Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded settlement, gained city status in 2022. Every city needs a refined restaurant, and Kintsu filled that niche in Colchester. Chef Paul Wendholt initially closed Kintsu in May 2025 due to financial difficulties. The restaurant's name, Kintsu, references kintsugi, the Japanese art of embracing imperfection. Fittingly, Wendholt, a two-time Essex Chef of the Year, reopened Kintsu just four months later. The restaurant now offers an eight-course tasting menu for £90 per person. It is located in a Grade II-listed building down a back lane next to an NCP car park. Despite its unglamorous setting, the food is the main draw. Highlights include treacle-cured Dingley Dell pork and Colchester cherries with amaretto. Kintsu offers thoughtful, clever cooking that prioritizes taste.