The front of The Suffolk on Aldeburgh's high street
A restaurant with rooms by the sea
The Suffolk comes from owner George Pell who you might remember from L'Escargot in Soho and who popped up in Aldeburgh with L'Escargot Sur-Mer last year. He's taken over a building right in the heart of Aldeburgh, just a stone's throw from the (stony) beach. The high street spot used to be a restaurant and has now had a dramatic overhaul, having been converted into a new restaurant and bar, with six rooms to stay over in.
Aldeburgh's an area that's long been a very popular staycation spot (we've been there a few times ourselves) but is not blessed with many great places to stay if you don't fancy self-catering. The Suffolk is doing a very good job of filling that gap.
Look and feel
A look at the bar, with its collection of old school records - and also the view from their terrace.
We're definitely very much in boutique hotel/restaurant territory here, so it looks quite different from most of the other pubs and restaurants in Aldeburgh, which makes the place a nice contrast. From the extensive art collection to gentle direction with the colour schemes (green in the bar which faces towards the marches, sea-blue in the restaurant looking towards the sea) it's all rather beautiful.
There's also a brand new roof terrace which is gearing up to open for the first time this summer. It's large, facing the sea and - with a planned plancha grill turning out wood-fired dishes - seems set to be the place on sunny days.
The rooms
This is Orford Ness, one of the rooms that can be converted to a twin and which also has a view of the sea.
There are six bedrooms in total, two of which can be made into twin or king beds. There's a modern yet retro feel to the rooms each with modern bathrooms - as befits a place that has only just had a refit.
A special mention here goes to the small 'honesty' bar/fridge in the hallway that's accessible to all rooms. Here you'll find tea and coffee but also some snacks - we very much appreciated the Baron Bigod, chutney and crackers for a late-night snack. Most importantly, there's everything you need for a Negroni if you fancy a late-night aperitif.
Food and Drink
The main restaurant, Sur Mer
The "restaurant" part of The Suffolk is Sur Mer, which is both a restaurant and bar and, as the name suggests, has a focus on seafood (pretty much the case for everywhere in Aldeburgh).
If you're dining here, you'll definitely want to stop in the bar first (or afterwards for one last drink before heading back to the room or out into the night). There's a bar menu here that we think shouldn't be missed. Even if you can't grab a space in the bar first, we'd say to definitely ask for a look at the bar menu as they're a great way to kick off the meal and there are some notably inventive snacks on there. For instance, they've had partridge satay (£6), smoked mussel tempura (£6) and black ham and Baron Bigod croquettes (£8). If you're staying nearby and just looking for drinks and snacks one evening - this would be a great place to come.
On the night, we went for:
That's a Sur-Mertini (£14) gin, oyster liquor, Martini Bianco, lemon bitters and with an oyster on the side. It's paired with deviled eggs and avruga caviar (£6) and seaweed poppadoms with oyster mayonnaise (£3). All are strongly recommended.
Then, it's onto the main restaurant - a nice and airy affair with plenty of windows (you can just see the sea from some of them) and an extra side conservatory-style room that could double as a private area. On a busy night, as it was when we visited, there's a really pleasant vibe to this room.
As for the food, we've already mentioned that it's a predominantly seafood affair, and that's what we focused on during our visit. However, there is plenty on the menu to suit those who aren't on the hunt for a fish supper. So you'll find dishes like a saddle of Suffolk lamb stuffed with wild garlic and morels (£28) or a chateaubriand with chips, hispi cabbage and bearnaise to share (£80).
That said, seafood is really where it's at. If you're making the trip from London and are a fan of L'Escargot then you will find snails on the menu here too (£14 for half a dozen with the option to flambe them in Ricard for an extra £2). Scallops, crab, and more seafood staples all make an appearance. Here's a taste of what we went for:
Oysters baked with bacon and garlic (£12)
Curry battered sea bass with pickled carrots. We loved the flavour on the batter with this one - a version of this should stay on the menu full-time. If available, it's a must-order.
Half native British lobster with chips and an almost indecently garlic butter (£30)
We were only going to go for two desserts but we were convinced to add on the excellent lemon posset. The rhubarb frangipane tart and the chocolate delice with caramel sauce and pistachio (all £9) were also very good indeed.
As for breakfast, we think you'll definitely want to have something at the restaurant again - you just might need a little (or long) walk on the seafront after this:
The Full Suffolk - Lane Farm bacon, Aldeburgh sausage, Fruit Pig black pudding, fried egg, mushrooms, baked beans, rosti tomato. There's also an omelette Arnold Bennett on the breakfast menu.
What to do in Aldeburgh?
Both of us at Hot Dinners have been to Aldeburgh a few times, so we've more or less got the lie of the land over the years. First off, there are plenty of great walks from the town (a stroll to Thorpeness is recommended) and it's a good swimming spot too (in decent weather anyway if you can brave those North Sea temperatures).
The town is blessed with some great pubs and The Cross Keys remains our own personal favourite along with the Mill Inn. The White Hart is good too, but it's worth noting that it has a strict no-children policy (that may well make it a strong recommendation for you).
Looking out at the beach on Aldeburgh.
Food-wise, the town is home to two excellent fish and chip shops, with The Aldeburgh Fish and Chip Shop being the one that gets the highest recommendation. That's best for grabbing something to eat on the beach at lunchtime (seagulls permitting, of course).
As for restaurants, we'd put Sur Mer at the top of the list now, but if you're there for a few days, The Lighthouse is probably the best-regarded in town (but make sure to book ahead). On our visit, we also had dinner at The Aldeburgh Market, just a few steps away from The Suffolk, and we'd definitely recommend that too for a decent fish supper (and it's open later than the fish and chip shops).
What else is in the area?
Aldeburgh is a perfect base to tour around, so having a car is handy if you want to explore as much as possible.
About 30 minutes north is Southwold and, if the weather's behaving, this is well worth a visit. Recommended there is the pier, particularly for its old-school amusement arcade. There's a sandy beach there too, and we'd strongly recommend a visit to Sole Bay Fish Company's Little Fish and Chip Shop which does what it advertises very well indeed.
About 20 minutes from Aldeburgh in the other direction is Orford. If you're into your chocolate then this is a must-visit as it's the home of Pump Street who have both a bakery and coffee shop and chocolate shop in the area. In Orford, you should also pay a visit to Pinney's for some truly excellent smoked goods (the smoked salmon in particular is amazing).
A new(ish) addition to the area is PInch Bakery in Saxmundham (about 15-20 minutes drive from Aldeburgh). This is the passion project of Alice Norman, previously at Kricket, Clipstone and Levan in London, who is baking up a storm here. Her crullers (deep-fried doughnut-like pastries) are phenomenal, particularly the honey and bacon ones. We'd strongly recommend you make sure to pay Pinch a visit.
A fish supper from The Little FIsh & Chip Shop in Southwold, Crullers from Pinch and hot chocolate from Pump Street Bakery.
Finally, about 20 minutes from Aldeburgh in Woodbridge, you'll also find what's currently no. 2 on the Top 50 Gastropubs list, The Unruly Pig. So you could well make a sneaky visit to that too.
Getting there
The easiest way to visit Aldeburgh is by car. We'd strongly recommend that because, from London, it takes about the same time as travelling by train and it lets you visit the area around the town. We've barely scratched the surface on what you can see in the area above.
If that's not possible (and staying in Aldeburgh alone is still a great getaway), then your best bet is a train to Saxmundham (changing at Ipswich) from which you've a 15-minute taxi trip to Aldeburgh. There are local buses connecting most of the towns too.
Overall thoughts
Aldeburgh may have been better known for self-catering accommodation before, but with the arrival of The Suffolk it now has the excellent boutique hotel it was waiting for. All beautifully and tastefully kitted out, The Suffolk makes for an incredibly comfortable stay. And that's before you get into the restaurant and bar, which are easily vying for the top spot in Aldeburgh's dining out scene. It's a great place for a staycation and comes strongly recommended.
More about The Suffolk
Where is it? 152 High St, Aldeburgh IP15 5AQ
Rooms and pricing: There are six rooms in The Suffolk, two of which can be converted to twin rooms. Prices start at £192 a night.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @thesuffolkaldeburgh.
Hot Dinners stayed as guests of The Suffolk. Prices correct at time of publication.
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