Restaurant Review: The Whalebone Inn

The Whalebone Inn is a picturesque pub-restaurant situated in the beautiful village of Fingringhoe, Colchester, in a well-restored Grade 2 listed building, with exposed beams and countryside charm.

You can sit outside in the quiet garden space, overlooking the fields down to the river, or sit inside and enjoy the cosy, rustic vibes.

Read on to find out what we thought of the food at The Whalebone Inn...

I first heard about The Whalebone from an uncle, who had been there before and was visiting a friend close by when Cameron and I went a met him for lunch. The food was incredible and we sat outside in the garden area, which was beautiful and peaceful. We have since been back several times just to sit in the garden again with a drink and take in the views. When we've been lucky, the fields in the distance are full of cows and, if you know me, I love cows! Anyway, back to the restaurant...

More recently, we went back to The Whalebone to have dinner with family. During this visit, I decided to take some photos so that I could share this experience and get the word out about how amazing this place is.

I didn't photograph my family's food because I wanted them to be able to eat and enjoy without me shoving a camera over their plate, but I did photograph my own food and Cameron's main course.

For starters, Cameron had the chicken wings which he said were "amazing, flavoursome and fell off the bone." That makes me feel a little queasy as a someone who doesn't eat meat, but he assured me that they were great wings. I ordered the garlic bread, thinking it would be a single portion or a small flatbread... I was very wrong. This whole garlic bread baguette came out! Maybe it was more of a side dish but I really fancied some garlic bread. I'm also not ashamed to say that I ate the entire thing to myself, minus one slice that Cameron ate. It was crisp, buttery and some of the best garlic bread I've ever had.

Then we get to the mains.

I ordered the fish and chips and I thought it was rather ironic that whilst eating at The Whalebone, my fish was the size of a whale. Look at this:

It didn't even fit on the plate! They really do incredible portion sizes here. The batter on the fish was stunning. It melted in your mouth and the fish was soft and succulent. I've had so many fish and chip dishes in my life, with some where the fish is too dry and almost crumbly, but this was perfection. The chips were also glorious. I'm not usually a fan of chunky chips; I prefer fries, but these were cooked so beautifully that I'd go as far to say they're some of the best chips I've ever eaten.

I honestly couldn't fault my main course and would definitely order this again on a returning visit. Although I love food, I do like to find a dish I like and stick to it, so I feel lucky to have ordered this from their menu.

Then we get to Cameron's main. Again, as a non-meat-eater, it is hard to pass comment on his food but I asked him about it so you can know what it was actually like. As soon as I said to him, "What can you tell me about the ribs you had at The Whalebone?", he closed his eyes and said "memorable". He then added that they "melt in your mouth" and were "beautifully flavoured". I must say, they looked great on the plate - very well-presented.

Annoyingly, we didn't have any room for dessert. After eating an entire garlic bread baguette and a whale-sized cod, it makes sense. Dessert is usually my favourite course but I didn't want to force it. I had to undo my trouser button in the car, I was that full!

Next time, I will go for a main and dessert so I can try what they have to offer because I liked the sound of their lemon posset and pistachio double chocolate brownie. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

If you want to find out more about The Whalebone Inn, check out their menu or make a booking, you can find them here.