Three Wise Monkeys Colchester — Restaurant in Colchester

I would like to express my gratitude for the level of professionalism demonstrated by the members of staff at 3WM Colchester. Since reopening in July, my partner and I have enjoyed visiting during the week. That being said, it is important to note that on account of self-isolating due to lockdown, his disability has made it very difficult for him to move around without the aid of a wheelchair and there have been moments that have been extremely difficult for him when we have been out in public. As his partner and carer, I am particularly sensitive to how he is treated by others. On one occasion a few weeks ago, during one of our first times out since March, my partner found himself in extreme pain due to his condition. We happened to be at 3WM at the time. The members of staff on duty that day were immediately attentive and rose to meet his need, providing us with ice, and the space necessary to attend to the severity of the situation whilst impressively maintaining all social-distancing measures set out by management. Words cannot express how grateful I was for the staff that day when my partner was struggling and I was helping him. On another more recent occasion, when visiting with my partner's daughter, she tripped over her shoes and fell, and in the process broke two of her toes. Again, this was another moment when the staff at 3WM went above and beyond expectation in regards to making sure her needs were met. They immediately got her up, sat her in a chair, and made sure her foot was propped up comfortably with ice. Further, a taxi was booked for us and the staff made sure all of our needs had been met prior to leaving the venue that evening. The reason why I am so impressed by the quality of care and attentiveness expressed towards us by the staff and management at 3WM is two-fold. First, while both of these incidents happened, the staff maintained all regulations set out by management due to Covid-19. Secondly, because the response towards us stands out as exceptional when compared to treatment we have received whilst dining out at another local venue in Colchester that is known for its extensive wine menu and upscale lounge. The fact that my partner's disability has become more challenging for him due to self-isolating makes the treatment he receives by staff at the venues we visit particularly poignant. In light of this, it has become apparent just how superior the training is for the staff at 3WM. Out of the venues we have visited since the reopening of hospitality in July, the staff at 3WM have proved an absolutely exceptional commitment to making their business and social distancing measures as successful as possible. Further, their ability to treat members of the public with the right level of care and attention during critical moments proves that the quality of their training and running of their business is absolutely top-quality. In short, the level of service we have received at 3WM Colchester since reopening has been world-class. You cannot find better quality of service in Colchester, particularly in comparison to other local venues that may be more pretentious. I am extremely grateful for the level of compassion and respect that have been demonstrated towards my partner, his daughter and myself during these moments. I cannot stress enough how invaluable the members of staff at 3WM are towards making us feel included, valued and welcomed at your establishment. It is absolutely vital that the staff at 3WM, who have played a significant role in making my partner and I feel welcome, are acknowledged for their hard work towards the success of...

We had a very unpleasant experience but the most worrying part was the management's inability to handle our order and the following complaint. ​ ​We visited on my birthday and it was six of us. We were sat on a booth and then were left waiting for more than 20 minutes before anyone came to take our drinks order. Our drinks took another 20 minutes to arrive. Our order was fairly simple, three main courses and two sides, we were never advised that there would be a delay in our order or that the food wouldn't arrive altogether. One of the main courses arrived as normal and the two sides arrived as normal. I asked my burger to be made with cheesy fries if possible. I received my burger and I tried to tell the waitress that my order is wrong but before I got a chance she just turned around and walked away?! I had to stand up and go to the till a few times only to get some attention to our table for the duration of the hour and a half we spent at the venue. Later on, I returned the fries and I ordered new ones, which came fifteen minutes after I had finished my burger. And my friend never got her main course. By this time we were extremely frustrated and we just wanted to leave the venue. Having spent over an hour being absolutely neglected felt awful. When my friend's food finally came it was clearly undercooked because it was rushed. Seriously? ​ ​It was crystal clear she forgot to order my friend's meal. She didn't even know what we were waiting for. At least take some responsibility and apologize. I understand that they were busy and as they explained they were understaffed in the kitchen however this should under no circumstances impact the customers. We were on the booth that is higher up and I noticed that the task prioritization was very basic for the person who introduced herself as the manager. It wasn't that busy, as the biggest tables at the venues had finished their main courses and the rest were just drinking. It was probably only a few tables that needed urgent service attention at the time. ​ ​Furthermore, conflict resolution was extremely poor. Both the manager that served us and the more senior manager that I spoke to. They took a few drinks off the bill, and the food that never arrived but made it sound as if she was doing us a favour, continuing to challenge and disregard me. When the senior manager came she took all of the drinks off the bill and blamed me that we're trying to get a free meal? I was in shock! I absolutely cannot believe the audacity she had to say this provided that I tried to explain as calmly as possible. Our initial bill was £80, and it was reduced to £40. When I said that this is not reasonable and we shouldn't be made to pay more than the net price of the items which was probably around £25, she continued blaming us, again seriously?!

It was clear that she was caring more about making her forecasted sales rather than customer retention which is so harmful to your company. Yes, you did make a profit today but trust me I will not be returning to the venue after this experience. Neither would the five people I was accompanied by. There was a CCTV at the venue so feel free to check the authenticity of the details. ​ ​Finally, I've written this feedback only because I feel sorry for people who might encounter the same poor customer service. I hope these people will be held accountable for this evening's...

Beer - Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Service and atmosphere - Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Food - Three stars unfortunately ⭐⭐⭐

This appeared on Google maps and looked good. The in-house beers from the Other Monkey Brewery were excellent, especially the 'Dreaming of Evil' Sweet Stout. Had we not been with the kids, I could have happily worked my way through all their beers. We had an enjoyable time while we ate, there was a good mix of people coming and going for an early Tuesday evening and the place is smart. I loved the decor, even down to the industrial plumbing on the hand wash sinks and scaffolding plank seating. It was certainly not busy when we arrived and ordered, but picked up as the evening went on.

The food however was let down by it's preparation and portion size. My half rack of ribs was delicious and well presented, but apart from the thin edges it was cold all the way through. The server only returned after we had finished and asked how the food was, so I politely explained this and she said the chef would be made aware. From her reaction, I could tell this was not a surprising bit of feedback. No apology came back though, which was disappointing. Another order of burger and fries had too few fries to make it a meal. It makes no sense to put a few chips in a micro bucket with a main, but to then fill a small tray with a decent amount of fries ordered as a side. The mains need more fries. The kitchen did kindly make up mini chicken burgers for our kids, which they enjoyed. The kids meals came with the same micro bucket of fries, which is ok for kids but not a full main.

The meats that they serve up are very good, smoked slowly and full of flavour. I don't expect every dish to come straight off the smoker, that's impossible, but you do need to get a handle on reheating it correctly because there are plenty of comments saying exactly the same thing. I visited despite having read those cold food comments, sadly you haven't acted on them and it happend again....