The Whalebone in Colchester

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

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

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 .

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.

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

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 .

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.

Michelle Rauwhof loves it here x

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

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😊

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Have visited here a few times always been happy but last night we were very disappointed checked menu online before coming and there was nothing on menu that was on website two of us had to have shepherds pie as this was only thing we liked even that was served with no veg

I came here once last year and came back this year for an early valentines this Saturday evening. The oven was broken after an accident, however, the food was still amazing and the staff worked their best for us to have a lovely evening- which...

Probably one of the best roast I've ever eaten Chef come out to help with some dietary requirements, really nice genuine bloke, super helpful and professional. Can't wait to eat here again

Beautiful pub with a fabulous roaring fire - great on a cold January day. Came for Sunday lunch and was lucky to get a table at short notice. Busy place but staff were efficient and polite. The food was delicious and there were loads of...

Attentive staff very friendly couldn't fault the staff at all, warm pub (cosy feel), food was average nothing wow about it (expensive for what it is) could be better for the price. Drinks are very pricey. Overall we will remember this place for the staff...

Friendly, professional and great food. Highly recommend the Whalebone

Was walking in the area and called in afterwards to see if I could get a table , I got lucky and the friendly waitress gave me a seat by the window. Lovely way to spend an afternoon , a quality roast , a newspaper...

Family Christmas dinner, service was 100% food absolutely delicious and great atmosphere.Cant praise the Staff enough for such good service , and would like to say a big THANKYOU to all the kitchen staff ( we often forget about the people preparing and cooking )...

The food was OK, not worth the hour long wait between ordering & receiving or the price. Shan't be going back anytime soon.

Lovely pub however, If you have any food allergies or intolerances avoid at all costs !! Went for a family members birthday, called not once but twice beforehand to ensure there would be Gluten Free options as I have Coeliac Disease. Once I arrived, I...

Food was great, will go back soon

First time here. Young lady was lovely and helpful. Food was amazing. Would highly recommend.

My hubby son & myself , booked up for pie & pint night, ( son not a pie person) they had the steak and I had the fish pie, can 110% say food absolutely delicious ( must have been as son demolished his) a big...

A lovely setting and nice atmosphere. A good menu and a cut above ‘pub grub’. Attentive staff. The filet steak was good if not exceptional.

The lady who welcomed us to The Whalebone really went the extra mile. We were hungry and too late for lunch plus they were due to close in 15 minutes. Instead of being dismissive she turned the fryers back on and made us two bowls...

This is everything a really good village pub should be. Tables of locals in for drink, with visitors like us in for dinner. The fresh cooked food and service is excellent. Only a short drive from Colchester not difficult to find. Looking forward to our next visit. 😊👍🥩

We had a small family gathering at the Whalebone on Friday 23rd - just 7 of us and our great granddaughter aged 12 weeks. We had different meals and all agreed that the food was exceptionally good, Staff were very friendly and attentive. We will...

A couple friends and I had a catch up at the Whalebone, all we can say is service 100% friendly welcome , staff very accommodating, and must praise the chef /kitchen staff , our meals where so delicious and piping hot, could definitely tell everything...

I’ve been to this pub/restaurant many times and have always been impressed. Today I took my family to show it off to them as they travelled to see us from Milton Keynes. Never been so embarrassed and disappointed. Told the family they were in for a treat and got let down badly. We were a table of 6. 4 adults and 2 kids. Red flags were there from the start. They’d messed up our booking and given our resevered table to someone else. Then we we asked to order we were told they couldn’t take our order for 15 minutes! When we finally ordered it was 2:45pm. Our food still had not arrived an hour later! We asked the staff what was going on and they all seemed confused. When I asked to speak to the manager about our disappointment the manager wouldn’t talk to me.I was then told our food was coming. However, we all ordered steak and chips and some ordered rare and some medium. The meat was grey and dry! It wasn’t what we ordered. The family was tired, hungry and extremely disappointed. We complained again and still no manager to talk with us! We didn’t pay for our food as only ate the chips. They were good chips but what a disappointment. We left and took the kids to McDs. Really shocked at how bad we were treated today and how there was a lack of communication. As I have said I’ve bee. Here many times before and never had a bad meal but today was awful. Not sure how I feel about ever returning. Such a shame as the location is lovely.

We went for an evening meal and were not disappointed! Staff engaging and very helpful and presented some excellent food. Nice set up with plenty of outside seating in a nice garden with a lovely view. Will definitely be visiting again.

really good food with excellent service

Fish and chips were dripping in oil. Poor execution.

Had a wonderful meal and drink sitting in the garden overlooking beautiful countryside. Value for money!!! The staff were very friendly and attentive, lovely touch having the blankets available to take out into the garden as it was a little fresh when the sun went behind the clouds. Thank you for a lovely afternoon, will be coming back very soon! Revisited with family, had another wonderful meal. Sat outside under the new canopy platformed dining area which sheltered from the sun on a beautiful day. The owner and staff very friendly and helpful as on our previous visits. Thank you again xxx

Really expensive and the staff aren't the friendliest

Friendly staff, very nice beer garden.

Beautiful place. Very friendly staff too.

We went for a family birthday dinner, 7 adults and 1 child. The food was absolutely amazing. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Will definitely be going back.

Poor service and rude and dismissive owner.

Lovely pub, lovely setting, lovely food but only one toilet????

What a great pub to eat and drink, great staff, food excellent, large portions, well worth traveling from where we are staying in Fordham Heath. Definitely will be coming back for a visit, 👏👏👏👍👍🍺🍺

Great location. We took my mother here, never been before. We sat outside, which is very nice. We. chose Whalebone as it is dog friendly, a big plus. The food was excellent, all well presented and tasty. You need to book as it is very popular. The kitchen isn’t huge so the taking of orders and service is quite regimented as the staff want to keep everyone happy. They are young and doing their best, which is to be commended.

The Whalebone was our local for over 7 years, until we recently moved 300 miles away, and we do miss it. We went there for wedding anniversaries, birthdays, work dinners and family visits, or when we simply didn't fancy cooking - including on the last...

Fantastic experience at the Whalebone today. The clearly busy team were friendly and attentive despite being short staffed. Waiting on a full garden in these temps can’t be easy. Good grub and a cold pint. Thanks a million The Conway family.

Disappointing visit to the whalebone. Fancied a quick pint and a bit of light lunch which we have done on a couple of previous occasions. We arrived at the pub at 1400 only to be met by a grumpy older lady who was wiping one...

We lived nearby for years and The Whalebone was the place we went for anniversaries, celebrations, family visits, to entertain friends and other guests. We never, in all those years, had a bad or even indifferent meal there. The food was wonderfully fresh, varied and...