The Crown at Bildeston in Babergh

A nice experience at the Crown. Lovely character to the place and the food was generally good. Three is us had the roast beef and one the roast pork. Service was generally good, although would have been good to have got the roast with the terrine, rather than halfway through. Would definitely go back though.

From walking through the door to checking out I was welcomed and looked after. Fiona on reception was amazing and a true asset to The Crown. My room was clean and decorated beautifully. I had the pleasure of eating breakfast and dinner here and the f&b team are friendly the food was outstanding and the chef should get a rosette if not already got this. Only negatives were the room was advertised with dressing gown and there wasn’t one, the diffuser didn’t fit the hairdryer it kept falling off. I would have expected slippers in a delux double room too. The fresh milk is a lovely touch shame no cafetière for coffee in the rooms it cheapens the room having cheap coffee sachets. Would I visit and stay again absolutely.

Even though a large building it is cosy, warm and welcoming. We enjoyed one of tye best roast dinners we have eaten out. Beautiful produce, wonderfully cooked and good portions . Yes double we have paid locally but you get what you pay for !! Looking forward to returning soon and sitting by the log fire with their next wine of the month.

Dit hotel / inn heeft een mooie klassieke uitstraling, zeker het interieur. Het gebouw is een coach-inn uit de 15e eeuw, veel oude elementen dus. Erg mooi. Ook de bar en het restaurant zijn gezellig. Hetzelfde geldt voor de kamers, sfeervol ingericht. Er zijn zelfs plafond-speakers die je met je telefoon kunt verbinden. Maar zo'n oud gebouw is ook erg gehorig en dat is een nadeel. Ook de bedden zijn smal (ongeveer 140cm). En voor de prijscategorie waar dit hotel in valt, moet dat beter. Het ontbijt is prima, het personeel kan vriendelijker.

A three night stay the service and staff are exceptional. The hotel is fresh and clean, somewhere you want to return to and can confidently recommend to friends.

This is about the third time we have eaten here & it never disappoints. This time we came for Sunday lunch, 3 of us chose the venison pie as our main & it was delicious & one of us went for the cod, again very good. The summer pudding with clotted cream is a huge portion & can easily be shared by two people. Service was very pleasant & efficient.

We hadn’t been here for a while as our last experience was disappointing. Bildeston Crown , you’ve sorted it. One of the nicest meals out I’ve had for a while. It was a Monday but the staff was attentive( Harry), the food was so tasty and a good wine list. Not extensive but it certainly suited our taste. Excellent evening. Thank you.

We visited last Saturday for a family lunch which we’d booked a couple of weeks ahead. On arrival we tried to order from the set lunch menu but were advised this doesn’t apply to Saturdays which is not stated on the website or the menu. As it was close to 2pm by this point we reverted to the 2pm menu only to be told we would all have to order from this menu or all from the al a carte. Bizarrely the burger on the al a carte is £5 cheaper than the other menu! Majority of us had the burger which was nice apart from the ‘mushroom jam’ which resembled a grey paste. Food was ok but limited choice due to the menu restrictions. The staff were lovely but overall the experience was disappointing for an above average price!

We had a wonderful meal at this beautiful 15th century Hotel/restaurant. The food and service were outstanding and it is a special place to dine. There is something for everyone on the menu including vegetarian options. The red pepper risotto cakes were amazing! Overall it was not expensive for the quality of the food we enjoyed. We would highly recommend the Crown especially for celebrating a special occasion.

What a tremendous way to spend a Sunday evening in rural Suffolk. It was our first time staying at the Crown but will not be our last. The Sunday Dine and Stay deal is great value and needs to be taken advantage of. The room was spacious, slightly quirky and maintained to a good standard. The shower is hot and powerful and the bed is very comfy. The highlight was the dinner and particularly the sweet potato and ginger spring roll. I do not usually go for vegetarian options but this was delicious with just the right amount of ginger to wake up the taste buds. The breakfast was all about the sausages and they did not disappoint. The staff were all very friendly and accomodating and the bar prices were an improvement on my local so well done ! We will see you again...

As a local I have lunched & dined at The Crown from time to time during the past 30 years. Around 3 years ago I rated it "Average" and now, after a recent lunch with friends I, sadly, still rate the experience no more than "Average". The Lunch Set Menu (3 course, £30) consisted for me of duck rillette on toast. A good tasty portion of rillette with cornichon and parsley but served on a rock hard slice of toasted sourdough bread which needed a chisel rather than a small knife & fork to cut. We all struggled with it. The minute steak I chose had too much fat & gristle and was served with some sad dry cut lettuce leaves. It was very difficult to cut the steak with the cutlery provided but no steak knives were given. The fries were excellent. Dessert was OK but a double espresso was served lukewarm in a very large cappuccino cup. Not good! Side plates with butterknife were laid out but no bread & butter was served. The staff on this occasion was neutral and not very engaging. Sometimes rather difficult to understand. Plenty of free parking available at the rear.

The location is beautiful, a small village with a lovely feel. We dined in the restaurant but my husband spotted a nice outside area too (something we’ll have to check out next time). The staff were amazingly attentive, I think I can honestly say we’ve never experienced a team as attentive and as well organised as the restaurant team who served us, polite, friendly and the service was fast, no waiting for food or drinks but no pressure on us to move quickly. The food was delightful which made the whole evening an absolute treat. This place is a real gem and I hope we’ll be back in the not too distant future.

From the moment we arrived and our greeting by the young man who was so professional and friendly, all the staff, the lunch, ambience , quality of room and surroundings, cannot fault this lovely place. Our pooch was welcomed too and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Highly commended.

I can't believe that we've not visited the Bildeston Crown before. It was such a lovely evening, friendly and attentive staff, beautiful surroundings and wonderful food. Being a Sunday the menu was smaller than usual but this did not impact on our enjoyment. The quality of the food was excellent and beautifully presented. There was something for all tastes. We could not fault it and the empty plates were evidence of this!. Brilliant evening and definitely one to be repeated.

When we arrived we were welcomed with a big smile and shown to our table. The food was delicious plentiful and hot. The staff were fantastic, attentive and cheerful. The decor inside The Crown was stylish, comfortable and relaxed.We would thoroghly recommend you visit The Crown at Bildeston and experience this for yourselves.

A combination of good food, wine and service! A highly recommended place to visit! Thank you for the excellent experience! Can’t wait to visit again and good luck with your new adventure!

Spent a lovely evening at the crown. The food was amazing, the service was great and the staff were friendly. This was our first visit and definitely won’t be our last.

Nipped in on the spur of the moment for a quick bite to eat for lunch. The fire was alight and all the tables were laid up beautifully. Massive effort has been made in the Christmas decoration department. Everywhere your eye is drawn to is so tastefully decorated. . I had truffle runny Camembert with a little pepper sauce and my partner had moules marinier cooked in cider and served in a miniature cob loaf. He said it was without doubt the best dish he’s had in a very long time. A little platter of freshly baked breads with exceptional quality butter was bought out to start with. Apparently this little gem of a place has rooms too so will be back to do this place justice !

We nipped in for lunch with a couple of hours' notice. They have adapted well to Covid and we felt safe - this is really important to us. The service was exemplary as always. very good, attentive without being overbearing. Polite and friendly.The food was superb as always too. Delicious and immaculately presented.We love it here - a real gem.

WoW , where do I start. Well given that the world now has COVID let’s start with their control procedures. Thorough, well thought through and designed to ensure ensure that all guests and team members are safe. Don’t be surprised if you are abruptly reminded of the new rules, they need to be enforced to ensure that we are all kept safe. One way entry system and table service only (no residing at the bar), and given the limited space booking seems to be essential as it was very popular on my visit. Service was as always exceptional; polite, professional and safe. The food, oh how I’ve missed the food. I would normally have a taster menu , and the way in which the Chef has developed the menu means that you can create your own taster menu. You can stay with tradition and chose a starter , main course and desert or you can have small plates of all the amazing dishes on offer, and throw in a couple of well chosen nibbles just for good measure. Each dish was executed to perfection with equally precise presentation. Thank you so much for such an amazing visit, the skills seem to have been enhanced by a shut down period and this place is definitely the place to go in the local area.

Such a hidden gem We stumbled across this beautiful hotel and restaurant in the beautiful Suffolk countryside Still full up,beautiful rooms and location

My friend invited me to join her and her family for dinner on the 29th of August 2020 at 6pm. She placed the booking over the phone on Monday the 24th of August and was told a £10 deposit was required per person. She booked a table for 6 people and paid a £60 deposit.Her mother in law (who’s 89) felt unwell and my friend then contacted the restaurant on Thursday the 24th of August at 4pm to ask to reschedule the booking.The person who answered said a manager would call her back & this did not happen until the following day.When the manager (Hayley) called back she stated that a minimum of 48hrs was required to cancel booking and that the deposit was non-refundable. My friend attempted to cancel it 50hrs before the booking.The moment that my friend mentioned their terms and conditions did not state the deposit was non-refundable…. Hayley (the “manager”) accused her of being rude & aggressive.This was not the case!!! I was standing right next to her during the conversation and it was this “manager” Hayley who was rude, defensive and put the phone down!This is not about money or a deposit. We can live without £60. This is simply about disgraceful customer service. Wouldn’t recommend anyone visiting this place. Ps: guess it’s time to update your terms and conditions. Will see you in court

Our first return visit since lockdown, lovely Saturday sunny lunch, sitting outside in the courtyard. All the excellence of the fine dining experience retained. Not sure how one could tell it doesn’t still have a Michelin star. I just love all those extra efforts on the plate that are not described on the menu. Excellent gluten free options a well. One of our favourites. It feels like we would be spoiling ourselves to go too often

A sumptuous luxury after a hard day's cycling. Our overnight stay was pure delight. The welcome was warm, the beds were comfort in the extreme, the supper, delicious. 11am turnout generous. Breakfast fab. This historic hotel is brimming with old English character and charm, and buzzing with the vitality of a staff possibly very relieved to be back at work after lockdown, but clearly proud to be associated with this lovely venue.

Popped in after our alpaca trek. Nonplussed by our dusty appearance we were quickly given a table. We had only planned to have a quick lunch but the menu was so tempting, we ended up having 3 courses! Everything we ordered was fabulous. Service was great and timely despite being quite busy for a Monday. What a great find. Well worth the 30 min drive from where we live, we plan to go again very soon.

The gov website has the crown listed as taking part in the scheme so we booked a table. It was not until we had had our meal we were told they had in fact withdrawn from the scheme but were aware they remained on the list. It would have been nice if they made that clear at time of booking. The food was nice and service exemplary. The tables could do with a clean there was bird muck on ours. Still a good place to eat.

04/08/20 Superb food, excellent service - although courtyard table umbrella's are too low for the waiting staff, without them poking their eyes out. Would have liked more than one (delicious) roll per person which were all different flavours). Biggest gripe ..... please use grindy salt & pepper at the tables. Don't want sprinkly S & P - YUK. Sadly loose BIG favourable comments because of this - sorry.Felt very safe re COVID-19

Outstanding old inn with fab staff and top class cuisine. Recommended if you like old buildings that have been carefully and sensitively renovated and modernised. Helpful staff could not do enough to make my stay a pleasant experience.

Managed to get here before we were all put into lockdown. So glad we made it, as we were treated to a lovely 3 course lunch. Choices from either a set menu or a la carte and the set menu looked so nice that we decided to go for that. All courses very nicely prepared and presented and extremely tasty as well, so top marks all round. Nice little touch was that they had specially decorated the mother in law's desert with a 'happy birthday' message, as this was her birthday lunch. Hopefully we'll be able to come back again before too long!

We took friends out for Saturday evening as we hadn't been here for a couple of years, the place is still superb, great drinks menu, great bar and even better restaurant, Fabulous

Our first visit to The Crown. We sat at the bar for a pre-dinner drink, the surroundings including the lit open fire were really lovely. We were shown through to the restaurant by one of the young staff and liked the fact we were poured "tap" water without being asked. We ordered our food, a starter to share and mains. We were given a choice of artisan freshly baked bread. A really nice touch was that they served the starter on two plates for us. Our mains of fish were excellent and the following desserts were delicious. All in all we will DEFINITELY be paying another visit and will not save it for a special occasion.

Great service standards, modern presentation of food. Culinary skills in evidence and a fascinating combination of tastes. Good use of local products. Good parking facilities at the rear of the building and in the village square. Smart looking interiors.

Why hasn't The Crown got a Michelin Star? The food is magnificent and served in delightful surroundings. I had the 3 course lunch menu at £22. My first course was smoked salmon which was served with a quail's egg, pickled beetroot, horseradish creme, micro greens, and black fish eggs. Not only did it look exquisite but the flavours were perfectly balanced. It was followed by a venison ragu which had the depth of flavour you can only get with some serious stock and long, slow cooking. It was on a bed of - I suspect - home made tagliatelle and finished with salty parmesan. Dessert was a delightful fig panne cotta, raspeberry ice cream, grilled fig and fruit compote. I shall be returning in the very near future!

We have recently moved to the area (which we love) and brought along some friends up from London. We had our cockapoo with us so were in the bar area (log fire adding to the welcoming atmosphere). Really enjoyed our retro nibbles. Two of us had the smoked haddock, one had the special burger and one the Loin of Suffolk lamb, haggis, neeps & tatties.....all we’re excellent. Three of us had room for dessert and all were delicious and beautifully served. The little touches like the bread, the extensive wine list (including by the glass) and the unrushed but timely and friendly service all help to make eating at the Crown a wonderful experience.Can’t wait for our third visit.

Very poor meal We had Sunday lunch and looked forward to a roast only roast on the menu was top side of beef which was disappointing as I expected rib or sirloin for the price charged.Therefore I chose Lobster Caesar salad which was not up to standard (different chef?)it had far too many anchovies and soggy croutons We ate in the bar area and it was very cold I was surprised the fire had not been lit. Really not a good experience

For my Brother's 80th Birthday we were given a very sizeable side room for 27 people. We were greeted very well, and drinks were served is good fashion. Lunch started with excellent sharing starters which were more than adequate. The main courses were presented looking very tempting. I saw the sea bream, pheasant kiev and roast beef. I ate the roast beef which was to die for. I melted in the mouth. Vegetables were left to help ourselves. Extra gravy was provided.The deserts were delicious and the right modest size to complement an already sizeable meal.Generally a restaurant I would visit again if in the area.

My Wife and I visited The Crown for a birthday lunch, after a morning looking around Lavenham. All of the staff were polite and chipper, the food was very high-end very tasty and superbly presented, all set in a lovingly restored country inn. We’ll definitely be going back again for another special occasion.

I took a group of 14 to the Crown last Thursday for our Christmas party and we had a wonderful evening.The food was delicious, just the right quantity, well cooked and presented. The service was excellent. We really appreciated all the little touches that made the evening so special - crackers in every place on the table plus two baskets of tangerines. Speciality bread for all tastes at the start. A three course meal followed with 4 options for the starter, 4 options for the main course and 4 options for the dessert. This was followed by mince pies and tea or coffee. All this was for their special Christmas (Monday to Thursday) price of £25. As regular customers (this was our third special meal there) we were fortunate to have a further discount. We all had a wonderful evening and look forward to going again next year. Hayley and her staff deserve all the praise.

We stayed nearby for the weekend and booked to eat at the Crown. The menu had looked fabulous online but often descriptions sound better than the reality. Not here! The food was stunning, perfectly cooked, beautifully presented and it's clear that the chef knows what they're doing. I'd be a regular if we lived nearer. I couldn't resist popping back the next day too to enjoy a pint by the fireside and some of their retro bar snacks. Lovely! Great that the pub section is dog friendly too.

Only two other people in restaurant. Front of house had said that all the residents staying at hotel had decided to eat out...

We have eaten at the Crown 3 times now - on our second visit we found the service very slow, negligent even, but after a gap, we thought we would give it another go.

We booked late and were very pleased to find a table. Later-on also booked a room. We opted for the surprise menu with wines to go with. Some course were a bit disappointing, but some were truly excellent (sea trout with snails; sweet desert). The accompanying wines were the house wines. The deset wines were more surprizing: an elegant black muscat and as a bonus a seriously matured port (LBV?). What was absolutely top was the service. Everything was organised tiptop and ran like clockwork! Well managed!

After a poor night's stay in Cambridge, (overpriced, poor food, bad room, noisy) the Crown was such a relief. Friendly staff and a really good room considering the price, (£50 less than for a room in a hotel in Cambridge and 3x bigger)

We took Esteban for his birthday treat. It could not have gone better, the food was excellent the service was very good. The room had a welcoming wood fire.

Lovely bar area with an open fireplace. All the staff were very polite on arrival and all evening. Everyone enjoyed the food and the atmosphere around the table where there was another open fireplace roaring. Everywhere you went was spotless. Hayley was a great host and her husband Chris the chef came and talked to us about the menu. Definitely will come again. So will the rest of the party.

We brought visiting relatives along for a lovely lunch here on 6/8/19, and were very impressed with our experience. Two people had the set menu (venison ragut; roast pork; roast guinea-fowl), one had the 'fish finger sandwich' (more of a superior gujon with home-made tartare sauce set in generous thick slices of home-made granary bread), and one had the prawn curry from the a la carte menu. We were unanimous in the superb quality of the food, and its attractive presentation. What a treasure is the Bildeston Crown!

We are regulars at the Crown because the food is fabulous and we go for special event meals as well as drop in informal snacks. The game dishes are out of this world and the men in our family love the Red Poll beef. A lot of the food is sourced locally and according to season. Chris is a truly brilliant chef and Hayley sorts everything else out. The staff are friendly and helpful and we feel lucky to have such an outstanding restaurant in reach.

We had Sunday lunch for 14 people last weekend and it was excellent. Each guest was allowed to choose on the day, something that doesn’t always happen, and there was a good selection to choose from. Also the staff were so helpful with special arrangements for flowers for the table and for the welcome drink of Chambord and Champagne- a ruby coloured drink. We were not rushed out (we had booked the special dining room) but most impressive was how helpful and understanding they were when 5 guests were held up in traffic and were over 30 minutes past the original service time. Thank you very much to all staff who were on duty that lunchtime.

Arrived a little late but on arrival couldn't find anyone in the reception or restaurant to be seated. Waited at the bar and was ignored whilst it seemed the regulars were served first. When finally served I was told I was late so no table available and needed to wait in the bar with one menu between two people. Orders taken in the bar, I didn't want a starter as none appealed so said I'd just have some bread. Bar nibble at £5 was recommended instead. This turned out to be 4 or 5 tiny pieces of scampi which seemed pointless and expensive for what it was, I would have enjoyed bread more. No water brought to the table even though asked. Turbot nuggets were soggy which not much fish inside. Chips with the mains weren't cooked and hard, I mentioned this to the waitress when our table was cleared as only a few (smaller) chips had been eaten. Was surprised when we were still charged £7 for the two undercooked portions of chips. This was removed from the bill after I argued the charge.

Went for Sunday lunch with a group of friends, bombarded by several staff as soon as we sat down. We had been given the menu in the bar and told we had to order the whole meal straight away.

12 of us visited and, having read some good reviews, we looked forward to our meal with anticipation. Unfortunately, some of the meals were luke warm and, having enquired about how the turbot nuggets were cooked, I decided to have the wild mushroom tortellini. Shortly afterwards, the waitress said that I had ordered the turbot and, when I said that I had ordered the tortellini, she said that the chef had already started cooking my turbot, so it would be better if I had it. I agreed reluctantly although it was tasty - much better than the green olives which were very bitter for the high price of £5. Several of our group told different waitresses about the food but the only response we got was that they would tell the chef although they did offer to reheat the food after half an hour but the meal was almost over!

We had a dinner in the restaurant while staying in the hotel. The food choices are amazing, we couldn't decide what to have. The food was like a piece of art on the plate and tasted delicious. Wine was great, staff very friendly. An amazing experience overall, definitely recommend.

Have visited here many times in the past and loved it. Had not been for about 2 years, and hoped it would be up to its usual standard - it was! I had the vegetarian curry and really enjoyed it (I’m not a vegetarian, it just sounded nice). Also had the petit fours as I always love those. The only thing that would have made my visit better is if there had been a better selection of vodka for the pre meal tipple :) Smirnoff and grey goose are rather boring, and the other one you had I personally wasn’t keen on. Everything else was absolutely perfect, from the food to the staff attitude, to the layout of the restaurant. I can’t wait to come back.

My family and I looked for a special venue to celebrate my son's birthday ..we had the most wonderful lunch at the Crown..delightful staff delicious food beautifully cooked and presented ....we will return ..it was a real treat..thank you

We first visited the Crown two years ago for my 60th and had an excellent meal. So when we were staying nearby again for a family get-together it seemed an obvious choice. Did worry if it would live up to our previous visit but am pleased to report that it was as good as before.

Stopped in on a bike ride for food and a drink. Had a lovely fish finger sandwich and a pint and paid by card. When I ordered my next drink (OJ and soda) I was told I’d be charged £1 for using a card! I paid and complained on messenger. The response was that they had to cover the new sugar tax (doesn’t apply to oj) and that the banks hold money for 5 days and the card firms levy a charge, but please support your local business. I know it’s only a pound but I feel ripped off. Great shame as would have given 5 stars. Really short sighted.

my wife and I visited this restaurant this evening for a leisurely dinner but found the service very rushed. We were surprised to be offered bread before the meal but before we had a chance to butter this...the starter appeared and once finished .. the plates were removed and the main course turned up immediately...all very rushed ..we thought perhaps the table was booked for another sitting. We were asked if we would like coffeee but had not had a chance to see the sweet menu. The food was expensive but would have been acceptable if we had a chance to savour it. All in all not a good experience and one which we would not repeat.

Another lunch at this very well run Hotel, the set lunch is very good value and cooking is of a high standard. We would recomend a detour if you are in the area and this venue is open on a Monday lunchtime which is an added bonus these days.

This was a tough review to think about writing. Mainly because I eat out so much and am very much an epicurean, so I expect a lot.

Fantastic food, excellent quality one of the best meals we have had in a long time. Staying over for a 50th birthday treat the room is superb, and the warmth shown from the staff is excellent, came here 20 years ago but what a transformation. Really like this place and lookingvforawrd to come back.

You just have to make the effort if you love your food. The quality and presentation put restaurants at twice the price to shame.

Just returned from The Crown, after having a cream tea. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. We were sat at a table in the bar, next to four people who had two dogs with them for a start. The drinks were bought out and then some time later the food. The food was very tasty, which was the only plus point of the entire visit. I felt that we weren't the right sort of clientele, as we didn't wear loafers or twin set and pearls. We asked for another pot of coffee, which we got but we had to wait for a third refill. This was because we could hear the staff having a discussion about how many drinks we could have. Here's a good idea, maybe you could ask the customers if they want to pay more for drinks, rather than not bring it out. The disabled toilets didn't have a working light, I did look for a light switch, but to no avail.

Just stopped by for a drink as I happened to be cycling past. A lovely pub with a nice atmosphere. I look forward to returning for some wonderful food - the menus sounded really very tasty.

Last Christmas (2018), after much deliberation, voting and looking at yummy set menus, my book club and I decided to go to the Bildeston Crown for our Christmas party. We were all in agreement that the location was good for all members to get to who are split between Hadleigh and Ipswich and the food sounded great - which it was!

One of the nicest places to eat, drink, relax, in the area. So lucky to have The Bildeston Crown on my doorstep. The Chef is clearly very talented showing a great menu, I wanted to try everything! The Partridge Kiev starter on the specials menu was to die for! All the staff were fantastic. A wonderful dining experience and I cannot wait to return with friends.

Yet another smashing visit to the Crown. An early Sunday lunch at midday.

I have been to this restaurant for the past ten year, always been good but when I took my wife between Christmas and New Years the service was awful, all the waitresses could not be bothered to serve us and when we sat down stood next to is talking about the relationships to each other as if we where not in the room.

We visited The Crown for Sunday lunch, having seen good reviews in a number of publications and on TripAdvisor. On arrival, we were impressed by the building - and also by the excellent car parking facilities (particularly as we were running a few minutes late!)

The Crown is not cheap but you get absolute value for money. Lovely, beamed spacious dining room. The staff are excellent in both knowledge and attentiveness.

We enjoyed our one night stay here. The bedroom was comfortable and quiet. Staff were helpful and the food was good. The only thing that let them down was not having soya or lactose free milk at breakfast, although I had told them about the intolerance beforehand and that I could bring some. They said that they could that they could handle it, so I didn’t bother.

Rang on Boxing Day morning, very friendly female voice on the 'phone, booked in for x 4 persons for lunch, arrived very warmly greeted, given a good table in an alcove two jolly smiling waitresses served a very good lunch of curries, fish and chips and a burger, everyone was happy, overall the experience could not have been better.The management are extremely lucky to have such good friendly staff, especially on Boxing Day!

This is another excellent Suffolk pub really good food and service. There are a number of set menus including a Christmas Party menu which we went for on this visit, all of which are great value. We have visited this venu on a number of occasions and always been delighted with the excellent food and service.

Do yourself a favour if in the area....visit this place!!

Was some time since I'd dined here and popped in for a quick lunch with a girlfriend. We had the two course set lunch at £15.00 per head and one glass of Chardonnay £7.00 and a G & T £5.95. We were shown to a nice window table in the restaurant and the service was extremely good. We also enjoyed 3 small, warm and home cooked tasty rolls and butter, so wish we'd had the main course and pud, instead of a starter and main course! Total bill was £42.95 + tip.

Interesting location. Arrived at 12 and found the restaurant a bit like the Marie Celeste as no one seemed to be about, utilised the very clean and well appointed toilet and came out to a still deserted restaurant. Eventually found a member of staff and got myself seated.

We’re walking the Suffolk Way and found this en route. What a terrific place! A multitude of rooms and courtyards, open fires and historical ambience.

An excellent dinner for 4. Comfortable, not stuffy, friendly service, interesting food... I could go on. From the moment we arrived, to the pre-dinner drinks; from the menu to the bill, all was expertly served. So glad this is close to us.

Absolutely love Bildeston Crown. My husband and I come here with our dogs at least once a month. The food is always outstanding, starting with beautiful freshly baked breads and finishing with lovely desserts. The bar area is dog friendly, so we come for lunch after having a nice countryside walk or you can dine in a beautiful restaurant area.

We came here for my Birthday lunch and we have been here before so we know how good it can be but to-day's lunch was exceptional. We started with Smoked Pigeon Breast with a very good small jug of exceptional clear soup which was poured over it. My wife ate Breaded Deep Fried Scampi with lemon mayonnaise. We followed with a Suffolk Lamb dish which consisted of various cuts of lamb and a deep fried sweetbread cube and excellent ratatouille. My wife ate an excellent Partridge dish. To finish I had Herring roes on toast and my wife what she described as the best dessert she had ever eaten! It was a lemon tart but the creamy lemon sat on what was almost hardened mille feuille pastry with a berry cream scoop.

A wonderful place to eat in lovely surroundings for a special occasion with excellent food and service.

Fabulous Food. Love it. Always a very high standard and superb menu. Very comfortable. Highly recommended

Local friends recommended this lovely pub for Sunday lunch. We were mind blown by the venue, food and charming service. English snails, local butter etc, etc. Great friends we have and we shall be back to pick their brains again soon!

Visited again after 2 or 3 years. Ate in the bar rather than the restaurant - bit more atmosphere on a quiet weekday lunchtime. There is a wide choice to suit all tastes on including a good value set lunch. You can mix and match between menus. I chose a ‘nibble’ of prawn cocktail, which turned out to be quite a reasonable starter, followed by the steak and kidney pudding. This was well presented with a garnish of medium rare fillet steak, roast tomatoes and onions which, together with the gravy made for a delicious combination. Small portion of cheese to follow. My wife had the snails followed by lobster Caesar salad which was much enjoyed as were the desserts.

We went to our usual pub for dinner to find it was packed, so ended up here. Good move!

A special meal eaten in a beautiful restaurant with service to match. We ate roast beef, sea bream and the venison ragu (not sure how one previous critic "accidentally" ordered this and expected a vegetarian dish.....there's a clue in the venison word??) plus the chocolate fondant. All were beautiful, very clever and delicious, the bill for four was as always very reasonable for such impeccable standards. It would be difficult to find any faults with this establishment despite a couple of the party being seasoned food critics. The hotel itself is immaculate and beautifully furnished with luxurious rooms reflecting the buildings character and the owners high standards. Definately never fussy, overpriced or average as previously mentioned.

Lovely setting and well maintained venue. The staff were welcoming and polite and we had high expectations about the food choices and quality having eaten here two years ago.

We wanted a special night out so visited. I ordered a starter which was described as vegetarian, but when it arrived it was actually minced quail. I asked for another dish and carried on with our evening. When I went to pay the bill the quail starter was on it. Never again, we will in the area again go to the vegetarian red lion in great bricett as the food is fantastic and has a great menu for veggie and none veggies will love it.

Eating here is a pleasure whether it be bar snacks, sandwiches or a full 3 course meal.

Service was really friendly and attentive, from the moment we arrived. The food was absolute delicious, the mango and coconut parfait dessert was fabulous. We sat in the lovely cool courtyard. All round 10 out of 10.

Visited for afternoon tea with my sister & mum. The food was lovely, the pastrami & pickled courgette sandwiches were especially nice. There was plenty food though a lot of sweet & not much savoury- 3 finger sandwiches & crisps, 3 cakes, 2 scones each. A sausage roll or savoury tart or something would have made it perfect. The setting was good too, we sat outside in the courtyard which was really nice. It’s just the service which was non existent- we had to pop inside each time to find a member of staff to ask for anything. Once our food had been delivered, we were completely neglected.

This establishment is beautifully maintained and provides excellent fine dinning and service making it a great place to dine or stay, when in the county of Suffolk. Great drinks list and a good menu of really well cooked food, we feel you cannot go wrong booking a meal here.

Just returned home from a delicious Sunday lunch at the Crown. Lovely place, superb decor and tasteful courtyards. Really really good. Lots of parking available and comfortable places to sit out. Amazing selection of food. Most of us had the smoked salmon. It arrived beautifully presented with amongst other things, horseradish and creme fresh quenelles. I had the sole then raspberry and lychee panacotta. Seriously delicious. Wonderful staff. Efficient, friendly and attentive.

Friendly and informative staff. Lovely surroundings and lots of choice of places to sit - in front of the fire, in a quiet back room, the more formal dining room, outside in the courtyard or outside near the bar. Amazing breakfast - massive and yummy.

Had lunch on a Friday at 2pm (serving until 2:30). Food was very good for the price and the environment was better than most - clearly a lot of investment to make this a "go to" place. Restaurant, bar, outside and loos all very smart. Don't stress, let the professional service do it's thing and you will be fine. Amendments to the meals because of various diets were dealt with without any problems. If you can't do steps it's worth asking for a table in front, as there are steps to the main room. Slight niggle was the cutlery - knives were not sharp enough for me.

My daughter and I lunched here for the first time today as I had heard it served very good food.

It’s great when everyone at the table loves their food. We had a fabulous lunch of food that had been cooked with such flavour and so well presented.

Four of us booked lunch on a beautiful sunny day. Drinks outside followed by a delicious meal in a lovely cool room. Great menu, lovely wine but the service was slightly abrasive! The four of us ordered our meals having been told we could ‘mix and match’ between menus.

Having been last year we had to come back to enjoy the Crown,it just gets better. Chef/ Owner Chris Lee is a star-the tasting menu brings surprise after surprise and what treats-the best tasting menu I have had the privilege to eat-also with accompanying wines at a reasonable £30-and proper measures. This place is a gem.

Incredible that some people still view this as a "pub lunch" - being one of the top restaurants in Suffolk there are certain expectations, and on our first visit the Crown lived up to those and met them fully. We were met with a warm smile and friendliness upon entering, and shown directly to our table which was in the most beautiful decor - a pub this is not! There was a lovely warm blazing fire which on such a cold day was just what the doctor ordered.

As it was several years since we dined here, we decided to have a quick lunch in the bar area to check it would be suitable for a business dinner in the restaurant the following week with colleagues. We both ordered two glasses of Prosecco whilst browsing the menu. My partner chose the Fish Stew at £15 with a side order of chips at £3.50, and I chose the Lobster Salad starter [as a main course] at £28. My salad included some very salty anchovies which sadly overpowered the delicate flavour of the lobster. My partner finished his lunch with a Souffle at £8 and I had one scoop of Ice Cream at £3. We ended our meal with two Cappuccinos and the bill totalled £99.80! However, upon checking the bill again, I found several anomalies and overpayments i.e., I was charged for 2 scoops of Ice Cream, 2 Souffles & 4 Cappuccinos. When we ordered our coffees, we were asked if we wished to have the petit fours but, as as these were extra, my partner declined. I understand the errors will be refunded shortly. The bar area was busy and the staff friendly but we feel disappointed that we had to point out so many errors on a very expensive pub/bar lunch.