We came because of the old Qype reviews, but clearly, a lot has changed…read more Lacklustre. Sorry to say, because it looked like it had so much potential from the outside. 3 of us sat down to have afternoon tea. My sister was visiting us, so I brought her here based on the old reviews. Sad to say, I should've done more research. Tea was a disaster. The tea was mediocre, scones weren't very good at all, and the tea sandwiches were disappointing. The place felt very dark and dusty, and the decor was very tired looking. The servers looked very tired and nervous as well. I feel that with a bit more effort, the experience would change for the better, as the location is good. Overall, a poor experience, so I won't be returning.

Absolutely adored this quaint wee tea room...makes you feel like you're in a scene from the…read morepast...nice and cosy, fabulous, attentive staff & very tasty cream teas.. definitely worth a visit when visiting Colchester. Kind regards from a very happy Scottish visitor

I had a wonderful tea and cake stop here while shopping in Colchester. The building makes for a…read morevery serene experience and the tea and cake was extremely good. There was also food served there for lunch but I didn't have any as I was pressed for time, however there is a new larger kitchen being made at the time of writing which is going to be opened in early 2015. So I'll no doubt return then. Strongly reccomend if you are looking for a little peace and quiet.

This wonderful cafe gets five stars from me for their delicious cheese and gooseberry scones -…read moresimply perfect!! The staff are lovely, the building is amazing (and kept clean and tidy inside). Coffee is good, lots of juice and hot chocolate options for my children. Good price for a good morning coffee. Have come here 3 times when visiting my family in Colchester (I fly 5300 miles from California just for those scones!!)

Initially, Loofer's seems just like any other cafe where you can grab a bite to eat or sip on a…read morecappuccino to break up your shopping day. And it is, really. But the food is pretty reliably tasty and hearty, so it keeps me coming back every time I'm visiting in Colchester for a weekend. I don't even try anything else out at this point; it's always Loofer's. I get the same thing every time: the (soya) Veggie Pitta. It tastes so meaty and delicious, almost as if the cooks have laced it with MSG. Robert D always get the Steak Sarnie. For £10, we have a filling lunch and are ready to get our shopping on the heart of Colchester. The service is always a bit slow; the 'Chiller' Microsoft font on all the signs and menus takes a little while to get used to (it's kind of creepy, Chiller; what a weird marketing choice); the seating area is always a traffic jam of prams; and the toilets are a bit grim, but the veggie pitta has never let me down.

Nice salads and chicken sandwiches, all freshly grilled on orderread more

Exactly what I wanted and needed…read more Coffee, hot and caffeinated, and ready to fuel me on my train to London. Exactly what I needed and wanted.

Usually too air-conditioned, upstairs is certainly better thoughread more

So, it's hard to give just one star when your friends like a place, and when The Brit is willing to…read moreeat there after a significant amount of time has passed since his last visit. Perhaps there is something that I am missing (though I highly doubt it). Seat yourself, menus are on the table and prices are cheap. The food is not good in my opinion. I only ordered scrambled eggs, toast and a side of sausage as nothing else on the menu seemed appetizing. The eggs were fine, the sausage terrible and the toast, that cheap crap you get that barely passes for bread. The Brit ordered the "Gut Buster" and ate pretty much the whole thing, only stating that the "chip steak" wasn't good at all. What is a chip steak anyway? I tried a bite of beans and a bite of a chip and found them both to be pretty bleh. This is typical crap diner food I try to avoid in the States. The place was quite busy, but then again, they were the only ones open on a holiday weekend which might explain it. Breakfast for 4 ~ 24 pounds.

Used to be a nice little cafe but not great now. Typical greasy spoon cafe which uses low quality…read morefood for their menu!

I have only recently discovered the Lemon Tree and definately wont forget it in a hurry - it was so…read moregood i went back again the next day! The atmosphere is warm as soon as you arrive and you feel like you are really welcome to be there - as opposed to an interuption or inconvenience as some places unfortunately make you feel like! The staff were very attentive throughout and were more than willing to answer our questions and offer a little of their own expert advice. The menu has good choice and seems to cater for most peoples tastes, six of us on the table and six different main courses shows that i guess. Although i have not yet been , i am looking forward to the next theme night to see just how well this fantastic restaurant carries it off... keep up the good work1

Very nice small restuarant. Wide menu which is always changing. They often do special Jazz nights…read morewhich are woth going to. They have a small cavern which is very cosy, if it's a special occasion it's worth asking if you can have a table in there.