The Live & Let Live — Restaurant in Colchester

We came here for a Sunday carvery with quite high expectations as this pub was rated in the top 10 of pubs in Colchester for a Sunday roast, but we were a pretty disappointed to be honest, the portions were pretty good but was let down a bit by the standard, it wasn’t the worst roast I’ve had in a pub but certainly wasn’t the best, the gravy was watery, the cabbage was quite hard, meat was a little dry, potatoes were ok but could do with being a bit crispy, we were also disappointed with the deserts.. a couple of us ordered the meringue mountain.. expecting there to be a fair bit of meringue as the name suggests! Well it was hard to find meringue in it! It should have been called cream mountain, about half a meringue in it, bit of ice cream and strawberry and the rest squirty cream! Others had sticky toffee pudding.. all complained about it being salty, Safe to say won’t...

WeI visited The Live and Let Live in Stanway hoping for a cracking pub experience, but sadly, it fell short. The place was noticeably dirty, with grubby floors and surfaces that hadn’t seen a proper clean in a while. The food was a real letdown – I’ve honestly had better meals in a hospital canteen, which isn’t exactly a glowing endorsement! The toilets were another low point; they absolutely stunk and were in dire need of a thorough scrub. To top it off, the barmaid wasn’t exactly welcoming, and when she pulled our pints, they came with so much head you’d think we were paying for foam! It’d be nice to get a full pint for our money next time. Such a shame, as the pub could be lovely with a bit of care and attention. I’d probably give it a pass until things improve.

I don't normally bother with reviews, but the experience was so bad that it...

This pub is tucked down a little lane, which to be honest unless you know it is there you probably wouldn't notice. Have popped in a couple of times a few years back, but not recently. Had noticed that they have a garden so decided to go again and sit outside. Whilst there we then decided to get some food.

Food was well priced and good size, and tasted good too. They also have kids meals, but these were £5 which isn't quite as well priced as the adult meals...! They also have plenty of drinks choices, the wife particularly liked the gins. A few craft type beers and proper cider also available.

The garden has some beach hut style areas to sit but also picnic benches. Fair bit of space outside. Staff were friendly and were able to recommend drinks which is always nice when your...