Places to eat in Suffolk

Ipswich may well be the county town of Suffolk, but Bury St Edmunds is the region’s capital of cuisine. Maison Bleue is the number one restaurant we’d recommend to anyone staying with us at our Bury St Edmunds hotel. It’s an exceptional French fine-dining restaurant with a lovely location on the Churchgate, just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral Grounds. Book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Other great eateries in Bury St Edmunds include Francela and its marvellous menu of meze and Mediterranean cuisine on Angel Hill, and Cheers, which is just a few doors down and has the best steaks in town. Pea Porridge is a beautiful French bistro with hidden gem status on Cannon Street. For the price, you’ll struggle to find food this good anywhere else.

Our next recommendation is a bit out of the way, but it’s well worth hunting down. The Leaping Hare is the restaurant at the Wyken Vineyards in Stanton. It’s been in the Good Food Guide for a quarter of a century, has a Bib Gourmand to its name and a 20-year-run in the Michelin Guide. The food is sublime, the countryside setting is stunning, and it goes without saying the wine list will knock your socks off.

If you are staying with us at one of our Ipswich hotels we’ve gathered together our favourite places to eat in Ipswich all in one place to help you decide where to go for dinner. Three of our favourites include the awesome and authentic Japanese food being dished out at Takayama on Fore Street, the salt and pepper squid at the always-excellent Trongs Chinese restaurant on St Nicholas Street, and the taste-bud tantalising Turkish restaurant Alaturka on Great Colman Street.

We’ll finish with a few other honourable mentions that are dotted around Suffolk. The Lighthouse is the best restaurant on the Suffolk Coast. It’s on the High Street in Aldeburgh. The food is sublime. It specialises in seafood. The service is excellent. Book in advance and see why everyone raves about the place.

JOJO’s in Lowestoft does some of the best burgers we’ve ever eaten. It’s a kitchen and bar, so the drinks selection is stellar as well. Blue Naan in Felixstowe is our first port of call when we’re craving a curry. It’s not your everyday Indian restaurant. The food is plated beautifully and tastes even better. Lastly, there’s the vegan-friendly Prandium of Southwold, which you can visit for breakfast, lunch and dinner for some serious deliciousness made fresh to order.

Other excellent daytime eateries and cafes are all around Suffolk. Edwards in Halesworth describes itself as “Home Cooking at its Best”. Try it for yourself and you’ll struggle to argue with them. Ingredients are locally sourced, some are even hand-grown, and the meat and eggs come from local farms and butchers. You won’t find a friendlier cafe.

The pancakes from Petite Pancakes in Stowmarket are the best thing since sliced bread. The Cafe is lovely, light and airy and the location on the Market Place is ideal. Visiting Lavenham Blue Vintage Tea Room for a cuppa and some cake is like going back in time. It’s your quintessential English tea room with giant doorstep sandwiches and beautiful rhubarb and ginger scones.

The Earsham Street Cafe in Bungay has one of our favourite cafe menus in the county, as well as a beautiful garden if the weather’s nice enough to eat al fresco. Lastly, there’s the Sole Bay Fish Co. on the Blackshore of Southwold. The fish is freshly caught with the company’s own boat and gets smoked on-site. The grilled crevettes are gorgeous, the poached lobster is lovely, and don’t even get us started on the beer-battered oysters.