Rose and Crown in Colchester

I've been lucky enough to go to the Rose and Crown twice recently. Once for a family gathering of 15 people of an evening and once for breakfast with friends. Both visits have been exceptional. The staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful and Gemma accommodated our booking for our family gathering wonderfully considering I was vague with numbers and how many were eating. I enjoyed our experiences so much I am returning for breakfast this weekend!

A comfortable and homely atmosphere reflective of a traditional pub. The menu gave sufficient choice of food which was served in a prompt manner. The service was good and staff friendly and helpfull which completed the visit in a highly positive manner. Thank you to all involved.

Just took my family out for the best Christmas dinner with dessert I have ever had at a restaurant in my whole life. Tasty,huge portions,home made roasties succulent turkey, delicious Yorkshire puddings and not forgetting the pigs in blankets with vegetables. My daughter had the turkey, ham hock & sage pie which was also out of this world for taste. Desserts were amazing also the triple chocolate brownie with brandy and mince pie sauce is sooooo yummy. My partner had the black snow forest sundae which he really enjoyed. The service here is excellent wonderful friendly staff. Nothing is too much trouble. The price for two and three courses is very reasonable especially how expensive things are. If you book anywhere for Christmas dinner this year you definitely won’t go wrong booking here!!!

Went on biking expenditure Lovely staff,coffee very good,had pastry to go with,would recommend sitting outside to have lovely views and ambience

We love it here. Staff friendly and great service. We live here and out of 6 not 7 pubs, has become our favourite, have to say, it's because of the attentive, caring, polite staff. Food is better than you would expect, it's not al carte, but it's better then the menu! Here for st paddy day, John with member of staff, slainte.. Happy paddy day all.

Food was very nice, arrived quickly.

Lovely breakfast and super friendly staff Balu and Gemna

Service is great, food is great, location is great. Great pub!

Perfect pub for an afternoon drink and made so welcome by Balu. Couldn’t do enough for us and a proper gentleman bar tender. Lovely afternoon pint of ale on a sunny winter’s day overlooking the river. What a find!

Lovely pub in area of Wivenhoe ever!! Had a best food special thanks to chef shashi, lovely staff Balu and aravind who served great service.. Great ambience with a river side view at front….!! Highly recommended pub for perfect evening!!

Super accommodating and friendly staff. We book the Christmas menú, and they have the table decorated for us

Great staff. Gives you the xtra sevice that other pubs don't.... Divya & Aravind were great.....good food.... A lik of paint wouldn't go a miss... Toilets need a refurb

Warm and cosy . Didn't have food this time. Just pot of tea. But had food before which was good

Superb service from Balu, quick on the job and good pours. Chip servings were a little smaller than expected but great place

I have been visiting this pub for 5 years and it was taken over by a new landlord recently. Never had any issues. I came to support the recent quiz and poker evenings. However on the evening of the pub quiz I asked for a food order prior to the kitchen closing and they simply forgot but would not bring out the food because the kitchen was closed. There were still people in the kitchen. My partner also asked for a drink which they forgot. We complained to the bar staff however he did not seem bothered. They were keen to rush us out at the end despite spending a decent amount of money in there and supporting their quiz. They even started turning lights off whilst in there which was rude and appalling. My partner complained to landlord James at the end as to the service we received and he came out and gave us a bottle of cheap fizz and several bottles of beer as an apology. Clearly he knew this wasn’t acceptable. Next time we attended the pub my partner needed the loo whilst outside on the quay side. We were the only ones out there and it was dark. He relieved himself outside of the boundary of the pubs outdoor seating area next to the quay in a bush however one of the bar staff came out to collect glasses and even though he was not in the pub area whilst relieving himself he refused to serve him anymore once he went back inside. We then went home. On going to the pub several weeks later on 11th November at lunch time, a female bar lady served me a drink and gave me a menu with no issues. When my partner arrived he was also served. We sat outside with our drinks. We then went inside the pub to order food and sat at a table. However the landlord who was not in the pub earlier then refused to serve him because he had gone to the toilet at the quay side several weeks earlier? This seems very heavy handed to effectively bar regular customers when they had been served drinks with no issues an hour earlier. We had not caused any issues and had previously spent a lot of money in the pub as have my family supporting the various events. James seems from my experience so far, to be arrogant with no tolerance or ability to let things go. Yes maybe my partner should’ve gone inside to use the toilet that evening but he was not causing any trouble and was not in view of anyone. The bar staff also had no issues taking his money and serving him and others vast quantities of alcohol that evening including a large group of loud men. It seems very petty in my opinion. Prior to James’s arrival we never had any issues. James was not even present on the previous occasion and the bar staff have taken it upon themselves to serve us both a drink and then go and tell James who then refused to serve my partner. It was the middle of the day and we just wanted to buy lunch and have a couple of drinks. It is a shame but James feels that he needs to alienate members of the community for some personal vendetta. Very disappointing. We then went to the greyhound for lunch which was lovely and sat next to the open fire place, perfect on a cold November day. We will be taking our custom in there from now on. The food is also much better quality. Whilst in there we also heard another table comparing it with the rose and crown and that the food isn’t a patch on the greyhound. Defo try the Greyhound and give custom to-the pubs who want to be part of the local community not alienate it. Will not be recommending Rose and Crown any longer and we know a lot of people in Wivenhoe.

Had an amazing experience. Kudos to the staff, Monika has greeted us well and has taken to our seats. The food was amazing and so was the atmosphere

Excellent food, excellent service by Monica. Would thoroughly recommend the Rose and Crown to anyone after a good Sunday lunch.

The Sunday roast was amazing.. tasted homemade,and beautifully presented. Jade was friendly and very attentive Thank you very much.we will be back...

It was amazing experience. The ambience is great. Monica has been really helpful with the menu and drinks.

Excellent roast dinner and very friendly service. A local favourite!

Lovely pub, sympathetic server and a great service right next to the riverside. Will come again!

Very lovely staff and atmosphere. Pretty, peaceful view by the river, I love coming here ;)

Good food and excellent attentive service. The Seniors lunch menu is exceptional value for money.

Such a lovely pub, food was really nice, and staff were very friendly, highly recommended 👍🏻

Cozy and quiet at this time of year, nice range of beer.

Lovely pub with outdoor seating right by the estuary. Great views.

Lovely pub by the river, especially nice when the weather is a bit warmer so you can sit outside! ☀️ Quite cozy at the moment. 🍂 Staff have always been nice when I've been.

Great service and a nice lunch, a pub with a good view on the river too. Our waiter Balu was very polite and attentive as well.

Very quiet and relaxing after 3pm. Good food and great banter with the excellent staff. Will be coming back for sure.

Lovely pub, with excellent service.

Gemma was very welcoming. A lovely smile and happy friendly staff

As long as they never run out of Old Rosie this will be my favourite place to go in Wivenhoe :D

Perfectly adequate. Great views.

I visited for a special occasion Sunday lunch as a party of ten with the children up one end and we all had a brilliant time kids included. The service was really personalised to us thanks to our fantastic waiter Aravind who was really warm, attentive and efficient. The food and drink were delicious and there was a nice relaxed atmosphere then perfect spot to walk off the food and drink after with the beautiful river and village! Thank you very much Aravind and Rose & Crown for providing the perfect venue for us all :-)

I visited for a special occasion Sunday lunch as a party of ten with the children up one end and we all had a brilliant time kids included. The service was really personalised to us thanks to our fantastic waiter Aravind who was really warm, attentive and efficient. The food and drink were delicious and there was a nice relaxed atmosphere then perfect spot to walk off the food and drink after with the beautiful river and village! Thank you very much Aravind and Rose & Crown for providing the perfect venue for us all :-)

Stopped here for lunch, great food and lovely atmosphere. Our waiter Balu was very kind and informative on offers and deals!! Great customer service!!

Hard to fault. Very good food. Didn't have any beer unfortunately but it looked very good. Love a real ale! Loads of atmosphere with all that history.

I had a great time.. good food and brilliant service and James was really welcoming, will definitely visit again

Great place for drink and food, the staff and manager is really great.

It’s an absolute delight to visit The Rose and Crown, The staff ar simply wonderful and they make the best Irish coffees! Good honest food at a reasonable price . Steve & Lesley

It was a lovely spot to stop off for a nice pub lunch

Excellent service, delicious food, very pleasant space! We were very well looked after by Balu today! We will definitely be back many times, it's already my favorite bar in Wivenhoe 🧡

Visited multiple times this September and October. At the end of a lovely walk on the Wivenhoe Trail from Colchester on a few occasions and others where I have come specifically to have a drink and a meal at the pub. When the weather is decent there are seats and tables outside. You have to order inside at the bar, which is where you may find a bit of a queue at busy times as the pub has a small bar. Very welcoming atmosphere we have found but a bit of a locals pub, as quite a few regulars appear on first name terms with the owners. Dog friendly and excellent menu and food. Only downside we found its it is a bit pricey but guess you paying for the area/location.

A wonderful pub at a beautiful traditional English village at the riverfront of Colne with a nice view, good food and nice personnel.

Great little pub where we had breakfast - two veggie, one meat and one gluten free. Lovely service from Monnika who couldn’t do enough for us. Hot food, good coffee and overall a very welcoming and filling experience!

Great pub looking at the river, with outside and inside sitting. Very friendly staff, and plenty of kid friendly options. It's dog friendly as well.

The food is very good - the Sunday roast is delicious. And the brownie was simply divine. The staff are very friendly and polite. Would highly recommend

Had a great breakfast & was served by Divya . She was very helpful & made a lovely fuss of our dog Oskar . Also had a lunch here a few weeks ago the food is very good would come again

Really friendly bar staff, great food and a great night. Best pub in wivenhoe and would strongly recommend to anyone who is considering on coming.

Visited a little pub in front of river bank (as they say… you can’t measure the value of an idol’s value by its size) it’s a really good place to have memorable time with friends and family .what a beautiful place to visit, I had a great time and great service(Aravind and Divya were on the bar…such a friendly people), and food was so delicious(thumbs up for the kitchen team). I had level head with katsu loaded fries(which is my favourite combo) and quiz night was going on that day it was soo funny and so many intriguing questions and much more. Definitely recommend this place for people who love traditional food and quality time with dear ones.

I took my 87 year old father for a visit to Wivenhoe and decided to pop in to the Rose and Crown. My father has mobility issues and the Bar Manager whose name was I believe Balop was extremely kind and helpful. We had the Chili Chicken Wraps and Chips which for £6 were excellent value. Lovely tradition Al pub which was also clearly popular as it was totally full.

Little hidden gem next to the river. Typical traditional pub. The food was good and the service was fast and very polite. Good value for money as well.

Great location. Amazing drink range but I have had better pints. Place could do with a little TLC windows dirty. Seat's could do with a clean. Seats still badly solid It's a expensive pint £6.35 for that l won't to feel comfortable

Great place food and service is very good will return 👌

Me and friends had a lovely time here! The atmosphere was great, as were the staff! Will definitely come back again!

Great quiz run by Chippy on a Thursday evening! Such a lovely pub, great atmosphere, great food and great beer!

Cute little pub on the estuary in Wivenhoe. Sun was out and some little boats sailing past. Atmosphere was good although clearly not enough tables for everyone to have a table each for their party of people and often tables were shared or some customers were unable to get tables outside. Food was pub food standard stuff. Service let it down if I am honest. Very slow and probably quicker to order at the bar than on the app

We went there 3 times during our stay in Wivenhoe. After a walk for lunch, at the end of the afternoon for a delicious IPA and in the evening for a pint of Guinness. Very cozy and also dog friendly.

"A great place with a friendly atmosphere. A perfect spot to chill and explore life."

Cosy little pub right on the waterfront. Seems expensive but that's to be expected on this touristy side of Wivenhoe. Quick and attentive service and polite staff. Went at a quiet time though so no idea what it's like in peak periods.

Absolutely brilliant service, staff are so friendly, food is lovely! Lovely atmosphere. Very very good. Gemma and James really do an amazing job and all of the staff!

My favourite lunchtime destination pub, with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff and a good range of choices . A popular place for a riverside drink.

Great Welcome by Mr.Karan. I was lucky enough to get a window sit(I didn’t reserve a table). Amazing food I definitely recommend to have Halloumi fries.A big thank you for your hospitality.

Lovely little place, friendly, decent food at reasonable prices. An ideal place to while away a few hours.

Nice little pub with excellent views !!

Was quite busy for a weekday, which is only good in the current climate. Friendly atmosphere and welcoming

Spend a couple of hours sitting out the front watching the world go by. Good selection of beer. Food was good we has scampi and chips slightly disappointed in portion sizes, a few more chips would have been good. Will be back.

Visited 31/7/24 - Owners/staff really friendly and helpful. Great service, great food, great atmosphere and good prices too! Thank you, we'll be back!

Wanted a place with a view and it didn't disappoint. Food was very nice service was great and everyone was very friendly definitely going back .

I had reserved a table so my daughter and I could eat dinner. The table we sat at was very sticky and didn't feel like it had been cleaned for a while. Not a great start. We ordered a kids vegetarian sausages, chips and veg sticks with ice cream for dessert. I ordered a roast beef dinner. It came up very quick probably because it was just boil in the bag beef. It had been described as beef served pink. It was thin slices of chewy beef very overcooked. The roast potatoes were frozen and had black bits. The veg was also frozen and heated quickly. Not sure about the cauliflower cheese. It was the worst meal I have had in a long time. My daughter's vegetarian sausages were dry and hard. The chips tasted like rubber. The veg sticks were the only bit that was nice. No one asked if our meal was OK. My daughter got her ice cream, ate it and we just left straight after. This is why I am giving a review now. Absolutely awful, would not recommend.

Such wonderful staff - very friendly and attentive. A real shame the vegan options have been reduced since the last menu change.

Lucky to get a table. Good choice of food. Looked good tasted good all at a reasonable price. Will definitely go back again. Staff friendly and obliging.

My favourite hangout for evening coffee with my friend, while we take a walk alongside the river while grabbing a coffee from Rose and Crown.

Great breakfast lovely spot ,and very good service

Lovely place with good food; (had the katsu curry and it was so good) and a lovely outdoor area you can enjoy your beer and chat as well. Had a good time!

Such professional and friendly service from the waiters

Only stopped off for a morning coffee but just a lovely pub x

Didn't eat but the service at the Wivenhoe Regatta was very good, efficient and charming. Well done!

Came here on regatta day looked like a nice pub from the outside but looks can be deceiving the staff were rude shouting at customers across the bar if they take too long ordering a drink also was very expensive don’t know if they raised their price for the event day and charged a deposit on each glass which we were not told until we paid for the round overall wouldn’t bother going here again

Just dropped in for a drink whilst out and about and down in the area on holiday. Seemed a really nice Pub. Sat outside as a lovely day weather wise and we had the dog with us. Will definitely back when back in the area.

A great little pub, loads of atmosphere, cheerful staff, great food! I was visiting from Australia and my sister took me there for an early dinner. We enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommend a visit if you are in the area and it is really dog friendly!

Amazing. Food was off the scale genuinely really nice. Amazing customer service friendly local with the green king touch. We had a table of 11 and not one of us had a bad word to say. Will return for sure

Good food. Part of the greene king group, dated decore but very friendly staff, food received quickly and decent portions.

Decent pub with a good view across the estuary

Food was excellent with a very good choice from the menu. Service was good, if a little chaotic at times. Enjoyable lunch at a great pub.

Sorry for previous review, it was the wrong Rose and Crown that popped up from Google and I did not notice!

Absolutely love this pub. I moved to Wivenhoe 5 years ago and this pub was a bit of a joke with locals, but since Gemma and her partner have taken it over it's completely changed. The food is really nice pub food, the beer is kept well (or so my husband tells me), the it is clean and the staff are lovely. It's all done with a river view. It's dog friendly and during the day really accepting of kids and families, but in the evening is great for adults. Absolutely fantastic and thank you to Gemma and her partner for their hard work.

Was told an hour and a half wait for food, and item we wanted was out of stock anyway.

Beautiful views, a bit expensive.

Lovely place to while away and afternoon with the dogs. The food was good value and sitting by the river was a treat.

Great service with a smile. Very busy, so we were lucky to get a table. My wife and I went for 3x small bites for £14, well worth the money. So tasty. And dog friendly.

Yeah nice pub, good staff, good food, baby changing facilities in toilets but no disabled toilet i saw and toilets do need some work done to them.

Just popped in on the off chance. Staff were really welcoming, responsive and attentive, despite being busy. Food and drink had a wide range of options and what we had all tasted great...and at a good price! The atmosphere was really welcoming. I would recommend this pub in the strongest terms and definitely visit again if I am in the area.

Incredible beer and amazing food for a very reasonable price. Lovely location too!

Had an average fish and chips here last week. Husband had pie. Not sure they know how to do mash though.

Thursday night quiz with the one and only Mr Chippy is a night not to miss. With his snazzy style, cracking jokes and unbelievable prizes he is an amazing host 10/10 would not miss!

Food reasonable as is price. Nice friendly atmosphere. Lovely coffee.

Lovely pub on the waterfront in Wivenhoe. Great lunch specials too!

Found this place by chance. A nice setting near the water. Food was great and good value. Fantastic service even though it was full up

Amazing place, very lovely people, great atmosphere. I really enjoyed the Thursday night quiz