Bristol Arms in Ipswich

Nice location and okay food, which is a shame as that is where the good part ends. The Decor is well overdue for a re- vamp, the carpet is filthy, the tables are sticky and stained, the woodwork is in need of sanding and painting, the light fittings are 50 years old, the blinds are falling down, dirty toilets and there is dust, dirt and cobwebs everywhere and weeds outside on the patio area. This could be a nice place, but what is mentioned above, explains why we saw only 12 people in there on a bank holiday weekend !! Give it a wide berth until there is a sign of refurbishment.

Guy behind the bar had not a clue what he was doing.i ordered a Ceaser Salad.no iceberg lettuce.limp butter head.two bits of grey avocado.the chicken was tough.not sure there was bacon.all in all it was terrible.it really was a terrible meal. Maybe I was u lucky.

Beautiful location but pub very tired and could do with some cosmetic improvements. Staff very slow but may have been to lack of staff which I understand is an issue for hospitality in general. Ordered a meal from the specials board but were told they didn’t have all the ingredients which was quite a surprise what we eventually had was very tasty. As said it is a beautiful location but overall rather disappointing visit

It would be really useful if the winter opening times were displayed on the website rather than just on trip advisor. Having checked opening times before setting out on a 5.5 mile walk with lunch planned at the Bristol Arms we arrived there only to find it closed. Very disappointing considering that the only other place to eat at Shotley Gate, The Shipwreck, is closed during the winter months. Annoying too when checking my phone whilst sitting outside the pub at 2pm to see that it said 'open now'...... it wasn't!

On a very cold December day we chose to visit Shotley purely to enjoy lunch at The Bristol Arms. As always the welcome was warm and the food was excellent. Well worth a visit whatever the weather.

Staff were so friendly and welcoming the BBQ food for the bank holiday looked superb but we had already made arrangements to eat so will be returning to sample. It was busy with customers eating outside in the sunshine, so just had a drink on this occasion. It’s the good service and friendly staff that make this place

This pub has furniture that looks like it's out of a skip. The decor is grim inside and unappealing. What a dump. Will never go there again.

Been here many times over the years. Enjoyed a very good value meal here last night Food was excellent and great service.

Off the cuff visit for lunch today chosen because we could sit outside with the dog as it was a nice day. Nice atmosphere, food was good and service was great. Look forward to visiting again

Good location for popping in after various walks around the Shotley peninsula. It's on the waterfront with nice views, although there is a (minor) road in between. Easy to park nearby. Nice selection of good, standard pub food. Feels nice and 'normal'. I'd agree with the sticky table comment mentioned by someone else, but would visit again. Good value.

First visit in a good few years today for my birthday, and I was blown away by the food and prices! One of the most pleasantly surprising meals I've had in a long time - every one of my party agreed. Will be back very, very soon x

After a long walk in the sun we were grateful to find this pub and shelter in the cooler inside. They keep a good pint of Cliff Quay bitter and the young staff are friendly and efficient. The food was excellent. My partner had the scallop and chorizo starter but as a main course with a salad made to her particular preference and I had the crayfish linguine , a real hit of chilli oil and a generous portion. We’ll worth a visit for lunch via the ferry from Harwich.

The pub is in a nice location, overlooking the estuary. We experienced a very friendly welcome and the food was excellent. Well worth a visit.

We had a very mediocre visit to the Bristol Arms for supper. The tables were sticky, there was limited real ale and that finished after the first pint, food was OK but nothing to write home about. The staff were not particularly helpful about any specials on the menu and the wait for food was long as there as only one chef on. Furthermore their website menu is misleading and does not show current prices, add about £3 to each price shown. Won't be hurrying back.

We enjoyed a light lunch here, today. A friendly welcome, a menu with lots of to choose from, efficient service and delicious food. We opted for a couple of sandwiches, Brie/Bacon and Sausage/Caramelised Onion. Both were served with chunky chips, very tasty! This was our first visit, as a nearby popular eating place was closed on Monday - perhaps the proverbial blessing in disguise, we shall return!

We ordered grilled skate wings and when delivered the fish had a strong smell of ammonia. It was definitely off! The staff showed no concern and said it was fresh. We sent it back. We were offered something else but quite frankly we had lost our appetite. The place looks really dull and dirty! They still took our money for the full meal! We won’t be back there again!!!

Friendly staff, good beer, average food...but the place is really dirty. Sticky tables, disgusting toilets. In serious need of a deep clean.

Staff very friendly and attentive. Second time we have eaten here and the food is at best very average today we had cod and chips as we were hungry, we asked if the fish was fresh or frozen after we had eaten some we were told it was fresh and I have no reason to disbelieve the staff in that case it tasted off. Not an enjoyable meal for any of us.

Staff could not do enough and were most attentive, even though unawares to us, they were hosting a wake. Food and drink were excellent. Shame they are not open 7 days a week as they put the alternative in the shade.

We went for drinks on a Friday night with friends. There was a great atmosphere, really friendly staff and just a lovely place to have drinks! We have eaten here many times and the food is always great; good selection and reasonable prices

We got a warm welcome as we entered on a quiet Tuesday lunchtime, half-way round our long coastal walk. The menu has lots of interesting choices, not just your normal pub-grub. I opted for stilton gnocchi. We sat in the window as the sun poured...

Friendly staff, sat outside with beer in the sun, February! The Thai fish curry was the best we've ever tasted.

We went into today for lunch, had two very good meals. Both the people working there were really friendly. Place was clean and well kept. We would be quite happy to eat there again, well done.

You must go for a meal to this hidden gem which is in plain sight in Shotley, we went Saturday night and the food was excellent. The soft shell crab was delicious and the mussels were done just right with lovely liquor and lots of...

WOW, an amazing burger and the coleslaw was fantastic too. The staff are friendly and helpful, will return for the T-Bone steak!

I live locally and have not been out for a while and my family and I had a fantastic time at the Bristol Arms. The food and service was brilliant, we will definitely be going back soon.

Staff really helpful, outside dining only due to covid restrictions but not a problem as excellent views. Had a crayfish and Marie Rose sandwich and a hot bacon and brie sandwich, both served with chunky chips. Very tasty and big portion and reasonably priced, would...

lovely evening having dinner and watching the amazing sunset unfold through the windows, amazing views. We had four different mains amongst our table of 7, all were cooked to perfection could not fault the fish and chips, the steak and burgers were also top notch....

Relaxing time in a very relaxing atmosphere with great food and views across the river stour, great friendly service and good old fashioned value for money food!!

We visited this pub that sits on the harbor overlooking Harwich with our friend, who lives locally. We were the only diners on a quiet Wednesday night other than the two guys at the bar and the bartender/waitress. We sat off by ourselves in the...

Despite the kitchen being officially closed on the evening we went (30th Dec) the staff rustled us up a delicious rigatoni with mushrooms and bacon. Very friendly place.

We were staying locally in a marina and wanted a hot meal, the pub was within walking distance so we went for that On entering we were made to feel immediately welcome by the landlady and were seated straightaway Drinks and food were top notch...

Went as a group of 3 on a Saturday evening. Waitress did her best to get us to leave, saying they were full with a visiting group. I pointed out empty tables in the bar, and with some reluctance she agreed we could go there....

Extraordinarily slow service and beer tasted bad when we did eventually get served :( Seemed understaffed and more interested in serving queue jumping regulars even though it was obvious we were waiting to be served

The food was passable. Ordered the steak burger, arrived covered in cheese, some sort of sauce and what looked like anemic salami. No mention of any 'extras' on the menu. Good job I didn't mind them. The service was awful. My soft drink was flat,...

Had a really good well cooked fish and chips and only had to wait 15 mins,served with a smile and drinks were a a pound cheaper than other establishments?

Me and the wife were touring around and stumbled across this little gem. We had a great lunch served by friendly staff, nice atmosphere. Will definitely be back

Sunday afternoon 12:40 actually very disappointing since a list visit 7 years ago... gone down hill feels dirty ... old games piled up in the corner, a large blackboard can Covers a window as a background for a dartboard, a dirty old red cloth settee,...

We'd eaten here in the past so thought we'd try the newly opened Shipwreck. Big mistake. We ate at the Shipwreck but stopped by the Bristol Arms for a drink afterward. The menu here is much more interesting and the staff are much friendlier and...

On Bank Holiday Monday I had the pleasure of a family trip to Shotley on the Harwich Foot Ferry for a lovely lunch at the Bristol Arms. The Foot Ferry was Awesome - very helpful with the 'less mobile' members of the family - a...

The food that was served to was, shocking and the lump of stake I had was small and not ribbon steak and the fish and chips were small, and not the average size fish and not happy the way that the manger didn’t come out...

Decided to try this venue due to it being local and also like to try different places but unfortunately will not be returning. The bar was ok although the welcome was not very welcoming. The resturant part needs a re decorating and more comfortable style...

Went here for lunch, to avoid the crowds. Great set up, dog and walker friendly. The place isn't a five star fancy restaurant, it allows dogs and walkers in, but the food was really good and a fantastic choice. Only tiny critism was the lack...

Greeted with 1 person behind the bar advising limited food this evening - fish & chips, scampi & chips - this seemed fine as luckily what we fancied. We ordered fish & chips, scampi and chips & kids chicken nuggets. We sat at a table...

Wow. This place is tired and needs putting down. Used to be the place to go for atmosphere, great service and food. No more. It is a filthy place now. The food was horrible. My burger needed putting down. My wife’s ‘Caesar’ was actually a...

Just terrible... -An hour wait between starter and main course -Sticky tables -Gloopy mushroom starter, a limp unappetising looking burger and totally sinewy inedible steak. When I told the waitress she said she would have a word with the chef who inspected the joint from...

turned up at the pub / restuarant and said we made booking online because we could get through on phone only to be told they dont use the online booking got shown to table after taking order at bar got to table and several flys...

A very quiet Friday lunch time, no menu just a scruffy hand written chalk board with about ten different options. We decided on cod and chips with the location being close to the sea. It was a good sized piece of fish with chunky chips...

Went in for a sandwich & chips & drink, 1 hour wait, still no food, went back in and got a refund. If you want food don't go here.

Bank holiday lunch time, told it would be 30 minutes, then it turned out to be an hour. Asked the oriental lady how much longer, she said I don’t know, rude, terrible service, food was underwhelming, chunk of cheese, thin hame and a bit of...

We have tried to have lunch at the Bristol Arms Shotely twice without success. Having looked at the website yesterday we thought we would give this pub a second chance. We drove from Harwich where we live according to the website it opens at 12...

Had an early evening dinner here on one of the hottest days of the year so far. There was plenty of free parking outside and the pub filled up nicely during our meal. All the meals were available on a chalk board. Sadly there were...

The menu chalked on a blackboard was far from varied so it was difficult to choose our food. In the end it was my go-to in such a situation of scampi, chunky chips and peas. My husband opted for Cajun chicken. After a wait of...

Usual Chef on his hols.we were told hence restricted menu. Had fish & chips for lunch where the fish had all the appearance and taste of being reheated/recooked. It was awful.

Arrived on spec to find a snack lunch - and instead had a really well-filled smoked-salmon sandwich which was great! Staff were friendly, and we were able to sit outside without hassle. Good value too!

Parked in front of the pub whilist going for a walk in the area, decided to have a drink and a "bite to eat" on the spur of the moment, no starter was had, my wife had a seasoned local pork chop and veg, I...

nice pint, loverly food,best chips ever and a nicely battered fish, friendly service ,ate outside as weather was gorgeous so made the most of the views, a really pleasant lunchtime.will be back,very dog friendly aswell ,thanks.

Sunday lunchtime, the place was empty. Tables were horrible & sticky and a local radio station was blaring out all over the eating area. I ordered a ham and cheese ploughmans and when it arrived I was disappointed to be presented with a plate that...

Another visit to the Bristol Arms brought us another selection of tasty food at reasonable prices. The pub sits by the waterfront and tables in the window have great views out across Harwich Harbour and up the River Stour for wonderful sunset views. It's a...

I visited this pub again recently. I prefer the feel of the Bristol Arms, which is much nicer than the Shipwreck, which can be somewhat soulless. Knowing there will be a good choice of different food, makes the 10 minute walk to get there from...

Been here quite a few times with work and it never disappoints. Very friendly and welcoming staff. The food is much, much better than what you would expect. Really can't fault the Bristol Arms. Thanks guys and gals.

Pub was quiet so not sure that a good sign, how wrong we were. Two had slow roast lamb which they said was delicious, my husband had the Bristol burger which he said was really tasty and I had the lingiune,lovely. There was a steady...

Came here as a guest for a family meal.I had the Scallops & Chorizo which was great followed by the fillet of beef & lobster special, which was cooked perfectly and I'd definitely recommend and order again.The meal was finished with a taster board of desserts, which was amazing comprising of mini baked lemon & stem ginger cheesecake and 3 other desserts.The staff were very friendly and the service was attentive but not over the top.We were lucky enough to see the amazing sunset before we dined, which we were all eager to photograph.Will definitely be back as this is not the first time I have had a very enjoyable here.