Stansfield Compasses in St Edmundsbury

Noticed the one of my old teenage haunts was open again, and what a lovely surprise. A very friendly and informative owner/brewer made us feel very at home and three pints of the wonderfully tasty Xocolatl Ale was just what the doctor ordered. I was sorely tempted to make my way through his wide array of beers, but could not resist this pale ale combined with cocoa nibs…can’t wait to be back in Suffolk again!

An excellent find out in the Suffolk sticks.Well worth your trip through stunning Suffolk countryside.Friendly atmosphere and great beer with free quality music playing.I will certainly return.Good luck to the landlord at this early stage of his new venture.Go and have a look.Highly recommended.

The Old Goat Brewery at the Compasses in Stansfield re-opened July 2023. The pub is over 500 years old and has been a fixture in the community until it closed in 2020. Now under Roy's new ownership, the pub is serving as the tap room for the Old Goat Brewery. It is a wet led pub only.

Friendly bar staff. Excellent service and food. Superb value for money. A very welcoming atmosphere. Great open fire. Locals were very friendly. We shall defiantly be paying another visit soon.

What a fantastic pub to enjoy coffee with a group of lovely friends. Thank you iris for making us feel so welcome , bacon and egg buns were super and I would recomend the lovely coffee . X

First thing I noticed when arriving at the Compasses is that you are noticed and greeted, which is a bit of a shock to the system nowadays. The number of drafts available is 7 ranging from Southwold bitter too Orchard pig cider with some Candem lager, ale and Stout in between. The best part being that when you order a pint, you are given, A PINT. None of this ridiculously large head or not reaching the top of the glass, it's either full or over and tastes cool and refreshing. An ever increasing menu as well whenever I return with excellent quality food, only thing I will say is you better be hungry because these portion sizes are large. Pub perfect. Definitely earned a regular customer!

We met up with two friends for a meal at the recently reopened Compasses.Im not normally a burger eater but had heard that these were exceptional so we gave it a go.I had spicy hot jalapeño one and my wife had a mushroom burger.All arrived with salad and wedge type chips,delicious,all meat is sourced from a noted local butcher in Long Melford and is top quality,we had to cut it up to eat as it was very large.All washed down with a pint of Addams made for an excellent meal.Thanks Iris,I’ll be in tonight for more of the same.

Just read the review from the anonymous armchair food critic. I had the currywurst and chips a couple of weeks ago and they were delicious and authentic tasting (I've sampled many all over Germany).

Start of menu dreadful, chips, chips, burgers, German sausages and more chips with curry sauce !!!!!!! Awful therefore will not frequent this new uninviting establishment, do they really think we want to eat this rubbish, cardiac arrest on a plate, nooooooo

The Stansfield Compasses is an excellent find in the Suffolk Countryside. We were staying in the area and were met with a warm welcome from the Landlord Tony & the locals on our arrival. Our dog was made very welcome. We enjoyed Fish & Chip Friday,all freshly made,in an informal setting,washed down with a good glass of cider. Tony works really hard to cater for everyone’s tastes and with notice will cook meals as requested. We been booked a table for Sunday Roast and the pub was packed with happy patrons enjoying generous,fresh hot roasts with good quality meats,flavoursome varied vegetables and homemade gravy. There was a choice of homemade apple crumble or homemade trifle-both were good. Tony is a naturally generous host,the pub was really busy,but he appeared outwardly relaxed and interested in his customers. I would have liked to have learned more about him. I enjoyed looking through the second hand books & there was a good choice of classic wooden board games. Dogs are warmly welcomed and Rupert,Tony’s Dog,although small in size is quite a character and very loved. I would highly recommend this pub for a unique experience and really good home cooked food.

Stopped off for lunch one Saturday in September during the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust bike ride. A nice Suffolk village pub with lots of character. We had a standard ploughman's lunch as the landlord was preparing for a wedding party that evening. It was good of him to fit us in. Very good beers.

Tony the Landlord/Chef gave us a warm welcome and produced a delicious Sunday roast with all the trimmings; this was followed by strawberries and cream for me and homemade cherry pie with custard for my Partner. These two courses together with drinks came to £40 for the two of us, an absolute bargain for the quality of the food. Tony sources his meat, vegetables and fruit locally and also brews his own beer. All tastes are catered for including vegetarian just give Tony 24 hours notice and he can produce pretty much whatever you want from the ingredients he has available. There are often themed food evenings for example Italian or Middle Eastern as well as regular music and quiz nights. Tony opens from Thursday to Sunday so it is best to give him a ring first. We had a great time and look forward to returning for more of Tony's mouthwatering offerings, he is clearly very passionate about his cooking and we are just as passionate about eating great food! Thank you Tony and we will see you again soon.

We were looking for a cozy Sunday roast with an open fire, authentic vibe and very good beer. Well we found it!!! The atmosphere is warm, friendly and relaxing. The roast was cooked to order and just what we were longing for. The homemade apple crumble was truly a gem. The host,Tony, a real character, is not only welcoming but passionate, funny and committed to making this pub a traditional haven with a multitude of events planned: quiz nights,vinyle nights,live music, cider making, homemade beers, "Curryoké" nights ..... All in all a great place to hang out with your partner, your family, your friends or just your dog ;-)

Genuine English country pub great beers ciders and fire, warm atmosphere too.we had to stay near stansted airport and this was a real find. Lunch breakfast dinner all great

A little off the beaten track, but well worth a visit. This is a quaint old pub with a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. A very entertaining landlord who certainly knows how to cook and look after his guests. We will definitely be coming back and if we were ever to move to the area then this would be our local. Highly recommend!

Booked for 10 of us on a Saturday night. We were told by Tony that he was doing pork with salad and potatoes with a desert. Great. The pork loin was delicious with a huge mixed salad, garlic potatoes, fries and sauces. And all on a table to help ourselves which personally we loved! Made us feel at home and welcome. Homemade brownie with ice cream and drinks, wine and beer. Very reasonable and will definitely return. Thanks Tony! 😃

What a great Pub, something from the past, a place with real local atmosphere, where you get pleasantly abused by Tony, the landlord, have wonderful real beer, and exciting special theme meal evenings, where you have no choice, but the dishes are full of excellent culinary surprises.

Eso es lo que es. El pub estaba lleno de diversión relajado personas tony. Él pasa un muy buen pub local que acoge a extraños como si siempre has bebido. Comimos y bebimos en una noche de comida y no disfrutar nosotros, debo. Volvería una y otra vez y le dará más de un par de horas de antelación sólo gracias por una noche agradable.

Tony gancho sabe que dirigiendo un pub rural en un mercado inestable, así que es muy difícil perseguir el mercado puede hacer el mercado o y él haya ido por estos últimos. Cuando estás fuera del camino y no hay muchas macetas de chimenea en el amplio horizonte de suffolk, necesitas trabajar en hacer la gente habla sobre ti. Eso es lo que él y Rupert el perro. Si quieres comer, teléfono. Si el teléfono se puede decir él temprano lo que quieras, si teléfono tarde él te dirán que lo de cocinar. No hay menú grande, sin grandes gastos generales. Sólo calidad, producen localmente.

Este es realmente un lugar único. Comimos allí dos veces durante su estancia cerca. Acomódese en el bar con una copa y deje que Tony hablará de lo que ofrece menús - no aquí. Venado que acaban masacrados después de colgar en su tienda de carne para 21 días? Pigeon mama, la rata bala por catcher local? O quizás el pollo asado, directamente desde el jardín de la cerveza en la parte trasera? Complementado por un surtido de los más frescos vegetales sentado en una cesta grande en el bar, seleccionadas de un jardín de los vecinos. Combinar estos maravillosos ingredientes locales con un Chef muy bueno (Tony) y su una apuesta segura. Puedo decir honestamente que mi mama pigeon era la mejor que he probado - fácilmente superar que tuve recientemente en la ligeramente más grandioso hotel el Cliveden!

Nos alojamos a poca distancia en la granja familiar, tuvimos una comida en el pub, que estaba todavía aún empezar a servir.

The Landlord Tony is just great. He is welcoming and the food he cooks is memorable. The locals are hilarious. Excellent pub, food, beer and banter. Will definitely return. Thanks Tony and friends

Good beer, good food, varied menu. Landlord is a bit of a character. I would suggest you book in advance.

Friendly owners, good atmosphere, clean and well-maintained property and decor. Excellent light pub lunch, with simple home-made food using local produce where possible. Efficient service. Good views of countryside. Quiet, rural setting.

went here for sunday lunch late summer and must admit the food here is excellent, one of the best carvery's in the area. Only thing that lets the place down is the distinct lack of patrons. Such a shame as the staff here try very hard.

I asked Tony for a Christmas lunch for two special people, Molly and Marion, Molly was the Compasses Landlady in the 1960's so the location had a special meaning for her. The arrangements could not have been more perfect and we had a wonderful time. I think if you ask Tony, you get, so don't forget to ask,. Nothing is too much trouble for him. I wish him success and happiness.

Since writing a review a few months ago, we've been back several times, most memorably for the inaugural Compassfest, which was THE best day out of the whole summer - the bands were superb, and the food/beer, and not to forget the wine tasting by Chilford Hall, were all excellent. The atmosphere was just brilliant, can't wait for next year. Also we recently went to one of Tony's famous theme nights, and had one of the best fish courses we've ever eaten, it was a pate made from Tony's home-smoked trout and served with a delicious home-baked bread roll - my mouth still waters at the thought of it. Yesterday it was such a beautiful autumn day and we had a pint or two in the pub garden enjoying the beautiful view, finally ending up indoors chatting to the landlord/locals in the bar. Perfect end to a perfect day.

We have just got home from a great outing to the countryside. The Compasses came recommended and we were not disappointed. It is not the easiest place to find if you do not know the area, (we had driven from SE London) but we were delighted we persisted. There is a lovely view across the countryside from the garden. The pub is comfortable and welcoming and our lunch was delicious. A birthday to remember thank you Tony.

Lovely welcome from the delightful barman and Tony. Comfy and homely little place where our party of four enjoyed steak, croc and a fantastic homemade apple pie & custard. Top marks for a truly enjoyable evening and the beer was good too!

The Compasses is a little gem in Suffolk. A lovely pub which always serves a nice pint and great food. The menu always has nice options and if you want something a little different, they'll be sure to make a mouth-watering dish to suit your palette. The host and staff are always very friendly and welcoming. A place I will certainly return to again and again.

Just home from a fantastic experience at the Compasses. Great food, great drink and fantastic company. The landlord and his daughter provided more than a warm welcome and some of the locals provided the entertainment!!Well worth venturing off of the beaten track.

Food is lovely and freshly cooked. I had sticky lemon chicken which was served with couscous and my other half had the cod and chips .....his words - you know it's freshly cooked when the landlord asks which beer you would like used in the batter! Thoroughly recommend this lovely like pace :)

Our second visit to the Compasses was memorable for the sincere , friendly welcome from the lovely young lady behind the bar, even before the giant presence of Tony appeared from the kitchen. Tony is a font of knowledge when it comes to all aspects of the brewing, maintenance and serving of beer, and the pint of Adnams displayed his qualities to perfection. As others have noted, when the time comes to choose what to eat, Tony can provide an almost limitless variety of dishes. Mrs Dryhen chose a vegetarian curry, and I had a truly magnificent dish of roast belly of pork with glorious crackling. One of our business partners had a chicken curry, whilst the other also had the pork. We were also treated to wild boar sausages, and the chips came upon a bed of yorkshire pudding. The food is beautifully presented, with more than adequate portions. Once again, the Compasses has more than exceeded our expectations, and deserves to be busier than it was on the Friday of our meal.. Go, now !

Wow!!! Tony, was fantastic and asked what we lwould like to eat from ingredients he had. This is very different from your standard pub/ restaurant but if you go in with an open mind and can be honest and upfront you will not be dissapointed. I told him I was trying to be healthy so he said he could do smoked fish with cous cous and salad! It was delicious! My husband had fish and chips and he was very very happy! Tony is a great character and really looks after people.Portions are very generous and served with love and care! You will eat very well and won't go away hungry.We will definitely return. It was a unique and wonderful experience and the atmosphere was perfect with everyone talking. A real gem and unique find that won't be forgotten

Made three visits to this pub for lunch in the past month, every time the service and food were very good and the welcome relaxed and friendly. Tony, the cook/ landlord is a character and most obliging, quite open to cooking something you might fancy. Our last visit was with the walking club, when nine of us descended on the pub, the food and service could not be faulted. This is a place well worth visiting, we certainly will be back. I wish my village had a pub like this.

Recently taken over by landlord Tony, The Compasses offers great beer, a friendly atmosphere and an off-piste menu. One to watch and definitely worth a visit.

A completely happy evening. Friendly welcome, detailed explanation of dishes ingredients and where sourced .....local as possible. Delicious food, great service.

Let me a start by saying I never give a place a good review until I've been at least three times- unless it is so awful wild horses wouldn't drag me back!! Not so at The Compasses. Tony is apparently the latest of a long line of landlords this pub has had over the years, but unlike the others he is very, VERY, good at his job. It's not just the food he cooks (and he is happy to go 'off piste' if you don't fancy anything on the menu), or the fact he brews his own beer, nor that there is a roaring fire and piles of books scattered around; it's the whole package. You want to feel as if you've just walked into a good friend's home, to feel welcomed by all there (including a joyful greeting from an often present group of dogs) and to eat well too? Go. there is a R roer

Came across the Compasses by chance and,tempted by a sign promising home brewed Stout decided to try some.The beer proved to be excellent as was the food prepared by Tony the new landlord.Everything fairly small scale at present but if he carries on like this that won't be the case for long.Unfortunately!

This pub has had several highs and lows in recent years, but with the arrival of Tony, the new landlord/chef, the pub is definitely on the up. Food is cooked fresh daily, the rustic-style food is both flavoursome and plentiful - tip - get there early because once it's gone, it's gone. The Compasses is a traditional country pub with period features including an open fire, and the landlord and locals add to its character in spades. We found everyone to be very welcoming, and it's dog & walker-friendly too (I believe they also welcome cyclists). They serve a really decent pint, and the wines offered by the glass were also very good. Highly recommended.

My girlfriend and I were looking to eat on new years day somewhere,I thought we would try the compasses as I've always enjoyed previous visits. We were greeted warmly by the new owner who cooked a fantastic meal for us both.To sum up our visit I would say that we left happier than when we walked in. Fantastic!

The Compasses has over the past couple of years had highs and LOWS. Now Tony has arrived it will only go higher and higher. He is a great host and now has Guinness!!!!!!!!!!!! What more can I say. He is just right for the pub.

Wow! A spur of the moment decision a couple of months ago led to a friend and I having lunch at the Compasses. I know it had had mixed fortunes in the past but that there was a new manager. The 1st thing that greeted us was a local's dog (so the pub scores on this point - always a good sign in a village pub). Then there was the blazing wood burning fire, so an aromatic aroma. Tony, the manager, was very friendly and welcoming; chatty but not taking over. He serves a great pint of Adnams from a barrel on the bar. We were asked what we'd like to eat, then were warned that it would take a while as food is fresh. I gather from Tony that the vast majority of the food is sourced locally. He even joked that he's need to go fishing again! The fish pie was straight out of Heaven - creamy, more fish than mashed potatoes, a great variety of fish, well presented AND sprinkled with paprika for that little extra je ne sais que. The blackberry and apple crumble (with brandy sauce) melted in the mouth; tasty, not smothered in crumble. We asked for a cuppa afterwards and it came in a fancy white porcelain teapot, complete with matching teacups and milk jug. All in all a terrific experience and we will definitely be back. Thanks Tony, you are a star and I hope the pub continues to attract guests.

As residents of Stansfield we have been very disappointed watching this local pub/restaurant struggle over the last couple of years. Hopefully now it has turned the corner.The new chef/manager Tony seems to be pressing all the right buttons to restore this lovely village pub to popularity.The food is excellent..I can honestly say I have never tasted rump steak as good..moist and tasty it just melts in the mouth. Having eaten there several times just recently and sampled various dishes they have all been excellent - cooked to perfection.The food is sourced locally and is of high quality.The staff are attentive and the atmosphere is friendly and warm , helped no doubt by the blazing log fire.We will without doubt be eating there a lot more regularly now.

It was a wet windy day so we headed to the pub,on entering we were met with a mix of conversation and laughter,no music no fruit machine and a fire blazing .The Compasses has had a stop start history in recent years but with new landlord Tony,things are looking good.There were three local beers on offer,two straight from the barrels sat on the bar.The Sunday menu was a choice of meat sourced either from the farm next door or the local butcher,gammon,beef,venison or turkey.We chose beef which arrived with baked parsnips and potatoes,on separate dishes were a variety of veggies perfectly cooked,a large pan arrived with a crisp Yorkshire pudding,a feast!All this washed down with Adnams beer left no room for puddings,heaven,will definately visit again.

In this relatively sparsely populated part of Suffolk many pubs have closed down and some that remain face uncertainty. The Compasses has changed hands and management several times in the last ten years and each time the main issue is building up sufficient business to make the place pay. A couple of times in recent years it looked like the pub had closed for good, but happily it has then reopened. We visited recently for dinner and found the food very good. The present chef, Tony, is a great character who will try anything new. The night we went the menu contained several seafood dishes that we tried and enjoyed.The pub was busier than I'd seen it for some while, and this gave it a good atmosphere. These people are trying hard to keep a pub alive by at the same time meeting the village's need for a local, but adding to its viability by appealing to a wider area of people looking for good fresh food and a drink out in the country. The views from the garden out the back are stunning.My only criticism is that the last few times I have visited the number of draught beers on offer has been only one.

Putting in this review as it seems there is some confusion about this place. We stayed at their campsite and stopped in a few times for just a pint and then for a meal on Saturday night, Aug 16, 2014. The folks running it mentioned that they only started up the pub operations 5 days prior, although they had previously been employed by earlier owners so they know the site and its operational capacity.-Good set of draft beers, 'regular' ones plus a few guest ales. Saw others enjoying wine, but we enjoyed their reasonably priced guest ales.-Seasonal, local menu. They buy their fish weekly, so they have a good set of local offerings. It's a 1 page menu, so you know you're only getting what they can cook fresh, not the usual pages of pub menus where everything comes out of the freezer. I especially enjoyed the freshly handcut chips. I must admit, the heads still being on the prawns in the fish pie put me off. Completely my issue, as I didn't think to inquire. My boyfriend had the same fish pie and highly complemented it. It tasted freshly made, with a lovely white wine and garlic sauce.-It has a very quaint village pub feel. There is a shelf of books for .50 p for paperbacks, £1 for hardbacks, the money goes to the village hall. Local people stop by with their dogs on a walk to enjoy a pint.-The outside beer garden has a magnificent view over the fields.-You can reserve a table--and their attention to details is especially evident in the little things such as the flowers on the table.Overall, I'd recommend a stop here if you're seeking a friendly village pub type of environment. We enjoyed a good chat with the owners each time we stopped in and they were very helpful with providing info about the local area and making us feel welcome.

We recently visited The Compasses on a lovely hot summer's day. We sat outside in the garden. The views of the local countryside are stunning. There are also farm animals. Ideal for children. Inside the pub has been very well furnished with a natural rustic theme.On arrival we received a very friendly welcome from Mel who helps at the pub during the day on Fridays. We live in the village and were very excited by the news that we had received from other local residents that there was a new Chef in town and the pub was worth a visit.Within minutes of our arrival, Tony, the new Chef came out to introduce himself and proceeded to produce 'samples' of his homemade smoked dishes, together with his homemade sauces and chutneys. All enhanced by local baked bread. Absolutely everything was delicious. Needless to say, our fridge and pantry at home are fully stocked with these items.We have since returned for lunch and dinner and the quality and variety of the food Tony produces never ceases to amaze us. If you have not visited The Compasses for a while it's well worth popping in to 'taste the difference'!!We look forward to our next visit.

As soon as you walk in you are greeted with a warm and down to earth atmosphere (unlike some other rural establishments unless you pull up in a range rover). The staff immediately asked where we would like to sit unusual when you have children and attended to our every need with friendly banter, the cordials are amazing I had the plum and chilli, lime and rubarb which you have to try as they sell their own produce including cordials, condiments and free range eggs which come from the farm which we didn't visit but definitely will next time. We all had the homemade roasts which weren't out of this world but had a good portion of vegetables, crispy potatoes and extra yorkshires that we politely asked for (and were not charged) but the homemade berry pie with ice cream was delicious just like my grandparents used to make and was only a pound extra on the price of a roast. Overall I think this is a perfect country pub to visit and the burgers look amazing which I will have to try on our next visit.

We visited this pub at the end of May 2014. (We actually stayed overnight in the car park in a motorhome.) The welcome was very friendly and the staff were more than happy to tell us about 'their' pub. The food is mostly locally sourced including from the farm behind the pub. The garden area was well kept with a small 'farm' to keep children amused and hand washes which was thoughtful. They are intending to start a micro-brewery soon (and have a 'mobile' brewery at present). No beer from this was available but the beer on tap was well kept and good. The chef (under employed as we were the only persons in on our visit) was proud of his smoker and recommended the smoked chicken breast. It was to die for very tasty. That, coupled with freshly cooked (not overcooked) veg, and the tastiest chips I have had in a long while - skins on crispy outside, fluffy inner and dry not oily - rounded a nice meal off. The whole meal with a drink gave change out of £15 per person. It was a delight and, although a bit out of the way it is a venture that I would return to visit and deserves support.

We were really looking forward to visiting now that they had opened the little farmstead as we had our children and grand daughter coming to stay.Things looked promising as there was a charming guy in the car park smoking turkey and brewing beer and selling a range of interesting produce.Inside has been renovated reasonably well and has character, but lacks a little bit of warmth.However the food and the service, were at best poor.We sat at our table for a long time before gaining some attention from the waitress and had to remind them to even bring us any menu's.The pulled pork rolls were cold. The hand cut "chunky chips" were skinny and soggy, and my daughter's Sunday roast came without any vegetables at all and never materialised throughout the whole meal. The roast was beef which was extremely tough.I ordered a steak with béarnaise sauce which didn't come. When I asked the waitress for the sauce she apologised and came back with a squeeezy tube of mayonnaise. When I said I had ordered béarnaise sauce, she disappeared into the kitchen and came back to say I should have ordered it at the start as it would take 15 minutes. I pointed out that I had ordered it and got a blank stare. Service and the kitchen need to improve hugely if this place is to succeed, in what is a quiet location.

Such a shame !!!Our second Sunday visit this month. The Sunday menu read as extremely appetising but ..... we could pretty much see our own breath because it was so cold inside. It would be lovely to eat here but please get the fire going properly and the heating on well before opening. Toasty and cosy as a village pub should be is the aim please. We really hope this significant point is noted as it's a lovely pub and when it reopened last year you couldn't get to the bar for customers. Not the case now .....

Unusual menu ( nettles on toast ? ) but really very good. They are using all local produce and it works very well; the food was excellent. Very friendly staff and a lovely location; I can't wait to come back in the summer to sit in the garden and look at the lovely view

I haven't been to the compasses for about 30 years however I grew up there and am S_O_O_O glad to see it has been taken over by somebody that understands that the pub is the centre of the village. I will be back again soon and will try out the restauraunt which i am sure will be FANTASTIC!!!!!!

We like the new surroundings, which has greatly improved from our last visit, although we have eaten here before on this occasion it did not meet our expectations which was disappointing. We waited a very long time for our starters...we were the only two in the restaurant at time, when the food arrived it was as if it had just been taken from a chill cabinet when it should have been hot. We decided to give desert & coffee a miss. We did make the waiting member of staff aware and she did apologise, not her fault of course she wasn't in the kitchen!!

We last ate at The Compasses two years ago and were aware that it had recently changed hands, so weren't sure what to expect from our Sunday lunch. We were overall very happy with what we found. The main courses were excellent, and it was great to see venison, pork and turkey from the farm next door. The puddings were not quite so good, but adequate. Our coffee arrived cold, but was quickly replaced with hot ones, when we pointed this out. The service was very friendly and efficient. The ambience and décor were nice and the loos clean. It was also nice to see a mixture of people of all ages, some looked like village locals whilst others had come from further afield. Overall, I would definitely go back there and would recommend it to others.

A wonderful setting with magnificent views. Nice crowd, service with a smile, very hopeful for the future of this pub. It's good to have a fresher newer pub in the Somerton area.

Three of us arrived for a Saturday lunch, no one else was in the restaurant which maybe should of given us the first hint that things would not be great. The Compasses has now been taken over by the same people who run Benson / Blakes restaurant in Bury St Edmunds ( famous for it's award winning Burger ). The service was attentive and drinks were brought quickly and the food order taken. My two friends ordered a venison casserole and Cromer crab thermidor and I ordered the prize winning beef burger, the food came in reasonable time ( but as we were the only people eating at the time, so it should ).The Cromer Crab was not a Thermidor in anyway but a Crab bake, Crab is very rich but by adding some cream and topping with bread crumbs made it just far too rich and the grey coloured mashed potato that came with it was indescribably bad. The prize winning burger with hand cut chips was a real disappointment, I was really looking forward to something above the normal restaurant burger, what I got was some very tasteless tough meat in a very poor quality bun with some large chunks of old Ice-Berg lettuce with an ok rasher of bacon and slice of tomato, even the hand cut chips were undercooked without a hint of crispness.The venison casserole was the only highlight of the three choices, tender and flavoursome. It's a real shame the food does not live up to the lovely building in a particularly beautiful part of Suffolk, it could have been so much better !!

I visited this Pub/restaurant about a year ago and it was nothing wonderful. Since then it has been taken over and given an overhaul. There is now is nice outside eating area at the rear, and the inside and the toilets are very much improved.My friends and I just wanted a light meal and we shared a Cheese Plate and a Mixed Meat platter. These came with bread and crackers, olives, sundried tomatoes and salad. More than enough for the three of us and extremely reasonably priced.We will return!

We really liked the feel of this pub, we dont want small village pubs to close and felt this one had a lot to offer. We especially liked the young, enthusiatic staff behind the bar, and the beer was great, Adnams (Broadside) and Growler Brewery - anything is better than Greene King. Food was overpriced though. Lots of things sounded 'nice' on the chalkboard, and the starters (all priced at £5.50) that we chose were good, small but with nice fesh bread to fill up on. We had some issues with the mains though. The veg had no taste (like cheap frozen veg) and quality overall was variable, not up to the price charged - though we were given a complimentary dessert to compensate for an undercooked steak . We hope this criticism is seen as constructive, not taken personally, as we'd really like the pub to succeed.

The Compasses has been taken over by a great new team of Louise in the kitchen and Hugh behind the bar. The pub has been done up and transformed with a lovely garden created at the back. The same attention to detail and flair which drove the makeover can be seen in the approach to the food. We met up with friends last night and had a wonderful evening - we munched on a selection of great artisan bread, garlic olive and pate while the pie ordered by my friend was cooked from scratch. The other 3 of us had delicious perfectly rare steaks. There is always a warm, friendly welcome, really good service, an interesting selection of beers and wine and great food.

Delighted that the local is up and running again and better than ever. We've been on a number of occasions and had excellent CBCB (custom built, compass burger), steak & ale pie, delicious ham, egg and chips. Short/changing menu at excellent value. Keep up the good work!