The bank holiday weekend is upon us and with many pubs and restaurants back open again, we've put together a list of some of your favourites. 

There's no shortage of brilliant pubs in north Essex to choose from.

We asked what restaurants, pubs and bars you guys had missed most during lockdown.

And we had lots of suggestions - here is what you said.

*All these pubs are open subject to Covid-19 rules, please check if you need to book before visiting

The Cricketers, Spring Lane, Eight Ash Green

The pub is located in the quiet village of Eight Ash Green, just on the outskirts of Colchester.

Liz Adams described it as a "fantastic pub and restaurant".

She said: "It’s a lovely pub, the food is always top quality and they’re still keeping going under these circumstances we’re in.

"They’ve diversified into doing a fantastic takeaway service, delivering to the villages near them and customers can go and collect their meals as well.

"It’s very hard for them but they’re surviving fortunately."

The Prettygate Pub, The Commons, Colchester

Craig Bettinelli suggested The Prettygate Pub, which is located in, you guessed it, Prettygate in Colchester.

He said it was the best watering hole in Colchester "because of the staff, locals and atmosphere".

Three Wise Monkeys, Colchester

A relative newcomer to Colchester town centre, Three Wise Monkeys is now probably the most popular nightspot in the town.

Run by Pasini Leisure, which also owns Twisters and V Bar, it normally draws residents to the High Street at weekend.

Its smokehouse restaurant upstairs is extremely popular and it hosts regular gigs during normal times.

Read more:

The King's Arms, Crouch Street, Colchester

Famous for its huge beer garden, which we can't wait to hopefully visit in the summer, The King's Arms in Colchester was also a popular choice amongst out readers.

The historic water hole also offers alfresco dining in the summer months.

Jamie Schofield said it was "without a doubt" the best pub in north Essex.

Billy Nicholls mentioned the aforementioned beer garden in his nomination.

The Horse and Groom, The Cross, Wivenhoe

Residents of Wivenhoe have a lot of choice when it comes to pubs.

But Sharon Richards said the Horse and Groom was the best of the lot.

She said it was a "friendly local pub and had lots of good band".

The Wooden Fender, Ardleigh

The Wooden Fender, in Colchester Road, Ardleigh was suggested by several of our readers.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of pub classics to eat and has a lovely beer garden for when the weather improves.

The Sun Inn, Dedham

The Sun is a fantastic country pub in the heart of Constable Country.

The food is special and the pub has been listed in Waitrose's Good Food Guide.

Several of our readers suggested it as a location they've been missing.