The Crown in Waveney

We visited The Crown for a midweek lunch. We had our dog with us so didn’t want the formal dining room. The tables at the front were busy so we found a cosy snug at the back which was almost empty. We had a catch of the day fish and chips, complete with excellent crunchy chips and a smoked fish platter, also very nice. As expected, the full range of Adnams beers were available and in excellent condition. However, what we must really commend The Crown on was the attentive staff. Nothing was too much trouble for them. For example, I asked the barman if there was any water bowls for dogs outside? No need to go outside he replied and dropped what he was doing and brought one to our table. We will definitely return when we ext visit Southwold.

We visited for Sunday lunch, we had a slight wait to be greeted when we arrived and as one of our party couldn’t stand for long periods we had to find a member of staff to help, we eventually were allocated a table but then asked to move as they had booked the table out for someone else, due to a glitch in the online booking process the fact that we had ordered two high chairs as well as a table for five including a child had been missed, the table we were asked to move to was too small so they had a rethink and left us where we were. After this we settled down to our lunch which was absolutely superb and the service great so we can say after the initial problems we had a really enjoyable lunch and would definitely return but book by phone and not online.

We have been to the Crown lots of times, we have stayed, eaten and just gone for a drink. Used to love it but something has drastically changed. The drink prices are hideously high even for Southwold standards. It might be just about acceptable if the drinks were served with a smile and wecolme. Instead, the barman was surely almost to the point of rudeness. Another employee, possibly a manager, came in as we were leaving. He started clearing the table while we were still there and made us feel as if we were being ushered out as soon as possible. Went to one of Southwold's pubs and were welcomed by a friendly barman who served drinks at 2/3 of the Crown prices

A good range of gluten free options on the dinner menu, with staff knowledgeable about cross contamination. Staff were warm, friendly and attentive. Generous portion sizes on offer, made with good quality food and care. While at first glance it may seem slightly more expensive compared to other places on the high street, the food and service is of a much better quality. Very much recommended.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Best to be in the restaurant on the right rather than the rather ordinary parlour on the left. Definitely recommend. We both had terrific fish.

Whilst having been a visitor to Southwold for over 30 years I have never been in The Crown. We opted for an early dinner and as we had pigged out at breakfast went for just the main - my husband had the steak which was perfect and the beef butter was awesome - I chose the cod which was lovely and the sauce was so gorgeous I asked for a spoon to finish it. Great staff and nice ambience - we will be back

Lovely food, lovely wine, charming friendly service, especially when our waitress said "really enjoyed serving you' Right, now a slight whinge - NOT aimed at the Crown alone but at ALL restaurants that add service to the bill, even discretionary. Why are they adding service on the VAT???? Happy to pay service on the net of VAT amount but NOT service on the Tax as well.

I liked the Crown - felt airy and relaxed inside and the sea bass, cauliflower and crab the 3 of us had were all good. Pricey, but where isn’t unless there’s a ‘Spoons making everyone else sharpen their pencils? The crab could have done with some salad garnish and was a bit over salty but still nice. Nice friendly service - seems rare in Southwold.

Booked lunch as raining all day! Enjoyed tasty though small plaice and shared a nice fresh pudding. We used to come here a long time ago with small children and it was less formal then. Rather old fashioned decor and preferred how it used to be when part was more informal. Service really good.

Was drawn in by the promising menu, albeit pricey but were happy to pay the prices for good food. Unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark. We ordered the crab and prawn arancini, devil crab with seaweed fries and the Reuben brioche. The devil crab was nice, not spicy at all (as advised by waitress), the fries were good although couldn't taste the seaweed. The arancini left a lot to be desired - one ball which was under seasoned and didn't taste much of crab or prawn. The bisque just tasted of passata or something - nothing like any good bisque I have had, in fact you can't call it a bisque because there was no crab/shellfish flavour to it at all. This starter was £13 so really not worth that money. The pickled fennel was lovely. The Reuben - this was around £12/13 on the lunch specials and it came on it's own with no fries/potatoes not even a salad. Just a little brioche on a large plate. You would expect some kind of fries with the dish ESPECIALLY at that price. I understand high price points for food that warrants it but this really doesn't. The service was good but the atmosphere quite dull.

Delicious Sunday roast, thank you Sadly the experience was slightly tainted by service, which appeared to be due to understaffing. The guy - ‘manager/maitre’d’ at the door was bordering on rudeness with his manner to customers, or maybe it was just us ! Food good, service not so much - please be honest when turning away wali-in’s. it’s not because you’re fully booked it’s because you don’t have the staff . X

Lunch at the Crown was very good, service from young staff was excellent and attentive.The food and drink very good, good portion size and wide choice on menu. Place fairly busy with some parties but that didn’t detract from service. Seemed to be favoured by an older generation of diners. Not a burger in sight! Hope to dine there again when in Southwold

Over the years we’ve frequented The Crown many times. It is a lovely pub. We ordered a couple of main dishes which were tasty however portion sizes were more like starter sizes. We don’t like massive portions but this was taking the mick. The waitress appeared to be used to this sort of feedback. Later on in the afternoon we sat out the front and had tea. The earl grey didn’t taste if anything and the breakfast tea was insipid. How can you go wrong with tea?! So although a lovely place - not 5 ⭐️ this time

The Crown is obviously an old historic hotel, we were not staying, instead we just dropped in for lunch on a very we day. The dining room was lovely - well furnished with comfortable chairs and linen napkins. We had good old fashioned and gracious service throughout our meal - a pleasant change. All meals are cooked fresh so it was explained that there would be a short wait but in reality it was hardly noticeable (possibly because we both had fish). We ordered drinks which were quickly delivered - wonderful Admans bitter, as you would expect in Southwold, and a good French sauvignon. I had ordered hake and my wife ordered cod steak, both were absolutely perfect with delicious sauces, the best fish meals we've had in a long time. It was a bit pricey but well worth the cost.

I have been going to the Crown for over 40 years and during that time the quality, although always good, has varied with one or two dips in performance. After staying at the hotel recently and eating in the bar twice I can only say that the restaurant has returned to form. During our two meals (not counting 3 excellent breakfasts) everything was really well presented and served, with the kitchen bringing the best out of mostly local ingredients. Congratulations on maintaining standards over such a long period of time.

I would have given 5* had the service during booking been up to standard. We were a large party of 12 so were asked to pre order from a menu they provided. One of our guests couldn’t eat anything from that menu so we asked if they could do a steak to which we were told No. On the night the person on the table next to us had a lovely steak. This was really disappointing to our guest who only ate bread and chips as there appeared to be no flexibility to accommodate our request. On the PLUS side, everyone else’s meal was superb. My particular meal was up there in my top 10 ever!! Good sized portions and fabulous flavours. Stunning. Up there in price but you get what you pay for in this world. We mentioned the disappointment regarding the steak and were given a substantial discount which went part way to resolving the issue, but not for our poor guest eating bread and chips whilst watching his neighbour tuck into a juicy steak. Despite this issue I would highly recommend The Crown.

Had the best dinner we’ve had in a long while. Having been to Southwold on breaks over the last five years this is our first visit to The Crown. We’d previously been put off because the rating was ‘only’ four on TA when other places achieved four and a half. I think that must be because of lower ratings historically, but they have certainly upped their game more recently. I’d highly recommend.

There were four of us, two of us had Roast Beef, one had Roast Lamb and the fourth person had the Roasted Cauliflower option. All were considered absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. There was a really extensive range of vegetables with the roast-parsnip, swede, kale, carrots and red cabbage. Three of us had puddings-superb! I had panna cotta (the prefect amount of wobble), my cousin had crème Crème Brûlée (good size) and my husband had coffee profiteroles. These puddings were of the ilk you would not find in most establishments-the skill-the presentation were top notch. The profiteroles were quite beautiful! Well done everybody-these are hard times for the hospitality industry and we really appreciate the quality on offer. We do eat out in many different areas-and if other people did-they would realise what good value The Crown represents. They do not realise that other establishments charge more for less! Thank you so much. The 'Mothering Sunday' gift of a plant was a nice touch too.

Excellent food. Imaginative menu and impeccable service. Dining room very comfortable with relaxing atmosphere. My partner opted for venison pot pie which was served with mashed potato, red cabbage and a jug of gravy. I enjoyed Jack fruit and mushroom in filo pastry with the same sides. I am not veggie but found the pie tasty without being stodgy. Desserts of lemon curd tart with lemon curd ice cream and meringue was delicious. Not cheap but good value for quality food. Would recommend.

Sunday lunch , firstly able to book at 4 pm , great ! Sunday lunch may seem simple but imo easily mucked up with some many elements! I had roast beef ( I like it rare and it was! ) wife had roast lamb ! It was close but the lamb won by a fag paper ! Service was fantastic! Friendly not overbearing . Forgot to say had mussels in white wine with leeks to start again great ! Go you will not be disappointed!

Went for a meal to celebrate a friends birthday and it was lovely. Had the salmon and it was delicious followed by cheese and biscuits. Staff great and also earlier in the day had a swift sloe gin in the back bar. Wonderbar 🥳🥳

We booked here on the spot very last minute for one night's bed and breakfast. We were offered a charming double room up in the roof, with the usual complimentary tea, coffee, biscuits, but also bottled water, beers and crisps. Good cooked breakfast. A delightful short stay in one of our favourite coastal haunts. Parking on site.

Stayed over night and had dinner in the restaurant, followed by breakfast the following morning. The heating in the room wasn’t working properly when we arrived but, despite it being after 5:30pm, they quickly got out a maintenance team who remedied the situation. If you have to encounter a problem when staying in a hotel, you would hope it was deal with as quickly and efficiently as this. As for the food, it was absolutely delicious and served by lovely, friendly, interested staff. This was out 3rd stay at Crown and we will be back.

My wife and I recently stayed at The Crown for two nights over our 53rd wedding anniversary and, despite the appalling weather, we were delighted to find that the staff at the pub were as helpful and welcoming as ever. We were given an extremely comfortable room on the first floor which overlooked the High Street but which was not at all noisy and that got our visit off to an excellent start. However, it was the meals - both breakfast and dinner - to which we were particularly looking forward and I am pleased to report that they did not disappoint! So good was my starter on the first evening - two large, and just cooked, scallops in a delicious sauce with chorizo crumbs - that I repeated the choice on the second night (and was joined by my wife). My wife’s starter on the first night was a form of moules marinières which she said could easily have done duty as a main course! She particularly praised the size and flavour of the mussels. I would also commend, as a main dish, the pub’s seafood casserole (hake, salmon and mussels with tomato and fennel), although, if I was being hypercritical, I thought that it had a little too much tomato. On both nights, we shared a generous bowl of truffle oil and parmesan fries with our main courses. The star dessert, which we each had but on different nights, was the honey pannacotta. This was superb. The Crown’s wine list may not be the magisterial volume of 20 or 30 years ago, but it still has plenty of good, and reasonably priced, drinking. My breakfast highlight was a large and juicy kipper on our last day which meant that I did not need anything for lunch on the way home! We shall certainly be back.

In an elegant building with traditional decor, the restaurant here was delightful. The staff were friendly and helpful, the food really interesting and delicious, and the drinks good too. Definitely one to recommend and return to as well.

We had a really good meal here on out most recent visit to Southwold. The lamb dish was a definite winner and the inside of the restaurant was beautifully decorated. Service was a little slow but it did seem that maybe they were slightly busier than expected. Good local Adnams beer on draft.

We had high hopes which were not fulfilled.The meal was ok but an extra £4.75 for champ mash we felt was a rip off. You could say we didn’t have to order it but would you eat liver and bacon without mash?The burger was a better deal. We were offered the dessert menu and we said maybe in 5 mins, no one came to our table again , so no coffee offered either. Unable to attract anyones attention, we put on our coats and interrupted the head waitress to ask for our bill. She was deeply engrossed with a nearby table discussing hedgehogs and been so for at least the last 10 mins.When she brought our bill she asked were we not tempted by sweet or coffee, at that point standing there in our coats I declined to answer ! Maybe if someone had bothered with us my review would have been better. Sorry, on our experience we would not recommend .

We were “walk ins” at The Crown this evening & thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Lovely service, very welcoming. Food was good, just what we needed. Hope to visit again soon.

It's a great pity that restaurants don't realise that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. So, offering another bowel of chips when the meal is almost finished having been told the chips were unpleasantly soggy doesn't count. Nor does putting a large phallic-like gherkin on a plate of fish and chips assist the dish in any way; shape, form or taste. A basic meal like fish and chips in decent quality hotel restaurant in a seaside resort should have been very good at these prices, it wasn't, it was well below average, bordering on comical. The other dish was better, but not brilliant. At school, you'd be marked as 'could do better'. Please do.

We had a late booking, but we weren't rushed to chose our order, friendly service with a smile and a chat

This place is my favourite! Inventive menu, good sized portions and lovely staff. They sure know about food!

We had a really love family meal here. Our children were treated brilliantly by the staff, who were so friendly. The food was also great - i strongly recommend the beef pot pie!

The food was quite excellent at the Crown with King Scallops, perfectly cooked Seabass and a rather indulgent Bread & Butter pudding to finish. Unfortunately the service on this occasion (Thursday 21st October) was poor. The front of house staff seemed inexperienced, evidenced by just depositing the bottle of wine, not asking whether we would want to taste or offer to pour. One of our party didn’t receive their main course and whilst it was obvious the chef hasn’t seen this on the order, no one from front of house came over to explain this for 5 minutes at which point most of our party had finished their mains. This was later deducted from the bill which is a fair outcome but a little more attention to the issue wouldn’t have gone amiss. Thirdly when dessert was about to be served, a bunch of cutlery for the entire table was dumped on my place setting with the unambiguous expectation I would distribute around the table, despite a range of different desserts being ordered. Overall it just seemed that front of house lacked any etiquette which at £50+ per cover was an obvious miss.

With the hotel fully booked we expected something good. However we were. Wry disappointed mainly with the state of the food and the lack (because bless em) of service due to lack of resources. The dessert we ordered - bread and butter pudding was stale and the other order of cheese never arrived. The hotel staff were super busy and as mentioned couldn’t really attend to customers having to rush about all the time.

We visited on a Sunday evening in August. Restaurant was full but service was prompt. The menu was not sophisticated but what we had was well cooked (the fish and chips is recommended) and the wine was reasonably priced. All in all we had a good evening and would certainly eat here again on a future trip to Southwold.

I cannot understand the poor reviews !!!We stayed in Southwold for a few days having visited for the day a year ago, and hence wanted to return.We pre booked ' some weeks ago ' for the four evenings choosing a different restaurant for each night.Greeting was warm and courteous, I chose the Salmon filet, and my friend an excellent cheese pie, over which he waxed lyrical. Dessert choc pot and I had the trio of lemon - both excellent and superb presentation.A bottle of Pino Grigio complimented the event.

Came here in a party of 8 for a family lunch.We had a 12 and 8 yr old in the party. We had to ask for the child’s menu and a napkin and cutlery.Our booking was for 2 o’clock.Our starters never came till 3 o’clock which came after we complained because my son is diabetic and needed to eat.Starters we’re overpriced and small .Mains were fine but the service or lack of it spoiled our experience .Not the staffs fault .Felt the restaurant was undermanned. I wouldn’t recommend .Felt disappointed as we were in South wold for a weekend to celebrate my sons 50th.

We arrived for lunch today excited to be in southwold and looking forward to a lovely lunch.my husband asked for a Negroni cocktail which was dismissed , we don’t do cocktails!we both opted for salmon sautéed potatoes and green beans (with a side of carrots which were lovely) but unfortunately the main dish was swamped in oil , it was so oily that to be honest it was awful.we had the house bread at £4.00 a glass of wine and an apple juice and tap water and the aforementioned mains and one side was £56 we didn’t risk pudding as we had been so put off by all the oil.seriously please can you improve your dishes.jennifer and nick

On holiday in Southwold had lunch here 3 times and consistently good; efficient cheerful service; varied menu; wines at very reasonable prices

Really top class food-be sure to check out the puddings-always delicious! We all enjoyed our socially distanced meal-thank you!

Enjoyed a couple of evening meals and breakfasts as part of our stay at the Crown. The food was delicious, fresh and home cooked. Slightly different (to normal pub fare) seasonal menu options using local ingredients. Generous portions. Excellent breakfasts too. Homemade granola, and a superb classic full English, were just a few options on the menu. Well done to the chefs.

Had lunch here with friends on a wet and windy day. Service was generally good, the food was very good and, as should be expected, a wide selection of drinks was available. The bar area is large so social distancing was simple to achieve but the dining area still retained a good atmosphere.

Good atmosphere, clean with decent food. Arrived at lunchtime and dined whilst we waited for our room to be made ready. Food a bit heavy for lunch if you also want an evening meal. Nice room but a bit warm for our liking but we could open the bathroom window and we did have air-con. We had 2 good evening meals. Location half way down the highstreet with easy access to shops, restaurants and the sea front. Parking very useful.

Lovely staff and care taken with complying with Covid rules. Food variable. My wife's soup starter was lovely. My scallops and pancetta starter lovely but lentils a bit bland. Mains, pheasant and ham pasty lacked pheasant and had an under cooked and soggy pastry bottom. Beef suet crusted pie top was soggy and East end liquor awful. The pasty gravy was good so able to share this with my wife as an alternative. Bit underwhelmed overall by the food, sorry.

Stopped here for lunch while out in Southwold town. They were able to seat us straight away even though we hadn’t pre-booked, which was great. We all had something different and the food was really lovely, it was worth the price. Friendly staff, we did feel a bit sorry for the server as he was running around serving a lot of tables, but he managed amazingly.

Tasty lunch and good service. I had the duck salad and pork chop, and my husband had the chowder and fish stew - all freshly prepared and well presented. Dining area was well spaced out for social distancing. Lunch service was full and many people were being turned away, so book to avoid disappointment.

Puzzled by a recent poor review - my ‘owners’ have been regulars here for more than 20 years, and that’s people years too. They left me in the car, but from what I gathered from their chit chat they were very happy. The pie with suet got plaudits, also the steak. As good as it’s ever been they said. And the menu is a little more adventurous apparently. Nothing left for me, which tells you something: perhaps if the chef were to try a little less hard there might be a doggy bag next time...?

We ate here as a group of 6 yesterday - we were left seriously underwhelmed and unimpressed. The fish burgers were salty beyond belief, the sides of our mouths and Tongues were left tingling from all the salt - when we complained we were told they were salty as the fish has been smoked?!I eat a lot of fish and I have never tasted anything so foul in my life. Kids meal ...chicken was dry and overcooked. Falafels again dry and nothing special. I don’t mind paying a price for good food but on this occasion we paid quite a big bill for some very unimpressive and unsatisfying food.

Best lemon sole my husband has ever tasted. Very memorable meal + they had zero 5% - Adnams beer on tap ! One very happy man 100% recommended. Friendly efficient staff. Great experience !!!

Staff were very welcoming on arrival and the restaurant was really clean, Our lunch was excellent. We had the fish burger which was lovely - really different and a good size portion. We will definitely come again.

We choose this venue because the staff were friendly. Our meal were excellent especially the fish burgers and goat curry. Best of all the meals were excellent value

We enjoyed our visit here - it’s a calm place with no music. We ate and played cards. Food was very well cooked but the desserts were amazing! Have the lemon baked Alaska tart. It’s on the pricey side so don’t expect a bargain but the food is restaurant quality, rather than pub grub.

Too late to eat where we were staying, walked into the crown on the off chance, instantly felt a warm welcoming atmosphere, with the smell off freshly cooked “fresh fish “ staff were very attentive and we were quickly seated. It was quite busy for a off season Thursday evening, we ordered a mixture of fish dishes, mussels & grilled prawns were all perfectly cooked, we ordered cod for our main courses, absolutely delicious moist and incredibly fresh. Will definitely return and we highly recommend.

We have been visiting the Crown for nearly 20 years but our two previous visits were very disappointing. We returned last night and were really impressed. The wine was at a perfect temperature, the food excellently cooked, tasty and a good sized portion and the staff wer attentive. This all made a very enjoyable evening in pleasant surroundings.

We went to The Crown for lunch last week-I had smoked haddock on a bed of sautéed potatoes and spinach topped with hollandaise sauce. The portion was generous and it was perfectly cooked-and the hollandaise was light and creamy. I just couldn't walk away from the puddings-Baked Alaska Lemon Meringue Pie. Oh my word! Perfection on a plate (husband chose the profiteroles with rum cream filling and coffee ice cream-seriously yummy)!Oh yes-his main meal was venison cottage pie with vegetables-again-perfect-hearty and wholesome. Thank you to the talented team for the best meal I've had for ages (well-since New Year when we were last at The Crown)! Good value too!

Called in for a few hours to sample a few of the local Adnams beers. This is a nice traditional pub and has a clean and tidy environment. They also do overnight stay deals including diner and breakfast. Worth a look.

Boxing Evening 2019. Lovely atmosphere, beautifully festive and welcoming. Very comfortable bed and great facilities. Gigantic bed! Breakfast was equally great. So impressed, we’ve already booked again for an evening in a April.

First time back at the crown restaurant in over two yearsVery nice meal for three people Service was good only having to ask for the bill at the end of mealI had Scotch Egg starter/ skirt steak and dumplingWife had Rabbit starter/ Duck mainFriend had - Plant based menu which she enjoyedReasonable value and very tasty Well done chef and team

Had a pleasant meal here and the service was good. My gripe though is that 2 bottles of water were placed on the table. We were a bit shocked to find a £6 charge on the bill for the water. No mention was made of this and we would have been perfectly happy with tap water. I have recently been to restaurants where this has been provided gratis so didn't think to question it. We had hardly touched the second bottle so a very expensive couple of sips. I feel they should point out that this is a chargeable item.

Customer service needs improving. Staff standing around chatting whilst others were run ragged trying to cope with the service. Food very average. Wine list excellent, Adnams of course.

This was our second visit to The Crown Southwold for an evening meal.Food was of excellent quality, tasted beautiful and was extremely well presented and cooked.Wine was served at a perfect temperature and the Tally-Ho beer was strong and tasty.Our party of 3 had mains of leg of Duck, Battered Hake and Sea-bass.For 3 mains served with 2 sides and drinks the bill was just under £80.Surroundings and staff were great.Good job and thanks to all.

Shared meat platter to start, then pork sausages (local) and cod. a bit limited on the menu but very good food, nice busy atmosphere. Had a glass of a decent Adnams Chardonnay £46.90 without tip

Booked a table and was asked to wait in bar which was no problem apart from no bar staff. Had to see ourselves to our table when told it was ready. Ordered a bottle of white wine and had to ask for a cooler. Got table water on the 4th time of asking Food was nothing special and overpriced for basically fancy pub grub.

The restaurant fronts the busy high street although inside is an oasis of calm and managed by professional staff all focused on doing the job. Decor is stylish and in keeping with the period building. We dropped by for lunch on a sunny September Saturday. I wanted something light to eat with a glass of beer. I ordered three different starter salads and ate them tapas style.

We visited the Back Bar of The Crown and it remains one of Britain's greatest places to enjoy a peaceful pint (especially a Ghost Ship) This is an essential place to visit when gaving a trip to Southwold- go what you waiting for ?? - Go and gave a pint !!!

We ate lunch here last week, I think I did better than the others,the

The Hotel was nearly full when we booked and our only option was an extra comfy double bedroom with a separate bathroom. The bedroom had a loo so one did not have to wander about in the middle of the night. Typical of old coaching inns the bedroom was in the Attic and the bathroom a couple of steps down in another A shaped roof space. This would put a lot of people off, but if you enjoy old spaces with beams and a complete absence of straight walls you would enjoy this set. up as much as we did. To be fair to the Crown they do have very good conventional bedrooms which are not accessed as ours was by a fairly steep and complex staircase.

Only had drinks here but sat outside watched world go by, not dog friendly indoors , good coffee served with delicious shortbread, wine and Adnams good

We had lunch but found the menu choice and quality was no where near as good as it was a couple of years ago although the prices were the same, it now has the atmosphere of a fast food place.

Ate here as a group of 7 on a Sunday lunchtime, everyone enjoyed their orders and everything fresh and came to the table at the same time. Friendly efficient staff

As a vegan I was told there were multiple options for me - used to be a vegan menu but for some reason there wasn’t when I went (it’s 2019 seriously?). The vegan option for a main was bland and just vegetarian with 0 sauce.

Excellent Friday dinner. Friendly attentive service. Great wine list. Super perfectly cooked and presented food. Recommended bacon chop and special burger.

Great staff, everything cooked 'from scratch' on the premises. Fantastic Sunday Roasts (amongst the best I've ever eaten). Excellent puddings. Great, relaxed atmosphere. Thank you!

Came here for Sunday lunch recently, and were disappointed. We have been coming to Southwold for over 25 years, and have enjoyed many great meals at The Crown. The food used to impressive in both quality and originality. Sadly both are lacking at the moment, and I really hope things improve. My wife had two starters, neither being up to a lot. Potted shrimps which needed mining from their butter, and the other one was forgettable. I had roast pork: average. Much competition now in Southwold: I hope The Crown regains its eminence.

The staff were offhand and not particularly welcoming, said the right things, but clearly harrassed (despite it being quiet) which we decided was what gave it such an odd atmosphere - perhaps they were having a bad day? Food was OK.

We have been staying in the Adnams town of Southwold at the Crown’s sister hotel of The Swan where the service and accommodation is of an excellent standard. We decided to eat at the Crown today and on entering a near empty restaurant was directed to a table in the window by a scruffy host. As we went to sit down he waved us to a table next to the door saying that the other table was reserved - this table was then given much later to a couple who clearly hadn’t asked for that table. He then forgot our side order of new potatoes and believe me you need a side order as some of the fish dishes are very skimpy. Having asked for the side dish twice he then hid behind some female staff who reluctantly served us for the rest of our meal and the potatoes turned up very late on in the meal too. Got the feeling staff here aren’t keen on customers. Seriously suggest they have some training from The Swan staff or in fact anyone - the Co-op is next door, pop in there for some training. Food was ok, but there’s lots of little restaurants in Southwold, try them.

Came here for a meal with a couple of members of my family, the food was lovely,it was clearly all freshly cooked and piping hot when it arrived, the wine was ok, a little pricey but that’s to be expected as it’s Southwold, but what made our visit so relaxing and enjoyable was the fantastic service from our waitress, my husband said that her name was Jessica, she was so welcoming,happy and smiling the entire time she served us and nothing appeared too much trouble for her, when we arrived she brought as a jug of cold water and we didn’t even have to ask, my husband asked if she had worked here long as she was really on the ball, she told us she’d only been doing the job for a few weeks, what a pleasant staff member.

Enjoyed a meal here whilst on our holiday, we hadn’t booked but the staff were more than happy to fit us in. Food was ok, I had the steak, I did ask for M/R but came more R which to be honest, I’m not overly precious about so didn’t say anything but this is the only downside if you are a steak lover. My husband absolutely adored the bacon chop and is still talking about it now. Customer service was great from the young boy with black hair and glasses (sorry we didn’t grab his name) he really made us laugh and actually he made this restaurant stand out from the others locally just from his service so thank you and I hope the praise gets passed on to him personally!

The back bar of The Crown was always a haven and a regular weekly haunt for us and our family for well over 30 years. Recently though it is not a welcoming place. Whether we have popped in for a lunchtime or mid/late evening drink there is rarely a member of staff behind the bar who is welcoming and friendly. How different to the old days when there was a level of service which made you feel special and want to return.

Have eaten here before and had no complaints, however we called in late-ish last Sunday for an Irish coffee after a meal elsewhere where they did not do Irish coffees.

We have eaten in The Crown many times over the past ten years. Having checked the menu online we were disappointed on arrival to find only two items my non fish eating husband could order. He settled for chicken burger - what a disappointment. Whoever thought up this menu has no idea what meat eating people like. What about the calves liver or steak pie so often associated with eating at The Crown. The chicken was tastless and cooked in a horrible crust which presumably was intended to be eaten in the bun provided. Thank goodness for decent chips.

Wonderful 70th Birthday celebration dinner! 4 excellent starters enjoyed! 4 amazing main courses enjoyed! Couple of steak main courses weren’t cooked to order and not great cuts and seasoning, but minor critics really. Overall, an amazing evening. Thanks for the Beautiful chocolate Birthday cake! So tasty!

Well what can I say. Huge thank you to the hotel first of all for allowing us to keep our motorbike kit and luggage stored whilst we changed and got to enjoy Southwold. Tom on reception was awesome and gave great customer service. After looking around Southwold we went back for dinner and couldn’t fault a thing. We will definitely be returning - loved it.

I have eaten at the Crown on a few occasions with reasonable food and service. However, I have now been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease and have to eat Gluten free food. Nothing on the menu was marked as Gluten Free although having mentioned this in the booking and by checking with the staff the day before I was assured that it wouldn't be a problem. The Waiter was reassuring when I discussed the menu with him. I decided on the Skate Wing without the shrimp topping and no mash potatoes as this is something I don't like. I was told that the chips were gluten free so was having these as a replacement for the mash. When my meal arrived it was as described on the menu with mash and shrimps. I was told that the " Chef " only served the fish with the shrimps. I explained that this was not what I ordered and was approached by another member of staff to ask if there was a problem. I explained my position and she removed the meal. I now left the restaurant in tears as I felt both embarrassed and humiliated and was made to feel that I was making a fuss. I returned after a few minutes to find I had the piece of skate with the shrimps scraped off and a portion of undercooked Broccoll for my meal. Another waiter arrived with some chips but was told by a second waiter to take them away as they were not gluten free. We finished the meal with none of us really wanting anything else except the children who had their desserts. We asked for the bill thinking that the right thing to do was to at least not charge for what I had had, or to remove the service charge but no concession had been made. Not even a free coffee was offered. Altogether it was a memorable meal but not for the right reasons and we will never return. Look out all Coeliacs and people with food allergies do not eat at the Crown. Clearly the "Chef" and waiting staff have no idea how to treat people with special food requirements.

This was our third time of visiting and again we were treated to a really good meal. The attention to detail was brilliant. We have several food allergies to contend with and all the staff went the extra mile to make sure we were able to eat in confidence. The food was well presented and delicious. Service was good, despite it being a very busy lunch time. We did have to wait a while for our desserts, but it gave us time to enjoy a good chat, and the waiter did apologise for it taking a while to serve desserts. It was very hectic by then though, so we fully understood. When they did arrive they were to die for! My hubby enjoyed his Father's Day very much and we all enjoyed visiting Southwold. Lovely place!

Again Adnams kept well but not grabbing my attention as I seem to remember it used to do, but hey I’m older these days! Nice food though.

hidden away at the back of this fine hotel is a back bar,more like an old fashioned snug.a real throw back in time.we love popping in here for a drink.good range of the majestic Adnams ales.

I have been visiting Southwold since I was quite young 20 years ago. I have also stayed at the Crown several times.

Friendly staff , good food , nice drinks Nothing special but if you want a good dinner then it would be perfect.

Booked an overnight room via booking room.com. Room was very comfortable but disappointed to find our £185 didn’t included breakfast. Need to check the small print better next time.

While staying in Southwold had an evening meal here. The food was excellent with good choice. The service was very helpful and surroundings very nice.

Dear Crown. I’ve been visiting you for the last 38 years ( I started very young). Visits to the Crown always used to be something to look forward to. I remember standing at one of the Barbican’s bars in London in the late 80s hearing likeminded people praise you. Hubby and I went to you for lunch today. Our table and my chair were dirty with the remains of someone's breakfast still evident. Neither of us could find a main course we wanted to eat. We ordered two starters each instead. Delighted to find globe artichoke on the menu so ordered it. It arrived pretty much uncooked. Please tell your chefs that ‘poached artichoke’ still needs cooking until the leaves pull away easily. Sent back for further cooking and had potted shrimps. Pretty much all clarified butter with a few shrimps. Cholesterol nightmare! Picked off as much butter as possible and attempted to eat the huge slab of toast accompanying it. (Whatever happened to thin slices of brown toast?). Attempt number two with the artichoke. Slightly better but still uneatable. I can only imagine that the chef has never actually eaten one so is unaware of what’s needed. Waitress inexperienced and flappable. Little evidence of any management. What a huge shame! I doubt we’ll be back anytime soon. Please get better! From a long-standing former admirer.

We didn't eat here, but we very much enjoyed the dog friendly snug bar at the back of the hotel. Everyone there was so friendly and welcoming that we will definitely visit again.

We stayed for 2 nights our room was at the top so a few stairs to climb! Our room was large and comfortable . We are in the hotel breakfast was excellent , best poached eggs I have ever tasted. Dinner was excellent too along with great beers and wine. Hotel is central with a carpark which is great as could walk everywhere. Hopefully return soon .

I have written a longer review on the page for the hotel but in summary - the food here is tasty but limited. There was only 1 veggie option on the menu - £14.50 for wild mushroom risotto, ouch. I was surprised to see both liver and kidneys as options. My friend had the kidneys and they were super spicy/hot which it didn't mention in the description. Oh - and I agree with the person whose review says that £16.50 is pricey for a very small portion of fish and chips (although the batter was perfection). I've categorised it as 'cheap eats' because it's not elevated enough to sit in mid-range, in my view - but it's certainly not cheap.

Good hotel and bar area. Very snug bar. Friendly staff and locals. Good Adnams beers and menu. Great time.

We stayed here for 2 nights and ate in the restaurant on our first evening.

Have been to the crown several times in the past

What a change to the last time we were here, which to be fair was probably a year or so ago. I went with friends and we had a great dinner on a quiet Monday night. We chose a range of dishes and the quality and quantity where very good. Service was a bit slow, our drinks and food order was taken at the same time, but then everything went very smoothly and the starters and main courses came with a good interval between. Staff were friendly and helpful. Special mention has to go to the starter of mussels, the fish soup, beef shin cottage pie and the fish and chips with curry sauce, pickled egg and wally! We were too full for desserts. There’s a good wine list.

This restaurant became more informal years ago, and, frankly it could be more comfortable. The hotel has been revamped and more attention might have been paid to the eating area. The food has always been good, but is only good-average.