WE’RE all so busy rushing around these days a lot of us have probably forgotten what it’s like to experience really good service with a smile.

But it was the main talking point when my husband and I drove the 20 minutes back home to Colchester after our Sunday lunch at the Marquis just over the Suffolk border.

The former 17th Century inn has undergone a huge revamp and overlooks stunning views of the Brett Valley.

Even the freshly tarmacked car park was relatively picturesque.

We were extra pleased to get taken to a table by the large glass window at the back, meaning we had one of the best views in the restaurant.

Although the lunch menu was fairly limited for choice, we each happily opted for roast – myself the beef and the lamb for him.

The place was busy enough but not packed, however, our waitress scored top marks from the moment she served our drinks.

I think I’ve got so used to someone plonking food down in front of me in and asking me almost robotically: ‘Is everything ok with your meal?’, it took me aback when she asked if we’d been there before, where we’d travelled from and some other general niceties.

The roasts, created from an open theatre-like kitchen, arrived in good time and far exceeded anything I’d ever hope to rustle up.

Each had giant, almost fluffy Yorkshire puddings, a smattering of perfectly crisp roast potatoes, and cauliflower cheese amongst the veg selection.

Saying that, the plates didn’t look overloaded with food as though the restaurant was trying to present some sort of eating marathon to me.

Thankfully the thinly sliced beef avoided being chewy and although I’m not a fan of lamb my husband said it was very tasty.

Dessert was a choice between steamed lemon sponge, rice pudding or ice cream.

Feeling pretty stuffed, the latter was my choice and considering all I’d ordered were three lumps of frozen goo, the presentation was pretty good with a nice touch of something gold sprinkled on the side and a little piece of popcorn.

After all, it did set me back £7.

The lemon sponge, was, according to my husband ‘not too stodgy’ and came with the added bonus of custard and a biscuit on the side.

An hour and a half later and we were done and all the while that waitress never let us down, managing to strike the balance between attentiveness and letting us actually eat and chat.

Looking at the bill, I wouldn’t say this was a restaurant for regular visits but it’s well worth a go for a special occasion, especially if you fancy something slightly outside of Colchester for a change.

ANDREA COLLITT

Marquis

Upper Street,

Layham,

Suffolk

IP7 5JZ

Contact 01473 377977 themarquis suffolk.co.uk/

MENU

Roast beef £17

Roast lamb £17

Steamed lemon sponge £7

Ice cream £7

VERDICT

Atmosphere 5/5

Food 4/5

Decor 4/5

Value 4/5

Service 5/5

Disabled access? YES