The Orange Tree Tapas-Wine, Gin and Cocktail Bar with restaurant in Colchester - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

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!

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 .

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 -...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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!!!

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...

My friend is getting married so I wanted to take her somewhere special. There was a group of 4 of us and Lance and team couldn’t have been more accommodating and kind in making sure we had a fantastic evening. Nothing was too much trouble,...

We went here for the first time on a saturday for our wedding anniversary. The place was busy and had a good atmosphere. My husband ordered seafood paella and I ordered the vegetarian paella , a mushroom dish and haloumi and roasted vegetables. All of...

I visited this place for the first time this week with 2 friends for my birthday and had a really lovely evening. The food was delicious, freshly cooked and the flavours were fantastic. The cocktails were great too. The evening was made when they brought...

My husband and I was travelling in the area and read great reviews about this place. I went onto their site to make an online booking made all the selections and as it was closed was waiting for a reply. No reply came so 15...

We have been to the Orange Tree Tapas several times now, the food is sublime, how Lance creates his food in such a small kitchen is incredible. We had mixed Tapas followed by Paella, his Paella is to die for, the depth of flavour is...

Very enjoyable evening at the Orange Tree last night, really enjoyed the food, also lovely cocktails, highly recommend the rhubarb mojito! Staff were very welcoming and good fun, chatting with us all night. The owner Lance was great. Will definitely be back to try more...

A night or so ago me and my partner visited while away in Wivenhoe and it was bloody amazing! The restaurant is intimate and rustically decorated. There were only two members of staff on during our visit, despite this service was excellent and made our...

Me and my husband have been looking forward to coming here as we love tapas. Unfournatley we were so disappointed the food was awful chewy calamari over cooked paella the worst We have had. Didn’t like one of the dishes we had.. service wasn’t great...

Delicious food and really friendly staff! All of the tapas we ordered were fantastic and glad we followed the waitress’s recommendations. We may have over ordered a bit, but it was too good to leave any leftovers. Would visit again when returning to Wivenhoe.

Last night we had a beautiful meal for 9 in the snug - great service and amazing food. The waitress was so helpful despite being really busy and every dish we ordered (almost everything off the menu!) was absolutely delicious. We will be back!

Gorgeous place, amazing food and cocktails. Service was brilliant. Couldn’t fault any of it. Will definitely be returning soon

Fab restaurant, amazing choice of Tapas and excellent cocktail menu, best tapas restaurant in Essex.

This was our first time and it will certainly not be our last. The ambience and furniture and set up was lovely. The food was out of this world. We ordered too much but was able to take the rest home. My favourite dishes were...

Best service I’ve ever experienced. Food was amazing especially the king prawns & cocktail list was exceptional and unique . Highly recommended in a cute village

We visited with a friend from London, he loves tapas and said that the choice and quantity of food was amazing. We certainly agree! Beautiful dishes produced by Lance.

Fab cocktails in the snug and top tapas for a group of eight, very relaxed place, super friendly staff

We had an amazing meal in the ‘snug’. Fantastic selection of tapas and an equally impressive cocktail menu. Beautiful decor too! We’ll definitely be back if only for the maraca shaking which accompanied the bill :)

Visited on a Tuesday evening - fairly quiet as we went early but friendly staff and quick service. Food was very tasty and well presented. Would definitely recommend.

Really great tasty food, good amount of food - so flavoursome and very quick service. Can’t wait to come back!

Warming atmosphere, friendly staff, amazing cocktails….I recommend the chefs special!! The food was fantastic, definitely going to be a regular visitor.

I dined her last night with a couple of friends, what a fab gastronomic delight. Great attention to creating flavour by a chef who clearly loves cooking. Moving on to the cocktails ….. yum!, Will definitely be back!

Absolutely delicious tapas, really good size portions, same with mid price red wine which was particularly lovely to drink, very smooth. Wonderfully friendly and accommodating chef and staff. The churros with chocolate and caramel sauces, freshly made, were a fabulous way to end to a...

My friend and I visited for a pre New Year’s Eve meal and the food we were served was cold. We ate one chicken dish each as it tasted ok and was a small tapas size dish but the paella I ordered was a huge...

Amazing food, chilled atmosphere, friendly staff, love this place. Can't rate it highly enough!! Fab place for romantic dinner for two or cocktails and dinner with friends.

Saturday evening visit. Staff excellent. Food divine. Really good wine. Wonderful location and decor. Reading a previous review re: location of the toilets…. It is a very old and charming building so if you looking purpose built, try a Toby Carvery. Highly recommend and will...

My husband and I went for cocktails and tapas for our anniversary. Staff were very friendly, the food was delicious and the cocktail choice was impressive. We have been to the Orange Tree many times and had a lovely evening. Can’t recommend this little local...

Held my mums 60th here last night. Food was incredible ! Staff where polite, friendly and accommodating. Couldn't have been nicer and more helpful to make our mums 60th a better night. Thank you all so much !

My boyfriend and I had dinner here for my birthday. We had such a lovely welcome when we arrived, staff were so friendly had helpful. It's such a beautiful restaurant, love the decor ❤ We ordered some cocktails, Espresso Martini and Long Island Iced teas...

Really enjoyable meal had here. Was recommended by a friend and we booked for a family birthday. We sat downstairs, and were the only table there. Service was slow, but we weren’t in a rush and it was a very busy Saturday night. The staff...

Delicious food, lovely, passionate staff! A gorgeous old building that might be tricky for some to manage but it’s really part of its charm. Best of luck to them!

We have been a couple of times to this restaurant and the food is incredible! Great ambience, whether in a group of friends or date night as a couple. We have done both and cannot fault on both occasions. Incredible choice of food which is...

Romantic meal booked with boyfriend ruined by inattentive staff and stupidly loud music, we ended up leaving and eating at The Greyhound pub in Wivenhoe which was really really good!

Absolutely amazing experience as always, come here regularly and will keep coming back. Thoroughly enjoyable evening, great food, great staff and great drinks, definitely would recommend.

Friendly staff, tasty food, very reasonably priced, fabulous atmosphere, if there are six or more of you ask for the snug as it's like having a private dinner party but catered so no cooking or clearing up after! Can't recommend highly enough, will definitely be...

We came here on Friday 19th November, was very quiet when we arrived as we were an early sitting, which was nice as could hear one another and there was two other parties in so there was a good atmosphere. Food was excellent, staff were...

Another great meal and evening at this little gem. Excellent food and great service as always. We had the snug for 7 friends which is fantastic . Then down to the friendly bar for final drinks, too many of course!

We had an amazing night at the tapas bar. We were in the brilliant snug which made it feel like a private function. The food was amazing, hot and tasty and great for sharing with friends. The cocktails were even nicer! We asked for specific...

After reading the reviews we were excited to visit the restaurant, but upon entry to exit things fell flat. A frosty welcome at the door by employees and chef, slow drinks service, average food and an outside alleyway toilet. The waitress wanted the order by...

First time eating here after reading rave reviews on here, having travelled from Braintree to stay in Wivenhoe especially to go to the tapas bar we were very dissatisfied with the food, it wasn’t traditional Spanish tapas at all quite the opposite, the building and...