The Ark in Babergh

It amazes me how this bar has a decent rating, well, they must be from friends of the bar. The bar is only open part time, and why is that? Because the only people it attracts is the local druggies and lowlifes. You won’t find anyone with any kind of standards drinking here, and trust me, you’ll be surrounded by 16 to 25 year olds. It seems the Ark is happy with this clientele, as the majority of Brantham know it’s known for this kind of thing. This “bar” is a failing business and will continue to be, unless it actually makes the effort with attracting the right customers who will make others comfortable drinking there. This bar is bad news and I would avoid. I have lived in the village for a long time and it’s such a shame, but you hear all kinds of rumours about it. Every time I drive past it seems it’s never open. If you prefer somewhere a little more classy then try the Brantham bull. The Brantham bull makes effort to provide a service for the elderly and actually wants to succeed.

Great place for a drink and live music

Great music, good pub grub, and the friendliest guvnor. All in all a great place, I can't recommend enough

Excellent place to visit, live band great as well as the staff and atmosphere.

Went on night of a gig: first impressions: A local pub for local people - but welcoming to people of all creeds and colours. Lively atmosphere and the two barkeep were the owners. It felt like you were being invited in to a party. Relaxed. Lots of sitting space. Well lit. Good vibes.

Lovely, friendly bar and restaurant. A great place for live music every weekend!

First visit certainly won't be the last. Owners very friendly, food was excellent and reasonably priced. Live music was great an enjoyable evening out

Lovely staff, great entertainment! Highly recommended!

Great bar, food and most of all Staff Great night

Business has gone terribly downhill in the past year and a half. Attracts all the wrong people, the owners with certain members of staff have become increasingly disrespectful.

Always feels like home, great service

Great service from the lovely owners and great atmosphere!! :)

Friendly,welcoming people,good food,excellent service...well worth a visit,easy parking.

Friendly and fun, had a good evening

I have visited the Ark for Sunday lunch several times. I would say it is good value. The owner and staff are very friendly. There is a well stocked bar with a good selection of drinks.

First time me and the wife have been there and it was pukka i had the liver and bacon it was lush she had fish, we were meant to go back but we had hangovers the nxt day but we are going back highly recommend this place.

Excellent dinner 10/10 cant wait to visit again

From the moment you arrive you are welcomed into a family environment. Nothing is too much to ask. When I last made a visit I asked for Bison grass vodka on my arrival last Saturday I was chuffed to be told it was available for me. Many thanks Food is homemade and delicious. The whole evening was a night to relish. Music was fantastic. Thank you all at The Ark June & Emma xx

Have passed this pub many times on the way through Manningtree. We often treat ourselves to Sunday Dinner. So a rainy, miserable day this Sunday was turned into a pleasant experience on arrival. Friendly bar staff and the landlady made us feel very welcome. Quirky style inside, with a 50's "diner" appeal. There was plenty of seating which was plain but comfortable. The Sunday dinner was all home cooked, crispy potatoes, and big Yorkshires, well cooked beef and veg was just right. Very impressed and good value for money, especially as we had two courses with a great choice of scrummy Sundaes to choose from. I chose a Jaffa Cake one and Paul had a very zingy Lemon meringue. Also impressed by the choice of alchohol free beers and ciders. A great find and we'll definately be back.

A very cosy and friendly pub. Lovely menu!

Popped in here recently for a meal whilst in the area. Two adults and two children all very hungry and wanting a good meal. We were told that certain dishes on the menu were not available. The food and service weren't great. This is a pub that serves food, not a restaurant. The inside of the pub is rather cluttered and the customer car park unusable and untidy. We ate our food and left, will not be returning in the future.

Another great evening at the Ark, great meal and Robbie Williams tribute. Very friendly pub, and a great atmosphere

Great food, service and friendly staff.

Great food and atmosphere very good service.

Always reaches me expectations. 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 🌟✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Could be a great local pub but needs a bit of a tidy up

All food freshly cooked and delicious. Went to a 70s/80,S night which was superb. Wouk day definitely go again. They have a band on the first weekend of the month. Very friendly owner and his wife.

Just returned from a mystery tour that ended at 'The Ark' , and what an ending... great food, very friendly staff, nothing was too much trouble (this was a coach full of ladies on an evening out ). The owners and staff worked extremely hard to make our visit a memorable one and they succeeded, big time. Would recommend highly and would love to go back to try their enticing menu. '

Average breakfast. Sausages were very strange tasting

What a great find, reminds me of some of the pubs in the northeast that feel like your entering someones home. Cheery smile from girls behind the bar and by the end of the evening from most of the locals too! landlord has a great hail fellow attitude, almost unknown in managed pubs. Saw a great local band 'Duvet' and every week there is live music, some apparently by the landlord and chums too. Yep will be back, bringing mates too. Graham

We were given a warm welcome by the staff, the service was excellent, the food was very good with a good selection of vegetarian food alongside non vegetarian dishes.

Not great. Sausages are very questionable. What i imagine squirrel meat to taste like

Service is very good people are friendly would recommend to anyone

This pub is great for food. Ivor and Alison do fantastic job. Basic and tasty food at very fair prices. In the evending it is all about the music. Live and loud.

great service....great food....👌👌

Visited today for Mothers Day lunch. I had not visited before and had no idea what to expect. I’d read good reviews and was looking forward to a decent Sunday roast. Unfortunately, It’s like a glorified cafe in a bizarre kind of weird place. There was no ambience, it was completely full of whining kids and was incredibly loud. When eventually the food came, it was a distinctly average roast. It was hot, but the Yorkshire hadn’t risen and the broccoli was undercooked. Thought there’d have been more vegetables but was disappointed. For pudding we had the sticky toffee pudding which was delicious (but not home-made!) It really wasn’t worth the £15.95 per person for two courses. The service was very slow. Would I recommend? NO Will I be returning? NO

We made our first visit there last week. The food was excellent, staff friendly, and all customers local and chatting to each other...........a real community vibe. No frills surroundings, but totally comfortable. A place you can truly relax in and dress casually, and be well fed with generous portions of food. We will definitely be going back, maybe to test out the weekend gigs they have there! Teresa and Kevin were suitably impressed

Recently visited the Ark for Sunday Roast, really tasty and a good price. But as a lover of cheesecake I was tempted to have some , and it was really good!! Would definitely visit there again.

I thought I would try the new pensioners lunch yesterday.( Wednesday-Saturday,12pm-2.30 for £5.00). It was not very busy, we got served straight away, we both chose battered cod, chips and peas. There are 6 other choices of meals including small roast, bangers and mash,cottage pie with 3 veg,mushroom stroganoff served on rice. All the meals are small but just right for myself,a lady who does not want a massive plate full! I was not going to have a dessert but I was with someone who decided to have one so I joined him and tried the lemon meringue sundae which was delicious. So a 2 course meal cost us £8.95 each, very good value. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the music which I found a bit loud.

Group of 10 ladies had a lovely meal here. Couldn't fault the service or food. Prices very reasonable. Will be back soon... See you next Friday! Thank you

Excellent homemade food and Gluten free options available. Friendly staff

Great place for a cooked breakfast, well presented and cooked. Coffee is good too. Friendly staff and owners. Looks like a fun place in the evenings and weekends too as it has a live music and a decent bar.

Had lunch here with a group of walkers. Our meals were served very quickly by friendly and efficient staff. All the meals were very good. Will certainly come here again.

Don't mistake this as a pub it isn't.. - about 40 yrs ago it was This is a restaurant with bar and cafe feel to it. The menu is good and the food is brilliant.What makes a good restaurant is the chef. This one is brilliant and is the owner plus another good young chef. Jazz music good.

Everyone had pre-booked their choice of menu either 2 or 3 courses. The restaurant/bar was still open to other people as well as our club's annual presentation meal. It was very busy and the bar service was rather slow for so many customers, however the service for the meal was good and very hot.

Absolutely lovely people, brilliant food and and good selection for veggies! Fast and friendly service, will be coming again! It is tucked away but 100% worth looking for and stopping in!!

This place is quite bizarre. It had a cafe feel but it's a pub. My partner described it as a front room / diner sort of place.

Great service, really good food, staff are very friendly

Love this place. Great food and service. Staff made us very welcome. Thank you

Tucked away but worth stopping for. All day breakfast has quality bacon and sausages. Owner happy to accommodate changing item on plate. Very friendly and welcoming.

We arrived at The Ark at 2pm on Sunday for a pre booked table for two. The restaurant was not especially busy (four other tables seated) but had to wait several minutes before we were greeted and told to sit where we liked. After ordering drinks we waited another ten minutes before a waitress came to take our order. We asked for two roast dinners. Half an hour later there was still no sign of our food and we noticed some other diners becoming agitated and apologies were given for being short staffed. I eventually asked one of the two waitresses when our food would be coming and was informed that she would find out. She returned and said it would be a few minutes. After a further ten minutes it finally arrived without any sauces to accompany the lamb and pork meats. The gravy was minimal and disappointing. Needless to say we won't be returning anytime soon. For a really superb Sunday roast with excellent service I suggest you go to The Lodge at The Suffolk Ski Centre, Ipswich.

Excellent food every time nice staff and well presented and food is always hot

We have visited the Ark on several occasions and always enjoyed the freshly cooked high quality food , the drink and friendly professional service . The prices are very reasonable ,and we will definitely be eating there again in the near future Tim

Went with four friends from 19 60s school days who meet up occasionally. We found a friendly welcome and food that was more on the genuine side of home cooked than many places. Between us we had home made fish pies,pork ragout,lemon meringue pie and coffees. There are also things like fish and chips and steaks and liver and onions all with mash or chips and vegetables or salad. This is good cooking ...vegetables excellently done...and at £15 each (plus drinks) excellent value.

I booked in advance for 3 people, on the black leather chairs which I know from a previous visit are very comfy. The music was rather loud when we arrived and asked for it to be turned down which it was immediately so we were able to chat without shouting! The service was good, I had cod, chips and peas-the chips were really nice and crispy as I think chips should be. My mother had muscles and granary bread, she enjoyed the muscles but would have preferred French Bread with them. My neighbor had chicken pie which was served with a puff pastry top, fresh vegetables and lovely chips like mine. She thought the vegetables were too 'aldente' for her taste. My mother enjoyed home made lemon meringue pie and cream, my neighbor and I had pecan roulade with cream which was absolutely delicious.

Excellent food & very friendly service.

Would not go here again the food was under cooked and cold not very nice inside it looks more like cafe than a restaurant if you sit out side you are sitting nearly on the road side. The side of the pub is untidy not very welcoming

Had a Sunday roast it was ok nothing to right home about pork was a bit tough , would I go back for a drink but not for a meal

A really nice relaxed setting, with very tasty food. The owners and staff are very friendly. This place is a real gem well worth visiting.

Absolute gem of a place. Thoroughly recommended for food, drink and hospitality. Will definitely go again

Great food, great selection of beers and wines etc, superb landlady and landlord, great atmosphere

Recommend the fish here..cod in batter is sublime. Batter doesn't overwhelm the taste of the fish but adds to it..highly recommend the friendly service. What makes this s place is bohemian atmosphere and very good chef

You won't find better food in the south east

Friendly owners and great food. Worth a visit!

If you want excellent food excellent price and friendly staff you must give The Ark a visit. We are working our way through their menu and have not been disappointed yet. Breakfast is good value and very tasty and today was Liver and Bacon yummy, nothing is too much trouble, you only have to ask...Looking forward to sampling the Whitebait......Well done !!!

My partner and I ate here on Saturday evening. The menu is varied and caters for all tastes. I had a delicious Cumberland pie and he had a chilli cheeseburger, which he couldn't finish (a rarity!). I managed to squeeze in a chocolate ice cream sundae for dessert (the desserts menu is very tempting). Drinks were very reasonably priced too. Having sung the praises of the Ark to some friends yesterday, we're heading back for dinner this coming weekend. I highly recommend this place.

Went for a lovely lunch at the ark, very friendly owner's and me and my husband was very happy with our food👍

Friendly hosts..great atmosphere .smooth music Big menu with superb steaks..pies fish pasta Brilliant chef..don't think this is a pub it's restaurant with a bar Can park right outside..no yellow lines anywhere plus big kay by opposite and own car park

Myself and my boyfriend went for Sunday lunch not long after they opened. We thought this was a perfect place for a restaurant and bar right on our doorstep!

Over 20 of us turned up for a post run breakfast on a Sunday morning (we had pre booked!) and I can only praise the staff and compliment the Ark in the quality of food.

Good liver..also scrummy Cumberland pie!recommend this place very highly.Good sunday lunches also . Very friendly place and very relaxing

Friendly atmosphere, decent grub; a job well done in remarkably short time Alison & Ivor!

Top place to eat fantastic well cooked food and lovely staff. Had a good variety of special diet food and were willing to change things about to suit your prefence Sausages were well cooked and very tasty Would recommend

Good food with nice surroundings and smooth jazz being played Very relaxing..restaurant with plenty of parking also huge lay by opposite. Used to be a pub then a chinese now restaurant a with a bar. What makes this place is the superb chef. Excellent food

Had great evening food was brilliant. Proprietors very friendly. a very large selection of food compared to what it says on line. We will be visiting again.

We've been saying we would visit the Ark since it opened so last night we finally did and we will go back !

Great service and staff are really friendly

Fantastic food, drink and simply brilliant hosts - well worth a visit.

Great tasting, scrumptious food reasonably priced.

This is a restaurant with a bar (rather than a pub that does pub grub)

Lovely atmosphere. Good great. Will be going back again.

The Ark is located a short distance from the river Stour in the beautiful Dedham Vale Constable Country with Flatford Mill only a short walk away. It has recently been refurbished to a high standard by the new owners and provides a spacious dinning area and good bar area for those just needing a drink . There is a great choice of food on offer all reasonably priced, We visited New years Eve lunchtime and we both had the roast which was well presented and delicious but unfortunately we were to full to manage anything from the enticing dessert menu, but will return sometime to give this a try. A good choice of well kept Ridleys fine ales (Rite ,Heresy.and 1555) were on offer ,Sorry you lager drinkers but my eyes did not focus in their direction but I am sure you are well catered for. The staff were all friendly and we made very welcome', Well Done The Barstool Hound

We wanted to try this recently re- opened local Bar and Restaurant.

This newish venue has no airs and graces. Whilst specialising in food for those with allergies, such as gluten free, they could add a little excitement to the menu.. Everything is well priced and presented and the landlady very welcoming. My further suggestion is with regard to signage. The quality of the signage on the main road and particularly outside the venue (old blackboard on a wood pallet) give the wrong impression as to what's inside. Therefore, passers by may well give it a miss.....shame.

Brilliant food, service and atmosphere would definitely recommend

My friend and I had dinner here on a Friday night for a meal and a couple of beers. The food, from a sizeable menu (also, various specials, pie of the day, casseroles etc) of good, traditional pub grub I chose deep fried camembert to start while my friend chose whitebait. We both chose cheese and bacon burgers for mains and salted caramel pudding with ice cream for dessert. Everything we had was delicious, hot and tasty. The beer choice was also very good and competively priced. The two of us came away after two pints each and three courses costing us just a sliver over 20 pounds each. Very good value. I'll be back, regularly.