Lark restaurant in St Edmundsbury

Multiple visits, usually very pleased with the dining experience. This time, not so much. Service was fine, the Bone Dry Riesling was excellent, although heavy mark up. I must say the small plates were pretty, well presented but over priced. Tinned anchovies £10 for 4, you can buy a whole tin for £7. If the description included the term “tinned” I wouldn’t have ordered them. The biggest disappointment was the Quail, beautifully presented but terrible texture and cold. The waitress did ask me what was the issue with the dish, I told her, but that was the end of that. £135 for a selection of cold dishes, apart from the chips which were nuclear. Shame really, won’t be returning anytime soon. Initially a “quirky” dining experience however once you become a regular it seems to lose its appeal.

Tasty, modern and creative plates. Great flavours and attractive plating. Some seriously impressive sauces and the rabbit shank pie, a marvellous creation, clever and tasty in equal proportions. We had the tasting menu which was filling without be over facing and everyone enjoyed the food and the experience.

Our second visit - the first was shortly after the place opened. Observations: - the welcome was odd & if we hadn't been meeting friends we may well have left at that point. Said hello to the Spanish? chap who responded with a puzzled look & no greeting. He consulted his booking list (we had booked a lunch table for four), sat us at our table & left without asking if we'd like an aperitif. - after some minutes of being ignored I asked the waitress if we could have some service, see the menus and order drinks. - menus were brought, but the items on the blackboard weren't pointed out. - I wanted a G&T - just two choices of gin & one of tonic. When it arrived I was hard pressed to taste any kgin. - we ordered the tasting menu for four. A mixed bag - some good, some not so, a couple poor. - our waitress didn't do a great job of explaining the dishes she brought out. The Spanish? chap did much better explaining the dishes he served. - the signature rabbit & black pudding pie looked pretty but was too dry inside the casing. - the interior is sparse & lacking in character. Reminiscent of a canteen. - it's too expensive for a 'small dishes' place. The wine list - ouch. A five pound supplement for a tiny dab of caviar added to a lobster tapas. We enjoyed our first visit to Lark but this time we left feeling disappointed. Why? Perhaps the place is starting to rest on its laurels and the menu and serving team need a bit of a pep up? Not sure. Will we return? Probably not. There are better places in Bury St E and environs.

The food was really exceptional and deserved a 5-star review but the wine list was frankly bizarre. Bought two white wines (one £38, one £52) and they were just undrinkable - honestly wouldn't pay £5 for them in a supermarket. Such a shame and really needs sorting

To save time for readers - I will never go again there! It was very clever and elegant rip off. We just wanted a quick dinner before a concert, and didn't expect in such a grotty, looking cheaply decorated place so high prises. It didn't look that way at all before you see the portions. When we try to order one portion each, the guy came to us and explained that normally people order 3 per person (quite cunning approach). If I was by myself, I would stick to that I wanted, but my husband ordered all together 5. Mine was tasty, others had too strong source and not for my taste ( tastes differ). On their web the portions look much bigger than in reality. As the result, for a quick dinner we paid £110. Our advice : be careful, and read other reviews. Enjoy your meal.

We had great expectations for this restaurant as it’s had a lot of good reviews . We were not disappointed. We chose the tasting menu which for £70 a head we thought decent value. We were given half a dozen starters.. all delicious and just a couple of mouthfuls each so we were ready for more. These were followed by a crab dish, then a pasta and after that a sumptuous rabbit pie served with hispi cabbage with pomegranate and perfectly made chips. There were three small but delicious desserts to follow. Another time we might order from the menu, have a couple less dishes and skip the desserts. But for a first visit would highly recommend the tasting menu. Service was impeccable. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before this lovely restaurant gets a Michelin star.

Exceptional experience, well worth a visit and we cannot wait to return. Everything we ate was fantastic and the front of house team deserve particular mention as they were fantastic.

First time visit to Lark, we went for the Chef's Selection and all four of us absolutely loved all the dishes. My favourite was the pasta, but everything was delicious. We will be back.

Great little restaurant, good atmosphere, great service and food. We opted for the set sharing menu and it was all excellent, very varied. Proably too much to eat but we just about managed it! Good choice of wine to go with it all.

Not cheap but a lovely experience. Go on an empty stomach to fully enjoy the range of ‘small plate’ dishes. Tables are a little close to neighbours but not surprising as it’s such a small venue. Lively atmosphere. Not necessarily dressy but also good for popinjays. Friendly and helpful staff. Will definitely return.

First rate ! What a delightful little restaurant! Excellent , friendly service, beautifully relaxed too. All the dishes were very good to eat . We especially loved the monkfish tempura, should have ordered two portions ! All in all ..super .

We dined at Lark last night. It was absolutely superb ! Our party of 4 all had the tasting menu and what fabulous feast it was ! Very innovative cuisine with lovely flavours and very reasonably priced for the quality. Service was impeccable.

We enjoyed an absolutely delicious meal here with friends. The service was excellent and the food was outstanding. My wife and I are vegetarian but the others in are group are not. We were really impressed with the adaptions to the menu to accommodate us and the amount of choices was hugely impressive. The standard here is high and the setting is intimate and not pretentious in any way. The food does the talking and it speaks volumes. Bury is lucky to have somewhere like this.

An absolutely incredible meal. We had the Lark Kitchen selection to remove the decision making process! The food was incredible, well balanced and the different courses fitted together well. We started with a range of small plates of a range of beautiful flavours and textures, followed by a wonderful pasta, then the showstopping pie. Normally I am not a pudding person but I will be dreaming about that rhubarb and hibiscus trifle for a long time to come! The staff were friendly, the pacing of each course was spot on and it was a relaxed evening with some exceptional cooking. For £65 a head, it was totally worth it- you could see how much work and skill had gone into each course and we left utterly full and satisfied. Thank you Lark! See you again soon!

We had the taster menu.It was the most delicious, creative and wonderful food we have ever had,and we are serious foodies! The service was impeccable and friendly and we just could not believe it as dish after dish came out.Wonderful flavours,everything balanced. Difficult to chose favourites but mushroom aranchini, the famous rabbit and black pudding pie,oh and 3, exquisite puddings. Lovely light setting.This place is beyond brilliant. GO!

What is interesting about Tripadvisor reviews is that there are some extremely negative ones. We've eaten at Lark a few times and never once encountered any of the issues that have apparently upset some people. The staff are always friendly and welcoming, the palate of tastes and textures that James creates in the kitchen are always a delight, and the wine list is chosen with care so you can usually find a good accompaniment to the meal. While some diners may prefer to have white linen table cloths, that's not why we go to Lark - and will continue to go (when space is available). We always leave feeling better about life as a result of the excellent teamwork that makes Lark a justifiable success!

We went for the chefs tasting menu. Amazing. Seasonal and delicious. It’s a very small venue but great food and service. I would go back in a heartbeat

Food was of good quality, well thought out and presented but I still come away underwhelmed. The best quote I could come up is Master Chef meets Nandos. The food was good but the experience was similar to a fast food restaurant like being on a conveyor. Especially when they asked ilus if wanted tea , served it with bill and a request to drink up as the second sitting was due, not that anyone was waiting. All this for around £110 per head left me thinking was it worth it when there are so many other excellent restaurants in Burry.

We were disappointed with this restaurant after so many good reviews. We eat out regularly and are very open to different offerings, but for us this just didn’t work. The food was over-complicated and over-seasoned and we didn’t enjoy it - actually, we even left some, and with a menu of small plates that is saying something. The timing of the delivery of dishes was also very variable, which meant some dishes were finished long before others arrived. Maybe we are missing something - after all, there are plenty of 5 star reviews - but for us it was a case of ‘the emperor’s new clothes’. Go to Blue Fig instead.

We met friends for a birthday lunch and the 4 of us decided on “Kitchen Choice” so all dishes were selected for us. Every plate of food was explained when it was served and the plates just kept coming! An excellent food experience, all beautifully prepared and cooked with great service. Will we return? Absolutely we will!!

When you first enter Lark your reminded of a high end cafe not restaurant, wooden tables, hard wooden chairs, concrete floor with a few prints around the white walls. Sharing very small plates of food I've found out is not for me, although the cooking...

Great food, cooked and presented to perfection! Every single bit on the plate has been prepared with attention to detail and love. As a very indecisive person menu looked like heaven, small plates mean we could literally try everything, from lovely crusty sourdough to cured...

Great food. All the dishes we tried had interesting flavours and were very well cooked. Tempura monkfish was the highlight for me. We had a couple of desserts also both of which were very good and so much better than the afterthoughts that restaurants often...

Good value premium quality lunch for 2 without wine. The presentation and food were of a very high quality, and attentive service was excellent. A special place

We’re very given a Voucher for Christmas for this relatively new restaurant, that’s been mentioned in the Michelin guide The staff were very friendly and the restaurant lovely and warm . The menu was explained to us , no large portions but small plates. We...

We booked last minute and pleased to get a table. Friendly service and welcoming. We chose the Lark’s kitchen selection which was varied, interesting and original. Nicely presented and more than enough food. Our favourites were the cod roe, oyster, venison tartare. Fab desserts too....

One of the most remarkable meals I have ever eaten. As there were four of us, we opted for the chef's choice to save long discussions. From oyster to dessert it was an endless succession of delightful and original food. Of course it isn't cheap...

Fortunate to get a last minute booking on a Saturday evening, must have been due to a cancellation. Between the two of us we chose 8 or 9 ‘small plates’ Everyone of them was absolutely delicious. The plates were much bigger than we expected and...

Don’t believe the hype. Overpriced poor food. Terrible service and so so arrogant restaurant manager typified the chefs attitude toward the customers.

Have just got back from Lark after a birthday meal, and I'm surprised by some of the reviews here. Whiles it's not quite at the Vanderlyle (Cambridge) level it's not far off the mark and far better, in our experience, than Pease Pottage. There are...

Overpriced food cauliflower and pasta so sickly and £20.00 for pasta for a tapas Monkfish tempura Trout was lovely Tiramisu good really £12.00 for a dessert will not go back

I was a little apprehensive going to this little restaurant as some of the reviews were quite critical. I was so glad I did. The atmosphere is relaxed but the food is the star of the show as it should be. I liked the atmosphere...

Very disappointing on every level. Don’t believe the hype! I would normally say go and make your own mind up, but, honestly, spend your money elsewhere would be my recommendation. Arrived 15 minutes early and we were greeted by a disinterested waitress, give her her...

£600 - 4 People Located in a small setting, this restaurant offers a variety of home cook, small plates. While the Parmesan focaccia was lovely, the sopressini pasta fell short (this sentiment was shared by the whole table and the barely touched plates) being overly...

Blown away by the quality of the food. This place is well worth a visit as long as you are a proper foodie and don't want something conventional. The service was super friendly and the menu of small plates was explained to us. Each dish...