In search

An inde­pen­dent café locat­ed oppo­site Colch­ester Cas­tle. A great spot for brunch, cof­fee and an impres­sive view. 

Romano Lounge is an infor­mal, neigh­bour­hood food led café/​bar locat­ed in Colch­ester — open all day every day!

The Pas­sage House is a relax­ing, com­fort­able, cof­fee house to vis­it as you trav­el through your day. 

We are open all day for cof­fee, tea, pas­tries and cakes and more… With free WiFi it’s a great place to work or study.

Patch is a new veg­e­tar­i­an plant-led café in the heart of Colch­ester, opened in Sep­tem­ber 2022, with an empha­sis where pos­si­ble on local­ly-grown, sea­son­al pro­duce from small inde­pen­dent pro­duc­ers and from our very own patch! Locat­ed in HAT Projects on Trin­i­ty Street, we would like to wel­come you to a friend­ly, laid-back envi­ron­ment where food and ingre­di­ents speak for themselves.

Fam­i­ly run café where your com­fort is our pri­or­i­ty, serv­ing food, cof­fees, wines, spir­its & cocktails.

Your the­atre, your stories

The Mer­cury is an artis­tic pow­er­house in the East – a vital, vibrant, wel­com­ing cen­tre of cul­ture for the peo­ple of Colch­ester, Essex and beyond.

The the­atre takes its name from the Roman mes­sen­ger god, Mercury.

It was Mercury’s task to con­nect the peo­ple with the gods, and so, in keep­ing with our name, con­nec­tion is at the heart of every­thing we do.

Would you like to try some choco­late? Drop in to Hotel Choco­lat and try a new recipe on the house every month. While you’re there, browse every­thing from ele­gant gift box­es of choco­late to imag­i­na­tive takes on your every­day choco­late fix, all made accord­ing to their mantra – More Cocoa, Less Sug­ar – for a sat­is­fy­ing cocoa hit. As well as their lux­u­ry choco­late, which includes bars made with some of the rarest cocoa on the plan­et, you’ll find cocoa-infused gin, beer and vod­ka, and a range of sweet and savoury condi­ments includ­ing jams, chut­neys, oils and sauces. You can also set down your shop­ping bags and take a weight off at the café, over a range of drinks such as hot choco­lates, Cof­fee Choco­lat Lattes and teao­lat – an all-nat­ur­al blend of herbs, spices and cacao shells – as well as snacks includ­ing cocoa nib ice cream and irre­sistible brown­ies. Hotel Choco­lat grow cocoa on their plan­ta­tion on Saint Lucia – a con­nec­tion from tree to bar that is unique among British choco­latiers – and their com­mit­ment to eth­i­cal trad­ing has trans­formed the cocoa-grow­ing econ­o­my on the island.

Down­stairs bar- A casu­al affair with sofas and stools, café tables and coun­ters, cof­fee each morn­ing, a quick bite for lunch, craft beer and cock­tails by night, you’ll be wel­comed with warmth and hospitality.

Upstairs bar- Our sun-filled restau­rant upstairs with a groovy col­lec­tion of art­work and trou­vé, is the per­fect escape from the hus­tle and bus­tle of Colch­ester, whether for busi­ness or for pleasure.