Old Mariner in Suffolk Coastal

A proper pub, good friendly service , well kept beers with an ever changing guest ale, no food just good conversation in a pleasant environment. If you long for a traditional well run pub serving good ale the Old Mariners is for you.

Stayed in Woodbridge for Easter with my Sister and Boyfriend and this was by far our favourite pub! Absolutely lovely staff and a great atmosphere in there. Thank you for being so hospitable.

We had a pretty awful experience in The Old Mariner Woodbridge. The manager /owner was antagonistic and extremely rude to our group. Our group of four went onto the pub and within seconds, not even having been served our order insulted one of us. Telling one of us to stand up straight. We got our drinks and sat down in an empty back room, on our own and were talking and drinking our drinks and the woman came in and asked the same person that she had already insulted to stop waving his arms about! Our friend has ADHD and is very hyperactive and expressive when he’s talking. This alone is grounds for a discrimination case, I would think. It’s worth noting that she actively sought to bully our friend as there was absolutely no reason to seek him out to insult him further. On our exit I went to the bar and said exactly what I thought about our treatment. The very entitled lady did not seem at all concerned that we would leave bad trip advisor reviews for the pub. I find this a real shame when so many decent pubs recently closed down in our area, staff that work really hard and care about their customers out of work when you see how a pub like The Old Mariner is run. When they feel like they can be outrageously rude to paying customers with no regard, just by lucky virtue of their location and not their charisma or people skills. Some people should never run a pub and we certainly met one of them! Some background in case anyone thinks the issue was of our making and not the Mariner’s. We had been on a pub and food crawl around the town. The afternoon and evening consisted of: Two of our party had lunch at The Unruly Pig. Zero issues. The other two had late lunch at The Whistlestop Cafe, with no problems. We all rendezvoused at The Anchor with zero issues. We went on to The 1975 bar and had zero issues. We went on to the Kings Head with zero issues. Then to the Bell and Steelyard with no issues. Onto the Old Mariner and they were rude the second we went in to the second we left. We went on from there to The Red Lion, again, zero issues. After that we went to the Royal Bengal and had a great meal with zero issues. Needless to say none of us will ever return under the current antagonistic and bullying management and I would urge others to not bother also. They clearly don’t need the custom and should never be in the hospitality industry as it’s clear they do not like people! There are plenty of better pubs in Woodbridge that will welcome you and that do want your custom. I doubt they will last long there with their shocking and exclusive attitude. I am sure the company that owns this pub will be interested to hear about this.

Visited Saturday March 23rd. Four of us had had a few drinks before but we were coherent, polite and well behaved. I joked with the landlady? that some friends had been told off for being too loud before (they weren't). Anyway, my friend was asked to stand up straight! If that wasn't bad enough when we were sat down he was asked to put is arms down. He was only stretching for god's sake!! I'm surprised there wasn't someone on the door with a breathalyser. Great pub with good beer, completely let down by staff with some kind of overbearing controlling mentality. If there was a minus option for reviews this would have one. We'll never go there again until it changes hands. Avoid if you like a drink. I'm surprised they serve alcohol!

Such a great place - the bar staff are so welcoming and make a real effort to get to know you and really look after you. I have been in the area only a few months and I have to say the welcome I get here is really great - lovely place, lovely garden and great people

To say I’m a regular would be an exaggeration. I go there with my friends a couple of times a month, not living in Woodbridge itself. Very well kept beer. We are definitely talking real ale which in a post Covid world is not always easy to find. Good selection of beers. It is a pub for drinkng not eatng. Courteous and friendly service.

Whilst on holiday we read the reviews on the pub and just had to visit as i wanted to meet this "miserable owner" as i find i can get on with anyone, well i was put out when i was greeted by 2 smiling girls who could have not been nicer, shared a bit of banter and had a laugh, plenty of draught beers and our quick beer turned into a few more as we sat in the beer garden as the sun went down and thought nothing miserable about this pub for sure! Thanks girls for good service and banter.

My friend asked if they had any milk for her 2yr old. She offered to pay, they said no. She asked if her daughter could have some warm water & was again refused. Unbelievable, how can you say no to a young child. He said ' I'd rather not cos I'm too busy'

Horrible owner who treats young people awfully. Used to go regularly before they introduced the 21+ rule and it was ok but after it was implemented we were rudely told to get out. As a respectful and friendly group of young people, we were shocked. Last summer a group of around 8 of myself and my friends (all 21 and not at all rowdy) sat drinking in the garden all with alcoholic drinks. Another friend who is 21 but forgot his ID tried to order a non alcoholic drink- was told by the rude owner that he wouldn’t have anyone drinking squash in his garden and refused to let our friend sit with us. Will never go again.

The Old Mariner is a great place to relax on the garden with a drink & your dogs. It always seems to be busy & popular with locals.

Popped in for a drink on Saturday lunchtime. Unusual to find a proper pub that doesn't serve food these days. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere.

Nice and lively, lovely friendly locals and bar staff. Had a lovely drink with my boyfriend. Will definitely come back. Lovely atmosphere xxx

some of the best pub grub we have had staff very help full prices were good to we will go again soon

Popped in for a few pints on a recent visit to Woodbridge. Nice old pub that does the job, nothing more. A good selection of real ales on offer, and the place was warm and cosy. But, was short-changed by the lass behind the bar and she seemed put out when I questioned the change I had been given. A nice mix of locals and visitors gave the bar a pleasing feel, but we didn't stay for long, preferring to go somewhere else.

I get that this is a 'proper pub' but customers these days do have more eclectic tastes in wine rather than just " red, white or rose". This place could be great but the attitude of the staff when we visited and the no exist wine list means we will go somewhere else

After an initial panic on not seeing any hand pumps, we were relieved to find they were 'slightly' hidden at the end of the bar. There was a blackboard listing the real ales on offer so it was our fault for not being observant enough! The beer was very well kept and there is a pleasant garden which is a bit of a sun trap.

Living locally we visited the old mariner on recommendation to try the Sunday Roast it was the best pub roast we have had for years!

I am very lucky to live in Woodbridge and after spending several years here, the Old Mariner is always my first port of call! Really good beer, good atmosphere and nice outdoor space to!

Really nice pub, popular with locals. Just popped in for a quick carlsberg. Did not try the food, but this pub has a really nice feel to it. Barmaid was friendly and would probably go back next time for more than just the one!

El Mariner's largo ha sido uno de mis favoritos de pubs y que vengo aquí mucho. Tuve mi primer asado aquí el domingo fue excelente, el mejor que recuerdo tener en Woodbridge, y he prácticamente probado todos. La carne estaba perfectamente rosado, las verduras al dente, crujientes patatas asadas, budín de Yorkshire y enorme tienes una jarra independiente de salsa, así que no tienes que pedir más. Y para rematar, toda la cosa sólo cuesta 10 libras. Increíble relación calidad-precio. Hazte un favor y ve!

We love this pub in Woodbridge, its cosy, friendly, great choice of well kept ale and astonishingly fantastic wine. Great original choice of bar nibbles/snacks and we enjoyed the most tastiest Sunday lunch we have had in a long time. Beautiful tender beef and my partner had chicken, four veg beautifully cooked with fresh thyme, including a side of cauliflower cheese, so tasty, great crispy roasties, a fabulous home made Yorkshire and a big jug of ace gravy on the side. A little bit of thought goes a long way, no pouring of the gravy over the crispy elements turning them soggy, no fashionable placing the meat over everything which has the same effect. And dog friendly, made us feel right at home.

Estuve con amigos que viven en la zona. No comimos, pero sólo teníamos bebidas. Este pub es un pub antiguo precioso que está bien conservada y para sentarse y charlar con amigos. Hay una buena selección de cervezas y vinos - teníamos cerveza y sidra. Aunque bebimos en el pub en sí hay un precioso jardín en la parte trasera que también es utilizada por los clientes.

En todos los aspectos, es un típico pub tradicional británico, con un ambiente encantador, gran variedad de cervezas y buena comida. El personal es muy amable. En realidad nos llama en un domingo, pero tenían una barbacoa en oferta, lo que fue un poco decepcionante, pero muy agradable. Vale la pena una visita si en la zona.

Great staff , we're a little late for food but she very kindly got us a half pint jug pickled onions and cheese , thank you . Nice beers Dogs very welcome , thank you cliff

The Old Mariner was surprisingly quiet when we dropped in for a family lunch with 3 generations. There was a good choice of chicken burgers, scampi etc for the grandsons and the main special, summer chicken with new potatoes and salad for the grown ups. There is a good choice of real ale, bitter and lager. The summer chicken salad was delicious. It was citrony with a lovely fresh taste. One of our number opted out from the pesto dressing and the French dressing on the side was very good. The staff were very pleasant and attentive.

A round of drinks for four people which was 2 wines and 2 pints bag of crisps and peanuts ,it came to £21. Very expensive for this part of the world.

Love this pub, such a lovely atmosphere. Really buzzing at weekends. Great selection of beers. Cosy fire in the winter. Always a warm welcome.

Visited 'the mariners' last Monday lunchtime.The pub has been beautifully renevated and is much more appealing that it was in a previous life. A good selection of lager and cask ales on draft. There is a small lunch menu with home cooked meals as well as sandwiches and homemade scotch eggs and other bar snacks. We both opted for the sausage casserole, which was delicious; it came with a big chunk of cake shop bread, always a winner. We also tried the warm scotch egg which was equally delicious! A very good lunch and at around £9 each I dont think you will find such a generous and tasty portion many other places in Woodbridge.

Adnams' Ghost Ship, Woodeforde's Wherry, Sam Smith's and Tim Taylor's Landlord all on draft. I can vouch for the Wherry. Nice solid fuel stove in use - we sat beside it.Good pub food at sensible prices. A wise restriction on the number of dishes keeps the quality up.Three of us had a good lunch and a pint each for £30.00Will come again.

We were in Woodbridge on a rainy, windy and cold February day when we spied this pub which had a notice about new management outside. It also said they served simple home cooked lunches. Just the ticket we thought and so it was. The front bar immediately felt welcoming, warm and quiet. Stone flags on the floor, scrubbed pine tables, no music and two pleasant women behind the bar also felt good. There was an excellent selection of local beers and after scrutinising the short menu and the food of other customers we ordered home made soup with huge dish of fries instead of bread (my friend has a wheat allergy) and this came with a side dish of good coleslaw on fresh salad leaves. I had a HUGE sandwich of roast pork with apple sauce which also came with the coleslaw on the side. All the food was fresh and very tasty. A local friend who joined us later said that she had not been in the pub since new management had taken over in November last year and was impressed.We were all less than impressed when the Ireland/France rugby match was put on very loudly but luckily there are two back rooms and we retreated there. If I am ever in Woodbridge again, and who wouldn't come again as it is a delightful small town, I will certainly return.

Proper pub, nice atmosphere, goodish beer selection, roaring fire. The food looks good but never had it. Always pop in when in Woodbridge and the hidden back garden is a real discovery in the summer.

Recently visited this pub in Woodbridge. The pub has recently been refurbished but has kept all the charm. It feels like a "proper" pub so you feel comfortable calling in for a drink or to have a bite to eat. The menu isn't extensive but the Shepherds Pie I ordered was delicious - really good home made cooking. I would thoroughly recommend a visit. Good value, great food.

Quiet, only people in bar. Food perfectly acceptable and reasonably priced. Friendly service, easy parking

We popped in for drinks after a lovely walk around Woodbridge a couple ordered tapas and we had to try it, it was awesome and the service impeccable. Before writing this we read the previous reviews and were astonished by the bad reviews as we had a fab evening and food was out of this world. Will definitely call in again thank you to the fab staff for making an ordinary evening very nice.

We called into this pub for an after work drink also to take a look at the menu we had a very warm welcoming and was served a very nice pint of ghost ship we sat chatting until this loud member of staff came behind the bar and got really loud, she was arguing with a man, after a while it went quiet so we was about to have another pint until I presume a regular came back in and said something to her she turned and started swearing very loud for all to hear! We didn't have another pint we got out of that pub and will not be returning with our wives for a meal, this woman is not for a QUIET little pub!!it's a shame as the pub seemed friendly and cosy!

Ordered pie of the day which we were told was "steak and ale" had tapas for starters which were ok not that special,then our pies arrived!Well they were not as ordered! They were Stilton peppered mushroom and onion steamed pudding!!! Told the server who said " there is steak in there" we said not she said " well that's what it said on the box! Brakes( the well known supplier of prepared food to the catering trade) must have labelled the box wrong!" Couldn't she see the pie/ pudding didn' t look right? When you read their website it mentions " chef/ landlord and locally sourced products! And no we weren't offered a reduction on the bill!Shall not go there again!

If you're looking for a small pub with a bit of character, some nicely kept ale and good food then you can do no more than visit Roger and his staff at the Old Mariner. Roger is a Chef/Landlord and the menu is a nice mix of Tapas as well as some other nicely thought out choices (the steak is so good I usually have that) The menu is limited for two reasons...his kitchen is small and he likes to also serve fresh food! We had our son's 21st party at the pub and his outside catering skills came to the fore with a superb and varied spread that impressed everyone. He has a lovely lady Chef who brings her skills to the mix and the Cottage Pie is 'yummy'. It's a nice friendly pub and Roger and his staff will always do their best to fit you in. He's rightly proud of his Ale and when he's behind the Bar you could not wish for a more genuine host. Nice pub, nice town, nice food .... Try it.

Absolutely incredible food, lovely staff. We had a lovely evening, and everything was just perfect! :)

An excellent in town pub in Woodbridge ....recently serving gluten free food as well and gaining the Coeliac Society certificate of exxcellence. Worth a visit!

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting friends at the Old Marriner last night for their birthday celebration. The chef's Spanish tapas were delicious from the patatas bravas to the chorizo in red wine, paella and spicy lamb skewers. This was our first time in Woodbridge (after a 190 mile road trip to get to the birthday party) and we had a nice, "buzzy" birthday supper in a great, friendly setting. We'll be back to enjoy another "Spanish" night at the Old Marriner next time in Woodbridge. Oh - the olives and anchovies - yummy - nicely selected.

Dropped in for a couple of beers after a local photo shoot. Real pub. After 20 minutes of enjoying the company of the friendly staff the chef produced complementary bar snacks of magical garlic and coriander bread. Nice touch. I shall return. Back to the smoke now - all work, lots of play.

My word, I feel I need to take a moment to praise this excellent establishment and it's superb fare. On a recent business escapade from Trinidad I found myself relaxing in this quintessentially English public house. Absolutely charming. Excellent traditional ale and engaging conversation with the Landlord and friendly bar staff. However, finding myself peckish I ordered a sandwich from the lunch menu. More than a sandwich appeared ... a spectacular meal indeed! Prepared with culinary skill and served with grace ... highly recommended.

As visitors we went in for a pre-dinner drink, with a view to eating that night or another if it looked good. It's an old-fashioned pub - a few flowers on the tables didn't really help. There were a trio of locals at the bar bickering, with the woman (I assume a little worse for wear) shouting at her partner and showing off the whole time, do imaging the pub. We had one drink each and couldn't wait to leave. We felt like we'd intruded in someone's living room. Another couple who followed us in appeared to feel the same. If you're a visitor to Woodbridge, I'd leave this one to the locals.

We love this pub, it has a real 'pub' feel to it, great beer garden with sun (shades obviuosly too) which is a rarity in Woodbridge also a heated patio for chilly evenings. Dog friendly (on leads please, fair enough I feel!) The tapas blew me away, it was amazing, delicious and great value. Staff and locals are friendly. what more could you ask for? Make sure you don't leave Woodbridge without a visit to the old Mariner.

Stayed in Woodbridge for one night, walked down to the Old Mariner intending to have a quick drink. We ended up staying the whole evening. Very friendly young lady behind the bar who made us very welcome. After seeing other customers having tapas it looked so good we ordered some ourselves. Absolutely delicious. Friendly locals, very enjoyable evening.

Always a very friendly welcome... good value for money food especially their Sunday roast... Staff are very helpful, it has an exceptionally large garden to sit in the sunshine and very dog friendly which is great

Was discusseded to see a young boy behind the bar serving and pouring alcoholic drinks to one of the locals, the young bar man didn't look to impressed as it wasn't very profeshional! As the Landlord of the pub you would think he would know what he let that young boy do was illegal. The food side was also terrible, didn't look like he mad an affert in the kitchen, food was cold and put on this disscusting slat for a plate, once again the young bar man apologised, sore the young bar man a couple of days later in Woodbridge town and he was very polite and still apologising for that dreadful day! Worst landlord in Woodbridge.

The Tapas is just great.... good mixture and plenty of veggie options. The tapas style of eating fits well within a relaxed pub without destroying the pub by turning it into a restaurant as is the way with many pubs these days. Very friendly and helpful staff.

i would start by saying how good the ale was that i had in this pub it was excellent .But i was less impressed by the service from the bar staff.The barmaid and young barman seemed more keen to mess around with each other then notice when i required serving at the bar .Im not sure that the landlord would have been impressed.Also i felt the staff had their favourites who they served first rather then seeing who had been waiting.It's a shame the service was so poor because the beer and the pub were great apart from there were quite a few dogs wandering around the pub .

04/01/14Possibly the worst customer service I've experienced. No recognition when I entered, kept waiting while the barmaid (?) fussed over a frothy pint for a 'regular.' No eye contact again before picking up glasses from the counter in front of me then disappeared to the back room to wash them, joined by the young lad to engage in a conversation and ignore the fact a customer was waiting to spend money. Only after making a point I needed to be served was I asked what I needed. (9 minutes??)Beer was very good, service is terrible, food is unknown - I wouldn't have the confidence to bring family or guests back. Didn't make any acknowledgement when I returned my empty glass nor as I left....Appears to be aimed at local trade whereby passing trade feels unwelcome.

Really excellent selection of authentic foods. We were part of a large organised group that had pre-booked. Very impressed with food, service and ambience. Definitely will be visiting again

After calling at 1pm to enquire if they were serving food and if so what time until, I was advised last food orders needed to be made by 3pm. So after travelling the 10 miles to the pub with family we arrived just after 2.30pm. I then asked at the bar if they could provide menus. I was advised that no food was being served, so I explained that I had phoned and advised of the above. The barmaid then spoke to the chef who was tucking into food around the corner and came back to advise me that the chef had gone home!? Even though he was clearly there sat in the pub in his chef whites!? The barmaid did not apologise and did not even try to offer a sandwich or something basic I.e. Chips. Really bemused by the lack of care for new potential customers, especially after only visiting after reading good reviews on here. Real lack of training and general curtesy shown. Won't go again or recommend. Poor.

To me a pub needs a low ceiling. It needs at least 1 open fireplace. There has to be a good selection of beers and of course the bar staff must look as though they enjoy their job. The food needs to be homemade and reasonably priced and above all the publican needs to be seen.....I'm not fussy after all!! The old Mariner has all of the above and more. a gorgeous country town pub with just enough space and atmosphere ,a well stocked bar and the friendliest publican in town! So without doubt i can say that this is the pub for me! I shared delicious authentic tapas (all made by Roger) and when we sat at the familiar round table in the bay window it felt like coming home. Roger has made this pub his own and we wish him much success. This is definitely the best pub in Woodbridge to my mind but you don't have to take my word for it!!

AT LAST! A proper traditional pub with all the ingredients - Very friendly landlord who knows his trade, fab beer, a food menu of good quality and value for money. Will be my favourite local from now on.

I've walked past this pub many times but have never been in because it looked quite dingy from the outside. We went in for the first time yesterday, the pub is under new management and has been refurbished.As soon as we went in there was a lovely atmosphere. We were served by a very bubbly barmaid and took a seat to wait for our food. The landlord - Roger is also the chef and there is a good choice on a small menu which I prefer as you know the food is more likely to be cooked well. Our food soon arrived and didn't disappoint and Roger also came and spoke to us. You can tell straight away that he has a passion for what he's doing, it came across loud and clear. The food was very reasonably priced and the drinks as they should be. There is a room at the back of the pub and a lovely garden so even when there was a lot of people in there it didn't feel too noisy or cramped.We had a thoroughly nice evening and will definitely be going again in the near future and it will probably be our new local .

Such a joy to go to this pub. Sooo friendly and welcoming. Recent decoration has lifted the pub whilst it remains the olde worlde tavern in the heart of Woodbridge.They have Proscecco by the glass!Tapas tasting menu and new menu by chef Roger (Landlord and Chef) - so refreshing to see a publican who cooks and wow what a cook!I go there quite regularly on my own and with friends and always feel at home. Bit like a British "cheers" pub! Lovely - the garden is rural with birds abounding...a peaceful place to just be.

There is one reason above all others why pubs are closing in large numbers: they're rubbish! This Old Mariner shines like a beacon and should be visited as a superb example of how a British pub should be. It's got bags of character, the staff are friendly and efficient, there's a lovely fire on when it's cold and you will go a long way to get a better pint of beer. There is a large flat screen over the fire that only comes on for international rugby and state events. No annoying slot machines, no musak, no rowdy customers but it does 'buzz' when busy or the rugby is on. It has daily newspapers, a good garden, a car park and. I know of a couple of other pubs as good as this but of none better.

A great range of beers and the food is superb. This is the best pub in Woodbridge by a long way. It is also the only pub with a properly kept and secluded beer garden. If you like fruit machines and juke boxes then go and find somewhere else to drink. This is a real pub not a themed pub for the alco pop crowd. Toilets are tricky (same as the rest of Woodbridge) for wheelchairs, but, the staff are great and will help if needed.

I was amazed, as a expat suffolk native to see that the mariners was not listed in trip-advisor. anyone who lives in this little market town knows it as a lovely cozy pub with great beer, good food and a wonderful pub atmosphere. Chris and Tom who own the place have over the year converted a rather cranky old tavern into something very special. They have owned or run multiple pubs in the town and elsewhere and everytime its a winner. this is no exception. If you are in woodbridge, find it, you will not regret the experience.