sandwiches and two pots of tea... the food was adequate; certainly not worth the money they charged.. and the pots of tea were not full pots. Pleasant enough but there are other places who charge the same for far superior ingredient's and service.

We arrived at Fillpots on Sunday around 15:00 and noticed that Roast menu finished around this time. We chose to order food from the menu which stated the options were available until 16:00.When I placed the order at the till I was told that all food stopped at 15:00 on Sunday. This is clearly different to what was stated on the menu and the sign in front of the till.I tried to have a conversation with the staff member but she rolled her eyes and lacked basic manners so we left.We had a really good meal at the Beefeater restaurant on Cowdery Avenue where staff were very accommodating. Perhaps the Beefeater restaurant could offer Fillpots staff a training course on Customer service.

I went here with a friend and her son, we ordered the Full English Breakfast each and it was delicious, all ingredients were great quality and fresh, the sausages were lovely. It is a really good price too!

Great food, poor customer services. When asked to have a latte instead of a normal coffee, the waitress rolled her eyes as if it was a major effort. Its a shame as the food was fantastic...

We went for breakfast on Sunday morning, arriving just after they opened. We were disappointed that the meal was only just lukewarm but so hungry we didn't send them back. We did mention it to the staff behind the counter as we left, but they couldn't have been less interested. In view of other comments here about the temperature of the food, you would think that the management would look to improving it.

Had a lovely big breakfast excellent sausages everything is cooked freshly. Good and friendly service would definitely return. Must also recommend the cheese scones you can also buy the end of day scones 80p for two near the eggs by the freezers. Warm them in the oven and you’ll never know the difference.

A group of 4 of us went for a girly catch up with afternoon tea today and it was lovely! Lovely sandwiches and a variety of yummy cakes plus a scone. Thank you to Paul for sorting the booking, would highly recommend.

A wonderful building and good food, beware however the bureaucracy. If you phone and book a table for Sunday lunch you only get the table no lunch. You have to spell out in words of one syllable that the reason you are booking your table is because you actually wish to eat your Sunday roast. If not you will only be offered a cream tea or something and chips! So just to make clear, book a table and then book the number of lunches you require stating roast beef or pork etc

Food ok, if you have plenty of time and are not ravenous. It’s a pleasant cafe area, can be very noisy with chatter and chairs being moved on stone floors. Get the feeling that you are nuisance for rdering food. Not a first choice for afternoon tea.

I’ve visited Fillpots several times over the past few years, it’s close and a firm favourite to meet both work colleagues and friends for lunch. The last three visits over as many months have made me actually question as to whether I’d want to go back. The food is worth a visit, it’s lovely. However, the serving staff on the counter, on two of the last three visits a very surly young lady who looked like she was either having a very tough day or didn’t want to be there and her attitude towards customers projected this, and the waiting staff who are waiting by the table like vultures to snatch your plate as you finish eating leave little to be desired. They usually offer a ‘can I take it?’ but the speed crockery is removed is amazing, leading one to think they either don’t have enough crockery or would rather you left as customers are making the place untidy.

Met family here for breakfast. Nice place, good atmosphere. The breakfast was really really poor. I had salmon and scrambled egg on a muffin. The salmon was turning very brown and the scrambled egg really wasnt nice all. It was one of the poorest breakfast I've had, so I left it and my family I was with also left theirs. It's a shame as the venue is lovely.

We came across Fillpots Cafe after googling a recommended local garden centre that does a nice lunch, and this came up so we took a punt, and it paid off!

Was disappointed in my visit with my grandma today we went for lunch and ordered a cappuccino and a latte plus jacket potatoe and ham egg and chips. Firstly our drinks were like warm so I asked for another one they said I need to bring them up so they can make another one.. personally they should have said I will come and take them not me having to get up and take them back! Them unfortunately our food came out luke warm Aswell not sure if this was just an off day as this was our first visit but it wasn't very busy so that can of been an excuse as we went mid morning. Will return to see if our experience is better

super omelettes always well cooked. choice of fillings. very large portions. very busy at peak times. friendly staff.

Heard lots of good things so on a busy Saturday decided to stop for breakfast. Thought Choices limited large, small or muffins. Hubby had small breakfast which unusually had no toast! Hash Brown very very well done and deep fried as was sausage, egg also over done so no sign of a runny yoke. My Poached Egg & Bacon on muffin very good, Bacon good quality, Small coffee/latte over priced. I was looking forward to my breakfast came out feeling disaapointed.

Good selection of plants and sundries available. Also you can combine afternoon tea with shopping. Good selection of cakes, scones and tea.

We filled our trolley with herbs at the well stocked and organised garden centre, no problem leaving that for trip to cafe. Smoked mackerel salad tasty with lots of salad, meaty platter was based on chorizo hummus & mozzarella also good. But surprisingly few or no herbs in the meals. Excellent vale at c£25 for two including bottled beers, in a very pleasant outdoor space. Will return, perhaps bringing home-grown herbs.

Went to Fillpots for breakfast this morning and I was well impressed.

Enjoyed a really lovely lunch - food is filling, tasty and beautifully presented. The cafeteria is light and airy, very comfortable. We didn't have room for cake, so will have to return. I would definitely recommend a visit.

There is so much to like and to want to like here but the service is so poor as to make you wonder if they really don’t want you to buy anything, and some of their prices are truly unbelievable - £4 for 3 Snowdrop bulbs, one of which has a flowering shoot....

Enjoyed a really nice lunch with the family, excellent food and good service. Pleasant and light dining area, good range of dishes available, not a long wait for food even though our order was quite a mixed one. Will certainly visit again.

Popped in for lunch & coffee with a friend on Saturday morning. Food is lovely. Well presented, hot and served with a smile. The scones and home made cakes are delicious. Looking forward to the best visit.

The food and staff are excellent The main meal portion sizes are gigantic Now on my list to visit frequently for lunch

Came here for a local businesses anniversary party. Just expected a cup of tea with some nibbles however there was a lovely fresh buffet and a well stocked bar. Was such a lovely setting with full use of the café, marque and outside patio area. Staff were very friendly. Would highly recommend for a function whatever the occasion.

We have never visited the cafe before, and after a long day looking at plants we decided to have a rest.

Visitamos la granja para recoger tu propia, fue más lejos demasiado rápidamente. Una experiencia genial, con un montón de fruta diferente para ofrecer a precios muy razonables. Fuimos al lado del centro de un hermoso jardín y disfrutamos de una comida estupenda en el sol. Sin duda vale la pena su tiempo para cualquier tamaño o tipo de fiesta.

Se habían quedado sin que discontinuas de pollo. No es inusual, pero debería estar mejor abastecido! Así que opté por su jamón y tortilla de queso, además de ensaladas y patatas fritas de triple cocinado.

Metimos a para el almuerzo después de una Fillpots productivo de fruta de mañana picoteando en McLaughlan unas puertas más abajo. Una de las cafeterías del centro de jardín mejor en mi opinión - no es enorme, pero con un espacio al aire libre y la sensación de estar "no". No me puedo quejar de la comida que tuvimos, no podíamos resistir compartir uno de los rollos de salchicha meatiest que he visto, y luego el pollo y chorizo panini que venía con la piel más sabroso - en patatas fritas y una cremosa de col. Sólo un par de pequeños aspectos negativos - placas podrían haber sido aclaradas, especialmente dada la temperatura, nadie quiere ver las sobras de comida pudriéndose en el sol; y oí a otro cliente decir lo sucio de la había. Pero sin duda volveré en McLauchlan es cuando las bayas están en temporada, y no dudaría en volver a llamar para otra vez. Fillpots

¡Una joya! Precioso lugar gran jardín. Restaurante de buen gusto, mesas de madera y asientos de mimbre cómoda. Personal amable en avión. Menú parece encantadora, ruido de opciones de desayuno y almuerzo, tenía una chaqueta con atún. Gran parte, rábano picante en el col. Bonito detalle. Encantador café. Todo a un precio razonable, almuerzo y dos cafés menos de 10 libras. Volveré. Plantas aspecto en muy buenas condiciones y un montón de regalos para el jardín encantador. Recomendado.

Llamamos a Fillpots alrededor de las 11. 20 de la mañana, mirando el menú, nos decidimos por un sándwich de tocino y queso, un bollo que estábamos en una cola así que no aviso? Al pagar me dijeron que se había acabado de bacon, pero podría hacer grasiento/Brie, explicó que sólo quería tocino y estaba contento con panceta, no hay problema. Cuando sentado miré y vi que me gustaría bill cobraron 5 libras. 99 en lugar de 3 libras. 99? Fui a querie y me dijeron que ya era después de las 11. 30 tuve que pagar los precios del almuerzo? Realmente. . . ! ! ! ! Sólo para un dispersión de ensalada que no era querido y por estar sostenido por unos minutos en la cola? Cuando dije, por principio no quería que la camarera me parece muy antiguo y repetido "no quieren? Y quedó allí! Explicación ni disculpa/. Creo que podrían hacer algún tipo de formación en servicio al cliente. . . ?

I used to love coming here for coffee and cake, and sometimes lunch, but had a few dodgy visits more recently. I decided to come back for lunch to see if things had improved. The cake was ok, but my egg mayo sandwich was awful and absolutely not fresh. The pieces of egg were practically shredded in with the mayo and tasted like the pre-packed sandwich fillers from a supermarket - not good enough for £6 a sandwich. Because my 5yo just wanted a simple bacon sandwich, I had to order a full size bacon and brie sandwich without the brie as they couldn't accommodate a child size or half portion (she didn't finish it). Unfortunately I don't think I want to chance this place anymore which is a real shame.

I go to Fillpots a lot for tea and cake, which is always lovely. Yesterday a group of 14 of us went for breakfast. They were very helpful and reserved a table for us. We all enjoyed our breakfasts. The ordering system meant everyone was able to go and order and pay for themselves. Food was good and we didn't have long to wait considering the size of our group. A lovely morning.

Lovely, lovely food, friendly staff, pretty café and swift service, all reasonably priced. I had a delicious chicken and bacon salad, lovely fresh leaves and tasty dressing. My mum loved the details and spinach quiche, and homemade purple coleslaw!

A truly lovely barn type setting with outside seating too, A bit of a queue for service, pay at the counter. Food good and although very busy, was very enjoyable experience. we did say we would go back often, but we haven't, so this is on my to do list for the next couple of weeks

I went to Philpotts for lunch with a friend today . The food was fabulous , the staff were friendly & helpful . Will defiantly be going again

Cold, stingy meat portion, tough leather yorkshires and bullet potatoes - yummy NOT.All over looked by the manager/chef who should sample the food for himself and take a customer service course.Ruined our Mothering Sunday and Birthday lunches x 6. Unhelpful too.Stick to coffee and cake....

I stopped going here because breakfast for vegetarians was poor and creasy but recently I have found it absolutely lovely, certainly a great improvement

This is the second breakfast visit, the first time we went the poached eggs tasted very vinegary. We decided to give it another go and just the same! I know you add vinegar to the simmering water for a poached egg, but the taste on both occasions was overpowering.

We visited this cafe today while out for a cycle ride. We were surprised at the size of the venue and the amount of choice. It seemed like most people were there for a Sunday roast which looked delicious. I have to eat gluten free and there was a choice of several cakes and brownies which looked very nice but I was in the mood for something savory so I had the spinach and feta omelette. This was probably the lightest and tastiest omelette I have ever had. It was wafer thin and melted in the mouth. It was served with a lovely salad. My husband had a cream tea ( not a gluten free option) and we both had a pot of tea. The total was £13 which was very reasonable. I would definitely visit here again, it wasn't busy, the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. I would be even more likely to visit if there was more choice in gluten free savoury meals and snacks but that's often the case so it won't put me off. One other thing to note is that the garden centre sells frozen food some of which is also gluten free.

had sunday dinner here today. it was awful . it came out within 3 minutes of being ordered. firstly i had to ask for a cloth to clean the table.. quite funny really the girl gave me one and let me clean it myself. !!!! the roast potatoes were awful, over cooked and they had a strange flavor. then the vegetables were under cooked. never been served all green veg on a roast before but this wouldnt have mattered had they not been too hard. even the leeks !!!!!! and the gravy was like water. all in all an unpleasant experience

We love the food here. It is fresh, plentiful and reasonably priced. Afternoon tea is great. We have had both a sweet or savoury one, but often share as it is large!The cafe is cosy and the garden area lovely in summer. Sunday roast is delicious too.

I went to Fillpots today with a colleague from Manchester I raved as to how good he could expect the Breakfasts to be.It was not to be I am very disappointed I have indigestion whilst writing this,I sent mine back as the Bacon appeared to have been deep fried? The Tomatoes had a strange Fishy taste?The Sausages were not as before they used to be a coarse cut and now they resembled a cheap Walls Banger.The mushrooms used to be field Mushroom now they appear to Tinned .There used to be two Golden Yolk fried eggs now there is one pale yellow over cooked fried egg,Oh and a Mc Donald's style HashBrown ? YukPoorly presented very little response when I sent the Bacon back??Cold Baked Beans?I used the washroom whilst there this was also Grubby and not up to Standard, What's happened Fillpots have you sold off the Cafe side? Have you lost your old Cook, do you have the New Year Blues?Very Poor I give one Star ⭐️ out of courtesy that at least I got my Bacon changed.

Great service and waitress super helpful; made our experience. Would recommend to anyone looking for great value. I had fish and chips on the friday. Going back in the new year...you should too.

This was my first visit to Fillpots and I was extremely pleased with the food, the drinks and the friendly staff. I had burger, chips and a hot chocolate which was sublime. My girlfriend had fish and chips with a latte that was also fantastic. Will definitely visit again and keenly interested in the breakfast options. There was a lovely view of the walled garden and there was free WiFi. Will come again...and soon!

I've visited this cafe many time before and at the moment it has been really good. The portions are on the large side. The building is lovely and the furnishing and decorations are tasteful. They use terracotta pots to hold the cutlery in which I think is fitting and a great idea. The staff are quite shy but very friendly. The service can be slow or fast depending on how well it is going on in the kitchen and how many people are waiting for food. The cakes are good and the pastries and scones are great too. The cooked food has always been nice for me, I've had the cajun burger which was delicious but too much so took half of it home in a doggy bag, caesar salad which was nice but if I ever have it again I will ask for less caesar dressing as it was too much and I've had the festive omelette this week which had sausage, cranberry and leek in with sweet potato chips, red cabbage coleslaw and a little salad, which was good, the star of the show were the sweet potato chips - wowee they were good. The place always has customers in and beautiful surroundings. The atmosphere is fresh and friendly and the hot drinks are good too. The jams with the scones are of course Wilkin&Sons Jams which makes me happy.

Have been calling here since it opened and always found it good for a Garden Centre Café, but called this week with family.As it was a cold day we had soup, it had no taste and watery, it was supposed to be curried parsnip, it was so bad, we all had to leave it.Will not rush back.

Visited last Friday, very wet miserable day. Had the most lovely scone and tea with a friend - really excellent. I have also had breakfast here which is excellent. Food is high quality and good value, staff very nice too, what more could you ask for. Visited barn plants the following day and it was the opposite, really terrible.

Great Garden Centre great Cafe We have had a number of meals here Coffee and Cake never a let down a 5 Star Experience, Staff are friendly prices are reasonable, Ambience great I really enjoy that there are Newspapers to read if you are on your own,Garden supplies are equally good and knowledgeable staff. great Experience

Had heard from others and read reviews here about the Sunday lunch in the cafe. This weekend wanted to take family for a local easy Sunday lunch and thought this would be perfect with the added bonus of the garden centre.Kids menu has 2 hot meal options but they hadn't got any sausages and my son doesn't eat fish. The vegetarian option has also run out with veggie sausage offered as alternative.The food we did have was ok but nothing special at all.When we left almost every table indoors was taken so popular enough and perhaps too much to manage. We won't go for food again.

The food is good if you just want a snack in pleasant garden surroundings. We sat outside as it was a beautiful day.

Our family come here quite regularly for breakfast. Good quality and good sized portions. Full English for less than £5 plus good Vegi option. I also noticed on our last visit that they have increased the breakfast menu to include much more choice inc smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

I visited Fillpots recently for planting inspiration and to use their coffee shop - I wasn't disappointed with either!The staff in the garden centre are very approachable and knowledgeable - offering thoughtful suggestions and also removing the resident bees from the plants i finally purchased! The coffee shop is clean and welcoming, with a good atmosphere and delicious coffee and scones. Only negative was the slightly inflated price of scones which could put the more mature gardeners on a budget and families off purchasing food goods. A relaxing place to catch your breath, or just visit on its own for refreshments.Will definitely visit again.

The prices is the only thing that lets it down food is fantastic and the cakes are to die for like I said the prices they charge need reviewing

This is a quaint little coffee shop with a vast selection of food and drinks. I've been here many times with friends, family, for big birthday dos and with young children. The cafe building is very picturesque and it has easy access to a large patio area surrounded by beautiful flowers. I would highly recommend the lemon drizzle cake, the fruit scones and the fish finger sandwich. The portions are generous, my jacket potato, cheese and beans was enormous with coleslaw on the side and a small salad. All of the food tastes fresh and is made to order. The only improvement would be quicker service, the young girls who work here are lovely, but could be faster serving. I believe there's only one till so this slows things down and at peak times its jam packed in there with quite long queues. Other than that minor detail, this garden centre shouldn't be missed, a lovely place to go!

Fillpots is a garden centre with a tea room. I have only eaten morning coffee and cake but they also serve breakfast and lunches - they look delicious!!The cakes and scones are always first class. The setting is lovely, a big, uncramped space or sit outside on large garden furniture. Well worth visiting and don't forget to go to the garden centre too!!

This place is a must for afternoon tea. It is by far the best place I have been for afternoon tea, and by far the best price. The gentleman that served us was lovely...and so helpful. We had fish fingers sandwiches and bacon and brie...we also ordered fries...so plenty to eat. Massive scones with cream and jam and the cake selection was amazing....very impressed with Fillpots. £10.95 was what we paid for afternoon tea...which is very cheap. There is a lot of food and of really great quality and flavour. Highly recommend this place. And the other food they serve is also extremely good. The cafe itself is really pretty and also has a walled outside eating area .

Recently visited the garden centre and restaurant for the first time and both were fabulous! Had Sunday roast and it was delicious almost didn't have space for cake, we will be back for sure! Lovely place with lovely helpful staff!

We have been here several times in the past,and we have had really good roast Sunday mealsBut today we were very disappointed the meats were a different cut and difficult to cut Yorkshires not risen no apple sauce,or horseradish so overall very disappointed

Very nice shop selling alsorts of unusual things for garden and home, even frozen fruit and pastries to cook at home. Very good quality plants and shrubs at reasonable prices. Haven't tried restaurant but looked quant. Staff very polite and very helpful.

We often go to Fillpots at the weekend. We usually have sandwiches or jackets but we had guests with us so we opted for the Sunday lunch. It was one of the best Sunday lunches we have ever had! The portion size was great, the food well cooked and tasty! The staff are always friendly and on hand we throughly enjoy going there and always recommend it to friends and family.

We come here a lot, usually coffee and a cake, last time a great beef roast, so we returned today expecting another lovely beef roast for lunch and to be fair the beef was good but the rest of the dish was disappointing, the roast potatoes were not good and were clearly reheated in the microwave, the Yorkshire pudding wasn't great either, in fact my wife had to ask for a different Yorkshire as the first one they brought out was burnt! The real disappointment was the seasonal veg, we were handed a bowl of various boiled veg, boiled to within an inch of their life and somehow all one colour!! A kind of pale brown mush, I noted other diners reactions to their bowl of veg and they all looked unimpressed. On the plus, it's a lovely location, friendly staff, good tea, good cake.

Sausages are cooked in a microwave, bacon is from cheap watery industrial pap, sandwiches are made with cheap sliced bread and margarine, and their scones are the size and texture of boulders! Eat somewhere else.

Lovely food and service nice out look of the plants and nursery all round very good the staff very helpful when asking about bedding ect

A buddy and I called in to Fillpotts for lunch on Friday 4th March 2016, after shopping at Colemans nearby. We both had ham egg and chips which seemed very nice albeit in hindsight the eggs were probably underdone. I have had the most dreadful weekend of acute sickness and diarrhoea completely ruining the family plans for Mothers Day. My buddy called me today Monday 7th March to say how ill he had been over the weekend with identical acute diarrhoea and sickness and since the only food we had both eaten was the ham egg and chips we have concluded that the cause was almost certainly food poisoning.

Our family have been regulars there for a year or so. We could not get enough of their fantastic menu: breakfasts were great and the lunches were even better. We always raved on to our friends how well the food was and how it was wonderfully presented. All this sadly changed upon an appointment of a new chef. The food went from high quality in presentation and taste, to poor quality and very poor presentation. The out of packet food was swimming in a plate full of watery beans: a truckers cafe owner would have complained about the presentation of the food. We for the first time complained and enquired about the slump, to which the staff seemed very responsive and claimed it were teething problems with the new chef learning the ropes. So giving the benefit of the doubt we gave it a few weeks then went back. Only to be bitterly disappointed, same poorly presented out of the packet breakfast.

We had lunch on a Sunday and because of the weather it was fairly quiet. We had pretty high expectations as the reviews on here are very good and also the menu is very appetising. Unfortunately for us we just feel that it lacked those little touches you look for, like tables being cleared promptly and wiped (we had to wipe our own) and the kids cheese sandwiches seemed to be just thrown together, with the bread being way too big for toddlers to munch through. My salad garnish and my partner's garnish was definitely made from the day before's salad, it was looking a bit sorry for itself and a little soggy, from sitting in a tupperware box all day I imagine. Finally, for the prices being charged I didn't feel it met our expectations and I doubt we'll be back, unless we visit the garden centre during lunchtime and hopefully we'll get an experience more similar to other reviewers visits to the cafe.

I love visiting this garden centre and restaurant with my mum! The food is always amazing. The ploughmans lunch is my favourite and the homemade cakes are out of this world!

We go their regularly at Lunchtime and always find the Soup is very good but need to tell them, to make it hot, as we have had to send it back a couple of times to heat up,

The coffee shop is situated at the back of the nursery so don't be disappointed and keep looking. The coffee shop is in a lovely oak barn and has seating for around 60, however in the summer they have an outside patio area. The food was excellent and the fruit scone I had was still warm and the butter melted on application. Nice staff presenting an interesting menu which is worth a visit. We arrived around 9.30 and the breakfast menu was in full swing and these looked excellent I felt a little disappointed I had chosen one.

The only downside was that the food was so lovely that i didn't have room for cake! !!! The food was beautiful! !!! I can't wait to go back for afternoon tea :-)

Another garden centre cafe that is better than many actual restaurants and cafes in the Colchester area.Very good menu and friendly serving staff.We stopped off halfway through our bike ride for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect, including the lovely building the cafe is housed in.Lots of tables and a varied menu. I had the brunch burger which was delicious, maybe not the lightest choice for the journey home though!

Visit with family once or twice a month for breakfast and they are always well cooked and presented. On the strength of the breakfasts we tried them for lunch and were not disappointed, I had the cheese burger and whilst I am not a huge fan of a brioche bun that is steamed on top of the burger I appreciate that it is down to personal preference. This is much better then the usual garden centre cafe and deserves to be successful in its own right.