The Brewers Arms Rattlesden in Mid Suffolk

What an amazing initiative and a superb evening out. We had the most delicious meal at The Brewers on Thursday evening. Students from chefswhites at Suffolk New College had been given the opportunity by owner Sheona Fraser to take over the pub and produce, under the watchful eye of Chef Matt and their tutor Dan Russell, a 7 course smokefire tasting menu. What a fantastic opportunity for these students to hone their skills in a real world situation, for paying customers. Highlights for me included a beautifully smooth and flavoursome Baba ganoush, paired with delicious smoked olives. The wild boar, mozzarella and dairy apple slider was the perfect size and melted in the mouth. With seven courses, I was not sure there would be room for pudding but the dripping donut and caramel sauce could not be resisted! This is surely the best way to help the next generation of chefs and front of house progress and it is testimony to The Brewers ethos of helping young people become along their career paths that they were generous enoght to close the pub during the day to allow the students time to be wholly immersed in the process.

I highly recommend this place. The interior is superb, the girl who served us was delightful and the food was perfect. Even the background music was good. I look forward to going again.

Have been here many times, and unfortunately various good chefs have now departed, went in December for dinner, apart from a family just leaving, there was no one in the restaurant or bar, until 3 guys came into the bar at 10 pm, so unfortunately it was totally devoid of atmosphere.

The best food in the area (if I'm wrong please flag up where is!). Excellent and decent value. Als an interesting wine list which is always a bonus.

Faultless. Great welcome on arrival. Staff who looked happy to be there. So many great dishes on the menu it was hard to choose. Every course was delicious and served with a smile.

What an absolutely delicious lunch! Four of us had Saturday lunch, we each had three courses which we all thoroughly enjoyed and the food was superb. Our waitress was simply charming, very friendly and helpful and really looked after us. This is honestly the best meal I've had in a long time (and I eat out regularly). I simply couldn't fault it. As for the price, it was so reasonably price. I can't wait to return!

Dined on the Meat Monday menu. Sensational food, genuinely some of the best slow cooked meat I’ve ever had. Real highlights were the Fire Pit Lamb and the Beef Short Rib. Beautiful venue, in my opinion one of the best pub dining rooms in East Anglia. Excellent warm and friendly service. Well done The Brewers can’t wait to visit again!

The set lunch is fabulous, we enjoyed every course. Every element on each plate showed skill, thought and most of all flavour. Would certainly return and recommend. The only negative is that I wouldn’t want to be sat in the bar area again. It wasn’t a terrible table where I’d ask to move, but in future I would request a table further in.

One of the best Sunday roasts I've ever had. The beef was cooked to perfection, the potatoes crispy and fluffy, absolutely brilliant. Only downside was the cauliflower was a little too Al dente... all 4 of us found that and ended up leaving most of it. Staff friendly and chatty, plus a lovely atmosphere inside. Will definitely return!

The Brewers set lunch menu is extraordinary value. Three beautiful courses for £25 is just brilliant once you know the quality of the food. The menu is ever-evolving. We love that. There are usually favourites - steak, burger, fish. But then there are seasonal surprises. This time I had a seat pudding which was exquisite - full of rich flavours, delicate, immersed in a beautiful gravy. As veterans of the Brewers, we've loved seeing not just the evolution of the food (away from some of its over-foodie-obsessed predecessor chefs to something much more rooted in local produce and simple presentation. But we've loved seeing something else - the superb service by Emma and Jess, understated, attentive, personal but not intrusive. They make the journey to Rattlesden well worth making. Regulars will know that I've reviewed the Brewers before. Yesterday was our umpteenth visit. And it was utterly perfect. Thanks to all the team who make this aspirational village pub/restaurant such a treat to visit. Oh, and border terrier Molly B loves it too. She's now part of the furniture.

When a friend recently came to visit, I wanted to take him for lunch somewhere special. Having enjoyed the superb value for money Lunch Menu at The Brewers, I could not think of anywhere better. Once again I was not disappointed. Both food and service were excellent. Thank you to all the team.

Have been before and thought the food and service was very good. Today, it was very, very disappointing. Waited over an hour for the first course - had to chase. There was a wait for the second course. The main dish was lukewarm and the side dish of tenderstem broccoli was cold (and at £4.50 for 4 stems was taking small portions to the limit!). We had explained that my husband was on a low salt diet, yet the butter turned up covered in salt crystals. They replaced it and then the chips turned up covered in salt crystals as well (and cold!). We could not face the stress of waiting for a dessert! I made the complaint and I was given a lukewarm apology and 10% of the bill of £66 which almost added insult to injury. There was no customer care. My husband is disabled and eating out is an important occasion for both of us. This meal was not a pleasure, we just ended up feeling stressed and unhappy.

Firstly, compliments to the guys in the kitchen, excellent food, once it arrived, the front of house started well with the initial greeting, only to fail as we waited 65 minutes for the food to turn up, no communication throughout this delay, not attentive and somewhat lacking.

Visited twice now. From big smiles from the staff as we entered, to the desert it was all superb. We returned from a previous visit a month earlier with other foodie friends, when both chefs came out and explained what they did to create such great food. We live very close to some really good restaurants in Bury St Edmunds and this is better. Less pretentious. Honest food with great service at a sensible price. I’m delighted there are still good pubs out there not doing food service food.

We visited with a rather large group including some young children. The pub couldn’t have been more accommodating. We pre booked the meals, they had some choices for the little ones. They were happy with us enjoying drinks in the sunshine for a while and kept the chef updated so our meals came on time. They set aside a room just to ourselves and we’re friendly, with prompt service. The food was excellent, better than I expected (beautiful flat iron and the puddings were amazing). Can’t praise them enough and felt I had to feedback to counter some recent less positive reviews which in no way reflected our experience. Great staff, delicious food, great drinks.

What a lovely welcome as you walk through the door. The staff are such an important part of what makes this place special. The decor is very inviting, and a g&t at the bar was a great start. Loved the wine list, interesting choices, with an option to have 500ml carafe, which was perfect for us after gin! We went straight in for a roast dinner. We loved that the plating was simple and elegant, with the accompaniments in sharing bowls. The food is very accomplished and high end. The sirloin of beef was melt in the mouth, seasoned to perfection. My husband really enjoyed the pork. The jus was rich, sticky with a perfect shine. A lot of work went into that jus I'm sure. I couldn't resist a dessert, a treacle tart. There was such depth of flavour with the toasted pistachios. I did share, a little bit. What a fantastic place for couples and families. The food and service is definitely memorable.

Group of 13 plus some little ones came for lunch on a Saturday. Due to the size of the group we prebooked and pre ordered our meals. Very friendly and accommodating staff, set up a lovely table for us with plenty of space for kids to play. Food was really excellent. Portion sizes are not huge but for us were perfect. Good selection of wines and beers. Would definitely recommend!

We have become regulars at the Brewers. With their new chefs and new front-of-house team (special hat-tip to Emma), they've found a really good rhythm to what they do. The over-the-top pretentions of an earlier phase have gone. Now you get good quality food, beautifully presented, and served with unobtrusive professionalism. We go because we are particularly impressed by their set price lunch menu - three courses for £25. It's astonishingly good value. And on a sunny day, like yesterday, it's a pleasure to sit in the garden with a glass of wine, look over to the magnificent church, and feel that time has slowed to an easier pace. Our lunch yesterday was beautiful - crisp whitebait, potted shrimps, fish and chips, steak, date pudding, and blue cheese. It was the perfect summer's leisurely lunch.

Excellent meal. Great service. The Chateau Briand for two was just the thing to celebrate my wife's birthday. The perfect quaint, but polished, English pub- restaurant atmosphere for two Americans wandering through. Very attentive, and friendly, service.

We were a party of 5 and had an excellent meal. Small menu but a good variety. Due to medical issues we requested the grapefruit was omitted from one of the dishes. This was done without any hesitation. The food was very tasty and nicely presented. Our waitress was friendly and efficient and offered advice and help with choosing our dishes. The building itself is historic and nicely decorated. Overall a very enjoyable experience.

Positives: The roast beef was cooked very well and the service was excellent. There were a large selection of wines available. Negatives: The gravy was very salty and portion sizes were far too small considering the £24 price tag. The website needs updating as it states the roast beef is £21 whilst it actually costs £24.

Lovely pub service great Food really nice just not enough ? They need to re evaluate their portion sizes we had chateaubriand Which was fine but served on cold plates potatoes extra it came with Mac and cheese green beans and berniase sauce all of which in my eyes was a single portion ! Even the table behind us who had her husband and 3 boys had the same couldn’t believe it ! Certainly not enough for two we are not huge eaters . Very disappointing. Not good value for money .

Unfortunately we walked out shortly after our mains arrived. My steak was inedible, it was so tough I literally couldn't chew it. To top it off the chef put mint on the steak served with a peppercorn source, which is not a suitable pairing at all. The fish was extremely oily and unpleasant. Obviously we won't be returning.

I was really excited and looking forward to visit as I had heard great things What a disappointment Very poor menu Waited 1 and a half hours for food Frozen chips Very salty food Maybe they were having an off day

Just the place for a nice evening meal. Good quality food and nicely presented. Very friendly, welcoming staff. Cosy surroundings It was posh nosh of the finest quality.

We have eaten here four times as a couple for dinner since the staff changes in the kitchen. This review relates only to the evening a la carte experience and not to the lunchtime set menu. Only one of the four meals would come close...

Weather forecast for Monday looked good. The Brewers put on a BBQ. Having experienced an earlier BBQ and enjoyed it, the 4 of us decided to go and enjoy another one. Absolutely delightful. Food great, well cooked and well presented Staff courteous and helpful Place...

We arranged a family meal to celebrate our Mum’s Birthday. We were a group of 7. We were initially surprised by the pricing of the menu and chose not to take a starter due to the high cost. We had several questions about the main...

It's good to have the Brewers back, doing what a good local pub/restaurant should be doing - serving great food and drinks, and serving them with an informal but professional style. That's what we experienced today. We've been long-standing fans of this place, but there...

Needs to be realistic with prices and menu…this is a village pub the food was edible but prices high in both drinks and food. I believe the old manager from bildeston crown is managing the brewers now so definately will NOT be returning to the...

Food came out insanely slow, and portions are pretentiously very small. We wanted to love this pace but wont be coming back. Another restaurant trying too hard to win awards and not coming close to putting a smile on our faces.

Had an amazing lunch there on Easter Monday Normally shut Mondays but they opened today was great ! Had the set lunch menu Great food Great service Thank u all at the BArms

Booked a table for 6 for a late lunch. We have been before to the £20 for 3 courses offers, but this was the first time to a 'full size' meal. Service was slower than we would have hoped, but as the waitress pointed out,...

What a truly great pub/restaurant! Food was superb, surrounds and decor inspiring and service impeccable. We will be back. Faultless.

My wife and I looked for somewhere new in our locality to try for lunch and found this gastropub listed in the Estrella Damm top 100 for the UK. On our first visit we were not disappointed. Very nice friendly staff and excellent food. At...

Really lovely place - warm and cosy, tables spread out through several areas. Was quiet as it was midweek but the decor and ambience were spot on. Very friendly server - beautifully presented cuisine. I always like a restaurant where there are only 3-4 main...

each course! The veloute was exceptional. Thank you, we'll be back! Shame we no longer live in Rattlesden.

Ate here this evening and I can safely say I will never be returning. Tasteless beef, with mash ( apparantly). But the mash was nothing more than a thick sauce which came in a tiny saucepan lol . Ran my fork through the mash and...

A lovely NYD meal, friendly and attentive service. Lovely roast beef, great food all round. Booked already, to go back. Nice atmosphere.

Met a friend for a catch up over lunch. First time here and I was delighted by the food, service and overall establishment. We had the set lunch, fantastic price and though the dishes were small, all three courses added up to be more than...

Starting at the begining, for a first visit was very impressed with decor so pretty and tasteful country dining. I'd image for the couples dining to the left near the bar its pretty hard to hear each other as the bar area today was loud....

Firstly the staff are lovely and just great - now the food. Starter I chose was bread and it was ... well just bread - 4 little loaves nicely baked but just ordinary whiteish bread no Rye No Sourdough and not a patch on Woosters...

Met friends for lunch and the food was delicious. Flavours over large portions, which I prefer. Had the Clootie for dessert and it was one of the nicest puddings I've had in some time. Friendly, relaxed and fun.

Having first stubbled upon the Brewers a coupl eof yers back we had not yet had the chance to rebviit until this weekend just gone. We enjoyed a cracking Friday lunch at a superb price. The food was excellently presented, totally delicious (the Risotto out...

Lunch for 4 today was a real treat. Set 3 course lunch for £20! Fantastic value. Beautifully presented perfectly cooked. Main course battered hake was cooked to perfection. 3 courses, coffee and a bottle of wine £30 each. Excellent professional service. Lovely modern warm interior...

Have lived in this village for over 20 years, the pub has had its ups and downs, Nina and Geoff were here when I first came here, they ran the pub brilliantly, as did a couple of others afterwards, the pub then closed and was...

Excellent food, presented beautifully. Great service. Quality location which has become a favourite and accepts dogs!

Quite frankly the best 3 course meal I have ever tasted ,and also as pretty as a picture ,will be visiting as soon as possible again to sample different dish off menu , reasonably priced,friendly, great beer , recommend the Colchester 👍

Just tried the fixed price lunch and this has to be one of the best value meals around. Two delicious courses for little more than a top price pizza is a bargain, This is a great opportunity to try first class cooking, with delightful service,...

This is now the 4th time we have been to this restaurant but the first time with the new chef. And I’ve got to say the food is better than it was before. Before dinner cocktails, three amazing courses. The food choices are stunning and...

Tried out the set lunchtime meals at The Brewers, with it's new team, and was very pleasantly surprised. My husband's chicken meal and my vegetarian potato dumplings were really delicious. Attractive and comfortable interior with great service. Well done to the new team, see you...

We hadn’t booked for lunch on the Bank Holiday Monday but the staff were very friendly and welcoming and found us a lovely table on the patio in the garden. They had a small but very tasty BBQ menu on. Between us we had the...

What a fantastic lunch. Thank you to all at The Brewers, Rattlesden. We had a large party of parents, grandparents, toddlers and babies and couldn't have chosen better. The 'proper Texan BBQ ' was all it promised and more. The food was delicious, pulled pork...

A first visit in a long time. We had the beef rib and lamb shoulder which came with a side of new potatoes and lettuce salad. All items were delicious and the beef rib was huge. The outside area was very pretty to sit in...

The Brewers is a lovely venue with many original features retained to give character. We visited for lunch and felt that the food was very expensive for the quality and quantities served. The 'sharing' steak was expensive, and the vegetables which accompanied it were really...

Echo the views of the previous reviewer. We had a great meal in the pretty garden. Nice to see some new dishes on the menu.

After seeing a couple of unfavourable reviews, pleased to say we had a wonderful evening, food and service were excellent, extremely well looked after.

Found out too late that the kitchen team has changed and the diner we had there was pretty bad. Long wait, cold main, ridiculous small portion on the potatoe dumpling, etc etc Thank go for the waiters delivering great service despite an embrassing chef

Cold vegetables on both plates, and dry pork. We had dropped in to try, on the off-chance impressed by ambiance and "front of house" dog friendly and lovely wine, however the food.... what a disappointment Ultimately totally beyond belief and dissapointing, at no point mentioned...

Over priced and underwhelming!!! Extremely sparse menu: No nibbles, no sides, no bread (-we couldn’t work out what out what our side plates were intended for! ) Tiny portions - unsubstantiated fine dining pretensions! If you’re going to serve ‘minimal’ morsels of ‘pretty’ food then...

Four of us had lunch today following the appointment of new kitchen staff. Very successful, brilliant food and service. A willingness to meet customer individual requirements much appreciated Many thanks. Will be returning soon.

What do you say when you’ve driven all the way to meet friends at a pub to find it locked and shuttered with no apparent notice or explanation evident, not even on their website or social media, which still claims as being open for business?...

Really a very good level tasting menu. Very much enjoyed every course. Lovely setting too, nice dining room and garden in a lovely village. Staff were very attentive too, really nice experience and good value in my opinion.

The food was ok but definitely nothing special. It took longer to read the menu than it did to eat the food. I have never had tender stem broccoli with such tough stems!

I live locally and have been dying to try The brewers for sometime as I have heard such good things about it. Walking in I think the restaurant had the wow factor. Although its an old building it had some lovely modern touches in the...

Been twice this week. First time excellent. Fish and chips very good.Unfortunately the second time a little disappointing. Perhaps our Group of 6 put a strain on the kitchen staff. Service very slow and pub/restaurant not busy. Chicken main meal ok but not that special....

Celebration of our son’s 25th & we weren’t disappointed! They’d been before but we hadn’t. Everything about this restaurant is Amazing! The welcome, service, quality of food & attention to detail were all 5*. We couldn’t fault one thing. Starting with the array of ‘Nibbles’,...

We have just had the most delicious meal at a friend’s birthday lunch in the Brewers’ Arms. The menu is so tempting and my chosen lamb sweetbreads and venison Wellington were outstanding. My husband’s meal of scallop followed by beef sirloin were equally delicious. We...

Have been a regular at The Brewers Village Lunch since innovation. Have always enjoyed the food, staff and ambiance. Value for money brilliant. Today was as good as ever. The Arancici starter was superb. The rest of the meal just as good. If you have...

A warm welcome in a cosy space is a good way to start any celebration on a wet day. Beautifully cooked, perfectly seasoned and well presented food confirmed the first impression and we could not have been happier. Friendly staff, an excellent drinks list with...

We were really disappointed by the cost compared to the food we were given. Two of us ordered scallops and we were served a ridiculous portion size. The scallops had been cut into quarters and we had 3 pieces. (Three quarters). For 4 adults and...

We have just enjoyed a fabulous lunch at The Brewers in Rattlesden. Great choice of menus from a very reasonably priced set menu - to A La Carte - to an impressive Tasting menu. We opted for A La Carte and every course was truly...

Came here with my daughter-in-law and her family for her birthday lunch. Lovely dining room, friendly helpful staff, food so delicious I asked for the recipe for the beetroot risotto - thank you again Sam I shall certainly be making that at home. Puddings also...

Came here for lunch with my mum and we were not disappointed in the slightest. The food is incredible and the staff were so friendly and helpful. I am a fairly fussy eater and quite reluctant to try new meals, and the food here was...

We were spending a few days in Suffolk, and booked this place online. We went for the tasting menu, every part of which was brilliant - without exception. The atmosphere is laid back and welcoming, and you feel as though you're in a relaxed restaurant...

I forgot I have been before but hey ho. Great welcome from cheerful chatty staff. They had sent me the menu for today and once I saw pigeon was n the menu there was no discussion! Starter was the pigeon with a nice “trimmings”. Main...

First visit. Had a really excellent lunch. Loved the pub - great menu - knowledgeable and friendly staff. Can highly recommend

We had a fabulous evening at the Brewers celebrating my husbands birthday. We chose the tasting menu - and the food was truly outstanding! Each course seemed to surpass the previous one - and it was very difficult to pick a favourite - although the...

Our second experience at The Brewers. First, early November was excellent. Second today just as good. Brilliant food, service very good, setting superb. Restaurant busy full of what appeared to be very satisfied clients. Very much recommended. Thanks Keith Lee

Today was a reasonably priced and very good, no pretence, experience. No pressure but most appropriate service. 4 of us each enjoyed what we had but a pity this menu is only available once a month at this price. We’d like to use our local...

Went to The Brewers for dinner with a friend. The restaurant area was intimate and was great for conversation as long as you don’t mind the risk of the other tables overhearing (for clandestine meetings, go elsewhere ;-) ). We booked a table for 7.30,...

I know that I have written reviews before re. The Brewers, but went there for lunch, set menu, delicious "glazed lamb" starter followed by the best piece of "roast hake" that I have eaten, crispy skin, and succulent flesh on crushed new potatoes. Excellent!

The Brewers is a proper gastro pub, a term that is so often misused. This is fine dining in a pub. The food is exceptional - unusual dishes expertly cooked and presented. The staff are charming and efficient. A comprehensive wine list with most unusual...

The Brewers continues to delight. My husband and I ate there last night and I probably had the best duck I’ve even eaten. The multiple flavors and texture of each dish combined with first rate presentation make this a place we want to support and...

I cannot say thank you enough to the entire team at The Brewers for the most magical lunch we had last Friday. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left the welcome, friendliness and professionalism of every member of staff was exemplary and...

This pub/restaurant has a lovely ambience and the staff are welcoming and attentive . However , although I'm happy to pay for excellent food £34 for a small piece of hogget with veg and then having to pay extra for chips to fill the plate...

We stumbled upon this gem a couple of weeks ago for lunch and have since been back for dinner. The service is truly exceptional, delicious food and wonderful atmosphere. We will be back again very soon!

We tried this pub restaurant out a few evenings ago, and were most impressed with the food, and cheerful, attentive service. Young enthusiastic staff, very engaging and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed the food; very good choice of tasty nibbles and starters, and the mains were...

We both had the bass on what was supposed to be crab chowder. The fish was well cooked but not seasoned and lacked texture, it may have been old. Was expecting the chowder to have some subsatance to it but it was just cubed carrot,...

Cannot rate this place enough. Service was second to none. Food sublime. Attention to detail amazing. We both had tasting menu and it was out of this world. Sam the chef and Thomas front of house are an amazing team. If only we lived closer!!

Absolutely out of this world! Amazing Sunday lunch from start to end. The service was fantastic and everything on the plate tasted beautiful. The bone marrow carrot was a real taste sensation as well as the super luxurious cauliflower cheese. As good old M&S say,...

Sublime meal in every way. Tantalising flavours in each dish. A dining experience. I highly recommend this establishment

We booked at short notice , but we’re very pleasantly surprised. The food was excellent quality and very well presented. By all accounts the chef has won awards, it’s easy to see why. All the staff were friendly and warm, doing every they could to...

We were so looking forward to venturing out and enjoying a lunchtime treat and we were not disappointed. The garden terrace is a lovely space to savour the tastes of this excellent pub. We were made to feel very welcome, service was spot on and...

An excellent experience last night at The Brewers! Cocktails were amazing and the service was excellent! Lovely food with great presentation. Will be back! Glad to see the place so busy!

From the moment you walk into The Brewers and are greeted by the well turned out staff in smart matching uniforms, all with smiles and a cheerful greeting, you know it’s going to be an enjoyable and pleasant experience. My friend and I sat in...

A very poor experience, waited 1hr 20 mins for any food to be served then informed that our order had been overlooked. In fairness our drinks were on the house. We understand hospitality is going through a tough time at present but.... Menu was poor...

Very good quality all round. Exceptional and really clever dessert. Also a really great, large wine list by the glass

This was our first meal out since relaxaton of the lockdown restrictions and also the first since the re-invention of this pub into a gastro restaurant. We were impressed by the decorlayout which was fully current Covid compliant. We both had the plump asparagus spears...

Saturday lunch in the garden with friends was a wonderful day out. The food was yummy but it was made all the more lovely by the staff who did everything they could to ensure we had a good time, including lending us a lighter that...