The Oak Tree Coffee House — Restaurant in Colchester

In spite of the sub-par food and cakes here, I must say it is a nice place to sit and I did enjoy my visit. Staff were friendly and efficient and the place seemed clean. However, I must still give a low rating.

[EDIT - I still feel 2 stars is a bit low, but 3 stars is too much, so I'd like to clarify that I wish I could rate at 2.5/5 which might be about right.

_I do thank you for your response, but, on the day, I can't see what you could have done about the cake and scone issues, though you are right: I don't know why I didn't raise the boiling water issue at the time. If you could get some decent OP Ceylon tea in (you can get this from H Gunton if you want a local recommendation), or (more expensive, but easier to use) Teapigs tea, instead of Lichfields, that could help in the future, and please don't try Twinings, as it isn't really worth the extra cost over Lichfields... and I do heartily recommend the George Orwell article 'A Nice Cup of Tea' on which I would only caution that, to most tastes today, 3g of tea per mug is probably sufficient.]

The tea was Lichfield tea bags and the 'tea' served was a pot of hot water with a separate tea bag. This meant that the water was off the boil by the time I could put the tea in it : the tea never brewed properly. I must say this was the worst cup of tea I've had in the previous week, but I don't know whether to blame the tea itself or the not-boiling water. George Orwell would not have approved at all.

The scone tasted like it had come out of a packet and my friend's cake was a bit dry, apparently (she didn't eat it all, so very likely true). The butter I put on my scone was the best bit of the food and drink.

In terms of cost, this was a bit cheaper than some other cafes, but I can't see the point of eating bad cake. If I were waiting for a bus, I would go to this cafe again, but I frankly would not know...

Lockdown 3.0 12th April 2021.Outdoor seating and takeaways available. Opens today. Nice cup of coffee and a sandwich. Staff are good and knowledgeable. Please speak to the baristas if you have any dietary requirements. Lockdown 3.0 17th May 2021. Indoor hospitality re-opens today. Seatings inside and outside the restaurant. Takeaways available. Lock down 3.0 19th July 2021. Most Covid regulations in England are repealed today. The Oak Tree Coffee House is a community venture created by St Luke's Church in Colchester Essex. Thank you Pastor. Many of the staff, baristas, managers and Pastor volunteer in the Oak Tree. Enjoy your teas, coffees, cakes, sandwiches and toasts. My favourite pastry is Brioche Fruit Scone served with butter and Wilkins marmalade. Mouthwatering, delicious. Afternoon Tea is available in the Oak Tree Cafe. A delicious selection of finger sandwiches, fruit scone, or cheese scone, four different cakes, and unlimited drinks. Good menu and services. April 2022. Congratulations to all the staff, managers, volunteers and Pastor Hannah Cooper for the hard work. Oak Tree Coffee House has been shortlisted for the national Sammies Award 2022. All the best. May 2022. Unfortunately, the Oak Tree did not win the Sammies Independent Retailer Award this year. We will come back next...

We popped in for a snack before going to Tesco's to pick up some bits.The atmosphere was so friendly we could have stayed all day ! My wife had a cheese scone and decaf coffee,I went for a huge hot sausage roll which really hit the spot and a lovely cup of tea.The food was excellent and the service from the staff was first class.The price was really reasonable we will certainly be back again when we visit...