The Coast Inn in Colchester

Really disappointed with this place. The setting is great hence the two stars but it’s just let down by everything else. The tables were not cleaned after each customer, so all tables we tried were sticky and dirty. What’s worse is the children’s high chairs were filthy, I tried three that were all as bad. They closed the kitchen half an hour earlier than they told us they would so we weren’t able to get desserts. They didn’t alert us that it would be closing earlier. This was because they wanted to send the kitchen staff home earlier (because the football was on). So that didn’t make us feel particularly welcome. The food had obviously been microwaved, the roast potatoes were hard and overcooked because of this. We also witnessed staff bad mouthing two customers that had just left, again not making us feel very welcome. It’s such a shame because the place could be so nice but is just let down by the people working there. There was no table service.

Went here for a family lunch whilst staying in mersea. 6 of us and had a spot on the balcony. The food was fantastic, all arrived very quickly. Despite them saying staff shortages. We all had mains and puddings which were plentiful and delicious. Staff were friendly and helpful. A great location it could have been somewhere abroad. Would definitely recommend and will return.

Stopped for a drink after a day in the area. Bar service was a little slow, and it wasn’t busy. Staff seemed busier rearranging things rather than serving. We didn’t eat so only sat outside. There was a sign saying May be long waits for food as short staffed.

Whilst on holiday in Mersea,we visited The Coast Inn twice for lunch. Customer service 100% Atmosphere 100% Food 100% Lovely lady even let me concoct my own ciabatta that was not on menu!! My partner had the rib eye steak which he said was really good. Thanks for making us so welcome!😊

I experienced very rude bar staff during a 2 hour period. I felt very unwelcome due to the bar staff. Wouldn’t come again nor would I recommend it to anyone else

Been coming to this establishment for 30 years with friends & family and always enjoyed our meals and love the all but one friendly staff. On this occasion my husband and I ordered the fish & chips, my husband had the rock eel I had the haddock. When my meal arrived I was disappointed to see there was hardly any fish under the batter, my husband’s rock eel was perfect, I politely sent my meal back but nobody came over to discuss what was happening. I was then presented the same meal, again the smallest piece of fish with refried chips that were inedible. When I told the waitress this and why I didn’t eat it, she said “I’ll tell the chef” still nothing no apology or even a suggestion of a refund. The waitress stated that the chef said there was nothing wrong with the meal ! I replied that I am a chef myself and I know how to cook food and that we’ve coming here for 30 years and never returned a meal back since today. The waitress reacted in a very sarcastic unprofessional manner to me and very rude in my judgment, how she is front of house/ waitress amazed me and my husband with that attitude. What a shame that one experience ruins 30yrs of enjoyment !

Superb Roast! We eat at The Coast Inn every time we come to Mersea and it never disappoints. Great food and great value with the most wonderful views. I wish I had a local like this near me!

Great food with friendly staff and very fast service. The daily specials were great (so much so we ate there three times for dinner and once for breakfast!) and the roast beef on Sunday was tender with great gravy and generous portions. The seafood platter and the dipping platter were also very good with lots of variety and again generous portion sizes!

A lovely setting overlooking the water. Seating inside or out. Staff (young lady & young man today) super friendly & efficient. Had real friendly vibe. Great for dogs too with water & treats provided. Most importantly food delicious we had the 8oz burgers today but can’t wait to go back to try other dishes. Thank you for a great lunch

Enjoyed a Delicious breakfast with the family, nice selection of hot drinks to choose from.attentive friendly staff made for a lovely experience

The drinks were alright but for the price of the food, it was adequate at best. The food selection was also fairly average, as even for a pub, there seemed to be few appealing options. However critical I have been, the pub itself is nice and the staff are lovely and it has good service, so the rating is more for them than the food which could be said to give a 90s pub vibe, but not a good one. In summary I would go again but not to eat - only to drink due to the lack of options.

Great spot and friendly staff but let down by value for money. Two of our party ordered the ‘Coastal Wholefood Salad’ priced at £12 and thankfully decided to add the optional salmon for a further £3 and then add chips for a further £5 (sweet potato) / £4.50 (skinny fries) respectively. The original salad was a relatively small amount of chickpeas, grains and a few salad leaves which would have been extremely disappointing and massively overpriced dish for £12!! No tomatoes or other ‘salad’ ingredients which you might expect. All elements especially the salmon were very nicely done but left slightly bewildered regarding VFM!

Had two ample breakfasts, such generous portions and my favourite place to have breakfast! Staff are always so welcoming and lovely! Left feeling happy and with a full tummy. Recommend getting a breakfast from the coast inn whenever you’re in mersea!

We were visiting Mersea Island for the first time and sadly our first impression was spoiled by the incredibly rude and unwelcoming bar person. Clearly they didn't wish to be there and didn't want us there either, at least that was our impression. Only given 3 stars because the food was satisfactory. Not somewhere we would risk returning to.

Not been for awhile and wont be returning any time soon. It appears everything is served with chips and peas. My lasagne was dry with very little sauce - mainly pasta and stringy cheese. The salad looked tired - and the taste matched it. Very noisy and the main restaurant felt cold. On a good note the staff were very friendly which is a plus in this day and age. The prices have risen as have most restaurant prices, but sadly the quality hasn't. I thought the liver and bacon priced at £17.00 was totally unrealistic when liver is as cheap as chips. We all like value for money and I think restaurants need to put in a bit more effort if they want to survive.

We found this restaurant by accident and were so glad we did. Service was great, food was excellent and very generous portions. We had starters and a main and were too full for dessert which was a shame as they looked fabulous. Between us we had tempura black pudding, deep fried Brie and the Stilton and celery soup for starters. For our mains we had lasagne with chip and a salad.

We hadn’t booked and having been turned away from the particularly slow serviced Company Shed, we thought we would try our luck at The Coast Inn. Clean, bustling and full of character. We were quickly seated as a family (despite it being busy). The food was exceptionally tasty and the service was soo friendly and quick. This is our new Mersey favourite (sorry Company Shed).

Looking for a place to get luch before a boat trip I arrived in the middle of lunch service. It was a bit busy but I was made extremely welcome and directed to a table where I was asked if I wanted anything to read whilst I waited , given a glass of iced water and the menus. There was a varied choice from locally caught fish and sea food through to my choice of belly pork on bubble and squeak with a cider jus. I thought given how busy they were that this may take a while but no , but it did take me a while to get through the genourous portions. The food was hot, well presented and marvelously tasty and the crackling was perfect. My server Linda was fantastic and I noticed that all the serving staff were polite, knowlegable, attentive and prompt. I shall be back.

The fish and chips were expensive at £18, especially as the chips were of the frozen catering pack variety and the fish was very mediocre, dry and overcooked. I thought the car parking was an advantage until I received a parking fine 10 days later. the staff never bothered to point out to me the necessity to register my car when I iordered food at the bar. Signage to that effect was not prominent. The location doesnt make up for being ripped off.

Having eaten here a few weeks back we returned to introduce the Coast to friends. Service again was excellent and the menu is varied with something for everyone and also has some great specials. Excellent beer too (even Mersea Island Brewery on draught!). A great spot and can highly recommend.

Had booked a table for lunch. Arrived and could immediately tell the single member of staff serving drinks behind the bar was stressed. When we were eventually offered service we were told to wait to be seated and then our drinks order would be taken. We were ignored by the staff member dealing with lunch bookings. When she did speak with us she was hostile and rude. Suffice it to say, we left without having had a drink or lunch. Such a shame as it was my birthday.

My rating of this visit is not on the food but on the service particularly by a member of staff named Linda! She is rude, dictorial and bolshy! Absolutely no way should be front of house! Ruins the restaurant and great food!☹️

My son came down from peacehaven for a pre mothers day lunch on Saturday 30th March. It was glorious weather so we sat outside with wonderful views. Cod and chips mushy peas wonderful far too much on the plate could not finish it all. The sticky ribs my son had looked yummy he eat all of his with chips and salad. All in all fantastic

Food was really nice with fast service. I would recommend and will be returning! 👍🏼 I recommend the chicken burger! 🥳

Been here a few times and the food is always great, best to sit outside with a view of the sea when it’s warm enough.

Really great lunch..nice selection on menu..makes you fancy everything..and we had four different dishes and they were all excellent..nice friendly service..good value for money

I need to update from my review a few years back.

Spent the day on the beach then walked to the Coast Inn for a pint and something to eat. The lunch did not take long to arrive at all and was delicious!

We have found that the food is some times good and some times not so good, but never bad. The decor is a little tired a bit like Marmite, you will like or hate it.

We come here regularly either as a couple or with friends. The food is great and be sure to look at the specials board for fresh fish of the day. I recommend the skate wing with caper butter it’s very good as is the haddock and Chips which is so big it overhangs the plate ! Staff are good, service is good...go visit !

Excellent food and ambience, if the haddock had been any bigger they wouldn't have a plate big enough. Superb.

Had an early evening meal with friends here. Place was very busy. We shared the back dining room with a huge family table who had several children running around and whinging babies. The food was excellent. The service was so efficient the mains came out before they'd cleared the starters. The restaurant can't help who's at the other tables or how much noise they make but all in all a very nice place.

Lovely pub with leather sofas and roaring fire, very cosy. Slow service at the bar I think they had a internet problem. Not a lot of choice of gin. Restaurant lovely and comfortable, had a very noisy table near us with a young baby but think the grownups made more noice then the baby. Large restaurant with 3 rooms. Food very tasty and well cooked. The largest portion of fish and chips I have seen. Very good service and friendly staff. Nice pub in a nice setting. Will definitely return, it would be nice to sit in the garden on a warm day overlooking the water

This place is a gem! More of a restaurant than a boozer it really knows how to cook a piece of fish. I had haddock which was really big, fresh and not greasy. Highly recommend

We had been here before so I know The Coast is always busy so I did book the day before. We were met with a friendly smile, shown to our table and given the menu. Drinks order was taken and our choices. My fish and chips arrived promptly and what a feast! Very fresh and the batter was so light. You certainly need to be hungry, My friend had pan-fried skate which was a little dearer but just as big. We did find later that there was an option for a smaller portion on certain items on the menu. We were too full for a sweet. Lovely setting, great food, beautiful décor - check out the "dandelion" lights in the side room.

We've eaten here many times and can thoroughly recommend it. The liver and bacon signature dish is excellent and you need to be hungry! a good selection of real ales, lagers and wines. Give it a go.

Went here after walking along the beach. Had dog with us but this was not a problem as we start outside. Whitebait was amazing with buttered brown bread. My friends really pleased with theirs as well

Booked by e mail pre ordered food as we only had an hour to spare super hot food excellent staff and comms Thank you

Plenty of parking, and very busy, unfortunately we were too late to buy food as the kitchen was closed, but the food coming out looked nice. They offer fresh coffee as well as a bar. Dogs seemed to be welcomed inside the pub. There was plenty of seating outside too.

We enjoy eating at The Coast Inn the food is always of a good standard and the prices are resonable. They always have a good variety of fish on the menu which is always fresh

First time visit, our food was wonderful and tasty. service was good and staff very friendly and helpful.

I met friends with their children to exchange Christmas gifts today.

We have been visiting your restaurant for over a year since we have been living in the island .... but after out last few visits I can assure you we will not come again. May I note, the food is never a problem. Staff on the other hand are underwhelming and unwelcoming !

Whether it's just a quick drink when out dog walking where the dogs and humans are welcome. Or maybe a night out with great company and interesting people. Thank you Lloyd Molly Hannah and Tracy for great service. I have eaten here a few times and really enjoyed the food.

Fabulous food, I chose the slow roasted pork belly which was delicious, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their choices and all were very generous portions, great service from staff, and a lovely place to sit with views over the estuary. All agreed we will definitely be returning

Spent a lovely evening at the Coast Inn. I can honestly say the Pan fried Skate I chose was superb & equally my husband's Cod. We were extremely pleased we chose to eat here. Staff attentive & pleasant. Wish we lived closer.

My wife, our dog and I recently visted East Mersea to find a 'fish' restaurant. We arrived about 1400hrs on Sunday - big mistake almost impossible to find parking anywhere as yellow lines everywhere and what little car parking spaces next to restaurants.cafes, were full. We went to the end of the seafront and had to turn around, could go no further. So we decided to give it a miss and go home. On the way back we saw 'The Coast Inn' with a carpark and one space! we went for it. We opted to sit outside with our dog with others and theirs. We could have taken him inside as other people were taking their dogs inside. Our chosen seating overlooked the sea front (tide out). Although it was a chilly and overcast day, the sight of the numerous yachts and boats was atmospheric. We ordered x 2 skate and chips, a cappuccino and a pot of tea - cost £35.

The Coast Inn, is very easy to miss, tucked away near the waters edge. It has two car parks, but best to book in case it is busy. Location, food and staff are superb. They cannot do enough for you. They are also dog friendly, so you can expect your pooch to get pampered!

Nous sommes allés déjeuner vendredi midi. L'accueil fut chaleureux. Une grande ardoise, nous informe des mets à l'honneur en plus de la carte. Le poisson est excellent, les boulettes "fishcake" merveilleuses et les lasagnes maison moelleuses. Tous ces plats accompagnés d'une salade et de frites. Le vin blanc peut être pris au verre et celui choisi était parfait. Les desserts ...wahou brownie magique et tiramisu surprenant. N'hésitez pas à faire escale au Coast inn, merci encore à leur gentillesse et au délicieux repas.

We all enjoyed our lunch at The Coast Inn, very pleasant staff and great food was had by all. Recommend this place but best to book.

We all had the sunday roast beef, x 4, and it came very fast with all the trimmings

We stumbled over this place for a quick snack before the tide times, allowed dogs in the bar ! Result! Team are so friendly and helpful ! I ordered a posh fish finger sandwich not expecting much for eight quid and my other half ordered a sausage and onion baguette !

Wonderful fish (skate and cod), light crispy batter, moist fish and 'proper' chips. Couldn't fault it. (see photo). Excellent selection of beers, at a very reasonable price. Finally, the staff very friendly and efficient.

Thirteen of us enjoyed a delightful lunch to celebrate my husband and daughter's birthdays. Fabulous food and setting and service and lovely touch when the staff, unasked, came out with candles in chocolate brownies whilst singing Happy Birthday. Thank you!

Lovely little restaurant close to the estuary and harbour, very friendly with a great atmosphere. We went for lunch here last week on a lovely early autumn sunny day.

We often eat at the coast inn, food always first class, reasonably prices and staff extremely friendly and helpful.

This is a nicely situated restaurant overlooking the estuary near the boatyards. If you are there during the sunset - it is stunning!

Visited a number of times now and always enjoy the place. Food, particularly fish, is very good and surroundings nice. Service is good too. Last time we visited, I had the belly pork and it was heroic.

We took our dog for a walk along Mersea beach and decided to stop here for a bite to eat. I am not a fish eater so was glad to see that there was plenty to offer for non fish eaters. I decided on the homemade lasagne and my husband had the scampi. We were both extremely happy with our choices. The lasagne was just perfect. Plenty of meat in a rich sauce and topped just the way I like it, with lots of cheese. My husband said the scampi was cooked to perfection. Although the chips were of the frozen kind (as another reviewer has mentioned) they were good quality chips and well cooked. To sum it up in one word.... PERFECT!!! Have already recommended to family. The staff are very friendly too and helpful.

Came for.a.last minute lunch. Ordered the haddock and chips as had had this before and was excellent. Very disappointed this time as chips were frozen.and peas dried out. Fish was still excellent. Service great and the restaurant is lovely. Up you game!!! What a shame.

Stayed in Mersea for a few days and our host suggested we ate here. The best suggestion of the year! Wished we were staying for a fortnight!

The days boat catch! Does it get any better than that?

Four of us ate here one sunny Thursday lunchtime in September. We sat outside with our dog. The food was delicious and my fish of the day was 2 wings of skate beautifully cooked. Others had a generous portion of fish and chips. The dog even got a couple of biscuits. A very relaxing experience thank you.

Extremely disappointed, we ordered 2 roast dinners pork and beef, both plates arrived and to look at they were very bland and beige, no green veg, the roast potatoes were rock solid and didn’t have any taste, the Yorkshire pud was soft, a small bowl of cauliflower cheese turned up not enough for two people! We will not be eating a roast here again.

Our first visit today to The Coast but it won’t be our last. Very friendly staff, we loved our two waitresses. The haddock chowder is just blooming wonderful, a big hearty bowl of scrumptious loveliness, a meal in itself. We had cod and chips and the fish was cooked to perfection, still moist and tasty. Needed a trolly to roll out I was so full! Definitely going back and will sit out the front with our little dog.

after a disappointing start to the with another restaurant, we chose The Coast Inn. what a fantastically happy, relaxed and easy restaurant! everyone was super helpful and keen to help us as we had my little 2 year old for the day out. Gluten free...no problem! great table service, food was superb we ordered the skate and the honestly it came out perfect but way too big! The batter on the fish was light and crispy, the fish perfectly cooked by the perfect chips! they have non-alchaloic beers for sale as well as a full bar.

We go to this restaurant regularly. Sorry to say yesterday was our last visit. We have never been to the coast and all received what we want. There are always one or two orders that can’t be filled. The last straw was yesterday, our table was 4.30 and they had ran out of Sunday roast on a Sunday. It was still on the board though. They serve food until 7.00. So in our view this is ridiculous. Also once again charged for something we didn’t receive. We have in our view given a lot of chances to improve, always the same excuse. “It’s been a mad day” how hard is it to cook more.

Popped here for a drink on Sunday, but may have eaten..... but what a dump.... popular but way understaffed and poorly managed.

What a great place to sit outside..enjoying the lovely weather..with nice cold drinks..and great home cooked food..helpful friendly staff..real value for money..will return when next on Mersea

Took our grandson and granddaughter for a day out crabbing yesterday (3rd Sept) and on our daughter and son in laws recommendation decided on lunch in the Coast Inn.

This is a nice restaurant in a very interesting location. As a New Zealander I am always a bit sceptical of the quality of British fish but am happy to report that I very much enjoyed the skate. Also wonderful service and great ambience within the restaurant. When you are finished you can dash over the road for a bit of crabbing. The kids will love catching some good-sized crabs and then throwing them back!

Booked for dinner, midweek. Attentive, helpful staff. Reasonably quick service, despite being busy. VERY generous portions, served hot! Tasty. We will visit again, but perhaps not during the busy summer season!

Came across The Coast Inn whilst looking for somewhere to park and from now on, my SATNAV will mark it with a rosette. Beer battered cod and chips and pan fried haddock were both excellent right down to the peas and chips, lime, lemon and sauces. In other words we ate the lot, which took some doing as portions are generous. Great service and a pleasantly seaside decor. Worth the journey to Mersea on its own.

We visited coast inn on bank holiday in August. Staff are very friendly however the fish and chips we ordered was very disappointing. The fish was watery and tasteless! Did not enjoy at all🙁.

We revisited the Coast Inn as part of a large pre booked party today, the lunchtime service was excellent as was the food, we really enjoyed lunch today.

Went here today 27/08/18 for a meal for an anniversary.

Our 3rd visit and eventhough it’s always busy the staff are always relaxed and efficient. Nothings ever too much trouble for them. They have daily fish specials as well as a large fish menu- tasty staters and desserts too. (Top Tip- if visiting from outside Mersea remember to check the tide times!)

Lovely staff, food amazing - one of my favourite places to eat dinner, nice setting to chill with friends - will be back soon!

Been using this pub / restaurant for a number of years when visiting Mersea and it continues to improve. The fresh fish is fantastic. Good selection of beers, wine and coffees. A must if in the area.

Really good huge portion of fish and chips plenty of salt and portion of mushy peas went down an absoloutly treat

We ate at The Coast Inn last night and the fish and chips were as delicious as ever. Massive portion of fish for the Adults, food chips too.

We went in for Sunday lunch. We hadn't booked but they fitted us in with no wait. We all had fish and chips and the main course portions are enormous - I was the only one who could finish it!

Went for lunch, we hadn't booked and they kindly found us a table, waitresses were very nice, we had prawn cocktail (not too many prawns) & deep fried brie - this was nice bit could have done with a little longer in the fryer as the middle was still fridge cold, mains burger & chips - lovely hubby ate the lot, i had roast beef, all the trimmings were good but beef was rather chewy and I get bored keep taking bits out of my mouth so gave up!! I did ask if I could have crackling and that was lovely. All in all we will return but I also feel the need to mention all the young waitresses may benefit from some advice on clothing, seeing someone's knickers through their see through leggings every time they serve isn't appealing, same goes for ill fitting tops and bras on show, call me old fashioned but the "older" waitresses looked very professional x

Unpleasant rude staff. They would be in shock if they weren't on an island and had to work in a really busy bar in central towns! Employ people who can keep up with serving.

Stopped here for all day breakfast and ice cream. The place is cheap and food is ok. The staff were all really freindly and it has a nice relaxed atmosphere.

We visited for a birthday lunch on a trip to Mersea. The fish and chips was lovely. Great choice of fish and you can choose to have it pan fired too! Would defiantly come again. Good price and service, but most importantly great food.

What a lovely meal we had, 10 of us all had a delicious meal cooked to perfection. Staff were so helpful and welcoming. Totally lived up to expectations and we’ll definitely return... thank you

Great venue lovely decor and setting with outdoor area and large carpark. Food was of a good standard and very friendly staff only negative was a excessive wait on food

Stopped for a light lunch today, the food was absolutely terrible. Had a cheese & chutney baguette & the bread was stale. The cheese was that awful bought in pre grated plastic stuff, that has absolutely no taste of cheese. So lazy not to grate a decent block of cheese when you’re charging £8 for a baguette with a handful of chips. The garlic ciabatta was equally as bad (same cheese) & stale bread again. Such a shame because it’s a beautiful setting & the young members of staff are very pleasant. We would have a drink here but I’m afraid we’ll eat elsewhere in future.

Turned up without a booking on a hot summer evening (rain in the forecast), but were quickly seated inside at one of the last tables. We both decided to order fish and chips- very good, but the fish was a little too large. I'd have preferred a smaller portion and the possibility of one of the yummy sounding puddings! Perhaps they should offer 2 sizes and different prices?

We only had a drink here so can’t comment on food but can just say that the place is lovely and clean and the staff are very friendly . The food did look nice but we had booked elsewhere so will try it next time we go . The beer garden is very nice with a little bar outside and looks very quaint . It’s right on the harbour so a really nice view to sit and have a drink .

The breakfast was about a £1 dearer than some places but it was well worth it. A really good plate full of breakfast food, clean and served with a smile,

Lovely place to sit and down and have a drink. Sunday lunch is fantastic, also allowed dogs at the front of bar if you wish. Friendly staff and reasonable price for everything. Would definitely recommend.

Nice fish and chips spot, has lots of space inside and outside. Tasty food, slightly overpriced but big portions though.

Enjoyed sinking a pint and eating food at this place, highly recommended. We had starters and mains, we did have a slight issue with one meal due to personal preference, staff were lovely and understanding and even removed the item from the bill. They then proceeded to tell us some local tourisim tips and recommenations which was really nice. We went back the following day (but ate something else) lovely food, lovely staff, highly recommended.

Visited this pub over the Bank holiday weekend great little place, with great views food was excellent had the fresh fish and chips, deep fried brie, burger, and chicken salad all were cooked perfectly

This place sits along the coast line of Mersea Island and has great views across the bay. The inside is done up and it’s like going into someone’s home.

We took visiting friends for a meal and received a very friendly welcome upon our arrival. We all chose fresh fish dishes which were delicious. Yo Boy bitter and a bottle of rosé complemented the meal well.

Lovely garden overlooking the sea with great cake available! Friendly staff and good views make this great for a quiet afternoon!

Visited here Monday and had drinks . Really friendly bar gent serving . Lovely setting and angelic views . Highly recommend. Standards are high here and spotless restaurant. Can’t wait to return .