Half Butt Inn in Colchester

Came on a recommendation for being family friendly and it definitely is. Lovely garden and very safe. Big play area and great atmosphere.

Not a great experience, not sure if the previous reviews were from previous owners, food was awful, chef wandering around stroking his dog, then back in the kitchen, slow service, never to return 😱

Went for the Friday fish & chip offer only to be told the board was out of date 🙄 Busy bar, lovely sized garden to sit in as the sun goes down. Obviously attracts families/children so avoid if that’s not your sort of thing Food was ok, drink offering fairly average

Have not been here for 10 years... but on an afternoon cycle ride decided to stop off for a drink and lite bite..... 4 hours later.... we had lovely afternoon in the garden, great food, a game of uno followed by darts and a SLOW cycle home! Lovely friendly team including a gorgeous dog.

Great Summer Garden Can relax as a Family in lovely local village

Locals pub serving basic pub grub.

Really friendly staff helped create a great atmosphere. The food was really good as well. Would definitely recommend.

Driven past on several previous occasions, but circumstances allowed chance to call in. Looks like a recent renovation taken place and in good order. Piped music a tad too loud, but sports tv not overbearing. Staff very good and attentive. Food nicely presented and very tasty. Try the cheesecake, very good. All in all a pleasant visit with good value.

Really like this place Lovely garden Atmosphere friendly especially for kids in the day They love the park. Would come back again

Absolutely superb Sunday roast! We would highly recommend this pub. The staff are friendly, helpful and the service is spot on. A lovely place to go with family and friends.

We were a party of 23 and the staff were amazing looking after us. It was a relaxed atmosphere there was a great playing area for the kids outside highly recommended

had takeaway fish and chips. Really good chips...Tasty fish. Lovely local pub. Cannot wait to go back again when the lock down is over

6 of us went for Mother's day carvery. The service and quality of food was excellent and I would highly recommend. Every member of our family was completely satisfied with their lunch.

Nice local place but not good for vegetarians. Although they say online there is a vegetarian carvery option there wasn't, and carvery is the only option on Sunday, so we only had veg. And online it says vegetarian carvery is cheaper but they didn't have an option for this on the till so had to charge us full price for them all.

Such a lovely mother’s day lunch! The food was brilliant and all the staff were so kind and very attentive. We would love to return again.

Just been to half butt for evening meal fish and chip Friday firstly no fish ordered peri peri chicken burger came plain with burnt bun sent bun back then a cold bun turned up chips cold absolutely tasteless . Dogs in restaurant surely that’s a no no . While at table people were vaping at the bar we smell that just awful when we paid we told bar staff but they apologised but said nothing they could do

I visited this pub for the first time some weeks ago for a family celebration. The food and service were good, as was the beer,however, the atmosphere in the dining area didn't seem quite right. I can't put my finger on it, but something seemed missing. Having said that, don't be put off as, as I said earlier, the food and service were excellent.

Its good, but like all mcdonalds the fast food drive thru is anything but fast, and food is often just warm at best

Lovely relaxed carvery, with easy going, tasty food... including gluten free gravy 👌. We needed to find somewhere that could accommodate a big group of us (13) and they were easily able to do so. Would highly recommend.

Great little pub will go back and visit again soon!

Food could be nicer but not bad

we were the only ones in at around at the time (13.30) ish. they allow well behaved dog's which was great. food was good .beer good, staff very pleasant, what more could you want🤔...ah yes i think its also sports bar pub. happy days😁

Just had a really good lunch, very tasty and reasonable prices. Bacon + brie sandwich for me and delicious steak + ale pie for my girlfriend. Highly recommend!

Friendly staff, great tasting food, great portion sizes at a good price. Lovely beer garden as well will be back with the dog...

Great play area UPDATE: The outside area seems to need some attention since the last time I visited, always found it a pleasant place to sit and chill in the sun, but the grass is in dire need of a cut, benches and play area could do with some treatments, it's just looking a little forgotten, which is a shame, hope they get it sorted for summer.

Went there to see if they were showing the West Ham game and was told they did not have Sky, still had to pint of Guinness, which was very good. I did leave but what I did see, it was very nice.

Excellent Sunday Roast Carvery. Great garden area too

Pizza with a friend on a Saturday in the sunshine (big beer garden). Tasty pizzas 2 for £16 if I remember rightly. Very quick service and the barman/waiter very happy. Great all round would definitely return

Amazing Sunday carvery lunch! All locally sourced food. Fresh and I'll be back.

If you're in the mood for a mouth-watering burger, this pub is a must-visit. The burgers here are simply fantastic. Every bite is bursting with flavor, and the quality of the ingredients is top-notch. The chefs at this pub clearly know how to make a great burger. The patties are juicy and perfectly cooked, and the buns are soft and fresh. The toppings are all classic favorites, like fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes, and tangy pickles. And if you're a fan of cheeseburgers, you won't be disappointed with the gooey melted cheese that perfectly complements the patty. The portions are generous, so you'll definitely leave feeling full and satisfied. And if you're looking for a side to go with your burger, the fries are crispy and delicious. The pub itself has a great atmosphere, with friendly staff and a welcoming vibe. It's the perfect spot to grab a beer and enjoy a delicious burger with friends or family. Overall, if you're a burger lover, this pub is a must-visit. You won't be disappointed with the quality of the food, the service, or the atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Amazing carvery, owners so friendly and a really nice atmosphere. Highly recommend, can’t wait to go back for another roast

Great atmosphere, friendly staff and a blinding pint

Very nice place. Highly recommended

Nice friendly place, staff and darts team.

Friendly staff, basic but great menu. Portions are good and meals all very tasty.

Came here for a meal as we were staying in the area. It was lovely. The landlady was so friendly and polite and the service was really quick. Food was amazing and fresh lovely chips not all grease. Came back the next day and tried a pizza and chilli and it again was lovely. Service again was quick and the bar staff lovely despite it being a Friday night

BBQ chicken wings were lovely. Great service from staff

Very nice pub with a lovely carvery at very good value. They were able to book us in at short notice after another pub cancelled our booking and kindly let my son have extra trimmings. They also had a very tasty vegetarian option with vege gravy, which you dont always get at a carvary. Would highly recommend.

Great Sunday roast , no complaints .

Wow what a massive change . New management lady called Jan & chefs food was very impressive, and full plates . Service was 5 stars ⭐️. Looking forward to our Sunday carvery next visit .

Decided to stop off here for some food and we wasn't disappointed. Had a lovely Sunday roast and it was very tasty. Very friendly bar staff and the Chef was very friendly.

We had a delicious roast dinner here on a Sunday. Good prices and a lovely playground in the garden too! We will be back!

Decent family friendly boozer, pool table inside. With a big beer garden and children's play area

Ambience is good, food is good but service should be bit faster.

First visit , not the last ! Good selection of vegetables to go with the meat . We both chose 4 meats . Only the beef let it down . Very pleasant staff . 6 veg , plus stuffing and yorkshires . Fantastic value for money .

Had the best afternoon, thank you to the staff! I got to meet the the ducks, and the food was lovely.

First time visit. Playground for children very good. Dog friendly. The Sunday lunch was disappointing. I was expecting a normal carvery - not food in metal trays covered in tin foil!! Selection of 4 available meats all served stacked in one tray, again covered in foil. Very disappointing. Would not return.

Good prices and a lovely big garden. beautiful !!

We thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon Sunday Roast. The pub wasn't too busy and the service was good. 2nd time we have eaten there since it was taken over.

Quite but very friendly nice pub for a game of pool or darts

Really nice afternoon at the Half Butt. Great for kids with a big play area and plenty of benches. Roast dinner was good value for money, as were the desserts.

Very welcoming staff. Good play area for children and dogs can be accommodated. Had a lovely Sunday lunch. Good family pub

Lovely play area for the kids but the food lets it down. We had a Sunday lunch and the amount on my plate was pitiful. It was tasteless and the vegetables came in a bowl which consisted nearly all cabbage. The lunch consisted of 2 small slices of meat, 3 roast potatoes and a Yorkshire puddings. Not very appetising at all. Very disappointing, shall not be eating here again but I would return for drinks only. The cappuccino was also disgusting both myself and my husband couldn’t drink it, which is why it’s only £1.50.

What a fantastic pub, we felt very safe with the covid restrictions and knew that the staff were on top of everything would definitely recommend to anyone.

The best fish and chips we’ve had for years. Collected from the pub in very safe and clearly marked areas. But what a relief to have chips that were actually crispy and not dry/soggy..... looking forward to placing our next order very soon.

We were here for the first time today, to meet family for a long delayed socially distanced Sunday lunch (it's between London where we live and Felixstowe where they live). Friendly staff, nice garden, simple but delicious hot food (really excellent Yorkshire pudding!) Happy customers all round.

I’ve been coming here for the last four years. The new owners have really turned it around. The food is of a great quality at a good price. The pub has a great garden for the kids to play in, whilst I enjoy a pint. It’s even better in the summer!

Nice mixture of local and "outsiders". The new manager, Becki, is Local, having grown up in the village. Very friendly management and good quality food and drinks.

The food is good quality and has a big bar area too. there is a pool table which is great to see too. the staff are always friendly aswell which certainly always helps.

Bad customer service! Have tried calling several times this week as well as emailed to book a table for 6 for the weekend. No response via email and no one is picking up the phone all week. What a shame you’ve lost potential customers.

Visited this lovely pub to watch the boxing, it was a busy place with a mix of young and old, the atmosphere was warm and friendly. Staff were friendly, smiley and efficient. Can't wait to visit again

What a meal...You have to visit. Literally just walked in the front door after having one of the best Sunday Roasts of our lives. 9 of us went for lunch and the food was amazing. Generous portions, good service, nice beer. Can’t recommend that Three Meat Roast highly enough and the gravy was divine. If you have room for afters, the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake or the Sticky Toffee pudding was keenly consumed.

We arrived at 1.0pm which was when we had booked. There only seemed to be one other group eating at the time. The food we ordered was very slow coming but was nice when it arrived.

We are local residents living just around the corner from the pub. Over the years it has always been a bit of a disappointment but we were aware it was under new management and had seen a recent positive review of the food. So as a last minute decision on a Saturday night we visited with friends. The food really was excellent - all home cooked, fresh and good quality. We had 6 different dishes and we were all very pleased with them. Service was a little bit slow which is the only reason not to have given 5 stars - but happy to wait if the food is consistently this good. I wouldn’t normally leave reviews but have done so to encourage others to try the pub again and support our local as it’s nice to know a reliable meal is around the corner.

We called in for lunch after a morning’s walk in the surrounding countryside.The premises are spacious, clean and tidy and appear to have been recently refurbished. There is a bar area at the front and the open plan space continues into a restaurant area towards the rear in which the tables were laid up for eating.There is a large car park and we noticed a spacious garden at the rear including a children’s play area.We were welcomed warmly.There was choice to two real ales on bar hand pumps and the choice suited our tastes and needs. We each chose the lamb rogan josh from the chef's special board and were not disappointed. The food was nicely presented when served; it was piping hot and the portion substantial.The pub has a food menu with a wide choice. Offering, I would have thought, something to suit all tastes.Surprisingly, until the last few minutes of our visit, we were the only customers which is a bit of a pity. This pub has something going for it and deserved to be patronised.We were really pleased with the prices (£31 for two meals and three pints of beer) and felt it good value.We will visit again.

Along with a large group of friends we had Sunday lunch here and our table was booked for12.30.The service was very slow with just one waitress and the menu was extremely limited i.e. pork belly,roast beef or lamb and one vegetarian option.When I received my pork it was extremely tough and tasteless and the accompanying vegetables were cold.The bread and butter pudding with custard was a joke almost inedible and requiring a sharp knife to cut it.The amount of custard was an insult in a tiny cream jug containing one table spoonful.We left at 3 pm never to return.

A few weeks ago I booked a table for four for a Saturday lunch. I checked that it would be open because initially when looking on the web-site it stated that it would be closed during January and February. I was assured that it would in fact be open and when I looked at the web-site this morning the information had been changed to stating that would be open!However, when we arrived what a disappointment we had . We were greeted with "Sorry the kitchen is closed and the chef has left" As we had particularly chosen The Half Butt for the convenience for being close to Great Horkesley Manor (we were taking a cousin and his wife before visiting my Mother who is a resident there) you can imagine how upset we felt. My cousin had travelled some distance to get there. I feel extremely let down and very much doubt that we will visit again. A very bad lack of Customer Service, indeed!

Was recommended the Half Butt from a mate when I was drastically craving a roast dinner. We arrived without booking and didnt have to wait long for a table, in fact it was ready within 10 minutes. Just haf a drink while we waited. Bar staff were really friendly and like to have a giggle with visitors. Very relaxed atmosphere throughout. The dining area is ser out really nice and is bright and comfortable. I would suggest booking if you have a larger group just so you dont miss out. The carvary was gorgeous and plenty of choice. Again the dining staff are all really friendly and welcoming. I will definitely be going again and telling my pals about it. (Have been back twice alreay since it was recommended to me)Also it is all very affordable. Thanks to all the staff involved.

The staff were friendly, polite and fun. The food was way above standard. This is pub grub that goes way beyond the normal bought in and heated up nonsense of chain pubs. This was fresh cooked and chef designed food of a high standard especially for a small independent village pub.

Excellent lunch ! good roast with vegetables cooked perfectly for my taste followed by tremendous Christmas pudding too !! Great to have a good pub for lunch within the village and within walking distance too !!

Stopped on our way back from Colchester. Friday Night is ‘Fish of the day’ 2 for £9.99, yes that’s right. We had a bottle of Prosecco for £10.00. Where can you get a meal & wine at less than £20 for two. The food was very good, a large portion. The menu board was extensive and priced at a reasonable price. We will definitely be going again. The staff were excellent and very helpful. Thank you to all.

Tv, Darts, Pool. Bar , Restaurant , Garden, Play Equipment. all in one Pub. We called one Sunday at 4pm after ringing uo an hour before to check and book. Very pleasant people on the phone and around this area most places finish serving food mid afternoon on Sunday a few opening up again at 6pm. We did not want to wait that long. Restaurant not bust at 4 and greeted by very friendly smiling staff who had been on there feet a good few hours by then, Carvery was the only choice but we knew that and it suited us fine. Decent glass of Merlot for me and then called up to the pass. Meat was excellent, both had beef with Yorkshire Puds also offered Pork or Turkey. All got sausage and stuffing. Plenty of Roast potatoes and mashed Swede. Rest of veg looked a bit tired but more came out for next larger party. However it tasted better than it looked and I enjoyed , red cabbage ,green beans and green cabbage. Not much cauliflower cheese left , shame and broccoli had been in warming dish too long but good gravy made the meal perfectly acceptable and eaten with relish. Very full and good value at £9.95 pp. 1 of us managed dessert . Apple and winter berry?? crumble. On our way home by 5pm but never felt rushed . We will go again . Ideal for the winter Sunday late afternoons when nothing seems to be happening except dark weather .

As recently started doing food again decided to give it a try. The restaurant was clean and the staff welcoming. It was fairly busy but we did not have to wait long for our meal.

This is our second visit to the half Butt for food since Pete has been the chef, both my wife & I thoroughly enjoyed the Surf & Turf which was cooked to perfection, the staff are very friendly & attentive, particularly Tracy, Emma & Venessa, all in all a great evening at The Half Butt and we would thoroughly recommend

Came here with my wife, two kids and the in-laws. The food was lovely, beer selection was good and the area outside was amazing. They have a big play area for the kids and very comfy outdoor furniture for the adults. To top it all off they also have a pool table and dart board. Was very impressed and will be coming back soon. The only feedback I would give is they could do with some more swings in the garden but that's me being very picky.

Absolutely fantastic from beautiful soup starter, steak cooked to perfection and a delicious tart for pudding. Staff helpful jovial and also good sense of humour faultless would highly recommend

Service excellent and dealt with my sarcasm superbly Food could not be faulted , my steak was cooked to perfection Great friendly atmosphere Give it a try

Was pleasantly surprised how nice the pub looked as we haven't been in a while. Carvery was either with Beef or Turkey with Roastie's (could have been better) & Yorkshire Pud with Veg . Good portion & hot enough. Beef was a bit tough but ok ..

The restaurant here has undergone a few changes in the last few months and since the engagement of a new chef we thought we should try our local pub food.

This pub has just reopened its kitchen with a new chef. Me and my husband went for lunch and was surprised how good the food was. All veg was fresh and my husbands pie had large chunks of meat.

Local pub with drinks but after months of opening the food is still up in the air. Either they are out of stock of half the menu, you have to wait ridiculous amounts of time for your food. Or they simply close for refurbishment surely if it needed that it would have been done before they opened the place back up again but instead have opened and closed in with in a short space of time. Looking at the other reviews on here it seems people have the same issues when going in to get food. It’s a shame as it could be a great place to go but at the moment it seems to be falling back to where it was before

We booked a table for 5 on 3 July. We were warned that it could be noisy as England were in action in the World Cup. This was not a problem for us. We arrived on time - I explained we had booked a table. The lady behind the bar looked blankly at me - obviously our booking had not been documented. She told us to sit where we liked - no tables had been laid. We picked a table - no attempt was made to make it more presentable for us. Someone came over to take our drinks order. There was just one menu on the table - I wandered around the restaurant, gathering up menus, so we could have one each. We gave our order - we had quite a wait - that was no problem, as we were quite happy chatting, and watching the actions and emotions of the football fans. One meal arrived - we all sat waiting, and waiting for the other 4 meals. My wife eventually managed to get someone's attention, and pointed at the table. Our waiter was behind the bar watching the match - he was spoken to, and disappeared into the kitchen to deliver our remaining meals. There was no problem with the actual food, when it finally arrived, but we were very disappointed with the service. Will we give it another try? Given the choice of eating places in the area I don't imagine so. Our country is very dependant on the Service Industry for jobs and the economy - having enjoyed many meals over the years in America, and many European countries, I fear we still have a lot to learn.

My partner and I went to the The Half Butt Inn for the first time on Friday. The place is gorgeous, stunning outside area with lovely comfy seating and a playground for kiddies. We ordered food and unfortunately this is where it let it down. I ordered the cheddar burger and when it came, I couldn't even bite into it. This is no exaggeration. The outside of the burger was rock solid. It is such a shame as I was given loads of gorgeous fries and a beautiful coleslaw however the burger was clearly frozen before hand or unbelievably overcooked! I had to leave it which is a shame as I was starving.

Popped in with my partner for something to eat and a drink, lovely welcoming staff and friendly manager, we will be coming back on Sunday for a roast and i cannot wait, we had the Steak and the Mac n Cheese, it was lush, and we shared a Sundae for pudding, we cannot wait for our Sunday Roast, this place is now on our regular visit list. well done guys for turning this place around. A++++

Myself and a few friends went in for a drink and some food as we have not been in the Half Butt in a long time, but have heard good things about it since the new manager took the pub, and we were very surprised, the place looks amazing, we had a few drinks and all had a meal, it was lovely, i had the fish and chips, i could not have cooked better myself, lovely friendly staff, very efficiant, we did not wait long for the food and everyone loved thier meal, we will be booking to come here again for sure, really great atmosphere and enjoyable experience. thank you guys!!

I visited today with a group of people, 19 or 20. We had all placed our order by 10.15 for a 12.30 service. We were back from our walk at 12.15. The food eventually started being served at 13.25 very, very slowly in twos and threes. Sadly it was not worth the wait. The broccoli served with Hunters Chicken and pies was grey and sludgy and cold, likewise most peoples peas were cold, the lasagne was as flat as a pancake, meat free and served with a salad that was slimy, the fish was cold, the sausages were poor quality, the scampi was the cheap preformed variety, not real scampi. I cannot stress enough how sub standard the food was, the service was terrible. Do not visit this establishment.

Stop off for a Sunday dinner. TBH it wasn't an outstanding meal but was good enough. What made it worthwhile was the helpful and accommodating staff, willing to make something for our fussy eater of a son. Thank you! Great staff, great decor inside and a great garden area. Definitely worth a revisit.

We popped in thinking it looked like a good pub. We ordered food and drinks and service was fine.

We have recently moved away but hearing all the rumours about The Half Butt Inn under new management and FAB food we had to come and try,so I booked a table for Sunday lunch for 6 people from the first point of contact via telephone to leaving the restaurant today staff were very welcoming and accommodating. Sunday roast had lots of different vegetables broccoli, cauliflower cheese, carrots, parsnips and mangetout, roast potatoes, large Yorkshire pudding and lots of thick roast beef with no visible fat on all 6 meals. I don't usually go out on a Sunday for lunch because I usually feel disappointed with size of potions and cheap meat but here was AMAZING planning on going again next Sunday if we can get in. Lovely village pub with a brilliant play area for children A1 STAR

Walked the dogs locally and decided to drop in for lunch.

Several years ago popped in while passing and decided not to stay so today looking for lunch and looked like it had been updated from the outside so we went in to see.

Could not have been more friendly and accommodating. Great food and kids play area. Sunday carvery was great- tasty and good portions.

Been a few times but new menu is great. We all had various food and all dishes were good. Perfect country pub.

We have previously been to The Half Butt in a couple of months ago and sat in the fabulous garden while our children played on the play area. When we approached the staff about ordering food they advised that they were not serving food as they had a private function on later that day. Totally acceptable and we still had a nice drink and the children had great fun on the excellent play area.

Popped in here for a quick (really good) coffee and the place looked so tasteful and inviting, we came back for supper- melt in your mouth Lamb chops in a mint gravy with real mash potato and steamed veg, awesome! Was so impressed, decided to go again for lunch yesterday, actually it was 4pm, and the food we ordered was unbelievable! I asked the owner- waitress, who the chef was and she said it was her! -Food was of quality and taste you would expect in a top dollar London restaurant!!

Although short staffed, the meal was excellent and brought to us in reasonable time. Definitely worth a visit and very child friendly.

Seated late but no problem, carvery was very nice. The big but for us was one member of service staff who needs to attend a customer service skills course as soon as possible. Did not appreciate comments about my 86 year old mother taking six small pieces of roast potato (which didn't even amount to one whole roast potato) -- the height of rudeness.Not our fault they were under prepared on the potato front - just don't take bookings if there are not enough vegetables for people to take what they want. Shame because other staff and chef doing a grand job.

Tomamos un almuerzo muy bueno hoy aquí. La comida era estupenda y muy buena relación calidad-precio. El personal era encantador y atento. Realmente encantados de que se admiten perros en el bar! Lo que significa que volveremos!

Otra excelente comida aquí. El pub está abierto para comida cada día ahora, lo que es fantástico. Un montón de opciones y ofertas realmente encantador que son realmente buenos precios muy razonables. El restaurante es impecable y muy guay en este clima caliente. El personal...

Muy acogedora casa pública. Sirve una buena variedad de cervezas, licores y bebidas no alcohólicas. Bien equipado con jardín y juegos de niños. La comida se sirve en la mayoría de los días de la semana. Se sirven porciones grandes. El menú tiene una buena...