The Black Buoy in Colchester

The most unprofessional environment I’ve ever been in. The staff was clearly untrained and ill equipped to serve and handle customers, which really isn’t surprising considering they all looked 15. The bar looked a mess and the prices were unreasonable for the service provided. If you’re out and desperate for a drink and don’t mind being treated like a burden then go on and visit but if you’re like me and you’re looking for a warm cozy pub with reasonable prices then don’t come here!

Lovely cosy and friendly pub in a beautiful area- the quay is quite literally on the doorstep! Stayed here for the night for mine and my partners anniversary and it was perfect. Staff were very friendly and helpful, the room was stunning with a TV, cosy bed and lovely bathroom with a shower. The pub had some lovely live music on and there was a great buzz and vibe inside. The food was amazing, we had the hot platter and everything was so fresh, the chicken wings& tenders were some of the best I’ve had! Overall I would highly recommend. Thank you to the team for ensuring we had a lovely night 😊

Fantastic pub, friendly staff , Good choice of beer and great location, had the vegan sharing player and it was really good. Looking forward to visiting again

We dropped in for weekend lunch and ordered fish and chips. While the chips were great, the fish tasted fishy, and certainly nothing like cod. It was cooked from frozen, as there was quite a lot of water coming out of it as we cut batter open. It clearly was not handled properly from fresh into frozen. The batter was thick, heavy and uncooked too. F&C there used to come with good portion of tartare sauce. All we got was a espresso (?!) little glass with common mayo. The setting is great, and the pub is ancient. The checkered red and white tablecloth does not really fit a nice bistro pub. And there was foul language (f word, several times) coming from the attendant/s in the bar area. Overall, disappointing.

Stayed for 1 night. Absolutely outstanding! The room was very clean, fresh and comfortable. The en-suite bathroom was large and the bed was cosy. The room also had all the little extras you come to expect from a B&B. The pub itself is amazing! It's bigger than it looks with plenty of tables, sofas and a snug inside as well as one outside. Food was delicious and filling with a nice simplified menu. I've stayed in many little places over the years and this is one of those I am determined to revisit.

Nice place to have lunch. Food is very good but the menu is a bit limited.

Popped in for lunch. Ordered the fish and chips it was Extremely good. The batter was thin and crispy the fish was cooked perfectly. The Black Buoys chief knows how to cook fish . My wife had the Caesar salad which was also very good. The staff were friendly and made you feel welcome. Will definitely come again.

The vegan nut roast is so great here. Would very much recommend!

Awful Management!!! I went on the regatta weekend in wivenhoe and popped into the black boy pub to get some lunch, there were six of us ordering lunch, the menu seemed a bit confusing so I asked the manager to help and he said he couldn't understand it either, we ordered our lunch and two of the servings were wrong they were not what I had ordered, I asked the server who was a young girl with glasses if she could help, she went off and came back and said this is what you had ordered, I told her it was not what I had ordered two of the meals were wrong she then started arguing and insisted on getting the manager, the manager then came over and said that was the food you ordered I told him it was not what I had ordered it was wrong he then took the food away came back 5 minutes later and said I was a rude man for complaining, I'm just telling you that the food order was wrong, he then turns around and said well that's your lot that's what you're having and don't be the bloody rude I could not believe my ears that management would speak to a customer the way he spoke to me telling me how rude I was for telling them that the order was wrong, I have been a manager and a owner of two pubs and I would never speak to a customer the way he spoke to me I would have just adjusted the order and gave him what he wanted an apologised they had obviously been a mix-up. Obviously our party wanted to leave and we will never return to this pub again under this management...

Absolutely disgusting food, very bad service, they must be in denial as we spoke with a Manager initially who said his staff were good. Another member of staff swore at my friend, this is totally unacceptable. Another Manager was lovely and visibly upset. Awful.

Appalling staff and what can only be called warm slop as food .. to make the review honest let’s give the details As a group of 7 mature ladies on a night to celebrate a friends up coming wedding on a long weekend away we booked the black bouy As we have eaten here and stayed here many times depending on how many of us are on the weekend away .. the pub was amazing pre Covid … Wow what a awful drop in standards to such a great place Upon entry the bride did have a short veil and we all had team bride sashes on so its clear we celebrating our friends up come wedding .. not a word other than the table we had booked 2 weeks ago was not booked for the time we went in dispite checking a week before .. We found a table and moved some chairs and sat the young lady serving us was not looking happy but we found as the night went on this may well have been the fact that she’s working in a awful pub . The starters came and they were wrong and we pointed this out .. a man came over and said sorry .. I fairness a mix up on starters not a big issue but he then went on to say how fabulous his staff were when we pointed out the young lady was clearly not at her best .. then conversation descended into him being really off ! Is the nicest way we could put it . One starter was tried it was very strange tasting and the plates were removed . Still determined to enjoy our night we awaited our 5 Ragu’s and pizza and vegetarian meal What appeared was 5 plates of the most strange meal we have ever seen . Only sad we had no phones on the table so we could not take photos of the boiled meat in a grey/brown water slop with a tiny bit of spaghetti stirred in it looked like grey soup with grey meat lumps not at all a ragu ! . At this point the manager came over what a nice lady she looked at our food and was shocked to see what was served up and immediately had the food removed at this point and apologised . she obviously realised what was a special night to our party was going badly and asked what could she do to put things right we said we would pay for our drinks and leave so not to cause a fuss . A male member of staff came to our table and said he was a member of bar staff even after we had spoken to the manager . Oh dear this man is no person to be a face of a customer service establishment I did think maybe this is the village idiot if he’s not… he really should look at himself as he clearly is … what a condescending man with the charm of the disgusting food we had been presented . I left the table and was called back to be berated at like some small child .. by the said IDIOT I went to the bar to clear our bar bill while the party left other than myself so I could explain what had happened VERY QUIETLY to the lady manager as this pub I had enjoyed many stays at in years previously . I ask the waitresses who I now realised were working hard with sub standard food who the man was as he was so rude . When he came up behind me and said oh you moaning ! And pushed into me from behind It’s very clear looking at me that I’m disabled at present as I have issues walking .. and im using a stick at present .. I turned and said to him please don’t speak to me in that manner and the way you spoke to me just now is unacceptable in any form . Don’t ever speak to me like that again. clearly this man is rude to anyone to feels intimidated by and a group of 50 year old educated ladies was way above his village idiot brain to comprehend which shows his clear lack of intelligence as his was reply to me was to tell me to F**K OFF ! At the top of his voice in front of the bar staff and other customers .. the rest of our party where outside at this point which is maybe a good thing .. as our night we were celebrating had been ruined and now rounded off by being sworn at while I was standing calmly awaiting the manager to pay our bar bill .. The man was removed from the pub by I think an other staff member and the manager was then left with a deeply insulted customer who after the best part of 12 years custom staying in the pub while visiting friends and attending events will never spend a penny in there again .. we have instead spent our money all the long weekend in the rose and crown …where the staff were great so very much the black bouys loss .. I fear this pub is being destroyed and wivenhoe will lose one more pub to housing as clearly who every is currently running the pub has no clue how to apart from the lady manager who looked as upset as me . ( she is a asset ) So if you won’t appalling food and be told to fu*k off this is the place for you .

When we stepped through the door, immediately you can smell wonderful food cooking, as this is a free house there is an ever changing list of local breweries, the restaurant is open from a wednesday to Sunday, food until 9pm, and vegetarian options, best to book, we will be back.

We stayed for one night and found it all really confortable, clean and well appointed. The bedroom had been very recently decorated, the bed was confortable and we enjoyed the choice and quality of breakfasts on offer. The pub offered a BBQ and Live band which also thoroughly enjoyed.

I did not stay, just had beers and lunch

Had a lovely breakfast here . Will definitely return

My partner and I wanted to go to The Black Buoy for some lunch and drinks. He popped to use the toilet and returned showing me a photo of two pictures above the urinals. (See photo). If you think they are funny then this is the pub for you. Me? I find them dated and offensive. We left.

Great pub restaurant. Excellent food and friendly, professional service. Will revisit next time in Wivenhoe. Best pub food we've had in a long time.

My girlfriend insisted that we visit as she had a good experience at Valentino’s before the restaurant had merged with The Black Buoy. We booked a table for 2 people and stood awkwardly for about 5 minutes until someone came to seat us. Upon being seated we were shouted at (quite harshly) by fellow customers who claimed that we were sitting where their friends had booked despite being seated there by the waitress. It wasn’t exactly a welcome introduction. Anyway, the waitress came back and revealed that the reason for the mix up was because the restaurant thought I had booked for a table for 7 people and had set up a massive table for the 2 of us. It was a bit uncomfortable and exposing being stared at by everyone because of the whole debacle. Regardless, once we were seated, we didn’t receive menus, or particularly good service throughout. However, this is an inevitability when you have one poor girl serving about 11 tables. It was no surprise to us that when the starters arrived the order was slightly wrong. We decided not to substitute as we had waited for a while and couldn’t be bothered to wait any longer. To be fair, the starters were very tasty. We both ordered pizza, and when they arrived we were surprised to find that our £12/£13 pizzas were the kind served at a soft play centre for a child’s birthday party. The portion size was unacceptable, not to mention that they looked like they’d been sourced from a frozen food aisle. At this point I decided to ask to pay for the starters and a beer I had, and refused to pay for the pizza. Upon explaining my reasoning that the pizzas were not consistent with the price we were paying, it was met with snootiness and the manager made a point of eating the pizzas with her friend in front of us to give the kind of impression that we were somehow stuck up for not wanting to pay £25 for two pieces of plastic with some ingredients thrown on top. With the service we received, they should have been thankful that we weren’t the kind of scumbags to do a runner - despite how much we considered it.

Very atmospheric pub, with great beer.

Confusion over booking made weeks earlier. Dirty glasses served from bar. Food overcooked and badly presented. The Black Bouy has sadly slipped from its past good reputation.

Friday 12 th January 2024 Today, this great unspoilt gem of a old fishermans pub on the quey side of the river colne at Wivenhoe was visited by me This pub had 4 well looked after handpumped ales 2 on each bar The staff lovely and friendly locals in and a grand cosy feeling in this gem of a pub

Lovely village pub/eatery, pleasant staff, great local atmosphere, unable to judge the food as at 3.00 on a Saturday afternoon the kitchen was closed due to staff shortages , but overall a great place for a couple of pints and very dog friendly too

Horrible establishment! I’m a local and used to love this place but it’s honestly just gone down hill! New manager is absolutely horrible and the standard of food now is atrocious. Would not recommend unless you want an awful night, I’d of never said this before but there’s much better places in wivenhoe !

Had roast beef sunday lunch. The beef was very chewy could not eat half of it, came as one thick slice, roast potatoes not nice at all, not crispy. The veg was fine, but its veg. Had to ask for Horseradish ect. Young person behind bar was very confused when i tried to order two flat white coffees? didnt know what they were. When we got the bill asked the young girl to split it by two and she could not work out so we just rounded it up. Poor experience.

We had lunch today at the Black Buoy. The setting was warm and attractive; the service was friendly and efficient; the food was excellent. A lovely experience and real value for money.

I went fir lunch with my husband and my son. Because of my son working unsociable hours we don't see him that much. We all had fish and chips. Not great I must say. The fish was very watery, batter over cooked. Staff where extremely loud !!! One waitress was speaking so ! Loud., I found it difficult to have a normal conversation. Conderments hadn't been refilled. Very poor.I definitely won't be returning. Very disappointed

Me and my partner have often been visiting this pub in lovely Wivenhoe village over the last 3 years. Unfortunately every year since and every time the food gets worse incrementally and I don't know of this is consistent with the change of kitchen staff. The local ale and beer selection has been lovely and the beer fest they often host in the back garden also has a great beer selection. However this last visit was really bad. We booked a table for Sunday roast and we were sat in direct view of serving staff and got ignored for the first half an hour despite it being early on Sunday and barely having any tables to serve. It wasn't until my partner had to make staff aware that we were sat there. No proper greeting like older times and no cutlery or general hospitality provided. We kind of brushed it off as we taught its younger, teenage servers who looked inexperienced. The wait for the food was quite long and the roast was extremely mediocre despite the recent price hike which is not just (cost of living) related and shouldn't be in my opinion as competing country pubs have similar prices and majorly better food quality and portion size. Small portion of meat, beef was sinuie and very tough. It was difficult to cut and chew despite it being on the rare side which should make it more tender. The vegetables used to come separate, unlike this time around where we were served poorly overcooked small portion of fine julienne carrots and horribly overcooked frozen broccoli florets. Gravy was really scarce and barely dowsing the plate, Yorkshire pudding was flat and tasted like it was frozen and microwaved, also cold. The wine offer we chose was a bottle of red not opened infront of us. The server seemed to be in a rush and didn't even wait until our order was finished and just rudely turned around. The specials board dessert for the day (apple crumble) had ran out which is a bad impression of kitchen management as it was really early on in the day in terms of Sunday roast food service which lasts till 5pm and this was a 2pm booking. We ordered the other special dessert for the day (creme brulee) which was runny, watery and sugar loaded which was a bit sickly. The shortbread it came with was fresh out of the oven but the dough inside was undercooked/raw and again way too sugary. The tables around us seemed to be finished with most of their plates still full which was also not a good impression. We got asked if the food was okay multiple times by the same server which was also excessive and annoying. I wouldn't come back here again personally as there is much better competition around this area and even affordable good food/michellin star pubs. I would advise people to avoid the mediocre food, rather maybe have a drink if the bar staff could actually come around ti ever taking your order. Shame really, they should realise that a lot of people can cook a roast better at home it's not something you can avoid criticism about as it's a Great British Classic.

i write this review with a bit of a heavy heart. i have been coming to the Black buoy for many years to enjoy the great selection of beers and more frequently over the past three years , its great Sunday roast. However over the last three or four visits this yer I have been disapponinted with the quality and portion size. I am not sure this is down to new management or chef, however, whereby upon oredering the roast you used to be served a decent prtion of meat with a side dish of hot al denté vegetables and a cracking fluffy yorkshire pudding with crispy roast potatoes and gravy on the side...now the plates arrive with soft soggy veg#carrots batons cut so thinly(juliene style) which are soggy and overcooked and meagre amounts of meat. the yorkshire puddings are flat and for the most part cold. It is so disappointing as I used to recommend this pub as serving up one of the best roast dinners around locally . the other recommend is The Lexdon crown which is amazing also, however I felt the Black Buoy had that slight edge due to its location and ale selection. I will likely give this one more chance to see if there is any improvement but unfortunately if not it will be the Lexdon Crown in futere -sorry to write this but it really has lost its touch

Great pub, brilliant food and lovely service.

This pub is in the picturesque area of town near the Riverside. It does not have parking and parking in this part of town is extremely limited. However, a short walk away is a free car park. We received a warm welcome and service was good. Decent choice of food including vegetarian and I enjoyed a vegan burger and very tasty chips. The food was reasonably priced and the coffee very good value - huge cups! If in the area again would be happy to return.

Absolutely delicious Sunday roast and great service. Great variety of meat options and the vegan choices were amazing! So good to have a well cooked pub roast!! Will be back soon

Never again!!! Food microwaved. Expensive for a very small and overcooked portion. Seating was very limited even though we had booked a week before. Need I say more :(

Excellent roast dinner. Actually the best we’ve had in a very long time!!! Highly recommended!! Definitely worth a visit! Train station 3 minute walk too!

Very friendly place with good range of beers and reasonably priced good food.

Been here a few times over the last few years and it doesn't get any better, unfortunately. The attitude of the customers (perhaps they are the joint owners) is poor and very unwelcoming. The barman was fine but other staff were smoking out the front when we arrived and then ignored us. Other pubs in the village are far better.

Popped in for lunch good food and friendly service in a very old pub

Interesting old pub located in the historic centre of the town, a couple of minutes walk from the quay.   The staff were very helpful and friendly and the room was comfortable.   Full English breakfast and evening dinner were good quality and sizeable portions.   The pub is also dog friendly. The only disappointment was that they don't currently offer their excellent evening meals during the week.   Even so, we'll be back!

extremely racist bar if u like that sort, treat the white people and people of colour very differently. My friends did not come to this place to be told that the waiters couldnt come serve them outside but could serve the white ppl next to them, unfiltered bias and racism. Never coming back and would never recommend to any respectable person. this was on the 7th of may 2023 at around 2pm, my friends got told they wouldnt get served outside and got told to put away their own plates after eating which the white patrons did not get told to do. they were the only 2 black patrons at the establishment at the time.

Did not appreciate the treatment at all. As soon as we walked in the guy was acting moody. Didn't understand why but I brushed it off. Until these people actively discriminated against me and my friend. Treated us poorly compared to the other customers. Will not be returning. Take notes from the rose and crown.

Recently visited for Sunday lunch. V friendly staff and absolutely perfect roast dinner. Nut roast wasn't dry like some can be. Veg was cooked really well, all food was hot and cauliflower cheese was delicious ! My boyfriend had roast lamb and that was also cooked to perfection. Not too expensive either. Pub is dog friendly but luckily there weren't any near our table. Will definitely be back and can highly recommed.

Such a shame. This place isn't what it was. The food was average as was the beer. Service isn't what it was either. Won't be back in a while......🙁

Requested a table for lunch and received a curt and unfriendly response from Tracey. Waited 15 minutes for service and decided that we were clearly inconveniencing this establishment with our custom.

Nice beer (Colchester #1). Nice food, good menu, friendly staff... excellent service.

Had to comment on the really poor experience we’ve just had as a family for a simple Sunday roast at the BB , it really pains me to write this as I’ve lived in this village for 35 years and support most of the pubs...

Love the pub been using it for 50 years and still go back.that tells a story

We booked a table & specified vegan dietary requirements - we were told there were several options on the menu. Unfortunately this was not the case upon arrival - we were ignored for the first hour. Seated at 2:30 and fed at 4pm.. not quite...

A really lovely pub in a great location, with a wonderful garden. Fab staff. They had a real ale and cider festival on, which was excellent, often top live music. I stayed in Sainty, one of their 2 rooms and it was a pleasure all...

Excellent food and a good menu to choose from. Service and drinks also good, by far the best pub in the village. Children welcomed. We have found our local

Avoid this pub or be very careful with them. On July 22 I had dinner in this pub. We drank a pint of beer, an non-alcholic gin tonic, and a soda. I was visibly in hurry when leaving - I had to take a train a few minutes later, so I did not check the receipt. Too late I realized they also made me pay for a very expensive "home Sauvignon bottle" that we never ordered. A very strange and suspect 'mistake' - I was clearly just an 'outsider' in a hurry, after all.... I wrote them an email to complain, obviously they never replied

We came here for an evening meal - serving food from 6pm we all ordered different meals minted lamb burger, the buoy burger and spiced pork belly which was all homecooked and tasty. We were pleased with the service and the gentleman behind the bar...

Meals good service good nice place to eat

After cycling 20 miles to Wivenhoe from home I was in need of refreshments. Had chicken, bacon and avocado sandwich with crisps and salad. Good value as the sandwich was well filled. Lovely interior and they have a garden out back too. Definitely recommend this...

We had meals here on two consecutive nights. It had been recommended by our Air bnb hosts. It is a rustic pub that is community run. Parking could be a problem as there are yellow lines and narrow roads everywhere, but there is a small...

Once again The Black Buoy delivers!! Fantabulous food, and the drink is top notch. Currently consuming Colchester Brewery "Brazilian" which is a chocolate coffee porter that is pure velvet. Beer festival on this weekend too, great selection of all styles of beer, and it's been very popular. Great destination, great staff, comfortable and cosy surroundings so there's no excuse not to come back!!

We booked the inn as we wanted to be near to Colchester. We researched the area and this looked ideal. When we arrived, all seemed good and we were shown to the room. The room was nice but was rather dusty and not really clean....

Came here on several occasions, lunch and evening, whilst staying in Wivenhoe on holiday. Really friendly, helpful staff, both snacks at lunchtime and the evening meals were excellent and our corgi was made welcome with complimentary biscuits. Will definitely come again when in the area.

This is a warm, cosy, community-owned pub in the heart of Wivenhoe. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the bar is dog-friendly. The pub is in a narrow street so you can't park immediately outside but there is a car park 5 minutes walk away. They have a good selection of real ales, as well a selection of lagers, wine, etc. There is a beer festival at present (March 2022) so they have several ales at £3 a pint. We had booked a private room for our group meal. This was accessed via a steep narrow staircase, although I believe there is a back door at the bottom, so may possibly be okay for wheelchair users (best to check first if you book it). The pub was busy with drinkers and people having a meal. The food was very good, and the staff attentive but not overpowering, and we had a great time. Recommended.

Friendly pub always made welcome

Lovely food lovely people will definitely be going again 😍😍

I thought I’d try the vegan shepherd pie (I’m not a vegan) It has to be one of the most delicious lunches I’ve had. Tasty, filling and piping hot. We’ll done Black Bouy for being friendly, helpful and delicious. Xx

Just like to say a big thank you to all at the Black Buoy 22 1 for looking after as (Tendering Camra), staff and beer was at it best.

Return visit to this delightful pub/restaurant in quaint Wivenhoe. Greeted by lovely smell of wood burning- and yes a real fire! It was busy on a weekday lunchtime- tribute to the delicious food- we had fish n chips - wonderfully crispy batter and chips. Proper...

Lovely ales and a freehouse with an open log fire. The staff and customers were really welcoming when we popped in for a pint.

Our first visit here. Popped in here on the off chance in the hope of Sunday Lunch half expecting to be turned away but instead received a warm welcome and accommodated easily. The service was efficient and friendly and the Sunday roast was perfect. Quality...

Very friendly staff and lovely food very reasonable price. Would definitely go back again ☺️

My wife and I stayed overnight. The room was clean and comfortable and the stairs are steep so be careful. We arrived in the afternoon and after parking our car round the back (there are 2 spaces) we checked in then went for a walk...

As lovely old pub in a quaint setting. Fabulous real ales on tap. Sunday lunch was one of the best I’ve sampled. Extra veg and gravy came as standard. The service was really friendly and attentive. Portion size was very good. Make sure you have an appetite. Highly recommended.

Great food friendly service go again

Phoned on the Sunday morning, to book a table for later in day. on arrival, we were shown to our table outside (our choice) and given menus, drinks orders taken. We chose a roast each, Hubby had Pork and I opted for the Chicken, we also ordered the side of Cauli Cheese. Both dinners were gorgeous, FRESH vegetables, homemade roasties and yorkshires, and the Cauli chesse was cheesy, but next time, it will be one between the 2 of us!! We shared a garlic bread to startm had one pint of shandy and a large glass of red, all combined at a cost of £44.00, we will be back!!! Staff were fab too!!

Found the place without planning while exploring Wivenhoe. Great find. Friendly staff, served by a really courteous young man. Food was excellent. Stuffed mushrooms and home made burger (which was definitely homemade). Good draughty Apple cider. Unfortunately a little too far away to frequent regularly but I will return in order to eat here again.

Been here a few times and food usually very good. However recently ordered Fish Platter which was not worth the money. Dozen shell on prawns, couple slices smoked salmon, smoked mackerel and the smallest portion of crab I’ve ever seen, barely a couple of spoonfuls. This came with a couple of slices of bog standard bread, not even a decent bread. Lucky we also ordered a side order of chips because the platter itself was not adequate for two adults. Need to up their game here as fish plentiful in that area. On the plus side, service was good and will definitely visit again

It saddens me to say as a local, that the Black Buoy is being run in to the ground by poor Management. What happened to the customer is always right? Well clearly they do not care. The owners are clearly not in touch with how the Pub is run. Well it started with we could not sit in the shade because tables were reserved. Well the reserved tables remained unoccupied all of the time we were there. We order 3 drinks. The first did not come and we had to chase. Then 2 drinks came at once. Each order came up wrong. On the last occasion when we asked where our drinks were we were told the order had been put through only ten minutes before, even though we had been waiting at least 30 minutes. The barmaid who took the order had spent the whole time having a conversation with her mates.When we questioned the under manager as to why the barmaid was talking to friends and not getting our drinks, his remarks were 'well she is talking to customers" apparently more important than serving us drinks.He used some weasel word excuse about coronavirus. When we remarked that it was the worst Pub in the area for service he said "well we did not have to come there".Do the owners really condone that attitude? It used to very much be a Pub for locals, but do they now think it's all about relying on passing trade?

First greetings were very friendly this afternoon, was welcomed by a young man believe his name was Alex or Adam? The barmaid was also very friendly too and spoke to us about the various ales on offer. Roast Pork was delicious, would definitely recommend, only negative was other customers being tremendously rude to service staff, was clear it was very busy, and perhaps a more appreciative approach could've been made. Will be coming back again.

Set just back from the harbour with a good outside space - popular with cyclists if our lunchtime visit is anything to go by - we were looking forward to a leisurely lunch and things looked promising with a good selection of local ales to start us off. Sadly when we decided to share a £24 seafood platter it came up a bit short - at that price you'd expect better than sliced bread, the smoked mackerel was excellent but was the only standout, and I probably could have eaten the same again.

Shame was looking firward to meal after looking at reviews. Potatoes where raw in middle mentioned to waiter reply was we get that a lot .terrible

We were in the area and thought this pub looked lovely with a great out door space. Unfortunately for us they were full up outside so we went inside to the upstairs seating. The staff were very friendly and polite at all times, it was just the long wait to get a drink order made, despite being told I'll just go get my pad and I will be right back. 20 mins this took! In the meantime another couple and been seated behind us and he then came and took their drink and food order before us. We had the vegan salad and the fish and chips and both were lovely, although I was missing the walnuts from my salad. We will go back here as the atmosphere is lovely and the food good.

Negs: shockingly bad Beef rib like a dried piece of shoe leather and roast potatoes that were either overdone or underdone - I couldn’t quite work out what they’d done to them. They were hard and flavourless either way.Pos: Green veg was nicely cooked and there was a lovely Yorkshire pudding. Other things: Mini rolls turned out to be sliced chiabatta and the balsamic and oil pot seemed to include some kind of vegetable oil rather than olive oil from what I could tell. My son had the fish and chips and was very happy with it.Staff were ok. Certainly wouldn’t go back for a roast tho.

We stayed here for 2 nights, Tuesday and Wednesday, unfortunately they only do food from Wednesday to Sunday. The dinner we had on the Wednesday night was excellent. The fish and chips was beautifully cooked, a simple dish, but often cooked badly, but not here. The goats cheese salad was also lovely. Service was friendly and good. It was busy, so I am sure booking is a good idea.We also stayed in one of their 2 rooms, which I can also highly recommend. Delightful clean and spacious room above the bar, with a good bed. The breakfast was excellent, you order what you want the night before, so all cooked freshly for you. Just note though that the rooms are up a very steep and narrow staircase, if this is problem for you.

Really friendly staff, good food, promptly served with a smile. Really recommend this place. Lovely community owned pub . . .

A lovely traditional pub in Wivenhoe. We enjoyed a meal as part of a boat tour from Brightlingsea and the lunch was included. Both meals where served quickly and where delicious.

The first greeting we had from the front of house staff seemed fairly rude, no hello, no good afternoon, just a "what are you here for?" Im not one for niceities myself, however the tone used did set us back. However, the waitress was lovely, very friendly and helpful. Although the food had a very limited choice, it was very nice! A little bit pricey for just a sandwich, few crisps and few salad leaves. Put experience down to the the heat of the day! We will be back to try an evening meal.

I cycled here from Colchester, along the Wivenhoe trail, and really enjoyed a plate of fish and chips, washed down by two pints of ale. The pub, which is old and attractive, had a good choice of beers and the inference I drew from the barmaid was that the beers on offer are changed on a regular basis. The pub had adapted well to Covid restrictions and I would recommend the pub to visitors.

Had a lovely overnight stay here on sat 22nd.room was perfect plenty of space and all clean and fresh.was made to feel so welcome that we are already deciding when to return.

Had lunch for 5 of us at the Black Buoy yesterday.... Great food and service in a Covid safe environment. Please continue your local pub

First time I’ve eaten here and was not disappointed. The food and service was excellent. I had the fish and chips and it’s the best I’ve ever tasted. Other meals my daughters had was the vegan roasted salad and the pulled pork. Both said they looked and tasted lovely. Great value for money. Staff are friendly.

I met 2 friends for lunch at the Black Buoy. Every thing was really lovely and all covid rules were followed . Panini and salad was very tasty and my friend said her fish and chips was lovely too. Staff are so nice, welcoming and couldn't do enough for us so a credit to the pub !!!. Deffo be back. Thank you all. 😋

We turned up here after failing to make the text-dependent track and trace system work at another pub. Hence we were pleased to see the Black Buoy had a simple piece of A4 that we could put our details on.The outside area was busy but the inside almost deserted, so we stayed inside where it felt spacious and cool. Attentive staff and decent waiting time, but unfortunately my rib of beef was tough and the roast potatoes very dry, not much fun to eat. Oddly both main meals were billed at £1 less than the menu price; if that was a promotion we didn't see it, but it helped to make up for the food!

The Black Buoy was always a good pub and I always looked forward to going there as the beer and food was always top class..Today I was served what can best be described as a rancid pint and the roast that I had was clearly made from frozen and the potatoes tasted like wood..I know this is a community pub and I will not be coming back until the current management gets the sack..I come over from Rowhedge and will be informing all over here how downhill this place has become..

Really comfortable beds nice rooms, good food great choices. Breakfast hit the spot. Great staff very friendly, just right for a weekend retreat. Will be back.

The in was easy to find Meals were great in terms of quality ,quantity ,variety, choice options and serving temperature .We felt that the problems were really with the rooms well certainly the one we had as despite the large bed the rest was disappointing-tired ,dark ,drab, and the bath/shower we felt was dangerous as there was no anti slip mat and no grab handles .The Inn`s position is good -being in the village and also just a few yards from the River and a great pub with plenty of outside chairs and tables .The staff were all quite helpful and as the In was not very full ,it meant we had plenty of attention . A further concern in light of C19 is that as they are using the car park as a table and chaired drinking area -parking was very limited and quite obviously as we found non residents were not to happy with having to move cars to make way for overnighters . Fortunately we seemed to be the only guests with a car .Having stayed at may places during our extensive tour of East Anglia ,and with hindsight comparing what we paid and what was provided at each place ranging from 3* hotels, to B & B`s, to Inns & pubs , and Guest houses, we felt that £95 charged for B & B was excessive and £75 would offer better value and be closer to real VFM . Just wondered based on other Trip advisors comments if the changes made post reopening is the real reason for the £95 ..............Any Comments ????Jan & Mike

My wife and I decided to explore Wivenhoe a very pretty Essex town on the River Colne. We wanted a bite to eat opted for the Black Buoy as the the place looked interesting from the outside. The pub had screens on the bar and a track and trace log and there was clear markings for social distancing. which was encouraging. The decor was rustic and had an understandably nautical feel plus samples of local art.Although we had not pre-booked, we were able to get a table indoors. We chose the specials on the menu - A chicken and Bacon salad and puff pastry brie and artichoke salad. Both dishes arrived promptly and were full to the brim. The food was delicious. We were tempted to get deserts and the Peach Cobbler and Key Lime pie and the helpings were huge and tasty. The place was busy but the staff were friendly and eager to please.On the basis of our experience today, we will definitely visit again

The Black buoy offers a lovely atmosphere, despite not being directly on the riverfront. The outside garden is great to sit in so long as the weather holds, and unlike the Tudor Rose (the pub by the river), it has shaded outdoor area, and offers soya milk.Unfortunately, the time we visited it, the barista was clearly not very competent, and had to remake drinks. The drinks when they were finally ready, were a tad underwhelming with no froth on the cappuccinos, and no spoons provided. Staff were friendly though, but it still does not make up for a lack luster drink.

We came in yesterday afternoon for drinks, really friendly staff, tables well spaced out. Had booked for Sunday lunch tomorrow. Returned for Sunday lunch which was fabulous. 2 clean plates. Thank you to the lovely friendly staff working very hard.

Rude staff, were more interested in pandering to a couple of old lady's having coffee, spending a few quid, than even giving us menu's. This happens all to often to families with young children. It's a real shame that we were ignored, the place wasn't busy at all and could have had perhaps £50-60 of our hard earned cash if they had just been remotely decent at Thier jobs. But after having to seat ourselves, get our own drinks, and wait for a menu, that that never arrived. All the while watching the table next to us, arrive after ourselves and then receive the type of service we would have seen as acceptable. Probably great if you don't want to have lunch with your family and be ignored by teenagers who seem to run the place. Excellent location, less than excellent service

Very busy, waited 30 minutes for our drinks. Would come again but wouldn’t be prepared to wait that long again.

Food was good. Menu was simple. Service was average. I'm not clear what the policy is but it seems that some of servers where masks while others don't. Also don't even try to social distance. The singage is inconsistent and not respected by anyone. Just surprised those the second best after Wivenhoe brasserie as the latter had better service and respect for social distancing.

I went out with my boy and decided on some scampi and chips with extra tartare. It was my first time having scampi and tartare and I enjoyed it thoroughly, staff were S Tier, drinks were solid, and overall just an amazing experience. Would recommend to anyone I know!!!

Anyone missing a meal out but still unsure about the safety, I whole heartily recommend the Black Buoy at Wivenhoe they went above and beyond with the cleaning and distance and masks they are working so very hard to keep us safe but without dropping there standards on the food , thank you so much for giving us the most relaxed and delicious Sunday roast

Friendly and welcoming with good selection of craft beers.

The pub is awful since coming out of lock down, new manager who hasn’t got a clue making things so hard just to get a drink or even served. customer base has definitely changed for the worse lots of undesirable people now hanging around. Food is a massive disappointment must of changed chefs as looks like a child has thrown it on a plate. Such a shame used to be run really well by manager. Not going to be returning until they sort it out.