September 2023 by amphcoop
Didn?t have a clue where to eat on our day out in Aldeburgh. Glad we picked this restaurant. Nice welcome , lovely table with a nice view of the restaurant. Great service from the staff , who were helpful and knowledgeable. Seafood lovers , right up our street . Great fish . All in all a lovely dining experience. Well worth the money spent in this lively , trendy establishment.
September 2023 by caropl
What a lovely dining room! Light and airy, even on one of the hottest days of the year! Gastronomically this was the high point of our holiday to Suffolk, and the standard locally was high. The restaurant has become very popular since it opened and friends warned us to book ahead. For a week day lunch this was not necessary, but a different story in the evening I suspect. The main theme is fish, but they do include some beef etc. from the local specialist butcher. The fish we had was superb. My husband started with 12 oysters, which he said were really glorious and very well cleaned and prepared, from the local oyster beds. I had escargots (snails) in garlic butter, which were very tasty, served with good locally baked sourdough. Our main course was a whole Brill, baked over coals and served whole at our table, which was a "special" and had come in on the morning day boat. So fresh it still had plans! It came with salad, chips and homemade tartare sauce. The luxury of such a whole white flat fish served for two was complemented with a very nice Chablis from a wine list which starts relatively reasonably and goes up the to stratosphere. We enjoyed the more reasonable end of it! The service was great: tall elegant maitre'd was efficient but informal and welcoming, and a team of young people assisted, providing tap water with ice without quibble, and pouring and topping our glasses. To complete the meal we had a nice summer pudding (me) and the cheese (him) which was voted very good selection of local cheeses. Plus coffee this was a memorable meal: and we were not chased away afterwards, being able to linger. They also welcomed a couple with a small baby at a nearby table, for whom a high chair was quickly found, and no fuss. It was not a cheap meal, the main was £100 for two people: but seriously worth it!!
September 2023 by P7754PYmarys
Very nice seafood meal. Drew who served us was very personable and advised about the menu. Enjoyed the meal personally but thought the area was a bit overcrowded especially for the cost of the food.
September 2023 by Jack Wake-Walker
Very disappointing. The ambience and location is nice but it is let down by the below average food at London+ prices. My scallops (starter) and half lobster (main) were too greasy, very salty, and pretty small, while the Eton mess dessert was far too sweet. The lobster came with chips, but other guests' dishes just came on their own - simple piece of fish and bland sauce at over £25 each. They think they are a fine dining restaurant that can justify charging these prices, but sadly they are not.
August 2023 by Rebecca Rathbone
Excellent food and outstanding service. A visit to The Suffolk in Aldeburgh is essential.From the moment we walked in, we felt very welcome and relaxed. The staff were incredible, very attentive but not in an overbearing way. Nothing was too much trouble. Lunch was delicious using local produce - we opted for the Scallops and beetroot tartare to start followed by the Dover Sole and Lobster. This restaurant is also incredibly child and dog friendly. My 3 year old chose cod goujons and chips and cleaned her plate. Also worth a note is the great selection of drinks - alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The shirley temple was a big hit as was the light and buttery chablis. Make sure you enjoy a drink on the terrace. We will definitely be back soon.
August 2023 by Melanie Jones
Very impressed with first visit here last night. Lovely seafood dishes. My main course of Turbot with smoked mussel butter was a delight. Also great to go out for dinner on a Sunday evening and not have the limited choice one usually gets when out for dinner on Sunday evenings. The seating is comfortable and the ambiance and decor promotes a lovely seaside feel. Nice helpful staff too. A walk on the beach on a warm evening afterwards was an added bonus.Would suggest best to book in advance, seems very popular and most walk ins could not get a table.
August 2023 by dinersoros
A drink on the terrace followed by a lobster lunch on a sunny day in Aldeburgh was just perfect. Looked after by the lovely lady, Simona, who was warm , welcoming and efficient -
August 2023 by Robert Budd
A special meal for my Wife?s birthday. The food was well prepared and presented, but as someone has already mentioned, £30 for a tiny half-lobster and chips - without even a claw - we found a bit excessive. My Dover Sole was delicious, but it was offered with only butter and a wedge of lemon. I ended up paying an extra £13 for potatoes and hispi cabbage, meaning that my main course cost not much less than a two-course meal for two in a local gastro-pub.In my view the practice of putting a main-course item on a menu with no accompaniment and then charging an arm and a leg for 'sides' should be banned!The service was good and friendly and the general ambiance pleasant, but the noise level can get a little oppressive.
August 2023 by Russell Moverley
Great food. Excellent fish dishes and the general atmosphere is great. The wine list needs attention. Lacks diversity and depth ? Maybe offer a BYO+ corkage option
August 2023 by ElizabethRamsgate
Our third trip annual summer visit to this gem. A glass of champagne and oysters on the rooftop terrace, followed by dinner of lobster and chocolate tart in the buzzy restaurant. Special and fun.
August 2023 by Melody C
The crab starter was excellent, but unfortunately as other reviewers have noted the lobster was very small, and the herb butter dressing is placed on the shell and not the meat so completely wasted. At £30 for the half lobster the portion was measly and extremely overpriced. The mocktail I ordered came in a small high ball glass, priced at £6 so again, this was a very expensive. I have given one star for the starter and one star for the service, which I can?t fault. Finally, for a high end restaurant the bathroom facilities were inadequate.
July 2023 by sammiejaneh73
Popped in for impromptu Cocktails, we were immediately, and rudely turned away as it was ?too busy? the underlying message we were not welcome. I can assure you we were as well dressed as the other customers, but did not sound the same, as a regular visitors to Aldeburgh, but will not revisit this place. We had earlier shared a wonderful lunch in the welcoming Lighthouse that day, and it is exceptional, and leaving my review now!
July 2023 by Juannmill
Was really disappointed that we were turned away. The roof top bar wasn't that busy and we were told there was no space. We obviously were not the right kind of clientele. Too selective and very pretentious.
July 2023 by FineFoodie11
We had the half lobster and lamb cutlets. The lobster was one of the smallest I?ve been served and the lamb one of the thinnest! The fries were great, thin and crispy and also the hispi cabbage was a delight. There is no mention of the drink measures in the menu so I was shocked that £6 for Peroni was only a half pint! Similarly no measure for wine by the glass. We have so many great places to eat in Suffolk but I doubt that I shall return here.
July 2023 by Tom C
This restaurant is the best in Aldeburgh. I?ve been 3 times now and is always brilliant. Food is fabulous if you like seafood. Great oysters and terrific service. My only complaint is 5hat they have no plates for a dozen oysters which is on the menu. So you get two plates of 6. Very annoying. Buy some more plates!
