I decided that this was a really good find. A nice extensive menu, good wine list, upmarket decor and a riverside location. Definitely classy.
We were four in total, out exploring Colchester having arrived late afternoon without having had lunch; so naturally we wanted to eat early and there were lights on inside. Nothing ventured, we asked if they were open and we were promptly ushered inside with a smile.
Boy, this place is big! It must get very busy of a weekend evening, but at this time of day we were the only people there, so naturally our server was extremely attentive and helpful; although he was quite insistent about trying to 'upsell' us on some things, like pushing for bottled water when all we wanted was a jug of tap water. But I guess that's par for the course.
The menu is pretty extensive, with plenty of veggie and vegan options - although I felt that our server should have pointed out that they have separate menus for those. I went for a veggie Nasi Goreng with a side dish of sweet and sour aubergines (my least favourite vegetable - what was I thinking?). Portion size was very good and the food was great. I even liked the sweet and sour aubergine side plate!
You will either love or hate the decor, with its full-size artificial cherry blossom trees and illuminated fluffy clouds. Bizarrely, it all seemed to work well together, although I was less convinced about the music, which seemed mostly to be some kind of pop/techno fusion thing.
Overall, it came to around £30 each between the four of us, which wasn't too bad given that our bottle of wine was only slightly less than that. If you want a classy evening meal, you could do a lot worse. read more