Foresters Arms in Colchester

Great pub! Nice vibe/atmosphere! Owners and staff are so helpful and friendly

Great place, love going here always such an amazing vibe

This pub is really friendly and welcoming, they allow dogs and serve great beers.

Lovely food and nice staff. We ordered from the Sunday lunch menu and enjoyed our choices of beetroot and butternut wellington and roast chicken, followed by cherry crumble and sticky toffee pudding. Thank you

Very pretty pub with nice beers and friendly bar staff

Absolutely wonderful friendly home from home pub. Made to feel very welcome. We found it while sightseeing during the daytime. Loved it so much we returned in the evening for their live Jazz band. It's a must place to visit while in Colchester. Hands down the best pub in the town. Special Thanks to Lily (bar supervisor), Thank you for your amazing hospitality Love from the Hertfordshire 4 💓

My family of four from the US was looking for a quieter spot in busier Colchester for dinner and this was just the place. We sat and played cards with drinks until the chef arrived and then enjoyed a really delicious meal - pub food but truly elevated and creative. The chef came out and talked to us and couldn't have been more welcoming. It has a casual neighbourhood ambiance but first class food. Terrific music playlist and the kids loved the dart board. This was the surprise find of our trip.

They had THEEEE best loaded fries ever!!! I came to Bedford all the time for them. It’s a shame they don’t do them anymore, but I’m still giving 5 stars as it was always fantastic and the staff were always so sweet

Lovely relaxing pub. Between us we had beef, magnificent, as was the gammon and lamb. With excellent service from the lovely barmaid/waitress, many thanks will be back again soon.

Gonna be a brief review - booked a table to watch the football - surroundings lovely & well kept, but - the reservation wasn't honoured and we waited at least 20 minutes to not be served a drink :( so we left

Enjoyed the burger but the service was very slow. It took an hour. No one else was eating.Wont eat there again. Why so slow ...????.

Great atmosphere.Lovely decor. Was here for a coaches football meet @bedfordphoenixfc

Nice clean beer but a bit unified for me but that's my taste but made very welcome

Really roomy and beautifully decorated pub with lots of natural light. ☀️ Possibly the best chips I've had in my life.🍟🍟🍟 Friendly staff.😺

Love this place. Always a great atmosphere and with summer on its way, the garden is a fantastic place to chill with friends and beers. Since the new owners took over in late 2023, it’s returned to being a friendly local with great beer on tap from Brewpoint. Food available on weekends and the place is available to book for parties and special occasions. And if you’re going to Esquire’s to watch a band etc, this is the best pub by far out of the local ones in the area. Highly recommended.

Best night I’ve had!! Staff were amazing and the food was so good that the kids asked for seconds!! Will be definitely coming back!!

Lovely cosy little pub, serves great Sunday lunch and has a warm freindly welcome. Evening drinks were pleasant and nice chatty locals , recommend popping in for a pint !

The women who served me drinks tonight were very pretty and very kind, enjoyed their company and service and will be coming again soon

Always had a brilliant time when I'm in the foresters arms

A lovely little gem with Becky at the bar concocting the most wonderful cocktails in a musical atmosphere of 80s and 70s music from old favourites that certainly chimed with the locals and visitors in the bar tonight 7th Dec 2023. Thank you Becky for an awesome experience with such personal attention to detail!

Lovely pub with really friendly staff, who made us and our dog feel very welcome! We can't wait to return :) thanks for a chilled Sunday

Sorry but we won't be going back here for food. What a shambles. Booked a table for 12 for after the remembrance parade. 1st problem was I ordered 1 x Soup and 2 x Roast Beef dinner and was charged for 2 x Roast Beef and 1 x Beetroot and Butternut Wellington. Then after about 20 mins waiting was told that there were no starters available so all had to be refunded. Finally from start to finish the meals took over an hour to come out. The excuse was that they only have a small kitchen. If you can't accommodate a large party then please don't accept the booking.

What a fantastic little gem this place is!? We went out for a Sunday lunch with the (big!) family and got wonderful service and delicious food. We will be back again!

Amazing staff, great beers and a lovely pub .

I’ve popped into this pub a couple of times now and I think it’s a lovely hidden gem. Nicely decorated and appointed, friendly staff and a nice little tucked away spot. Everything you could want from a pub, surely.

We had such a lovely time with family here. Thank you so much to all the staff, so well looked after and such amazing food!!! Definitely recommend to anyone. Fantastic roast dinner, absolutely stuffed! And choc dessert was amazing!! Great location too, so you can take a stroll in the park after

Had a perfect long and sunny cycling break here on my way from Harwich to London. Good food, perfect hospitality, nice location. Special thanks go out to Richard

Visited this pub for a drink on a Friday afternoon. It was very quiet but we had a really friendly welcome from the barman and enjoyed a drink in the lovely back garden. Very impressed with the stylish decor and large outdoor area. Look forward to visit again for food and more drinks

Fantastic pub, very welcoming and friendly.We went here the evening before my daughter's wedding. The staff were very friendly and made you feel welcome We had some delicious food .The owner of the pub gave us desserts on the house when he found out that Laura and Darren were getting married the next day and we could have had wine too! Looking forward to going there when they start their Sunday roast . Its hidden off the main road but a gem of a find . Thank you for making us feel so welcome .

I’ve been meaning to visit here for some time now, but the limited opening hours during the week hasn’t made it possible. Finally I got the chance but after popping in early on a weekday afternoon I doubt I’ll be returning. On arrival bar staff were no where to be seen but after a few minutes someone finally arrived from round the back. There’s a good enough range of drinks and prices not too bad, and I made the most of the weather by choosing to sit in the garden. This was a bit of a dirty space and certainly didn’t feel very comfortable. I’d have chosen to have my next drink inside, but again there was no one available to serve and I eventually gave up and left. Maybe I need to give it another go when it’s busier in an evening but I can’t recommend for a daytime visit.

Nice small local pub. Nice friendly staff

Excellent donut themed florring, highly recommended!

Excellent service, great night for 40th party.

We went for fish and chips at this lovely local pub while staying nearby. It was really good food and we would be happy to go back (except we live 100 miles away!). We had come across to visit Radio Caroline during a broadcast that day from the Ross Revenge. The beer was good too and the landlord really friendly.

A lovely little pub with a nice garden. The staff are helpful and the menu looks tasty.

Great night at the Foresters Arms. They have a fantastic new menu which has come on loads since our last visit.

Cosy local pub with a good selection of lagers and ales.

Had Sunday dinner with the family for my daughter's Birthday, food was excellent, couldn't fault it, staff very friendly too.

we all had great meals today at the Foresters Arms for Sunday lunch great home cooked meals and Deserts,great that it was dog friendly as well .many thanks

We often visit Colchester and eat and drink in various places in and around town. Needed something different for a change and found The Foresters Arms. Nice firendly staff, everyone made to feel welcome, people, little people & dogs. We sat inside as weather was windy, but outdoor seating available.. Ordered from the menu (Specials on a board available) Decided to eat (3 of us) ordered ham omlettes & haddock with chips. Nice large omlette, good portion of chips & salad. Large piece of haddock, again a good portion of chips, choice of mushy/garden peas. Also ordered starters of duck springs rolls to share All the food came out piping hot and cooked to order. Good old fashion pub-grub. Stayed on for a couple more drinks.afterwards All in all a nice experience, only recommendation, walk through castle park and not down East Hill, as its closer to town :-) Will be back the next time we' to town re in Colchester

A lovely pub, with a good atmosphere!

Good for catching up with friends - plenty of seating inside and out. Brewpoint beers and some decent food available.

Lovely recently renovated pub. Good selection of drinks and wonderful food, both of which are competitively priced. Sharing tiers are a must try. Themed nights throughout the week.

Great food and quick, friendly service

This is a really nice pub, toilets in good condition. I had a really good night there. Fantastic tasting my moctails. Only 4 stars due to slow service

Super friendly staff, nice place.

Nicely refurbished, friendly staff, just a shame that the real ales aren't up to scratch.

An absolute gem of Bedford. I sort of don't want people to know about it so I can have it as my own little bubble. Great punters and even better staff. We've just don't rock n roll bingo. I think I've found my new drinking hole. You have to come here!

Seems like a great pub with a lovely outside seating area

Fantastic atmosphere. Garden is the best around. Indoor lighting/seating is very cozy. Great selection of drinks. Food menu is lovely… and the Brunch menu even better! Music in the background works perfectly (not overbearing, and no trash you’d usually hear on Radio 1). Always welcomed by a smiling face. Can’t find any faults in this pub if i tried. The lovely owner has it down to a tee.

Cool place! Prawns in garlic chili sauce were just delicious. Great background music and friendly staff. We loved it, we'll be back!

Good to have this place back again - spent a very pleasant afternoon here on their first weekend back. Good luck to the new landlady on her new venture.

This is my honest opinion. Booked a table for 4 with a dog at short notice, was given a choice of tables so as we had a dog we sat outside. Excellent choice of food,had food fom the Sunday roast menu and was not disappointed. Served at the table after ordering from the bar. This was a typical old Englidh pub really ,welcoming ,would definitely visit again and would recommend. Thank you

Discovered this lovely unreconstructed pub hidden away in Colchester. I had an excellent lasagne and garlic bread and an excellent pint of well kept Landlord's bitter. The chef, Louise, has a deft touch with the food. Not cheap, not expensive, but well worth the money. All served by cheerful barman Darrell and waitress Linda. What a find!

6 of us, 3 generations all enjoyed a wonderful Sunday lunch. Well cooked and well presented meals. The staff were happy to give the children what they wanted off the Sunday menu. The staff were friendly and efficient. Holly served us and runs a good establishment.

It's okay. The place really needs a refurb!

My favorite pub in Bedford. Love the food

What a Gem. Lovely friendly little pub hidden away but well woth finding. Great welcome by very hospitable staff and locals. Not a large selection of beer but certainly a good one. Try the plum porter if it's on, delicious. Will be back when I'm next in town and I'll try the food.

Very nice pub. Not been there for years and love what they have done to the place. Nice ale on tap and nice wines on offer.

Really good pub and what a great dog.

Very nice food!!! Great vegetarian selection, freshly cooked, nice beer garden, Unfortunately they run out of Beers on tap early in the evening around 8pm so we left early.

Good street food, great beers and in general a good feel place

We have visited this pub twice since lockdown started back in March, both times for a great home cooked Sunday roast and a lush desert, the pub is clean, welcoming and cosy. The food has been excellent great British grub a real treat. Because of Covid it’s been table service which has been great we never waited long to order or when requesting another pint during our meal three times we were asked if we have everything we wanted. The pub has a village pub feel to it and is in all honesty quite unique for Colchester a perfect little pub, welcoming landlady, friendly staff a great range of ales on tap as well as a good Suffolk cider and most of all wholesome roasts on a Sunday. Perfect....

Absolutely horrendous pub. 50+ people outside completely breaking COVID rules all standing singing/shouting in the road outside the pub at 8.30pm. No cars could get up or down the road because of it. The outside seating area needs to be removed as it’s literally in the road otherwise somebody is gonna have an accident sooner or later. I don’t know how this pub is still open honestly.

The pub is under new management, and has improved a lot. Holly has used the pandemic to change most aspects of the pub, and it is attracting lots of people who used to avoid the place. Food is available from 10.30 most days, and is properly prepared from scratch. There are themed nights such as Burger Night, Seafood Night and various specials, and the food is good.In this time of social distancing, the pub feels busy but in a safe way. They are making good use of the loading bay outside, so that people can sit there. This would seem to be the safest way, at least for the summer. There have been a couple of bands, which play outside early in the evening, and that seems to work.The pub is a completely different place, so ignore all the one-star reviews from the past, as that era has finished

Dropped in on a Sunday lunchtime, without a booking, on the off chance that a table may be free. Despite being fully booked the landlord managed to find a table for us. That was just the start of an amazing visit! The landlord was one of the most welcoming and helpful people I have met. Great range of real ales and very well kept. The food was great and the roast potatoes were the best I've ever eaten. This is exactly how a small local pub should be. I wish I lived just round the corner. Definitely well worth a visit. Highly recommended.

Nice little town pub with Cask Marque status. They have a good selection of cask ales and real ciders. The barmaid was freindly and joined us outside (we were complete strangers!) for a drink and a chat which is rare for a pub nowadays!The pub is conveniently located next to the Castle Park in Britain's Oldest Recorded Town and is very easy to access with good opening times.

A clean pub with a good selection of beers. Bar staff friendly and helpful. I loved the atmosphere here.

We visited last Sunday to treat ourselves to a lovely roast dinner for hubbies birthday. The landlord was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and we all sat out in the sunshine enjoying a chat. Our meals were also enjoyed out in the sunshine, with the crispiest, fluffiest roast potatoes ever, mountains of veggies, beautifully cooked meat and extra gravy (always a bonus) Definitely the best roast dinner in Colchester

love this pub, great location next to the Castle, Fabulous roast dinner and great real ales. Has areal chilled out vibe

My wife, 6 year old daughter and I visited for lunch - no reservation. Food board clearly on show outside the pub. Ordered 2 lemonade and limes and a pint. They had no lime. A pub with no lime, hmm alarm bells start to ring. I mention we’ll be eating lunch just as barman starts to pour 2 lemonades (without lime). The pub is very quiet, it is 12.45pm. He says won’t be able to serve lunch for at least 45 minutes because I have no reservation. Oh I say, that won’t work, I have a hungry 6 year old, will have to go elsewhere sorry. He continues to pour lemonades. I said scrap the drinks then as we will have to leave.Barman hadn’t listened or heard me, and had a pop for letting him pour the drinks. Others in the bar agreed with me that I had in fact asked him to stop. As I went to pick up my stuff he told me to leave! I mean I was clearly already leaving, as I wanted food! A local lady waiting to be served also left in disgust with us in protest! Half expected him to come after me with a tree branch like Basil Faulty! I’ll certainly not be going back until a change of management. They might remember stock up with lime juice too.

On 11th Aug I booked for 2 people to have a Sunday roast on 26th Aug. The woman told me it was all booked for 1pm. We turned up just before 1pm and Mr Unsmiling behind the bar said that he didn't have the booking and couldn't seat us. I asked what he could do for us and was told "nothing". We left and found elsewhere but his attitude left us fuming. 0/10 for customer service. Can't rate the food!

Yet again the pub ran out of guest ales. This because of a completely disinterested landlord. Again there is no food during the week as yet another cook bites the dust.

Have been here several times recently, is a lovely pub with a good core clientele. Often no music which can be a bonus as encourages the lost art of conversation.

I've fallen out of the habit of review writing but felt moved to add this. From the moment we phoned to book (for Sunday lunch) everyone was lovely, helpful and accommodating. The menu was small, which is a good thing if it means that things are prepared with thought, from scratch, and with end results as tasty as what we ate today. My wife and I both had a fantastic gammon roast, our friend had a nut/seed roast and pronounced it awesome and one of the kids had "the best scampi ever" (his dad's opinion - not the 5-year old's). Beer was good: nice selection including local ale. All in all, it was fab. We had expected and would have been quite happy with a run-of-the-mill pub lunch; but came away so impressed! Heartily recommended. I wish them every success and hope to return soon.

I attended a wake at this pub last Wednesday and the man behind the bar was the rudest, most sullen individual I have ever encountered in the hospitality sector. There were at least two hundred people attending this party and all the barman could do was moan. He would have taken ten grand or more that day if he had the wherewithal, but halfway through the afternoon, when somebody mentioned that our dear departed friend had left money behind the bar of this pub before he died so he could pay for a round of drinks, it became apparent that the landlord had forgotten about it and then proceeded to be just a little bit too dramatic in his attempt to remember where he had put it.

What a wonderful evening ! French food to die for, ambiance second to none and an accompanying duo of accomplished entertainers, The Hat Check Honeys. We can’t wait for the next themed event!

Se reunieron con mi hermano, sobrino e hijo de un catch-up. Todos teníamos la carne asada y nos pareció que era la mejor carne asada que habíamos tenido en un pub.

Holly salió a decirnos sobre ella, así que curry especial pedimos el especial. Curry rojo tailandés casero, con una ensalada en el lado, opté por el pollo, también había una versión vegetariana. Fue agradable y picante. Qué regalo para un viernes por la tarde. A LAVARLO sidra bonito. Comida a un precio muy razonable. Muy agradable de ver la comida disponible en el silvicultores de nuevo. Volveremos pronto. Bien hecho sagrada. X

Sólo paramos para una rápida pinta antes de tener una comida en otro lugar. Me vio venir en barman y se fue sin decir una palabra. La cerveza está bien, no mal de precio. Pero la preocupación tiene un barman mucho que desear. Una palabra o dos consejos: si no te gusta la gente (o la gente en general, ellos o no) Considerar un trabajo alternativo.

Estado aquí un par de veces para tomar algo. Esta vez tenía el asado los domingos. Wow - excelente comida y un gran servicio. Servido por Mick (el dueño) y el servicio muy amable. Nosotros instalado en - aunque estaban completamente llenos. La comida está recién preparados y bien presentado. Tenía esposa y tenía el sobresaliente de cerdo. Muy agradable. Servir ale - tenía cerveza local colchester. Nada era demasiado problema durante nuestra visita. Es necesario reservar.

Today me and my husband visited our friends for dinner we had a table reserved for seven people and before we could even name our choice of meat for our Sunday roast we was asked to supply a credit card for down payment, our party of seven people witch includes three small children were left scratching our heads and looking at each other with disbelief,

Mi marido y yo nos conocimos con amigos en este pub restaurante. El ambiente era agradable y el servicio fue rápido, a pesar de la pub muy lleno en el tiempo. Tuve una patata chaqueta preciosa, aunque no era muy grande. Mi marido tenía curry y arroz. Era difícil encontrar un lugar donde aparcar cerca del pub. Nos podría volver otra vez, si estamos en la zona.

Somos un grupo de 7 senderistas que organizan un paseo y una comida de domingo en la zona de Colchester y mayor cada dos meses. Reservamos el silvicultores armas como estaba en nuestra ruta y no nos decepcionó. Todo estaba recién preparado y el patatas asadas eran de los mejores que he tenido en un pub. Dos personas tenían las gambas y también dijo que estaba delicioso. Sin duda recomiendo este pub. Buena comida, buena cerveza y un ambiente agradable. Ve y disfruta.

Just splendid - food good - the lasagne was sublime and the burger very satisfying... company ?? ... excellent !!We shall definitely return

We wentbas a couple to have beer and meeting friends, landlord was great, staff were good and the quality of beer on offer was very good. we didnt eat but the menu looked fresh and well covered for all. we shall use again.

Called in for lunch during watching cricket at castle park. Excellent food hand cooked by the lovely lulu. I saw a few others who had come up for lunch, definitely the best choice. Recommend coming for lulu's menu Tuesday to Saturday

Is this proper local. Spend your money here and you'll not only get top home cooking (try the fish pie) but your money will stay local and benefit the community too.You may get added extra of cello tuning, board games playing, resounding happy birthday.You can always, get proper beer, enter the quiz challenge and collect a few free books.

Bit of an us and them vibe with the regulars, but as it was a Saturday evening ok with it. Good selection of ales but let down by being told we could order up to 20minutes after asking, then when our friends arrived 10mins later, were told 'too late'.

Coming from New Zealand I've been introduced to Sunday Pub Lunches - a British tradition. The Foresters Arms gets a tick for being an Open House rather than part of a chain, so they determine their beer selection, its not dictated to them. The lunch offerings were listed as by Barbara and Mick was on the bar - they were both great, checking on our meals and recommending beer, notably promoting Colchester beer which was very good. The restaurant was quiet and we hadn't booked, but were offered an available table on arrival and settled in - the menu was the expected fare, I liked that they were willing to provide mains that incorporated half and half portions of the meat option (half portion of chicken with half portion of gammon, if that's what you wanted) - I chose the chicken. Service was very prompt, the plates were nice and hot (something that other pubs too frequently don't do) and the vegetables served in a really attractive presentation for us to share. So lets get onto the food itself. The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist. The gravy ideal. The Yorkshire pudding light and fluffy and perfectly formed. The vegetables were cooked to absolute perfection, the glazed carrots are a specialty at this pub and delicious. Portion size was perfect, a generous provision of roast potatoes that were golden and crisp on the outside and fluffy and moist on the inside. We finished everything on our plates and Mick and Barbara both checked we were happy with our meals, which we definitely were. Despite eating everything I could, I wanted a pudding and ordered the jam pudding with custard which again arrived promptly and was again perfectly formed and delicious. I have absolutely no hesitation recommending The Foresters Arms, the food was exceptional and the service warm and friendly - top notch presentation of classic pub fare, I'll definitely make it back to the Foresters Arms.

This was the first time we had eaten a cooked meal here previously we have had sandwiches. There were 3 of us and we had 1 roast beef dinner, 1 scampi and 1 Stilton and mushroom tart all of our meals were delicious and plentiful. We even decided to have desserts unusual for us but we were not disappointed, our friend had the cheese cake which she declared delicious, my husband and I had spotted dick and custard which was amazing. The food is definitely good value.The staff were friendly even though I woke the landlord from his slumbers earlier to book a table. We shall be returning.

Nice pub, pity he spoilt it. We won't go again until we know he has gone. Perhaps it was mistaken identity. He even come to the outside area to glare at us. I think he is a little too old for that sort of work as an employee, and two people in my company that day were older than him and had never been there before.

The food from Lulu (Monday to Saturday) is consistently excellent, all cooked from scratch. It is classic pub grub, but all made with proper ingredients from local butchers and grocers. The people who eat here are very happy with the food, cannot recommend it highly enough.

Had a really nice lunch with friends here. The lasagne was delicious - perfect taste and texture. Our friends said the meat pie was equally tasty. Everything homemade. All served by friendly staff on what was quite a busy afternoon. This little pub is off the beaten track and has a quirky, independent feel. Lovely.

Went to The Foresters for lunch with two friends on Saturday and had a lovely meal. They had a great menu, selection of real ales and we got served in good time. Very happy, we will be trying it again!

Always vegetarian dishes on the menu that are really tasty . This Is a PUB and a real Gem tucked minuites away from Colchester high street . It is not a resturaunt but a place packed with character and free entertainment . If you are looking for a a four course set dinner with lots of options then go to the West stockwell. Oh sorry thats closed due to bad reviews oh there's Amigos on North hill . Sorry thats closed as well . Maybe , Alan go out of town because its people like you that help put places out of business and put people out of a job . I do a agree with you Alan that theres no excuse for rudeness and maybe this put you in a bad mood over the food .

The scruffily dressed and surly 'gentleman' behind the bar serving was slow, rude and practically ignored us. The "menu" consisted of four main courses and a list of lighter meals. there was NO FISH or VEGETARIAN options.Food - when it arrived - was edible.There were more band players than customers. Looking at the surly "gentleman" behind the bar, one can understand why!I would never recommend anyone to visit this establishment, in fact I'm advising you not to!To the owner: the pub is in a good location, but you need to undertake some serious training on your staff. People do not go to a pub to face a surly bartender.Rude, just plain rude!!

Great food, with fresh local ingredients, well priced and excellent service. Can't say fairer than that!

We visit the pub occasionally for Sunday Roast and it is a good choice. We had both chicken and turkey and both were good with potatoes and variety of vegetables. The service is always nice and if you are sit outside, you can enjoy the sun and peace (if you don't mind the occasional car at the car park). Overall, a very good place to rest after shopping in town or a have a break after a stroll in the park.

Called in for lunch on what was, I understand, the new chef's first day. Well, I have to say, what a treat. One of the finest bits of pie I have ever tasted! Pastry is made by hand, the pie is cooked from scratch in house. My friends tried other dishes and were just as happy with their food. We had a warm welcome from the young lady behind the bar, Alice, and our meals were delivered in person by the happy, beaming chef Louise, who quite clearly puts a lot of care and skill into the cooking. There are all too many pubs which churn out frozen meals and call it home-cooked, but the difference is very clear when it really is home-made.This is a nice little pub close to the town centre and if they are serving up food like this, it can only become better known. We all hope to return again soon and try some more of this lovely food.