Dolphin Inn Restaurant in Suffolk Coastal

We were returning diners and the food and service was just as good as it was before. Staff and other customers were friendly....as were the four legged ones.

Food was excellent. However, we were given a table in the conservatory where there was a large family group including a number of children aged between about 18 months and 7 years. The children were running around the room, climbing on the furniture and screaming, no supervision whatsoever. The parents then proceeded to undress all the children down to their nappies and underwear before re dressing them, all this happening whilst we attempted to eat our lunch. When I pointed out this unacceptable behaviour to the barman as we paid his response was ' you can't say anything to anybody now adays'. He was rude and dismissive. I accept it is not the staffs responsibility to control the children but to witness and allow children to undress and dress in a busy dining room is wrong on every level. We will not be returning.

Delicious soup, very friendly staff

If you just want a drink get there early, even then you may find everywhere has a reserved notice then your only option is outside. If you wish to eat then its probably ok.

Lovely pub, friendly and helpful staff. Fantastic meat platter but the cheese one though plentiful, was disappointing as the cheese had just come out of the fridge and needs an hour at room temperature in order to be enjoyed at it's best

Pleasantly surprised - although the village is idyllic for all its pastiche and the Dolphin is part of the delusion, inside is rather ordinary, so we were prepared for standard pub fare. But food was really good, staff friendly and helped along but some excellent Adnams beer. We were there on a quiet evening at the start of the season so expect it could get busy, but would certainly go back, on first excuse to go to Thorpness.

Came here for lunch. It was really busy, we hadn't booked, so by chance they had a table. There's lots of tables outside, also lots of space inside, including a lovely conservatory. The team they have working there are lovely. Everyone who we spoke with were very helpful and attentive. Especially as they were so busy, they weren't stressed or flustered, very kind and courteous.

Beautiful setting, great service, with seating available inside and out. Large selection of local beers and good wine selection. Family friendly with garden areas to let children enjoy.

Wonderful friendly staff. Arrived late for lunch after driving from London airport and the waitress worked something out for us before their cooks left for the day. Being from the USA, the staff suggested places to visit. Became like a little party. Loved it.

Not a pleasant experience whatsoever when we stopped by there on a Sunday visit to Thorpeness for a Sunday meal . I chose to have the grilled chicken Caesar salad. Started off nice then i discovered a slug in the bowl . I was shocked & felt rather sickly . I alerted my partner also aghast & summoned over one of the waitress's The eating area was quite full & TBH i didn't want to spoil anyone else's meal or make a scene. I think it is the aftermath that followed that has left the most bitter taste in one's mouth. Yes an apology was issued along with ' these thing's happen ' . I disagree strongly there . These things should not occur whilst dining out . To find a slug in one's meal . Yes they did deduct the price of the salad from the final bill though we both had requested that possibly more could have been done after such a distasteful incident & possibly ensure that we may stop by again . In fact we were made to feel quite guilty that we was getting the salad for free . And here is the final straw ' when we confronted whom we believe was the head of front house upon leaving that we still was not happy & we would possibly be leaving a review ' Her response blatantly was 'yes you go ahead & leave a review '. Well so much for customer service let alone the slug. We are totally appalled by the behaviour of these people toward such an incident & glad to say have never come across it anywhere else before .

Firstly I'd like to say this is a pub we frequently visit due to excellent service and food ..... however! We'd booked a table for Sunday lunch and arrived inside when we were told by politely by bar staff we had to book in outside in the garden now so off we went. The waitress checked our name and said follow me back indoors again. Unsure why there is a new booking in system which seemed extremely chaotic and fruitless not to mention the staff looking harrassed and this was only the start of service! They had our sympathies. Drinks order taken and didn't have to wait long before they arrived. We took a few moments to decide on our main courses but seemed to be waiting for ages for these to arrive (I might add certainly not as long as the table of 6 next to us who must have waited at least 45 minutes) My husband's pork chop was hot and he said it was cooked perfectly plus the flavour from the ingredients very good. However my roast beef was merely warm, not hot as I'd expect but seemed like it had been sat plated for quite a while. I did eat it. No one came to check if our meals were fine until we'd finished which was unusual, however as explained earlier they were very busy covering the garden and restaurant. So unsure if they were short staffed but it certainly had an impact. The waitress when she collected our plates asked if everything was ok and I said about my meal being just warm she said she would let the kitchen know but I got the feeling she wasn't bothered. Shame. We will return as we think Sunday's mishap was a one off.

Probably the last visit here after 45 years of summer time food and drink due to being charged £11.50p for a large red wine. wow

Have visited this pub / restaurant over a good number of years (this is my third review). Nothing much has changed, service, ambience etc was as good as before. However we felt the menu had become more pretentious & lost some of the seaside / holiday feel. For instance no fish & chips. For years the Dolphin served baked cod with chips a peas & was one of my favourites. We struggled a bit to make a choice. The food we had was tasty & well prepared , but on balance I would like to see them add some simple fare.

Popped in while working in sizewell great pub and fantastic food.

Pub garden is great, atmosphere is good, staff are good, but food is pretty poor. Rump steaks were very tough and poorly cooked, burgers were bland, the 'small bites' were terrible and served in coffee cups. Feels life the chef needs a big kick to improve the food.

Lovely evening meal on holiday 😋

Popped in yesterday for a bit of lunch. Staff were very friendly and kindly sat us in the bar area. We didn’t want a big meal and there was plenty to choose from on the menu. We had sandwiches and a bowl of chips and they were absolutely delicious. We then sat in the garden which was lovely. Five stars from us, well done. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩.

We chanced upon the Dolphin In. While driving through Thorpeness and thought we would give it a go. It was just about warm enough to sit outside with our dog. We had the most delicious meal there with wonderful service. Our friend had the bream, which was quite delicious in a delicate mussel sauce. I had a fish mousse, as light as a feather and my husband had pasta, also fabulous. We asked how the sauce was made and the lovely waitress ( Julia, I think) kindly went and asked chef and reported back. We thought that was great service. Both chaps had sticky toffee pudding, which hit the spot. A really lovely lunch in a beautiful setting with excellent friendly service. Would recommend!

I can highly recommend the chicken burger. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Cycling in the area, dropped by for a light lunch and a pint. Lovely staff, warm welcome and delicious food. The fries were excellent. And the garden is a really pleasing environment, with parking for bikes. Washrooms clean and sparkling too. Thanks, team!

Ate here twice while on holiday, the food was lovely

Fabulous wedding anniversary meal, wife had braised ox cheeks and I had rump steak both perfectly cooked

We ate here two nights running. Food was very good

Thorpe Ness is quite simply one of Suffolks hidden gems, just love coming here

Had lunch Very good service Very nice food Clean toilets Lots of Seating outside

We have dined here a few times and have always had a great time with friendly staff and a delicious meal in pleasant surroundings.

Great food! Gorgeous garden. :)

Would not go again or recommend roast and crumble meal was shocking and attitudes of staff towards some one who has nut allergies was bad meat was awful 3 potatoes burnt batter pudding no stuffing and crumble done with nuts but was told it was awful also nut allergies person was offered ice cream no other dessert worst place I've been 19 pound not worth money granddaughter went pizza shop after as was so bad

Stayed for a week in Thorpeness and ate twice at the Dolphin. What a lovely friendly team who work hard at providing an excellent service. Food was very good.

Lovely quaint pub with a large beer garden. Serve local beers and ciders. Highly recommend!

Thorpeness is a delightful village, and The Dolphin is in tune with this “vibe”, so a perfect place to stay. Parking can be a bit difficult if a sunny holiday day - but there are public car parks nearby. There are 3 bedrooms, our room No 3 was not large but very pleasant, and quite stylish. The Breakfast menu was imaginative, everything was made to order, and was really excellent. Lunch/Dinner options are good and with reasonable prices. The staff are very friendly and efficient. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary, with family joining us for lunch, everything went smoothly, including a pre lunch row on the Mere and boule in their garden late afternoon. We would highly recommend the Dolphin to eat or stay.

A lovely sunny afternoon spent in the beer garden

You can always expect a delicious meal paired with exceptional service here. A relaxed and cosy atmosphere, with a lovely garden area if you fancy a drink on a sunny day ☀️

We had a wonderful lunch in the garden at The Dolphin, despite being incredibly busy the service was brilliant, staff were warm and welcoming and working really hard. Food was delightful, partner loved the pork bites and burger which he said were delicious. I had the prawns on sourdough and the flatbread with roasted veg and feta. Pub has a great atmosphere and is beautifully situated! Will definitely be back.

Stumbled upon the Dolphin and stopped for a cheeky beer, a welcome break and a pleasant brew was had by one and all.

Booked for a Saturday. Had the skate, excellent, beautifully cooked, piping hot and reasonably priced (@£20) as were the bar drinks. Tables are well spaced out. Good country pub atmosphere. Went on a Saturday, casual dining, there were walkers and people out for the evening. Swift and helpful service (the pub was busy).

Had lunch with family. Good food

Only here for one night. All on my own with a super king size bed. Just had the 6oz burger and a drink. Very friendly and helpful staff.

We only eat here. We thought our meals rather disappointing !

Accommodated us for a large family celebration. Fantastic service, food was great and we had a beautiful table in the conservatory.

lovely place to stop for a drink or meal

Booking was easy, service was friendly and efficient and food was excellent. Adnams beers first class..

Had a drink at the Dolphin Inn. Great location. Owner said that they have 3 rooms for rent.

Lovely spacious beer garden. Order food and drink at the bar. We had sandwiches & king prawns and both delicious. Nice to see condiments served freshly rather than in a sachet or been left in the sun all day . Will definitely return

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Dolphin Inn. Our room was very pretty, quiet and cosy, and well equipped with a lovely bathroom too. We had dinner twice during our stay, and the food was excellent, l can recommend the Cromer crab! Breakfast was also delicious. The staff were so friendly and efficient and knowledgeable about the local area. A great location if you enjoy walking, and a good base to explore other places of interest too.

We had a lovely overnight stay here for my partners birthday. All staff were extremely Friendly and helpful. Room was really nice and was made even better by all the thoughtful extras. The food in the restaurant and breakfast was really good, fabulous fresh and local ingredients made it all really special. Would definitely visit again and highly recommend.

Stunning location Really comfy bed Staff were super

We all ordered sandwiches (£9), crayfish, Brie and bacon, hot roast beef, cheese, ham and chutney. All served with a lovely side salad. Sandwiches were big, well filled and tasty. We were all very impressed. 👍🏻

Great service, good food and Thorpeness a lovely holiday village

Expencive small breakfast portions,cold coffee only brown wholemeal Not soedough as listed on menu.over cooked spinich, poor quality granola, no advacardo avaliable we were not impressed with this breakfast.

It's a lovely place for lunches. Evening meals. Pub parts great lovely staff. Plus side I can get an oat milk mocha. Dog friendly too.

The restaurant is clearly popular. The service was very good. The place was welcoming. Overall the food portions were a bit large and we wished that the cooking was more consistent. Some food was good but some average and below. My hamburger was very good. My wife's brill was just OK but the samphire was well cooked and tasty. The other couple felt the same. Their boiled potatoes were overcooked. The meat pie was quite good but the massive accompaniment was not so nice. Adams Southwold bitter is lovely. We would come again as we felt the cooking is usually better.

Very freindly staff and good food

Spent a couple of nights in Thorpeness (not at the Dolphin) This was our venue of choice. Lovely atmosphere, dog friendly.

Ideal place for a one night stop over. Really friendly staff, clean and comfy rooms and the food was excellent.

Second rate gastropub. Food terrible, generic and microwaved. Expensive. Poor service. Just awful and very disappointing.

Had a lovely stay at the Dolphin with a large comfortable room and quality food. As with any pub you expect noise until closing but it wasn't a problem even for ourselves that live in a quiet area. After closing it was very peaceful and a good night sleep was had. With only 3 rooms it is a very personal service which was nice.

Arrived as the mid point for a walk and enjoyed a pint, although outside as they were full of diners.

Absolutely superb. Thorpeness itself is such a wonderful place to visit anyway, but staying in the Dolphin was the icing on the cake. Central. Lovely homely warm comfortable rooms. I ate in the restaurant in the evening, had 3 courses all of which were delicious. Breakfast in the morning was superb too- quality ingredients and a lovely portion size in a pleasant environment. Add to this, the staff were all wonderfully friendly and welcoming. Thank you.

Absolutely superb. Thorpeness itself is such a wonderful place to visit anyway, but staying in the Dolphin was the icing on the cake. Central. Lovely homely warm comfortable rooms. I ate in the restaurant in the evening, had 3 courses all of which were delicious. Breakfast in the morning was superb too- quality ingredients and a lovely portion size in a pleasant environment. Add to this, the staff were all wonderfully friendly and welcoming. Thank you.

Only stopped for a quick drink on a Sunday after our walk from Aldeburgh. Staff were very welcoming, and the food looked yummy 😋. Warm cosy pub.

Eat here quite a lot... Very relaxed atmosphere..... Great location by the sea Ample parking either outside or in the adjacent car park... Great food and for me, good vegan choices....

We had lunch here on the recommendation of a Aldeburgh local resident Great winter menu which other local Aldeburgh pubs should take note ! . Amazing lunch and excellent service (Maddie) Warm welcome , log fire . Specials board , Excellent choice of starters ,We ordered grilled Sardines x3 , Chicken liver pate , and beetroot tart . Mains x5 . Amazing pork belly , brill , fish pie , duck , celeriac and potato gratin . All very generous portions with seasonal vegetables , highly recommended you won’t be disappointed! . Too full for puddings , but the stout cake was tempting.

A very popular establishment - with the locals and visitors (so at peak times advisable to book). The staff are friendly and helpful - and the food is good pub grub (just what you need at the end of a walk).

Wow,wow,wow,what a gem. Great pub, great food, great ambiance. We rented a cottage 1 minute away so we ate in there 3 days in a row, staff even knew our dogs name after day 1.thanks for the great experience

Visited with friends who live in the area for lunch. Excellent Sunday lunch which was great value with the crumble deal which you can order with a roast for just an extra £1.

Booked a table for 5 & we could only be fitted in at 2:30pm. We were staying in Aldeburgh & walked along beach to pub. Perfect spot in a stunning location. The pub was packed. We all had a roast & desert option for £19.95 Good choice for veggies. Food was served promptly & was delicious. My only criticism would be “can I have a bit more veg” ? Well worth a visit - definitely book & we would 100% go again. 😃

We love coming here as always receive a warm welcome and that includes our 2 small dog's. There's always plenty to choose from on the menu + special's board. The meals are well presented and as usual very tasty. Can highly recommend as consistently good.

If you enjoy poor and rude service a Sunday lunch which was cold and of a quality not worthy of the price then this is the place to go. A real disappointment and a day with friends spoilt

We had lunch in the garden of the Dolphin pub on a very sunny sept 4th lunch time and from start to finish the service was great and such friendly waitresses making sure we were having a lovely time !

We stopped in for lunch on a nice sunny day. Lots of seating available outside. A very friendly pub with excellent staff. The food was tasty and a decent quality, a little better than you’d get at an average pub. A little pricy but overall not bad value.

Lovely welcoming staff and great food! I booked the covered area and they let me change to outdoor with no hassle. Beautiful setting. There's a premium on the price but it's Thorpeness!

Excellent. Great service from the team. Food was good. A burger and chips at 17.50 was a bit pricy but given the service and the ambience well worth it. Staff very quick to respond and always on hand. We'll done all.

We came across this pub by chance last year and thought the food and service was so good we would come back. We wasn’t disappointed, service and food was excellent and the dog made very welcome, highly recommended

On a day trip to Thorpeness in June 2023 and I had already looked online and read good reviews about the Dolphin. Walked in at lunchtime, had not booked, and was greeted and offered a choice of where to sit ( we wanted to sit inside) and had a table for two in a quiet part of the restaurant. There is another area which looks out on to the gardens but that area was busy and noisy so we were very pleased with our table location. Now on to the food : the waitress that came to our table was very friendly and we chose to have the Dolphin’s deal of two steaks and two glasses of house wine at an inclusive price. Wife asked for a glass of water as well and we were promptly brought a bottle of chilled water which we enjoyed with the food and the wine. Although it was a ‘house’ red wine we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Shame it was the middle of the day and driving otherwise another glass would have been ordered ! Two steaks duly arrived with gorgeous chips and a flavourful mixed salad. My steak was perfectly cooked medium and my wife was delighted with her medium-to-well done. You might be bored by now, reading this lengthy review but when a pub/restaurant provides such good food with excellent service they deserve to receive a good review. Well done to the chef and waitresses at The Dolphin. Wish I lived closer and could visit again.

Due to having some of my stomach removed I can't eat an adult meal so I had a child meal I had the child stake and it was cooked lovely will definitely go again

Fantastic experience. Great service, we were a party of 7. Everyone enjoyed their food all dishes very tasty. Lovely setting.

Lovely food, very helpful and friendly staff, efficient service and a super location. Been here once before and will return again. *Booking advised on busy days*

My husband and spent two nights at this lovely Inn and restaurant in the quaint village of Thorpeness. Room was stylishly furnished and very clean. We ate in the restaurant both nights and the food was excellent. We found all of the staff to be...

After a fabulous visit a few years ago we were looking forward to returning during our short break in Suffolk. We were sat in the conservatory which was lovely. The service was good and friendly though the staff didn't seem very knowledgeable about how items...

Well what a great restaurant, The service was friendly very efficient and faultless we felt valued. The menu choice was excellent. I and the pork chop and my wife had the mushroom tart with vegetables. The chop was one of the best I have ever...

Disappointing from so many previous excellent lunches. The menu is ill conceived and doesn't gel related to what they used to do. The staff appeared to have a "not bothered" approach when previously they were very customer focussed. We used to always look forward to...

Booked a table for lunch today and so pleased we did as very busy. All the staff are lovely and welcoming + excellent service. We had 3 courses each all presented extremely well and very tasty. The Salter and King burgers are the best I've...

We booked in for Sunday lunch greeted by lovely friendly staff and shown to our table a good choice of food available but we went with the Roast Beef very good and large portions we had crumble to finish and a bottle of wine a...

We had lunch at the Dolphin between Christmas and New Year. Neither of us are vegan but the vegan options on the specials board looked so tasty we went for them. Definitely wasn’t disappointed and recommend the Arancini. Service was good too. They are busy...

We stayed overnight here and so naturally used the restaurant for dinner. We took advantage of the steak deal thinking it might be a risk as we are particularly fussy about our steaks. No need to worry -- the steaks were delicious - cooked to...

Lovely service in a great place. Food was very good with some dishes better than others but overall high standard with good quality. Absolutely packed on a wet Saturday night so book ahead.

Alway very good food at the Dolphin. Advisable to book well ahead as the exclusive holiday village of Thorpenss is small, fashionable and this is the only public house. As you would expect, prices are no bargain, putting it mildly.

We had an evening meal. Delicious food and very attentive staff. Would definitely recommend. The garden looked nice too

Went for dinner and ordered the baked cod which arrived very wet and sloppy I don't think it had seen the inside of an oven. Tasted ok but not what I expected.

We visited the Dolphin on a bank holiday Sunday. It was extremely busy but despite this we were seated promptly and service was excellent. Lovely food, all in all a very enjoyable lunch.

Greeted at the entrance, very friendly staff, that way the same all the way through the visit. Having a 3 month old was no trouble to them, and they were very accommodating. Toilets / changing area were absolutely spotless, I mean the cleanest pub toilet...

We tried this lovely pub for our first time visit to Thorpeness on a very hot and busy Sunday lunchtime (the last day of the heatwave). It was packed with holidaymakers and a large party in the garden so it didn't bode well but on...

Lovely food- specials were perfect and great selection. There was a lovely beer garden and it definitely is our favourite pub in thorpeness

We last visited The Dolphin in August 2018 - Covid prevented a return until the end of June 2022. The menu was excellent (especially the choice of fish), the food wonderful and the staff friendly and efficient. It was so good, we returned later in...

A lovely dog friendly pub, plenty of room inside and out. Good choice of food and drink with friendly staff. A good place to finish or start your exploration of the area.

We went there for lunch in the garden. The surroundings are lovely, well maintained and pretty. The food was below average standard . The French onion soup had no baguette or cheese on top, was extremely sweet ( not sweet as in caramelised onion) and...

Sunday lunch, table booked for 12.15. Greeted promptly and taken to table. Drinks and food order taken quickly and the food came in a timely manner. We both had the Sunday roast, choice of beef, chicken and nut. There was a deal with a roast...

This is the second time we have visited for Sunday roast and crumble for £16.95, amazing! We had booked for 12.30 pm and couldn’t believe how busy it was. Great roast dinner with a lovely selection of vegetables. Crumble and custard, my favourite! Definitely recommend...

We ate at the Dolphin at 7:30pm. The restaurant section was busy but the service was great. Our waitress was engaging, friendly and professional. She made recommendations around both food and drinks. We ordered the special of smoked haddock with samphire, new potatoes etc and...