The Jolly Sailor in Suffolk Coastal

Friendly staff, nice ambiance, substandard food: Saturday evening meal in a half-full but attractive Orford pub and all going well until the two plates we ordered were disappointedly basic for the price paid. A bland and poorly conceived vegetation dish, and a very basic fish meal. Neither were terrible but we both felt that they did not deserve the price paid. We expected something fancier and more refined. Not a reason to avoid this place and we aim to return but it is a reason for the manager to review these two menu items. Constructive feedback was given by us so others may enjoy the experience a little more.

The Jolly Sailor appears to be under new management from a year ago. The food was the usual pub fare of Burgers, Fish n Chips etc. There were more interesting items but we didn't try them The Fish n Chips were enjoyed by everyone and the Burger was pretty good as well So no complaints regarding the food. The only complaint is that the service charge is automatically added to your bill. We were offered the option of having it deducted but that seems petty. In hindsight, I wish I had asked it to be removed. "Tips" are given for exceptional service and/or as a means for a customer to show their appreciation. It doesn't take a great effort to carry three plates of F&C and a Burger to a table I was going to make this a 3-star review but I hate this business of adding service charges so much that I shall give it one star.

This pub is very well placed for walks & boat rides along the coastal paths of Suffolk, and for music-lovers attending concerts organised by Britten-Pears foundation at Orford church & Snape Maltings. The staff create a warm helpful atmosphere in this excellent British pub, & the food is decent for the price. B & B disappointing: expensive, all rooms well over £100 even mid week. Nice bedding, but already in early November the radiators (the bedroom one covered entirely by a long curtain), were too small to make either the bedroom or bathroom warm enough, and none had been turned on to warm my arrival. & my personal bugbear in many places, bedside lights made reading in bed well-nigh impossible

We had an excellent dinner here, delicious food and very friendly service. This is a really lovely, authentic pub in a brilliant location. We enjoyed some of the best pub food we’d eaten in a long time and they were able to cater well for allergies (gluten free fish and chips were amazing!).

Stayed in Orford for 3 nights and ate here twice. Lovely old pub with a friendly welcome. Great choice of Adnams beers and good selection of starters and main courses. I had the smoked prawns both night - absolutely delicious and served with beautiful fresh bread. For mains I had a delicious steak and kidney pie with mask and roasted veg. The second visit I had crispy chilli chicken with teriyaki noodles. Great place that I will come back to next time I’m staying in the area

We happened to visit the Jolly Sailor by chance, I had planned to go to a cafe on the seafront but it was shut. Luckily my daughter had spotted the pub near the car park where we'd parked. We chose to sit outside under the canopy at the back as it was a nice sunny day. The garden was large with lots of space and tables. My daughter had fish and chips and I had pie of the day (steak and cheddar) with chips. Both were beautifully presented and my pie was scrumptious. With a diet coke each, the total bill was £44 which might sound expensive but it was worth it as the food was delicious. A lucky find and we'll definitely come back.

Our visit was our first and will be our last. We went to order at the bar, our drinks first of course. I asked if they were still serving food (as there was no menu on the table despite us reading they served food, and that the kitchen should still be open according to the website) and the person behind the bar told me that they were closing stuff down in the kitchen?! So effectively the kitchen would have only been open an hour as it was just before 3! Made me feel like they were dancing around the question, I would have rather have been given a straight no, but despite that the table behind us were getting given the option of more food at 3:30! Sorry but if the kitchen was closed then surely they would have asked this table if they wanted anything else beforehand. It made us feel like they didn’t want serve us really, or couldn’t be bothered to. My drink took 30 mins to get to me, I had to chase it up as well as the person who had served me decided to do other tasks rather than fulfill my order. It was a coffee that I ordered, but my partner’s drink was getting close to finished by the time I got there. If the kitchen times are wrong then the website needs updating. We was looking forward to eating here after our hike but if this is how it is on our first visit, we won’t be returning again.

Close to the Quay, a friendly welcome and excellent tasty food. Highly recommend the seafood platter. Dog friendly and relaxed atmosphere, perfect after a trip to Orford Ness.

We booked the Jolly Sailor on an old recommendation but then saw the reviews and questioned our decision. However, we went ahead with the booking for two nights. The place is under new management from the beginning of September and, from our experience, it is clear that it is already having a positive effect. The building is very old and they are making the best of it but it is looking tired, I am sure that this will be addressed when the new manager has got his feet firmly under the desk. It will take time and money. Regarding the food and service; our experience was nothing like any of the previous reviews. The choice and quality of the meals was excellent, particularly the sea food sharing platter which was plentiful. Each evening it was full with local customers which is a recommendation in itself. Should we go back to Orford we would stay here again.

Went down on a saturday night for drinks, great atmosphere as the quay street whalers were singing pub was full with a good mix of visitors and locals.

Went in for afternoon drink and lunch. After waiting in the Garden for 10 mins (without being approached) decided to go to the bar and order a pint and bottle of Coke. Was pricy at £12+. Took menus and went back to table in garden. After waiting another 10 mins without being approached. My wife went to the bar to order. Only to be told ‘you don’t come to us - we come to you!’ Left after waiting about 30 without being asked for our order. Gave them the benefit of the doubt - but still they still failed miserably…. Ps I don’t normally do reviews but made an exception for this useless pub…..

Truly awful, my wife had the crab salad, with a side order of of fries, expensive at £30, crab was not fresh watery as if recently defrosted, salad was uninspiring, just leaves, 3 very small potatoes totally tasteless. I plumped for fish and chips, both were the colour of David Dickenson kinda dark orange, the batter shattered on impact, mushy peas tasted as if they had been cooked in washing liquid. Apparently this is chain food pub, so if you enjoy chain food at top prices you will love it, sadly we don't, and neither did two other couples, oh yes do not pay the service charge, it was in keeping with the food BAD

Awful service was barked at by the woman behind the bar she was very aggressive to the customers toilets were disgusting. I saw inside the the kitchen was foul left immediately with my children will not be going again.

We spent a delightful evening here for drinks and dinner this evening. It was great to see families so relaxed and welcome along with their doggy friends. The food was delicious and staff friendly and attentive. It is definitely somewhere to return to next visit. Thanks.

We had a drink here on the first day that we arrived in Orford, and decided to book a table for the following evening whilst we were there. What a great decision! We were welcomed and shown through to our table, and ordered a tasty bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We then shared some oysters, and for starters, had the prawns and the duck bon bons - both were delicious and the portion size generous. For main, we both had the buttermilk chicken burger. The coating was perefect; it had a lovely blend of spices which weren't too overpowering, and the sauces on the burger went well. Unfortunately, we didn't have room for dessert. The service was excellend throughout and we would definitely return if we ever come down this way again.

Fantastic little pub near orford harbour. Emma was extremely welcoming and the food lovely. Pie and pint ( shandy) special with yummy crumble. Wil def return.

Amazing lunch had sausages and mash was a very good value and tasty lunch.was made very welcome as I was on my own will.return when my family come up to Suffolk so like to say thank you to the staff

What a fantastic evening at the Jolly Sailor, just a hop, skip and a jump from where we are staying. Emma looked after us so well and the food, wine, hospitality and the delightful English pub are worth returning to again and again. Great see how Emma’’s management has reinvigorated on of Orford’s jewels and brought it back to its former glory

I hadn’t been to Orford in a while so booked a lunch here for a planned walk afterwards. The lady who served us was lovely and very friendly. I ordered two small plates - the spicy parsnip soup and breaded shrimps and my partner had the fish and chips with generous portions of mushy peas and tartare sauce - all delicious - my only comment would be not to bother with the croutons in the soup as it’s served with bread anyway - very dog friendly which I liked despite not having one at the moment ! All in all a lovely place to go on a chilly day

What a lovely cosy pub with friendly hard working staff ( they even lent us a corkscrew when we found out there wasn’t one in our accommodation). Beer well kept and the Sunday roast was good value and very tasty. Highly recommended.

We visited in January and the Pub was not very busy. There were some hardy Walkers and one or two "Regulars" Out of Season, the place is very pleasant. I have used the Pub in the summer months and it does get busy. The Pub seems to have started themed nights featuring food from different countries: The first one is an Australian night, then they will be having a Greek night, Bulgarian night etc. You would have to contact the Pub for further details

My first time in Orford and what a treat it was, mainly because myself and my friend had lunch at The Jolly Sailor. Welcoming from the start, dog friendly, great beer and delicious food. Not a stand on ceremony place but comfortable and warm with a lovely atmosphere. Couldn’t have been better.

MY FAMILY CHRISTMAS HAD UNRAVELLED IN SPECTACULAR FASHION AND I WAS LOOKING TO GET AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS. I grabbed my road atlas and my eyes hit on Orford. Somewhere I had visited but never stayed. But I knew the Suffolk coast well and knew it was just what I needed. The Jolly Sailor could not be better placed. Where the road meets the sea. Right by the quayside and the jumping off point for walks up and down the estuary. So I was able to abandon the car for a couple of days – in the public car park conveniently just across the road – and take to foot. Staff could not be more helpful. I have a pet allergy and they were able to put me in a room unlikely to be used by dog owners. Throughout the staff were friendly but undemanding – something I was glad of in the circumstances. The food was interesting and – generally - well cooked. Breakfast was disappointing. The bacon and eggs were cooked to an inch of their life. The bacon - streaky – was clearly reheated from the night before - I was able to stand it on its end. The mushroom felt like had been prepped for last night’s burgers too. And the eggs were always hard. For somewhere offering such quality food, I don’t think expecting a fresh breakfast was expecting too much. So, runny yolks next time please. But overall a great – and very welcome - stay. Whether I want a bolt-hole again or not, I shall certainly want to return for some more Jolly Sailor hospitality.

Best pub in the area! Great food, great atmosphere and Emma and the team go beyond to make everyone feel incredibly welcomed! Thank you for a great evening with The Whalers and a lovely Christmas Eve dinner and quiz last night! We will be back :)

Christmas Eve dinner whilst In the area. Staff very welcoming and friendly. Food great, good size portions. Highly recommend

Staying locally we booked into the ‘Sailor’ for an evening meal. Lovely pub with a good menu choice and very friendly staff. Would thoroughly recommend if you are looking for good pub food at a good price.

Another great stay at the Jolly Sailor. Friendly staff, comfortable room and great food. Already looking forward to our next visit.

Beautiful pub traditional in a wonderful setting. The staff are so friendly and went above and beyond to make this stay perfect. The food is phenomenal we had both dinner and breakfast. Thanks to the lovely Terry. He cooked the tastiest breakfast ever We are so grateful to finding this place back in the summer. Give it a try. You won’t regret it. We will be back. 10 star rating

Highly recommend this classic English pub with a modern menu. Staff are some of the friendliest and accomodating we've met on our travels. Went the extra mile with our food and drink requests and even offered up some firewood late at night to warm our cottage up after we ran out on a particularly cold night. If you're passing by Orford for the Pump Street Bakery make the time to stop at The Jolly Sailor too, lovely place with good people! Been a while since we've been treated like locals whilst away from home.

What an amazing place! So so friendly, great food, and great atmosphere. Everyone has to visit here. Emma, Alissandra, Milly, and Charlie. Girl power front of house. Never been to a pub that I’ve enjoyed so much and I’ve been to a few, hospitality at its best. Celebrated my 50th birthday here! Thank you x

Lovely pub. Warm and friendly atmosphere. Lovely interesting lunchtime food. Good value. Good beer! A great location. Fully recommend a visit!

Wow! What a fabulous experience, the team, Emma, Alessandra and Co are top draw!, friendly, efficient and funny! Made us feel so welcome! Food again Wow! no words other than the best! Thanks Adam another awesome food experience , we will be back David &...

We’ve been to The Jolly Sailor many times in the past and enjoyed it for both its location and atmosphere. However the warm welcome and excellent service we received last night, coupled with great food, definitely raised the standard. Full credit to Emma, who looked...

We stayed here for one night, and would come again. We had a friendly welcome, and a very nice room with a lovely bath (no shower, but it was a nice change). Breakfast was good. Our only niggle was that the waste bin in the...

Rather a rip off Wow £9.95 for just FOUR small tempura battered prawns with a soggy brioche bun, a few salad leaves, two small pieces of tomato and few halves of cucumber and a very few slices of cucumber and gherkins…profiteering to the “nth” degree....

My husband and I stayed here for two nights, we had the best time! The menu is not extensive, but everything we ordered was really good. The staff were great and chatty, the breakfast was delicious. I’d happily stay here again and recommend it to...

Staff extremely rude. Ordered 2 drinks, barman made a mistake in the order and when i pointed this out he tutted like this was my fault. Asked the young girl serving a couple of questions about the menu and received monosyllabic answers loaded with an...

Stayed a night on a cycling tour. Very friendly staff and a fab large bedroom with a huge comfy bed and wonky walls and floor. No shower but a lovely bath. Good Wi-Fi. Amazing fish and chip supper and fab breakfast. Loved our stay

Not sure I understand the previous reviews. Staff excellent. Food cooked fresh piping hot and served in a good time. We both had fish and chips. Really good experience.

Arrived to find the bar unmanned and then directed outside to an outdoor bar. We ordered food and drinks and sat at a table outside. Waited over half an hour for sausage and mash. When it arrived the order was incorrect and the food very...

Booked through booking.com that was fine,room was ok but had some kind of fan running all night outside the window, breakfast was unorganised, toast on the table (not plugged in) butter and jams out but no bread to toast, cereals out but no bowl's or...

The outdoor dining area is lovely and the atmosphere was great! However we waited about an hour and a half or more for our food that was definitely not worth the wait!! The staff were nice however the service was really bad. The food wasn’t...

Arrived on a Monday Lunchtime to a Pub that looked unkept and dirty both inside and out. Served by a guy who clearly didnt want to be there. Expensive drinks £5.50 for a Coke and a Lime and Soda. Kitchen door open and all we...

Also very disappointed in Jolly Sailor when we visited. It has turned its back on the historic pub - you now need to enter from the garden at the back, the inside bar is not manned and so you have to go outside to place...

Miserable staff. Poor to average food. Saw who I thought was the manager vaping inside the kitchen after stuffing her face too...😋

Sadly 4 weeks on from the below reviews management have not taken on board anything. It was dirty ! Floors and tables not cleaned from one day to the next having to sit in detritus for breakfast which was begrudgingly served. Really this is a...

We booked in our large post wedding group for a Sunday lunch is he following day. The Sunday roast were lovely and the service was first class. Huge thanks to Kenny, Hugh, India Amd all of the team for looking after us all so well...

Rude and unwelcoming, dirty and dismal. Staff unable to work well with the dominating and unprofessional manager. We were there for supper but decided to leave after drinks served without any care or attention. And after noticing the menus which were disorganised and filthy. The...

Stopped here for lunch and had the goats cheese salad. It was delicious and included, walnuts, grapes, pear, pomegranate seeds & saltanas. I ordered the small salad and it was more than enough, I can’t imagine the size of the big one. My husband had...

It's difficult to find anything positive to say about The Sailor! Had a very enjoyable visit last year. No complaints. This year? What a change..... we are a party of eight. All of an age staying over and dining (dinner and breakfast). Not the cheapest...

We have just returned from an overnight stay at the Jolly Sailor with 6 friends - we checked in with a nice guy called Matt and were shown to our room - for £135 per night it was nothing special - that was the best...

Don't get me wrong i enjoy going down the jolly but as soon as the tenants realise orford isn't a coastal outpost of london the better,you can get cheaper drinks and food in orford and nearby in aldeburgh and woodbridge and that much maligned 10%...

Last visited the Jolly Sailor last September and came away saying I would never go back, Vastly overpriced and very average food. Today, i made the BIG mistake of going back to the the Jolly Sailor with my wife and two friends. We chose food...

Absolutely appalling meal, had to send mine back as chicken burger was inedible and then the replacement fish and chips wasn't any better, greasy fat chips and fish and sloppy vegetables. We live in the village and have eaten here for many years when it...

Just had a two night stay while golfing in the area, we were very disappointed. Our bedroom was scruffy and uncomfortable, the dinner we had was average, drinks were dear, breakfast was poor and took a long while to be served. One member of staff...

The middle aged gent who is serving/controlling the outside bar - Is rude, racist and a misogynist. He has you will be surprised having all those elements an air of unfriendliness. We were going to this pub for twenty years on and off. Sadly a...

Do not go here for lunch, worst place ever. Over priced fish and chips, the chips were under cooked, the fish fillet was like it was brought from Iceland. The portion size was like kids size at adult price. 10% service charged was added to...

What more can I say that hasn’t already been said. Do not have the mash worst mash I have ever had. So disappointing have been a regular here for years. Rubbish all around the garden area, tables dirty,outside bar not running and TOTALLY over priced....

Went for the breakfast advertised on their website only to find they were closed, Would not bother again.

Lovely pub but piped music kills the atmosphere. Then loud music in the garden. Not what it used to be...

I’m afraid that I have to agree with other recent reviews. Over- priced meals and frugal portions. We won’t be returning….

Came back for a plough man's lunch which we had last year and was truly disappointed, it was half the size yet double the price. We ordered a side of fries and my husband was so shocked about the portion size he actually said out...

So disappointing. As locals we were thrilled when the jolly sailor had new owners. Last year great staff kept things running well. This year staff who appear not interested and don’t keep up with things. Sat outside, most tables had the debris from lunch and...

Sunny Sunday lunchtime and the pub garden was very busy but sadly insufficient staff levels to provide anything like adequate service. We weren’t advised there was a 45 mins wait on food until we enquired where our order was after a long wait. Wrong food...

Very friendly staff and the food was spot on, music was very relaxing would recommend to anyone wanting a very good meal and a nice relaxing atmosphere

Been here before on our visits to Orford and were very happy to visit again. Won't be now until things change. Menu misleading. Food only fair and over priced. Caesar Salad with no chicken! Pie chips and green vegetables small portion. Low quality chips and...

Went in for a couple of coffee's place was empty told by I presume the person who was the landlord we would have a long wait. Said ok, he then said there's loads in front of you waiting......mmmmm place was still empty. His attitude was...

Ate outside. Ordered a shared ploughmans, 1 pint of Adnams and 2 glasses of wine. Bill £44.66 !! Food was ok but not huge for 2 people. Shocked to see 10% optional service charge added to the bill. Alot of money for an average lunch.

All staff fabulous, made us very comfortable and welcome, food was absolutely excellent. Kenny in particular knows exactly how to look after people and make good company and a with a perfectly balanced sense of humour. Being on first name terms as well, made us...

We have used this pub a lot in the last 30 yrs and it has varied with different management. We popped in for lunch today to be staggered by the prices and lack of staff. My goats cheese and pear salad had no pear and...

I have visited this pub numerous times and it’s always have a good experience. I gather it is now under new management and what was sadly blatantly obvious is how they have ramped up the prices for pretty standard pub food eg £18 for a...

The beautiful brown haired waitress was a star! That brilliant girl deserves a raise! So helpful

Terrible food. Barman thought it was amusing that half the menu they’d run out of. Thought we’d play it safe by having fish and chips but it was truly awful, thick clogging soft batter stuck to the grey fish, like it had been pre cooked...

Good service. Very helpful and friendly staff. The food was nice. Some of it may have been bought in, but it was well preserved and tasted fine. I would go again. Thanks to the three people that looked after us. They were very helpful and...

Visited here before with my husband and parents. This time was a horse riding holiday with friends. We had a great night. Food was lovely and Kenny ( the barman) was fantastic and looked after us all really well. We even rode our horses there...

Arrived for an early lunch and full of expectations as previously this pub has been great. First pint of local beer flat and tasted sour. Fish and chips inedible - obviously straight out of the freezer even though they insisted it was freshly caught. Everything...

We have eaten here numerous times when visiting Orford twice yearly. Our experiences have always been great. We bumped into the manager on Saturday and mentioned we were coming Sunday evening (you can’t book a table less than 12 people). We arrived Sunday evening 1800...

Rude management, from what used to be a lovely pub with lovely service. Definitely wouldn’t recommend

We were staying in the village and after a walk locally decided to call in for lunch. We sat in the garden and went in to the bar to order but were directed back to the garden and told it would be table service. It...

We were staying locally so popped in for a drink, pub was warm and cosy so decided to share 2 lite bites. Great to see that the vegetarian option (arancini) was different and tasty. The pub was relatively quiet, the service was very good.

We have been eating at the Jolly for over 10 years, living in the village. So disappointing to find that the quality of food, level of service and attention to correct billing has deteriorated over recent months. The front of house team of only two,...

This is a lovely old fashioned proper pub which doesn't pretend to be anything else. We received a warm welcome after first checking that our dog was welcome. The young man who seemed to be running the place single handed was great, knowledgeable about the...

Far too many dogs in a small bar area. Really didn’t want to spend my evening listening to a dog barking inside the pub with the owners of dog not doing anything to stop it. Why would anyone would want to eat or drink in...

Our experience I feel isn’t worth a star . Very disappointed by the poor quality of food and service today . Expected it to be busier than usual but almost no staff ,a very long wait even with a prompt . food on arrival was...

Awful meal and noisy room. Beautiful village but this pub was not the best place to stay. Meal was very average. Only one choice for veggie. Room clean bedding but covered with cobwebs, noisy fan and cleaning not good. Very disappointed.

We have been to the Jolly Sailor several times recently and never been disappointed. The food and the drinks are always top notch. The team, led by Bradley, are welcoming, friendly and helpful. Can highly recommend a meal and a few drinks here, especially after...

The welcome on entering was wonderfully friendly and that set the tone for the entire visit. It was a very cold January lunchtime but the warmth of the greeting and the burning log burner made us want to stay longer. Bradley was a first-class host...

What a turn out !! We decided to walk from Shingle Street to the pub. Unbeknown to us the ferry only runs summer w/ends. After a 2 hour walk and numerous walkers telling us to turn back I called to cancel our table. The lovely...

Lovely pub with a good menu but sadly, like a lot of popular venues, it is in danger of becoming complacent. Booked a meal for dinner over New Year which was cancelled just a few hours in advance of the booking. The reason given was...

Used as rage start and end of a charity walk. We pre-booked our lunch which made it a lot easier when we finished our walk. The pub is really quaint with a lot of original features, the staff and service was excellent which combined with...

Enjoyed a lovely lunch with super friendly service and excellent ale. There was a lovely happy atmosphere in the bars.

Exceptional service. Friendly helpful staff. Top marks. Well appointed room. Huge bed. Spacious bathroom. Bath with shower attachment.

My wife and I were staying in Orford for an autumn break abd booked in to The Jolly Sailor for an evening meal. Clearly a popuar eatery having a vey good pub atmosphere. This is not up-market dining but well above average pub fare. The...

We stopped for lunch as it was the only place open for food on the Monday we visited. I had the open crayfish sandwich which was very nice , my wife had the arancini balls and was a little disappointed that it came with no...

Spent a night in this lovely old pub, as we had a pre booked meal in the village. Very welcoming friendly service! The current owners only took over in the summer, and have lots of ideas to improve the accommodation in this beautiful listed building....

We came to the Jolly Sailor for an evening meal. If you are Gluten Free like us you must try the GF Fish and Chips (all done in a separate fryer). It was absolutely delicious with crispy fish batter and perfect chips, crispy on the...

Had a pleasant lunch time meal as we spotted this welcoming pub by chance and decided to eat here. With the option of daily specials and a lunch time menu it didn’t take long for us to decide on the pie’s which turned out to...

Just had our annual weekend staying here. Gorgeous food, really friendly atmosphere and lovely staff. The rooms are large but cosy and the beds are so comfortable. Already booked next year's trip.

Cannot fault our visit to The Jolly Sailor. Service was friendly and efficient. Food was divine - both my husband and I loved it. Worth every penny. Will definitely be eating there again. Highly recommend

We went were whilst on a 3 day break in orford. Now don't get me wrong, the food is OK however, beware that the price on the menu isn't the price you pay. There would appear to be hidden service charges of 12 5% to...