The Cedars Restaurant in Mid Suffolk

After reading some of the reviews I was a bit concerned, but happy to state that I found this hotel to be very pleasant. Beds are very comfortable, rooms are not massive but are adequate, shower better than home, lots of hanging space for clothes. Bar is good, breakfast is good, car park is good, staff very friendly, Stowmarket is a short walk away, A14 is 2 miles away. It is inexpensive and I would happily stay again.

My family and I had decided to take my mother and my two grandmother's out for lunch at the cedars restaurant for mother's day. We will not be doing so again. The starters were overall not too great, however the main course afterwards was far worse. The course itself was dreadful, with the potatoes being rock hard and tasting quite raw, once you got past the awful seasoning they'd put on them that is. The steak and ale pie had segments that were rock hard and overdone, and overall didn't taste too great either. The meat from the roast wasnt any better, and tasted microwaved. Not only that, but the food we received wasn't even what we had ordered, with the meat on the roasts being wrong, even after we had asked a second member of staff to check that we had ordered these specific meats as we weren't sure the first waitress had heard us correctly. She clearly did not check. The yorkshire puddings were well over done and rock hard as well, disappointing yet again. The desserts definitely seemed store bought, with all of them being underwhelming and tasting below average. To top things off, the restaurant attempted to charge us a higher price than what we should have paid, and had it not been for a member of my family noticing the mistake we would've paid extra for this terrible meal. The restaurant itself looked old and in dire need of an update. The service during the meal overall was decent however, with the staff being friendly and delivering the food at a decent pace, albeit not perfectly organised (emphasised by the lack of communication as mentioned earlier). However with the terrible standard of food, my family and I will not be eating here again.

This was our first visit to the Cedars since the change of ownership. Lunch menu was presented to us shortly after arrival and being seated. The menu was far less comprehensive than previous, and did not offer small portions. The restuarant was sparsely populated, and service was very slow. It took an age for our soup to arrive, and was not very hot. The main course was o.k. Just.Will we go again, ? Well never is a long time, but we were not encouraged.

We have always enjoyed going to the cedars we have had many family event there, service was always good and the menu had a good range and food was always pleasant. It’s real shame whoever has taken over has completely ruined it. The food was horrible, there was 1 member of staff who kept disappearing and genuinely looked like he couldn’t care less. Will not be going again.

I'll begin by saying my family have probably been coming to the Cedars for the last 30 years or so and it's usually for special family occasions. There were 16 of us attending this evening for an 80th Birthday Celebration so the meals were all pre booked the day before. When we arrived we went to the bar to order drinks and my Husband was told that two of the beers he would have liked were not available. He then decided to have a glass of wine and was asked if he'd like a medium or large glass. He asked for a large glass but was then told 'Sorry, all the large wine glasses have been taken for a Function'. We sat down and started to receive our meals. My husband had ordered the Beef strips with rice but was served chips instead of rice. The meals were really not good. The mushrooms were clearly from a tin and generally the standard of the food was very poor. Not once did anyone come into the Restaurant to ask if the food was alright or if there was anything else we would like. After everyone had finished, we were asked if anyone would like a dessert. Most of us were looking forward to this and were handed tatty pieces of A4 paper which had clearly been photocopied (badly) with the menu choices . There must have been 16 or more dessert options. We were then told only 3 were available!! A few of us had a dessert and were then hoping for tea, coffee and a piece of Birthday Cake (the cake had been delivered the previous day and it was arranged for this to be cut and a slice handed to everyone at the end of the meal). We waited for such a long time to be asked if anyone wanted a tea or coffee that in the end a member of the family went and asked if we could order teas and coffee. He was told the bill was being prepared! The member of staff asked how many teas and coffees did we want?! They were told it might be a good idea to come into the Restaurant and take orders!! We must have waited another half an hour. Nobody came and by this time everyone at our table was pretty cross at the level of service we had received (or not).There was a complaint made this evening and there will be further discussions with the Cedars tomorrow. Many of the staff members were apologetic and in all honesty were in despair at having to listen to yet another complaint. One member of staff even referred to the other negative complaints online and seemed on the verge of giving up herself. I can say with absolute certainty we will not be attending the Cedars again and we will not be recommending to anyone we know. What should have been a great Family get-together to celebrate an 80th Birthday Party has turned into something like an episode from Faulty Towers!!

We had a table booked for 13;00 on Sunday 25TH march we got some drinks and were taken to our table we waited for 30 Minutes no one come so i went to the bar to get someone they took are order when the food come one meal was so bad we had to send it back rest of food was ok.The mens toilet never had any soap to wash your hands with no toilet paper in one of the ladies toilets it was our first time since best western have taken over we will not be going back.

Good tasty food well presented with good helpful staff, I have been back several times I usually have whats on the specials board

The Cedars is apparently under new management and the staff are going the extra mile to impress. Had a good lunch with a colleague. The menus were literally falling apart and the decor is desperately in need of a refresh. That said the food was good and the waitress (Pamela? Johnson) was first class.

Good selection of food available along with daily specials board all at reasonable prices, the portions were good sized as well

An excellent 2 course evening meal for 24 people. As it was a Wine Club we brought our own wine with us and paid corkage. The menu courses had been sent earlier and therefore there was no delay in serving each course. An excellent variety of choices for both starters and main courses. The standard of presentation and variety was very much improved since my last visit. The Manager and staff were very attentive throughout our evening.

This was my first time attending the Cedars for a Christmas Lunch and I was not disappointed, quite the opposite ! The food was delicious and while we were expecting a 3 course lunch we actually had extras : cheese and biscuits, chocolates (seemed handmade) and mince pies with coffee - the first ever time I have had mince pies at a function which were not out of a box ! The pastry was amazing ! Back to the main course - huge amounts of turkey and no dark meat to be seen ! Both of us cleared our plates on each course and didn't need to eat again for the rest of the day. Onto the service : excellent throughout. We had a song to start with (not cringy) which set the atmosphere. The food was served efficiently with no waiting around for plates to be cleared once a course had been finished. There was exactly the right time between courses. There was a senior member of staff who was constantly monitoring service and was available if needed - I even saw him ferrying drinks from the bar to a table for a person with poor mobility ... nice touch. The room was packed (over 80 customers?) and it seemed many were returning ones who knew the routine of the day. We will be amongst that number next year as I have already booked my place ! Well done to all staff concerned who truly offered service with a smile even thought they were having to work on Christmas Day.

Yet another fantastic Christmas Day lunch at the Cedars. Couldn't fault a thing. The food was excellent and loads of it! Lovely choices of Starters-Mains-Desserts followed by Coffee, Cheese & Biscuits, Mince Pies & some Chocolate Petit Fours. Couldn't have asked for anything more. The staff were so friendly and attentive as always.

My wife and I dropped in for a quick lunch, the service was attentive and friendly, the food was delicious and fresh. The price of the food and drinks were very reasonable for the quality, as I’ve paid much more for lesser quality.

We have been here for a weekday lunch many times and we have always been made welcome and the food has been very nice and plentiful. However we understand that the restaurant has now been taken over by Best Western. What a disaster ! The ladies who used to greet us with a smile are no more and all the staff looked miserable. The menu says served with fresh seasonal vegetables but all we got were peas and my husband didn't even get those! Our friends ordered gammon which was dried up and burnt. They had to ask for butter on their potatoes which came on their plates before. I ordered a tonic with ice and lemon but there must be a shortage of lemons. We also had to wait nearly 3/4 hour for our meal and no-one came to apologise and we noticed that some people who came in after us were served first. The bar used to be very busy at lunchtimes but not now. We will not be returning.

We enjoyed a full cooked English breakfast, brought to us after we had a choice of cereals, fresh fruit, rolls, yogurts. Plates really hot which kept food nice and hot.

Lovely ladies serving but the food was slow coming and mediocre for the money. The treacle tart billed as home made had been microwaved with soggy pastry and squirty cream.

Used the restaurant while staying at the hotel. Fairly extensive menu with daily specials. Food well presented, hot and tasty. Staff very friendly, helpful and efficient. Prices very reasonable both for food and drinks

Satisfacían nuestras necesidades y tuvimos una gran comida con toda la familia. Sin duda volveremos aquí de nuevo y en otra ocasión especial.

Yes the decor is a bit tired, but the staff are beyond lovely - nothing is too much trouble - it's a very busy Saturday evening and they were run off their feet - but they reassured us about our meal, advised when it was coming out and it was worth the wait. This is proper home cooked food - just like your Mam would make. We had hearty soup (soup of the day) tomato - absolutely delicious. Fish pie - lots of fish, the creamiest potato topping, like an angel cried on my tongue.All the food was absolutely top quality - the staff kept apologising for the delay - but we were happy - nice wine followed by lush food. Make sure you book and don't hesitate to choose the specials - they actually ARE special.

Forget all the faff, not a perfect setting, and decor is a little dated, but went for a family meal and the staff and meal were excellent - really so much better than regular restaurant food - this really felt home-cooked and all four dishes were delicious. Salad was varied and had everything in it - not just a sad bit of iceberg and dressing. Nothing flash - but so good to eat. Will definitely go again.

I concur with other reviewers that the lovely staff here truly make you so welcome that the other facets diminish in importance. Modest prices (around £10 for a main course) and a menu which is wide enough fitted perfectly with our needs, and the tasty mains made up for slightly bland desserts.

Much improved on lasts years Christmas dinner! Well done l! And Merry Christmas to you and hardworking friendly staff

Good value and excellent beer choice - menu isn't bad either! Cheerful staff who can't do enough. Food choice varied with regular specials noticed that the place was taking repeat bookings which is always a good sign. Plenty of parking and close to the town centre.

The dining room is cozy and inviting, and the staff is friendly and attentive. We were there for breakfast for several days, and their full English was delicious, and a good value.

We had an excellent wedding meal , the food was fantastic ,considering it was a very hot day the staff worked really hard , the garlic mushrooms were to die for ,and the beef and chicken was lovely, even took a lot of trouble making sure the children were well catered for , the tables were laid out to perfection , all staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble ,will definitely recommend the ceders ,

Another lovely meal had here for in-laws wedding anniversary. Staff always friendly, Food was lovely, All in all a lovely evening

Pour juger du sérieux d'un restaurant, rien de tel que les repas de groupe. Très souvent, on va vous servir de la nourriture standard, voire médiocre. Ce n'est pas le cas au Cedars Restaurant où, cinq soirs durant,on nous a offert un menu abondant, bien cuisinés, à base de bons ingrédients et, ce qui ne gâte rien, d'une étonnante variété (trois propositions d'entrée, cinq de plat principal avec une option végétarienne, trois de dessert et, si l'on a pas le palais sucré, du fromage et des biscuits). Dans son ensemble, notre groupe s'est montré satisfait de se voir ainsi traité, d'autant que le service était efficace et rapide, ce qui n'était pas gagné d'avance vu le nombre que nous étions.Si vous ne faites pas partie d'un groupe, n'hésitez pas : vous trouverez votre compte au Cedars Restaurant, sachant comment notre groupe de près de 40 participants a été chouchouté.

We have been here lots of times and again the food was excellent.staff were very friendly. All in all a lovely evening.

As a family of 7 we eat in the restaurant on the 25th May in the evening the food quality and service was excellent the restaurant itself was very plesant we would definitely recommend to eat there

Recently stopped for a meal at this restaurant, although we live in the same town wedo not think to eat there, Perhaps we should more often.The choice of menu is limited compared with some other places, however the qualityis excellent and the portions are generous. Our meals were nicely cooked and well presented.We had a bar meal, and although plenty of room when we arrived, it was full when we departed.Just one small point, on the outside notice it states restaurant opening at 6.45pm and inside states 6.30pm!. Maybe advance booking is recommended. A very satisfying meal and left contented!.

such a lovely place , lovely food and a lovely clean, adeqeute room, had very enjoyable stay, staff very friendly

although the dining area is in desperate need of updating, the food is very tasteful .Staff are abit too relaxed , asif they dont have much to do?

Nothing particularly exciting but meals are perfectly accepted and the portions large. Limited attempts at widening menu for vegetarian tastes. Service is first class and food is delivered quickly and efficiently.

My family and I have eaten here a couple of times now and as the title of this review states, for us, it's really not the best place to eat in Stowmarket. My first time eating here the food was nice, but the service was appalling. I left feeling unsatisfied. I tried it for a second time towards the end of last year and it was so unpleasing. The food had gone down hill and every single one of my dinner party had sore stomachs over the course of the following days after our meal at The Cedars. On a plus point the staff and service quality had improved greatly. I couldn't fault them. Unfortunately my family and I definitely won't be returning here.

Very good food served, Very good service received & a very nice bar BUT....Portions were a little on the small side, the meat portion especially, I actually asked the waitress if she had dropped some of it on the way through or if they had run out.

We booked a table Sat evening at this Hotel Restaurant .The food arrived quickly the Haddock and chips with peas and salad was ok but I have had better. My wife's chilli con carne was very good the desserts were plentiful and tasty.The prices are very reasonable.There is a good range of beer which is well kept.The waitresses are very helpful and friendly.The menu has been very similar for a number of years and has not changed greatly

I've eaten here a couple of times while travelling to Suffolk and have always been impressed with quality and variety of the food, and the welcome I receive from the staff. The menu is varied and there's always something interesting to try. The dining room is quiet and home-y and a great place to unwind after a long day.Highly recommended.

Went there with wife and mother-in-law for sunday lunch, it was very good with plenty of meat and freshly cooked veg. Good Service good food, ok it might be a little dear with main course being £9.95 and a fiver each for starters and sweet but you get what you pay for and i believe this to be value for money.

Very good for a quiet lunch with a friend. Good service and nice food. Small portions but adequate for our needs.

Had a meal with my parents,husband and son.My dad and husband had the steak me and my mum had chicken with bacon and cheese and my son had the burger.The food came nice and hot and was presented very well on the plate.The food was to die for and tasted divine.The staff where all very friendly,polite and smiling.The atmosphere was very warm and cozy which made you feel like being at home.Cannot praise the food and staff enough will be returning very soon to have the Sunday lunch.

Thats all I can say this is average nothing special and not worth a visit. We had bar food. Staff are friendly

Looking for somewhere to eat on a Sunday afternoon pulled into the car park it didn't look very inviting but we went into the restaurant order the roast beef for myself and turkey for the wife only had to wait 10 minutes could not believe how much beef I had on my plate cooked to perfection veg was lovely and hot best dinner I've had for ages 10 out of 10 to the chef and his staff so please don't go by the outside look

Again another lovely meal here at the Cedars, Never had a bad meal. I recommend the steak with all the extras. They were busy too but still gave us there service very well as we only booked 10 mins before we arrived there.

Actually the food is extremely good. I was pleasantly surprised. The biggest let down in my opinion is condiments in sachets! Come on Cedars! How about some bottles of fabulous local Stokes sauces to accompany those lovely fish and chips! Also on a previous occasion you had no salad dressing! Unforgivable!

To start off Stowmarket is a hideous area full of people know as "Stowmartians" these people are rude and I was mugged twice on the walk from my car to the restaurant which is about 1 mile.The meal was as disappointing as the staff were inattentive and poorly trained which couldn't be worse.

This was a real winner, not obvious from the road (tucked behind trees) but our party of 10 (I child(7) ) had an excellent experience. The food was perfect, the portions very large (no room for dessert!!) and for a Saturday night the attention given us by all the friendly staff was second to none.

Very popular with the locals. Its good value, good quality and an interesting menu. Most people eat in the bar but there is a Restaurant that seems to be used most for group bookings. There are a range of beers in the bar and the service is generally good.

A good quality food cooked the way you wanted it to be cooked. Good presentation, reasonably priced for good quality freshly cooked food.

This is a very old inn with an extremely pleasant restaurant/bar. There are also separate function rooms. We visited for lunch on a Wednesday.Very accessible on the Needham Road it has adequate parking and if it's raining (as it was when we visited) guests can be taken right up to the door.The menu is fairly traditional and features a number of "homemade" dishes. We have lunched here on a number of occasions and the food and the service are always very good. Vegetables are not overcooked and washed out - they taste wonderful. Portions can best be described as "adequate" - they do offer some smaller dishes for children and those with smaller appetites. Prices are very reasonable. The serving staff are excellent - one young lady seems to have been there for many years - they know what they are doing and do not have all those "plastic" naff Americanisms which have become so widespread.

Have not visited the Cedars for some time, but was very pleasantly surprised at both the quality of food and the service we were given. All was at a very reasonable cost, and the portion size generous. As our home situation has now changed we will certainly visit more often. Menu good and varied

The food is well priced and they are good with large groups. The meals are usually good but can be fairly average.

For many years now our family have gone to The Cedars for Christmas Day lunch.... And year after year it is thoroughly enjoyed by all of us (including the children in our party). The staff are so friendly and make us feel so welcome and we always enjoy their little Christmas song before the meal...Always a nice choice of starters/desserts. And the turkey dinner is excellent.. So much meat on the plate and more than enough potatoes, parsnips, veg etc etc. And as full as we all are, we still manage to indulge on a lovely mince pie with our coffee. I personally can never fit the cheese/biscuits in but the rest of the family enjoy the selection of cheeses. I also like the fact, we don't have to pre-order our meals and can choose what we fancy as they are brought out. I had the pate this year and it was lovely.THANK YOU CEDARS HOTEL .. Look forward to spending Christmas 2015 with you.

Dear Sir or madam. My 83yr old mother in law booked a party of seven on Christmas day. Apart from the dated surroundings and guess work with the starters and dessert. The food was the only let down... Dry Turkey, little stuffing.. Had to ask twice for gravy and salt and pepper... I don't suppose this complaint will go anywhere.. I have never been a complainer and after having been in the service industry for many years, I just found the service substandard unorganised. And the surroundings dirty... I appreciate how busy departments get... This should not reflect on customer service.... I feel the facilities were a huge let down and the poor staff looked overly tired. To maintain goodwill and repeat custom.. It would be hoof you to contact my wife or myself on 07737186354 or 01603-452707 thanking you in advance Mr R A Frank 5

We were there a week and ate every night in the Pub Bar. The food at both the Bar and the restaurant are the same. We varied our choices while we were there and I cannot make one single complaint about the food. It was great! Plentiful, taste-ful, well cooked, what can I say. While we were there a number of locals came and that is the best reference ever.

As far as we could tell, The Cedars and Wetherspoons are the only restaurants that serve food on a Sunday evening in Stowmarket. We booked to go in the Restaurant but decided to stay in the bar. Food was OK but surroundings a little shabby. However, it's harder when there's none so where grateful of an alternative to Wetherspoon's.

Recently visited with friends and relations from Australia. The menu was varied with a nice choice. The staff were very pleasant, helpful and gave a good service. The food was very good, not expensive, and better quality with a much nicer ambiance than some of the other pub restaurants in town. The Hotel has a lot of local history and a very pleasant place to stay and to have a meal.

Recently visited with 2 year old granddaughter for lunch. Good varied menu with achild menu, very pleasant staff and good service. The food was good , it is not a gastro pub just good food with out poncy frils etc.Price was very good a little bit more than Witherspoons in the town centre but better quality food and much nicer ambiance.Very pleasant place to have a meal.

Everything produced "in house"Quality ExcellentStaff v. friendlyGood ServiceGreat family atmosphere

The restauraunt opening times are limited 18:45 - 21:30 the food is OK but not spectaular. Breakfast is quite late aswell not starting until 07:15.

We have eaten here on very many occasions with pleasure, however on my last visit the service was very poor. We were kept waiting approx 40-45 mins for our meal to arrive with no apology, when we asked about the delay we were told they were busy. There was one other table of people at the restaurant with a party of about 12, obviously pre booked as were we.!! When we questioned the wait we were told that we would have the same treatment if we ate elsewhere, really? not in my experience!. When we mentioned to a different staff member that the previous lady was a bit rude, the original(rude) lady came to the table and argued with us accusing us of being rude, which we were most definitely not!! The manager came promptly when requested and defended his staff member! As I work in a customer based environment, I know the importance of pacifying an upset customer, we were not dealt with satisfactorily but he wasnt rude. Maybe the staff member had been having a bad day or had other issues upsetting her,as I believe she has worked there for many years. I hope this is not her normal behavior.

This restaurant has been rated highly for a number of reasons. On approaching the hotel there is an industrial area but this does not affect the hotel with regard to its accommodation or food. The car parking areas are large and easy to use. The hotel does not try to sell itself as a bistro,boutique or five star establishment but is clean with all fixtures and fittings in good condition although somewhat old fashioned. But why shouldn't it be. My wife and I visit the restaurant several times per year with friends as we always find the food to our liking at a reasonable price. This is not a fast food restaurant and our meals always give that feeling that they have been cooked to order specially for us. Never had a bad one. The restaurant is primarily in the bar area which has an open fire and very pleasant. The menu has not been updated for some time but there is always a specials board offering something different. This is a restaurant to be visited time and time again for enjoyable food at reasonable prices. There is also a section in the menu offering smaller portions at lower prices. Ideal for children or those with a small appetite.The staff were all very helpful,pleasant and well presented. Our lunchtime experience was once again enjoyable and we will certainly visit again.

This easy to find restaurant has many function rooms as well as a dining room and bar. The food is not fine fare but is good and reasonably priced. Great for a party. Good car parking.Cannot fault it for the price.

Went on a Sunday lunch with a party of 15 celebrating a birthday. There were two other groups in the restaurant which looked a bit unwelcoming. Most people seemed to enjoy their food but mine was less than inthralling. The Home-made soup was good but the lasagne was disappointing. The staff were good and attentive.

My husband & I took an elderly friend to this restaurant on 23rd January when it was very snowy.We had our meal in the bar area as there was a function in the restaurant. The staff were friendly & welcoming & as there was a nice fire burning we were quite cozy. The menu was quite good & the food was good too. We ordered pensioners portions but actually they were quite big. We thought the food was reasonably priced & would definitely return

A bit lacking in atmosphere but more than compensated for by the excellent food and super efficient service.

We booked a table here to try the restaurant before booking a large family occasion later in the year. I am glad that we did this as our visit was disappointing. We were not seated in the restaurant but given a table in the bar. The starters were nice but the main meals were not so, they were bland and overcooked. The sirloin steak that was ordered was extremely overcooked and dry and looked as though it had been sat under a hot plate for hours, this was returned to the kitchen and the second attempt came out once everyone else had finished eating.

Good quality, good range and good value. Lot of locals eating there which is always a good sign. Tables a little too close to the bar but apart from that excellent.

This is a place I bet that not many people go back to a second time. It was handy, we were hungry, so we took a chance on what looked a grim location overlooking a factory/warehouse.We should have gone into Stowmarket and had the best curry at Radhuni or the best Chinese at Chequers .The Cedars has a faded air about it. It lacks any sort of warmth or friendly welcome.The same is true of the menu, which is about as imaginative as the architect of the industrial building which is next door. And the food is everything we had, by that time, come to expect-----pretty dire.One to avoid even if desperate.It gets an extra star simply because it was as quiet as the grave-----and we were glad to find a bit of piece and quiet.

Nice staff food well cooked menu needs updating as it seldom changes. Decor in restaurant is dated needs a make over, the Cedars has the potential to be an excellent hotel needs a large injection of cash.

We ate here with friends on a Saturday night. When we arrived we were glad we had booked as a sign on the door said sorry if you havent booked then no tables available and there was a large coach party there. We werent ready to order straight away so they got us drinks and went off and then took forever to come back! Our meals came they were hot and tasted OK but for example my hubbys shredded beef in chilli and chips came out without any garnish, salad or veg and looked lost on the plate, the pork loin was soaked in runny gravy and the egg on my mega grill was solid and cold. The meal for 4 of us cost £90 and to be honest i'd have rather gone to the chip shop! Overall an expensive meal with OK food but nothing special.