Yew Tree in Colchester

Lovely place with good food and allows dogs

Our much loved pub is now back to its glory days under the new owner. Decent choice of menu and drinks. Friendly service. We will go again.

we have had a lovely Sunday afternoon lunch at the yew tree! The garden area is so lovely to sit outside for food and drinks when the weather is nice. Staff are so friendly and we have been coming most weekends recently!!

Absolutely stunning perfect food perfect location staff very helpfull and friendly couldn't fault it def be coming aback again And again

Always a pleasure to come for a pint and sit both indoors and out. Charming atmosphere and wonderful service always.

Great value and delicious food. The best steak and ale pie I've had.

Party of 6 adults, lovely food, lovely atmosphere, attentive service, background music at the right volume. Perfect

This place is lovely the service that Our family got from Emma and Sophie was exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble and the food was excellent. We will be coming back.

Food was ok, any probs we had were dealt with properly and efficiently. Sally and the team, were really good, served us with a smile and nothing was too much trouble thank you.

Service was exceptional. Very nice pub with a great atmosphere. Unfortunately the Sunday roast was awful. The potatoes (all 3 of them) are very obviously from a packet. The whole dinner was stone cold. The staff replaced it immediately and were very apologetic. The 2nd meal was hot but just so low in quality. Cannot say I will be returning which is such a shame as its such a nice place

Had a lovely lunch today and sat outside next to the pond which was really nice. I had the mixed grill and my partner had the chicken and bacon sandwich which also looked great. First time there and would definitely recommend, we will be back soon. The two ladies serving were especially helpful I forgot their names..... (Tina and Sharon maybe??) 02-05-2025 2pm.

Very friendly staff, Emma and Mar, thank you for the friendly service and lovely food. My wife had a great Birthday meal thanks to you and the great atmosphere.

Thank you wonderful pub so beautiful the food was amazing and the service was exceptional thank you to Emma you made the night

Stumbled on this wonderful pub restaurant after a walk at Burrs. Friendly and helpful staff and the food was great, well presented and decent value. Thank you Anna, Emma and Sally. Recommended

Very nice pub with friendly staff and great food

Great food & and friendly staff Emma and Sophie were great

The food was superb and Mar and Anna were so friendly. :)

Great mixed grill, cod and chips and Sirloin Steak. Fantastic selection of drinks.

Great pub with lovely food and relaxing atmosphere. Thanks to Tina and Emma for a lovely afternoon lunch meal. Amazing service.

Friendly staff and great service. Food very good.

Food was good, traditional enough but well cooked. The team were great, very attentive to needs and extremely personable. Lovely evening. But seriously what’s with the lime cordial, belvoir, no need to go so high end, keep it simple, nothing wrong with keeping this traditional 🤣

Booked for lunch with a party of 8. Food was of a high standard and very tasty. Damian and Sophie were very attentive. Highly recommended.

My wife and I visited The Yew Tree to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Sally & Nancy were our servers for the evening and were attentive and helpful when necessary. The food we chose was fantastic and the deserts were amazing, compliments to the chef/s. Thank you. 🤗❤️

Having read some of reviews little disappointed but what a surprise sat 29 March 2025 son in law and partner took us out for lunch lovely very good service lovely food efficient and friendly staff would deffo recommend it very good

Splendid place to go to would recommend to all who visit, friendly atmosphere and the staff are very welcoming.

Delicious food. Helpful attentive staff.

Me and my partner had dinner here when staying at a lodge near by, when we walked in we were initially worried as the pair on the bar didn’t seem very smiley or welcoming and we were some what ignored for a moment, but they absolutely turned it around, we were seated at the back and served drinks and orders taken very fast, they were very helpful and fast, the food was probably one of the best meals we have ever had, we live over an hour away but would definitely travel to eat here again, thank you :)

Had a lovely time at the Yew Tree, both the garden and inside are gorgeous, the food is lovely and our servers Damo and Sophie were fab. Would definitely visit again!

Nice pub 4 stars for atmosphere because it was a Monday so can't really judge

Probably seen better days and could do with some money being spent on the building. Ordered the mixed grill and it was terrible. Inedible chicken, tough steak, meagre chips portion, etc. Staff were very apologetic and helpful. Other meals from our family were ok and we eventually enjoyed our time there.

The food was taking WAYYYYY to long to arrive, We were getting tired. I have waited about 1 hour for the food!! This restaurant may be pretty and that but the service is so bad. Do not recommend unless you wanna wait and waste your time at this restaurant.

Had an excellent brunch here this morning, Damian was very attentive

Me and my boyfriend came here for dinner meal while we were on a short trip away and Anna and Sally were amazing and made us feel very welcomed!

Excellent service. Friendly welcome. Menu is very varied and food is very good. Good selection of beers, wines and spirits. Great service from Anna & Sally.

From the moment we walked in we were made to feel welcome and comfortable. Both Sally and Emma served us and brought our meals to us at excellent timings, giving us time to talk and relax. We loved the set menu and found it excellent value for money. We even had a desert with an excellent choice all round. Thank you very much The Yew Tree. We will be back soon.

Lovely Pub Restaurant, very attractive building inside an out. The food was presented really well and tasted lovely. We were served by both Emma and Tina and both were really nice and friendly.

Nestled in the charming village of Great Horkesley, @yewtreecolchester is the quintessential country pub you’ve been dreaming of. Just a stone’s throw from Colchester, this hidden gem feels like a secret escape to the heart of the Dedham Vale. As picturesque as it gets, The Yew Tree offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere that instantly makes you feel at home. Our evening kicked off with a heavenly starter of baked camembert. The rich cheese and tender sides set the tone for what was to come. For the main course, we were spoiled for choice with classic pub fare. The hearty pie was a standout, bursting with flavour and absolutely a must-try. Each dish was crafted with care, served hot, and in generous portions. Be sure to save room for dessert – the chocolate cake was the perfect ending to a memorable meal. Rich, warm, and utterly indulgent. The timeless charm of the building only adds to the experience, making The Yew Tree more than just a place to eat – it’s a true escape. We had a wonderful evening and couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Nestled in the charming village of Great Horkesley, @yewtreecolchester is the quintessential country pub you’ve been dreaming of. Just a stone’s throw from Colchester, this hidden gem feels like a secret escape to the heart of the Dedham Vale. As picturesque as it gets, The Yew Tree offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere that instantly makes you feel at home. Our evening kicked off with a heavenly starter of baked camembert. The rich cheese and tender sides set the tone for what was to come. For the main course, we were spoiled for choice with classic pub fare. The hearty pie was a standout, bursting with flavour and absolutely a must-try. Each dish was crafted with care, served hot, and in generous portions. Be sure to save room for dessert – the chocolate cake was the perfect ending to a memorable meal. Rich, warm, and utterly indulgent. The timeless charm of the building only adds to the experience, making The Yew Tree more than just a place to eat – it’s a true escape. We had a wonderful evening and couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Lovely pub in a nice setting. Staff and service very good. Not so impressed with the food. Fish was ordered without sauce but came with sauce all over it. Had to be recooked so 3 other diners were halfway through meal before the fish dish was brought out again. 3 other diners had roasts but we all found the Yorkshire puddings hard and unappetising. Finally, 2 diners had apple pie for dessert and we were flummoxed by the pea shoots garnish....pea shoots belong in salad or on a savoury dish, not on a dessert.

Lovely little place with GF lager

Good food, beer was good, friendly hosts Damian and Sophie

I booked the Yew Tree for my dad's Wake recently. Such a good choice. Damian was so kind and helpful. I received a lovely text from him the day before we were due there wishing all went well and that everything will be ready on our arrival. Which it was, the food was lovely and plentiful. We had a lovely Wake considering the reason we were there. Thank you again Damian and your team for your care and consideration on a sad occasion.

Amazing food, great service from Damian and Nancy! 10/10

Well cooked food, helpful staff, and a nice atmosphere.

Oh dear. Myself and my wife regularly eat at the Yew Tree in the Summer, as it was my son's Birthday, we thought we would treat him and his Girlfriend to a nice meal to celebrate. Sat down, quick drinks order, 10 mins or so pleasant wait staff took food order, enquired on allergies etc all good. After 45 minutes of waiting for Starters we enquired as to when they would arrive, came 10 mins later. Both Squid dishes stone cold, chicken dishes lukewarm at best. Table cleared then another 45 minute wait for mains, enquired of Wait Staff, told kitchen backed up offered round of drinks as an apology. Mains finally turned up, my wife's meal, meat hot vegetables actually stone cold to touch, returned it and obviously microwaved and redelivered to table. 2 mixed grills..... chips half cooked and still partially frozen, sausages rock hard overcooked to death, gammon like a chunk of lukewarm leather, fried egg rock hard and bouncy, tomato totally black; but steak well cooked. Fried halloumi sides (x2), arrived very late, undercooked but hot. Having complained gently about the time taken, we didn't order desserts as we could have been there all night and asked for bill. Nearly £150 for borderline inedible food, is unforgivable; had waiting staff not been so pleasant we may well have queried the meal/bill more, but it seemed they had been fielding complaints all evening from many tables, so did not want to add to it. We have decided that we shall not be returning this coming summer and will find somewhere else in future. Almost feel a bit ripped off to be honest it was that bad tonight.

It's such a lovely pub, if only they improved their food a bit, it would be perfect. If they keep it as it is, it should be a bit more affordable.

Sadly the lighter lunch menu has diminished so we ordered an over priced toastie and snacks. Cheesy garlic bread £3.50 for one slice cut into 2………really! Additionally the decor is now jaded and we sat next to some scurrying ants up the wall! Not the best experience I’ve had.

Good food, friendly staff and a nice calm and pleasant ambience.

Fabulous lunch today Damien and Sally great service. Food cooked beautifully.

Love coming here for breakfast, food is delicious and very good value for money, staff are very attentive, especially Damian - thanks for always making us feel welcome.

We came for lunch on Friday, which was delicious and came back Sunday morning for breakfast. Lovely food and service both times from Sally & Damian. Would recommend and come back again when in the area.

A really nice place, excellent food and great service 👍

Lovely pub with a nice cosy atmosphere. Food was spot on and service was quick and polite. Will definitely return again.

The staff were attentive and friendly. Emma and Zara looked after us. Food was lovely and there was a good choice. Overall a nice experience.

Excellent food and excellent service from all of the staff.

Xmas day 1st time without mum big change staff was welcoming. Food was lovely and fresh no rush atmosphere was lovely - (:

Very nice food and elegant atmosphere...we had our NY lunch...it was excellent

It is a tradition for our family to enjoy our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. As our children are now grown, we decided to eat at a restaurant this year and choose the Yew tree. We pre-booked a from the Christmas festive menu for eight of us a month before Christmas, following a meal we had there for my daughter’s 21st in November which was very nice. We had been asked to choose from the menu weeks in advance which we did. The restaurant was not busy when we arrived, approximately four or five tables were seated. We were promptly served our starter. Four of us had ordered beef wellington which was disappointing. The pastry was pale and soft, similar to a suet pudding with a very small amount of soft shredded ‘beef’ inside. It was not sliced as you might expect it to be with a beef Wellington, but more like an individual small steamed pudding turned upside down on the plate. These were all luke warm and served with a carrot and a quarter of uncooked raw cold tomato. When the main course arrived, three of the eight plates had no turkey on. The others did but it was cold, watery and clearly processed. The portions were all different. For instance my daughter had one very small slice and I had three. The roast potatoes were pale in colour and round. They had clearly not been cut to roast. On starting our meal my son handed me a roast potato which was frozen! We all started to check our own potatoes to find them at different degrees of cold. The warmest, were at best, room temperature. We cut one open to find the inside, colder, powdery and dry. We alerted the waiting staff to this who apologised and said they would bring out more potatoes and bring turkey for the three missing plates. A few moments later a small bowl of potatoes were bought to us. When we shared them out and cut them they were hot but still pale and powdery and clearly reheated from frozen. We had to ask for a large plate to remove the original frozen potatoes from our plates. By this time we had asked to speak to the manager who asked what she could do to make it right so we asked for hot food and she offered us a round of drinks free of charge. On tasting the turkey we all found it to be awful. It tasted old and had a strange smell. After asking staff to bring the missing pigs in blankets they did arrive but the bacon was pale, wet and barely cooked (like warm) and the sausage was pink in the middle. At no point had we been offered condiments such as cranberry sauce or bread sauce. At this point we were completely put off as not one person in our group felt we could eat the meal in front of us as it was utterly appalling. Finally after speaking to the manager again she agreed that we should not have to pay for our uneaten meal and gave us a full refund (clearly we didn’t stay for desert and left our full plates on the table while we finished our drinks and left). Our Christmas dinner experience ruined for this year. After reading pre Christmas reviews, the Yew tree seems to have gone down hill. I hope it will return to its previous standard, however we will not be returning.

Food, waitresses and atmosphere was fab tonight! The quality of food is amazing especially as its so resonably priced. 3 of us had starters and mains with 2 drinks each, came to around £35 per head. Lovely place, will definitely be back. Thank you for a great meal!

We enjoyed a breakfast with Santa at the Yew Tree. I must say, this was an amazing experience with my 8 year old daughter. She was totally mesmerised with the big man himself. He was very jolly and had me in stitches too. The breakfast was great and the whole experience was so enjoyable. I definitely recommend and will go again.

Our sharing starter was amazing.We both ordered the trio of fish from the specials menu, sadly we both had to send this back as the fish and the potato’s were stone cold. We were then served the same pieces of fish we sent back, heated up but then rubbery and very dry,and in small pieces.very disappointing as this was a special occasion. Potato's were not hassleback as stated on the menu.

We went for lunch on the 28th December and it was very good. Food and drink was excellent, my only comment would be a little longer wait for the starters after ordering than I would have liked, however it didn’t affect our enjoyment of the meal.

Lovely food and very attentative staff. A special family meal for 10 of us, that we had to have early at midday. Damian and his team were so helpful. Thank you.

Popped here for breakfast. The service from Damian was excellent. Great choice, value for money, and speedy. Will definitely be stopping by again.

Damian was fab and very polite and helpful. The chicken was amazing. Great atmosphere will definitely come again!

We visit regularly and the food is always missing items. Very poorly stocked kitchen. And the team don’t communicate this effectively to customers. Today’s food came out just about warm. I’m not really sure why we visit so regularly any more!! Bar manager is happy to pet dogs but not so keen to speak to humans

Nice restaurant; quiet and pleasant. Friendly service. Wide choice of dishes. Food was delicious. We had time to spend until embarkation at Harwich. Great place to relax after traveling and enjoy Good Old England before the crossing.

Cracking little pub with great food and decor.

We have eaten here many times and always have come away very impressed. Sadly are visit to day ended in disappointment. I ordered the roast pork with crackling and My wife had the veggie roast. When it arrived the waiter said if you were wondering why there is no crackling it’s because we have run out . If I was made aware of this I certainly wouldn’t have ordered it as that was my reason for ordering. My wife had stuffing missing that was brought out after asking and when I questioned why I had not been notified items were unavailable on my choice of meal I simply got the response ( I will mention it to the kitchen) . Sadly this has now spoiled what was are favourite go too pub.

Food was outstanding apart from the fries were pre-salted way too much. Staff very friendly.

The food was delicious and our serving team of Emma, Pip and Zara were friendly, efficient and attentive. A great birthday lunch experience for us all.

Had this for breakfast and don't know If it's different for lunch/dinner but very quiet quaint place, had the pancakes and went with my dad who had the english breakfast and they were both fabulous and very filling. Would definitely come back.

Great little pub with lovely staff and neighbourhood cat :) The food was delicious and would definitely visit again.

Lovely place ,excellent food and fantastic staff Always enjoy my stops here

We popped in for a drink on the way home, very cosy. Cute little bar area, would definitely pop back for a drink or two 😊

Excellent food & service by Sally & Sophie

Visited the Yew Tree for lunch with my Auntie, she drove 2 hours and specifically wanted a roast from the Yew Tree. Service was great from Anna and team and Head Chef Joel cooked an amazing roast dinner as always!! Amazing quality for a great price! Best roast around!

Absolutely lovely waitress Emma, quick service, delicious food. Would come back. Been before was put off but decided to try again and is now happy to come again.

Ate the sirloin steak today 09/11/24. Meal cost £70 for two with desert. Not worth that kind of money. Steak was tough and chewy with gristle. Very small portion of chips, pepper corn sauce was watery. Will not be returning

Been at Yew Tree so many times and they never disappoint us, service and ambiance and food are amazing. We were served by Sally and Emma.

Lovely pub with great food. Emma and Sophie were very friendly and brought out some candles on my dessert as it was my birthday which was a nice touch. Cute cat as well.

Had a meal here lastnight with our friends and we are VERY disappointed! There was no-one in the restaurant which is never a good sign. The food was standard but my husbands fish pie was awful. The pie cost £15 and it was the smallest pie I’ve ever seen. There was only 2 or 3 prawns in the pie with no flavour ( very watery ). We never like to complain and didnt want to cause friction but we will not be returning. There was also no-one to say goodbye to us when we left. It was empty!!! Where are the staff???

Staff friendly, nice looking pub, food a let down. £20 for a fish pie that had 2 prawns, a bit of cod and a few crushed new potatoes on top. Steak was cold. We didn't complain but would not be going back. Very expensive for what you get.

Went to the Yew Tree in Great Horkesley, before we even sat down we were pounced on with what drinks we wanted, we had a baby with us so need to get him sorted before anything else, when the starters arrived my squid was very chewy from being overcooked, the Sunday roast's we ordered were lukewarm at best, my daughter-in-law ordered a Barber's Cheddar & Bacon burger that was a Char Grilled Chicken Burger, when we said to the totally inept waitress of this she apologised and changed my dinner for a hot one (my son was to hungry to be bothered to change his) 2nd burger came out was a signature burger. Was refunded for the burger and they took deserts of the bill, but spoiled what was supposed to be a nice lunch out with having to keep complaining and waiting so not actually eating together, I didn't want my bill reduced, it's not like I couldn't afford to eat there, what I wanted was a nice family experience which by going to this pub was ruined. Would never go back to this pub or recommend it, very sad as it looks a lovely pub, but as they say looks can be deceiving.

My wife and I went to The Yew Tree for a relaxing lunch. We ate from the lunch menu which was in itself a really good portioned meal. The food was excellent and the service from Tina was also excellent. Everything was delivered quickly and with issue. A lovely meal ant a lovely pub with great service. Thank you.

Having done a Google search for a pub for our trip to Essex back to Norfolk the reviews I'd read for the Yew Tree all seemed excellent. We weren't sure of our arrival time but this was not a problem as I booked us in online which was great. We had a warm welcome and shown to our table, drinks arrived quickly and our food order taken. We both had garlic bread with cheese to start which was delicious followed by Steak sandwich which comes with chips and salad again this was all cooked to perfection and we throughly enjoyed our food. I'm so glad I found this gem of a pub, thank you to all the staff and chef's for a lovely afternoon lunch. Will we be back : )

Incredible service and great food from these guys tonight, a special thank you to Tina, Sophie and Emma for looking after us. Will definitely be returning.

Amazing looking pub on inside, plenty parking. Staff were friendly and created a nice atmosphere, especially Emma and Sophie. Food wow.....had the game mix cooked perfectly and great portions. Make sure visit

Lovely pub. Glad it's our local. Lovely food and staff. Thank you. 😁

Myself and family came to the Yew Tree on a mid week evening for some dinner to celebrate my graduation. I had to make changes to my reservation at short notice, which was accommodated with no issues. The venue was perfectly clean, charming staff and the food was beautiful. Would highly recommend and will be revisiting.

Lovely food. Hot and well cooked. Friendly staff.

Having booked a table we received a call on the day to say they had limited menu due to equipment problems in the kitchen and could only serve a limited menu and did we want to cancel. Luckily we didn't as we received a very warm welcome and had a delicious lunch of lamb shank pie and honey roasted pork belly. Great food and service.

We had a very nice dinner here today, friendly and polite staff, cosy atmosphere Thank you very much

Really great food. We always love the service and family feeling.

Awful Sunday dinner. 2 small slices of roast beef, so tough we couldn’t cut it and even struggled with a steak knife. Yorkshire pudding tasted stale. Staff were miserable and couldn’t even raise a smile. Service was awful. Such a shame as used to be a lovely little place

Another lovely visit to the Yew tree today, and although we missed the lovely Tina, we had a great host in Damo and our server Sophie turns out to be Tina's daughter. Great visit and many thanks again.

Very clean and welcoming. Garden outside is beautiful especially in the sunshine. Staff lovely, food was delish. Great menu. We will be back!

Extremely friendly staff . My only complaint is I had 4oz steak in ciabatta and chips , the steak was inedible . I was asked was everything ok when they came and took the plates awary I said no I couldn’t eat the steak . Message will be passed onto the chef . Paid our bill and realised I had been charged for the steak.i didn’t eat any of the steak , and would of liked the steak tekennoff my bill

Just want to highlight what a pleasure it is being served by Damian such a polite and helpful member of staff at the Yew Tree. The food was also amazing and would highly recommend a visit if you've never been before.

Absolutely loved the pub,friendly and professional staff,food was amazing throughly enjoyed mine and so did my family,would recommend the pub to everyone