Slightly off the beaten track, Memoirs in Colchester seems like the place to go for a peaceful, laidback meal.

The restaurant, which is located next to the Town Hall and is used for wedding receptions, boasts classy décor and we were quick to pick up on the wedding venue vibe.

At first my boyfriend and I felt a little out of our comfort zone as the level of sophistication was something we were not used to, however the staff were friendly enough to take the edge off the atmosphere.

The menu was just as sophisticated and well-executed as the restaurant itself. To start I had the tomato soup and my boyfriend had a pressed beef and bacon terrine. The starter was accompanied by complimentary bread and we were given a detailed description of the types of bread we would be tasting (‘this is super fancy’, we thought).

My boyfriend was impressed with the terrine, as even though there were flavours he was not used to, he said they were each very subtle. My soup on the other hand could have had an extra kick- it was enjoyable, but a little bland.

It was a pleasant surprise to be asked whether we were ready for our main course. I had Ratatouille Tagliatelle and my boyfriend had braised pork belly with a mustard mash. My pasta was incredible with its crumbly feta and Mediterranean-style vegetables, even though it was a little dry in places.

Following this we were given a palette cleanser, which was a pineapple sorbet. Again, we were not expecting such luxury and grew excited over the tin scoops of sorbet that were placed in front of us. It did the trick. We were ready for our dessert to finish things off.

My eye was drawn to the word ‘chocolate’ as always and I was so impressed when a chocolate tart with hazelnut ice-cream and floral decoration came out. It was amazing- that’s all I need to say. My boyfriend asked the waiter to “surprise him” with his dessert. He came back with three scoops of ice-cream - one which tasted exactly like apple crumble, an elderflower scoop, and a vanilla sorbet.

Just as we thought things couldn’t get any more posh we were given some petit four, which translates as ‘small oven’ in French. It is a small sweet or savoury appetizer, and in our case we were given a homemade Snickers square. We were full to the point of bursting, but my love of peanuts meant it went down a treat.

We were both so impressed by how relaxed and private the evening was. It’s the perfect place to wind down after work. We made a promise to take advantage of the fancy cocktail bar on our next visit, which may make for a more eventful night.

KATHERINE PALMER

Memoirs Restaurant West Stockwell Street Colchester memoirscolchester.co.uk

MENU

Tomato soup- £4.95

Beef and bacon terrine- £6.25

Ratatouille Tagliatelle- £11.95

Braised pork belly- £14.95

Chocolate tart- £5.95

Ice cream scoops- £5.95

Total – £50

VERDICT

Atmosphere 4/5

Food 5/5

Decor 4/5

Value 4/5

Service 5/5

Disabled access? Yes