The Marlborough — Restaurant in Colchester

Visited on Bank Holiday May 6th 2013. Nice setting and clean garden, the staff were polite and friendly, service was slow but that was understandable as the whole of Dedham was swamped by visitors that day which included us.

There's two things that really let this place down; The beer selection - I would have expected a pub in a prominent place like this to do a roaring trade on a good selection of local ales. It was baking hot, I was gasping and could have murdered a nice crisp fresh local summer ale, but instead they only had Green King IPA and one other Bitter on tap. I ended up having a Fosters :-). The food - We only ordered Scampi & chips and Burger & chips for the kids and shared among us. The portion sizes were generous but the chips far too greasy and the burgers looked and tasted like the ones I remember from school days, probably a cheap own brand super market. I don't mind cheap food tasting cheap if it is cheap, but the prices were not cheap and I could have got better quality from a fast food outlet, or one of the local £2 a box chicken shops where I used to live. The soft drinks were also too expensive.

I'm writing all this because I think the owners could do with some constructive criticism. I think there's so much potential in place like this, people would pay twice the price for the food if it was of a better quality. Yes of course you could say "go somewhere else next time" but when you have 4 kids in tow, you have to get a seat where you can and...

We had Sunday lunch here, the ultimate test of a British Inn. It's situated in the beautiful village of Dedham and, whilst having a small car park, you need to allow time to enjoy a walk from a public car park if you're arriving at a busy time. Fortunately, they kept a space free for our disabled guest. The Sunday Roast was simply delicious and we all wanted to know the secret of the gravy. We did hear other tables being advised that specially prepared meals could take up to 30 minutes but the place was packed. Despite this, service was attentive, and I was surprised to discover as we left that it was our server's first shift - a mark of good training. The allergy/intolerance information on the menu was the best I've come across. No waiting for a massive ring binder or spending half an hour scrolling through dense legal statements on an iPad before signing away all our rights and probably our internal organs, all we needed to know was there, with a wide range of choice (including options on otherwise unsuitable items) for those who usually end up ordering a plate of chips in other places. It's not cheap but it's...

On our way from Ipswich to Harwich, we made a stop at The Marlborough. Very convenient, knowing that you have to catch the 11PM boat to Hoek van Holland. It became even better, when we placed our orders in the very cozy atmosphere of this hotel/restaurant. The food is either very British or Fusion, but overall very good and tasty. Everything you wish for, driving through the countryside of Suffolk, passing through, on your way to other destinations. The staff in this restaurant is as amazing as the food. Kind, accurate, and always there, before you even think of hailing the waiter. A big thank you to Ellen for forwarding this address to us. Considering that hundreds of people take the night boat daily, this restaurant should be overbooked every day. Which reminds me, call them, make a reservation. That's the only thing with outstanding places, you can't just walk in and expect they have a table for you. Be proactive, give them a call. It will not disappoint you. Thank you,...