Greyfriars Colchester in Colchester

Went for afternoon tea yesterday with my mum as a birthday treat and sadly did not have the best experience. We arrived at 2.30pm and there was a 20min delay before getting offered any tea and then there was a further 15min delay before getting the sandwiches. There venue was not busy - only a table of 2 and a table of 10 when we arrived both of which left not long after we arrived so for the majority of the time we were the only ones there. The tables were not cleared so we had to look at messy tables which spoilt the ambiance. The staff were quite rude and kept telling us they were busy - even when we were the only ones there. Near the end of our time they started moving chairs from the room we were in to a different room again making us feel very uncomfortable and forcing us to feel like we needed to move. During our time there we spoke to the Events manager to raise our concerns and were offered 2 free glasses of prosecco. This experience cost nearly £60 but do not feel the experience received warranted this cost sadly. Over the last few years we have used Greyfriars for a number of occasions including my wedding reception and always had great experiences but yesterday's experience has sadly deterred us from wanting to go back.

We stayed at Greyfriars for 3 nights while in Colchester and had booked a junior suite. On arrival we were both upgraded to the superior suites which were both amazing - clean and well appointed - luxury rooms. Th receptionist was helpful and friendly. Breakfast on the first day was lovely. Breakfast on the second day was not quite so good, the tables all looked dirty with crumps left - and stains on them. We mentioned this to the waiter - or insisted they were clean then sprayed their cleaning chemical over a laid table spraying the cutlery as he went ... he was quite rude. The food was fine although I had to help myself to the juice as it just didn;t arrive. On doing so the same waited rolled his eyes at me - he is NOT luxury hotel quality staff and let the place down. On the 3rd morning the staff were lovely and food was good. The tables were stained and the teapots and cups stuck to the table raising the question of health and safety - this needs to be looked at. Other than this and the rude waiter who could do with teaching some English ways of dealing with clients, it was a fantastic stay in a lovely hotel

Excellent stay in a very grand building with characterful rooms, near to the Castle and city centre. Our room was on the second floor up a small extra flight of stairs. It looked over the gardens the back so was quiet. The bathroom was amazing the the bedroom was well appointed. It seems the hotel has been created by combining three attractive old buildings, so the rooms are individual and interesting. The location is great, right by the Castle and 5 minutes walk to the city centre. Breakfast was extensive, and both the dining rooms were nice. We had a drink the bar one night which was fun. It feels like the hotel will get better with age and more stories. Individually all the staff were friendly and helpful.

Went for an afternoon tea for a 80th Birthday. Reading the reviews customers were offered extra sandwiches, we were not offered this and we wanted to try a different type of tea but were told we would have to pay extra for that. Expensive afternoon tea and scones were hard. Tables were too close together

This is a lovely hotel and I was fortunate to be upgraded to a junior suite, the breakfast is superb all cooked freshly and advice would be to book with breakfast included. Having its own gated car park is a major plus and I found everyone to be friendly throughout my 2 night stay. I’ve only 1 gripe and that’s the exit to the beer garden via the main bar, the sign says mind your head but sadly I didn’t see that and cut my head open, the opening needs to be renovated to take away the sharp bits, if it wasn’t for this I’d of given 5 stars.

The hotel choice was driven by proximity to the town centre and rail stations. On arrival this beautiful hotel was so well kept and we were delighted with our upgraded room. The sun terrace was a bonus in the great weather and it was served well by the adjacent bar / coffee service. Whilst we didnt use the restaurant, except for the excellent breakfast each morning, the menu was very tempting. Lastly, places are made by people with each and every member of the team being "just so nice" I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel.

The only downside was the staff. We waited 15 minutes on a table outside until someone brought menus and offered drinks. Then gone, no one came back. I went inside to see 3 members of staff doing nothing but chatting. Great place, great food. Please ask the staff to be a little more attentive and take their blinkers off so they look around, not just straight forward

A lovely afternoon tea with friends. Attention to detail outstanding. Lovely sandwiches & refills offered. Lovely scones and cakes. Plenty of wine choice and tea choices. We sampled the cocktails in the bar before entering the restaurant plenty of choice.

I stayed here for business Great location Great secure free car park Great duplex room Lots of working space Good shower Great comfy bed The best cook to order breakfast Eggs Benedict was amazing Highly recommend

There are lots of very positive aspects to this hotel: secure, plentiful car parking (a big advantage in a city centre location); very tastefully renovated heritage building; central location; and very comfortable bed. On the downside, we had a room with the bed on a mezzanine floor which, whilst superficially attractive, was not very convenient (bedroom and bathroom separated by a quite steep wooden staircase). Also, the food was mixed; my wife’s main course was excellent but my steak was disappointing. Finally, the staff were perfectly pleasant but the service was not up to the standard of the building (or the room rate). Could do better would be our rating (but the advantages certainly outweighed the disadvantages).

I’ve stayed here a few times now & I’m never disappointed. From the moment you check in the staff are super helpful. Beds are very comfortable. Rooms always very clean. I love it when I get the opportunity to come back!

N'hésitez pas à entrer même si la bâtisse est grande et guindée. On y déjeune très bien. Des petits salons intimes, des petits plats, des bons thés et des bons cocktails. Bref un bon moment très stylé en famille ou entre amis.

Fabulous afternoon tea, great food and drinks. We were in the Rose Room which was really nice but the waiter does need a little bit more training. Extra sandwiches were offered after we had started eating the scones, he forgot the milk and the teas were a long time coming. Saying that the food was delicious and a good price too. My second time there and really enjoyed

We had a nights stay here and it was a lovely experience. Very comfortable bed in a spacious suite. We appreciated the included mini bar, Nespresso coffees, with fresh milk in the fridge. Friendly staff. We enjoyed an excellent cocktail at the end of our evening in the bar. Breakfast was included and of a high quality. Poached eggs were perfectly done on my eggs Florentine.

Lovely Beef Wellington and wine for two. Clean white table cloth and white cloth napkins. Cutlery blotched with a plethora of fingerprints - great fun for a forensic fingerprint expert while they wait for their meal, but not for us really.... However, it then went downhill further...... Our poor waiter offered us Blue cheese or Peppercorn sauce with our Beef Wellington - when these sauces didn't arrive, he apologised and said the sauces didn't usually come with this dish. I smiled and told him that it was not a problem. A few minutes later however, we were startled with a couple of little jugs hastily microwaved: Blue cheese and Peppercorn sauce. I think these appeared as extras on the bill, but I'm not certain..... Also, the French fries we had ordered turned up after some time and after I had queried their whereabouts in as many Eastern European and Asian languages as I could muster for the fabulously multi-cultural staff: "Frytki", "Phrain̄ca phrā'īza".... Bit of a muddle really, but a little bowl of chips for £5 was eventually welcomed to our table - and for 20 or so little chips, 25p per chip was not unreasonable I suppose, to sit in an empty restaurant on a Friday afternoon in an ecclesiastical setting whose atmosphere has been drained by months and years of neglect and poor management. Average beef Wellington but nice mash and cabbage. Attentive waiting staff well-practiced in apologising. The directors appear to have been in place for some years, and this restaurant has had some good reviews. A glance at the accounts available via Companies House gives an interesting view. We paid £160 for a fairly well cooked but blunderingly attended meal for two - not outrageous I suppose. But I have eaten in 100's of restaurants around the world, and in terms of quality, value and service, this place ranks VERY poorly in my personal estimation. In terms of atmosphere? Sepulchral! However, you may have a better experience, so dont write it off. Just speak clearly when ordering. Double-confirm your order with the staff, like you would at McDonalds. Manage your expectations and use the time while you wait for your meal to Google other nearby restaurants to try next time. And keep your fingers crossed.......

Four couples went here for Afternoon Tea. It was for my birthday, but I'm not keen on any fuss, so when I booked and was asked if it was for any occasion I said no. But my friends has other ideas, and bought with them flowers, which were placed on the table. It was coincidentally one of my friends Wedding Anniversary. The tea was fabulous, but what made it extra, extra special was the service ,which was exemplary. Very calm, we were never rushed, it all felt very special. And the building is wonderful. And to make the day finally special, my friend and I had plates with Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary written in chocolate. The chocolate was delicious. Will certainly be returning

Looked so appealing when we arrived with a clean and impressive reception and some nice snug areas for drinks…but… We would never stay here again. We had room 23 on the ground floor just opposite the reception. Nice spacious room with a large bed and bath, but don’t get excited about the free mini bar, there is next to nothing in it, one alcohol free beer and one normal, and a couple of soft drinks, although at least it’s something I guess….however….the shower did not drain away and practically flooded the room, we had to get the guy on reception to bring lots of towels and help us clean it up as the floors are not carpeted so became exceptionally slippery and I nearly fell several times which would have caused an injury. Also when you big flush the toilet it doesn’t stop running, we found we needed to pump the flush to get it to stop, so if you use the toilet in the night prepare for frustration. Then the banging air conditioning. By about 1.30am we had to call reception again to complain and ask how to stop it having a regular metallic clanking sound, we were told something about the metal in it heating up and cooling down, but not a solution. We turned it all off and allowed the room to become cold instead, so basically we have hardly slept! We heard doors banging periodically through the stay, which we found out was people going up to their rooms and letting the heavy fire doors slam….From about 7am we have heard people banging around in the hall, which echo’s, in what sounds like staff getting buckets or something out of cupboards, and slamming doors. No peace at all. Haven’t slept a wink really. Oh, then the church bells start ringing…urgh. The manager apologised but she only reduced the bill 15%, which is a considerably less percentage than sleep we got! Expected a much better offering than that for all the issues.

We had another amazing few days stay at Greyfriers. The staff make the experience for us - helpful and always smiling and engaging. The food is some of the best that we have eaten (breakfast, lunch and dinner are all exciting!). Compliments to the kitchen staff for making our tastebuds dance!! Our room was lovely and had everything we could wish for. Thanks again to all the staff for making it a memorable stay.

I’m due to go tomorrow for afternoon tea with my partner and had a complimentary call to confirm things and informed them of my nut allergy, which I wrote on the note when booking online. The lady said you’ve got a nut allergy. Is it okay if your partner takes off the nut items from the plate. I believe this is unacceptable and worried about my trip tomorrow. Hopefully they will take it more seriously in person tomorrow.

Just spent a lovely afternoon having a delicious afternoon tea for my daughters baby shower. The staff were very polite and attentive and the food was fresh and delicious. The venue is spotlessly clean, and warm inside. A great venue highly recommend a visit for a very nice afternoon tea.

The hotel is beautifully decorated and welcoming. It was very hot inside. When getting into bed we found a massive dry blood stain on the bedsheets. The minibar was minimal and the room service tray was left outside the room all night.

Lovely, spacious, comfortable room with good breakfast (although seemed to be short staffed with no one returning to offer coffee refills). Requested broken bathroom radiator be fixed but was not addressed during our stay. Free, secure parking and very walkable to shopping.

Peter and I cannot thank Hannah and Tim (Events Managers) for arranging and delivering the perfect wedding for us on Friday. Greyfriars Hotel is an absolute gem, and our guests were thrilled with the gorgeous breakfast and bedrooms. Our wedding on Friday was for 24 family members, and the Greyfriars team started our celebrations by serving delicious canape's and champagne in the afternoon, then a 3 course evening dinner in the private Rose Room, which was superb. All the staff were absolutely amazing and made sure everyone was looked after with such care. We have such wonderful memories, and our heartfelt thanks goes to you all at Greyfriars, Colchester. One more thing, every single member of staff, from the housekeeping team, reception team to the bar and restaurant staff, greeted all the guests with a smile !!! We will be back!! Kind regards Debbie

I'd visited previously for afternoon tea, and had a wonderful vegan selection of food, so I was excited to be invited to a family celebration dinner. I was so disappointed with the vegan options. There was apple and carrot or garden risotto for starters, but the only vegan choice for main course was garden risotto. I thought it was very lazy to have the same option for starter and main - who would want the same dish twice? I ended up ordering a side order of green vegetables for my starter and the risotto for my main course. However, I felt cheated when my family members could choose from several options. There were not even any other vegetarian choices. I felt let down. The setting and service were great, but the restaurant is really not inclusive which is disappointing for a restaurant of this quality.

Went for a meal with business partners, service was amazing, atmosphere as soon as your enter this amazing building was great. Food was excellent and presented very good, look forward to returning soon. Highly recommend!

Meal for 6 to celebrate a loved one lost last year. Based on ambience and staff, 5 out of 5 starts, our waiter was superd. Based on food 2 out of 5. Based on chef's attitude 0 out of 5. Risotto was on the under side of al dente but I said nothing, 2 Wellingtons ordered medium were well done, medium steak isn't brown and dry, well done is. Waiter raised with chef and the reply was "it's medium". Not the type of reply that generates return custom especially when, including tip, the meal costs nearly £400 even though 3 of the guest ate from the children's menu. Very disappointing and no intention of returning.

Food was delicious. Service was great. They even asked what the celebration was and bought out my dessert on a plate saying happy birthday. Really pleased. Thank you

Met friends for a cream tea. Very pleased with the experience. Staff were excellent, from the receptionist to the waiters, efficient and friendly. We were seated under an umbrella and heater turned on for us. Offered blankets but we were comfortable without using them. We chose a cream tea which was beautifully presented and teapots refilled. The hotel areas we saw were spotless and a bonus was the free parking

Over priced food £13 for a basic sliced bread sandwich with 6 chips very slow and rude staff especially Rodand the assistant manager had no service or people skills,the setting is nice but that’s all.would recommend or go back worse restaurant I’ve ever eaten at and staff need training in service and manners very poor

Visited for the first time, having recently moved to the area.Booking a table was very easy, with e-mail confirmation received.Complimentary parking was easy to find and very helpful details on the web-site.Unfortunately we were unable to secure a table on the terrace in direct sunlight so was a bit chilly, but the outdoor gas heaters and blankets available upon request were fantastic.Our sandwiches were excellent as were the accompanying fries (portion size of the fries could have been more generous though), also we shared a cream tea with a scone each, and it was top notch.Beverages we enjoyed, cocktails, beer and sparkling wine.Overall a very nice experience, reasonably expensive but reflected in the quality of the venue with super service from the staff, highly recommended, look forward in returning soon.

Lou was fab, really nice to talk to and made our evening lovely! thanks for a great evening gal xxxx

My husband and I had lunch at GreyFriars restaurant on 15th December, 2020. Everything about the meal was first class. Both of the soups (tomato and smoked garlic, and sweet potato, cumin and coconut) were fabulous and the bread served with them was fantastic. The salmon fish cake was honestly the best I have ever eaten and my husband really enjoyed the chicken ballotine. The desserts were wonderful. I loved the rum baba and my husband said several times how delicious the sticky toffee pudding was. The waitress, Niamh, was very friendly and attentive. She gave excellent service throughout the meal. We thoroughly enjoyed the meal and would definitely recommend the restaurant.

We stayed one night there for an escape prior to lockdown. The staff at reception were really friendly and welcoming and COVID-19 safe.The room was large and comfortable . The decor a bit tired ( carpets) . The bed was large and comfortable. The best aspect was the huge bathroom with a lovely metal bath .Good choice of l’occitane toiletries and plenty of space for everything.There was a Nespresso coffee machine and tea making facilities and complimentary non alcoholic mini bar . It would have been nice to have some biscuits.It was quiet.Breakfast had a nice choice cooked to order .Had a lovely meal in the restaurant also .Good value for money

The staff are lovely, cannot do enough for you. We had booked on the terrace so when we arrived and there was no heater or table set up, it was a little disappointing but this was quickly sorted. The food was good, interesting ideas and well cooked, although my fillet steak was a over cooked.They could definitely make more of the terrace.

So, I don't normally write reviews, but here goes!We got married in Feb this year, and due to my husband getting a new job & COVID-19 we hadn't managed to book anywhere so when the opportunity come up about having a night away, my husband and I jumped at the chance, Mother in law having our daughter and our puppy.We booked to have Room 14, as our parents had been before and also my husbands brother had just stayed the month previous and had amazing time there.Lovely large secure car park which is free, you have to give your registration to reception at check in.We arrived early due to having lunch and look around in Colchester, unfortunately our room wasn't ready which wasn't a problem as we wanted a few cocktails in the bar. Reception checked us in, signed relevant paperwork for our stay. Reception did try and charge us again for our room, although we had paid when booked our room. You also have to pay £50.00 deposit for any extra/breakages. (We wasn't aware of this charge either).Receptionist showed us to the bar area, where we were saved by the barman. Staff very professional, friendly and will do anything for you. By now we had a few drinks at the bar, and we could hear other guests checking in and their rooms not being ready. Waitresses were telling bar staff that people were entitled to complimentary drinks. Our room was ready at 3:20pm however at no point was we offered complimentary drinks due to us waiting? Maybe we should have waited until 3pm and then we would have been offered, but because we were spending money in the bar, maybe they didn't want to offer us a free drink for our wait?Room was lovely and large, clean, was pretty impressed with how big the television was to be fair. Lovely nice bath, so remember your bubble bath if your saying in room 14!Ordered room service, although we did struggle. No where in the room told us the number we had to call to order, we guessed and dialled 0 which took us through to reception where she took our order and past through to the kitchen. Room service was pretty quick, I order the chicken burger and chips and was amazing, Thank you to the chef who cooked this!Both my husband and I didn't have a good night sleep, we thought the bed was very uncomfortable, although you can pleased everyone with the mattress.We had breakfast included in our room. you didn't have to book, just go downstairs to the restaurant and give your room number between 07:30 and 11:30. Again, staff were very professional and couldn't be more happier with the service we received, however breakfast wasn't explained to us. We were given a menu and just asked what we wanted. We didn't know whether we could have pastries and then a cooked breakfast too or whether it was just one or the other. We felt like this could have been explained to us and we could have enjoyed our breakfast better.Check out was a bit confusing to be fair. Receptionist tried to charge us for breakfast although included in our room. The receptionist then wanted to charge us for our room service instead of taking it of £50.00 which we paid on check in. She told us that was for extras too. We had to pay for our room service separate and then wait for the money to be refunded. When checking the amount on our receipt we also noticed that we had been charged extra for room service, again no point was informed that this was going to be an extra charge. We looked everywhere within the menu too, (Even the small print) because we were looking at how to order the food. Bit disappointing to be fair.Overall we had an alright stay, could have been much better. The only reason we booked this hotel is that we had good feedback from all our family and friends who have stayed here prior to us booking. I personally wouldn't recommend this hotel to friends and family if I am completely honest. This was the 1st time since February that we had stayed away and I couldn't say I really enjoyed my stay.

We had dinner here on the 10th and the food was great and the service was second to none, made even better by how friendly and attentive Sharon was.We were initially hesitant in booking as the only time slot was 5pm (early for us) however were not disappointed.Only criticism was that when we booked the table we were not told that would have to leave by 8pm, however this didn't cause a problem as we were fed and watered in plenty of time.We will be back soon.

Returned after 7 months since last visit (immediately before lockdown). Despite requesting a superior king room, as marketed through Booking.com, we were allocated a tiny room with a small shower room with a horrible outlook. Bed was definitely not a King. To add insult to injury, on checking availability online during our stay, there were numerous other rooms available and at much lower prices than we paid just a week before! The room carpet was dirty, as were the carpets on the stairs and hallway - during lockdown there has been plenty of time for a deep clean!! On the plus side, the restaurant was great.Apparently the room descriptions for the standard “classic” room are marketed as superior on Booking.com - very misleading.

We stayed for one night to see friends in Colchester and the central location and private parking was great. Breakfast and the room was also very nice, would only say that an air con unit or other equipment ran all night above our room which was a little disappointing for the price range of the hotel.

A lovely hotel in the Heart of Colchester, situated perfectly for shopping & exploring. We had a beautiful room that was spotlessly clean & extremely comfortable. Staff where very courteous, polite & all very smart.We ate at Cloisters restaurant twice during our stay at GreyFriars & both times the food was absolutely amazing! It totally exceeded our expectations & will definitely be eating there again whenever we are in Colchester.

Stunning location and a great get away treat. Hotel staff are very welcoming and friendly. We stayed in the Vinoly Suite which was stunning. However when paying top money please make sure the amenities work. For example sound system in the en-suite bathroom was not working. Laziness and cost by management in not fixing these kind of issues, because they should check everything after the departure of each guest. The twin bath tubs are great but they should really operate off a separate water pressure system as you can get through a bottle of champagne before they fill up Had lunch and drinks on the terrace. Stunning and faultless. Gin served in fish bowls with fever tree tonic. 10/10. Seafood sandwich was amazing as were the hand cut chips. Staff were 10/10. Dinner. Great setting and food and presentation was excellent albeit I sent my fillet steak back. Don’t like it when chefs make their steaks go brown due oxidation as this dries them out and I like to see the crisp pinkness of the steak when cutting into it. Breakfast: Well had some cooked English full breakfasts over my time and this one ranked up there with the best of them.

We had lunch today on the terrace as a bit of a treat for myself, my daughter and two year old grandson. Not our first visit, we have been a number of times . We ordered plaice goujons and fries, buttermilk chicken burger and fries and chicken goujons for my grandson. The burger came with anchovy mayonnaise already spread on the burger and was awful. No idea why they would choose to put a fishy mayonnaise with a chicken burger. The plaice goujons were dry and arrived without the half lemon mentioned on the menu and my grandson’s chicken goujons were bordering on burnt, dry and hard for a two year old to eat although they came from the children’s menu. Besides this the terrace where we ate was littered with cigarette ends. The high chair was only just big enough for our slightly built two year old and fitted right against his tummy. The staff and cocktails were fine but five star? I don’t think so. Came home and made toast. Expensive and appalling. Should have gone to MacDonalds. A fraction of the price and no cigarette ends.

I have been in for afternoon tea today but the service was terrible. I was booked for 3.30pm but at 3.55pm I had to go and ask for the food. They took us to the restaurant then moved us to the bar, then onto the terrace but it was too cold out there so we were put in the dingy room at the back of the bar. We sorted our own tables out so we could eat off of them and plugged in the lights do we could see. We had the sandwiches, my husband wanted a few more but no one came to see if it was ok or if we wanted anymore. We waited 30 - 40 minutes before they came back with the next course but with this came 6 more plates of sandwiches (Our first order) which we refused as what was the point in having the whole selection again. We have about 5 different servers not a constant one so they didn’t know what we had already had. They did not have the cake stands so we had to wait for that as well. They brought the tea pots out, but 9 minutes later They brought the cups. One person had a coffee but there wasn’t a spoon with it, we had to ask for sugar. They offered us more tea but it looked like the they just put water in it and no tea leaves. I asked for more tea to be put in but I don’t think it was. No one came to clear the plates so we sat until we left with the plates on the table. I have been here a number of times but each time the service is getting worse. I am booked in again for afternoon tea in a few weeks but I am not sure if I want to come back again. I spoke to the bar staff but they just said sorry and here is your bill. I was not offered a printed bill either so I could check what I had paid. I am very disappointed as this was supposed to be a treat for my mum but this has left us very very disappointed.

My partner booked the romance package for my birthday on the 10th September. From the offset the staff at reception were very friendly and checking in was quick and efficient. We were politely told that this establishment requires us to wear face masks whilst walking around the hotel and walking to our table at dinner, which we were happy to comply with.We had booked one of the junior suites, which was beautiful. We were particularly in awe of the beautiful bathroom attached to the room, with a double sink and a double shower. My partner however was slightly disappointed as he was told there would be rose petals and heart macarons in the room upon arrival which there wasn’t. I would suggest that anyone who books this package calls up beforehand to check that they will be there. We also received a bottle of Prosecco and some lovely canapés to the room. However you do need to ask for these to be brought up as they understandably don’t want to leave them in there before you arrive. We had our table booked for 8pm but at 7pm we went down to the bar and sat outside on the terrace to have some drinks beforehand. We noticed that the young lady who was working behind the bar was very friendly. I had a french martini cocktail which was delicious. Once we got to the dining room for dinner, we were swiftly sat at a beautiful booth table by a very friendly staff member. We were quickly offered drinks and had received them and ordered our dinner within 5-10 minutes. As for the dinner, we were pleasantly surprised at how tasty the food was. For starters we had the truffle mushroom bon bons which were packed full of flavour, and the pea and mint soup which was also delicious. We had received some warm, fresh salty bread for the table before our starters which my partner saved for his soup. For mains we had the salmon fish cake with a side of garlic mash and the chicken ballotine. These mains were of as high quality as the starters. For desert we had the sticky toffee pudding (possible the best I’ve had) and the tarte tatin which my partner thoroughly enjoyed. We both enjoyed the house red and the house white throughout which were lovely and good value for money.As for Covid19 there was social distancing in place, and we witnessed the staff members cleaning the salt and pepper shakers after use which is a good sign. Everything seemed clean, including the room.As we headed down for breakfast the next morning we had a lovely young lady serve us who was very smiley and friendly and really made the overall breakfast experience for us. I had the vanilla pancakes with maple syrup and cream which honestly were some of the best pancakes I have ever had.Myself and my partner honestly don’t understand where these negative reviews have come from. For us the service was perfect, fast, efficient and friendly. We could not fault anything about our stay and dining experience. We’ve even said it may be the best hotel and dinner experience we have had and are actually planning our next visit, hopefully within the next couple of months.Thankyou to all at GreyFriars for a fabulous and romantic night away.

We visited Greyfriars for dinner as a couple on a Saturday night in September as a bit of a treat after hearing so many good things about the restaurant. Unfortunately our experience started off on the wrong foot. We arrived at reception, and were advised we needed to wear face masks in the public areas of the restaurant. This was not told to us during the booking process, and is not usually practiced in restaurants so we did not have any, and were charged £3.95 EACH for two masks. Whilst I absolutely don’t mind wearing masks, these were worn for a 10 metre walk to our table then removed. Throughout the evening 99% of staff and guests were walking around without face coverings and it was not enforced at any stage, so £8 was totally wasted. The Barmen saw the mask charge on our bill towards the end of the night and were laughing that they charge people for this - unbelievable!The food, wines and cocktails were fantastic. No bad feedback there, we enjoyed three courses and cocktails before and after dinner which were all excellent.The service was somewhat lacklustre with what appear to be very inexperienced and untrained waiting staff who deliver your meals without bringing cutlery which we had to ask for, and not pouring any of the wine during the evening which you expect when you’re paying so much money for the experience. The dining room was lovely, well decorated and the bar area very comfortable it’s just a shame other elements didn’t meet up to the standard.

The hotel is very nice and we have stayed a number of times, however they let themselves down with poor service in the restaurant and bar. Many of the staff are university students which is fine, but there is never anybody in charge making sure they get it right.

We had originally booked to stay in April but due to covid19 we had to cancel. Booking was very easy and hassle free, just paid on departure. Communication over email was excellent with quick replies and very helpful. All requests were met as promised. Room was nice with a very spacious bathroom. Very clean. Bed was extremely comfortable! Had all the amenities you would need, and Netflix was available on the tv too which was a bonus. We didn't eat in the restaurant but drank at the bar which was nice and friendly staff. Breakfast in the morning was faultless too with vegetarian options. Would definitely stay again. Thank you for a nice stay

My partner & I booked the junior suite for our anniversary. On arrival we checked in at reception by a lovely receptionist who checked our temperature and could not do enough to help us. The room was amazing and I’d mentioned on booking that it was our anniversary and they’d left us a small platter with ‘Happy Anniversary’ written on it in chocolate and two chocolates- nice touch. The bed was a king size and incredibly comfortable. The complimentary mini bar included 2 beers, 4 glass bottles of water & 2 fizzy glass bottles of squash which were lovely. The coffee machine was of high standard and had different brands of tea and coffee as well as expresso shots. The bathroom was very clean and had l’occatine toiletries which were handy as I’d forgotten to pack shower gel.The bath was huge and included a shower head in it too. There was also a separate shower which included a seat.We had our own private courtyard which was pretty big and included a table and four chairs. The courtyard could’ve done with being swept as there were stones and leaves everywhere and the table was dirty. We had access to what was supposed to be ‘super fast’ WiFi. However, the WiFi in the room kept switching off on my phone and would only connect in the courtyard which was a bit of a pain. I spoke to the receptionist and she gave me a booster but that didn’t improve it at all. However, she was most apologetic and helpful.We booked into the restaurant for our evening meal and the food was nothing short of incredible! Pretty decent size portions too. However, the restaurant stuff looked down our noses at us and made an effort to talk to their obvious ‘regulars’ but we were treated with almost contempt. Maybe it was because we were not the usual ‘type’ of clientele and made me, in particular, feel uncomfortable. However, the food was incredible.We wanted breakfast brought to our room so I handed in the breakfast form to reception where there was now a new night time receptionist who seemed bored and was very unhelpful unlike the previous receptionist. There was a ‘tray charge’ of £5 for the breakfast to be brought to our room which I personally thought was a bit of a liability! We were awoken to the sound of the cleaner outside our room banging and crashing around making and carried on making this racket for about 20mins so we couldn’t go back to sleep! Breakfast was brought to our room at exactly the time we asked for by a very friendly young lady. Once again, the food was nothing short of amazing and came with lots of locally produced jams and sauces.Overall, the stay was brilliant and, what with Boris’s 50% eat in food, amazing value for money food wise.

We had the Romance package which included the room, rose petals, prosecco, heart macaroons, canapés, dinner, breakfast. Dinner: The food was great, however they were very busy and we had quite long waits between our courses. Breakfast: breakfast was a bit of a disaster, after we ordered they let us know there would be a delay as they were busy and offered us toast while we waited which was fine. However, when we finally got our food my partner was given the wrong meal and mine was missing an ingredient, no one checked on us so we didn't have the opportunity to say anything and since it was prepaid we just ate it and left. Rooms: We had one of the biggest suites which was great, they had made swans on the bed and rose petals everywhere. The only issue was our room's bathtubs were dirty but everything else was clean.(we had to ask for the prosecco which makes sense or it'd get warm, but they also forgot to bring the canapés and left them in our room when we went to dinner so they had become soggy and inedible.)I would stay here again if it was less busy, I feel like they would usually get everything right but let too many people in with not enough staff.

A Friday night and the first time at this hotel and restaurant.Simply stunning quality for the day card 3-course menu for just £19.Every choice was presented well, had a very good portion size, and simply exquisite taste. The pineapple Tarte Tatin for dessert was just the best I have ever had.I was there as visiting my grandchild but will not hesitate to return.To compare I recently eat after this visit at a Michelin star restaurant in Newbury that happened to have pineapple Tarte Tatin. This was better and the Newbury Tarte was £24 for dessert not £19 for a 3-course sumptuous meal.

My partner and I visited for my 50th birthday meal last week, we had a wonderful experience, the meal was tasty and well presented, the staff who were very busy did a great job, I will definitely recommend coming here and will be coming back again

Surprise visit today for pre-birthday cocktails on the terrace, lovely setting, attentive waiter and the drinks were delicious ! Not our first visit, coffee, light lunch, lunch in the dinning room all been super......looking forward to afternoon tea in the rose room next week!

We had no idea this hotel and restaurant existed until a friend recently recommended a visit. As it was we had both missed each others birthdays so decided to have a treat from our usual restaurants in town. Everything was perfect, the table, the restaurant, staff, food, wine and even the price reasonable for the ambience and dining experience. There was also plenty of space between tables and hand gel. The rest rooms were also immaculate. I had the beef wellington with an extra side, wine choice by bottle or glass was very good, very reasonably priced, even sparkling water was reasonable. Very pleased we have visited and had a lovely evening.

For Christmas my mum gave my wife a voucher for dinner at GreyFriars. We prebooked to have a meal on the Terrace for my wife’s birthday. With COVID & 2 young children it was the first night out we had had in about 8 months so we were really looking forward to it.We arrived and there wasn’t a table reserved on the terrace, just a spot down in what looked like a converted car park. We said we’d wait in the bar for a table, which they were very hospitable about. We had not long got our drinks and were shown to our table.Service to start wasn’t rapid but nothing to complain about. We order 2 starters & 2 mains; 1 main being the fillet steak (£26), which I wouldn’t normally go for but since my mum was paying & BoJo was giving me 50%/£10 off, I thought why not. The starters came out quickly and we’re fine I only a slightly underwhelming. We had the Prawn/Lobster/Crab cocktail & Bass Ceviche. The cocktail was fine but the ceviche was massively disappointing; bass (cut so small you couldn’t taste) on a bed of hard avocado, but we held our tongue. We ordered some mushroom frites to make up for it. They came out brunt so we sent them back, second time round though, they were lovely. Next the mains came. My wife had the burger, which was fine (as long as you don’t expect rosemary chips to taste like the faintest bit of rosemary). I had the fillet steak. I’d initially asked for it rare, then my wife gave me a look as if to say ‘really!!!’ so I changed my mind to medium rare. Cutting into it, it was clearly verging in the medium side of well done, which Is where the fun began. I asked a waitress to send back the plate, I wouldn’t normally but for £25 I wantEd it to be nice. I tried to explain I’d asked for rare or medium rare, it wasn’t, so I would like it redone. To be honest an instruction that I thought was pretty clear. 5 minutes later the waitress brings back the same plate of food that had clearly just been put under a hot lamp and ran off. I realised what had happened and thought, “well I didn’t want a medium steak so I’m not having this”, and I asked a different waitress (brains of Britain had already pegged it to finish her Times crossword) to send it back and I’d have the burger instead. ...15 minutes after my wife had finished her meal & after we asked 3 times how long the wait was, my dry, lifeless, pathetic excuse for a meal arrived. I ate, whilst my wife watched on, just like I did for her. Before my main arrived, we asked to speak with a manager or supervisor. We were told that there wasn’t one but they’d see who they could find. When they brought the barman out I thought they were taking the p**s! He said he’d get a pad to make some notes and never reappeared. After the meal we asked for the check & decided it was unacceptable. At this point, our very lovely & helpful waitress (who we felt mortified for) said she would find a manager. She did and I asked to go inside to speak so as not to make a scene and embarrass my wife. They supervisor/manager said she’d spoken to the chef and he said the food was “edible” so there was nothing to be done and I had to pay the full £80ish amount and she would get a manager to phone me in the morning (24hrs later and I still haven’t received a call). I told my wife who, (clearly has more balls than me) went and told the person in charge that we would not pay for the second burger. They reluctantly agreed and discounted the meal. All these issues were separately fairly bad but when you combine them and add into the mix the poor customer service, the neighbourhood cats jumping up onto table around me, rotten food on the floor next to our table creating some sort of ‘fly Buffett’, having to ask 3 times for water, people around asking for candles as they couldn’t see what they were eating, being repeatedly told there is no one to talk to about poor service only to find there is, it makes it one of the worst meals out I’ve ever had.I’m not a snob and I don’t expect the world but when you advertise as “Michelin recommended” you should at least have better customer satisfaction that MaccyD’s. In all honesty, it was shocking & I resent the fact that this app makes 1 star the bottom rating, they are a long way off deserving that!

Im only writing this in the hope that if anyone stayed on the 5th August have not become ill..Booked a meal for 7.30pm and the hotel for the night with breakfast. Booked 6 weeks prior..I made a call week before stay to ask if we arrive early is there anywhere where we could have a drink and or lunch, yes was the reply, so we arrived at 1pm, 2 hrs before 3pm book in time. We asked where bar was via reception and made our way, only to be asked if we have booked! Explained no as we was not advised too and that we are staying in hotel anyway, inly to then be told we can have 15 minutes then we would have to leave table..we had one drink and left to go elsewhere, not something i wanted to do.Anyway, booked in at 3pm. We had to pay for the room there and then PLUS a £50 additional charge for the resturant! Thought it was strange but didnt want to cause a fuss as partners birthday.Room nice and aircon was a godsend, so no problems there, only milk jug in fridge had no milk in! Asked cleaner for some to only be given them milk cartons..Meal was a complete let down. It seems staff are not trained! 2 items on the starter menu not available firstly, and when we came to order from main, again what we ordered wasnt available! Steak and the pork belly..by now i didnt find this acceptable and went to speak to the other resturant (as it had a slightly different menu) and managed to order our steak from there! Only a 6oz (not and 8oz) but it was more a 4 anyway (see pic. Steak over £15! It was £26.50 if i ordered the one in the resturant they put us in!) Cannot justify the food prices at all..your paying for the surroundinhs, not the quality or quantity of the food..Due to the hastle i had they offered a free drink which was accepted.We didnt want dessert and the eve had been spoilt, only for then the waitress to mess up prices of the meal! Then the printer wasnt working which she wanted us to sign a declaimer! This pushed me over the edge and went to reception. Explained all to him who after i told him to walk 50feet to confirm what im telling him, he came back and offered 50 percent off the meal and shall leave a note for the manager.Booking out, suprise the bill was wrong! Managed to get manager in the end who explained staff havent understood the eat out to help out scheme! But even if they did, they didnt take that off the bill.Long story short we got our meal and drink free so paid for hotel which i was happy with.Unfortunatley i have now food posining which can only point at the crab,lobster and prawn starter i had! So if anyone else is ill (and i heard and see many people complain!) Its from here..They will have to buck ideas up if im to return.

We booked a table on the terrace for 7.30 and we were so looking forward to a lovely dining experience. When we got there we waited for around 10 minutes to be taken to our table, with no offer of a seat at the bar or anywhere else while we waited. We then waited around 20-25min until a waiter came to take our order even though he had spent minutes chatting to the table next to us who appeared to be his acquaintances. Another 30min (so around 8.45ish) until we got our starter but fine, we were outside having a nice cocktail and enjoying our evening. It then got to about 9.15 and we started joking about soon not being able to see what we were eating if our mains weren't going to arrive soon. At 9.30 we decided to check they hadn't forgotten about us and one of the waiters looked absolutely shocked and clearly didn't know we had placed an order for mains as well. He came back in 5 min saying they had burned our first order and were cooking our second one. Didn't really believe it but we asked that if it didn't arrive within the next few minutes, not to bring it out at all. It finally arrived around 9.45ish by which point we weren't interested anymore and we just wanted to leave. So it was gone 10 by the time we finished eating on a dark terrace and the surprising thing was the food was actually pretty average too, not what you would expect from such an elegant place. We got our drinks taken off the bill as an apology (we asked for it, it wasn't offered by them) and we left taking a good look at the place as we're unlikely to return anytime soon. Such a shame because the building is really lovely. It just needs equally great staff though.

Arrived and shown to a table on the terrace, eventually offered drinks menus, and had to ask for table to be cleaned. Cigarette stubs by the chairs seemed to have been there a while.Caears salad starter miniscule.. fish dish very small too, considering prices.When my steak arrived no chips, waitress forgot to bring them and by the time my second drink arrived had finished my steak, eating my wifes supply of chips. service slow. For the prices charged we could have eaten way way better elsewhere.Only thing to arrive rapidly was the bill.Bernard 05/06/2020

We went as a family 2 adults and 2 children on the new eat out to help out scheme. Service was a bit slow. The kids chicken goujons seemed over cooked, appeared to be a bit burnt, and a bit dry.When we paid in cash at the till, I wanted to give only £5 tip as I wasn’t overly impressed, but as the bill came to £49.95 I put an extra £10 and wanted the change but they had no change and made us feel very awkward about not leaving the full £10. The girl went to the bar to check if they had some change but also didn’t, very strange so to save myself from anymore embarrassment I said keep it and left with a bitter taste in my mouth.One way to get better tips I suppose

First meal out of the government's 'eat on to help out' scheme, so we decided on a belated wedding anniversary meal here, having seen how nice the venue looked on a previous heritage open day visit. The venue have been very thorough with their corona virus precautions but that has not detracted from the ambience or the enjoyment of the eating out at all. Ushered in via the foyer, where temperature taken (all good, thankfully!) and then into the lovely ornate dining hall, where tables were distanced but without obviously appearing to have been. We opted for the 'table d'hote' set menu (5.30-7PM) and both of us decided on the same starters, mains and desserts, as these sounded tempting. Pea and mint soup starters were lovely, just right and a perfect appetizer for the prosciutto wrapped chicken ballotine mains, followed up by the sticky toffee pudding (always a favourite!) All washed down with a glass of Merlot, which made for a very pleasant evening all round. Set menu prices are very reasonable, coupled with the government scheme made for a very good value and tasty way to start our eating out again after the easing of the lockdown restrictions.

Went for lunch today on terrace ..ordered from al a carte menu. Fantastic food great service lovely and safe and we will back as soon as we can ..even did a happy birthday plate highly recommended thankyou Greyfriars

I was one of a party of three who had booked a table for 19.45 on 31st July, to eat out on the terrace. It was a lovely evening and we were all looking forward to a pleasant meal.However we were disappointed, we waited an hour to be seated, and nearly another hour to receive our food, by which time it was dark, and although the food was very good, we couldn’t actually see what we were eating.There seemed to be plenty of staff, but they appeared directionless, we asked several times as to what was happening, and although on each occasion they assured us they would get back to us, they never did. While sitting in the dark trying to see the food, we did ask if we could have a light on the table, but we were informed that lights were not put on the table as this would disturb the guests sleeping in the rooms above, quite extraordinary level of service, but this seemed to sum up the attitude of the staff.Although the surroundings are lovely, and the food was very good, I would not recommended choosing GreyFriars to eat.

Our family of 4 ate here on their first evening open since lockdown, to celebrate some family birthdaysWe started off with drinks in the baroque bar, which were very nice, before moving into the restaurant to eat.The menu was varied with a good choice, unlike many other places that have cut their menus back. The children’s menu was quite limited, but the food was fine and plentiful. My husband chose the set menu and had ballotine of chicken followed by sticky toffee pudding, both of which were good sized portions and excellent. I had the steamed halibut followed by the ice cream selection. While the halibut was quite a small serving, it was well presented with wonderful flavours. The ice cream however left a lot to be desired. It was 3 half scoops of ice cream, served with some very brittle biscuit crumb at the bottom of the bowl. My son had the same dessert from the children’s menu ( same serving size) but was lower priced. I did contact the hotel about the price and description of these desserts afterwards but they haven’t had the courtesy to acknowledge or reply to my email, which is a shame as it suggests poor customer service and may put us off returning.

My wife took me here as part of my birthday surprises and I found the ambience of the place wonderful for such an occassion and the service we received was first class

I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at GreyFriars again, the staff were polite and accommodating. HOWEVER I would make sure that I didn’t have the same room again!Room 26, all on its own, reached by a flight of stairs to the first floor and then ANOTHER FLIGHT OF STAIRS WHICH WERE, TO SAY THE LEAST, DANGEROUS FOR ELDERLY GUESTS. THE SECOND FLIGHT OF STAIRS WERE HALF WIDTH AND TURNED SHARPLY AND THEN STEEPLY TO REACH THE ROOM AT THE TOP.I AM 77 and my husband 82 and stairs are not normally a problem for us but we were very, very, careful using the stairs, especially going down, which we did sideways!I’m surprised the Director/Manager of the hotel hasn’t considered what would happen in the event of an accident.

Had afternoon tea with my sister here yesterday and I have to say not only was the food wonderful but the service was fantastic. We had a server called Ben who really knew his stuff and was extremely professional and hospitable. Definitely would return!

I have not eaten here much but this place is my go-to in Colchester for a cocktail. Real open fires in the winter time and a sunny terrace too to enjoy in the summer time ...

My wife and I booked a deluxe suite for 3 nights the rooms where both large and very comfortable with all amenities we found all the staff very helpful and courteous. The breakfast was very good and well cooked. We ate in the restaurant for 2 nights, a very pleasant experience but the food such as the beef Wellington and seafood cocktail were rather bland for cost. Very nice bar and reading rooms with a large choice of cocktails. Overhall a very good hotel and close to all amenities. We enjoyed our mini break.

I’d planned to take my husband away for the weekend , got it all planned in secret ! Told Grey friars it was to be kept secret any query's to come through me ! I made it quite clear in a email too. Guess what they contacted my husband ! Blew it all .. I got a phone call straight after explaining the error of there ways ! Didn’t change the fact they’d ruined the element of a surprise. I was offered complimentary processco to room ! An few twiddly canapés , to say the least they were stale an tasted vile . When we arrived in our room it stunk like a public toilet ! Drainage ?? From shower area. The noise level was horrible , most uncomfortable bed , I didn’t sleep all night !Woke up next morning breakfast to room ! Such delights NOT! Dreadful omelette that looked like it had been dug up out the gutter along with this a hair stuck in it !!! Porridge was like cement an toast cold an stale ! I couldn’t wait to leave an I was very disappointed with my stay. Will be thinking more carefully before I take my business here again.

Staff wonderful...food great...a wonderful Valentines evening. We are frequent visitors and it is our favourite venue.

We had table d'hote dinner included on one night as part of our package and we ate in the Rose Room, with just one other diner. We ordered braised pork and cauliflower soup as starters, both delicious, then beer battered cod and chips, also very good. We went a la carte for desserts: a cheese plate and a sticky toffee pudding. We had a bottle of NZ Sauvignon Blanc together with beer and water and bill was £114 in total.

This place is perfect for a couples night out or a small group of friends and adult family. The bar is really good for pre or after dinner drinks and cocktails. Attractive restaurant with good food and service. The only down side is how empty it can feel. Advertise more! Let local people know you’re there. You really deserve to be full.

We stayed for one night in this hotel to celebrate my husbands 40th birthday. We had been here before for a christmas lunch and were impressed with the hotel and the food so thought we would return.The hotel itself and the grounds are absolutely stunning. It is unbelievable how well they have been able to keep the original features of the buildings yet make it feel so modern and fresh. I cannot explain how stunning the interior of this hotel is.The staff were very friendly and helpful.Our room was also absolutely lovely. Comfortable bed, great facilities in the room, including a complimentary mini bar, a coffee machine and tea and coffee facilities which were replenished during our stay, and lovely toiletries provided in the bathroom. Our room was very lovely but the bathroom was amazing. You cannot fault the quality of the rooms. A lovely touch was the books left in the room about Colchester and the college which occupied the building previously. The breakfast in the morning was a little disappointing. This was due to the fact that the table we were sat at was not set up or cleaned fully. We were missing butter, milk and had a half used jar of brown sauce left (the jars were single serving jars), with other jars of jam etc missing - which had obviously not been replenished. We had to take these from other tables. Also, and most disappointingly, both my husband and I found that our eggs were barely cooked. They were mainly raw egg white and as a result were barely formed on our plates. There appeared to be no fruit juice available, or if there was, we were not advised as to where we could get some. Overall our stay was thoroughly enjoyable. The main disappointment for us was that our room was facing east hill. Later in the evening we could hear lots of loud shouting from drunken groups walking past. There was also an awful lot of traffic noise, particularly from buses which stopped right outside the hotel. We understand that this cannot be helped by the hotel, but we did feel that this ruined the feel and ambiance of the hotel. Such a beautiful hotel in the middle of a town centre I would normally avoid on a Friday and Saturday night! Despite this, Greyfriars in our opinion is by far the nicest and best hotel in Colchester, and we would most certainly go back to stay there.

My other half booked Greyfriars last night for my Birthday & everything was perfect. We both had rabbit loin for starter, not a huge portion but you could taste every single aspect on the plate, it all worked beautifully together. Then bf had pork belly which he said was really tasty & I had quite possibly the best piece of lemon sole I've ever tasted, all deboned by a very skilled chef. I would never have thought toasted almonds would work with delicate fish but I was most pleasantly surprised, again the whole plate was scrummy! For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding with a cinammon tuille & Sharon, our wonderful hostess accommodated my love of cinammon by swapping out the vanilla ice cream for cinammon ice cream--absolutely divine. My other half polished off a very tasty bottle of Chilean sauvignon instead of a pudding when a plate with "Happy Birthday" & 2 lovely sweet treats was brought out for me. Our bill was brought to us promptly & the whole experience was just perfect- efficient staff, relaxing & clean surroundings & great value for money. Thank you Greyfriars, we will most certainly be back!

Lovely food in beautiful surroundings - thoroughly enjoyed our meal today and the service was excellent. Highly recommend!

We had 3 course dinner included in our Romance package. Limited choice but more than adequate. Good service and delicious food in lovely surroundings.

My sister in law booked for us to come here for my baby shower.

From the moment we arrived until we sadly left we were treated like royalty, every staff member was so polite, caring and helpful. The food is second to none , wine list is brilliant , service is fabulous. The decor of the hotel is spot on and very clean. The cocktail bar is amazing and again the staff are brilliant. Would highly recommend !

We had the best cocktails here before (a bad) dinner out elsewhere. The bar is small but beautiful, subtly lit and very intimate. We sat at the bar and were treated very well. We'll definitely go back for drinks soon.

Absolutely disgusting service!! Avoid at ALL costs!! If you’d like decent service and polite people - do NOT visit Greyfriars. As far as an evening out.....Pavilion is the place to visit instead of Greyfriars. As a local business owner and living in the Dutch quarter of Colchester.....I definitely did not expect such p*ss poor service and amazingly rude evening staff. Having a telephone call from the restaurant accusing me of not settling my bill (after paying £450 cash for my champagne and meal - and stupidly including a £50 tip) on the way home was not only VERY embarrassing and incredibly rude. To then be denied access for no apparent reason on another visit was also disgusting. Perhaps I didn’t appear to be their usual type of client? I was wearing £115k jewellery and wearing Gucci and Versace - god only knows what their problem is, I had an apology and an offer of a free cream tea - which I most definitely will NOT be going back for!! Clint and the bar staff are usually very welcoming - sadly I will never revisit or ever burden them with my money ever again! I previously held a supercar work meeting there and generated customers, a car park full of Lamborghin/Ferrari/supercars etc and I wish I never bothered. If you have any self respect and don’t wish to be tested like scum - then definitely do not go anywhere near that place. The decor and location is superb, but - the staff and their general customer service/care is atrocious. I will never visit that place again and will do everything in my power to educate others on the god awful experience that was Greyfriars Colchester. Thankfully The George Hotel will re-open soon after a massive refurb and Milsons have a few decent options locally for a welcoming hotel/stay. I’m still shocked with their attitude and unusual behaviour. Do not make the same mistake I did by visiting that place. Do not waste your money on staying in such a place

Stayed here last night in a junior suite for one night to celebrate my son in laws birthday. Room was huge and beautifully decorated with an amazing en-suite. We had dinner which was absolutely amazing and the cooked breakfast was by far one of the best I’ve ever had, just a shame I couldn’t eat it all as I was still full from the evening before. Staff are very attentive and can’t do enough for you. I truly hope you get your Michelin Star ⭐️

we arrived early for our booking and was made welcome, we were asked if we would to have a drink first and was taken to the bar, which was very plush,.

I’ve eaten here a handful of times and the food is always excellent. The bar is an absolute hidden gem. Amazing service, fantastic cocktails and the best olives in Colchester.

Festive afternoon tea , excellent food , great service , nothing too much trouble for the staff serving a group of high maintenance women 😂😂thanks very much

Fabulous festive afternoon tea for my father’s big birthday! Lovely service, great atmosphere and overall a very special experience! Thank you :)

I wanted to try this restaurant for some time thinking it might be a cut above the rest but was I disappointed .The restaurant itself was large and very much like a school assembly hall only the christmas decorations gave it any atmosphere .The service was S-L-O-W ,the food was average with an above average price tag.The wine prices started average then went skywards.

Often visit here. Beautiful food fabulous service and wonderfully clean absolutely everything you could ever need is at this Hotel

GreyFriars has charm, elegance and character all in one. A perfect setting for any event; birthday, wedding, anniversary or anything worth celebrating. The food and cocktails are delicious and staff are always attentive, they could sometimes be a little more attentive especially to groups. However a wonderful place.

My wife was given a voucher for afternoon tea for two at Greyfriars, she booked it and we attended in September on a lovely sunny day. The staff welcomed us and took us to a table. Choice of tea or coffee were offered and asked what our sandwich preferences were. Service was brisk and our sandwiches arrived with our beverages. Then the selection of scones and cakes arrived. very good scones with enough jam and clotted cream to go round. The voucher entitled us to a glass of prosecco each but as neither of us like it the barman offered to make us a non alcoholic cocktail and served it outside in the back garden where we watched the squirrels darting around the large tree. Upmarket afternoon tea was highly enjoyable, didn't even know about Greyfriars before. Top marks for food, service and location.

Very good service excellent food not a great selection good wine . But it’s a place for a special brithday quite pricey

This I an over priced hotel. We booked a suite that was very disappointing. No bath, just a shower, no comfortable furniture just two up right chairs, carpets stained and dirty, no biscuits to go with the tea and coffee. Most alarming the bed is up a flight of 14 stairs with no toilet or bathroom at that level. The tv did not work, room very cold despite turning up the air conditioning. Complained to the front desk and asked for a room on one lev

Although there was a mix over our reservation it was sorted very quickly and efficiently the waiter who served us who was courteous, and very pleasant. This minor mix up did not detract from our enjoyment of the afternoon. The quality of the food was very good indeed and represented value for money. We will certainly come for afternoon tea again.

Wonderful experience, Staff very friendly, food excellent. My first visit, and will definitely go again soon. Will stay in the hotel next time as it looks amazing. Thank you for a lovely experience.

We decided to try this restaurant as we were staying in the hotel. What a treat. Silver service, lovely art deco style room. We we treated like royalty. I enjoyed the delicious lobster bisque for starter. My husband enjoyed scallops with a subtle chilli oil. For main he raved about the gorgeous and perfectly cooked beef Wellington. I opted for the unusual but very tasty Stilton gnocchi served with crispy broccoli and in a mint yoghurt sauce, which accompanied it perfectly. We also enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine from the extensive list. Pricey but perfect. Go on, treat yourself.

We stayed here for a night for our wedding anniversary on the romance package. Room was lovely and big but to be honest quite a waste of space, would have been good to have a big comfy sofa in the lounge part instead of two uncomfortable chairs. The package included a bottle of prosecco and canapes in your room, they took into account my gluten intolerance and bought up two separate plates of canapes for myself and my husband, which were delicious, but were bought up quite a while after the prosecco was. Rose petals were scattered all over the bed and around the room just to rev up the romance a bit. Our room was at the front of the hotel on the main road, but it was still nice and quiet, you could hear a faint hum of traffic but wasn't disturbing.

The food was fairly average. Seafood cocktail was ok, but the beef wellington was pretty bland. Very limited vegan options.

We arrived early and were allowed to park our car and go into Colchester which was great. On our return we were allocated our room which wasn't what I expected as I thought we were getting one with outside space. I requested an ice bucket and glasses and this was very late arriving and I had to chase it up being told the person had forgot!. The room was large with a large bathroom but the carpet looked dirty and worn and there was a hole in the quilt cover. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. The room was air conditioned which was just as well as the windows do not open. They are secondary double glazed to prevent traffic noise but we could still hear some. I couldn't get the coffee machine to work and when we had a meal in the restaurant for our anniversary they got my meal wrong and included chilli which I am allergic to so this had to go back leaving me with nothing to eat whilst my husband tucked into his! I complained and was offered a free dessert! I complained on check out and they took the cost of my meal off the bill. I was expecting the hotel to be fabulous as we have eaten there before and it all seemed lovely but overall I was disappointed.

I went and sat on the terrace with friends and had tea and scones. Very tasty and beautiful surroundings and not very expensive for such opulence

Celebrated my daughters 40th with afternoon tea with a dozen of her friends a superb tea and for those of us who stayed the night all I can say is wow wow everything you could ever want and more and the breakfast was 1st class thank you GreyFriars.

Stayed here at the weekend for my girlfriends graduating and wow! I definitely received maximum brownie points!

I was taken out for dinner her with a rather fussy 18 year old recently so, having looked at the menu beforehand was rather concerned - she ate everything! The dining room was full, rather formal looking as is fitting in an old building and expensive hotel, but people were wearing a range of clothes from casual to very formal - so it wasn't stuffy. The staff were attentive but not overly so. I can see why some people think the menu is old fashioned, one of my companions had lobster bisque which I haven't seen on a menu for years, but we were curious and he said it was delicious - the lobster came on the plate with the sauce poured over it at the table; a bit of drama. My starter, braised fennel and main, sea bass were well prepared and served - the fish was fresh and a generous portion. My daughter enjoyed the sweet potato soup and her gnocchi - the first time she has willingly eaten Stilton. We added a small pot of chips to share. Some of the dishes may seem old fashioned to those that have to keep up with trends and think anything else isn't worth trying, but all I am interested in is the quality of the food. It was good, much of it local and obviously home made.

Visited again on Saturday evening with the in-laws. Superb surroundings, superb service and superb food