The best restaurants in Fordham and Stour Colchester East of England

Absolutely lovely different place for tea and coffee yummy yummy bakes such wonderful staff and so polite and friendly a lovely place to relax and refresh after picking fresh fruit at the farm will definitely be going again

Arrived without a booking on a busy Saturday evening and they found us a table within a short time. The food was good and the service was second to none. We were attended to by a number of waiting staff, all of whom were personable and engaging and who were a credit to the Crown.

OMG! 😍 We ordered a tiramisu for our daughter’s 21st birthday, Pantry 61 did not disappoint. Penny was great, she made sure that all our requirements were met and was fantastic to deal with. The actual tiramisu tasted AMAZING and was excellent value for money. Thank you so much Penny and Beverley, you made our daughter’s birthday! 🙏❤️

Was cold in the restaurant as the heating wasn't on. Menu was pretty basic and things you could easily make at home. The plates weren't heated, mening the food cooled down a lot once served. Garlic bread had barely any garlic butter and was so hard it was like a giant crouton. Food was slow to come out. The cokes tasted strange and were half flat. Wouldn't recommend it, I would rather go to a whetherspoons as its cheaper, more menu choice and better quality.

Calm, comfortable, well catered, very enjoyable. We went here with friends while staying locally. We saw the pub had previously been awarded pub of the year and understood why. Unhurried, high quality food and wine in a delightful atmosphere.

Enjoyed the carvery, great selection of meats and tasty veg, including cauli cheese, all good. Only issue was the excessive noise, there are no soft furnishings to absorb the sound so noise quickly became excessive and made conversation difficult. The endless smashing of glass bottles into a used bin by staff was very offputting. For this reason unlikely to return, but food was good.

Rang to book table x people, went to answer phone left message with my mibile number. No one had the courtesy to call Me back!!!’ So booked the Swan instead which was brilliant. Have been to the Murrow many times for breakfast but will not be returning!!! Such a shame as the food is great!

Had the crab benedict, the crab meat hadn't been drained from the tin very well and the crab juice had soggied the muffin, the bacon had been cremated and the hollandaise was gloopy. The eggs had runny yolks though so I've added a star for that. Edit: I visited in December of 2023, you may have changed your menu since then, but it was definitely Fillpots Garden Centre based in Colchester.

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.

Cheese scones awful, dry,hard, solid and tasteless..where was the cheese? ...grated cheese given in a small pot with the scone and relish..weird!. Pot of tea basic,we also had cakes, small portions and not worth the prices..not impressed at all.. be along time before we come back!.

Excellent Sunday roast. Landlady very friendly. Good service and nice decor. This pub has certainly had its problems over the past couple of years but it is now certainly on the up.