The Hospital Arms in Colchester

Went in to meet an old school friend who I had not seen for 20 years and for some qualIty real ale. It had been kept perfectly and was a great pint. We also had somewhere to sit and the atmosphere was friendly.

Fabulous pub - very friendly and helpful staff and a lovely vibe - highly recommended ! We look forward to our next visit.

Didn't have any food here. Was a nice little pub, never been here before. Even though lived in Colchester all my life. The drink was good and atmosphere was pleasant

Top pub next door to the curry house .boom

Lovely Sunday roast very reasonable. Very nice pub.

First time here, and I am very impressed. The bartender, Eden, was lovely and very helpful, and sat with my girlfriend chatting to her for ages such an asset to this pub. Will definitely return!

My first time at this pub and got served by a lovely young lady by the name of Eden. She was very friendly and had a long chat with her.

Popped in for a couple of afternoon drinks the owners made us feel so welcome we ended up staying all night. Proper traditional pub no TV no fruit machines just good beer and good atmosphere

Thursday 11th Jenuary 2024 This Adnams tied house in Colchester is a great locals pub to drink really good well kept Adnams ales The pub is a round the bar roomed pub it is a vosy easy goung place to drink it had 4 hand pumped ales on the people behind the bar this evening polite good at there job and this makes this place for a travellor like me so much more better when needing local information Well done all involved

We just stopped in for drinks and shelter from the rain but were made very welcome by staff. Good beer selection.

This pub is getting its mojo bck again getting to be a nice place to drink again. But getting too expensive . Which means greed . So that might turn more people away its a great shame really. But after asking for over 20 yrs it's now got a dart board fantastic

Traditional pub with good beer and a lovely beer garden.

The last few years has seen a clean, music free local go down hill. This last visit has confirmed it’s no longer the pub it used to be. Waded through urine in toilets ( unchecked ) loud music playing and licensee never seen. The chain pub in the same street is now realistically the better option.

Good selection of beers. Nice atmosphere. Busy at times.

Okay pub, I didn't find it very atmospheric

Decent pub and nice selection of drinks

Great little pub very traditional 👍

Nice place and nice atmosphere, but hope they fix the furniture where needed! Young barman didn't know what some drinks were, which was hilarious!

Had a really nice roast dinner this afternoon with me and my 2 children both really enjoyed it, big servings and price wasnt bad. Friendly staff also. Definitely returning

Came in for a quiet pint. Best pub for a long time. Bar staff were spot on with their recommendations. Owners took there time to have a chat. Definitely will be coming back.

Excellent beer, gin and service.

Been using this pub for 30+ years. That says it all.

Proper pub. Lovely range of beers available comfy seating and decent size as it goes round the back. Avoid all the in town pain and just have a relaxing beer here. It's mint.

Interesting Adnams pub with beer in good condition

Prompt and friendly service but seating at a premium.

Great friendly pub great beer but very very busy

A good pub, it is well run and has an excellent selection of beers, wines and spirits. It does do Sunday lunch, but I have never eaten one, as they are usually sold out by the time I get there. Best to book I feel. Try it!

The Atmosphere is good if not low key, bit of an old man pub but in Colchester that is needed.

Been wanting to come here for a while. There was always a rumour that this was a good pub because the old boys undergoing radiotherapy at the (now closed) cancer treatment wing of Colchester hospital used to sneak out here, much to the annoyance of the nurses . Good traditional boozer. Adnams pub so goes for the nautical feel and its done well. Usual selection of bitter, broadside, and a new englander (mosaic in this case) and a rotating adnams special.

A decent pub, good beers, friendly staff and a good crowd.

Hospitable place, with good real ales.

Friendly staff and patrons! A great place for a nightcap after a show at the Mercury or a movie at The Odeon!

Excellent choice of beers, and a friendly welcome.

Small hidden gem well worth a visit One of the best small pubs in town, friendly staff good banter see for yourself 👍

Very friendly Adnams boozer. Beer well kept and a nice courtyard to the rear. Right next to an Indian restaurant also so handy if you want a pint before or after a curry :)

Wendy and Charlie wow what fantastic landlords noting is 2 much trouble a wide range of gins and loafs of ales and largers when your in the area you must try this pub you won't be disappointed

Very popular traditional pub serving a wide range of ales, lagers and lots of other beers. A good menu and good atmosphere. A real local pub with quality.

Well kept beer, friendly bar staff and customers. I wrote about access earlier but a reminder that it is an old building with some steps. You can sit outside at a pavement table or there is a patio area at the back of the pub. It has been refurbished inside with comfortable chairs around smaller tables, so easier to navigate your way through

After waiting patiently for the couple to be served in front of me I saw a young lady head towards the bar that I was at. After realising I was waiting she decided to go to the other bar where no on was waiting. After serving the couple in front of me the barman decided to serve her next. He knew I was next as I had maintained eye contact and he had seen the other bar was empty as he had headed in that direction to the till. I maybe older but I am not invisible, Rude and if you choose to visit this pub then do discriminate.

The pork meat was a bit dry and cold just a bit ... 4 out 5 Food Critic ( private)

Lovely pub for a pint of Adnams beers.

Came here with some friends on a busy sunny Saturday evening. Bar staff were friendly and efficient- despite being very busy was served very quickly. We were able to sit outside in the Courtyard garden - we removed an ashtray which was stuck to the table - yuck! Apart from that- all good, very hospitable and was a good old fashioned proper pub.

After our visit to the hospital arms today with our bubble to try out the new steak experience I have to say we left very full, content and happy!! Great choice of steak, brilliant value for money! We have been to high end steak houses in New York and the steak at the HA was on par if not better. It comes out on a heated slate so you can cook your steak to how you want it, Perfection!! It comes with 3 different sauces, chips and salad, the kids also really enjoyed their pizza / nuggets and chips which is also great value for your money, We honestly can’t wait to go again!! Staff were lovely, and also following all government guidelines due to covid! We will be seeing you soon hospital arms! The picture attached is my partners cowboy steak which weighed a kilo!!!

The most perfect roast I have ever had. Everything cooked to perfection! (Cauliflower cheese is a AMAZING) The staff are friendly and such a warm friendly welcoming. Will not be going anywhere else for our roast for a long time. Strongly recommend. Thank you hospital arms for the most perfect Sunday afternoon, for me & my family.

Such a great find. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and created a great atmosphere. I loved the great selection of gins. Will definitely be recommending to others for a traditional pub in town and we shall be returning very soon.

My favourite pub in town! Super great prices and lovely staff, great new food menu especially their steak night on Thursdays, 100% recommend!

Visited recently and found the staff very friendly and welcoming. The pub itself is clean and very cosy and the food on the opposite table looked very good, tempted us to go back for a lunch. Will definitely be visiting again.

I’ve lived in the centre of Colchester for 6 years and despite being local to this pub I’ve not spent any significant time their until recently. However, once I did I was truly converted !! It’s is everything you can hope for in a ‘proper’ pub, with great service and great drinks in a comfortable setting. I started going just after Covid restrictions were relaxed and they managed the situation and new rules superbly, with clear one way routes and sanitiser stationed around the place. Also all staff were using the proper PPE which came across as professional and diligent. I’d definitely recommend visiting this bar wether you’re local or not, I rate it up there with the best pubs the town has to offer.

Visited this pub with my partner and was pleasantly surprised!! A very quirky little pub with loads of character. They have a lovely garden out the back with a marquee and socially distanced tables, an amazing selection of gin and everywhere was spotless! Bar staff are all lovely and very accommodating. We were made to feel very welcome! Would definitely recommend.

Came in for the launch of their steak night. It was unbelievable. You cook your own steak on a hot stone, pick your steak and cook it how you like. The cuts of steak were very good quality and you get chips and a salad garnish and optional sides (I had Mac ‘n’ cheese, delicious!) There seems to to have been no skimping when it came to buying their steak. Myself and my family all had ribeye, £16.99 (+cost of sides) and in my eyes it was great value for money. I am a regular customer for drinks and have always felt very welcome. It is always my go to pub even though I can walk to a multitude of pubs, bars and restaurants in town. One of my favourite pubs I have ever drank in. Friendly, good value and great service. What more do you want?!

We have been here numerous time before, and have always had such a great experience. Sadly this Sunday was not the same, firstly we had pre-booked our table and on arrival was told there was only gammon left, after we had said we were unhappy they managed to find enough beef (found some steak and cooked them and sliced them) then we had told them at booking we would need 3 veggie options and they then came back out to say they had no veggie gravy. Once again after voicing our upset they manage to find some! After waiting a hour for food it came out the meat was over cooked, the veggie options were incredibly salty and overall was the worst roast I’ve ever had out. They then didn’t offer for anything off our bill and we had to request for the full plate of food that went back to the kitchen to not be charged! Really gutted as this is our local. The land lady was incredibly rude but I would like to say our waitress was extremely apologetic and very polite

Booked a table for 5 were initially sat on a table for 4 not social distances. Moved tables. No meet expect gammon and half a portion on beef. Then came back and told we could both have beef but would be a 10 minute delay. Waited 30 minutes or so to be told there was no vegetarian gravy even though we had prebooked when we booked the table 3 vegetarian meals. Then they found some. Waited an hour for the food to arrive. The food was awful. Over salted. Oil. No fresh veg. Slightly cold. The ‘roast’ beef was in fact overcooked sliced steak that had been kept warm while they faffed with gravy. Food was pretty untouched, one plate not at all. Asked for the bill, nothing had been taken off. Spoke to staff who called the land lady who was exceptionally rude and unhelpful. As a local I will never return or recommend. Worst meal out I have ever had. I feel sorry for the waitress who tried her best but the boss was appalling. Do not eat here!

We bought one round of drinks fine. Second round of drinks we were served by a lady who told us to fill in our details with track and trace. I declined, however she said she would not be serving us unless we did. So we left, never to return again. If track and trace is the hill that the Hospital Arms wants to die on by making it a mandatory policy of their pub - that's fine, and that's their business. However, anyone who has bothered to read the government 'guidance' knows that it is just that - guidance. They will also know that handing over your details to the government so that they can track you is VOLUNTARY. Shame that this business didn't want to respect their customers rights to privacy in these worrying times.

Wish zero stars was an option! My friend was feeding her baby some fruit from home. The owner said this is disrespectful to the pub (despite us spending £100+ there). After we didn’t buy any of the food items he went on to patronisingly list to us, we were kicked out!

Had a lovely Sunday roast with my partner and Son. Two meat and one veggie. All really nice. Will definitely revisit.

Having been unable, because of the length of the wait in The Kings Arms walked further along Crouch Street to this little gem of a pub. We were served quickly by an efficient by a friendly bar maid. Beer was great, really nice, well kept pint of Southwold. Will certainly be visiting again (cannot say the same about the Kings Head).

The new landlady & landlord have transformed this pub back to how a traditional pub should be they have a great choice of ales which I must say are spot on, they have recently started food and have eaten there 3 times now and it has all been 10/10 there roast dinner is amazing the best by farKeep up the good work your doing a amazing job

Since the new licenees arrived in September 2018, great strides have been made to make this pub a welcoming venue for all. Great beers, a new Gin bar and a recently refurbished kitchen have moved this pub in the right direction. Sunday roast is highly recommended. Excellent food at reasonable prices.

This place is by far one of the best pobs in Colchester, a really good atmosphere, great selection of proper beers, in my view highly recommended!!

They have a good range of beers and good prices and choice for wine. Barmaid was shy, bordering on disinterested. You need someone with better interpersonal skills. We were asked if the food was OK and it was just OK really. The chicken pie was like a tin of chicken and leek soup with a puff pasty topping. Not the best. So we won't go back to eat but worth a visit if you just want a drink and you don't value great service at the bar.

Service wasn’t great staff member seemed disinterested, there is a decent range of beers maybe worth calling in if you are passing but not worth travelling to

The Hospital Arms has a reputation for the ales it has. I had a great pint of Adnams 'Ghost Ship'. Just right! Ordered a meal too - Fisherman's pie + mixed vegetables. happened to see a staff member leave the pub, to return a few minutes later with a bag of Tesco frozen mixed vegetables. Okay, they have to source food from somewhere. The fish pie didn't have a mix of fish - seemed to be only cod/coley. But then the menu said fish pie [not varied fish pie]. Staff didn't pop across to ask if everything was 'okay with the meal'...perhaps they knew! No Sunday 'roast' either. No spoken farewell either, on leaving. Disappointing.

We were well cared for. We wanted one of those lazy Sundays - a wander to a pub, Sunday paper under the arm, a couple of pints of good ale, followed by a Sunday roast that left us stuffed and unable to move - we had to carry on drinking wine until we felt like leaving. We just had to. A perfect place for this. The staff were friendly from the moment Tanya took the booking. There's a small restaurant area, a cosy outside courtyard for smokers and plenty of seating inside if you just want a drink. The edge of town location is handy, and yet keeps the tourists away. One pet hate (see our previous reviews) if you advertise wines, please make sure you have them, if not, then change the blackboard. Out of a dozen I was told that there were only a couple available. One mark off. Wish this was our local...

Been with friends for drinks than went to curry next to pub curry india we had good time will be...

The Hospital Arms on Colchester's Crouch street is a well trodden destination. Opposite the nearly defunct Essex County Hospital, Ward 9 as it was known by the hospital staff, is still a good location for pub food and the back garden a haven in the summer months. Not far from Colchester's historic town centre and Roman wall, if you are a fan of Adnam's ales and strong lagers, plus some lively chat, you will have visited the right pub.

This iconic venue is now neither one thing or another. gone are some of the antique tables and chairs and replaced with modern pine furniture and some soft cushions. , When we visited, it appeared that customers had marked with their feet, but this may not be representative. The gents toilet continues to need some TLC.

Been going to this pub for over 20 years. Seen different landlords, decor, displays in the central glass cabinet...Good range of the local brewery beers (Adnams) plus usual list of pub drinks. Slightly scruffy but unpretentious and comfortable, it's a great pub to have as your regular local. Friendly staff, clean toilets, good outdoor seating area. They do Sunday lunches. Highly recommend.

Visitamos este pub ha ido allí por muchos años, y para nuestra delicia. . . En última (!. Había música que tocaba, como se encuentra en la mayoría de los pubs. Realmente cambiado el ambiente, con clientes habituales y recién llegados golpeando sus pies ya que felizmente conversamos en este nuevo ambiente relajado. Muchas personas estaban diciendo que era un cambio muy agradable y espera que continúe, ya que este pub puede a menudo falta algo de ambiente. . . Atención de gestión.

Visited for a quick lunch. Choice was good and we had a jacket potato with cheese and beans and a bacon and brie panini. Both were ok but not anything special. Prices were average. Would return.

Ordered a jacket potato with cheese and boy it was yum. Good price at £5.95 and it came with a good salad. This is near my work and I like it.

Nice pub bit cramped, bar staff are ok but they do like chatting rather than serving sometimes so that is a bit frustrating

The food was great and not terribly priced. Lovely staff behind the bar and a generally good experience. Great to have such a lovely little pub in Colchester

Este pub está situado en la principal carretera de Lexden frente al Hospital (no el principal hospital de Colchester). Su ubicación significa que no hay aparcamiento, el parking más cercano está a unos 5 minutos a pie. El pub está en las afueras del centro...

Un bonito lugar para tomar una copa, ya sea con amigos o familia. Disposición de asientos precioso por dentro y por fuera! El personal también!

Visitamos este pub de nuevo para comer el domingo aproximadamente un año después de nuestra última visita. Habiendo oído que tenía un nuevo dueño y señora ahora decidimos tomar visitar amigos de París allí asadas.

This is a great little pubIt's just been recently tidied up and it looks good! Always a great selection of beers on and they vary on a regular basis often keeping the crowd pleasers on. I have never eaten here but it's the best pub in town for beer and a friendly atmosphere

I've never eaten a thing here, so I won't comment on the food. But I love my real ale and I go to a pub for a beer so one like this with a wide choice of Adnams and guest beers, knowledgeable staff, and a friendly clientele is my idea of a good Friday night. To make it perfect, go next door to Curry India afterwards.

Not having been to colchester for over 20 year thought we would try some of the old place's that we used to visit this pub did not disappoint staff friendly beer good and a great atmosphere

Popped in for lunch with my daughter this week and was surprised at the change in the place. Decor nice and simple and a good lunch board. I had a panini and my daughter had a baked potato and salad. Food fine and friendly staff, will definitely go for lunch again.

I visited here on Wednesday 2nd March with a couple of friends. It looks a lot more refreshed and has a cleaner feel compared to my last visit. Good selection of Adnams ales on tap and they even had a stout which won points for me. The staff were polite and helpful and the pub has cosy, comfy seating. Would like to try the food here at some point. Will happily visit again.

If you love a real ale pub this is the one to head for slightly out of the way from town centre but worth the walk if you love to experiment and try different ales then try a few samples frost ,then try the snacks,different flavour crisps which you don't normally get in a normal pub or hotels etc,lovely large garden area heaters under a shelter ideal for keeping out of the rain or ideal if you are a smoker will be back in the summer,good luck to all staff in the new year ahead keep up the good work !

As regular customers for the best part of 20+ years, it's sad to see this lovely edge of town pub slowly changing for the worse. For the second year running a party of us on New Years Eve thought we would get a few early evening pints in before going on for a meal. Although all lit up at 7.30pm, a sign on the door informed us that the pub had shut at 5.30pm! Shut New Years Eve? Possibly the busiest night of the year! As a tied pub I'm surprised Adnams would be happy with this. When it is open, loud music has been introduced and a large percentage of the evening clientele are bald, loud Essex men shouting at each other. Time to find somewhere new!

Great pub for meeting friends, very friendly and food was good also. Lovely atmosphere and everyone in there was very friendly. There is a nice seating area out the back with loads of tables if you fancy eating outside on a warm evening. Would definitely go again.

This pub offers an absolutely outstanding range of beers and ales. The lunchtime snack menu is pretty good too. The staff are polite, knowledgeable and friendly. If this pub did food in the evening it would be the best pub in Essex.

Sunday roast for 7 we all had the beef ,plenty of food with extra gravy,plates would of been hotter though,food got cold very quickly .Poor Selection of Desserts we left and had them elsewhere The men in the party loved the ales though

Great pub with nice atmosphere. However recently visited for lunch and was extremely disappointed, the meal was obviously just heated up in a microwave resulting in a pie with soggy pastry, the other meal was salmon with a sauce which turned up with a skin on it. Very poor quality with no love put into the food at all ! We will visit the pub again but not to order food. Such a shame.

Booked a Sunday lunch here having been in a few time to sample their ales. These for an Adnams house (although good) are a bit pricey. We had the table reserved & had drinks with our dinners. Overall although not at all disappointed, I did find that (like their beers) the meals were on the dear side for the amount you got.

The serving staff were very pleasant. The food was barely Luke warm and I noticed other clients being served had no steam coming off their plates either. The meat was extremely tough even with a sharp knife that was requested for my elderly mother. There was no seasoning and no taste. Would still come here for the real ale but food is a definite no no. Politely complimented the waiter on the beer but told him what we thought of the food. £61.50 wasted and nobody came from the kitchen to apologise or offer a reduction.

Great beer and atmosphere always. One of those great little pubs you always hope to find. Stompy little Scottish bar bloke irks (although to be fair he seems to irritate the other staff as well) but otherwise a fantastic place.

I have just read a review regarding the new decor within the Hospital Arms. I would like to say that I love the new decor - the pub had not changed its decor for many years - possibly 15 years or more - dark red and bottle green and a carpet that had not be changed for just as long I am sure. I think that it looks fabulous now - the clientele have not changed - still young and old alike. The pub needed to be refreshed. Times move on and and yes the decor needed to - it's still same ales and people but with a lovely clean carpet and new colours with furniture that has been attended to. It was long overdue.I look forward to many more meals and glasses of wine in the pub.

I went to the Hospital Arms last Saturday after an absence of about a year. I am not a resident of Colchester so my visits are infrequent but I always like to make the effort when in town. On this occasion, to my horror, I was affronted to find that the place has undergone some sort of horrible identikit contemporary makeover (the nearby Hole in the Wall suffered a similar terrible fate a few years ago and has never recovered in my opinion) which as far as I could seen had done away with all the traditional pub furniture (the pubs website photo gallery is misleading on this point) and put inappropriate modern furniture and interior design 'less is more' ticks into place. The result, as is always the case and is the ruination of traditional pubs across this land, is that most character, comfort and cosiness have been purged from the place.Truly sad and worse because it has presumably been done purely to satisfy the copy-cat taste whims of those running the pub, and to a pub that did not need changing. It reminds me of a pub in Burford in Oxfordshire that a friend visited on the strength of a real ale guide review, part of which mentioned the vast and impressive collection of tankards and jugs hanging from the ceiling. All part of the long acquired character of course and therefore part of the joy in visiting.Alas, new landlords had beaten him to it and were in full modernising, destructive flood.The tankards were gone, never to be returned and the pub is no longer in the Good Beer Guide. Just another example of many thousands no doubt of the wrecking of an iconic part of our cultural heritage. By the way I cannot comment on the food at the Hospital Arms because I did not eat there so my two star rating is based purely on my feelings towards the unsympathetic treatment of the interior.

Took family for a Sunday Roast. We had booked before hand. Got there and the table was reserved, ready for us. The staff were very friendly and quite happy for us to dither about what we wanted to eat. The were four mains ( one veggie option ) and four desserts to choose from, all for £10 per head. Overall, food, staff and the pub itself were great, a very enjoyable afternoon.

A Good Beer Guide pub, well worth seeking out when in Colchester. A pleasant interior, a good selection of ales. We went on Easter Day and the only food options were £15 for two courses, but the food was delicious and we really enjoyed the vist.

Just ate a lovely roast beef Sunday lunch, the beef was gorgeous as were the home made Yorkshires and gravy. There was plenty of veg - broccoli, parsnip, swede and cabbage. Would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Hospital Arms.

We have been using this pub for a number of years as a group of around 20 people for brunch on new years day, when we heard that it had been taken over we were concerned that they would not accommodate our usual booking....not to worry they couldn't have done any more !!!We have always been pleased with the food and service but this breakfast was the best we have had, everything we were served was piping hot, great quality and at a reasonable price. An ideal start to the new year. (I was a little concerned that a post on trip advisor may give too many people the same idea though!!)

We've made two afternoon visits in the past fortnight and we are thinking that this must become more of a habit :-)It was the same very friendly barman, who made us (and our dog) feel very welcome each visit. We enjoyed great beer. We shall return :-)

My spouse and I really enjoyed our first Sunday lunch at this cosy, relaxed, family friendly pub.We had eaten here before on Saturdays and liked the food.My wife chose Beef & I had the Pork. Our lunches duly arrived, freshly cooked - we found them delicious. Plenty of tasty meat & vegetables. Hot food and lots of it.We both managed to fit in dessert - my apple crumble & custard was superb - it had a lovely 'home-made- taste to it.The pub is dog friendly, which is lovely to see. We will be taking our 2 hounds there next time we visit.Not a beer drinker myself, but they appeared to have quite a choice of beers on offer. Alcoholic drinks aren't cheap, but as an Adnams' pub this is to be expected.Well worth a visit.

A nice place to go for a quiet drink. Also has a nice beer garden and a good selection of ales. Also shows football

the staff can be short and rude. if you ask for beer advice they will roll their eyes.had children in and at around 7pm instead of being politely asked to leave, they shouted 'children must leave by seven'. no please. no thank you.such a shame as the pub is nice and the beer is great too

I've eaten here a couple of times and it's always been a good meal. The staff are lovely and there is a great atmosphere. And Callum makes the best white wine spritzers in Colchester!