The Fat Cat in Colchester

A party of 9, we were welcomed by warm, friendly and attentive staff. Most importantly we all had an excellent Sunday roast that was both delicious and hot. It was served in a reasonable time and the gravy kept coming when we requested more. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and none of the party would hesitate to return when in the area again or to recommend it to others.

I love the Fat Cat. The pizza is always excellent and the beers are great. An awesome place to unwind after work.

Me and some friends popped in on our way into town. We didn't eat here but the unique choice of drinks and friendly service was brilliant. Definitely not a standard weather spoons style pub its got loads of character.

The beer is served from the celler and not from the hand pumps on the bar. We had pizza, which was very good. Well worth a look if you are in town.

Top condition pint of Brewers Gold. Beer at its absolute best. EDIT- My favourite beer, Oscar Wilde Mild, in perfect condition. Beautiful stuff!

A short walk from the centre of Colchester but worth it. Staff were friendly and helpful, and I enjoyed the ales.

Our first visit to the Fat Cat, the staff were very friendly and they had a good choice of beers and lagers. It was busy inside but they made us feel welcome, they allow dogs in too.

Had the best roast today at the Fat Cat! Top food and top staff. Can’t get any better in Colchester.

Friendly, welcoming, great service,fabulous Easter Roast 10/10 can't wait to return

Love this place. Friendly and helpful staff. Upstairs room great for special occasions. Delicious buffet food in generous quantities. Thanks so much for a lovely evening.

Love it, roast was great and the service

Very clicky place did not feel welcome when came for dinner on Sunday with my family and 2 children no one greeted us as we entered everyone just stared had to walk around to find staff to say we had made a bookings and where do we go to dine. it’s a shame because the food was a decent price and half nice but there was only one staff member young girl that was lovely kept a smile on her face the whole time with lovely manners there’s no drinks menu or condiments on the table.which I was later told they do not have a drinks menu which lead to a long conversation of back and forth what drinks they do don’t have . Had to constantly ask for stuff that should of been provided prior to sitting down, my beef was abit tough so I asked for a steak knife and was just told no we don’t have them, was told you get 3 scoops of ice cream with a child’s desert but was only given one scoop was no brownies for dessert only apple crumble or the kids one vanilla ice cream would maybe get the food to takeaway but would not dine here again as I said was only one young girl who was a polite member of staff felt like if they didn’t already no you wasn’t welcome

This great pub in collchester I visited on Sunday 17th April 2022 This pub absolutely what a locals real ale pub should be Great locals are all from near by terrace houses The good ales are served straight from barrels on gravity The fat cat ales are brewed in norwich fat cat pub Bloody 10 out of 10 A essential visit This pub for real ale when in Collchester Tuesday 16th August 2022 i revisited this excelent real ale pub nothing has changed this pub served always on my visite excellent ales with great beer knowledgeable people behind the bar and propper local enviroment to drink in Beers ace pub 10 out of 10 Thursday 11th January 2023 This great collchester real ale pub serves a great range of real ale pub straight from the Barrell this pub real ales are lovely and it in my opinion is one of Colchesters best 3 real ale pubs a antiquated pub and such a easy going old fashioned pub with lovely owner and staff today as when entered this pub over years to drink before i cant say a bad word about the pub

We've been to the Fat Cat many times for Sunday Lunch and it has never disappointed, but this visit was definitely the best roast lunch we have ever had out at a pub or restaurant! Roast sirloin of beef cooked perfectly rare, 100% the best roasties (potatoes, parsnips, and carrots), veg and cauliflower cheese, perfect homemade Yorkshire pudding and gravy - All washed down with a couple of pints of tasty Fat Cat ale. To top it all the service was amazing, especially the lovely lady behind the bar. Can't wait to visit again.

Really nice atmosphere. Everyone was friendly. Resourceful and patience staff. Great food.

I have been coming to The Fat Cat for many years now and it's a firm favourite for a guaranteed good time. Whether it's for a moment to yourself, glass of wine in hand sitting near the fire or at the bar, or with a group of your friends. The selection of beers, gins and others delightful drinks are great and some you won't get anywhere else in Colchester. The staff are always ready to service and love a good chat. Food wise...wow Mats Kitchen never disappoints. Seriously mouth watering culinary magic on a plate. It's ever changing during the weeks and the Sunday roast...in my opinion the best in Colchester (you have to be quick though, as it get booked up very quickly).

Excellent place to get a Sunday roast 😁

Best roast we've had in Colchester town for a very long time. 😋 Thanks so much. Highly recommend Really friendly staff, fab cosy pub. ✨️

this was the cure for some stormy weather -mid week visit a couple of pints of local ale - a tasty beef rib and great burger - did take a bit of time to arrive 30 minutes but it was tine to get and extra pint and the food was freshly prepared and worth the wait

Myself and my boyfriend love this pub, always super warm and hospitable staff. The food is amazing and the best sourdough pizza I've had in a long time and beats a-lot of the pizza in london and I've tried alot ( yardsale, pizza pilgrims, cecconis, home slice) The menu has great options, great value and the quality of produce is always amazing. Great to eat in and recently had a takeaway too and can confirm just as good at home. Great “proper” pub with amazing food and atmosphere, cant wait for colder months and visit with fire lit.

Great Sunday Roast and quality ingredients the young lady behind the bar was very professional and a great asset to the pub

Great food, glad Matt is back! Great staff, lovely place. Always lovely and friendly- human and dog friendly!

I took my wife and three grandchildren aged 8 years to 16 months for an early evening meal. The staff were extremely helpful and the other clientele very welcoming. The local beer was most enjoyable and the pizzas (margherita and pepperoni) were delicious - clearly prepared freshly and with care. Further, the chef made the children's food earlier then the advertised starting time of 6pm without even being asked - a very considerate gesture. The whole experience was really good for all of us.

A really great place to go for a Sunday roast. The roast was excellent, I had the pork belly with brownie for dessert. We were a table of six and everyone really enjoyed the food. Highly recommended and a good selection of real ales too.

I went with a friend once the Sunday roasts started up again at The Fat Cat and it did not disappoint. The food was lovely and the service was prompt. It is such a brilliant pub with friendly staff where nothing is too much trouble. We really enjoy it there and the fact that it has great food on offer is an added bonus.

A fabulous pub, well worth the short walk from the town centre. Delightful and restful decor, lovely staff and genuinely freshly cooked food. If the Fat Cat at the bottom of my road were like this I’d be there every week! I don’t drink beer but there’s an excellent selection. Looking forward to my next visit

Lovely pub, great service and wonderful food. Top marks

Love the Fat Cat. Good beer. Nice cosy pub with a good atmosphere. We had a good Sunday roast.

Great food - fantastic spuds and a lovely welcoming pub. Didn’t realise there was an upstairs as well. Will definitely be back!!

Great atmosphere and really friendly staff. They allow you to bring your own food when they're not serving.

Cannot recommend this diamond of a pub highly enough. A wonderful spread which catered for vegans, vegetarians, one gluten intolerance as well as meat eaters. Service was prompt, friendly and ever so accommodating. All the food was delicious! Do yourself a favour and pay this gem a visited. You won’t be disappointed! Sara x

Trusty bar that I always stop off at on my way into town and wish I’d stayed longer because the selection of beer is better and always evolving.

We visited this place last week for Sunday lunch because of the four star reviews on this app and were very disappointed. My wife had lamb, I had the beef. The beef was basically raw, the plates stone cold and although the roast potatoes were hot and crispy, £18.50 is way to much for what is offered. The lamb was better but still hardly warm. The table next to us said it used to be a popular real ale pub but lost a lot of those customers over the years and now survives off food and expensive continental lagers. Basically a posing palace for the South Town ‘nouveau’. We gave it two stars as it serves to keep the riffraff out of the Playhouse, otherwise we wouldn’t have given it one.

Had a lovely time as always at the Fat Cat! We shared a pizza between us which was delicious too would definitely recommend ☺️

My partner and I came in for a pizza night in the fat cat and we have to say that we were blown away by the pizzas, absolutely delicious! served by very friendly and helpful staff, we will definitely be returning and loved the vegetarian and vegan options available too!

Came In for the pizza night, was lovely. Relaxing environment, lovely staff especially the manager. Really recommend this pub. The bar manager went above and beyond to make our visit really pleasant,will definitely be returning.

Great little pub , really friendly bar staff , had a lovely chat with Sarah 😊 will be back very soon

I have travelled from Kent for a work meeting and decided after to go for some drinks at the Fat cat. Myself and work colleagues came into the bar for a few drinks and was welcomed by the lady behind the bar. She served us...

We live locally and had ordered take-away food from The Fat Cat during lockdown, with the hope of helping to keep it alive. The food had been lovely, so, for my birthday, we decided to go there for dinner. We looked forward to walking there,...

Great real ale selection in this cozy, welcoming pub.

Fantastic Sunday lunch at the Fat Cat - Everything was so delicious. Beautifully cooked meat, roast potatoes and vegetables, perfect gravy and scrummy cauliflower cheese. Our favourite part was the Parsnip puree and Parsnip crisps. Staff were very welcoming and there was a great range...

The food was excellent, freshly cooked and plentiful. The parsnip puree was to die for, the meat was beautifully cooked and very tender, the vegetables were well cooked and there was a good choice. Definitely the place to go for Sunday lunch. The staff were...

Lovely venue but this time the food seriously let it down. Not up to it’s usual standards. Now I love this pub. Since it opened it has been a stalwart, one of our favourites and I really am glad it survived the pandemic. I also...

Brilliant food accompanied by great beer. Cannot fault anything. Best roast I have had locally. The beer I always wonderful and the staff are so helpful.

We had a group of fifteen people for a birthday celebration. The bar staff were helpful and very friendly, the buffet was superb and the upstairs room with a balcony was perfect for our needs. I would highly recommend it.

Great evening in The Fat Cat. Food from Mats kitchen was really good. Fresh, hot, nicely presented and very tasty! Nice refurb to create tables and terrace upstairs. Definitely worth a visit.

Friendly and welcoming. Beautiful food. Highly recommend the mac n cheese with bacon.

We went to the Fat Cat for lunch as it was nearby and local to my aunt. Fantastic, took a photo before the addition of gravy but the fact that it was tasty before the addition of the gravy says a lot! They forgot my...

Great pub, service and an awesome beer selection

Always a great place for a drink!

Just been out for a few beers post lockdown.Had the best time.Ordered food from Matt's kitchen despite the fact it was not served in the usual way ...Had the vegan burger and chips and it was five star amazing would highly recommend.Great atmosphere, friendly staff.Tasty...

Great food, great service, all round a lovely place to be the atmosphere is so friendly and welcoming would definitely recommend. Also great price for the food, especially when you consider the quality.

This cosy and welcoming pub is a little off the beaten track, but the best pub food I have experienced yet in Colchester. We were there for a Saturday night supper and will be back pronto to explore their Sunday lunch options too ...

Always a pleasure to visit the fat cat. Great selection of beer, amazing food and a friendly welcoming atmosphere.

We decided to try this quaint little bistro last weekend after reading the reviews in TripAdvisor and were initially overwhelmed by the warm welcome we recieved from the 'Landlord', Bernard, who was staggering about by the door.

We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the staff at The Fat Cat for our wonderful afternoon yesterday. We had a large booking for a birthday roast and what a fabulous roast dinner it was. Compliments to the chef, everyone...

Have always liked the fat cat for its beers friendly staff and atmosphere have now tried the food from Mats kitchen and wow. just excellent not once but twice different dish both times both superb and price is not expensive

Great pub...excellent choice of beer

Such a lovely Vegan roast but not great value for money at £15 (same price as the meat option) so we probably won’t return. Could do with some music as well as lacks atmosphere which is a shame.

Delicious food - far beyond even what we expected - absolutely delicious. We will be going back! Very good with kids - basically they could have a kids version of any of the mains, perfect! Never seen such a wonderful selection for them and they feel really grown up having the same food as the adults!

For my brothers 21st there were 20 of us at the Fat Cat! Matt put on an amazing Mexican feast - slow cooked steak chilli to die for, salmon, prawns, chicken, amazing nachos and guacamole and more! Couldn’t fault it, so much food, variety and flavours. Can’t wait to return.

We’ve always loved the fat cat as a place to drink and since the new chef joined its SO much better!! The food is delicious and home cooked and the menu changes so not always stuck with the same thing. The Chef often comes out to deliver you the food himself if it’s not super busy and he’s so friendly and the food is great! It’s so much better than you’re average pub food. Highly recommend! We’ll be here often

We came here last night for a dinner with my family came from Italy and they fancy “pub lifestyle”. A bit to noise (but that is only my problem because I came with two children as well) but the food was just perfect, tasty and fresh.

So so, not a big range of beers as the boards would have one believe, no mild, no Wherry, everything seems to be leaning toward the American type beers. It is a very noisy pub as all walls are hard and ceiling is low and sound reverberates.

I'd never been to this restaurant in Butt Road, Colchester (not a particularly attractive part of Colchester) but was very impressed by the warm and stylish interior. We had roasts and pud and both were very good quality. Apple crumble fell a bit short as custard was lukewarm upon arrival, and apple was quite hard but overall a good impression on first visit.

Arrived to a packed bar full of jovial drinkers at about 12.45 on a Sunday lunchtime and ordered drinks including a pint of my favourite Brewers Gold in perfect condition. We headed to our table and ordered our Sunday roasts from a choice of pork, beef and lamb. No other food available and I LOVE THIS; this is what we do and we do it well!! Thoroughly enjoyable roast with lovely accompanying selection of vegetables all served promptly. A couple from our table chose a pudding from the concise offer and enjoyed again. Great buzzy atmosphere throughout with a real hum of conversation and plenty of people coming and going during the couple of hours that we were there. My first visit but will definitely return when in Colchester. There are so many other pubs around that should visit The Fat Cat to see how to run a proper pub

We like to try to find independent pubs or restaurants we came across this pub on google review. If you are in Colchester and going to mercury theatre or cinema I highly recommend taking a little detour to this place. The pub is basic chic,loved it that they had about 15 Belgium beers on the menu. Staff really friendly to be honest I wasn’t expecting much. The menu was small but we all found something we liked. I have to say this was the best pub food I’ve had for ages. We will be going back. The homemade scotch egg on the platter was delish and my buttermilk chicken burger was definitely homemade. (No frozen Iceland burger) It’s was so succulent. Portions are not huge but enough to fill and great lunch time destination. The locals at the bar said that Sunday lunch is well worth the visit. Hopefully this place goes strength to strength as the chief and owners deserve it to be a success. Oh BTW 4 people’s lunch with side dishes came to £40 (without drinks), which was really excellent vault for money.

Wowwwwww stumbled across this place by Fluke Lovely feeling inside Great selection of Beers Staff super friendly and very hospitable Sunday lunch like around my Nans when I was a kid Veggies, meat, gravy Straight out the Top Draw

I’m lucky enough to travel and stay in some fabulous hotels. The Venison Haunch here was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The chef is incredible!

Brilliant food and very friendly people

We’ve been to the Fat Cat a few times for lunch on a Saturday. The food is always good and the service swift and friendly.

Lovely beer. Good honest food and a great place 2 catchup with friends

Our friends suggested this place for Sunday lunch last weekend, not really an area we have been before apart from driving through so were a little bit apprehensive as to what the day might bring, the interior was typical pub, nice large bar with a few locals having a drink, our friends had just arrived and were just ordering theirs, the drinks were nicely served, and we stood and chatted at the bar, a pleasant young lady took our order for lunch and told us where our table would be, a short wine list but good wines, so that was good, food was served and looked fine, a very delightful meal I have to say and a good surprise as I was not sure what to expect, it was probably a little expensive for a pub but I would guess the wine pushed the total up, that would not put us off of trying again.

We were fed up of generic places like Princess Charlotte and Toby. We wanted an authentic home cooking experience for Sunday roast and Fat Cat delivered.

Had a amazing dinner here, very reasonable priced Service was good Lovely surroundings Would defo come back very soon

Lovely pub, looks like a real back street local in Colchester from the outside but inside we found a lovely modernised and comfortable decor, quiet retreat just off the town centre with small but pretty outside area. Very good real ales. We had. “Fisherman’s Board” comprising salmon which seemed like home-cured, mackerel pate and whitebait with sour dough bread and salad, delicious, there were ham hock and veggie versions also. Staff seemed genuinely friendly and enthusiastic.

Nice pub, contemporary look. Polite bar staff.

Nice pub with a great selection of real ales and craft beers.

Large group of us enjoyed a fantastic lunch here. Generous portions at a fair price with excellent quality ingredients. Also a great selection of alcohol beverages (as you would expect). All in a lovely setting and provided by attentive staff. Not the first visit and certainly won’t be the last. Well worth a visit.

Nice clean friendly pub. Also has an open fire and good food.

Great Sunday roast, lovely atmosphere, warm and friendly staff, dog friendly and a roaring fire.

Good for meetings like Meetup groups

First time I've been to this place was Friday for a colleagues retirement drink, what a great evening. An excellent choice of beers available and plenty of staff to keep the beer flowing. Looks small from the front but don't let that fool you, it goes back for miles and the area is broken into sections where you can sit at tables and chairs in small groups or do as we did and just fill up all the empty space standing and chatting. There's a smoking area out to the side which is covered with a couple of seats if required. Fabulous evening, just down the road from the town.

I have already described the general character of this excellent but out of the way pub in an earlier review. But on my last visit, the first time I'd eaten there, I tried their Saturday Breakfast.

A lovely atmosphere, good beer and a nice night to eat, nothing fancy, but just what we needed. Tks

Lovely little pub. The food is amazing and a credit to the chef.

Called in for a quick drink and was impressed by both the selection and quality of the ales on offer. The service was pleasant and the pub warm and comfortable. Well worth a visit.

Pretty good, they let us get takeaway

Since posting my last review I decided to go to the Fat cat again to sample their food. We took some French friends some friends that were staying with us who are used to eating nice food.. This was on a Sunday so I knew it would be there roasts we were having.

We just dropped in on our way into town as visitors. This is just the sort of pub I'd like to have round the corner. Easy early evening vibe, with a mixed clientele, not difficult to exchange a joke at the bar, and the drinks were top quality. G&Ts; were epic with so much decoration it was verging on the Pimms. Jack had a cool IPA and I had old mans' beer from the barrel in the back room, so all tastes were catered for. Decor is stylish, pared down and comfy. Put all that together with cheerful service...what more do you want? Food...well we didn't have any. We would though.

We have been visiting this pub for a drink for a number of years and live locally but our last two recent visits (July & September) left us feeling v disappointed. Inexperienced bar staff (she told us it was her first shift) with a shouty loud male group at the bar made our visit an uncomfortable experience. Previously we visited in July and again we were alone in the bar and eventually a member of staff (also her first week) appeared but some of the beers were off and she struggled to tell us about alternatives. We wondered if there had been a change of licensee?

With a small frontage an no parking we were not sure what to expect

Wonderful selection of real ales for my husband. Very yummy scotch eggs so both very happy. Good wine selection. Good atmosphere and friendly staff. Thank you

Siempre tienen una buena selección de cervezas, especialmente cervezas locales. Puede ser muy concurrida los fines de semana, pero la última vez que estuve allí, cerrado temprano, en inusualmente 9:30 pm. Sin embargo, eso fue a mitad de semana y a principios de enero.

Sólo vienen aquí por los huevos y el personal es increíble. Cumplir con un antiguo colega normalmente trabajo que vive en la calle del pub, y la última vez que vinimos aquí teníamos huevos whisky y una bebida y me tomaron una casa huevo para el té. Ella solía estabamos sobre ellos en el trabajo y ah, sí son increíbles. Hay que probarlo! ! ! El personal es muy amable y servicial.

This is a great pub to go to for a drink with some friends. With a large selection of different beers/ales there is always something new to try. The atmosphere was great and we well be returning

This place is tucked a little out of the way in Butt Road, a short distance south of the Southway underpass near the police station. It's fairly spartan inside, mainly hard wooden seating and no comfy armchairs, but the carved church pews save it from austerity and provide an effective aesthetic contrast to offset the general impression of plainness. Still, the overall impression of tasteful understatement is no bad (and no common) thing in a pub these days. The selection of beers was excellent. There must have been a choice of at least half a dozen (probably more) real ales, including at least two (Brewer's Gold and Yakima Gold, I think) from Crouch Vale (perhaps my favourite Essex brewer). I eventually opted for a very enjoyable pint of Woodforde's Wherry (having already indulged myself with a pint of Yakima Gold at the Purple Dog in the town centre). I didn't eat there, although I liked the look of the food arriving on other tables. I'll certainly return on my next visit to Colchester, and shall probably try their all-day breakfast.

We love this pub so much. The atmosphere is lovely, great selection of beer and wine, lovely food way beyond standard boring pub grub. Best pub in Colchester!

I had occasion to eat in the Fat Cat last Saturday. The All Day Breakfast there is incredible. I even know the secret. The finest ingredients are used. Outstanding black pudding. Awesome bacon. Eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast. Normal stuff for a Full Monty Breakfast? Yes, but the taste and presentation are gorgeous. The service is fantastic too. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff. Absolutely marvellous. Not very far from a big public car park. Washed down with two pints of Guinness. This is paradise. I thank them very much.

Just love this pub and we are lucky to call it our local. Great service, food and value!You must try the scotch eggs....you can utilise this pub for a take away on nights they don't do food and on the nights they doo. They provide plates and cutlery too, so no washing up! Table reservations are possible and buffets can be provided....