The Shepherd in Langham in Colchester - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Excellent service! Friendly and helpful when we booked and just so well organised and efficient on the night. We booked dinner for 17 people, they served all of us together and even took orders for drinks during the meal, later itemising the bill individually. One or two starters came a few minutes late but overall it was super service and good food, big potions and lots of choice.

We came for dinner after a long day travelling from Germany. The special was Fish and Chips (it was a Friday) and a lot cal beer was available. Food and beer were excellent and se ved very quickly. What made it 5 star though for us was the cheerful and pleasant waitress. She told us about the area and checked all was well with the meal in a friendly and bubbly manner - just lovely thank you

Clearly they have problems. The waitress was lovely but it was clear we hadn’t been the only ones to complain. Gastro pub this isn’t, with really dreadful food that we should have refused to pay for. Where do I start? There were salad leaves in the starter that had deteriorated and gone mushy. Whitebait was clearly mass produced and over cooked from frozen as were the uneatable chips with my partner’s steak. I had hunters chicken, apparently: undercooked supermarket back bacon sitting underneath a flattened piece of tough chicken, covered in some kind of tasteless stringy cheese and half a bottle of shop bought barbeque sauce, you know the sort you might squirt on your burger. It looked like a dark brown mess sided with dry new potatoes and overcooked frozen peas. Hideous, I couldn’t eat it due to the overpowering nature of the barbeque sauce. My partner’s steak was the only thing really edible amongst all of it. They did not charge us for the chicken and we paid £30 for the rest, because we didn’t want to cause a scene, but we will not be returning. I do not understand how they will be able to stay open this was undoubtedly the worst meal I have been served out ever.

The Fish Goujon was to die for, the bar staff and waitresses are lovely, a very large option of drafts and even more to drink behind the bar! would highly recommend!

We haven’t eaten here for a few years abd we’re really pleased to book last minute. Our young waiter was lovely but they were clearly short staffed today which was reflected in the quality of the food. We had four main meals the vegetable tart was burnt, fish tasted as tho cooked in old batter and the pie looked and tasted no better than a supermarket one. No home cooking which at 14.50 per meal not great. Again, no reflection of the staff working with half the staff. Clearly not planned for a bank holiday.

I’m vegan and the menu had lots for me to choose from. Tasty, well presented food. We will definitely return again soon. Friendly staff, wonderful atmosphere

Myself and Husband popped in to the shepherd for a dinner tonight. Sally, Donna and team were welcoming and warm. New chef in and the food reflects this, tasty, good portions and not a long wait. Plenty of space between tables. We then moved to the bar for drinks, bar staff knowledgeable friendly and polite. Highly recommend and will be returning.

Went for sunday meal and was awful. Lack of choice with only Sunday roasts on the menu and limited starters. Prawn cocktail from the 1970s was bland whitebait was soggy with tartare sauce that tasted like sour creem dip. Vegtables with mains were cooked from frozen, limp and soggy. The roast beef was over cooked and dry. The roast chicken was skin off roast, very dry and tough. Potatoes were rock solid. Venue was about 40% occupied, cold and dirty. Chair cushion, which was dirty came off the chair trapping my finger when I tried to move the chair. Food and dirt on the floor under the table when we arrived. Will not be going back.

So impressed with the standard of food which was cooked to perfection and presented well. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our festive lunch. Thankyou so much Shepherd and Dog. Can most certainly recommend this lovely pub.

Stopped here for a festive lunch on a coach mystery trip. Staff not especially friendly when all 38 of us arrived at just before midday. Drinks orders taken, then drinks served. One hour later 9 of us received our main course ! I had rock hard roast potatoes, other veg was ok but only got 1 Brussels sprout ! Things went from bad to worse with other tables not being served until an hour after us. One lady was given extra pigs in blankets as they ran out of turkey, - unbelievable and unacceptable. Desserts - xmas pud or cheesecake, The cheesecake was so frozen we couldn’t get our cutlery into it. Christmas puddings were minute. After dinner coffee was like lukewarm dishwater. When it came time to complain, as non of the staff had offered any sort of apology, the boss lady told us the chef had gone off sick and she then scrapped the bar bill. This did not do anything to placate those who did not use the bar or make up for a day totally ruined. Suffice it to say 1 out of 10 would be a good score for this disaster and I or the rest of my party would not visit this place again even if it was free.

Myself and my Dad were looking forward to a lovely Sunday roast at the Shepherd and Dog as it had been years since I had been there. We ordered our roasts (both beef) and after a wait were greeted...with one roast!!   The person who took our order seemed to think we were only ordering one meal?? She apologised and another roast was ordered.  Unfortunately I then had to watch my Dad eat his roast while I waited for mine... Then he had to watch as I ate mine!!  Not the ideal start. The beef was incredibly thick and could ideally been sliced thinner. I would like to think I will return to the Shepherd and Dog however obviously some areas definitely need addressing.

Excellent food and service for casual Friday night evening meal with friends last night. Food particulary strong - home cooked feel. A real asset for the village. Thank you 🙏

Ever keen to sample new eateries in Essex that are dog friendly, I selected the Shepherd and Dog at Langham this weekend. I called in advance to check two things; firstly, did they do Pizza on a Sunday (as this would really please my Pizza mad step son). Unfortunately not, just the roasts, but he is not a fussy eater, and I considered that some veg would do him good. Secondly, I asked if we could be sat away in a corner, because of my very old and often grumpy dog. The lady on the phone was really understanding and assured me they would facilitate this. So all great so far. When we arrived, the car park was quite busy, which I found reassuring; it must be popular. However, when we walked in, it was not actually as busy as I suspected. Plenty of seating, but as promised we had our corner table. The waitress was friendly and smiley, gave us the menu, and gave us time to consider. In the meantime we ordered drinks, and the waitress had to check what beer was on draft. She came back and advised. Looking at the menu, both my husband and step son were keen for the rib of beef, I wanted the leg of lamb, and we agreed we would get a couple of portions of cauliflower cheese between the three of us. However, when the waitress came back, and we gave our request, we were advised there was no rib of beef, no vegan option and no cauliflower cheese. It would have been really helpful to be told this before we chose our order, and it was very fortunate that it was the boys whose order was effected, as a person with eating issues, menus cause me anxiety at the best of times. Both swapped to the pork, and we went without additional sides. The roast took more than 30 minutes to come out. I know how pub roasts work, and it didn't seem like they were rushed off their feet, so I can only assume there was one person in the kitchen. The meat portion was generous; somehow my step son got the biggest share of the pork crackling, so my husband helped himself. My step son loved the 'roast' potatoes, but I believe they were not roasted; either deep fried or air fried aunt bessies for sure. The rest was OK, and the boys enjoyed the dessert they shared (Chocolate cake- they had no vanilla ice cream but the boys went for chocolate instead). They add a service charge, and I did pay. The waitresses were nice enough. Although the lady at the bar was a bit sharpe with my husband when he ordered the porter 'Porter?! you mean the Raven?!' The Colchester area is very rich with dog friendly, country pubs. The fire wasn't roaring in this one disappointingly on this cold Sunday afternoon, and with a distinctly average Sunday Roast, I don't think we will return again, purely because there is so many more to sample in North Essex and this venue just didn't cut it.

First time at the shepherd and I must say a very enjoyable afternoon with great food and drinks ..and oh my the sausage rolls on the bar were the best ever so good I took some home can't wait for our next visit everybody must give this place a try you won't be disappointed at all ...

Came here today for a family birthday with 9 of us eating. After placing our order, Drinks brought out swiftly however 1 hour later no food. No more drinks we offered during this hour of waiting. We had to ask how much longer for the food. the staff apologised saying they only have one chef. I’m my opinion they should have warned us about this when we placed our order. Food was ok at best, staff were friendly but after our feedback they were apologetic but no discount or free drinks were offered. Not great management in my opinion. Won’t rush back for another meal.

10 ladies went for our Christmas lunch and it was brilliant. Food excellent, service outstanding. Sally and Donna couldn't have done more for us! So much attention to detail, thank you Shepherd and Dog.

I was looking forward to a Sunday lunch at a new venue for me. There were 12 of us today who had a very long wait for our meals to be served, and unfortunately when it did arrive the meals were only warm. Very disappointing, the roast potatoes were hardly brown at all, the meat was tepid as were the vegetables. The young waitress asked us after some time, if everything was alright, and one of our ladies said it could have been much warmer. To which the waitress said she was sorry and walked away. Such a shame. My dessert was lovely, chocolate and cherry roulade.

Cauliflower cheese tasteless. Gravy the same. Shame because everything else was lovely,especially the lamb

Absolutely delicious Sunday Roast. We could not fault it. Beautifully cooked and hot. My gluten free requirements were accommodated well with an extra portion of gluten free gravy delivered with my meal. Waiting staff friendly and attentive. We will be back. 😋

I booked the Shepherd and Dog in Langham for fathers day lunch. When I booked I wasn’t told that it was only roast lunch menu being served. We arrived and were shown to our seats and when we enquired if there were any other options the owner/manager made us feel that we should’ve know this automatically by shouting at the staff ‘we only ever serve just roast on a Sunday!!!!’. My poor mum who has dietary requirements was mortified. We spoke to the staff and they said it’s only ever roast dinner but they were kind enough to accommodate a different meal for my son and add some coleslaw to a chicken baguette for my mum. The food arrived and we were all disappointed. The roast was served with tasteless vegetables, dry Yorkshire pudding, red cabbage overpowered with cinnamon and the potatoes were hard and clearly not cooked on the day. My husband was looking for the toilets with my son but didn’t know the location and a lady, who we thought could be the owner shout ‘over there!’. Not a friendly reaction at all. We finished with pudding which was the best part of the meal. The venue is light and bright. The waiting staff were all very smiley and friendly. Maybe the owner/manager should take a leaf out of their books. Needless to say, we will not be returning.

Food was nice for party of 4. Service was slow, nof busy so unsure if kichen was short of staff. Had to wait 15 minutes for 4th meal out of meals for or party. Would visit again to see if there is an inprovement. Plus only 1 vegan/vegetarian choice for Sunday.

A big thank to all the staff, who were very friendly and professional in hosting our family event. We had hired the restaurant but our group expanded out into the whole pub which was no problem for The Shepherd, who were extremely accommodating. The Buffett food was very tasty, lots of it and great value for money! Plenty of parking and the village of Langham is a beautiful setting.

I popped down Langham for the day with my family lovely staff and meal will definitely come again when I am in Langham again

The first and last time we will ever visit. It was expensive for what it was. The food was awful. Sent the fish and chips back. Absolutely swimming in grease. You need guidance on what Eton mess is !! Made with pouring cream. Really !! We were the only people in the restaurant at 9pm on Saturday night. I think that says it all.

Just had the worst Sunday roast We’ve ever had. The whole thing was immersed in a pint of warm oxo cube water. The pork loin was pork shoulder/ one slice. The vegetables were blatantly frozen and we paid an extra £3.50 for cauliflower cheese as a third vegetable. What a rip off. The service was slow but polite. The only consolation was that the wine was ok. We didn’t stay for a dessert.

Four of us lunched here. Our first impression wasn’t great as the restaurant is bleak and bare with plastic flowers on the tables and no soft furnishings. One chose a Prawn Sandwich, another a Burger and two of us shared 3 starters and Nachos. Sadly the Halloumi, Mushrooms and Squid were overcooked and hard. Our server (Bella?) was excellent.

Had such a lovely lunch at The Shepherd with a few colleagues. The staff were unflappable even though there was an unexpected footfall, really friendly and welcoming. Looking forward to revisiting and having some more lemon meringue pie!

I find it so hard to write a bad review but I wouldn’t waste my money. We ordered prawn cocktail starters and it took 20 mins to be told by the kitchen this wasn’t available. Our main of scampi was over cooked. The steaks were...

Staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was delicious for such a great price. £79 for 7 of us eating lunch which consisted of 6 ciabatta sandwiches (with lovely fillings of fish goujons/chicken club etc) 3 portions of cheesy chips and 1 truffle...

Love this place! Great homemade food, which is extremely reasonably priced. Friendly and welcoming... looking forward to it returning after lockdown!

A few of us were there last week and had a really lovely evening. Our food was very good,the prawn and crayfish cocktail exceptional, lamb shank, whitebait, pizza and other dishes were all enjoyed. Staff were attentive and their usual friendly selves. We look foward...

Turned up on time for our reservation, led to a table that was not prepared or set. Once we sat down we had to wait for 20+ minutes for someone to take our drinks order, then another 15 minutes to take our food order, would...

Visited with friends, restricted basic menu, table was not set and waited over an hour for our mains, two were stone cold (Lamb Shank) and the accompanying gravy looked like dish water and were also cold. We were advised that they are awaiting the appointment...

We decided to take a staycation holiday here when the UK govt announced easing of lockdown restrictions. With things the way they are we were wary, however the plethora of communications from booking.com suggested all would be well and the classic pub experience was awaiting...

We have visited this pub several times and have always enjoyed the experience. However our latest visit was not a success. The menu was very limited and expensive. Afterwards we realised that we had only been given the a la Carte menu and another more...

With members of our party having been to The Shepherd and previously had a good experience, we were disappointed on this occasion when we visited for Sunday lunch. Firstly the Sunday lunch menu was different online from the one we were provided, and no childrens...

We booked at the Shepherd as online reviews were excellent. Unfortunately our experience was quite the opposite. We were only given menus about 30 minutes after our arrival, at which time we were told the oven was not working and therefore only a limited menu...

Only able to have pub menu due to staffing but had been contacted about this. Ordered sausage, onions and chips. Two small sausages that were burnt on outside for which I paid £10. Had dessert which consisted of three small squares of cheesecake- a mouthful...

Food yesterday - excellent thank you service with a smile restaurant and bar staff friendly and helpful.

Was a little concerned having seen a few recent reviews, although we really enjoyed our meals when we went a few months ago. But I needn’t have worried, the quality was very good and we had hoped. I had the miso broth to start, lovely...

We came for a family meal - despite booking, we weren't made aware that there would be no a la carte menu, however we were relatively happy with the "pub menu". Frankly, the food was edible but below average. The staff were pleasant but slow....

The place had a really nice vibe and the staff are friendly but the food just isn’t worth the trip unfortunately. We’ve been twice and everything is so salty it’s insane. We asked for our food to have less salt on our second trip but...

Booked an evening meal for our anniversary as had previously been very good. On arrival the pub car park was very busy, normally a good sign, but unfortunately the restaurant was empty and the bar was full of people drinking raucously. We entered the restaurant area and waited to be seated, we waited some time whilst the bar staff finished their conversation, when we were finally seated and handed the menus they were crinkled and grubby, we were given the wine list which was greasy to the touch and appeared dirty. We sat waiting to order some drinks but left after several minutes of being ignored. Overall very disappointing.

Three of us had completed dry January and wanted to have a gin, glass of wine and a relaxing meal. This was perfect. They have a very good gin selection. We went with Jumbo which is local. The men had beer. We had to wait ten minutes for our table, that was fine as the the bar was not overly busy. We were seated, the restaurant is quite small and was very busy, week it was Saturday night. The serving staff were very busy but kept us informed of when they would take our order. That was fine, we were there for a sociable evening, we were in no rush. Orders taken, red wine and more beer delivered we were happy. The starters were delicious. We had lamb scotch egg, calamari and whatever my son had was all lovely. We chose deconstructed Sheppard's pie for main course - it was amazing, so tasty and beautifully cooked. My son had ham, egg and chips - he thought the best chips ever! Puddings we really good too. Very good food and staff were very friendly and informative. Great evening.

Nice pub, friendly staff but food a real let down. Side orders with steak arrived after main course was almost finished. Very small steak over cooked and no steak knife to eat with. Dessert appeared to be stale. Very disappointing considering the price.

I visited The Shepherd because they had a guest vegan chef for the night. The menu consisted of lots of small bites to try and some delicious puddings. It was amazing.

We went with some friends and all had great meals, we all said how well the food was cooked and presented and the variety of tastes with each dish we excellent. This is really good quality food at reasonable prices. They had a good selection of drinks and the staff were friendly and helpful. Having a bar area too meant there was a good mix of people locals and visitors which made the atmosphere good, like a traditional pub with restaurant.

We visited the Shepherd twice in a recent visit to the UK and on both occasions were very pleased with the meal, the hospitality and the beer and wine. The artisan breads were a standout, but we also enjoyed whitebait, moules frites and much more. Highly recommended. Oh and beautifully decorated for Christmas.

We fully intended to have something to eat here but after perusing the bar & restaurant menu we couldn't find anything we would like. The food was all a bit fussy when all we wanted was a jacket potato with a filling or something with chips. The prices also struck me as slightly outrageous - £8 for a sandwich? At these prices you'd think they could afford to heat the place, it was freezing! My partner complained without much success. If you want a nice cosy village pub serving honest to goodness 'pub grub' (what this should be given it's location) don't come here!

Visited for a drink whilst house viewing in the area, would be very happy to have this venue as our local.

Wow-chef patron Darren exceeded my expectations- the presentation, flavours , slick combinations and service , well the whole customer journey was awesome and Michelin star worthy! I can’t recommend this place enough. Been 3 times and different days and every time spot on. The food knocks the socks off many of the top west end restaurants- well done to all!

Very welcoming and polite on arrival ! Very clean good atmosphere ... went for a second date ... I had the Sunday turkey roast and my partner had the lamb roast both meals were faultless and full of flavours three glasses of bubbly and a latte ... just under £60 I thought it was really reasonable priced and quality food and presentation highly recommended .... Gav c

This is our local and we have seen the pub go through a rollercoaster over the last fifteen years.

We often visit here when we fancy a meal out, always lovely food. We recently had a bit of a problem with calls back (lack of 3 times) when we tried to book the function room so gave that a miss in the end, but that aside we enjoy a visit here for dinner.

I often go to The Shepard for lunch as I work nearby. The staff are friendly and accommodating. I am always greeted with a warm welcome and the food is absolutely fabulous! The chef ( I do not know his name) makes an amazing asian salad ... Highly recomend the pork dish although everything is wonderful, i've never had a bad lunch here

Superb quality food, cooked to perfection by a West End chef. Relaxed atmosphere, excellent all-round experience. Thoroughly recommend a visit to The Shepherd. Langham for any occasion.

We visited on a Friday lunchtime, the restaurant was fairly quiet. The restaurant is separate from the bar area which also had tables where a few others were having bar meals. In the restaurant there were two menus, a bar menu and the a la carte. We mixed choices from both. All our food was excellent, freshly cooked, tasty and beautifully presented. The pulled pork croquet was a favourite starter, and my ribeye steak was succulent and flavoursome. Staff were pleasant and professional. Highly recommended, and decent price for such quality, at about £25 a head for two courses plus drinks.

We booked at short notice for Sunday lunch. Staff very accommodating, good wheelchair access from the car park and table at a suitable height for wheelchair user.

Wow - what a fantastic meal. Can not recommend the food in this restaurant enough. Creativity of masterchef Combined with great atmosphere and excellent service well worth a visit

Superb food in a casual setting.

There was much to disappoint during our three day stay at The Shepherd.

You must visit this Pub/Restaurant, for one reason simple reason....the food! (everything else is rather good too!)

After putting up with very drunk noisy locals with a small child sitting playing on a phone. We as a group of 3 were told to turn our phones down . Was not very ammused. At the staff member .

We use this little jem as regular as we can now & always recommend to friends & family.

We loved our room with a great view across to a pink thatched cottage opposite. Food and drink was absolutely excellent. Harissa prawns to start were stunning. Service excellent throughout. Minor issue with bathroom but no need to criticise here as was still a 5star experience.

Our third visit in 10 years and the quality and atmosphere persist. Excellent food in both the restaurant and bar area. Excellent fish and chips, imaginative starters and to die for desserts.

Recently visited for lunch and enjoyed it immensely. The service was great The Manager very professional and knowledgeable The food was excellent The decor and environment relaxing Certainly be visiting again soon

I’ve spent far more for a meal of this quality. Good honest food and great beer at a good price. This place is a hidden gem and is highly recommended. Worth the journey

This is our go to for Sunday Lunch although in recent times they havent told you what they do have and dont have before being seated. Sometimes what you have they dont have in the kitchen and it is too late when you have sat down. Either way its always a really nice roast and the staff are really nice. There is a older man there who is always so lovely and makes our experience worth it. We also came here last summer and had an amazing 2 courses of the set menu.

This is our local and we have seen the pub go through a rollercoaster over the last fifteen years. The present owners bought the pub a few years ago and Tom, the latest manager left only recently.

Extremely restricted menu, the meal we ordered was poorly cooked and quite disgusting, if this is the standard of food presentation and preparation I wil never eat there again. With the former chefs the food was excellent

Visited today for a Sunday roast and it was lovely. We had three courses and all were delicious. Starters and desserts were imaginative (as well as tasty!!!!), and not the usual generic puddings you can eat anywhere. The roasts were exceptional. Fantastic meat, great roast potatoes and puddings, and plentiful vegetables. What more could you want!!!!

We have been here once before for a roast and the food was really good. So we were so disappointed with our visit the other night. I ordered the lamb burger... the bread roll was cold (rather than room temp) the feta sauce was cold and the burger was just warm... the chips were so salty they were barely edible! My husband had a steak and was cooked to perfection however again the sauce and chips were soooo salty. I was also disappointed the glass of wine was £9.90 and tasted average and was served in a ‘fluffy’ glass which had clearly been dried with a fluffy tea towel leaving fluff floating in the wine. Overall very underwhelmed and disappointed. Complete contrast to our first visit.

I have never had such a small meal in a pub/restaurant. The plaice was miniscule covered in capers with a lettuce leaf. Fortunately chips were brought in , otherwise I would have thought it was a starter. How they can charge £10 for something my fisherman husband would have thrown back in the sea as too small to keep. If you want a meal here, stop off at Macdonalds on the way.

Booked this place same day for a family of 4 - we had a very light and airey table in the corner which was fantastic for my partially sighted mother. When 4 or more you can go for the Roast Dinner Feast which turns up with a mass of meats and veg to enjoy between you. Reasonable value at £90 for all 4 of us and plenty of parking so stress free.

Had a lovely room in a lovely quiet village pub.

The pub is nicely decorated and the staff friendly. The starters in particular stand out, original, well cooked and beautifully presented. Main courses were good but the starters were special! Only tiny criticism is that the burger buns a little too well warmed causing them to be crispy and hard to eat. Still delicious though. Prices reasonable for this quality of food.

In for dinner on my own. All staff were pleasant and keen to help. Service was quick and helpful. For a Wednesday early evening it was busy but service was still good.

We visited as a family of five including two children. Great menu, fab service. Had dinner inside and dessert plus coffee in the garden. Toy for children to play with. Two big pluses for me great coffee and superb clean toilets. Ten out ten.

We came on a Saturday evening. It was nicely busy and the atmosphere felt nice. We really liked the decor. The staff on this evening (25th May) were great, very attentive and welcoming. They were accommodating when it came to one group member asking for a meal that was off menu. However The food in itself was lacking in flavour. Presentation was good, but main complaint was seasoning being off, In the braised beef there was too little and in the chicken, just too much. The pannacotta also lacked the vanilla flavour, it just tasted like set milk. This is a real shame because we enjoyed every other element of the evening, I would describe the majority of our table as “foodies” so we are hard to please! So depending on your tastes, you may find the food amazing. However I have to say the hand cut chips were some of the best I’d ever tasted! A mixed bag in all, but if they were to take on some of the feedback with regard to the food, we would certainly comeback to what is a very pleasant place.

Ten people for lunch in a room with a filthy carpet. Two old tables placed together but at least one inch of height difference. Old chairs, two of which were broken. The food was good although the choice is very limited but overpriced and the service was awful. For the first time in my life I did not leave a tip.

We went for a family Sunday lunch and it was mediocre at best.

The menu changed and some dishes are nice like the lamb scotch egg and the lamb burger . I had the pork belly for a starter and although it was ok, the pork was cold. The skate was interesting, but the broth was too salty. Not sure all the new items are working. The service was very nice, thank you.

This local pub with modern decor served good quality well presented dishes with food locally supplied. Staff were particularly friendly and helpful.

just had a lovely meal for three at this excellent little pub. The service was attentive, the range of drinks were good, the food was accomplished. I had the chicken with roast cauliflower which was very well cooked, with excellent balance of flavour. As i picked up a fork full of cauliflower and pomegranate salad my inner voice remarked that it would be spot on if it were just lightly pickled. It was. Joy. One small critique meant in friendship is that the dish needs some starch. My wife had the beef cheek which was as soft as butter, my daughter had the lamb burger. All tasty! So good to see this lovely pub at last achieving its potential

Really good, locally sourced food. Lovely rural pub just outside Colchester and all dishes reasonably priced. Will definitely be going back again

This pub was previously known as the Shepherd and Dog many years ago and underwent a refit about 5 years ago and now looks very smart. The food was excellent too. A different menu at lunch times. Definitely a place t o visit with friends.

Langham is quite close to Colchester and just off the A12. Although the village is quite spread out, The Shepherd in Langham is well worth finding. It's quite a big pub/ restaurant but still feels intimate and a special destination. We were greeted like long lost family by a guy with an amazing Victorian style moustache ... probably worth going just to view that!

3 stars only re the service - overall, the food was great but in our party were two gluten free eaters. It wasn't easy/obvious regarding the gluten-free menu with items crossed through - but then served anyway. Ice cream was at first proffered as gluten-free but then later confirmed only the sorbet was gluten free. This didn't inspire confidence in the users that the staff had full knowledge/command of the gluten free scenario...

My family and I a table of 9 attended today for Mother’s Day lunch... The pub is very well presented and welcoming... We had a very fussy table two people with coeliac disease ( gluten free) and 1 fussy eater..

We selected the Shepherd as they allow dogs in the bar. Very pleasant lunch which included roasted cauliflower that was very good indeed, served with chicken. Good selection on the menu including simpler, traditional pub food too. Nice surroundings and very good service. Will definitely go back when in the area.

Lovely pub with a decent selection of beers. The pub is newly decorated and looks great. Food was lovely, service was friendly and efficient.

Absolutely fantastic Sunday Lunch had here with Family yesterday. Food was delicious, (especially my starter, scampi fried cod cheek - was an absolute triumph) atmosphere was very welcoming and service brilliant. We were a very large table with lots of children and it was just stress free sat in our own room. I believe they have a new (ish) chef who is certainly making his mark! Can’t wait to return and for their hotel rooms to open! Perfect destination food joint for a long weekend away. Thank you!

tried this for lunch it has changed ito a rather posh place expensive and not a lot of choice on the menue if you have diet restrictions

Visited for the first time this Sunday.

Friendly welcome with attentive, helpful staff. Good menu choice, excellent food, attractively presented, and reasonably priced. Everything was home-made and locally sourced. Highly recommended!

Great service, catered for my dietary requirements. Pub Classic menu great value. The pie was incredible, best pie ever. I had the chicken and cauliflower dish from a la carte menu, simply delicious.

I took 10 family members aged from 60 to 2 and we had a great meal and good service Great traditional food and really good children's menu

We visited The Shepherd on Sunday for my grandmother’s birthday. We chose the incredible value-for-money 3 course Sunday lunch. We all tried different starters; while my cousins and grandmother had roast beef or lamb for their main (which they all commented was DELICIOUS) I had the pearl barley risotto which was different from the typical nut roast that can be found as a vegetarian option in every other pub- so nice to have a different option- which was so tasty and nice to have a change! The other three had the marshmallow lemon tart for pudding and I had the crumble which was wonderful with proper chunks of apple. The staff were so friendly and attentive; at our request they also put a candle in Nanny’s pudding and a lovely man bought it over to her singing which she really appreciated. All members of staff were brilliant and the service was smooth and flawless (something I can appreciate being in the trade myself)

Fantastic place to have food, cannot recommend their Sunday roasts enough, and the lovely staff. Great atmosphere, with lots of upcoming events to cater for everyone and my favourite thing is the cosy open fire! Best pub in Colchester and highly recommended!!