The Orange Tree Tapas-Wine, Gin and Cocktail Bar with restaurant in Colchester

After receiving confirmation of our booking which was made days in advance we took a taxi on a cold wet evening to the restaurant only to find it closed. We called later and were told that the owner had decided not to open until later in the month. His staff had turned up and been notified about an hour before opening time. What a way to run a business.

Lovely food, lovely evening A belated review from our visit back at the end of June when we visited the area to move our daughter out of her Uni accommodation for the Summer. This restaurant had been recommended to us by some people we met on holiday in January who live nearby and had raved about how good it is. It didn't disappoint! Seated at a cosy table upstairs by the window, we shared a variety of tapas - all of which was really good. But the standout for me was the chicken and chorizo paella - absolutely delicious! Better than any paella I have ever had before (a fair few!!). Staff were friendly and efficient and service was great. No complaints at all - support your local small business! We had a great evening - and will definitely return when next in the area.

In response to the owner - as originally stated, it would've been fine if we had been told you weren't open yet or were full initially. But instead when we asked if we could come in and have a cocktail we were told that was fine by one staff member and to take a seat which we did. We were then asked to move as that table was booked (fair enough) by a new staff member before being told in an angry tone by her that actually you weren't open yet and we wouldn't be served until 6 when we were at our new unreserved table. As for 'toys out the pram' and 'keyboard warrior', as I was leaving I calmly said that we were going as we hadn't wanted to be a burden, which is what we had been made to feel like. I then left a review befitting the experience, which has been dealt with as poorly as two potentially paying customers on the evening. Woeful. I leave lots of positive reviews for good experiences as you will see, and luckily we had plenty of positive experiences in lovely Wivenhoe. Wishing you all the best and hopefully a learning curve. Didn't get round to having food sadly. Walked in and asked to have a drink (cocktails) at 545. Empty but told all was ok and welcomed and a girl tried to find us menus saying they could only find sticky ones. We said no bother and we found a seat. Then suddenly told by a different girl it only opened at 6 and treated as if a huge inconvenience as they were setting up and told we wouldn’t be served until 6 so we left. Absolutely fine if it was the clear from the start but a totally bamboozling and unnecessarily bad experience.

Excellent food, though quite expensive.

We were a table of three and we had a very enjoyable evening at the Orange Tree. The restaurant had a very warm welcoming vibe and the service was good. The building itself has character which adds to the experience. There was an extensive cocktail menu and the ones that we had were enjoyable. The tapas was excellent. Every dish was packed full of flavour and delicious. We reccomend the Orange Tree for very tasty tapas and a good evening out.

I cannot fault the food and would come here again but the service, albeit very friendly, was lacking, at one point at had to call the restaurant phone to ask for a drink. Again would still recommend

Hideous food…do not be fooled by the 4.5 stars!

We left within 5 minutes the toilet it was down some dark alley you had to go out the building and walk up the road and being pregnant it didn't seem that safe. menu was ripped and looked like someone had dragged it in dirt unless it was supposed to look like olden times. The menu also didn't look the same as advertised online again it could be cos they haven't updated it we can't comment about the food but did hear someone say they wasn't coming back again which did put us off. We came here a few years ago and the menu and food were amazing just a shame as been looking forward to it for ages.

This place is amazing. The food is incredible and the staff are flawless.

Very nice meal plenty of choice only down side have to go out of the building to one toilet.

Can not recommend this place enough! The food was AMAZING...and the service matched up to that. Lovely vibe, staff, decor...the list goes on! Oh.....and they're definitely not stingy with the alcohol measures in their cocktails! Will be making regular trips here from now on

If you want fantastic food with great service this is the place to come Lance is one hell of a chef , catering to all individual requests The atmosphere created by the staff and the authentic Spanish music is transcending Trust me , the combination of amazing food , mesmerising tunes and phenomenal cocktails is intoxicating to say the least Highly, highly recommend Matt and Lisa

I booked The Orange tree for my 60th and was really disappointed. One meal didn't arrive and 2 seafood plates arrived with no sea food. Portion sizes were also really small ( I've been to loads of different tapas restaurants and the portions were much better) The waiting staff were lovely but the Chef had an appalling attitude and wouldn't rectify the issue with our seafood plates or the missing dish. So 3 of our party didn't eat.

We were in Wivenhoe, very hungry and not knowing the area at all. We looked in a few pubs but there was nothing really appealing, but as we were walking there was a scent of real mediterranean food being cooked that led us to the Orange Tree Tapas. There was a hen party upstairs, but they made the effort to squeeze us in downstairs. The mocktails were wonderful (we were driving) and the food was just lovely. The hummus was rich and bursting with flavour, the paella was gorgeous. The price was very reasonable for what we ate, which made it even more enjoyable. Would certainly recommend.

A really great place to eat and drink.

Small space but good atmosphere, food really good, chef and staff were excellent.

First time visit and everything was great: food, service, ambiance. Yes it is a small place but it adds to the charm. Will visit again.

This is a lovey, relaxed and cosy restaurant. The food was excellent (especially the humus) and well priced. The drinks and cocktails were beautifully made and presented and the staff were amazing, even on a busy night they were so helpful and attentive. Highly recommend.

This is not fine dining, and you won't find a maitre'd - it's a small (even slightly cramped), informal tapas bar with the proprietor cooking up a storm in a tiny galley by the bar. The food is excellent, the wine good and fairly priced, and the service extremely pleasant though perhaps not the most polished. If you are prepared to roll with it, Orange Tree Tapas will feed and water you very well at decent price - we particularly loved the tortilla and the Andalusian chicken, but our prawns, patatas bravas and halloumi fries didn't let us down either. If you want an extensive menu and your food served instantly, I suggest going elsewhere, and leaving it for those who can appreciate it - We'll be back next time we're in the area.

Food is incredible. What flavour! We had olives to nibble on first then shared about 7 dishes between the 3 of us. Had a lovely Portuguese red wine. All reasonably priced. Really do recommend this place for an intimate sharing meal with fantastic food. Great service too, didn’t catch our waitresses name but she couldn’t do enough to accommodate us.

Delicious food, wonderful menu, immediate service. Big fan here.

Great food, great service & tasty cocktails. Been a few times & always impressed, highly recommend .

Can’t fault this place. The food was lovely and the service impeccable. Have been many times and will continue to do so. Lance cooks like a dream and is a genial host.

Packed on a Monday - the locals know a good thing. Lovely food, great ambiance, mouthwatering smell of garlic and prawns as you enter. Wivenhoe is just beautiful and this is a little gem in a peach of a location - even the parking is easy. Flatbread starter with manchego aoli and chorizo was amazing Do book - we were warned it was popular but a Monday night!!!

Even though I’d been a local for years, this (no longer living locally) was my first visit to this lovely and welcoming restaurant. The paella was really delicious (and I’m a good cook myself so I judge Mediterranean food quite perceptively). The chef and his staff were just so very welcoming to a walk-in customer who also needed her phone charged! Nothing was too much bother. And having travelled up from Dorset via Colchester and Bures.. I was ready for this sort of delightful welcome and superb food. I was hungry and needed traditional kindness and good food. I wasn’t disappointed in the least, not to mention the very convivial atmosphere too! I’ll certainly return when I’m next back up from Dorset. More paella please!!

First time here(sister had found this spot and raved about it). Absolutely delicious. Flavors just wonderful - we had paella and it was so good we ordered it again. Prawns were delicious, braised steak had the richest tomato sauce - to die for. And so much fun! Waitress helped us order and the chef came out to chat through some of the dishes. It’s the whole experience- definitely coming back. Saw someone didn’t like the small menu? Yes it is not a ‘book’ like some places. We found it had a great selection but is by design smaller as many of the dishes are slow roasted etc. also means they do everything on there really (really) well. Cute setting - lovely little village too.

Having enjoyed tapas on several occasions I decided to try the orange tree whilst visiting the lovely location Wivenhoe. A friendly welcome and shown to a table upstairs. The room was very small and seating somewhat squashed. Being an old building the wooden floor was very bouncy and I was constantly bombarded with staff and other diner's brushing past me which resulted in quite an unpleasant experience. The service was good but didn't enjoy the food which I found very strong and overpowered with garlic. Only had warm bottled beer in a warm glass. I can't comment on the cocktails as didn't try any.Had to pay downstairs as no card machine available. Wasn't asked how the meal went Only how much I wanted to pay. On the whole somewhat disappointed sadly.

Some of the food was really good but there were more negatives. The service was slow - we had to ask for menus and then grab someone’s attention to place our order. The menu isn’t huge so it was disappointing to be told some of the items weren’t available - after we’d tried to order them. It was only 8pm so not late, how can they run out of mushrooms?! There was too much garlic in the starters and the flatbreads were over cooked. The cocktails were smaller than the photos but no cheaper. The prawn dish was a let down, £10.95 for about six small prawns. We had already finished our meal before our second round of drinks arrived. We had to send the churros back and have them taken off the bill after a long wait for them. Won’t be back.

Extremely disappointing. We booked here as it was supposed to be number 1 in Wivenoe. The food was drenched in garlic and salt. Service was poor and you are crammed into a tiny restaurant. Hula hoops in the salad? 😆

This spot is great if you’re the kids or the parents! We popped in for a drink but the food smelled soo delicious we had to try something… went for the classic “pollo y chorizo” paella, but The Orange Tree way, which was super good. Pricing was beyond fair for what we received. The music was great and just an all round vibe, great spot and will certainly be back!

Food here was absolutely delicious, and the cocktails were lovely. There wasn’t one dish we didn’t love! The waitress was super friendly and helpful, overall a fab evening out.

Have been here before years ago and the experience was comedic then but gave them the benefit of the doubt based on the misleading reviews… The service was the main issue. They were friendly for sure but two waitresses running up and down stairs with no direction does not make for an adequate dining experience. We arrived early but asked if they could squeeze us in, after a long discussion in our presence, they decided the table was ready and took us to be seated. The room was filled with the smoke of cooking oil. Also quite spicy, enough to cut straight to your throat after a long wait for drinks. Only enough cutlery for one person which leads me to believe that another poorly provided for diner was left without a set. Drinks were really delicious but came after the food. Food was incredibly over priced. If you went with a large group it might be worth your while. Sharing meat platter was not enough to be shared. Waitress couldn’t pronounce the meats on the menu. Glass of wine didn’t arrive so had to let them know it wasn’t needed as we’d finished eating. One waitress I don’t think knew anything was wrong with the service, the other waitress was quite rightly mortified at the self confessed chaos of the evening. Totally not down to them, who is running this place?!?! Credit for it just being purely entertaining however really disappointed at the waste of a date night. Go somewhere else!!!!!

Great food Best tapas around, the chef is astounding and so welcoming he pops out of the kitchen to say hello the staff are lovely, cocktails are delicious , highly recommended .

Menu unexpected. Was thinking tapas meant small plates of scrummy food which you can share. But there were mains which you could order as a share but really not enough food to fill you up. And not really any traditional tapas. But the food was great quality. Just v confusing. New menu in restaurant hasn't been updated online. Dining area small and chilly with front door open. Good service. Food good quality. Just not really what I thought of as tapas

Really lovely birthday meal for my mum. Really tasty food and great drinks. Fantastic gluten free menu options

Friendly welcoming staff happy to help nothing is too much trouble. Food was fabulous. My son's Birthday he loved the paella with the seafood. Albondigas were gorgeous. Small place but atmosphere was lively and fun chatted with other diners. Love this place.

I went to the tapas during the day. At this time the restaurant acts as a cafe. Our waiter was great and very welcoming. The panini I had was great! Accompanied with a lovely coffee. The one discrepancy I had was the way one man spoke the waitor it seemed like he was speaking down to the lady. Other than that I was a great expedience and I will definitely be coming back.

I had an incredible experience at this intimate gem of a restaurant. The cozy ambiance is perfect for a romantic date night or a fun night out with friends. The standout dish was the beef, which was incredibly tender. The cocktails were equally impressive -...

Our 5th visit, so authentic and a mean Dirty Martini! Really fresh- lovely vibe.

Small cosy restaurant that left a great impression. Food was fantastic and cocktails were far too moreish! So much choice and great portion sizes. I highly recommend this place. Service was a bit slow but they were very friendly and apologetic about it. Tbh we...

Been here twice, great experiences twice. Delicious prawns, patatas bravas and the usual range. Massive side salad - meal in itself. Lovely staff.

Had a great time here. Small and intimate and busy as the food and staff was good. Food amazing, staff friendly and so helpful. Will definitely go back again. Thank you for making our night special for our freinds birthday.

Food beautifully cooked fresh. It's not a big place and if you haven't booked you may not get in.Definately worth visiting.

Excellent meal here this evening. Food was incredibly flavoursome, service was on point, and it was pretty decent value too! Will definitely be back.

A late evening group meal. Limitations but nothing not to like. Super friendly staff, good food & an interesting venue.

Service was friendly but slow, food was average, I wouldn’t recommend the croquettes as they were very soggy and bland and you only get 3 but I would recommend the chorizo with red onions. The paella was tasty however I’ve never had paella with peas...

Lovely surprise...good food and friendly service.

Had a birthday meal with friends in the sung last weekend. As per usual the food was really nice. complements to the chef Lance. Excellent cocktails and good service. We will be back.

I wonder if there has been a change in chef since the previous reviews, as our experience was definitely not 5 star. The food was bland. The cod in batter was mashed potato with a hint of cod, not the chunks of cod we were expecting. Similarly with the croquettes. We were looking forward to the tapas having read the previous reviews but sadly left very disappointed.

Decided to visit here as had been before and thoroughly enjoyed. Again the food was very good BUT!!!! The service was awful. We had to wait 20 minutes to get one of our dishes, so obviously the rest of the meal had pretty much been...

Delicious food. Friendly vibes.

Wonderful little place with such welcoming lighting and vibe, as well as brilliant food and drinks ! It’s really hard to find a vegetarian paella that replicates the heartiness of the traditional dish but it was absolutely delicious. Lovely staff, incredibly friendly. Definitely will be coming back!

Absolutely unbelievable! The food was delicious and the service excellent. We had four dishes two deserts a cocktail and a whole bottle of wine and it came to £80 and we're stuffed! The chorizo dish was particularly amazing! The portions were perfect! And the houmous...

Absolutely unbelievable! The food was delicious and the service excellent. We had four dishes two deserts a cocktail and a whole bottle of wine and it came to £80 and we're stuffed! The chorizo dish was particularly amazing! The portions were perfect! And the houmous was so so undeniably delicious! I can't recommend this place more, I will be a constant regular! 15/10

The flavours in the food was just incredible. Everything fresh and great value for money. Staff are really friendly, and polite. The venue is full character and style. Chef is fantastic. Definitely will be coming back.

Had such a good time, staff are amazing, cocktails are better. We had pretty much every cocktail on the menu, all of them were lovely.

I celebrated my birthday here with my family, and we shared a selection of the most delicious food. Fantastic flavours, with fresh herbs, olives, lemon, and so much more. We all enjoy our food, and agree that this was one of the best meals we've...

First time here this evening with my daughter, it certainly won't be the last! Delicious food and wonderful service.

This was the first time my daughter and I had dined here and it won't be the last! Wonderful food, the flatbread and hummus was exceptional and the garlic prawns and sherry mushrooms were delicious too. Lovely service, really friendly staff and great atmosphere.

Lovely place. Busy. Just cocktails but food prepared in view looked excellent.

“Back in my day ‘vegan’ didn’t exist” is the statement I was met with by the chef after being promised numerous vegan options on the phone, & then denied all but a single dish in person - even this required negotiating. So Incredibly awkward! 1 dish is not tapas, but Clearly he didn’t want to turn away a large table on the phone. I visit Spain several times a year and very rarely have any issues in tapas bars. Other than being entirely wrong in his statement, how rude and inconsiderate can you be! I didn’t ask for a [false] history lesson. Plant based eating has forever been a thing. Regardless, we were polite & still given false promises & an awfully awkward experience - both for us & the new staff. Will not be returning until he’s gone or grows up. Also, it took 50 minutes to receive a single drink. Not such an issue. Being lied to, manipulated, and treated like dirt is the issue.

Amazing food, lovely building and great hospitality. Will be going back.

Really wanted to love this place and had been looking forward to going for ages, but what a colosal disappointment. Bland food, huge bits of fat in the ‘slow cooked’ pork, soggy croquettes, the £6 ‘orange tree special’ salad was a joke - a few...

Great food, really nice. Lovely atmosphere. Wonderful friendly staff. Was amazed how small the actual kitchen was but that just adds to the charm. Will be returning for sure in the future

I'd heard good things about this restaurant from a few different friends. Really glad we tried it and will definitely be back. Food was flavoursome and portion sizes were great. Staff were friendly and the building itself is beautiful.

Good food and choices, lovely staff, smashing atmosphere and great cocktails. Especially liked the pork and the beef tapas. Definitely recommend for a good meal out.

We visited on a Thursday night, the food was not great, it all tasted of salt and nothing else. The humus just tasted of garlic and nothing else. I had the scallops and chorizo and all it tasted of was rosemary. The service was not...

Really lovely restaurant, with delicious tapas and very friendly staff. Great experience - we will definitely return.

Lovely food, friendly and efficient service. Really enjoyed the whole experience. The booking process via Facebook is super efficient.

A lovely restaurant with delicious tapas, with only one chef! Staff were friendly and the service good. Would definitely recommend a visit :)

Really good food wasn't anything we didn't enjoy, brilliant selection of cocktails. Building and decor is tip top and very clean.

A family get together on recommendation. The ladies who served us, and the gent too were excellent, very chatty jovial and smiling. Chef working his magic alone and doing an amazing job. Food excellent and service too. Would thoroughly recommend here to eat. Thank you...

Myself, my wife and brother in law went here for dinner upon his recommendation. Did not disappoint. Food was excellent, the waiting staff, attentive, chatty and smiling. The chef creating magic downstairs alone. Loved the music too, 80’s. Definitely going to return

Thank you for another amazing meal at The Orange Tree!! So much food, we couldn't eat everything, so were given boxes to take leftovers for tomorrow's lunch! Will be back again soon.... 😀

Myself and husband went here for dinner after a recommendation from a friend. Lovely little restaurant, the food and service were very good, the prices are very reasonable and the wine was good. Already sorting a date to go back and will be taking others...

It is an awesome latin vibe with incredible food. Would definitely recommended for a cosy meeting with friends!👌🏻

Amazing meal and fantastic service! My husband and I visited for dinner last month. The waiter couldn’t have been more helpful, he was polite and attentive. He went through the menu and answered any questions we had. The food was delicious and plentiful. I could...

Busy restaurant on a very hot day but service and food all exceptional, so many delicious flavours and very authentic. Will definitely be back.

My third visit here, new menu this time with very authentic and delicious flavours especially the pork and almonds. Great food great service and top cocktails

We’d had our table booked for over a month and was thoroughly looking forward to our visit. Can’t fault the food but the service of the bar/waiting staff was appalling. We waited over 40 minutes just to get a menu, order some drinks and receive...

I am more than impressed with the quality and the taste of the food! The flatbreads combined with the fresh homemade hummus and the famous paella ( made by the famous chef Lance ) are making my mouth water just when I’m thinking about them....

We visited tonight for the first time and what a fabulous experience, the orange tree tapas building is stunning nestled in the quaint stunning village of Wivenhoe The Food what a Taste sensation, we ordered more than we needed ..the paella took me right back...

We had some extremely tasty vegetarian tapas and 0% alcohol lager. Veg and salad were really fresh.

An absolute Gem of a restaurant. Orange tree tapas offers a stunning menu. With something for everyone. The drinks menu isn't ur standard tipples. Thou they can be found. The cocktails and mocktails show just how much passion and love is put in right from the start. The food is simply outstanding. Catering for meat lovers and vegetarians a like . Each dish is full to the brim of flavour, with no small portions. A true gem of a restaurant. That's definitely worth booking a table for.

This beautiful restaurant. Shows it's love and passion for the food and drinks it serves right from the start. The drinks menu isn't ur normal boring menu thou the basics can be found. The cocktails and mocktails give you a taste of being on holiday...

Having been past many times on the way to and from work I always fancied popping in and I'm so glad I eventually did ,the food is delicious the service is delivered with a smile ..really awesome evening ,will definitely return again and again .

The staff were too young and inexperienced. The specials board hadn't been altered to show what was missing and our table was full of dirty plates for most of our evening. The staff just kept walking past without clearing as they went when we first...

What an absolute cracker of a restaurant! Myself and 6 friends went for a meal last night and what can I say? A beautiful little gem with wonderful staff, incredible cocktails and mouth wateringly good food! A great menu and an extremely accommodating chef who...

Eaten on a number of occasions, never disappointed. A rare gem in Essex

What a gem of a resturant...beautifully decorated with a relaxed chic vibe, and very friendly and attentive hosts. You couldn't ask for a better meal out...oh wait you could! You could ask for great food! Well the Orange Tree Tapas in Wivenhoe didn't disappoint there...

Great food and great service as always. The food is always very fresh and tasty. Everyone is really friendly and accommodating. The new menu is great.

We went to celebrate our wedding anniversary tonight. Wow! One chef. Amazing food! So delicious and flavoursome. Lovely atmosphere and friendly service. We will definitely be back and will be recommending it to everyone we know!

Good tapas and great atmosphere, perfectly placed in the centre of Wivenhoe. The jewel in the crown was the very talented cocktail mixer who is obviously a professional in his field. The tapas where very well cooked and presented and some felt authentically Spanish. However...

Absolutely excellent Spanish-influenced food in lovely surroundings. A lot of thought and care clearly goes into the selection of ingredients and preparation of the dishes. A small but perfectly-formed menu. The slow-braised pork in almond sauce was a particular highlight. It's a small criticism, but...

Just had a lovely meal at the Orange Tree. Good selection of tapas and wonderful cocktails. Staff were friendly and the service good. We had a relaxed evening with great food cooked to order.

Last minute booking for my husband’s birthday - lovely freshly cooked food, relaxed atmosphere/not rushed, friendly welcome. Will return!!!

Lovely tapas, authentic atmosphere. Highly recommended

Quality of everything seems to have slipped less options on the menu and the waitress was a bit rude

So lovely to have such a fabulous restaurant and wine bar on our doorstep. The menu changes regularly so we never get bored. A new one for us, buffalo lasagne which was so tasty! The buffalo sourced from a local water buffalo farm. Paella to...

We visited early on a Tuesday evening- but within an hour there were several tables, music not too loud- helpful waitress. Every dish was just so full of flavours, and we had a lovely evening. Building a bit tricky to navigate for some so bear...