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Parliament Restaurant

2.6 (6)
£25 and under
British
High Street, Colchester, Essex CO11DT

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Kid-friendly
  • Good for groups
Parliament Restaurant is a warm and intimate restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere in what was once the old Banqueting Hall, still showing its timbered beams. Offering suitably classical dishes with a modern twist from the à la carte menu, cuisine is served by attentive staff, and guests can also enjoy a drink in the hotel bar. A private dining room may be reserved for all types of occasion.

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Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Sat 12:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Parliament Restaurant.

2.6

2.6
(6)
  • 2.8Food
  • 2.9Service
  • 2.8Ambience
  • 2.6Value

Noise • Energetic

6 Reviews
  1. leec

    Essex1 review

    4.0

    Dined on August 13, 2019

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Booked for a 70th Birthday last year and was so impressed i booked again for it this year. I write this review based on both visits to be fair to the place as they had some 'issues' this time. Apparently they had some sort of flood so their pumps were out and only had one ale out of a on-the-bar barrel and fizzy drinks from a bottle. As only one of us was drinking alcohol and was happy with the ale, that was ok, but the other drinks were flat and warm. Previous visit though was 100%, no issues so will assume normally would be ok and we just had bad luck. The food was excellent both visits with the exception of the mushrooms in the mushroom sauce with the chicken supreme, they were really tough and i had to leave them. My only other comment on the food is that the menu hasn't changed in that year and is maybe a little limited. The service was good. Both times there was just one person out the front, but as it's a hotel, he was also the receptionist. Both times we visited for a 19:00 table we were the only ones in the restaurant, but the guy frequently had to leave for 10-15 minutes to deal with things in the hotel so we had to wait for ordering more drink. I dread to think how it would have been had more people been in the restaurant. The guy this time was new to the job so was a bit slow, but the previous time there was no waiting despite the man being alone. The whole building is 13th century with bits built on over the last 4-500 years. Yes, there's a bit of scaffolding holding up a beam in the bar area, but apart from that it's really amazing how well it's all lasted. Last year the receptionist gave as a 'guided tour' and was able to explain exactly what was what and from when. It's a really interesting place, sadly we had forgotten most of it and this time the guy didn't know quite so much, but after 4 weeks in the job, he had clearly been taught a lot. Overall, it's maybe a little over-priced, but i'll be back next year...

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  2. VanessaM

    Essex2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 31, 2019

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had afternoon tea, the cakes were slabs of cake all very lovely but not really what you expect for a afternoon tea. The service was lovely and friendly a table did arrive with small children and the noise level rose considerably. However a lovely venue and service.

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  3. Jor1234

    Essex3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on February 20, 2019

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Awful experience! You have to order all 3 courses at the beginning as the chef goes home at 20.20pm and will not wait for you to finish. My husbands pork was overcooked and my salmon was covered in sauce which I had to scrape off, didn't feel like we could say anything as it was made very clear to us that the chef was waiting for us to finish our dinner so he could go home. Due to building works there is limited alcohol with no wine menu so we ended up with a warm beer, why is it not in the fridge? And a glass of red wine which they charged £8.50 a glass for, this is more expensive than London!!! No wine menu was provided and we were told that was the only wine they had, mmmm.... The waitress is also front of house so chaos can be expected in the morning! Head Office need to employ another member of staff to get any kind of customer service on this restaurant. Definately would not return, no atmosphere at all.

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  4. SarahC

    Essex1 review

    3.0

    Dined on July 22, 2018

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Had a 3-course Sunday lunch, the food was great, came out quickly and tasted good. The restaurant was very quiet but it meant our waiter was very attentive, my only issue was the drinks were not cold, although we did have a jug of iced water on the table to compensate. Would definitely go again

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    Essex1 review

    5.0

    Dined on December 3, 2017

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a lovely pre Christmas afternoon tea. The cakes were amazing the only slight downside was the sandwiches were a bit dry. We were made to feel really welcome by the gentleman who served us, he was extremely polite , helpful and easy to talk to and he made the experience more special for my 6year old daughter by making her feel grown up and including her in our conversations, he was amazing at his job. Lovely surroundings with a warm and cozy feel, perfect for this time of year. Will definitely return.

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  6. Munchie

    Essex1 review

    2.0

    Dined on May 13, 2015

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    The only thing going for this place was the historic setting. No wonder the restaurant was empty!! The food was mediocre and the surcharge as a non resident for a very tough steak was not at all clearly indicated of the menu! Not a proper statement ,just a small easily missed letter. One member of staff who seemed pained to be serving. Booked this in advance looking forward to a good meal - wish I had chosen elsewhere!!

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Sat 12:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Essex
  4. Colchester
  5. Colchester

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing
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