1530 Restaurant in Suffolk Coastal

As other reviews have testified the surroundings and building are truly inviting therefore I won't add to that. We booked dinner in the 1530 restaurant and to be fair the food was to a good standard when it eventually arrived. The crab tablets were excellent and the mains of duck and trio of lamb were enjoyable. I will say the lamb was pink how I liked it, but with the only downside being the fat was not rendered down enough. The drinks/wine were reasonably priced too. It seems that you have drinks in the bar beforehand and pick up menus when you go through to the restaurant, whereas in a venue such it would be nice to view the menus in the bar and have your orders taken beforehand and be advised when the table is ready. This convention would seem more normal to us. It might avoid what followed. After taking our seats in the restaurant we had to wait 20 minutes for our order to be taken. Consequently it took a good 15-20 minutes for each further course to be delivered after plates were cleared. While I would not attach blame to the mainly two young visible waiting staff, occasionally augmented by another young staff member, because mostly they were trying hard to cover at least 40+ covers of which there was a party of a dozen. Furthermore, they were quite young and appeared to be little more than senior students. It was more about them being provided with sufficient training by the management team to cope and being able to engage better with the diners. Occasionally, there was another lady who helped out with serving, but she just had her head down all the time and didn't engage hardly at all. It was a shame about this as Seckford Hall could be a great place to dine given a few small adjustments.

We booked for the Easter family lunchevent for 12 of us. On arrival we were greeted by friendly staff and a huge rabbit - some of our party liked the rabbit, others found it freaky. When we booked we were assured there would be activities for all our children aged 7, 11 and 15. The magician said they’d come back to our table once the children were there - didn’t happen. The focus was definitely on younger children with only the outside egg hunt for all ages. The meal for families was in the conservatory - pretty and decorated with an Easter theme. Unfortunately it was uncomfortably cold with a draft around the ankles. We were told the heating was on. We were all too cold to hang around for coffee . The food was mediocre. The cold room made everyone uncomfortable. Make sure your table is in the main building which was lovely and warm, otherwise take leg warmers and coats.

Decided to try this for lunch . On arrival we went to the reception and asked if we could get a sandwich for lunch we were directed to order in the restaurant , at no time were we advised of where we could sit and didn’t realise until leaving that there was a bar with tables you could sit at so ended up sitting at very low lounge chairs and a low coffee table . Our order was taken ,my hot chocolate was luke warm my mother’s black coffee Undrinkable as it was so hot . We ordered a baguette with honey roast ham , cheese and chutney , this arrived with knives and forks on a wooden board ( unhygienic) with salad with dressing on and a pot of crisps. The baguette had been toasted and was so tough my mother found it impossible to chew . It was made with cheap spread / margarine and I had to remove lots of fat from ham which was not good quality . The cheese was grated and had no flavour with little evidence of chutney . On paying we were asked if everything was ok and said no and the member of staff said “oh dear ,sorry about that “!!! Beautiful building but you need to up your game the price was over £29 and definitely not worth it .

Came here early when the restaurant opened at 1830. Really nice menu. Food was very good and really enjoyed. Desert was lovely, but we we’re waiting to attract someone to get us our bill and 30 minutes later, we gave up and paid at the till. To be fair there was an event going on next door, so staff were very busy. But overall it was a really pleasant birthday meal.

I never usually complain but this was the worst meal I’ve ever had. We started with the soup. Does the chef think pouring it infront of you at the table will make it taste better? Because it didn’t work, you could tell this pale slop wasn’t going to be nice and it wasn’t, it was like flavourless baby food. Then we had chicken, again they pour some bizarre oil/liquid all over it in front us at the table which tasted horrible, as the chicken came with some sauce on the side, this mixed with the liquid and made the most vile combination, the chicken came in a bowl which made it impossible to cut, and it came with one slice of a mushroom which had a horrible texture. There was supposed to be a lemon sorbet pallette cleanser between courses which we never saw. We didn’t bother staying for dessert despite it being included with our hotel package. I left starving. None of the food seemed very well thought out and lacked the right textures or flavours. I can’t believe a beautiful hotel could get their food so wrong.

I have a dairy intolerance and the chef cooked the mushroom risotto dairy free for me. My husband also commented on the excellent food

The restaurant is very pleasant and comfortable and the food is amazing. We were there for two nights and had different meals and every one was exceptional. Really nice. Definitely recommended

worth a visit you would not be disappointed staff are great and a good welcome nice bar and relaxing

I was staying in the hotel and decided to have dinner there as there isn't much else nearby. It was really tasty but still a little overpriced (£30 for a beef wellington). The atmosphere was pleasant enough.

The restaurant is set in Seckford Hall, which was built in the 16th Century, so it's an interesting and beautiful building to visit. The restaurant keeps some of the charm of that period but is in a very pleasant room. The menu had plenty of choices at a wide range of prices. I had the steak and my wife had the chicken supreme. Both of the meals were very nice. We were warned that there might be a slight wait because of the food being cooked to order but it wasn't too long a delay. Although we've seen comments on here about poor service, we certainly had no complaints and found the service was pleasant and attentive without interrupting us every few minutes to ask if the meal was ok. We would be happy to eat here again.

Nice evening menu with some interesting inclusions as well as less strong dishes ("twice-cooked souffle" was a non-event), spoiled by slow service. Below average breakfast- very mediocre "Full English".

7 adults 2 children had mother's Day lunch the staff were pleasant but service was abismol food was cold asked for gravy none came asked for wine none came it was to include a glass of fizz we had to ask waiter he had to go and ask eventually received it we had to wait a long time in-between course's my chicken should have had dauphinoise potato with it had to ask again it came after I had nearly eaten my meal wouldn't go again so disappointing for a family get together over all it was 3 hours we had a 4 year old and 2 year old they were so good and patient thank goodness for that not many children would wait without a fuss never again

Brought clients here for a dinner service, around 10 of us ate and were seated comfortably. Turkey dinner, and the Suffolk Chicken Breast came with good reviews. Would recommend for business meals. All staff from reception, bar, thru to the wait staff were very polite.

When we arrived for our golden wedding annversary meal Firstly not impressed with the room as tables not set very well My daughter-in-law put balloons up so thought they would make an effort with us My starter was a shared seafood platter where ch was £19 and it was rubbish I eat 2 prawns lettuce was brown and fish didn’t look appealing Ordered steak as menu wasn’t appealing not much choice When it came supposed this be sirloin it looked more like a thin ribeye steak Coukdnt cut into it so tough even though it was pink so sent it back They asked me what I would like instead so had to have the burger There were a lot of other issues but can’t put them all down

Used to be regular customer before change of ownership. It then did a nose dive, so have waited a couple of years before trying again. Mistake. We were a party of 8. We all thought the entrance hall has been ruined. Horrible dark grey paint everywhere, reception hatch crudely boarded up. So unwelcoming. Nobody to greet us, had to seek out staff. Horrible grey floor in restaurant. Dim, drab, uninspiring. Food was expensive but mostly ok to good. Service was appalling. Took 3 to 4 hours to be served a 3 course meal. Staff pleasant but had a drink splashed over me. Accidents do happened, young waitress aplogised but no offer of a free drink. Asked for intrusive and unnecessary piped pop music to be turned off. Hot drinks in lounge which was nice with a singer which created some atmosphere reminiscent of how it used to be. In all, I am saddened to write this as it's local to us all. An object lesson in how to ruin the ambience and reputation of a lovely building. Not full on a weekend before Christmas speaks volumes.

Stayed the night and so had breakfast the next morning. It was superb. Huge choice of types of food. Always ready to top up your drinks and the food table. Very attentive staff to an6 needs.

We really enjoyed our stay at Seckford Hall and were looking forward to dinner in the restaurant that I had booked for my husband’s birthday. He thoroughly enjoyed his starter and main course. Very well cooked and delicious. But as a vegetarian, I felt yet again disappointed. Why do chefs think that a vegetarian will be happy on a special night out with a curry? We want to sample the delicious vegetables and the excellent perfectly cooked chips on the menu. There was an option of chargrilled brassica, but I wasn’t paying £13.50 for fried cabbage. That’s the other issue; veggies really get ripped off. Considering there is a boast on the website that they are providing more vegetarian dishes, I suggest the chef should contact the Vegetarian Society to get some better ideas. The other issue in this restaurant, which I think is appalling, is the printing on the menu. There were so many spelling errors, and the allegen data was completely erroneous, that I would be ashamed to show it to any customer. But it did give us a laugh.

Definitely on the up under the new management. Sensible prices, and good quality food. Owner very approachable, and welcomes input. Beautiful building, in a beautiful setting. No price on that.

A restaurant that delivered lovely food, well cooked and with good portion sizes. Service was excellent and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. We were very impressed and will return.

Ate hear whilst staying on a Waitrose deal, hotel very comfortable and the restaurant well laid out. Standard of food and choice very good the only thing that lets it down is the service which on occasions was slow, with some staff needing training. Place settings not being cleared sauces having to be requested rather than offered. Waitress dropping numerous items of cutlery when laying up tables just takes the shin off what could be a starred restaurant. How ever food excellent.

What a difference the new owner has made to this wonderful place. We had stopped going after the last owners took over and made a complete mess of trying to make the hotel in to a ‘trendy’ boutique-type hotel, completely out of character for this marvellous old building. Fortunately, Michael Chittenden has set about returning the Hall to its former glory and what an amazing start he has made in such a short time. Service and food are greatly improved and I believe there are many other changes he is intending to make.

Once again, my partner and I have had a great evening meal at "Seckford Hall". I have been going to Seckford Hall for many many years and I am so pleased that the present owners are putting "Seckford Hall" back to what it was originally.

Had got Married at Seckford many years ago so had wonderful memories. We also have visited on many occasions taking Dinner and Afternoon Tea but had not visited in the lasy few years.......so we were really looking forward to it, especially as it was our birthdays [2 days apart!].

My partner and I enjoyed a superb meal at this restaurant last week. The food was beautifully cooked. I couldn't really work out how they had managed to prepare my lamb to be so tender-the most tender lamb I have ever eaten. I had to conclude that, of course, it was perfectly cooked, but also it was extremely good local lamb to begin with.

Excellent service, didn't catch the name of the waitress but she was charming, even gave us a guided tour after lunch, Food was just about perfect, good value, not cheap but still very good value. Beautiful glasses, cutlery and crockery, lovely atmosphere. Only criticism was the teaspoon for my latte was not long enough!! Not bad, if that is all I could find fault with. Loved it and will be back

A very enjoyable post Christmas family meal. Excellent service from start to finish. We all enjoyed our food, Pork Belly and the Duck being particularly rated, we would have just liked some more gravy, we should have asked and the sticky toffee & apple strudel were outstanding.

The quality of the cuisine and the wine list were excellent as was the overall service both both for dinner as well as breakfast

Whilst passing through midweek myself and family called in unexpectedly however we received a lovely warm welcome and enjoyed our breakfast. Thank you the service was warm and friendly. Excellent :)

Went here with my husband, we had a fantastic meal, couldn't fault the service, very attentive staff, would definitely recommend

I booked a business lunch for 8 people in the restaurant, but reading the reviews I was worried whether the beautiful building would provide a satisfactory lunch! Thankfully service, the 2 course lunch and coffee was superb! Thank you to all who helped with a great day! I We will be back!

Where do I start, perhaps by mention my:

My cousin was visiting from America her husband & mother were also there plus my daughter , trying to think of somewhere special I booked afternoon tea x5 , the location and views are amazing, the building was lovely inside all wood and beams , we walked in the grounds and surprised that the large pond in the grounds were covered in green algae ,

My wife and I entered the grounds, that are fantastic leading down to a red brick Tudor building, very grand.

What a huge disappointment this hotel is. Cold coffee during a business seminar and lunch consisting of sandwiches and lukewarm chips. Afterwards my colleague & I opted to have coffee and cake at a whopping £4.95 each. The cakes are inedible and we sent the first ones back. Kerry was very apologetic (yet it was not her fault), brought us alternatives cakes which were equally awful which we left. My complaints to Charlotte (who was extremely helpful) resulted in her voiding the cost to us. Brilliant service but very disappointing food.

Had lunch in this beautiful setting, and were able to sit in the courtyard, outside because of the lovely sunshine. The food was excellent, but the service was dire! We had to go and get out own drink from the bar, then my husband had to get the menus, followed by another walk inside to order. It only picked up when a nice young waiter served us our meal and was very courteous and attentive. Shame.

Seckford Hall is an impressive tudor mansion and very interesting building. We went chiefly to look at the building. The food we had at lunchtime from their market menu was delicious. We enjoyed it all but would highlight the sea trout if you like fish. Service was fine and unhurried. The only reason I am not awarding 5 stars was because I asked for a dry white house wine as an aperitif and it was a bit sweet and horrible so don't make the same mistake! Otherwise, 5 stars. Well done Seckford Hall!

Lovely surroundings. Very good value lunch booked via Travelzoo, which wasn't hurried at all..quite the opposite. Market (set) menu quite limited in choice but fair do.s our chicken & pork loin meals were very good..just let down by the fact that we were served by any one of 3 staff who didn't really seem to know what they were doing, which made things painfully slow. A dedicated person to our table would have at least meant some continuity !

We visited Seckford Hall restaurant to celebrate a birthday. The service was very slow and we were there over 2 and half hours. The wrong drink was given at one point, out of the 6 roasts that were ordered 3 of them were missing Yorkshire puddings. When the food was bought out it was only warm not hot, although the quality of the main course can not be faulted as it was delicious, just a shame about the temperature. When it got to desert we asked for one of the deserts to be bought out with a candle on which the staff agreed with but then did not do. Overall a very disappointing visit.

Took the family to celebrate relatives birthday for a Sunday lunch. 2 courses for £18 or 3 for £23. The hotel (SECKFORD HALL) and restaurant has a fair deal of character. The food was good and the service, albeit a tad slow, was also efficient enough. Yes, we'd go again!

The scallops and the lamb were the best I've ever had! The wine list is excellent too. 1530 is a beautiful restaurant with staff who want nothing but to give you a great dining experience. The menu is so good, you'll struggle to pick!

We had a great meal here as we were staying overnight. The food was nicely presented and imaginative without being overly pretentious. We found the service to be just right, not intrusive but at the same time attentive. Very enjoyable.

We were invited to a 90th birthday lunch on Saturday. We were a party of nine and took a few minutes to settle. The restaurant was cool on a hot day but the restaurant needs some dressing up, maybe flowers etc and the glasses could do with being upgraded and occasionally polished when they come out of the dishwasher. Plenty of time to observe all this as no waiting staff even produced menus for 30 minutes. This set the timing for the whole meal, with long waits for food to arrive.My meal, which came at a supplement, consisted of 3 small pieces of belly of pork each one about 1/2centimetre wide each. My pudding was also disappointing but I accept it was the restaurants take on eton mess and not mine!The waitresses were under 18 and had received little training which showed in the service. Those that liked red wine enjoyed it chilled initially! Our meal took around 3and 3/4 hours!I have only been to Seckford hall for celebration functions before and on my experience of them had expected so much more of our visit this time.

A good friend and I go out for dinner most weeks, usually to a local pub, however I wanted to push the boat out so we went here.Absolutely lovely setting and a really warm evening, my car felt very insignificant against the high end cars that were in the car park.The restaurant staff were really attentive patient when we had been seated for quite a while but still weren't ready to order as we had been talking too much and and managed our expectations about how long desert would take to arrive (not long actually)The food was excellent with portions just the right size and very well presented. The restaurant setting was lovely and when we left we had a nose into the lounge which looked very inviting. I would love to stay here for a couple of nights, it looks fantastic and I imagine in winter with a roaring fire it would be spectacular.

We used the restaurant for two days, the food was good and the staff on hand to help with happy smiling faces.Gluten free food was no problem.

Lovely evening meal the lamb was cooked to perfection , I was finding it hard to choose and the staff were very helpful and patient. service was wonderful .

I stayed at Seckford Hall the first weekend in March with 11 other family members, as we all travelled from all over to here to surprise my grandma for her 80th. The grounds and hotel are an absolute 5/5 but the restaurant was incredibly poor. We had a table of 12 booked at 8pm, which we booked a couple of months in advance. I am fully understanding when dining, as I also work in this industry but I have to say our table (which was centre of the room) was completely ignored and we did have 2 hungry children on our table. We waited over half hour for someone to take our order, in the meantime we saw every other table in the restaurant around us being given bread and butter and us completely ignored. We had to ask a waitress and again ask a man, no one seemed to care too much. We then received our starters at 9.30 including the kids food - we were never given an explanation or apology or update along the way, we had to ask several members of staff where are food was. The satay was cold and the monkfish main was minuscule, but above all the service was SO poor and even more so at breakfast the next morning. They need someone to lead their team.

I stayed in the hotel and ate in the restaurant. The service here was sub standard. they simply forgot about me for 40mins. once they remembered i was their they took my order and bought me my food. Unfortunately when they bought me my starter it still had the cellophane wrap on it (fois gras ballotine) and somewhat ruined the starter. The restaurant did give me my meal for free which was a king gesture but did not detract from the errors.

The ham hock terrine, with delicately pickled fruit was beautiful. Followed by the rib-eye steak. What more can anyone ask for. Fantastic.

disastrous evening from a kitchen that can produce excellent food. we waited 2 and a half hours for our food, despite arriving first and ordering first. I am sure that this was a one off, but a big shame for us. The Maitre D sorted out the bill for us, but the evening was spoiled.....

Came here for a business meal for 8. We were highly encouraged to sit at our requested time as a number of tables would be ordering after us and this could cause problems. As not all the party had arrived we ended up missing our slot. This resulted in starters being delivered 30+ minutes after ordering. Main courses were worse and one of our parties food arrived 5 minutes after everyone else's together with sauces that went with steaks. We also asked about recommendations on some of the wines which we could have provided the answers we got back, e.g Rioja is Spanish!The food itself was generally very good but given the premium on price I expected more from the service. It took the best part of 3 hours to have 3 courses.

Called in for afternoon pot of tea and found Seckford Hall to be a wonderful location and being a good day chose to sit in the garden. Offered a choice of teas and chose Earle Grey, which arrived promptly and found staff to be polite and helpful. Would be happy to revisit.

Was back home for the weekend and decided to go here for a joint birthday meal with my family as we have two September birthdays and I have fond memories of the place. Unfortunately it has really gone down hill. The food was ok, especially the roast for the main course for Sunday lunch. There were only a few tables taken, there appeared to be four waiters/waitresses yet they were missing in action for nearly the whole meal. Two young waitresses were bringing out food without even knowing what they were handing out, despite there only been 3/4 choices on the set menu. They got our desert orders wrong, we had to wait an age inbetween courses, and again whilst trying to order pudding we eventually had to shout someone over. The cutlery wasn't washed properly and most off putting was you could see the chefs smoking and drinking outside from our table - no wonder it was taking so long. We went outside for coffees and were not offered cushions even though another table was in front of us. Ended up getting all drinks for free and they apologised for poor training but was overall a real disappointment as going there used to be a real treat. The incompetence was fairly entertaining but I'd gone there for a meal, not a show.

We had booked dinner in the 1530 restaurant for a special birthday celebration. The table was booked for 19:30, we were asked to have drinks in the bar first and didn't sit down to our table until about 20:15. From then on the service was dreadful. We had to get up to ask for someone to come and take our order. The starters didn't arrive until about 21:00. My husband had to eat his soup with a pudding spoon as no soup spoon was provided. The main courses the took about another half an hour and when the meals did come one meal was missing. This meal eventually came about 10 minutes later after the rest of our group had almost finished eating. We were offered a complimentary bottle of wine which I had to get changed as the top of the bottle was badly chipped and there could have been glass in the wine. By the time we'd finished our mains it was 22:00-table was booked for 19:30! We ordered desserts and coffees and asked for them to be bought out together, the coffees arrived first, no spoon with the latte so had to stir it with a knife! We complained to the restaurant manager, he was embarrassed by the whole situation and explained the head chef was on holiday! I don't know what was going on in the kitchen but at one point I looked across the courtyard by where we were sitting, I coukd see into the kitchen window and saw one chef hitting another chef with a roll of clingfilm! Obviously in the absence of the head chef all hell broke loose in the kitchen! The food when we did eventually get it was lovely as was Seckford Hall itself, but the restaurant was such a big disappointment and especially at such expensive prices. At the end of the evening the restaurant manager agreed to refund a large chunk off the bill which was only fair and at least he had recognised the problems, just such a disappointment as it was for a celebration. If visiting I would recommend anyone to check the head chef is there and kitchen and restaurant are fully staffed.

Had a good lunch here today. The Restaurant was quiet (well it is a Wednesday) but the food is well presented & well cooked. Coffee & chocs on their pretty terrace in the sun delightful. Friendly staff in the bar & dining room. Good value. The chef does a good job.

Our first time at Seckford Hall, and was surprised to see such an interesting looking building. Seckford Hall is being well exploited by the current owners and is clearly a popular place. It's easy to find, and has ample car parking.We had a fixed price three course meal, everything went well and the staff were polite and helpful. Food came out on hot plates which we liked. The only negative point which I found annoying was that two of the four starters were brought to the table on those awful fake slates. I am of the opinion that food should be served on proper plates, not slates, bread-boards or flower-pots. Yes, we all agreed that the meal and venue was a complete success. (all bar the slates) and that we would definitely come back another time. Another plus was that there was no music playing!!

Lovely food, well presented and to be honest it was the only saving grace of our stay at Seckford Hall.

The food was excellent could not fault it, had the venison one night and it was perfect.Service was very good and staff could not do enough.

We went as a couple for a good dinner without the children. The atmosphere was nice enough, the price of pre-dinner and post-dinner drinks at the bat was very reasonable, and the staff were friendly and competent.One black mark - for a dish of oysters served on salt - the salt had, unsurprisingly, got into the oysters and rendered them inedible. We remarked on this and were told that "the kitchen had been informed" but we were still charged (quite a lot!) for the dish. Not at all impressed by this.We paid £136.00

booked this as part of a one night stay for our anniversary. service was terrific and the food was wonderful. great surroundings. tables not too close together, drinks in the bar afterwards was also a delight

We've been to Seckford Hall on two occasions. Both times were nice, it was a pleasant atmosphere, the staff were great and the food was good. However, I cannot see how an unspectacular plate of food can be so dear in price. I wouldn't come here if you're on a budget, but it was a nice enough evening.

As a family group, we decided to book the 1530 Restaurant at Seckford Hall for New Year's Day lunch. We should have realised that the standards at the restaurant had slipped, as after booking in early November we had to call the restaurant 4 times to try to get a copy of the planned menu. We eventually found out just before Christmas that Seckford Hall would only be serving a regular week day lunch - disappointing on a Bank Holiday!We did receive a call on New Year's Day morning to check that we would still require our reservation, and to ask if we had received a menu! We said no and were told that it would be on the table.On entering Seckford Hall we were not greeted, when we got to the restaurant we were asked if we wanted a drink the bar first, unfortunately my father who walks with a frame can not climb stairs and the bar was up 4 steps! It was disappointing that the staff did not realise that someone with mobility problems could not visit the bar.After entering the restaurant we were shocked to see only 4 tables were set, we were amazed how quiet it was.The service was pretty dire, we had to ask for our coats to be taken, we had to ask for them to take our drinks order, eventually after 3 requests the candle was lit on the table.The menu was very short 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts. Luckily there were items which our group including children were able to order.5 of our group opted for a 3 course meal, with the remaining 3 choosing a 2 course meal. When the food came it was tasty, although the turkey main dish seemed to have much less Turkey in it than Bacon. Dessert seemed to be a major problem though, my sister could find nothing she wanted/could eat so a substitute dessert of fruit salad was provided. On the menu there were 3 items, Christmas Pudding, Milk Chocolate Tart and Cheese & Biscuits. When the desserts came the Milk Chocolate Tart was most definitely Dark Chocolate. My wife asked the duty manager who had just come on duty why the tart was Dark Chocolate, to get a response of "that was on the menu last night, it shouldn't be that tart". My wife decided that as she does not eat Dark Chocolate that she would prefer something else. On discussion she decided to have the Cheese & Biscuits specifically requesting no Stilton. When the Cheese & Biscuit came there was Stilton on the plate!Assuming that there would not be problems with taking coffee in the lounge, we opted to do that.We ordered 5 lattes, 1 Americano and an Earl Grey tea. The service was incredibly slow, when the drinks came one or two at a time. The lattes were served in tall latte glasses, but unfortunately Seckford did not have enough latte spoons. In fact it got worse they only had 4 latte glasses, so my wife's latte was served in a 1/2 pint Hi Ball glass! That took a few attempts to get it to the correct temperature of the coffee.With no latte spoons available we had to use either tea spoons or dessert spoons.All in all very disappointing!It has been a few years since we had eaten at Seckford Hall, my father had decided that the preferred that to the restaurants we had suggested. Unfortunately it was a very bad choice.We cannot believe that there were only 4 groups dining on New Year's Day plus the fact that Seckford did not mark the day with something more than a regular weekday menu.The only saving grace is that on the whole the food was tasty!Very disappointing, to the fact that we will probably not return - for a very very long time.

Truly great food including vegetarian. A varied menus suiting all ages. Evening meal was included in the spa weekend price package.

What have you done to this lovely hotel and restaurant. You have ruined it. e have been going to Seckford Hall for over 30 ears but shall not be going again.

Came here for Christmas lunch for six, very busy but food good and service ok, would like to come back when they aren't so busy to get a better perspective

Ordered the Full English which was delicious, the sausages and bacon were of excellent quality and with coffee and toast to complete a great start to the day. Set in the wood panelled room the surroundings are comfortable and add to the experience. There are a number of choices with continental options as well as cereals and even kippers or porridge if the mood takes.

There was a very good menu selection and every meal we ordered was excellent. The Chicken Supreme was outstanding. The service was good despite the fact that the hotel had to cater for a party of 100 diners in the Lakeside Suite at the same time as well as all the guests in the Restaurant.

Nice restaurant within the hotel, the food was tasty and great service. You won't get tons of choice but the selection was well thought out.

We really couldn't fault the food - beautifully cooked fish, tender meat, gently treated veg. Puddings were all delicious. The service was very friendly, slightly chaotic, but you could overlook that because of the great attitude of the staff. Not cheap but it is fine dining. Good wine list too.

We had delicious meals in the 1530 restaurant at Seckford Hall. There were imaginative and innovative flavour combinations across all courses. The honey roast beetroot and goats cheese mille fieulle was an especially memorable starter, wonderful!

Excellent and not overpriced. Best smoked salmon I have ever tasted. Half pint glasses for water was the only let down. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Would recommend.

Apparently there has been a change in the restaurant over the summer and it seems to be well on its way back to a flourishing place. We stayed in the hotel on the Sunday night and reserved our table for 6:30pm. We were served our 3-courses - great Scallop starter, duck & trout for mains, and cheese, brulee for desserts - in great time, great service and most things worked. There were a few minor problems, but nothing to spoil it... at £70+ we did want a bit more generosity -- that is the only quibble. Parts of the dishes could be simplified, the cooking made more straightforward and more local produce used. That said, The service was good, and it seems like the operation is back on track... I wish them luck...

Elegant dining indeed. Plenty of space - no bumping chairs here. The food was really good with a great choice when we stayed in May, 2015. The service was discreet and professional, the food arrived hot and there was plenty of it, making for a most enjoyable evening.The only issue we had was with the not-so-background music! Unfortunately it was rather too jazzy and very repetitive. That said, when asked, the Maître D immediately changed it after we pointed it out.

Fabulous food. I would have marked it a 5 if the service had been a bit more prompt. The fish was fresh and beautifully cooked and the menu offered a good choice between fish and meat.

Wonderful settings but the food is somehow less than memorable.Service is rather slow but it fits the old fashioned atmosphere.Maybe the kitchen is simply old fashioned English style.

We enjoyed a very pleasant family lunch here at Seckford Hall. The dining room was quite dark but very comfortable, service was solid, and food was very good. The set lunch menu was generous and great value, too. Definitely recommended.

Firstly, let me say that I have known Seckford Hall for many many years and used to be the Chairman of the Quills Ladies networking group that was (may still be) based at Seckford. For the last 10 years I have lived in France so maybe we are spoiled for service levels ..... Anyway, on our annual visit to England we booked lunch for a birthday celebration. On arriving at the Hall, I found it quite unwelcoming and it was not at all clear where the reception area was or indeed anything else. The reception area when found was more like a back office and I wasn't sure if I should really be there. The steps up to the bar from the entrance were very dark, and quite unsafe for the older ladies in our party. Although the lady at the bar was very personable once we got chatting, there was no greeting as we walked in, which I found odd - again, perhaps we are too used to French service? Anyway, eventually we got menus and went through to the restaurant, where after ordering we waited three quarters of an hour for our starters to arrive, which to be honest I thought was a bit long. And there were no nibbles/ amuse bouche to go with the drink or in the waiting period for the starters, but we did get some bread which was very nice. No butter though. When the food arrived it was all very nice, no complaints there, but the service was not really at the standard I expected from a classy establishment. The wine list, we thought, was very reasonably priced, but quite mid range in terms of quality. There were flashes of attention to detail, with the birthday message on the dessert slate, and overall we had a pleasant long lunch, but it wasn't as special as I remember Seckford Hall being in the past, which was a real shame. It feels like the restaurant needs some direction and staff training to bring it up to the food standard, and whoever thought the floor covering was a good idea should be shot.

There are interesting choices on the menu,but we were told that the menu was only changed seasonally ,which meant that if you stayed at the hotel for a week you would have had a problem. I don't eat beef or lamb so that limited my choice anyway. The breakfast was very good. Afternoon tea was good for cakes and scones but there was no choice of bread for the sandwiches and we were not offered a refill of tea!

The service was excellent and staff highly trained and attentive. Food was amazing. A wonderful variety of tastes and flavours in every course. Lovely relaxed atmosphere.

6 days ago we enquired about a group of 12 friends to meet being promised a special steak night on a Thursday. We book, we arrive to be told no steak!!. 20 minutes to make a cocktail too. Not great at all. Lovely setting, but not impressed. First and last visit for me.

Nice food, prompt and attentive service all hot and fresh in presentation. Tables are not squeezed in so it promotes a very relaxing experience. Well worth a visit.

Faultless meal with fairly priced winesLovely setting with staff who are polite, friendly and eager tp please

Very good value for money and food quality superb. Good service and atmosphere. Drink a little expensive. Breakfast was good and plenty of choice.

This food was some of the best I have EVER eaten, but they need to watch their wine prices. Service was faultless which continued through to breakfast

Great menu, quick service very informative when you ask questions about the dishes. Not a huge selection and could possibly do with a few home made comfort dishes but overall no complaints.

Well cooked food served to perfection, with an fantastic atmosphere.There was nothing I disliked about the hotel.

We had a TravelZoo deal for a lunch to celebrate my birthday, and were utterly bowled over by the experience. A gorgeous Tudor building, with friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and courteous staff, lovely food cooked and presented with care and flair by a chef who clearly knows what he's doing, and we had a most enjoyable and pleasurable experience which exceeded our expectations in every way. We asked for information about the history of the building, and immediately some printed notes were provided with compliments of the management - superb service.

We had eaten at 1530 Restaurant at Seckford Hall on special occasions before but this time were lucky enough to find a Travelzoo offer of 3 course meals for two for £35! This offered amazing value, the meal was from the main menu, not a 'special limited menu' and all 3 courses were excellent. This really is the finest dining experience in the East Suffolk area.

On arrival outside Seckford Hall it had the usual Wow factor, however on entering, apart from the old beauty of the building, the lack of obvious reception and then the reception area itself - scruffy, out of place desks with laptops & paperwork - and half-hearted/semi-interested ladies made for a disappointing start to my Aunt's birthday lunch. The rest of the interior was gorgeous and in keeping & with respect to the old style of the building with a touch of newer yet tastefully done furniture & furnishings in places.Thankfully the service from all the other staff for our lunch in the restaurant was great - professional yet warm & natural. Our food - roast pork, chicken, hake and pollock was beautifully presented and tasty. A black peppermill on the table or the offer of black pepper was lacking, and a shame. Deserts - particularly the Chocolate fondant with salted caramel was stunningly presented and appeared to be to die for (sadly I didn't have it). Pricing seemed to be fair and the Prix Fixe Menu very reasonable. We thought it strange steak wasn't anywhere to be seen on the main A la carte menu?!We asked for tea in the lounge after our lunch and that was a perfect finish - served with rich chocolates, a very nice touch. The lounge area was warm & cosy with attentive yet not obtrusive staff - with many of them passing and giving a nice smile as they did. It's these little priceless touches that go a long way.The provision of ramps in places to aid people who might otherwise have difficulty with stairs was very welcome and much appreciated as we had a 91 year old with us.The new "dishy" (according to my 81 year old Aunt) French owner sadly wasn't there the day we were but I'm told seems to be turning the place around, back to how it used to be... and better.I look forward to going back and I'm sure my next review could well mark this as 'Excellent'.

Food quality was varied. Starters excellent but one main course (cassoulet) was overpowered by garlic and I could not finish it.Service was very good.The ambience was a bit bland - lighting was patchy- dull to read the menu and in our eyes at the same time.Did not meet our expectations but might visit again as it should be good.

I have already reviewed my visit on the Seckford Hall hotel site. We had a delightful lunch with excellent food of a high standard. I can thoroughly recommend this impressive venue.

My starter was a very tasty beef and blue cheese salad. The amount was generous, and my Pollack for main course was very nice too. The service was a bit slow despite there not being all that many people having lunch. My husband's chocolate brownie was a little dry but on the whole it was a pleasant meal. We had a voucher which made it less expensive than it would normally be.

My husband and I went there for Valentine's as Hintlesham Hall was fully booked. The food was nice, however the service wasn't the best. We ran out of drinks and the waiters didn't bother to see if we wanted any more. The set menu included coffee and petit fours at the end; we received the coffee but there was no sign of the petit fours. I doubt we will come back again. It's also a shame that this place has been modernised.

Decided to go here for dinner on a staurday night as a "catch up" with some old friends. Arriving in the dark certainly makes the "house" look all the more impressive. Its a beautiful building and adds a bit of anticipation to get inside. Once inside we were welcomed, our coats were taken and we were shown to the bar. Menu choices were explained to us. As for the food,I was very impressed. Cooked well, delivered hot, and good sized portions. The desert was one of the best I've had anywhere. All in all, good service, good food, and all for a good price. Can't wait to find an excuse to go back.

We dined here the other Sunday Lunch. We booked a table and when we got there we were treated as though we were a Nuisance who had walked in on spec. The table we were shown to was very small and in a dark spot so we asked to have a nicer table, there were loads of empty tables, but this request was granted most ungraciously with the waitress huffing and puffing. The room itself is soulless and uninviting and added no atmosphere or feeling of comfort. I am all for modern design but this was just shades of uninteresting brown. The starters were good and the bread and butter pudding dessert one of the best. But the main courses were awful. The lamb main course was finished and so we chose alternatives of risotto and pork. The risotto tasted very strange indeed and my partner left most of it. I chose the pork which was a great big insipid looking chop put on top of the vegetables. The pork was dry and tasteless and I left most of it. When the waitress came to collect the plates and saw how much food we had left she asked if we had enjoyed it and we said it was not very good with the she took the plates away and brought the dessert menus. As we were both still hungry we had a dessert each, but felt perhaps the chef should have been out to ask what the problem was. When we left we didn’t even get a cheery goodbye all the waitresses were sat together busy gossiping and ignored us. My partner had a very upset stomach all night. I would not consider going there again for Sunday lunch after this experience.

Fixed price menu at £17.50 per person was excellent but we only knew about it due to pre research on line. It was not offered to us and had to ask for it. Watch out for hidden costs of bread and coffee which are not on the menu not were we told of them until the bill! Food was fantastic and service brilliant.

Food was good quality, but lacked detailed touches. Décor in restaurant was drab. Brown floor, brown curtains, brown chairs, worn brown tables. No tablecloths.Desserts disappointing.

I recently placed a group booking at the hotel's restaurant and I have never had such good service in my life. The group was 12 but there were 7 special diets: 1 x vegetarian, 1 x wheat-free, 1 x wheat-free vegetarian, 1 x gluten-free, 1 gluten-free vegan and 2 x on pregnancy diets. I contacted in advice to see if they would cater for us all for afternoon tea and they made the whole experience wonderful - they reassured me that special diets were not a problem and were incredibly understanding when I had to make a few amendments. On the day the staff knew the names of those with special diets, discreetly found the correct guests using our place name cards and provided us all with absolutely amazing food. I am the gluten-free vegan so I'm used to strange looks, lots of embarrassing unhelpful fuss and a thrown together dish that wasn't worth the trip out. At Seckford Hall it was all entirely covered - the staff knew which guest needed what and provided it quickly without any fuss. Everyone received an outstanding meal. I personally had 2 x rounds of delicious and unique sandwiches and 3 x puddings - all of which were beautifully presented. Each of my guests were thrilled with the food and the success of celebration was very down to the excellent service at Seckford Hall. I could not recommend them enough.

Fifty years ago to the day we had our wedding reception at Seckford Hall and have returned from time to time for nostalgia's sake (usually on each tenth year's anniversary). This was special so we lounged at the bar over a glass of champagne before going to lunch in the "1530" restaurant. It had changed little over the fifty intervening years and looks a little soulless; could do with some interior design tlc.However, the food was excellent. I had an amazing hake steak crusted with coriander and served with pilau rice and mussels in a masala sauce; the flavours were sensational. My wife had a pan fried sea trout fillet with new potatoes and green beans.After lunch we enjoyed (excellent and plentiful) coffee sitting in the sun on the lawn behind the hall before strolling round the extensive grounds, lake and walled garden. A beautiful venue and one to which we will periodically return

Together with friends we booked a table on a Friday evening in the recently refurbished 1530 restaurant. The building’s exterior is truly magnificent and sets high expectations. On entering we announced to a young man sitting at a desk that we had a dinner reservation and almost without looking up he directed us to the restaurant. (“Good evening, welcome to Seckford Hall, how may I help?” would have been the perfect greeting). We decided to go directly to our table which was in a quiet corner well away from the entrance. The restaurant had been modernised sensitively and tastefully. We were only the second table to take our seats but immediately we noticed that the room was rather warm so we asked for the air conditioning to be turned on which it was and soon we were feeling much more comfortable. We placed our orders and quite rapidly our starters and main courses were delivered. We were in fact slightly concerned that the speed of delivery might result in a very short evening at the restaurant. The good news is that the quality and presentation of all the dishes was excellent and the staff were willing although mostly lacking in experience and training. Towards the end of our main course we noticed that the temperature had begun to rise again and that the air conditioning had been turned off. We requested two or three times that this be turned back on. One member of our party could not cope with the heat and had to leave the restaurant so we complained again. This brought the young man from reception to our table. He turned out to be the ‘duty manager’. He told us that the table sitting directly underneath the air conditioning units in the middle of the room did not want it turned on because they were directly in its line of fire. He apologised profusely and repeatedly but his only solutions were to bring a fan which would not have solved the problem or to move us to a table near the entrance. The temperature at this table was equally oppressive. Having lost one of our party and with the rest of us unable to tolerate the heat we decided to ask for the bill. On our way out we encountered a couple sitting outside at a table on a pleasant patio overlooking the gardens and the lake beyond. They told us that they had chosen to eat outside because it was far too hot to eat inside the building. We were clearly not the only ones who found the heat intolerable. At 9.15pm when we entered our car the ambient temperature was registering 22 degrees and we estimated that the temperature inside the restaurant was around 27 degrees. Conclusions: On a hot day such as this the air conditioning should be turned on some time before the guests arrive. This had not been done. The table directly below the air conditioning units should be removed. It is totally unacceptable for the (not unreasonable) needs of one table to result in gross discomfort fort for numerous other diners. Staff members need training in how to handle situations such as this. Better solutions would have been to have moved the diners under the air conditioning units to an empty table elsewhere or failing this to have suggested that we move to the patio outside, both of which would have solved the problem. The duty manager said that someone would call us the following day but we received no such call. We wish the new owners of this beautiful building well and we hope that they manage to get the necessary experienced management in place to iron out the obvious front of house problems that will deter us from any return visit for the foreseeable future.

i copied and pasted this from my review i did of the hotel as it fits here. first of all the food. i am a vegetarian so for me there was only 2 choices of main to eat for dinner, this is usually fine however on the first night i had the Gnocchi which was disappointing as it had a huge over powering aniseed taste to it as well as poorly prepared veg. the next night i had the pasta with ratatouille which was also disappointing. the ratatouille was basically 90% aubergine and courgette in huge lumps with a standard tomatoes sauce so i was not impressed. the desserts were ok but not amazing, then there was the breakfast which was ok as you had like pastries and cereal buffet on one of the tables then you can order your own cooked food from the kitchen, i had the omelette the first evening which was actually very good so i thought i would try the full English with boiled egg. my cousin did the same and when it arrived the yolk was solid hard (not what a egg at breakfast should be like) so we send it back and when they replaced it sometime after it was closer to raw that to how it should be so disappointment there.now to the service in the restaurant. i want to start by saying most of the staff were very friendly and pleasant however for the prices of the place the service was awful. the staff clearly lacked some of the basics of service, i have been serving for a few years now at a restaurant and these guys looked to me like it was there 3rd week. for example, it was almost impossible to get their attention unless they were already at our table. i ordered a drink and had to ask for it 3 times. they just didn’t really seem like they knew how to operate a restaurant (e.g multitasking, checking for drinks, communicating with each other so mistakes don’t happen and they don’t have to ask us questions). but the worst part for me was when i found some plastic in my gnocchi! i told one of the female waitresses and all she said was "I’m sorry about that". I’m not the sort of person who shouts and makes a scene as i know what its like to serve people however if one of my customers and showed this to me i would of been livid with the kitchen and comped the whole meal. i could of seriously choked on it and all she said was im sorry about that the chef said it was some cling film.not good enough.I’m sure management has certain standards they want to keep, and i suggest they actually watch how there staff go about doing things. its lucky that it turned up in my food as if it had been in another member of my parties then it would of been a completely different story, the staff were nice and friendly enough it’s just clear that they need more training. all in all it was a nice stay but i felt the service and some of the food just wasn’t up to scratch, i know big parties are harder to take care of but you guys should of coped. also the way that the piece of plastic in my food was dealt with was ridiculous. in my restaurant i would of been mortified and done so much more about it.