Parliament - Colchester

On the previous visit, everything was perfect with no issues at all, so I believe this was just bad luck on our part. The food was excellent during both visits, although I had an issue with the mushrooms in the mushroom sauce — they were quite tough and I had to leave them behind. My other comment about the meal is that the menu hasn't changed this year and may feel somewhat limited. The service was good, though there was only one staff member managing both front-of-house duties and reception. When we sat down for our 7:00 PM reservation, we were the only ones in the restaurant, but the staff member was often called away to help others at the hotel, leading to some delays of 10-15 minutes for drinks. I suspect there would have been more diners if it were busier. The staff member was new to the job this time and understandably a bit slow, although during my previous visit, there was no waiting despite the server being alone. The entire building dates back to the 13th century, with artifacts spanning the last 450 years. There’s even a skeleton that supports the bar in the bar area! Despite that, it’s remarkable how well-preserved everything is. Last year, the receptionist gave us a guided tour and provided fascinating insights about the history of the place, but we had forgotten much of it. This time, the staff member had been working there for only four weeks and didn't have as much information. Overall, while it may be slightly overpriced, I plan to return next year.

We visited for afternoon tea, and while the cakes were all quite enjoyable, they didn't quite meet our expectations for a traditional afternoon tea experience. The service was pleasant and friendly, although the atmosphere became noticeably louder when a nearby table with small children was seated. Overall, it's a beautiful venue with great service.

A great experience! they must order all 3 courses at the beginning, as the cook goes home around 20.20 clock and will not wait until they are finished. my man pork was overcooked and my laugh was covered with sauce that I had to scrape off, didn't feel like we could say something, how it was made very clear to us that the cook was waiting for us to finish our dinner so that he could go home. due to the construction work there are limited alcohol without wine menu, so we end up with a warm beer, why is it not in the refrigerator? and a glass red wine for which they have charged £8.50 a glass, this is more expensive than london! there was no wine menu offered, and we said it was the only wein they had, mmmm. the waitress is also in front of the house so that the chaos can be expected tomorrow! office head must use another team to get any kind of customer service in this restaurant. defined would not return, no atmosphere at all.

A call received an hour before booking to say that Sunday dinner is only twice a month and not on the booked day, so the booking had to cancel.

Had a 3-course Sunday lunch, the food was great, came out quickly and tasted good. The restaurant was very quiet but it meant our waiter was very attentive, my only issue was the drinks were not cold, although we did have a jug of iced water on the table to compensate. Would definitely go again