Smith's Cafe Colchester in Colchester

Went here with friends......had fun, left merry!!! Service complete...thank you

Lively, pleasant, good Atmosphere for an evening out.

Always love coming here ! Been going since the mid 1990"s. Very relaxed atmosphere - always reminds me of my younger days !

One of the Best places in Colchester and Essex as well! Best drinks, Best music, Best Service!

Really nice bar in the heart of colchester

I love this place it's a independent bar with great staff and good food it reminds me of being in a bar in Spain or anywhere abroad......if I finish work early enough i always try popping in here these are the kinda places we need to support because once they gone there gone...

Went for a few drinks after dinner, lovely little bar!

Spot ob as always. Excellent staff always helpful to make the night great. Always a good place to frequent. Highly highly recommend.

Well worth popping in here on your next visit. It's small but very accommodating. Keep your eye open for Nick he knows the job inside out and will bend over backwards for the customers to make sure they are well catered for.

Friendly and welcoming, great food, and plentiful, I love this little bar, one of my faves 👍

Great bar, brilliant atmosphere

Most comprehensive spirits bar for miles around. Come here when I gammfancy a very high end whiskey, brandy, gin...etc

Great atmosphere. Friendly, safe and inviting.

Great staff, great drinks, great music

It is very ambient and is a great Pub. Child-friendly and the food is fantastic for a lunch or dinner. The staff are very nice and the food comes quite quickly.

Small bar and lunch venue just off the Head Street. Tables inside and out and a covered seating area to the rear. Good value lunchtime snacks or more substantial fare. Music inside a bit loud so try to get an outdoor table if that bothers you.

Absolutely love this place.. welcoming .. juke box music tunes..great atmosphere..

Love this gem food and staff brilliant

A great place for the more mature clientele to have a drink & a chat!!!

Beautiful fresh food cooked to order with great ambience definitely worth a visit, thank you so much to all at Smith's

Always a friendly welcome, good service and a good selection of reasonably priced food. If you are in a hurry to fit lunch into an hour it's perfect.

Good food, great service, a highlight of a rare visit to colchester. A nice relaxed atmosphere with background blues music.

Found this little gem for the first time today, we received a warm welcome and advised that choices of food were on chalk boards on the end wall. Everything from sandwiches, panini’s, jacket potatoes, omelettes and more substantial homemade dishes. It is the first time I have been told that if I couldn’t find to ask as nothing is impossible special dietary requirements also catered for. Alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks available, free top ups on coffees.We were not disappointed the food was delicious everything is cooked to order therefore piping hot. I made a point of telling the owners how impressed we were and that we will definitely be back and would recommend to our friends and family. Thoroughly recommend a visit.

Nice bar with friendly staff. The jukebox is a cool idea. Nice selection of drinks at average prices. Unisex bathrooms.

Great little bar. The people, the staff, the owners, the jukebox....magic. A tucked away Colchester gem. Some great whiskies to be found lurking on the shelves too, with a good turnover to keep the malt lovers happy. Easiest recommendation.

Smith's great little bar good atmosphere

Great jukebox, bottled beer only...

Great service and food at reasonable prices

Best place for a few beers in colchester. Nice crowd and staff are friendly

I asked someone in the nearby Post office where to go for lunch. She recommended this place. Turn up the road by coffee republic (down from the P.O.) and it’s just up a bit on the right. Omelette and chips were about £6.95. both very good. Baguette was about £4.50Jacket potato was similar price.All very good.

I always pop in to Smiths when I am in town, the staff are excellent and very smart.They get to know you quickly and remember your drink, great place for lunch and the food is very good as everything is cooked to order. You can also sit outside.For single ladies this is a place you would feel very comfortable to go to for lunch.

Visiting from the Midlands, thought I'd give this place a try as I didn't spend as long shopping as I thought. Gorgeous food, lovely service and staff couldn't do enough to make sure I was happy. Will go back next time I'm down again. Thanks guys :)

Cant remember so must of been a good night

This place always seems busy so I thought I would give it a try. What a mistake ...

Nice place always very helpful and friendly staff

Quite often pop in here for lunch when in town. Decent price for a hearty baguette with side and crisps. Good selection of drinks but worth going for the coffee as you get a 2nd cup at no extra cost.

Friendly and efficient bar which serves food at lunchtime. (No food in the evenings but open as a bar). This is not gourmet fare, but I have never had anything that wasn't tasty, very nicely presented and excellent quality. Lovely sandwiches and baguettes, excellent chips, nice salads. The Steak Sandwich, fries and garlic mayo is a long time classic here. This is an adult friendly environment, a space to read the paper, chat to a friend. Serves a wide range of alcohol and soft drinks. Only bottled beer - but good quality varieties at sensible prices. There is no noisy barista machine just good quality filter coffee, which you can have different ways (with or without sugar, with or without milk☺).

Great gin selection and knowledgeable bar staff

Very clean and relaxing atmosphere with friendly staff. Food looks delish,so I'll tuck in

Have been coming up to Colchester for years and always pop in for a few beers at Smiths. Great atmosphere, good food and excellent customer service.

Good place to drink with friends

This is the ideal place to visit if you want to squeeze in a quick but tasty lunch before a cinema or theatre matinee. Cheerful, fast service, good lunch menu and cool drinks.

Great little bar off the old main drag, staff are all very friendly and efficient and regularly come out to clear the tables so the place always looks presentable. The presence of the jukebox means there's a nice mixture of music and people integrate and mingle over what choices to make. It can get very cramped due to its small size but everybody is courteous and friendly, I have never encountered any trouble here at all. There have been many nights where Smith's was to be the starting point but have ended up staying there until chucking out time, a lovely little bar with a wonderful atmosphere.

Fantastic. Staff excellent. Juke box and an amazing atmosphere. People all so friendly. Great place to go.

visited here friday . got busy really quickly and is very small. but nice atmosphere, music and drinks. the barman was very friendly and efficient. would definitely return.

Unless your a local the bar staff are rude and somewhat aggressive. It's a tired place that'll need something new.

Excellent service and couldn't have done more to welcome us and help us choose food for our two small grandchildren who were with us. Chilli con carne made with beef steak and ploughman's had good selection of pickles, gherkins etc to go with the choice of ham, Cheddar or brie. Highly recommend.

Aquí conocí a colegas bebidas antes y aunque está escondido fuera del camino fue un hallazgo.Pequeño, limpio, bien presentado, con una variedad de bebidas que incluso el bebedor más sustanciosa y bien sazonada no sería capaz de manejar uno de cada disparo!Personal amable y agradable bar es un buen descubrimiento.

Mi madre y yo visitamos este lugar hoy, personal amable, buen ambiente y buena comida, mi madre tenía una baguette y atún mayo opté por el jamón, huevos y patatas fritas. Nunca he tenido tan buen jamón de calidad, no sólo bastante denso corte pero todavía muy suave, muy impresionante, en algunos sitios el jamón es todo duro. Volveremos

Have been coming here for at least 20 years. Consistent service, juke box, good drinks. But above all the owners and staff are awesome. Welcoming, friendly, pay real attention to you and totally make it feel like ' home '! Will always love Smiths x

Have visited this place numerous times over the last 10 years .

This is a hidden gem, not many tables but in the good weather you can sit out side there is a menue board but they will do what ever you want to order if they have it in. A good cheap meal and tasty

Been going here for years both in the evening and lunchtimes. We had lunch today baguettes, club sandwich and chips. All good and a couple of pints as well.

Ahora mi lugar para cada vez que reunirse con los amigos en la ciudad. Intenté varias otros lugares también pero éste siempre hace honor a lo que se ve en la pizarra es lo que obtienes, que está a la derecha. Normalmente tienen una baguette como estas son macizos de tamaño decente y completo de cualquier abundante que usted elija. Vale la pena tener café, ya que hay una segunda taza está incluido en el precio. Si puedes conseguir sentarse en la parte delantera, eso es bueno, pero también tienen una zona trasera cubierta, que es un poco más de la forma más tranquila si querías un almuerzo.

A good selection of bottled beers. Decent snacks available throughout the day - until 5/5:30 I think. Nice to sit outside on a sunny day.

Small but nice bar. Would recommend.

Used to come here frequently, I moved away and returned recently. I was great a lovely atmosphere good selection of drinks but no draught beer or cider....it was not a problem. I have eaten here frequently and the lunch menu is simple, tasty and very good value. Staff are very relaxed but attentive and professional. The Juke Box has an eclectic mix and is entertaining. People seem to relax here and deservedly so. Same guy has had it for years, a definite place for us to have a drink or lunch in Colchester

Yes, cheap and cheerful but great at what they do. Good wholesome no frills food and bang in the centre of town.

Small bar/cafe. Popped in for a coffee. Apparently you get a refill. Food looked good but I was eating elsewhere later. Staff friendly and welcoming. I suspect a lot of regulars. What really amazed me was a customer requested a glass of semi skimmed milk. And the waiter walked across the road to what I assume is another of their establishments and came back with a glass of milk! Customer service. Rarely visit Colchester but next visit I will return here to eat.

Basically this one's a simple one! Yes it suits all ages but once you knock over that drinking culture and the fact, yep, you are older than you want to be, this place has it, great for lunch. Amazing for drinks!

When you have a coffee here you automatically get a refill. Lunch is very good. I've had scampi and chips and the plate was full.... very good value and you are looked after very well b y the staff. they are happy and pleasant. you can also read a paper provided by the bar with your coffee. I have not been in the evening yet so cant comment. I would recommend a visit.

First time here I am so glad we went in for lunch. I had Bacon & Brie sandwich and my friend had jacket and fillings. Selection and prices really good. The service was excellent would definitely go there again

The most unhygienic place ever! The toilets were blocked and dirty then when i cam down the stairs to the bar, the barman was leaning against the bar and saw someone spit in the ice bucket that was on the bar. Instead of acting instantly by removing the bucket and asking the person to leave, the barman was more concern that I had seen the act. Whilst he was trying to tell me that this was not normal, another barman used the ice in drinks to other people. I told him this was a breach of health and safety and that this was awful. The barman just did not want me to talk to the bar manager/ owner. PLEASE DO NOT GO HERE!!!

I've been visiting Smiths Bar (food served at lunchtime) for over 20 years and, despite the amount of alcohol imbibed, have never ever seen any fighting, issues or grief caused.Locally owned, all ages (last night it was from 18 to 70), different groups and just a generally good atmosphere. Recommended.

Walked in by chance for a beer and a bite to eat. First off not one draught larger.. Ok well I can live with a bottled beer and they had a decent choice so onto the food.O its a bit uninspiring sandwiches or some old fashioned pub grub... Has a lovely look and feel to this bar kinda was expecting some more modern european dishes.Well lets try a sandwich - ordered two triple deckers, which came on plastic bread with one whole layer being some seriously unappealing lettuce (neither sandwich was ordered with salad!) Picked the bacon out of mine and left the rest. Half the size of your menu and do that half really well, add some dishes to compliment the bar not a run down pub or poor cafe. Here's a couple of dish ideas to get your chief thinking - runny centre scotch egg on a nest of rocket with curried mayo dip - harrisa chicken skewers - crayfish mac and cheese... nothing fancy just a tad more effort...

I used to drink in this bar over 20 years ago when I worked nearby. As my wife and I were visiting Colchester and looking for a light lunch we decided to give it a try. My wife had a prawn baguette and I had a bacon, mushroom and cheese one. Both were very tasty and filling and well presented, my only comment would be a suggestion as opposed to a criticism and that would be that mine would have been easier to eat if the cheese had been melted.

I've always liked coming here, but never thought to write a review!Well, the lunch grub is excellent with enough traditional and/or variety to suit most appetites. Great value too. If you just want a beer, as a place to meet its perfect - gets full quickly which says a lot for the quality of Smiths.

Fancy a quick sandwich and a glass of wine / or cup of tea for your lunch, then this is the place to go. Nothing fancy just a good quality meal. Nice staff, good location. Brilliant.

Good barmen, excellent owner who cares, and best scampi in town. This is the only bar in town where barmen know your tipple and they really cant do enough to help. Food is generous and well priced

I have visited this café quite a few times for a quick pub / café lunch and you can never go here. The place is always busy (so aim for 12:30), lovely service, very clean and good food. I would recommend the bacon and warm brie sandwich, coronation chicken baguette, jacket potatoes and of course chunky chips. The only small negative for this place is that the kitchen ventilation but this never stopped us from going back.

Having been in this cafe/bar for a long time - we haven't eaten here for years and I am pleased my husband thought of eating here. They have an extensive menu on the blackboard and I was spoiled for choice. I chose quiche (having a choice of 3) and my husband chilli. He always wants cheese and sour cream with chilli and this was fine by them - they make their own sour cream too. My quiche was delicious with a huge salad and little new salad potatoes. The chilli was tasty too. Will be visiting again soon.