Coffee Hog — Restaurant in Colchester

Really enjoyed a visit here was great with a toddler as they have a lovely little child friendly play area, staff friendly and helpful food and coffee was LOVELY! HOWEVER I do have some criticism that I’m making and I hope to see it changed as I’d love to come back here, so this is purely constructive I never expect kids toys in a play area of any sort to be pristine or even that clean it’s just not possible I understand that, but as a cafe that are welcoming little people to play I’d love to see the soft toys go through the machine they were really considerable dirty, very off colour and clearly grimy. A wash through the machine one a month would do, also a thick layer of black dirt on some of the hard toys, wheels of the prams and some wooden stackers this would probably need a little elbow grease but after that just the occasional wipe down to keep on top. And the floor inside could be need a little love. Also if you need to replace I’m sure a shout out to the local community people would be happy to donate some new toys This comes from a place of love I would love to come again and I will, as I can see how easily these things are over looked and this isn’t to deter anyone from going but to encourage the team to show those things a little love and then it would have been...

As an initial thought it this place is fantastic, the staff are polite and welcoming, the food is to a good standard. It is very evident here that professional hospitality is definitely something they take seriously. I was served a full English breakfast with poached eggs, the toast was toast and not soggy bread, care was taken to remove any excess water from my eggs, the seasoning and garnish were just right & the vinegar used in the water wasn’t over powering the eggs, meat arrived hot without having a plate burning your hands, the colour and texture of the meat was absolutely amazing, If an option was available to have the hash brown baked instead of fried I would have absolutely been impressed, but let’s be fair the oil used wasn’t over bearing.

However if there was to be one thing from one chef to another, the plate served had a significant chip on the side with a secondary piece of the chip appearing to be re glued in place. It was however clear that this wasn’t a new chip so I wasn’t concerned of any immediate cross contamination.

But let’s get back to the main point, would I come back? Yes, would I recommend this place? Yes. Would I recommend to my customers and clients to come to this place?...

I can't say enough about how great it is to have a community cafe in this part of Colchester. The cafe itself is fairly large, with a small children's play area which makes it attractive for parents with young kids. The menu is varied, although the vegetarian/vegan indicators on the menu behind the counter were really hard to see. I didn't see a paper version so can't comment on whether it's any better up close. There weren't any vegan cakes as far as I could tell, which is a shame. The soya latte had a strong nutty flavour to it - not unpleasant, but not what I expected either. At £2.50 it wasn't unreasonable but the odd taste means I won't rush back. When I visited mid-morning, the place was busy and it felt like the staff were rushing to fulfil orders - and I must admit to feeling a little ignored while I stood at the counter. However, if you're not in a hurry and/or you're staying in for food/drink then it's a pleasant enough place to while...