Seafood restaurant
Fresh Seafood, Proper Plates
Right next to the castle gates, Cod of the Castle is serving up a fresh take on classic coastal cooking! From buttery garlic prawns to whole sea bass, hearty fish casseroles, and our famous seafood platters, everything is made with quality ingredients and castle-sized flavour.

Something for Everyone
Not a seafood fan? No worries – we’ve got you covered. From honey-roast rotisserie chicken and confit duck leg to our hearty vegetarian favourites like Hearth-Roasted Aubergine or Halloumi Joust, there’s plenty to love even if you’re skipping the seafood. We’ve even got a top-notch burger!
A Seat for Every Setting
Daytimes are full of families, laughter, and the clatter of great plates. As evening rolls in, the lighting softens, the wine flows, and the vibe gets just a touch more relaxed – perfect for both casual dinners and special nights out.


From the Press
We were thrilled to be featured by Suffolk Food Stories – they had plenty of kind (and delicious) words to say.
What Colchester's saying
From first bites to return visits — here’s what our lovely guests have to say about Cod of the Castle.
Chris Allwood2025-07-25Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Visited on spur of the moment and it didn’t disappoint . Very friendly staff. Food was first rate. Shared a starter of Crab on toast as it was such a large portion. The Freshly cooked Haddock and chips were fantastic as was so im told the Dressed crab. Desserts again were lovely and i recommend trying the Quince with clotted cream ( yes i had to google what Quince was before ordering). A fantastic venue would highly recommend. Louise Ring2025-07-19Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My husband had cod and chips which was good. I had fish casserole which was honestly delicious. Also chocolate torte for desert which was gorgeous. Lovely staff. Highly recommend and we are looking forward to returning. Bill Scott2025-07-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent food. Octopus & squid so very tender. Crab salad and battered haddock , again both excellent. Poached Quince - a must try if unfamiliar - fragrant, fresh , delicious! Very friendly and attentive staff. A very welcome addition to colchester. We shall definitely return. Thanks team! Natasha Albon2025-07-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lovely restaurant- decorated to a high standard and really tasteful. Staff superb- friendly, warm and welcoming. Food was excellent- perfectly cooked and great value. Mark Haigh2025-07-16Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. visited Colchester today with the parents. walked in to have lunch here. quite a few people in for a Wednesday. initially slow service as only one staff member in but quickly they had lots of staff come on duty and then no issues. menu has a lot of choice and decent prices. we had haddock and chips twice, rock eel and chips and the seafood stew. everything was absolutely excellent, cooked hot and fresh, massive haddock, chips were just like chip shop and the fish stew was one of the best things I have had in a pub seeing, lots of white fish, salmon, prawns and even scallops in a tomato broth. it's a prime location in Colchester and unusually for that, the food is extremely good. everyone around us had large portions and enjoyed their meal, so really hope this place continues and thrives. highly recommended++++ Alex2025-07-16Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Best fish and chips in Colchester. Carole Barrass2025-07-16Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Just had lunch here. Great welcome and service by Lucas who was just charming. The calamari was cooked perfectly with a lovely thin crispy batter. Husband had the prawns in a rich tomato sauce (which were immediately offered as they had run out of octopus ) and he thoroughly enjoyed them. The homemade tartare sauce was delicious. Bonus was proper 'chippy' chips to share! Great little gem of a find. Charlotte Kirby2025-07-16Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Absolutely faultless food! The menu offers a wide range, and although pricey, it is worth it for the quality. The Octopus starter is one of the best I have tried 😋 Ingrid Hughes2025-07-15Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Absolutely amazing food great service 100% be going back