bristol arms in Babergh

It was quiet when we visited but the staff were friendly and happy to chat. There is free car parking and good views over the water. We had a sandwich which came with chips. All tasted good though it would have been nice to have the offer of just the sandwich. Overall, I would recommend.

Advertised Sunday roasts on line and outside the pub but when we sat down to eat there was told no roasts placed order and told they didn't have what we ordered or another dish vert limited options

Great location, with lovely views of the rivers.

The mains were lovely however the puddings weren't up to scratch. Service took 20min for mains and 30min for dessert which was an absolute joke. Also when it came to paying, you don't get a bill, only a receipt. For us this wasn't a major issue but it would have been nice to check everything was correct. I will not be visiting here again.

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.

Lovely setting for a pub, great view over the river, friendly staff, and nice food at a good price

Great place to stop in for lunch

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

We visited the pub and sat outside as the weather was nice and hot. Lovely view of the sea and and seating area was good. We didn't have anything to eat today but the meals looked good so will return on another day for a treat

Food is great but service a bit slow

This was an unplanned outing to Shotley gate which is well worth the visit, lovely views across to Harwich and Felixstowe. We were starving and called to the Bristol Arms for a nice meal we had 2 Haddock & chips with peas and drinks cooked fresh really nice , many thanks definitely be back .

Nice place. Great staff. Good food at a sensible price 👌

Nice view good service food not the best fish was very small portion.

Great pub with amazing food. Met up with the family last weekend, long overdue catch up. All 12 of us enjoyed a great meal together. The service was excellent and so was the food. They were also very flexible about altering the menu slightly to cater for my Aunt who has Dementia as she tends to crave certain foods. This service was over and above to cater to her needs, we really appreciated their efforts. Thank you 😊

Great pub in an equally superb location.

Nice quiet pub. Stopped for some lunch. Food was very good but took ages to arrive. Bar staff very friendly.

Very enjoyable meal.Service great.

Good local pub very good pub type food at pub type prices. It is not trying to be a high end restaurant but a local pub that does good food and as such deserves to succeed. Therefore, 5* all round as I can accept the odd thing not being quite up to speed as it is exactly what it is.

The pub is lovely, the staff were very good but the chef needs a different career, if you cannot cook fish and chips or a burger properly then please move on 😏 The food here is it's let down such a shame 😕

Extremely overpriced food, and I'm used to London pricing. I've never had a flatter pint of Lager in my life. Dirty table and toilets. I don't expect the same urgency in service as in the capital, but 3 bar staff all serving one person, whilst I was ignored, waiting at the bar for over 15mins is unacceptable anywhere. First and last time.

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!

Stopped for some dinner as seemed OK by menu in the bar, wish we'd never bothered definitely not worth it fish and chips are better from supermarket, I had sandwich with chips, bread was like cardboard worst mayonnaise ever tasted came with the chips and orange/lemonade definitely the cheapest rubbish going, all for supporting local businesses but price and quality ridiculous, staff are the only good thing about the place

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.

Great local pub in Shotley Gate. Friendly staff, good range of beers and dog friendly too. Great views.

Can’t comment on food just went for drinks but it’s a lovely spot outside to watch the sunset. Friendly staff it’s a traditional pub no frills but that’s very refreshing!

Very quiet venue, not many customers. Food alright, could have been better. Nice views.

I am all for nice quirky little pubs, and supporting independent local businesses. But I also expect to get something for my money. Charging 15£ for fish and chips that come from Tesco frozen section, and 5.50 for a tiny ‘chocolate brownie’ just doesn’t cut it. Add the not-so-clean 80’s bathroom. Staff is great and very polite but that’s about the only good thing about the place. And the location.

Really good quality food in a nice local pub, fish meat and veggie options for all. Dog friendly and our lab was welcomed with treats, very friendly atmosphere and great service, highly recommended, reasonably priced too, parking nearby and only a short 5-10 minute walk from the Harwich foot ferry. Great views across the estuary.

Great to see a pub so busy on a Monday night! Food delicious, staff superb and what a view.

Great pub, ably run by three delightful young women and a chef and others in the back room. Good friendly local community. Darts and shanty singing. Dogs well looked after and coddled. Views across the Stour to Parkeston Quay and the sunset.

A great pub with good food, drinks and views of the river. Worth a visit.

Good honest pub with good honest food in a beautiful riverside location.

I definitely will not be going back there.l understand the food trade may be finding it hard ,but there's no excuse for the lack of hygiene and cleanliness and a bit of soap and water . The chairs felt grubby ,the table was sticky to the touch you kept feeling you wanted to wash your hands all the time ,the door leading into the kitchen which staff were touching, looked like it had never been cleaned the build up of dirt looked years old on what was supposed to be a white door. Then there was the food l had pulled pork l took one mouthful and started gagging.lve never tasted anything like it ,it tasted exactly the same as something that had died and smelt rancid and the bun was dry as a bone l'm not a 100% certain it wasn't stale l had to give it back. To be fair l was there with friends and family who managed to consume there food with no complaints.

Average food (over priced) . Unfriendly locals . Felt threatened !

Selling the cheapest and most horrible ice cream and charging £3.50 a pop. Total rip off

Nice proper pub😃 Great location and nice selection of drinks. Only stopped for a quick pint but Food menu looked great. Hope to come here and eat next time😃😃

Came here a couple of Sundays ago for a quick bite to eat. They have a good menu and the food was great. The only negative and it’s a pretty big negative was the service.. shocking! I came with four friends, we went up to the bar to order but there was a couple being served in front of us. The barman serving them must run on batteries that were low because I’ve seen a turtle show more urgency than he was. I was stood at in the queue for 5 minutes waiting. There was two waitresses going back and fourth from the kitchen to outside who walked passed me a dozen times. Not once did one of the waitresses ask to take my order or even acknowledge I was even waiting. Once the barman finished with the couple he proceeded to spend the next 2 minutes engrossed in his notepad huffing and puffing at it. I asked him if I could place an order and he said he has to do something with his notepad first. Very rude. I mean if there was somewhere closer that did food I would have gone there instead. All of a sudden the chef came out and asked if I needed assistance. Why couldn’t the barman or the waitresses ask me that?? I told him I had been waiting almost 10 minutes to order, he seemed shocked and took my order straight away. Despite the chef saving the day and the food being great this isn’t enough to convince me to come back. I will not be returning here which is a shame but your barman and waitresses killed it for me.

2023: Current summer opening hours, as stated in a request to the owners, and are quoted by them, as follows: We are open for lunch and dinner on Monday, Tuesday & Friday ( 12-14.30/18.00 - 21.00 & all day on Saturday and Sunday (12.00 -21.00). Unfortunately we are closed every week on Wednesday & Thursday.

Still has that old world charm with it's fishing connection. Darts compatishion so great banter and friendly ness..

Had a nice walk along the river and stopped off at this Great traditional pub which has been there for what seems like forever. food on the pricey side but quality and taste perfect , great selection of ales seemed a bit empty for a Saturday so atmosphere slightly lowered but worth a go If you want a quiet lunch after a walk.

Great food and good service lovely fish and chips

A great pub, very relaxed with a fabulousview. The drinks are served well and the food is delicious 😋.

Authentisches Ambiente, leckeres Essen, schneller und kompetenter Service. Freundlich aufmerksames Pereonal

The food was good and reasonably price with good dozed portions. The service was excellent and the location superb. There aren't many pubs nowadays that eould let you sit and play games and have a great time. If I lived closer, I eould go there all the time.

Nice friendly pub accompanied by some sea shanties!

Nice pub, well worth a visit. Friendly welcome, good range of ales and food nicely presented. The pub has been here for a couple of hundred years so worth a look just for that reason.

Dog friendly pub, brilliant staff, tasry food, great atmosphere. Another visit today, same great service, staff are brilliant and food top notch as usual. I recommend the fish and chips, fish was really good. The menu has expended due to the season. If it's a weekend and good weather you may want to book.

Popped in for just coffee. Staff friendly, coffee ok...could be hotter, but drinkable. Lovely views.

Nice friendly staff good food a a reasonable price, and good beer.

Great food - but decor shabby and it was quite cold in the bar

Always brilliant. Staff excellent food great.

Beer was good. The staff was warm and kind.

The fish and chips were fabulous with a 5 hygiene rating for the kitchen. The pub itself really does need some attention to decor and cleaning as I personally felt very uncomfortable and hubby was worried I would cancel our order... usually I would. Staff were attentive and polite and I felt the pub itself could be fabulous with some attention and a couple of days cleaning after a lick of paint. I came to the pub many years ago and I remember it quite differently to this visit. The disabled loo had a broken seat which could render a person more disabled on exit than on entering. I would have fish and chips there again but would sit on a bench by the water to feel more comfortable. The fish was truly amazing. There is also an ice-cream van on the front that is so reasonable and very conscious of cleanliness. Hand gels before serving you, serviette around the cone and a double flake ice-cream was only £1.70.

Lovely dog friendly pub, good service and nice food. Enjoyable

Food, beer & service were good but the pub was in need of a really good clean.

Friendly staff and great service. Best ham & mustard sandwich I've ever had!

Great service, pleasant atmosphere.

Nice and relaxing very friendly bar staff worth a visit

Delicious food and a great atmosphere. Homely and rustic

Very pleasant pub meal and drinks. Very friendly and attentive staff. Table service including for drinks, which was nice for a pub.

Nice pub overlooking the river Stour. Good selection of beers.

Helpful and considerate. Good food. Helpful staff.

A great traditional pub. The ale was lovely and the food was fantastic. The scampi was fresh and delicious, the chips were really great. No complaints about the tuna nicoise, fettuccine, or crab from my fellow diners. I also loved that the garlic mushroom starter wasn't a heavily breadcrumbed mess like a "contemporary" pub will do, but a nice and creamy mushroom on toast which started the meal with a positive stride (although I thought the sauce could be a little thicker and have more garlic in). The waitresses were a bit inexperienced and needed to smile a bit more but we all have to start somewhere. The pub does need to redecorate a bit inside as it has a few patches where the paint has gone, and it needs to relocate the disabled toilet to a place without stairs in front of it. If I wasn't just visiting the area for a few days I would happily return.

Been here before usually really good service but on day we went we waited over 40 mins for sandwiches. When questioned the wait was told they only had 1 chef. Had we been told this at the point of ordering we may not have ordered as we had another appointment to go to

A little gem. Staff great and welcoming. Food good, prices good, view great sitting outside. Totally a great pub! Thank you 🎉

Today was our first visit and thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent menu, first class food, very friendly staff and all in a great location.

Really lovely food, the seabass was to die for! Staff are all really attentive and made us feel very welcome. Will definitely be coming back here again 😊

Dreadful caesar salad. Terrible dried out grizzled chicken. Filthy toilets. Staff cldnt be bothered to put toilet rolls in the holder. So just left on the floor. Won't be going back. Will go to the Shipwreck.along the Marina. Notice not 1 comment from owners on the bad reviews

Amazing atmosphere, amazing food. Dog friendly. Highly recommend

Lovely time and great food, well done

The food and service was excellent. But the toilets really let the place down. Get them up to standard and you'll get 5 stars.

It was a get together to wish a lovely man goodbye. The plates of food was brought to the tables.Quite interesting nibbles.

Excellent great food value for money and freshly cooked

In a great spot overlooking the water, friendly staff.

What a truly amazing pub, friendly and polite staff, lovely atmosphere, I fully recommend this pub. Lovely views and in summer the outdoor area is a must as you can see across the harbour

Amazing pub, amazing beer and food and amazing friendly staff and I assume the boss who manages the bar

Lovely pub, good food, great views and sunsets

Really nice meal, and reasonable priced wine, and friendly too

Very friendly and perfectly situated pub. Dog friendly, which is a positive for us.

Very inviting.superb service wonderful food excellent presentation.

I haven't been in The Bristol Arms for some time and after a pleasant walk we decided to go there. The staff were very friendly and the drinks were all good. There is a negative unfortunately and this is only constructive criticism but the whole place inside and out side has seen better days. I promised myself that I wouldn't list these things as the staff were so nice but it could do with a really good clean, just to get rid of the cobwebs around the windows etc. The door handle between the gents and the bar has a grotty piece of rope on it as the handle has broken. Probably would be about £2 from B & Q. I really want to go back here as the potential of this pub is enormous but I am put off by the lack of basic cleanliness. I have given you 3 x stars as you are such nice people. Sorry!! P.S Please get a B for the pub name!! We call it ,"The Ristol Arms"!!!!!

Incredible food! Fantastic atmosphere and background music and friendly staff with brilliant customer service. Can’t recommend this pub enough

Nice intimate pub, bit pricey. But good service

Great pub with good food and excellent views

Very clean and tidy pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff will visit again

Nice local pub with a decent atmosphere on a Saturday evening. We didn't eat but many people were and what we saw coming from the kitchen looked great

Stopped by for lunch, very nice indeed, was a little slow, but the poor chef was on her own, but worth the wait

A little disappointed, food not as good as it used to be, but the thing that let it down the most was the server with the badly bleached hair, he managed to take the drinks order and later the food order without saying one word! Will not be returning to what a few years ago was my goto pub.

Nice place, good beer and service.

Shame about the card machine malfunction but otherwise great

I have not been inside recently but I never enjoyed my last visit, so would rather not try again just yet.

Nice staff nice food reasonable priced beer n scoff good outlook

Had a lovely meal made with fresh ingredients and staff very helpful. Tables spaced out and felt safe.

Lovely positioned pub/eatery overlooking the River Stour. Warm and friendly atmosphere in this traditional comfortable pub. Delicious fresh food, can highly recommend the Steak and Ale Pie with potatoes and veg, the Fish and Chips and the Fish Pie.

Very friendly great staff and food was scrumdidiliumpsious

Food was good and the lady behind the bar was friendly, would have stayed for dessert and coffee but the pub was just to cold. Accepting it was a Monday in December maybe the heating could have been up a couple of degrees higher.

Very nice pub food good and staff very friendly and attentive would recommend a visit

Very welcoming pub superb service and excellent food.

This is a nice pub a short walk from Shotley Marina. The food was lovely, portions generous, so much so I had no room for the fantastic sounding desserts. My only criticism was that the service was a little slow.