The Exchange in Colchester

Very pleasant lunch. Friendly staff, generous portions of good food. Reasonably priced.

Good coffee and food at a very reasonable price. Staff always friendly and helpful. Thoroughly recommend the Exchange.

We went with friends to the Italian 🇮🇹 night, the food was amazing. Far better than an expensive A la carte Italian we have been too recently in another town. The choice and portion sizes were really good. We did however feel that there were too many side dishes served and we had to leave a lot of food as there was just too much time eat. It would be better to make customers aware they can ask for more rather than give too much on the first serving. Very attentive staff and new owner who wants to really put ‘The Exchange’ on the map. If they continue to do amazing themed nights, it most definitely has its place in Tiptree. We also ate again for Sunday breakfast after a wedding on the Saturday and it was definitely what we needed after a busy day the day before. We will definitely be back and look forward to attending theme nights in the future.

Great food , great price and great portions, thank you

Surprisingly good coffee and cake. Would plan a stop here again

Been for breakfast a couple of times now and have not been disappointed. Lovely staff and well cooked food, can’t ask for more.

Stopped for abit of breakfast and it's probably the best I'd had so clean and taste great, highly recommended and I will be back

Went there for a (necessary) full fried breakfast on Sunday. Great meal, lovely service, and a reasonable price. Thank you.

Stopped of at the Tiptree exchange whilst out on a motorbike ride!! Had a double burger and a chicken burger with a hash!! Were both top draw would highly recommend if your passing this place!! Will definitely go again on our motorbike runs *******

Proper steak & kidney pud, with rosemary suet crust.

Very friendly staff is also on a well-known Eurovelo route and you can also charge e-bikes. The coffee is very tasty, and the food is also delicious

Lovely food, all very fresh, the staff are polite and very accommodating, would recommend

Great service as always. Been here a few times now and have never been disappointed. The food is excellent and all fresh local produce. Great value for money

Always have had lovely food served, Disabled friendly area cafe, staff very helpful.

Great breakfast very good service very welcoming

No rush to eat and run. Relaxed atmosphere, good food.

Nice little find with coffee and snacks with the family

Lovely place for a quick bite to eat. Staff great warm and friendly.

Great breakfast and a charming little cafe

Great food and service. Love the decor really warm colour on walls.lso comfortable

Lovely staff and friendly service

A pleasant place to eat. Very good service

The Exchange is a super place to stop on our way back from a dog walk. We sit outside and the staff always provide water and a biscuit for our dog.

What can I say, Lovely fresh food quick service and good prices!!!

Good food, and the place was heaving

2nd time here for all day breakfast. Didn't do the biggest one this time and still couldn't finish. Great food, sausage are particularly nice. Tea wasn't the best, weak and tasteless. And panini could certainly have done with more filling. All round Nice little find in the heart of Tiptree:)

Large selection on menu & great service but food is average . Although do a nice carrot cake . Been 3 times & nothing special , prob wouldn't go again

Not been here for a good couple yrs, so popped in for a full English and it was beautiful 😋 🍽 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely love this place, they do the best breakfast but also great food around!! Lovely staff as well!

Lovely fresh food good quick service

My local. Nice big breakfasts :)

It's not the cheapest but always good food at this venue.

Chanced upon this place on a Sunday drive, sadly we arrived too late for a meal as they were closing soon, but they managed to do us some toast & jam, lovely caramel latte too.

My Grandma likes this place and Is a big fan, my favourite lunch here is the cheese panini

I visited there with 3 other friends and would like to say how nice and clean, friendly we found it. We all had sandwiches and can honestly say it was the best Bacon sandwich ever. Well worth a visit, top marks

We found this cafe by accident. We are so glad as the food is so good and freshly cooked. We had a lovely Christmas dinner there but we usually have soup which is beautiful. Would recommend to all my friends.

Lovely place highly recommended 👌

Nice staff, excellent service. Place was cleaned including the toilet. The service was quick. Generally, the place is well managed.

Best place to eat and drink in Tiptree. Very clean and nice café, wonderfully helpful and friendly staff. Best coffee for miles around and decent food.

This is a very friendly cafe with good food and excellent coffee. It is used by the locals as a meeting place where friendships are formed and delicious well cooked homely food is enjoyed. The staff are lovely and very one is made very welcome. Highly recommended!

Fantastic breakfast & service in this super, sparkling clean café

Quick service lovely food nicely presented friendly staff

We have recently moved back to Essex from Scotland after 10 years and were pleased to see the Exchange still going strong, bearing in mind all that has happened in the past 2 years. Service, drinks and food all as we remembered and the screens made us feel comfortable and safe. The only criticism we would make (hence only 4 stars instead of 5) is that the sink in the ladies' loo was pretty disgusting and looked as though no-one had cleaned it in some time. The loo itself and the cubicle in general were absolutely fine but the sink was decidedly grubby. Overall, a great place for a snack or meal.

Good service, great food and a nice day to top it off sitting outside. Good experience.

Great experience, good food, great service.

Spacious friendly and great coffee

Usually good but wouldn't even serve a latte 20 mins before closing time

Lovely food and drink but bit overpriced now

My first visit today. With my mum. Was absolutely lovely. Food was fab and staff so helpful. We will be back......soon xx

Really great local spot near my parents house. Every time I go in, the service is friendly, punctual and the environment is great. If you're ever in Tiptree and need a quick bite or a coffee, I heavily recommend it 👍👍

Amazingly varied menu and great value. Great food with friendly staff and nothing is too much trouble. Thoroughly recommend

We try to go here a couple of times a week. The food is fantastic and freshly prepared while we wait… this is Charlie’s favourite place to eat. He loves cheese sandwiches milk shake and ice-cream… I totally recommend this place. (Charlie is grandson)

Came across this whilst visiting the area. Friendly and welcoming staff and had an amazing breakfast. The Exchange Special is huge and great value for money. Also the coffee is amazing and I was told it's locally sourced. Will definitely be back. Keep up the great work guys.

Such a shame to see that my soya milk was burnt so badly in my take away latte today that my coffee had lumps in it after paying £3.60 for it I am so disappointed as it’s completely un drinkable

Sorry I cant review fairly but we were disappointed to arrive at 1.30pm to be told "No Food now, we're about to close". Seems a shame after such challenging times to turn good business away at lunchtime: I would understand if it were late afternoon or mid winter, but why not serve food until the lunch trade dwindles off and then close?

Fabulous welcome, friendly staff and very tasty well presented food... we wanted to get breakfast on our trip out and found this lovely place...

Absolute awful food, £7.35 for a sausage and bacon sandwich and a tea is ludicrous and as stated was not good at all

The most covid safe and also friendly/polite place I have been too. They have thought of everything to make sure that you can feel relaxed whilst still being able to go out for lunch.

Fantastic measures put in place to ensure a safe environment in these uncertain times. Felt very safe and service excellent as always.

They have done everything possible to make us safe Constantly cleaning:sanitising Staff are very friendly and work so hard Toilet cleaned after each visit

The team at the Exchange have thought of everything to keep us all safe ! From greeting at the door with sanitiser to making sure that the loo is free ! I cannot rate them highly enough . Well done everyone!

Visited the Exchange for the first time since lock down. They have you sanitise your hands on entry, take details for track and trace, put up perspex barriers between tables, the staff are as friendly and helpful as always, and the food is as good as ever. My wife said that the chocolate fudge cake was like heaven on a plate.

Came here with friends for a lunch, and to support local business. The food was delicious and the portion sizes ample!

Title says it all really! We regularly visit for saturday breakfast and have never been disapointed.

I had a lovely lunch with my friend today. The food and service was excellent. I have been many times now and it is consistently good and excellent value for money. Flicking through the recent review from the customer with the child who bought her own food was not a true reflection of the managers and owners. No restaurant on this planet would allow customers to bring their own food! The purpose of any restaurant is for them to provide the food! Operating a restaurant is both demanding, challenging and hard work! Sadly there are people who choose to vent their frustration publicly and set out to discredit good people. Try it for yourself you will not be disappointed.

Visited the Exchange on a Saturday morning for the first time, we waited quite a while to be served but was surprised to see other customers were served before us, breakfast was ok but the mushrooms did not taste very nice, the whole time we were there I felt we were tolerated but not particularly welcome, no-one checked everything was ok, and I really felt the quicker we left the better, such a shame as being new to the area we had hoped to find a regular place to meet up for coffee with friends, we will continue to look for such a place.

I never feel the love walking into this place, no smiles, no eye contact, the last time I visited this restaurant I got fed up of waiting and walked out. The clientele is mainly old people yet this place could have so much potential with the right staff and with extending opening hours

My wife had been treated to a meal here by some friends a few months ago, so came recommended by 'er indoors!We went out for a Saturday drive to Maldon intending to get a lunch there, but found nothing particularly suitable.We decided to try the Exchange, so returned to Tiptree.There is a small carpark to the front but as we were fairly early we got a space quite easily.The restaurant is quite spacious, as it goes back quite a way, so you do not feel crammed in.The decor is clean, uncluttered and fairly modern with separate serving areas for snacks, meals and drinks (bar) individually.....good idea! There are also a couple of sofas.My wife had Lasagna and I had the Hunters Chicken as mentioned earlier.In most restaurants Hunters is my "go to"....this was the best!Well cooked chicken breast, loads of bacon and cheese....and plenty of sauce to dip my chips in.....heaven!The Lasagna was slightly overdone on the edges but was piping hot and delicious.Certainly, this restaurant will be a magnet for us when we visit Tiptree again.

Was passing through Tiptree and looking for somewhere for lunch. This place looked busy - which is a good sign - and managed to park right outside. Lovely lunch, good choice of menu and food freshly cooked. Has a bar so if you wanted the option of having a glass of wine/beer with your meal you can. Very friendly service and pleasant surroundings. Would certainly go again.

Went to Maldon stop on the way at tiptree for lunch at the exchange very Pleasant restaurant food very good very clean would definitely recommend to anyone who goes that way well worth a visit

Went out for the day, we drove around looking for somewhere to eat and this place caught our eye plus it was the only place serving food. I have to say, the food was amazing and the staff some of the friendliest ive been greeted by for some time. 5 stars guys and thank you for making us so welcome

The exchange coffee shop is one of my favourites it is a very friendly place to go. The staff are all very nice and I consider them as friends ,with my husband we go there 4-5 times a week to see friends for a chat &a coffee many of them we met there, The food is very good also, well worth a visit.

A very substantial breakfast and a very reasonable price. Staff friendly and helpful. Am happy to recommend to anyone.

Always been good for Simple breakfasts or Lunch. First time under this management. Staff much more cheerful and friendly. great Large Latte. Both ate Jackets. the Homemade Chilli was nice and plenty of salad. Prices about right for the quantity and quality.

A good cafe for coffee and breakfast Good service and friendly helpful staff Clean and with good food and coffee Ideal for a Saturday morning

I have just had my lunch at The Exchange which i have visited on many occasions, and have always enjoyed the food and had excellent service too. I cannot believe what i just witnessed!

I went to the Exchange for my birthday breakfast with seven other people. The food was excellent and served on hot plates,which for me is a must. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Will definiately be going back.

Best damn cheesy chips in Essex! Lovely friendly staff and the service was amazing. Ali (our work version of the Godfather) even enjoyed her curry quoting “it was lovely” high praise from such a Dom of Essex.

Met with friends for lunch, everyone enjoyed their food, served hot. Friendly service. Will visit again

I have visited the exchange on numerous occasions and over the past 7 or so years. The staff are consistently friendly and well trained, the food is always well presented, well-cooked café food. Good, honest, clean and friendly experience.

We visited here on Sunday for the first time. Really busy, had to wait a short while. Had amazing breakfasts, beautifully cooked with the best sausages I have had anywhere. All freshly cooked. Lovely coffee too. Staff very friendly, looked after by Adam and Andy.

Arrived with my husband this Saturday afternoon as shopping in Tiptree. Upon arrival at The Exchange, we were hesitant as didn't know whether to order at the counter, or make our own way to a table. We approached a member of staff cleaning the tables and she indicated to us that we were to sit down. There were quite a few empty tables and we found one which was nice enough near the bar area. We had received no greeting, or acknowledgement from anyone, however, we sat down and waited to be served. Well, we waited, and we waited. Decided eventually to go elsewhere as not the only place to eat in Tiptree. On the way out my husband told the older woman at the counter quite pleasantly that we had to leave, as we were being ignored and had waited some time. We hadn't even been given the menu. The reply that came back from her with no eye contact was a gruff, "not much I can do about that!" Shocked was an understatement!! Never in my life have I experienced such poor customer service and shoody communications from a member of staff, who clearly had an inability to express her apologies appropriately in a polite manner for the inadequacies we'd experienced. I suggest that 'The Exchange,' review and update their customer service skills through proper training, before employing such a member of staff to front line their business and cause upset to their customer.

Out to Beat the Street, when down came the rain, and just on the corner delicious coffee. Very friendly and pleasant staff. The restaurant is very clean, with an excellent well priced menu.

Llamado para el almuerzo hoy aquí. Tenía una pierna de cordero con crema de patata hermosa de patatas y salsa de vino tinto - absolutamente magnífico! Mi esposa la hamburguesa clásica hamburguesa, hermoso recién hecha con queso y beicon y cebolla anillos recién cocinados a la orden, un auténtico lujo y una fantástica relación calidad-precio. Sin duda volveremos pronto.

No fue tan buena en - ha cambiado de manos y el personal

We came here today after taking a drive out. The cafe was very quiet and there were not many customers. We were made very welcome and the service was good. The staff were accommodating and helpful. The food was plentiful and well presented. The only criticism I have would be that my food could have been a little hotter but the meal itself was really good. The price was very reasonable with a final bill of less than £25 for 2 adult main courses and 1 child plus drinks. If we are ever in Tiptree again we would come here rather than the restaurant at the jam factory which is very expensive and crowded and the staff tend to ignore people waiting to be seated. Glad we came!

My family and I ate at the exchange for lunch. We were a small group of 8 adults and one child. The staff were very welcoming and friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We discovered the menu had a wide choice of dishes available including vegaterian options.The homemade cheese burger and chicken curry was superb. There is also a vast range of hot or cold beverages available my grandson had a lovely banana milkshake which was also home made and i had a cold glass of wine.We all enjoyed our experience at the exchange the service and quality of the food was top class.We would definatly be comming back again.

Popped in for a bite to eat at lunchtime. Not particularly busy. No-one at the counter upon arrival so I grabbed a menu and stood waiting. Someone walked past and said 'sit down and we'll be over' and that was it. Further interactions (if you can call it that) with staff was hard work and they need to learn to smile. So I ordered a panini and a water. The food was served quickly, the service again not great. The panini was very bland. Even after I added pepper & salt it still tasted of nothing. Plus there were a lot of kids and screaming babies, which I know is out of the cafes control, but very off putting none the less!Not somewhere i'd rush to go back to.

The Exchange, Tiptree: Forget Wilkins Jam Factory, Tiptree and give this place a try! This has become our second lounge!! We cannot remember the last time that we had breakfast at home on a Saturday! A very warm welcome awaits you. This place caters for people of all ages; you can eat in or take away. The staff are extremely friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them. If what you fancy is not on the menu (and believe me the menu is extremely varied); if they have the ingredients then they will make it for you! Themed nights are a speciality and are great fun. Tracey, the owner and chef, along with her staff make you feel extremely welcome. Go on, give it a try and see what you think! Very reasonably priced! We both LOVE it there.Lesley & Frank WebbTiptree, Colchester