The Whalebone in Colchester

Good food great staff and service

Really nice food, let down by long waiting times and kids food arriving 20mins before adults..

Came here last Saturday night with my son and daughter. Had read the mixed reviews but have to say it was lovely. It’s a quaint old building in the countryside. Was very cozy, welcoming and very nicely decorated. Not super busy but a really relaxed friendly atmosphere. My dogs were made very welcome also. The menu was really good, lots of choices. Amazing dessert menu. The dishes we had were excellent. Beautifully presented, nice and hot , very tasty and good portion size. The girl waiting on our table was great. Excellent at her job. All in all we had a great evening. These guys clearly really care about their pub/ restaurant. Lovely place to go ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We went here for a catch up lunch with friends. I booked in advance and was told we could only stay until 14.30 due to there being a wedding taking place. I really appreciated this communication in advance as it allowed us to manage our visit so thank you Vicky. I thought the venue, food and atmosphere was first class and beat my expectation. I would especially like to mention Oscar and Iris for all of their help and kindness. For young members of staff they are both a credit to this establishment and made an already great visit even better. We live over 50 miles away from the Whalebone so it won’t be a regular visit for us, but I can assure you I will return when planning a visit. Well done all involved.

The positives include a decent car park, a lovely beamed dining area, pleasant young staff and dog friendly. On the downside, many items on the menu were not available, some of the advertised beers were also not available. We had to wait an hour for the food to arrive and there was no communication between the kitchen and us to let us know when we could expect to be served. The food when it arrived was actually quite good apart from the fact the chips were salted and we had specifically asked for the chips not to be salted.

The Whalebone has one of the finest pub gardens around. There is a grass area with benches and an amazing view over fields, a patio to the side of the pub and a patio at the front of the pub. Staff are great. If you want to be sure, call to check food is being served in the garden during colder months.

We have returned to the Whalebone many times over the last few years because the food, the service and the view are all wonderful! We love sitting in the garden and the patio area but also enjoy the ambience of the inside seating areas. The staff are genuine, kind and helpful. We’ve read some awful reviews on here but we certainly haven’t experienced anything like what’s been reported!

Want enough bread to enjoy your pate - you’ll have to pay extra!!! Won’t be going back. Lovely location but sadly clueless staff and overpriced, mediocre food. Only wanted a couple of starters on a Sunday afternoon impromptu visit, immediately met with hostility as to whether this was possible and where we were allowed to sit. Such a shame because this place has potential to be wonderful.

Helpful, friendly, accommodating staff. Lovely garden and pretty pub.

The food here was amazing. We were a party of 4, and we all agreed that our dishes were lovely. The staff were very friendly.

We visited the Whalebone yesterday with a group of friends and we had the garden to us . The views and the atmosphere is amazing. There were beer benches laid out and you can enjoy a few pints and take in the view. Nearby theres a little river and a gorgeous oak tree... you can just sit on the banks and chill out. We boys had whiskey, Gin and Tonic and good few lagers and Guinness.... Of course cuz it has an Irish touch 🧡. The food was soo good... we had platters of grilled chicken succulent and juicy, the lamb waa tender and went very well with a bunch of hungry bellies under the sun! Please go and visit ... you wont regret.

Beautiful location. Thats about the only positive thing to be said. Essentially not a pub, like so many these days... This is an (extremely) overpriced restaurant serving mediocre food with terrible service. We actually waited so long to be served that by the time we finished and paid the bill we were unable to use the toilet because they had locked the doors. Would not recommend.

Haven’t been for while so thought we’d give it a go. Was pleasantly impressed. There’s a lovely patio seating area area with a large awning. Very nice. Beautiful views of the country side. Staff were welcoming and friendly we will definitely go back. Some reviews haven’t been too good lately, so glad we went and made our own mind up!!!!

A big thank you to staff and chef for lunch today! They went above and beyond to help us celebrate our mums 92nd birthday. We sat on the outside patio which has amazing views. The food was excellent (the melted camembert was delicious) and we had a mix of mains including the dressed crab. Even though they closed at 1400hrs they told us not to hurry, offered to refill drinks/water, and to stay on the patio. We often eat here, but it’s the first time of bringing our mum who’s in a wheelchair. Thank you again - it was such a lovely lunch.

We ate here last night and the staff, service and food were superb👌. Great selection on the menu, and we thoroughly enjoyed eating in the new outside veranda area which feels very Mediterranean . We chose the meat bbq £19.50pp which is fantastic , super quality and very filling . All in all a lovely evening at a pub right on our door step, we will be back 10/10

I had a disappointing experience at The Whalebone Inn and feel compelled to share my feedback. The manager exhibited a passive-aggressive attitude, coming across as rude and unhelpful. It’s surprising that she seems oblivious to the negative comments about her behavior, as many patrons have noted similar issues. The food was consistently unsatisfactory, often arriving either cold or with visible signs of spoilage. Additionally, the customer service was lacking, with a wait time of nearly an hour just to receive my starter. To make matters worse, the manager was also unkind to children, despite the pub being advertised as family-friendly. Given these issues, I’m perplexed as to why this establishment still attracts customers. I hope this review prompts others to consider alternative dining options before deciding to visit The Whalebone Inn.

Had a delightful lunch with two of my daughters out in the garden - dressed crab was magnificent.

Nice pub. Nice setting. Had the barbecue lunch but was a bit let down. Tasted a bit chemically, like the coals hadn't been properly lit. Food's normally decent though.

Thought we’d try the Sunday BBQ , my friends had the meat bbq and I tried the fish , absolutely amazing, very good value for money , sat on the patio views fantastic, service very good highly recommend giving it a go. Will be visiting again very soon

Really surprised at some of the reviews. We discovered this pub on a recent weekend away and loved our visit. Pub itself is lovely, the garden and views are superb, the menu had some wonderful choices and our meals were really enjoyable. Service was good too. We're sorry we weren't in the area long enough to visit again.

Amazing views, great food and a professional service

What a shame. A beautiful location but with awful service run by teenagers in over their heads, with no management or direction. Waited 40 mins for drinks and then an hour and a half for food. Which then came out mouldy, microwaved and unseasoned. The stuffed aubergines I order were white and furry on the outside. Complained to the head chef ( an older gentlemen, who I suspected was in fact the owner, stepping in as a chef) and he completely gaslighted me and said I had obviously never seen an aubergine before because that's what they always look like. He was very aggressive and rude and did not want to hear any criticism. This place does not have safe food practices or decent service. Avoid. Also extremely overpriced!

We visited Colchester for a week in June and it’s safe to say this was my favourite pub! The garden views were lovely, especially with the great weather. We sat outside underneath a huge metal canopy that shielded us from the sun. I recommend booking table 57 for the view you will have (seats 6) We went on two separate days and noticed the menu had changed. The website menu appears to be incorrect so don’t get your hopes up like I did about trying the kedgeree! The food was great both times, and the service was with a smile. Highly recommend!

Lovely food and a beautiful garden

Pub looks beautiful from the outside; but despite having a 6.30pm booking (so it wasn’t busy, the service was slow. Very slow. 1hr45mins for one course was very frustrating. There is absolutely nothing in the kids menu which is gluten free, although the chef did offer to make my son something, but in this day and age I find it incredible that there was nothing on the menu he could eat. My crab was lovely; but I was disappointed to be charged extra for vegetables when I couldn’t eat the bread or potatoes the dish otherwise came with. Then when the veg did come, it was 3 measly pieces of tenderstem and some shredded cabbage, mixed with out lentils and chickpeas which were not on the menu at all. We did order pudding but half an hour later it failed to arrive and we cancelled. Again the pudding menu does not well cater for those with gluten issues; I fail to see how Eton mess has gluten in it but there you go. The steaks the rest of our party ordered were poorly cooked. In a nutshell lots of promise, but don’t bother if you have dietary restrictions; they lack both the knowledge and menu to accommodate!

Lovely garden with great views. Had roast lamb dinner, which was delicious and generous portion. Friendly, helpful service.

Such a lovely day. I booked a table for my family who had not been to Colchester for a number of years. The food was perfect and plentiful in such beautiful surroundings. The staff were friendly and welcoming. They were extremely busy and we had to wait a while for our meals. But it did not spoil our day as they could not have done more to make this special. Thank you.

A lovely pub to visit for a bite to eat, would definitely come for another visit if I am in the area.

Lovely location with fantastic views. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly, food was good.

Still in shock that this establishment charged £21.40 ( not a misprint) for two glasses of wine from a £33 bottle. £175ml 250ml Absolutely outrageous. The manager couldn't even be bothered to come out and speak to us and sent some young lad to say that was just what it cost. Abysmal customer service. How can you expect local people to support local businesses during a cost of living crisis when your service is so shabby, and you think it's acceptable to charge this much on a bottle that you probably paid less than £10 for. This is a village in Essex not Mayfair. Do better

Family of 6 all enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch here, walked from rowhedge in the rain (little wet) wasn't an issue, left our boots by the door. Beef was beautifully cooked and cheesecake was tasty. Children felt very welcome waitress made them laugh. Definitely return in the warmer months

Excellent fries and big chips - potato geniuses. Amazing vegetarian option of aubergine and feta, great staff, lovely ambience, a lovely lunch.

Sorry but over priced for what we received. Very little atmosphere. Sad because we read some stunning reviews. Maybe will be back on a different day. Very unhappy with this visit .

This pub has everything The fish and chips were remarkable As good as I’ve ever had The haddock was so fresh Movenpick ice cream for dessert The cider and gin provided a perfect backdrop A special mention to the wonderful staff Can’t wait to return

Lovely pub meal- tasty and plentiful. Very nice staff. Pub nicely situated and well appointed. Really great place to spend our last evening of holiday.

Scrumptious roast dinner for me, husband thoroughly enjoyed his steak , cooked just how he asked . Very polite and helpful waitress. Good value for money as all our food was freshly cooked and lovely selection vegetables also freshly cooked( no frozen like most restaurants these days) beef was nice and tender. Will definitely be returning .

Went back again last night, another Great meal, great atmosphere, friendly professional staff. Highly recommend the Whalebone. Will be back again in the summer just to sit in the beer garden. Thank you Whalebone

What a great night. Went with my wife and son. She had a rump of lamb with dauphaniose and vegetable, which she said was suburb. My son had a homemade burger which was far superior to any chain one and i had a steak which was cooked exactly how i asked for. Would i recommend the Whalebone.......in a heartbeat. A great place and will be back in the summer as the beer garden is fabulous. Cannot praise the place enough. Thank you Whalebone

Sunday lunch date with husband, hubby had steak cooked exactly as he requested , I had the beef roast the meat was lovely and tender , nice crispy roast potatoes , home made Yorkshire and freshly cooked vegetables . The service was 100% lovely young lady who was very polite and friendly.if your looking for a nice country pub with great food and atmosphere then I highly recommend the Whalebone , will definitely be returning with friends .

What a great night, food was excellent, atmosphere brilliant, attention to detail outstanding, cannot praise this place enough. My wifes meal, a Rump of Lamb with vegetables and daupanoise potatoes was excellent, my steak cooked to perfection, with my sons burger, homemade and far superior than any of the chain establishment. Would I recommend the Whalebone.......in a heart beat. Staff very friendly, attentive without being overbearing. Absolutely fantastic night. Thank you Whalebone

Avoid at all costs! Absolutely atrocious food and the service is abysmal. When we arrived two other tables were full, elsewhere was completely empty and yet because we hadn’t booked we were told - after ordering and having drinks arrive that it would be well over an hour wait for food. Since we came prepared and came as a family to play cards we decided, if the beer was good we could ride it out. Yet for £15 for one beer and two soft drinks, this joy dampened. On arrival we were in good spirits, since we were told to wait an extraordinarily long time - seeing as the place was practically empty, the drinks were extortionate AND two of our top meal choices were some how suddenly out of stock, and after what arrived was inedible, we then -desperately hungry - and picking the scraps from what was hopefully edible, our happy entity has withered and died. The ambience of the place is dated, aged and a weak match for today’s standards, the decor is crying out for an update, torn seating and sticky tables. Yes, the beer garden is well laid out and has an excellent view, but if you wish for value for money, edible food, fantastic service and a welcoming atmosphere, do not waste your time, energy, hope, hunger or especially money in this pathetic excuse for a restaurant. Do yourselves a favour…. I’m crossing my fingers that my stomach can contain the minimal rubbish that I did consume.

Super Guiness and a cracking pub. The view is the best in Essex. Great food, only gripe was sold out of Eton Mess.

Stay clear for Sunday lunch worst iv had for a long time

Very disappointing, booked a table on a Saturday evening , on arrival one other couple at a table , otherwise empty with no atmosphere what so ever , staff not at all attentive, more interested in their conversation at the bar among themselves, service very slow , tables grubby, chairs tired and worn , the food was possibly the worst experience iv had in a pub restuarant, bland tastless , chips laid on a plate jengger style ! Tasted like very old potatoes , what oil was used I don't know , tasted very much like fabreeze fresh , Absolutely unedible !! Pork loin was over cooked and very rubbery again very poor, The curry plate ordered was also poor not much meat ,overloaded with tomatoes ! Poppadom was greasy and tasted like cardboard , the rice however was perfect , Deserts were not much better , pretty tastless , very low quality , 3 drinks 2 starters mains and desserts just under £100 ! Not at all value for money ! Definitely will not be returning

So we wanted to try somewhere new and thought we’d try the Whalebone. Food was nice but felt some dishes were over priced compared to overs. Fish and Chips was big but not much on the Scampi dish. The service was friendly but very slow. Not sure what was going on with the drinks, one person charged £4 for a small Diet Coke and another gave a pint for that price. Also £10 for a small glass of wine is a bit much and £3.50 for soda and lime, really. They ran out of Tea as well, never ever came across that one before. It isn’t very big inside so I would recommending booking and there is a small car park to the front, which was full and double parked when we left. Not sure I would return here as the Wooden Fender is much better.

We had a valentines dinner last night here. The food was wonderful. The staff where very attentive and the food was on another level. Good home cooked food . Thank you all at the whalebone for a lovely evening.

Son (15 today) had amazing burger, wife had a perfectly cooked fish and chips and I had a succulent lamb rump tagine style- honestly excellent and our hostess was also. Menu was brilliant and so thank you Whalebone for a lovely meal

Excellent pub. Food was very good with excellent service.

Honestly the best roast dinner I've ever eaten. I'm absolutely stuffed. Perfect fluffy potatoes,crispy on the outside. Colourful selection of fresh veg. Choice of about 5 different meats. I'm gluten free and had the chicken. Special yorkie, stuffing and gravy made especially for my preference. Excellent value for money in a friendly cosy and welcoming atmosphere. I will definitely be going back next time I get a Sunday off work. Nom !

Omg wow food. 11 out of 10,tried many dishes and cant stop recommending the place.surprised its not got a michelin rating.nommmmmmm.

Brilliant staff and food excellent. Took my dog and they offered water and he was more than welcomed with staff making a fuss of him. Service was superb and food great value, Highly recommend the roast! Amazing potatoes and plenty of mixed veg included.

A superb pub, friendly staff... We enjoyed an amazing winter BBQ tonight.

I returned again for a family meal and everything was perfect staff and owner should be proud of such a wonderful and beautiful pub😊such amazing food too! keep up the good work

I used to love our local but unfortunately feel it’s not as good now, the staff are lovely and friendly but not much atmosphere, it was a cold day but no fire lit so was really cold, kept our coats on , food was ok but not as good as past visits, and no fish & chips on menu , was actually quite bland to be honest so I’m afraid we won’t be back

What a lovely pub staff very attentive food was amazing I had the Christmas roast Turkey my husband had fish pie he really enjoyed it lots of king prawns in the pie looking forward to our next visit 😊

Not bad, but compared to other comparable pub/restaurants in the area it’s expensive and they even closed the kitchen about 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon, turning away at least 3 couples

My 1st time but my friends were occasional clients. Very happy with food and service but clients near our table were talking very loud and got away with it we complained but only when they left after suffering their behaviours for an hour. Otherwise,we left with happy tummies. Cheers🥂

We visited for a Sunday Roast which was superb. Definitely our go to for a roast.

Great night out with super food! Tonight was pie night! Really enjoyed our evening. Staff were super efficient. There were three home-made pies to choose from served with mash or chips and they came with fresh vegetables and some lovely gravy. A pint of any draught beer , a glass of wine or a soft drink were part of the offer. Which was very good value. It was lovely and cosy in the restaurant and there was a great atmosphere. A dull , wet, dark November night was transformed into a lovely evening. Thanks to all the team at The Whalebone !

A lovely gem of a pub in a pretty setting, with nice decor, wonderful service and great pub food. Portions are generous and prices are decent. Would recommend the nachos and also the gammon.

Not bad. It was really busy but staff were attentive. Comprehensive menu, so probably there is something for everyone. Nice characterful pub, beams, and charm. Reasonably priced. Enjoyable evening.

Generally love this pub and normally it is a fantastic place to visit, however was let down on my last visit (afternoon of Sat 30 Sep 23). Service was terrible at the bar, and not because it was terribly busy. Had to instruct the barstaff how to properly pour Guinness, which shouldn't have to be the case. When I politely pointed out that the first pint had been ruined, I was met with a degree of annoyance. Come on The Whalebone, don't let yourself down for the sake of one of your employees.

Amazing location and outside views, with seating both at the front and back. Extensive menu, exquisite food with large portions at a reasonable price. Service was with a smile, and we were informed of wait times promptly. Shall definitely be visiting again.

We love the Whalebone and have eaten here many times. The food is always great and the service excellent but tonight’s meal really does deserve a mention! Everything about the meal was 10/10 … the flavours, the taste, the appearance - first class! Thanks guys - we’ll be back!

Nice setting drinks a bit pricey but obviously reflect this but you pay for the atmosphere and surroundings. Very lovely place

Came in tonight for a meal with my boyfriend. We sat outside on the patio which was almost full, the service was lovely and polite and our food came quickly despite how busy it clearly was. I had Nachos which were a starter but very generously portioned and he had a massive plate of fish and chip. Lovely atmosphere, will definitelybe back

We sat inside and there were no other tables. We waited and had to ask to order our meal, we were told there was a process to ordering that’s why we had to wait! We waited 20 mins for one starter which consisted of 4 prawns! We then waited a further 20 mins until we got our main meals, which we had to send the steak back because the steak wasn’t cooked! In all that time we were only asked once if we wanted more drinks. There were staff behind the bar and propping up the bar on there phones, others behind the bar play fighting and another walking around in a vest top!! I can honestly say we were disappointed by the lack of service and will not be returning !! Back to the Peldon Rose next time for a decent meal and fabulous service!

Had not been for many years. No reason just not always in this area. The service and ambiance was excellent. The food was timely and really tasty. really well cooked. Lovely sitting out and never felt rushed. Definitely be back but hopefully not such a long gap

Great country pub, stopped by for a cheeky pint after a beach walk. Sat in the garden overlooking the valley of Donnyland. Good beer great peanuts!

Went to the whalebone for the first time today to sit two adults for an afternoon chat drink and relax.was in disbelief that as only us two sitting outside with the sun blazing down on us the bartender decided to come and take down All 3 umbrellas around us even asking my partner to move his chair as it was stopping the umbrella closing. We were left in the hot direct sun..not asked did we mind ..decided to drink up and go .Not a welcoming pub would not recomnend.seems like a buisness not wanting customers.

Great outside space for an evening drink. Lovely garden.

Lovely pub, friendly staff, great food

The best Sunday roast me and my husband have ever had. The starter was excellent but to be honest with all the food we had for the main we didn’t need it. The staff were very friendly and couldn’t do enough for everyone. Well done guys you all work hard and well done chef for the top food

Great views but expensive. 2 glasses of wine and one bag of crisps £24!!!

What a lovely pub/restaurant, great food and service Would highly recommend

Amazing food, and absolutely lovely service. Booked a meal for my mums birthday and she’s a fussy eater. She did not complain once, so that in itself, speaks volumesz

I went with three friends yesterday evening hopefully to have meals as well as a real ale. Although we weren't early and hadn't booked a table, we were welcomed and served with delicious meals, and well kept pints of Ghost Ship. The staff were all very friendly and helped to make it a very pleasant visit. I've visited again recently, similarly with friends and without booking on a Tuesday evening. Once again the food and beers were very good. The welcome and service are both faultless.

Table wasn't ready when we arrived, they had to add a chair and the cutlery/napkins were brought to the table for US to share out. Waited 45mins for starters, which were nice, stuffed mushroom, venison scotch egg and whitebait. Steak and ale pie and chicken burger was tasty, but the Dover sole was ruined by adding cheese. The plates didn't match and the cutlery was different and just brought to the table at each course on a tray. Slightly on the expensive side as was the wine at £25 at bottle. We weren't charged for one drink because the t- bone was unavailable, but overall an expensive, average pub meal.

Food okay but not worth the hour wait (with no apologies) and no veggie roast option. Won't be back.

Waited over 1 hour for Sunday dinner and when it arrived it was stone cold

Michelle Rauwhof loves it here x

Me and my wife have been looking for nice areas to eat after travelling into Colchester for the week from living in Chelmsford. The whalebone was a pub we have visited this week, The staff were phenomenal and in this heat kept a bright smile on their faces and kept service 100%, for such young girls. However, food took a while too come and although we were a walk in, which was explained food may take longer as we hadn’t booked, when the food did come it was cold. A check back was done but we didn’t complain as we understood that they were busy and we didn’t want to kick up a fuss.The patio and whole restaurant is beautiful as well as the menu, but various options were sold out of. Overall, a lovely pub and food was good and fresh except from the wait and the food being fairly cold.Once again, Thank you too the front of house staff for giving us such a pleasant experience, we look forward to seeing you all again😊

Just left having had a really lovely meal with freinds, spectacular views enjoyed from the patio, amazing vegetable curry!

the staff were friendly but the service so slow. we sat down the drinks brought over but my friend only had a dr pepper coke which she pais £3,50 for, although on the can it had 75p. No menus left, we had to ask for them, placed our order after a while waiting for them to come back, then waited again for ages for the food, our curry was a bit watery, my friend had scampy and chips which did look nice and she said it was. waited again for the pudding menu, after placing the order we were told it would at least be 25 mins or more as the desert chef wasnt in and the other chef would have to make it all from start. concidering we ordered sticky toffee pudding and choc pudding and the pub was busy by then and we had already been there 2 hours we decided to just have coffee's. The pot of coffee for 3 was £4 each, and very strong, actually bitter ! we did ask for hot milk but got luke warm instead. so all in all over priced disappointing and very slow service.

Horrible service from young blonde lady. Drinks order was taken after 47 minutes . Drinks arrived 10 minutes later so 1 hour total to drink something. Food took another 50 minutes so total to start eating 1hr 40 min - absolute joke! While asked for bill was charged extra 40 gbp but been offered 30 refund when I realized that waitress done mistake , luckily i’ve double checked it. Food was cold but wasnt bother to complain as no point considering how waitress talk to us! Will never EVER come back! To the owner: you refurbed garden which looks fantastic but you need to change servers otherwise there will be no customers. This young girl should not work with people.

The outside area has been done up to a good standard and is was lovely to sit and enjoy the last of the evening sun. The staff were helpful and polite. The menu could have a few more options but food was tasty and will definitely be coming back.

One of the best pubs I’ve eaten in for ages!!! Interesting menu with some exciting variations on classic dishes. I cannot urge you enough to try this place and the outside dining area has a view to remember!!

Starter and Main Course excellent. Staff very welcoming and a pleasure to talk to. Unfortunately, there were communication problems with the Sweet, which we perceive may have been caused by 21st century computer programming. One not as expected and the other not as ordered. The latter was corrected but meant that one arrived and was eaten well before the second arrived. The previous occasion I visited (a year ago) the Sweet was also considerably delayed which I perceive was then due to short staffing and a very, very busy day, which I do not think was the case on this occasion. Nevertheless, would visit again.

Wonderful Sunday lunch. Extremely helpful staff, who moved us to the patio areqw qs soon as we asked. wWe have eaten here before, but never on a Sunday. The food was excellent and the staff were very friendly. very good selection on their menu. I would thoroughly recommend.

Been here a few times with not living to far away, really lovely pub with amazing views in garden eating area. Food was really nice and Megan was fabulous and very attentive so nice to have someone with great sense of humour.

A great gem of a place in the heart of the countryside. Excellent service and a great selection of drinks

lvl food at a great price. Service was also good and didnt wait too long at all. defo go again. Ev n Jen

Great place,good staff, lovely food

Another lovely meal, never disappoints

This was our second visit and we hoped it would be a big improvement on the first. That was a forlorn hope. It was Sunday lunch service, we had booked for 2.45 in the afternoon. Plenty of time we thought, most of the lunch sittings would have been served and as we had a very elderly gentleman with us, we hoped also that we wouldn't be kept waiting. How wrong we were. Firstly we were told about the extensive list of dishes that were sold out, which covered everything we though we would order. Then we were told they were running late but that we would be served as soon as possible. So we ordered drinks and waited. A young lady took our food orders after about 20 minutes. Then we waited. And waited. And waited for an hour. Finally the food arrived. My wife's Sunday roast could only be described as a mass of badly cooked roast potatoes, some well cooked vegetables, some tasteless chicken and lots of gravy. My chicken with soft cheese as it's centre piece was overcooked, inadequate in size and very rubbery. It was accompanied by the most meagre serving of sauce it is possible to envisage. It was my elderly father in law's monkfish scampi however, which took the title of "disappointment on a plate". It was very brown with huge battered balls with tiny amount of fish inside. Locator beacons for the fish would have struggled. There was a ton of chips however, which I helped him eat as my chicken was so small, and like other reviewers, we would probably have had to visit McDonalds to get fed! We left after 5 pm. As a new property owner locally, we will try again, just not soon. . Nor will we be taking our many friends or extended family there. Maybe ours was a one off bad experience (although it was our second visit) and it is clear there are lots of positive reviews. As a local we wish the pub every (continued) success, because it is always very busy.

My partner and I had the most delicious Sunday roast here a couple of weeks ago. Very generous portions, big bowl of vegetables and all beautifully cooked. Sadly, I simply didn't have any room for a pudding! Lovely pub, not too big, very comfortable. I'd book in advance, if you want to be sure of a table. We will definitely be going back.

Lovely setting, dog friendly ,we had a Sunday roast ,food was nice ,only thing was our plates were full of roast potatoes there was no room to add our vegetables which came in a separate bowl and you get the smallest bowl of gravy ,if you need more (which we did) you get charged £2.50 ,the amount was equivalent to 2 egg cups full ,which for the extra cost was rather over priced.

Uncle David said: "The most delicious buffet I've ever tasted." We enjoyed a lovely family afternoon at The Whalebone, and were able to reserve a seated area. At the last minute a few days before, I requested some gluten-free and vegetarian options to the buffet, realising there probably wasn't enough time. The chef was fantastic: she added two different types of home-cooked gluten-free vegetarian pies, plus some great filling salads which included lentils and feta cheese. Other family members said the fish and meat dishes were really tasty. I would recommend that if you'd like something vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free, you ask in advance and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Such a great find!!! So nice to find one of the few places left in Colchester that serves fresh food. My wife and I are more than happy to wait for a freshly cooked meal and it was so worth it. I had the Chicken with dauphinoise potatoes and my wife had the Lemon sole and both dishes were lovely and well cooked. We shall be back to try the Afternoon Tea as we've heard really good things about it.

Had an amazing Sunday Roast. The three young ladies working the bar worked tirelessly and provided good service