The Hare and Hounds in Colchester

Friendly cosy country pub. Great staff, awesome food and fantastic location:)

Lovely pub in a quiet location. Food was tasty and the service excellent. Perfect way to spend a few hours with friends.

Lovely place. Great beer. Helpful staff. But no food mid afternoon. Call first to check.

No answer phone or email by them so obviously will not go there

Stayed overnight in our motorhome, unfortunately we stopped over on a Monday, and food was not being served but the selection of drinks was great with good prices

Great staff, Lovely country pub who could ask for more

Had a delicious Sunday lunch, food was excellent. Goods service and a lovely atmosphere to go with it. Lovely spot outside the pub where kids can play on the grass, well worth a visit.

Wonderful service and very nice pub grub. Will be back.

Very tasty food, two nights on the trot, last Thursday of the month is a different menu, very good too. Great hosts, lovely atmosphere and location, definitely recommend. Thank you.

Loved our stay in this picturesque little village and would definitely stay again

We have now visited 3 times for their amazing Sunday roast! Roast always looks and tastes 5 star - my husband is always very happy with the portion sizes! The pub has a lovely, friendly, warm atmosphere as soon as you step inside. The management & bar staff are friendly and welcoming. The waitress in the restaurant has always gone above and beyond at every visit! Thank you - we will be back!

Above and beyond We were delayed getting to the pub for a booked table. Sadly we needed to cancel the table as we would not get to them before the kitchens stopped cooking. We arrived shattered and took the opportunity to grab a drink as we intended to use the pub car park for a campervan stay. The bar manager was so friendly and spoke to the kitchen who rustled up something to eat. Both my wife and myself really appreciated this kind and most welcomed service. The following night we enjoyed a very tasty meal and again had a chance to enjoy the friendly atmosphere offered to us by both the pub staff and management. The same friendliness came from the many of the locals who were chatty to us and made it feel like the pub was our local. Thank you

So pleased to visit this pub. Welcoming, attentive staff who went out of their way to provide quick, efficient service. Friendly locals who made room at the bar. And a dog friendly policy which made our old, poorly sighted dog happy with the treats on offer. Grateful for the lead policy too as dogs wandering freely can cause her to be startled. We will definitely return. Thank you to the manager and her team.

This is a beautiful village pub, excellent selection of beers, wines & real ales. Food is fantastic, with lots of options & specials. Staff & Manager Cheryl were so friendly & attentive. The locals are so welcoming to all who visit. Dog & child friendly, can’t recommend it enough

Above and beyond We were delayed getting to the pub for a booked table. Sadly we needed to cancel the table as we would not get to them before the kitchens stopped cooking. We arrived shattered and took the opportunity to grab a drink as we intended to use the pub car park for a campervan stay. The bar manager was so friendly and spoke to the kitchen who rustled up something to eat. Both my wife and myself really appreciated this kind and most welcomed service. The following night we enjoyed a very tasty meal and again had a chance to enjoy the friendly atmosphere offered to us by both the pub staff and management. The same friendliness came from the many of the locals who were chatty to us and made it feel like the pub was our local. Thank you

Absolutely delightful country pub - very hospitable . Lovely food with extremely friendly staff who make you feel so very welcome .

A fantastic, quaint village pub with gorgeous scenery ample parking, on site camping and fresh, clean letting rooms with one of comfiest beds I've ever slept in at an unbelievable price:) Food was very well presented & reasonably priced (all cooked Fresh to order) with locally sourced produce wherever possible, by friendly, efficient & happy staff. Furthermore the manager was Amazing in both hospitality and friendliness and went above and beyond to accommodate all our needs. Extremely dog friendly although dogs are asked to be kept on leads as this is very much a family friendly pub so goes without saying that they should be and not an issue at all. Suffice to say this will be a place we will visit time and again and have recommended to both family & friends. Fantastic experience. Thank you :)

Visited to celebrate our wedding anniversary with family very disappointed with the menu and food. Three of us ordered the 2 meat roast which was shoulder of lamb and so called aged sirloin of beef , served pink, at £20 a time. What we got was 1 slice of overcooked beef and a very small portion , about a tablespoon full, of overcooked shredded lamb. The Yorkshire puddings and roasted potatoes were overcooked and the long stemmed broccoli was undercooked. My wife complained to the waitress about the small portion of lamb and she brought hers small extra bowl to the table and apologised. None of us enjoyed the meal and will not be returning.The meal was not worth the money

Really enjoyed our roast lamb today, large portion, excellent service too.

Private Hire; We held a Wake at The Hare & Hounds and we can’t thank the team enough for superb service. Nothing was too much trouble. They’re such a great bunch of people. They prepared beautiful food, great value accommodation and they’re dog friendly 👍 Would definitely recommend and we will be going back for drinks and meals in the future.

Nice village pub, good banter with the "usual suspects" having their pints, etc. Prompt service by staff

Fantastic little pub, extremely friendly staff, very flexible when we wanted to open a tab for ease. Most importantly, they pour a great Guinness! We ate too and the food was excellent. We look forward to being back in the area to stop in again. Many thanks!

Lovely pub, tasty food and in a great location

Very ‘cliquey’ local. “You’re not from round here, are you?” The only ‘welcome dogs’ are those that the locals own or like. Accommodation is little better than a mobile home. Bar staff great but a totally disinterested manager.

It's a good country located pub with some real ales and friendly staff and a modest selection of foods I visit and will be glorious in the summer with the outside areas

Delicious homemade lunch and drinks in a cosy atmosphere and at a great price. Thank you to all the kind attentive staff 😍

Visited for a family function with a large group of us for an afternoon and we had a great experience - food was great, staff were really attentive and so friendly and couldn’t do enough to help us. Couldn’t recommend enough!

Nice village pub, as great find. Ambiance and food were lovely

We booked this country pub for a hot buffet lunch for 16 people following a funeral at Colchester Crematorium. We paid a pre- visit to discuss our needs with Cheryl who could not have been more helpful in suggesting and organising the arrangements for the wake. On the day, our group was made very welcome by all the staff who left no stone unturned to accommodate our various needs. The buffet was the best I have ever experienced in terms of quality, content and variety. Service from Cheryl and all of her staff was outstanding and we hope that anyone reading this will be pleased that they did.

Deliver oils here highly award winning chef Alex great location great food perfect for quite drinks and meal or booking for the large party fantastic garden and bouncy castle

It was lovely, serious props to the friendly team and beautiful venue. We had a large group, some turned up late and at a busy time so definitely understood but we did have timing issues and food was hit and miss. The fish was fab, the steaks as well as sauces. The chicken burger was dreadful ! And some other items in between. Appreciate the kind service and would love to try again as a smaller group.

Food was amazing! We had the steak & ale pie, mashed potatoes with fresh carrots and beans. Service was excellent and the pub looked great inside and out. Highly recommend!

My Partner and i went for a lovely christmas menu I had scallop’s for starters was beautifully cooked we both had an excellent fillet streak was a lot better other places , Our waitress Karen was so lovely and attentive Bar staff top notch drinks came very quick , lovely atmosphere in the countryside Will be back!

This our second visit since the refurbishment. It all looks lovely and is very welcoming.. We had an excellent roast . The staff were friendly and polite and a couple of minor issues were swiftly put right. The only drawback was that, whilst the bar with logburner was cosy, the restaurant area we were in was so cold! It was the same on our previous visit. I had to keep my coat, and scarf on for the whole visit and. I was not alone. We will continue to eat here as we like it but please put the heat on a bit earlier! Marilyn Seali

A delightful rural setting. Warm welcome. The dining area was well arranged and comfortable. A little disappointed that a number of menu items were unavailable on an early Saturday evening, and a Bank Holiday to boot! Our choices were all thoroughly enjoyed. They were generous potions, well presented and very tasty. The service was informal and excellent — you made the evening a delight, thank you.

Had a wonderful lunch with family today .The staff were so friendly and welcoming and the food was superb and my husband enjoyed the beer ! Lovely setting and pub is decorated to a high standard .Definitely recommend

Had a wonderful meal - lamb and pea pie. Highly recommended food and pub.

Newly refurbished I would definitely recommend this pub. Good pub atmosphere with a separate dining area. Good choice of beers and the food was excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful.

So glad it is under new management, it was nice to go back. Lovely meal, very tasty, attentive, friendly and welcoming staff, £30 a head inc a bottle of wine and beers, what’s not to like. We will be back x

Had a lovely lunch in this beautiful pub. Enjoyed a quiet drink out on the benches outside in the sunshine- then went inside for a delicious meal and the service was friendly and the locals lovely :) definitely be back soon thank you!

New management, clean bright and fresh , excellent food and service so much better than the previous, lovely too see so many familiar faces and lots of new ones too , black pudding scotch egg what a treat jolly well done

Great service and food. Well stocked bar good to see open again, tasteful refurbishment.

We have used the Hare and Hounds a lot over the years and have just visited for the first time since it was recently taken over. Our favourite cider Orchard Thieves has been replaced by Inch's rubbish and they are charging £5.20 a pint. Talking...

Don't replay to messages. customer service very poor. They dont care. Not what it was. Sadly gone downhill

After being advertised on a local community page, we thought we would try the pub. The language between customers and staff (possibly the owners) is appalling and vile. We didn't order food, had one drink and left. Will never return or recommend. Food could have...

I had the most delicious roast beef here for Sunday lunch today. Huge portion and perfectly cooked beef. Will definitely be back for more.

Had my third breakfast in 2 weeks here now, the best quality and value breakfast by an absolute mile

We were a party of 11 with allergies & 3 people arriving 20 minutes late on a busy Sunday lunchtime. I can honestly say the staff were amazing & the food was perfect. I’ve eaten in some wonderful places & all three course were incredible, with great value for money. Everyone wants to return again & we most certainly will. The atmosphere was beautiful - lovely refurbished restaurant with a country feel. Perfect for larger parties, families or a more intimate meal. Well done guys, you certainly delivered & lived up to your reputation as a warm, friendly place with fantastic food

We called in for lunch with not having high expectations after having had a dreadful meal at this pub many years ago , but we’re blown away by the food . The welcome was warm and the service really friendly , polite relaxed and efficient...

We came across this beautiful village pub/restaurant when travelling to our holiday destination. It looked beautiful from the outside so we decided to pop in for lunch. We were very glad we did. It was just as pleasing inside. We had a very warm welcome,...

Had the cannon of lamb with celeriac remoulade and chateau potatoes special last night. Really tender, flavoursome and a pleasure to eat. Can’t wait to try the hake fillet with pea veloute and tomato ragout next time.

One of the best roast dinner we have had was really lovely

The garden room was a massive hit! We had my husband’s 40th there on 25/06/22 and it was amazing! The platters were absolutely more than i expected! Everything so well presented & supplied, guests were very impressed too! We will recommend this pub to everyone...

Our thanks to all the staff at the Hare and Hounds for their warm welcome, friendly service and good food, all of which contributed to a lovely evening enjoyed by us all. We were grateful too that we could use the Garden Room which was...

Visited the Hare and Hounds for Sunday Lunch. What a lovely pub, setting opposite the green was lovely in the sun, the staff were very friendly, especially in the restaurant and the meal was great and tasted so good. We had various meals from the...

Very nice pub good food and friendly atmosphere dog friendly would recommend

Lovely pub, friendly staff and you can bring your dog, thats a plus for me.

Came here for Sunday lunch and had the roast beef. Wow - massive plate of food; beef, Yorkshire Pudding, carrots, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, cabbage and lashings of gravy. Excellent choice on menu and great value - 3 courses for £19.95. Delightful setting and inside...

We booked lunch here for 14 of us to celebrate my parents Diamond wedding anniversary. Half of us are vegan so booked this pub because of their great vegan menu. We had a great choice of 3 vegan starters, 4 mains and 2 desserts. All...

I don’t often go out of my way to leave a review but this is so deserved. After trying to book a table for 11 of us at several restaurants we found this place who accommodated us at short notice. They have large tables so...

Another delicious meal at the H&H. Fabulous Sunday roast. Staff as friendly as ever despite being rushed off their feet.

The service and atmosphere was fine However the lamb chop was very poorly cooked and defied being cut with a knife The crevettes were not prepared well and were gritty A refund was given for the crevettes but not the lamb chop and the reason...

We were intrigued to see our favourite bird-watching venue linked with this pub as a romantic place to walk and eat - in "The Times" no less. We spent a little time bird-watching, trying to imagine it as romantic - and failing. We booked for...

Had the pleasure of eating in this pub today and the food was delicious. Portion size was good and food well presented. There was service with a smile and the landlady Kerry was a pleasure to talk to. Will definately be going back and will...

Once again this evening we had a fabulous meal. Have been here a few times in recent weeks and can recommend the smaller portions at lunch time too which aren't really small at all! The staff are very welcoming and friendly, the food delicious and...

We have no complaints about the lovely restaurant and also no complaints about the staff, but the food ……..it was really not good at all , the pastry on my son in laws pie was burnt it was so hard he was worried it would...

I’ve now been to the Hare and hounds three times to eat and once leading a walking group of 17 people for drinks. The menu choice and food itself are excellent but as important to me has been the quality and friendliness of the service....

Just wanted to say thank you for yet another great meal. Such tasty food with plenty of choice all served piping hot and with a smile. The staff are attentive and friendly and extremely willing to ‘go the extra mile’. I was more than happy...

We had booked for Sunday lunch. The pub was fairly busy when we arrived so expected a short wait but it took over 45 minutes for our food to arrive (roasts so not specials) The food was barely warm and the vegetables were cold and...

As three couples we regularly meet in different places for Sunday lunch. We have visited this pub a couple of times before and enjoyed Sunday lunch but not today! After waiting an hour, meals emerged with cold vegetables, tepid potatoes, and warm not hot meat...

Great food in a friendly pub in a lovely location

Beautiful meal and really nice and pleasant staff

Popped in here on a whim. Got seated easily without booking. Staff were friendly and attentive. Lunch was amazing. Service charge is added to bill which I didn’t mind paying as we had great customer service. Would defiantly come here again

Food and staff were great unfortunately the table next to us were uncultured oats swearing loud and spoiled our night

I went with my partner and mum and family. I had read the reviews and heard great things but they definitely weren't accurate. The service was very unwelcoming. The food was subpar and upon finishing our meal we were asked 'did you want desserts or...

Nice friendly atmosphere relaxing.

Sunday Lunch, first visit after reading many positive reviews. The roasts were very nice, and the ambiance of the Marquee was good (Lots of kids running noisy around the rear beer garden), had to request wine list, but decent selection and reasonably priced. The Bread...

Great Marquee, really pretty, good heaters, tasty food, good service. Went there for the first time this month as they have the facility to cater for 6 outside and after the year we have had needed to see friends. It was so pretty and felt...

Thank you for a lovely lunch on first day of no lockdown. Would not have heard of you, until recommendation on Stanway Residents group. Lovely food, nice heater and beautiful outside set up. Thank you for the help with a wheelchair. Staff were lovely.

I have just got home from a lovely lunch at this gorgeous pub!!! Kerry you have completely got it right!! Your outside set up is spot on. The marquee is beautifully decorated and very warm. I was able to sit with friends and family in the best atmosphere. The staff are totally accommodating I can not praise them enough. I really hope we can continue to use this as our social space in these very difficult times. You deserve lots of success and truly think your going to need more marquess. Thank you once again for a great time with great food and service

Best Sunday roast I've had out ..absolutely gorgeous

How refreshing to find a pub/restaurant that adheres to the ever changing Covid rules and regulations with enthusiasm and good humour. This establishment’s landlady takes time to explain the format and the staff ensure that no customer is left unsure or unsafe. Hand sanitiser, spare masks, rigorous sanitising of all public spaces and clearly defined socially distant spaces ensure that a visit is as safe as it possibly can be.A visit here is to feel safe, secure and treasured with landlords that treasure their business and customers.

Even with the current restrictions for COVID, Kerry and Mark cannot do enough to make your time enjoyable whilst being very stringent about these rules. Wood burners and beautiful furnishings create an intimate yet lively ambiance. The staff are professional courteous and very friendly. A good select of very well kept ales and beers and a massive select of Gins are available and the food is wonderful. Our favourite is a proper salt n pepper squid for starters! My favourite meal is their roast (Recovery Roast). Excellent value for money. Perfect place for a motorhome/van stop over - free if you drink or eat there. Thoroughly recommend. Friends who we’ve had visit us always want to go back!It’s worth a visit to this little gem!

Very helpful staff. The pub has a good menu and food was delicious. Good variety of beers.

To celebrate a couple of birthdays we went as a family for an evening meal.The title describes the conversation between my daughter (a stauch vegetarian) and the waitress when she arrived to take our order some 25 minutes after we were due to start the process. No offer to find out. Daughter went with the pie.I chose the Belly Pork with mustard mash and roast celeriac and string beans (a chef;s special which was running from Thursday to Saturday)The Vegetable pie was based on peppers and onions which my daughter had to pick out as they upset her.The roast celeriac and string beans turned out to be broccoli.When I pointed this out to our waitress she reported to chef who sent a message saying "Sorry"To be fair the pork was good, best I've experienced this year but I have never eaten broccoli (except once) and if it had been a menu item would have declined.The shear bad manners of altering a menu item without telling the customer annoys me.The waitresses spent most of their time chatting in the servery and at one point had to be asked by a male member of staff to attend to a table who were waiting to order more.Staff training seems laxMenu knowledge seems sparse.Just received message from daughter "not your fault about the meal but I won't be going back there"

Walk in lunch (no booking). Got the best table. Like the fact the bar and restuarant are seperate. Friendly accomodating staff. The fish & chips we had was the best for a long time, even better than the F&C we had at a seafood place in Portsmouth. Kerry the owner explained fresh fish in every day. Especially liked the fact they had a 'smaller appetite' choice which was priced accordingly. Will go again. Highly recommended.

Very nice staff and really good job of covid proofing the place. Enough but not too far. Food was OK. Nothing wrong with it but I have had better. All in all good value and nice friendly place.

Parked and stayed overnight in our motorhome in their back field, had drinks, lunch and evening meal, Staff very nice couldn’t do enough for you excellent very reasonably priced food Couldn’t fault We will certainly be back

I so much love this pub for the food staff and drinks beleive it or not August done a little xmad shopping and the husband decided he fancied a roast beef dinner so we stopped at the hareandhounds to see if they could squeeze us in yes they did that it was very busy for food but as usual it was outstanding kerry and Mark you run a very good pub your staff and food are lovely 10 out of 10 and keeping those standards up through this pandemic

Lovely evening out, and well organised to feel safe but welcoming and friendly. Great food and service team

Don’t usually write reviews, but I have to give this Pub five stars for there COVID efforts. When entering the one way system there is Hand sanitiser at door. I was meet with a track and trace box with pieces of paper to fill in and pop into the box (wipes for the pen and hand sanitiser] The dining room was nicely spaced out giving plenty of social distance with some tables closed off so as to give more space. Windows open for natural air to circulate. Hand sanitiser on every table. Before I sat down the chair was wiped down. The young lady waitress wearing a mask told me that before and after sittings the tables and chairs were all wiped down and sanitised. Our food, which by the way was an excellent roast cooked to perfection given with extra gravy something that Is a must for me. The meal was brought out by a masked server along with our clean cutlery and a pot of every condiment you could wish to have with a roast. It was an really relaxed safe atmosphere. The toilets were clean and all the necessary sanitary supplies given and plenty of them. After our meal we went into the bar through the one way system. We stopped to order a drink at the bar more hand sanitiser which smelt amazing. We were asked if we had signed in and we assured the very friendly bar staff that we had. I did find that the bar itself was empty as all the customers seemed to be out in a well spaced garden. Social distance was not a problem out there either. We had a few drinks and left through the one way system . I can honestly say they could not have done more to make us feel safe and I would definitely go back. Five star establishment.

We visited this pub on Saturday lunchtime. As the forecast was to be very hot again, we decided to book a table inside. I cannot praise the staff team highly enough for their reassurances that everything was going to be Covid safe. It was to be my mum’s first meal out after shielding for many months, so naturally she was nervous about the set up (as was my father who has been at home too). On booking via the phone, Lucy reassured me about the hand sanitiser and track and trace ‘ballot box’ at the front door (much more data safe than other pubs we have visited) and also advised there would be hand sanitiser on every table. She advised all staff would be wearing masks. We also asked for a large table so family members could socially distance from each other (2 different households). The table they sat us at was huge and near an open window. The owner couldn’t have made us feel any safer on arrival, explaining how everything worked to my parents. They felt totally safe and were very happy. They’re already planning on coming back soon. Of course, I must mention the food and service too. There was a fantastic choice of light bites, main meals and chef special and everything we chose was freshly cooked and delicious. The service was excellent too. Thank you all very much.

Great delivery of Fish&Chips. Would definitely recommend. Will be having another one soon. Well done Hare&Hounds.

During the school February half term we had a family meal on a Tuesday evening with 7 adults and 5 children, absolutely fantastic. The young waitress was polite, friendly and helpful. Food was excellent. Lovely large log burning stove in the restaurant added to the ambience. Great evening and the waitress made our visit and meal very enjoyable. Highly recommend this pub/restaurant. Great atmosphere in the pub which also has a log burning stove.

Having eaten at the Hare and Hounds many times I have always been more than satisfied. However the meal I had yesterday was more than pleasing. From pub classics such as succulent home cooked ham with beautifully cooked eggs and chips, golden, savoury, delicious lasagne with a simply dressed salad to rib eye steak cooked to perfection with all the accompaniments and goats cheese tartlets all mouth watering and tempting. Followed by pancakes, cooked as they should be with a variety of fillings trying to tempt away from the traditional lemon and sugar. All served by a friendly, helpful waitress and cooked by a smiling, accomplished chef.Thank you.

What can I say, stumbled across this little gem. Stunning pub, great atmosphere. We were made to feel so welcome, service was great and the dinner was amazing, we will definately return very soon.

My wife and I were staying in the village for 2 months and visited the pub several times during our stay .This is one of Essex hidden gems the welcome the food and atmosphere made our stay very special in my opinion it definitely scored top marks

Had the pleasure of an overnight stay in this gem. Rooms very comfortable, clean and provide everything you need. The bar & restaurant are both warm and welcoming and the food is terrific. The staff are very friendly as are the locals, everyone makes you feel very welcome. Just wished we lived closer so that we could visit more often. Would definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area.

We visited the Hare and Hounds last night for fish and chip Friday. We were not disappointed. Good portion sizes, excellent chips. My partner ordered the salt and pepper squid and said they were extremely tasty The staff were really pleasant and friendly. Very attentive considering there was a large gathering in the bar and a rather scrumpy looking buffet being served. The pub was busy, friendly and had a great atmosphere.Would definitely go back and will recommend to all our friends. Keep up the good work. Excellent.

Went here with my fiancée last week and fad a wonderful meal. Lovey staff and very nice landlord and landlady. Food piping hot and cooked to perfection. Could not fault anything. Would heartily recommend this beautiful village pub. We will be back very soon.