Colchester's Church Street Tavern a must-visit for incredible drinks

Having opened ten years ago this month, the plush bar, in Church Street near the Mercury Theatre, is in one of those gorgeous 18th century buildings you see dotted around the city centre.

I therefore had somewhat high expectations before I ventured in.

At 10pm on a Wednesday night, following an overrun meeting, it was good to walk into the public house and see several people still there, sitting in their own zones on the huge spacious ground floor.

Space - A comfortable sofa area (Image: Newsquest)

Taking a second to look around, there were board games, puzzles, maps, large couches and a mishmash of chairs filling - but not overwhelming - the grand space, making it feel like a hangout for well-behaved adults (in a good way).

For my first round, I ordered a blood orange Paloma for £9.50 which was described as a “cousin of the margarita but longer” alongside a non-alcoholic Ginger Switchel and soda, said to be a modern take on a classic 1,800s American drink.

Alternatives - (Left to Right) The alcoholic blood orange paloma and the non-alcoholic ginger switchel and soda (Image: Newsquest)

Both drinks were served in tumbler glasses with straws like an American diner, the Paloma being a crowd-pleaser with it having some sort of sweet and sour margarita influence.

The hints of chilli in the Ginger Switchel made it an unusual and excellent alternative with just enough bite, making other soft drinks feel a bit bland. For its price of £3.50 it really felt like a steal.

I have had numerous, vibrantly coloured cocktails which are often very nice and served in plastic cups during the summer, but my next cocktail - the Artlantic - was a £9.50 blue-green drink in a category of its own.

Chilly - The wonderful Artantic cocktail was very chilled (Image: Newsquest)

Despite it having no menu description of what actually is in the cocktail – apart from that it is based off the drink at the Atlantic bar, a 1990s celebrity haunt – the combination of gin and absinthe was refreshing and worthy of each sip and should perhaps come in pitcher-form. 

Desperate to see if I could recreate the Artlantic Experience, I tactically chose the £8.50 Corpse Reviver Number Blue, a twist on the Savoy recipe for the Classic Number Two.

Elegant - The Corpse reviver number two 'blue' came in a trendy martini wine glass (Image: Newsquest)

I loved this stronger gin cocktail, with its delicious lemon twist, and it certainly raised my already high spirits.

With a true sense of adventure, Church Street Tavern’s meticulously curated drinks menu takes the best of London’s high-standards and gives it a down-to-earth Colchester twist.