Westerfield's at the Orwell Hotel in Suffolk Coastal

Visited recently for fish N chip Friday - two meals for £20. Excellent fish and lovely chips with tartar sauce and peas. Would highly recommend.

Visited today with visiting friend for Sunday lunch. Pleased to see the restaurant was busy and we had an excellent meal. The staff although very busy were friendly and efficient. We wish the new owners every success.

Had a family sunday lunch here recently. We all really enjoyed our meals, the Sunday roasts were excellent and side vegetables were plentiful. The children enjoyed their meals too. The staff were attentive and friendly and the pianist played lovely music in the background and really made the lunch special. The prices were reasonable for such nice meal in a great atmosphere. Would highly recommend. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g503747-d1418381-r885928536-Westerfield_s_at_the_Orwell_Hotel-Felixstowe_Suffolk_East_Anglia_England.html#

In 2016 I wrote a very negative review of Westerfields following a truly awful evening meal. Six years on it was with some trepidation that we decided to risk it once more. I am very happy to put the record straight and give the restaurant an unreserved 5 stars. Excellent food and friendly and attentive service. I couldn't fault it. My only regret is that we occupied only one of two tables in use that night.Sad because more people should be enjoying this place.

My Mother has just said it was the worst lunch she’s ever eaten in 91 years. She’s correct. There’s bad and then there is absolutely disgusting. Thesuffolkcoast.Co.Uk recommended. They mention a beef trolley - god help me. A bit of old shoe leather fried in a pan. You would not know what meat completely unrecognisable and indistinguishable.

The restaurant followed current Government Guidelines with well spaced tables, masked serving staff, single use menus and cleaning between courses etc. The staff were very pleasant and efficient and made us very welcome. there was a good choice of food and our choice was well cooked with good presentation. We would recommend this restaurant.

Excellent Sunday lunch. Both the sirloin of beef and roast pork were cooked perfect. Food came up nice and hot. Desserts good too. Waitress (Karis) was very friendly. Looking forward to going back soon.

Happened to see a leaflet about Friday half price fish and chip nights in August so booked for the last night of the offer. We had a big round table for the 6 of us, the restaurant was busy too. The fish and chip supper was excellent and filling too. The staff as usual were friendly and very efficient. Have never been disappointed eating at the Orwell Hotel.

Excellent F&C in lovely old world hotel setting..We also managed to squeeze in a delicious sweet course. Efficient friendly waitress

Attended the Westerfield's at the Orwell Hotel this past Mothers Day and was a little disappointed. The venue was a little run down with carpet threadbare in places and a chair that desperately needed re-upholstered. The food was mediocre with the roast beef inedible. Also a noticeable spelling error on the menu which read "Suffolk Bread beef" instead "Suffolk bred". Really needs attention to detail otherwise it's lets the establishment down. One good thing was the pianist who played very well.

Soup - £6 - approx 2cm of over seasoned soup. £3 - thrice cooked chips (cooked potatoes with skins, reheated for someone else then sliced and served up 3rd time??) Not nice. I will not be back.

Had a meal here with my wife, my mother and her partner whilst staying at the Hotel. The restaurant was very neat and clean and had a pianist adding to the pleasant atmosphere. The food was excellent - they also had a very cheap fish and chips option, which brought in many extra clients. We all went for the main menu and were all happy with our meals. We also ate breakfast here, which was good too. Would recommend this to anyone staying in the area.

Food is always excellent and the staff are really good, the decor is badly in need of refurbishment which I believe is in the pipeline.

The result - YES it was. We had to delay our Sunday Lunch until 13.45hrs as they were full for the 13.00hrs slot. By then our appetite had grown and we both ordered the roast beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes and mixed vegetables. Delicious. The Desert Menu was too tempting so we indulged ourselves with a Warm Bakewell Tart and a big mound of Clotted Cream and the other choice was Sticky Toffee Pudding. Both yummy. Service friendly but efficient and price slightly on the high side but worth it. Thanks to the boys and girls at Westerfield's for another excellent experience.

Saturday evening: the lovely restaurant looks much like it did 30 years ago. The menu is unchanged. My whole plaice was the only juvenile in the room. It was miniscule, covered in an ancient sauce, a few potatoes and a julienne of over-cooked vegetables. No seasonal dishes, the menu could have been from anywhere, and offers no excitement. We sit in a grand room, with a man struggling with an automatic piano (far too loud), looking at a menu that offers a hamburger and chips, with supplements added to many items - and extra £11 for roast lamb, on top of an already inflated price. The public rooms have old, dirty furniture,. The leather chair beside the bar was missing an arm. Allegedly this hotel has new owners - you'd never guess. Yet there are minor changes that could bring vitality back to the place. This remains the best 'event' location in the town. It can attract large crowds - it's suggesting we pay £43 for a pre-Xmas event. Until there is some effort to improve it just looks as if the owners are milking an old cash cow that needs to be slaughtered.

We gave the Orwell another chance but the food is nothing special. Service friendly and quick - just a little polish round the edges for some staff. Veggie options for Sunday lunch were not that appetising and I had a plate of root vegetables with kale and gravy. Nothing more than I asked for. My friends had the Sunday roast with mixed opinions. There was a pianist tinkling away and there is a whiff of tired gentrification about the place. Sadly I will not return - there are plenty of nearby restaurants with much tastier choices including veggies on their own.

With a piano playing in the background and the old fashioned dining room I thought we were in for a treat until I looked at the menu. The only two items I fancied on the main course had a large supplement, £5 for the roast beef and £3 for the sea bass. Why have a set menu then put an extortionate supplement on the best dishes and only one choice of roast on a Sunday. Just make it a la carte! The beef was very nice but a measly amount of vegetables were served with it. The other meals were similar. Very disappointed.

We went for Sunday lunch today, whilst the roast beef meal was delicious the pork cutlet ordered by one of our party was tough and inedible. The deserts were very disappointing. But the service, well what can I say, what service! Very slow and unresponsive to comments/complaints. As local residents two of our party have frequented the Orwell many times in the past and always thought well of it, so what has happened ? Sadly unlikely to return until we hear some good reports.

service very slow, when order eventually taken it's not quiet what was ordered. Breakfast buffet not very good, have to order eggs so while at buffet they are placed on your table by the time you get bsck they sre cold

No es barato, una cena de 2 platos de lunes a viernes es de 13:25 libras (2 libras extra por carne) que era magnífico. El servicio es lo que usted esperaría de un hotel de este tipo y el comedor con enormes arañas y elegantes cortinas, etc es un buen lugar para consentirse.

Me gustaría retirar mi anterior crítica que elogiaron a este restaurante. Esta vez, su servicio era de primera: Hasta que indican al personal no exactamente lo que tiene que hacer, no se hizo nada. Tuvimos que verter agua por nosotros que había dejado en el mostrador, decirles trae nuestras bebidas que estábamos sentados en el mostrador para 10 minutos, les avisa de que no nos pan después de estar 30 minutos, nadie vino a preguntarnos si las cosas estaban bien así que uno de nosotros tenía que buscar ayuda.

Un ambiente elegante, excelente comida, buen servicio y buena relación calidad-precio. Diseño elegante con Navidad" mesa adornos".

Fuimos a un almuerzo, £13.50 para una comida de 2 platos, así que buena relación calidad-precio y variedad. He estado varias veces, nunca Westerfield decepcionado. Sin embargo, esta vez, aunque la comida era bastante aceptable, el hotel está decepcionado por el distraído y personal hospitalario....

Tuvimos el almuerzo de domingo como parte de un descanso de dos días. La carne fue tallada en la mesa... encantadora selección de verduras... y la selección de postres eran increíbles y muy sabroso.

Avoid at all costs!!Lovely restaurant .... disgusting food and inattentive service.Such a shame that a nice place is ruined by a chef who shouldn't"t be let loose on a ready meal and staff who really should be restricted to cleaning up .... their concept of service is non existent!

A Really nice lunch,quite an extensive menu,good choice of wines excellent waitress/waiter service. Very Enjoyable

A very cosy room inside the Hotel well appointed and comfortable an excellent place to eat good food

Took mum there for her 86th birthday, biggest mistake I made, she had pork loin which when she put her knife in pink juices ran out, sent it back they said it would be a 10 minute wait 20 minutes later it was brought back by the restaurant manager if you could call him that, he virtually threw it at her saying hope you'll be satisfied with that and that he saw nothing wrong with the previous one, he might eat undercooked pork she doesn't, I returned my meal which was on a bed of pak choir which was yellow quite clearly past there sell by same as the black carrots, we've had far better meals in a supermarket cafe, definitely do not recommend, it was all made worse by the restaurant managers attitude.

The hotel made us very welcome along with 21 of my friends who were part of our motorcycle group. The rooms were furnished to a nice standard and there was plenty of hot water available in the well equipped en suite bathroom.We ate in the hotel restaurant for evening meal from a smaller than normal menu because the hotel kitchen was stretched by a dinner dance in one of their function rooms. We appreciated their honesty and service was prompt and efficient. They catered for some of our party who had special dietary needs without fuss.All in all we were very happy with all aspect of service and would be happy to return at some time in the future

Stayed in the hotel on Saturday night so had breakfast on Sunday morning. The fiid was excellent, good choice from the self serve buffet. Unfortunately the service from the staff wasn't up the same standard. We only needed toast, tea and coffee bringing to the table but waited ages and when things arrived there was nowhere near enough for the 7 of us.

I tried this restaurant as family wanted to go. However I was disappointed at the one available vegetarian dish consisting of the three vegetables and butter on a plate with no additional potatoes/ rice / pasta served.Although fine for children, not much good for vegetarian children. Egg and soldiers for a Sunday dinner! Really? (Not worth the set price)The meat lovers among us really enjoyed their huge roasts and gelatine creamy deserts, having left feeling very full. Unlike us hungry veggies who were eating chocolate as soon as in the car!Very talented pianist. Without his playing the two hours waiting to leave would have passed much slower!!Came home and ended up cooking after all!

Had Sunday lunch for two - brilliant service - food was very tasty - roast beef melted in your mouth with huge Yorkshire puds - dessert trolly was heaving with luscious puddings - would definitely go back.

Booked a table for 13 people on Sunday 10th Jan- our group's first lunch meeting for 2016. This Restaurant was recommended by a couple people in the group so as this is my first visit, I had high hopes of it being good. All of us opted for the 2 course Sunday lunch @ £19.95 per person.Nice ambience with live piano music. The rectangular tables were configured together to accommodate 13 of us. When I booked the table, I specifically mentioned that it has to be wheelchair friendly & requested for a round table but was told that the round table would not accommodate 13 people. I was assured that there wouldn't be a problem. However , request was not taken into consideration and we encountered problems which was not a good start.Food was OK. My roast chicken gravy was rather salty, the yorkshire pudding that was served with the roast beef was huge & an `odd' shape. We were given two small dishes of overcooked vegetables to share amongst 13 of us. I had to ask for extra vegetables. A couple jugs of water at the table would have been better instead of having to keep asking for a refill. The pre meal complimentary thin slice of bread would have been better if substituted for dinner rolls as the starters of salmon & prawn cocktail came with more thin sliced bread. Waiting staff were friendly enough but not much interaction. All in all room for improvement. Won't rule out going to the Westerfield Restaurant again if comments are taken on board by the establishment.

Five of us went to this hotel tonight for my mother's birthday. Drinks before our meal were standard and menus were shared with us in the bar. The menu was split between a Christmas fixed price offer and A La Carte. On entering the dinning area the table setting was clean and the space looks nice, in a former glory type way. We were asked if we knew what we wanted from having looked in the bar and had to ask to re-see menus. Homemade bread was good. Of 4 starters, 2 were deemed really good and 2 just ok. Of 5 mains, 2 which were essentially Christmas dinner were fully eaten although the veg was salty, 1 was half eaten then left for being not good (lamb with broccoli and a butternut squash mash) and 2 - which were the only vegetarian options available - were completely terrible. In fact they were so bad we felt offended. One was a sort of butternut squash omelette and the other was literally tinned tomatoes, tinned chick peas, 4 chunks of inedibly salty butternut squash and some cous cous. At this point we complained and after a while trying to find a manager, were met with a very helpful and understanding manager who removed items from our bill accordingly. Alas our pudding order was then also mixed up, with one of our party - who had no starter, and couldn't eat his main - bring served a hot dessert having asked for a cheesecake. We paid over the odds for what was a very nice bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon, but will never visit this establishment again.

Food very good and staff very helpful and efficient.plenty of parking in pleasant garden.Lovely building full of character.

A regular visitor to this restaurant over the past two years - and disappointed that the £11 for 2 or £14 for 3 course dinner menu had risen to £15 for 2 or £20 for three courses all of a sudden.. Menu choices very limited on this fixed menu as well. Took a very long time to bring meal to the table and my hake was more like a small fillet of undercooked cod on a bed of "crushed" new potatoes which were more like a potato cake and half a dozen small French beans. Very small portion and certainly not the usual standard... My partner's bavette steak was tough even with a steak knife and the chips were obviously of the cheap frozen variety. Dessert of Eton mess (spelled Eaton on the menu) and a Pimms trifle (including cubed cucumber in the jelly) was interesting but not particularly wonderful. The bread was dreadful when their usual ciabetta or other artisan bread, is usually wonderful. Are the usual kitchen staff on holiday as this was way way below the usual quality and standard. Sorry but will be voting with our feet and not returning... such a shame... Can't fault the waiting staff who as charming as ever and anxious to please. A good evening from reception staff would be nice as well...

In order to experience the best of their breakfast, I recommend that you come during the weekdays so that every single dish is cooked to your order out of their extensive menu, even including fish, which is very rare nowadays. Summerset Maugham would have loved to dine here regularly. As a fussy breakfast lover, I have never rated English breakfast this high. Their lunch and dinner are offered as two or three courses. What is amazing here is that they accommodate our needs as much as they can. Our family is consisted of a vegetarian, fish lover, fish hater, onion hater, dairy allergy... being very difficult. But they have always been understanding and done the best they can. Food is good for the price that they charge. The restaurant is in a very Victorian style grand setting so you feel quite special here. You can also use their bars and other grand rooms for afternoon teas and drinks. The staff are all trained very well and highly attentive. I would happily eat and drink all day here.

Excellent food. Vegetarian and gluten free customers were delighted with the choice offered. Superb value for money.

We are regulars at Westerfield's now because it is just consistently great food and brilliantly best value. The service is also fabulous. The, usually, young women servers are extremely well trained and seem genuinely pleased and happy to be of service. The set menu offers loads of choice at only £11 for two courses and £14 for three it's difficult to avoid eating dessert every time we go there. On this occasion we had an early supper so were first in that evening. I opted for the grilled goats cheese salad and it was just right - not too strong and the crispy shallots were a welcome texture and flavour. For my main I went for the Pork Holstein - mainly because it was a 'blast from the past' and I don't see it very often these days - thin pork escalope coated in breadcrumbs and pan fried, topped with a fried egg, served with carrots, beans and courgette and a pile of skinny fries. The vegetables were a little bland - I don't really like beans underdone and still 'squeaky' but all in all I enjoyed it very much. We always enjoy the homemade bread - but since they have started to serve bread rolls if you respond positively to the offer of a second roll - you get charged for it! So beware! Otherwise FAB

Took my nan for afternoon tea for her 80th birthday and we loved it. I have gone out for afternoon tea in many places in the area but I can say that this was honestly the best one I have had yet! Such a big selection of food- even had to take a lot home with us as we couldn't manage it! Traditional things such as scones, jam and cream, cakes, finger sandwiches and then something that made it even better- that I hadn't seen in other places: quiche and really nice sausage rolls! Excellent price for everything you get and lovely traditional place to eat it too. Definitely and highly recommend!

Last year I rated this Hotel very low, Our group decided to give lunch another try, we were very pleased with the meal and the service. the food was outstanding,and managements presence was noticed. WE WILL BE GOING BACK NEXT MONTH.

Firstly I would like to point out we eat out 2 times a week to new and old alike. But service wise this is superb ..yes it is silver service and most clients are of an older generation. But dont let this fool you as £14 for 3 courses is excellent value for money, food quality is very good too and the set menu changes weekly so we have always found something to our liking.Bread and butter are given to you straight away and fresh water. Tables are covered in proper linen and fresh flowers. Staff are very well trained and the feeling about the place is very relaxing and no rush to leave we often sit in the hotel's quaint areas afterwards just drinking. Yes this may not appeal to younger people but we are in our 30s and love the relaxed feel and comfort of the place. I think felixstowe folk are missing out on this place..hidden gem in our opinion.

Went there for an evening meal with some friends as we have done before but was slightly disappointed this time. Although reasonably priced there was very little choice. There was 3 fish dishes which was too many, one meat dish and one vegetarian. The service was exceptionally slow this time . The dining room is splendid with beautiful chandeliers and furnishings and very comfortable.

We discovered the menu at the Orwell Hotel just over a year ago, £11 for 2 courses and £13 for 3 courses, amazing value for money. They do the same menu in both the restaurant and the buttery bar. The menu is changed very regularly, the food is wonderful, we have never had a bad meal or anything to complain about. When you have been seated you are offered a warm roll and a glass of water. On a Friday and Saturday there is a pianist playing in the restaurant which adds so much to the ambiance. Compared to other restaurants in felixstowe this is the best as the others are either part of a chain or don't change their menu very often and often overpriced. This is Feixstowes little gem .

The dining room itself is wonderful. A couple of things I would say is that they need to take more notice of the fixtures and fittings as there were a couple of light bulbs not working and in one area near the windows they hadn't finished the painting element of things. The large chandeliers were a nice touch and gave enough light. There was a piano being played in the corner which was absolutely wonderful. Apparently this is only played at weekends, a shame really because it really is very good. The service from the staff is okay, they do seem to be quite stroppy if you ask for something extra or if your food has to go back because something is not quite right. I went in and collected a menu prior to going here and was told that this was going to be the menu on the particular night we were going. When we got in there and were handed the menu it was slightly different. Even the menu that is on display outside the hotel itself is always the same and is always completely different to what is actually on the menu in the restaurant. The menu on the display should be correct at all times and should match what is physically being served at that particular time, it's very misleading especially if you pick something you want outside and then when you go in you find out they don't actually have it. The set menu prices are good 2 courses for £11 or 3 courses for £14. A couple of the dishes we ordered had to be sent back due to not being cooked as per the order. It was okay but certainly not amazing. I would return as value for money is good but they do need to certainly make some tweaks. If this is done then I'm sure all the reviews would be amazing.

We ate the £11 -2 course meal- outstanding value for the quality of the meal. We both had the spinach and cheese tartlet and then sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and ice cream.Both very good- the only small criticism I would have is the young waitresses could engage more with the customers- they were all polite and efficient but no one asked if the food was ok.The atmosphere was a bit dull until the pianist turned up- it lifted whole room to another level and he is very good.

Visited this restaurant on a whim on Friday night. We had two courses for £11. We were given a delicious warm bread roll and a glass of water to go with our meal, which is a nice touch. The food was lovely, I had steak and the only small criticism is that my chips were a bit on the hard side. An added bonus was a pianist playing in the corner, he was superb and we really enjoyed listening to him play.Overall a lovely meal and its so nice to be served by pleasant smiling waitresses. We would highly recommend.

My friends and I visited today for a lunch and the service was awful. One of our meals never even arrived, we weren't asked if we wanted wine and not asked if we would like coffee at the end of the meal. We won't be returning again any time soon

Afternoon tea at this hotel is extortionate. Me and a group of friends booked for an Afternoon Tea and found that it costs £14. 50 each. For this you get a selection of sandwiches (about 2 each) a piece of pizza, a scone with cream and a cake that looked just like the scone.We could have had a good lunch at many places, including this hotel, for this price.

Friends took us to lunch and we could have 2 courses £11 or 3 for £14. The restaurant was not busy and our friends had booked a table by the window but it had not been set up. The waitress immediately sorted that ourt The menu was a good choice of 4 on starter, main and dessert with a vegetarian option. There was also a christmas menu for £16 for 2 courses. Coque au vin was delicious, as was the home made soup. Dessert was a little small but very tasty. We have to say that the service was a little slow. It did not matter to us because we had a lot to catch up on but not everyone would think so. We had to ask for our bill at the end. The Orwell is an 'old fashioned' hotel with carpets and soft furnishings. It is a quiet place to eat which is ideal if you want to have a lot of conversation. We did not have coffee but could of in the lounge which would have been very comfortable.

Last week I went to The Orwell Hotel with my work colleagues for our Christmas meal. We had pre-ordered and prepaid all our food so we could just relax and enjoy. The whole hotel was buzzing with people so there was a wonderful atmosphere and there were beautiful Christmas trees everywhere you looked! The table in the restaurant was decorated very nicely. Our food was served promptly once we were sat down. We all thought the food was well presented and delicious!! Thank you to Susie, Aggi and the rest of the staff for looking after us so well. The whole evening was just lovely!! We would highly recommend a trip to the Orwell in December to get you in the festive mood and some fabulous food!

i have eaten here twice and on both occasions had stomach problems! I have also dined in the main restaurant of this hotel and found that the food and service leave a lot to be desired. I cannot help noticing that the food in this establishment seems to attract the grey haired blue rinse brigade. This is probably due to the cheap and bland nature of the meals supplied. I would suggest that there are many far better places to eat scattered all around Felixstowe and within a couple of minutes walk from the poor well hotel. You would be well advised to try the available alternatives rather than waste your time and money on this 'establishment'

The two courses for £10 gives you the option of starter and main or main and dessert and my wife and I chose one of each. Good menu choice, jug of water quickly provided, main meal freshly cooked with local supplies. The food and service were excellent value for money.

This is a bit of a love it or hate it place. It has ideas above its station, silver service , tinklling piano but let down by a lot of basic errors and some less than stunning food.I arrived for lunch and went to the bar hoping for a drink, no one appered. A couple of luckier customers told me that 'a bloke' had been there earler but had gone off some time ago. I went to reception to ask if there was another bar, the place is big enough to have ten bars. There was no one at reception either. Later I learned they were having a staff briefing. Why not brief them to serve their customers?Eventually I was given my diet coke and being hit with a bill fo £4.40, which is my personal record price in Europe or the USA, I joined friends to await lunch.This is served in a large, portrait hung room, redolent of the century before last. At the piano sat a small man playing some adequate tunes from the last century he seemed small because i could only see his head beneath the forest of chandeliers.Now they have white linen cloths and napkins and silver service and I suppose a lot of people like that kind of thing I don't mind it myself, though it didn't quite come off among the customers, most of whom were in their golden or possibly platinum years. This is the target market and good luck to them but I wouldn't recommend it for romantic meal with your new squeeze.The food was just the better side of okay various meats with plain and unexciting veg though I would put in a good word for the roasties. All the meat eaters were happy but someone who ordered skate called it 'abominable' certainly it had a lot of grey water hanging round it.There is another ancient relic 'the sweet trolley' loaded with heavily creamed items I don't know whether they make them themselves, the huge circle of Tiramisu looked suspiciously bought it but who knows. I had sticky toffee pudding which was pretty good.There was a long queue to pay, service here needs attention, a man I was told was the manager, was lounging around the bar but maybe it wasn't him. Wherever he/she was they should have been overseeing the dining room instead.Not my cup of tea and at just under 20 quid for 2 courses not cheap not to mention the effrontery of charging getting on for a fiver for the coke, Definitely one for the golden oldies and the better off ones at that

Had lunch here the other day. Probably the best value for money in town. Nice menu with good choice. Slightly old-fashioned, but stylish with crisp linen and fresh flowers. Will return next week!

whilst visiting friends who live in Felixstowe we were looking for a good restaurant to take them for an evening meal. We were told The Orwell would be a good place to take them and we were not disappointed. The dining room was extremely comfortable and tables were very well laid up. There was a magnificent chandelier in the centre of the room which was absolutely beautiful. The service was good and the meals were very reasonably priced. The waiting staff were helpful and polite. The quality of the food was excellent and we would recommend this restaurant. Also there is ample parking space and we will certainly go back there next time we are in Felixstowe.

Mum and Dad celebrated 40 years married in Suffolk as this is where it all started.Mums Uncle had once been head waiter at the Orwell so it seemed like a good way to manage connections and rekindle fond memories.Dad contacted the Hotel and asked about sunday lunch reservations and had a prompt reply to tell him it was all booked for when we would visit.The service was brilliant and the food delicious. Super silver service and attention to detail at every step of the way.Nothing was too much trouble,The pianist played a good mix of light jazz, show tunes, classics etc and took requests.we even managed pudding. Really good sweet trolley and home made desserts, super chocolate tartelooking forward to the next event that brings us to suffolk as we will be returning here.

I took my father for afternoon tea having had lovely meals at the hotel before. Couldn't have been more disappointed! For £27 I did not expect a selection of cakes that were clearly not homemade (included two lumps of fudge!!) also asked for a top up of tea as we had a small pot between two of us (only served one cup each), we got a top up, clearly the same teabags were left in and just hot water added as it was like Dishwasher water! Poor choice of sandwiches, no butter give enough for the scones And the savouries was just pate and fish on bits of toast (I had already told the waiter I was vegetarian) so this was highly annoying. For £27 I feel it Was a complete ripoff

Had a lovely last minute lunch at the Orwell with a friend. She had the ceaser salad and I had sausage and creamy mash with onion gravy in abigails buttery. The food was absolutely delicious and the quality of service was fantastic. Will definitely be back soon as the price of food and the quality were outstanding ! The Orwell gets 10/10 from me!!

First time of eating here. All clean and well laid out beautiful chandelier. 2 choices from menu not available at 1.pm ! Pieces of sliced bread as opposed to bread rolls. My Pork was very well done and not great. Other people seem to be 'ok' with their choices. Wine quite expensive. Water served from a jug but then removed. Odd. Desserts very tiny but on a very heavy out of place slate. Coffee really thick and almost undrinkable several refused to drink it all together .I really think the Orwell Hotel needs to shake itself up there are far more eating places around now, and if they are to stay as an older style 'proper' hotel restaurant they have to get it right

We always spend a night or two at The Orwell when we visit family.i think it's what you would call "old fashioned charm"! The staff are attentive-nothing is too much bother. It is posh but not intimidating and everyone feels at home! On the weekend there was even a piano player, playing tunes from musicals! The menus are always original with something for everyone. The pan-fried sea bass with a Thai crab cake and Thai green curry sauce was exquisite. A lovely experience and one not to be missed whilst visiting.

Visited this restaurant last week and had a lovely time. We both had the "3 courses for £15" and found the food to be excellent and very good value. The mackerel pate was superb, my steak was cooked to perfection and the peppercorn sauce was simply the best I have ever tasted. For dessert I had blood orange posset and it was yummy. The staff were very attentive and we both felt quite special. All in all it was a really nice experience and have to say one of the best meals I have had for years. Would definitely recommend and we will be back.

Had a wonderful 11th wedding anniversary at The Orwell Hotel. The staff informed the chef who pulled out all the stops with a wonderful dessert selection with a decorated message. Fantastic touch and made our evening!!!! Thanks to all the staff for a great night!

We stayed at the hotel. The breakfast is English breakfast and always good.One day we had dinner there, the food was excellent, we could not manage 3 courses bcos too full.The chips is most excellent and I would say the best in Felixstowe. Everything is completely fine, friendly, good service, good cook, and good meal.

Had Sunday lunch - it was great - juicy tender rib of beef, large yorkshire pudding and fresh vegetables. However, I would have loved more than two tiny roast potatoes - sticky toffee pudding light as a feather - declicious.Staff friendly and efficient.No loud background noise, just a pianist tickling the ivories - lovely!

Inspite of the Orwell being our local hotel, we hadn't eaten there before since moving to lovely Felixstowe late in 2013. Peaceful and calm dining surroundings and an absolutely excellent supper menu. Fresh haddock with tiny shrimps in a very tasty butter sauce, followed by one of the best creme brulee and home made shortbread biscuit I have had. Service was attentive and friendly and table setting pretty with fresh roses and pristine white linen.Certainly will be back - we both thought it was first rate.The piano player was a joy. Thank you.

What a great service with a smile. Brilliant accommodation but the food... Unlike many hotels we stay in, this was not just cheap, but the quality was extraordinary. Some highly trained chefs and the waiting staff was so friendly and calm given the amount of work they had to do. THANKYOU

I went to the Westerfield's with my family last week, and I was absolutely amased by the supper special offer. They had 5-6 options for starter, main course and dessert on a very friendly price. £15 for 3 courses!!! Unbelievable especially because the food was tasty, service was superb!After Christmas this was my second experience at The Orwell, I can just advise to go and dine there!

OMG. We had dinner last weekend and it was completely amazing. Food, quality food, service ....everything was absolutely fantastic. I definitely will back very soon.The manager told us the hotel rooms are being refurnished. We'll done! It's a great hotel.

Good valueGood serviceGood ambiencePlenty of room and no loud background noise, therefore, peaceful.Wine list a little limited but adequate.

I did enjoy a meal with a colleague but after a while noticed the lack of attentive staff.The restaurant only had 5 diners and when others left the staff outnumbered the paying customers but seemed to forget that any customers were left.Such a shame as the setting is grand and the food is good. Perhaps there is a way of dealing with small numbers of diners so that they are in a smaller dinging area where staff can be encouraged to stay focussed.

My birthday - oh dear!But fortunately we went to this site, once a railway hostelry and now a slightly forgotten hotel and restaurant on the outskirts of Felixstowe. The menu was very inviting, the food chosen extremely yummy and very good value - where else would you get a three course menu for £15 with a live pianist?With the attentive staff, olde world decoration it felt just like a gentleman's club, but with women allowed in too!We'll be back!

We popped in for dinner on Friday. We hadn't booked a table but the staff couldn't be more welcoming even with an event for nearly 200 in the ballroom. Fantastic food and service and so reasonably price. My husband votes The Orwell as the best place to eat in Felixstowe.

We stayed at the Orwell and had an enjoyable breakfast with friends. Nice breakfast served in nice surroundings.

Had Sunday lunch at Orwell Hotel Sunday Oct 13th, lovley ambience with pianist, however, the food wasn't to the standard I was expecting. Potatoes and vegetables in very short supply and didn't have much flavour and the roast potatoes I did receive were not fully cooked. We had to order our own drinks at the bar as no one came to take a drinks order. Simple things that can be polished to make the experience even better. Shame as it is a lovey setting.

We went to this restaurant for our anniversary dinner after reading the good reports mainly on the steak and lobster. We thought there was a very poor choice. Starting with the starters, they did not appeal to either of us, nothing simple like Prawn Cocktail or Avocado with prawns. Unfortunately the tomato soup is the only one my husband doesn't like. So we went for the nibbles. The main course menu gave a very poor choice, no poultry, lamb or pork. As I rarely have steak I went for that which was cooked how I asked. There was a choice of Sea Bass or salmon so my husband chose the Sea Bass BUT it was so small, called a fillet but round in shape...!! Fortunately our desserts were enjoyable Peach Melba mess and my husbands mini donuts with ice-cream, forgotten the name of this dessert. The service was good. Maureen & Maurice

Recently had Sunday lunch in the westerfield restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The staff were attentive and friendly, the beef was cooked to perfection and the live pianist was the icing on my cake. I would definitely reccomend this to anyone looking for fantastic value for money or just a lovely meal in a beautiful restaurant

The Steak and Lobster was simply divine, the steak was tender and cooked perfectly while the lobster was simply superb. The desert was excellent and the restaurant was beautiful.

A beautiful setting for top notch fillet steak and lobster, the best I've had anywhere, for just £20. Well worth our hour's drive for lunch

Thoroughly enjoyed lunch which was our first time. Nothing too much trouble eg asked for comfortable seat for elderly godmother and cushion was waiting! Well presented and appealing good value 3 course set menu prepared by excellent chefs. Good service too. Recommended.

Had the foodie Friday 5 course for 29.95, excellent value for money! Pleasant staff. Definitely would recommend.

Together with my parents and husband we all had Sunday lunch at the Westerfield restaurant (7th July )which was a lovely experience. The food, staff and service was excellent and could not be faulted in any way. A three course meal was £22.50 offering very good choice with good sized portions. The tables were all laid with white table clothes with fresh roses thereon and in the background a pianist played. The restaurant was busy and buzzy with good ambience. A convival place to eat with family and friends. Its a long time since I have eaten at the Orwell but it will not be the last and I would strongly recommend.A big thank you to Mr Vales and his staff.Vivienne, Ipswich

A group of 6 of us dined at the Westerfield's restaurant for a birthday celebration, including 3 generations of the family. The service was excellent from all the front of house staff. The children were well catered for, including hand made mini burgers which were not only fun very but were also "very yummy". The other starters and main meals were all fantastic quality as well as being very good value for money. I had the Surf and Turf, a meal I wouldn't usually choose, but I did on this occasion on the Chefs recommendation and I was glad I did. The lobster was gorgeous and the steak was one of the most tender I have had in a very long time, and all this for a mere £20. We hope to return again soon.

Visited Westerfields restaurant within the Orwell hotel for my dads 70th! Food was amazing all fresh and local produce... the fish especially was just cooked to perfection, as was everything. Service was exceptional, they couldn't have done enough for us. The gentleman on the piano (it was a Saturday night so not sure if he is there every week) but he was great, we had a bit of a sing song. Very child friendly, adapted menu to suit... would highly recommend, this is our 2nd visit to Westerfield restaurant and I couldn't recommend it enough. Go treat yourself, relax and enjoy the food cooked by the fantastic chef Simon!

Eight of us attended the Orwell Friday night the service was very attentive and the food was absolutely delicious , it seems shame that it appeared to be very quiet , I would definetly recommend this as a place to eat in future .

I like this place, it has an old fashioned quality about it but be warned, it is quite pricey. However, we like to treat ourselves and do not begrudge paying a bit more for the quality of food and the surroundings. The customer service is also very good. Recommended if you want a treat.

There were eight of us dining with a friend who was staying at the Orwell. The Manager was apologetic, but the Westerfield was closed, staff shortages apparently. It took some pressure from the friend staying at the hotel to ensure that we did get served an evening meal. We were led to 'Abigails'. The menu looked good, the wine list was extensive, but obviously the staff shortages extended to service in this area as well, as the service was slow, but courteous. When the wrong bottle of wine was brought to the table and we started to drink it, before realising it was not what we had ordered, the wine waiter promptly brought the right wine and invited us to drink the other bottle as well, with the compliments of the management. The food was pretty good - all three courses from starters to desserts and between us we must have sampled everything on the menu. The focaccia with good balsamic dip was a 'hit' with us all. My fish was perfectly cooked, others happily tucked into various meat based main courses and both the light desserts and the heavier puddings were polished off pretty quickly. Very pricey, but in the circumstances, pretty good.

after complaining about the dire meal we had in westerfield restaurant[ same hotel], we were offered [after much complaning a meal voucher for 2 to the value of £50] the cost of the previous meal. on monday 11feb we used the voucer in abigails, it is a much less formal setting. the waitress was good but feel that she was overworked. the soup was superb but the prawn cocktail that my wife had contained more shrimps than prawns, perhaps it is the austere times we are in.we both had rib eye steak which was cooked to perfection but the frozen chips did not compliment it too much, the seating in abigails was knackered to say the least. overall the food was an improovement on the previouse occasion.i think they still have a way to go to get the the 3 star status they once had.when nick button ran this hotel it could with any hotel in suffolk.

Imaginative menu , food beautifully cooked and presented . Fast attentive service and on two of our 3 nights dining in, we had the joy of listening to the talented pianist who played in the elegant surroundings of the dining room..

We arrived at the Westerfield with only five minutes left before it closed. Not a problem! They were quite prepared to stay open for as long as we were their with no pressure to leave when finished. We had a light lunch of prawn and chicken sandwiches, served with pan fried crisps and a delightful side salad with dressing. The bread was really fresh and the filling substantial. Would definitely recommend

disnt like self serve breakfast but very good scrambled egg

Delicious! Yum, yum! Three course dinner was beautifully cooked, beautifully presented and very reasonably priced.

Evening meal a little expensive for two courses. Breakfast was excellent though!

A short but lovely menu: food was imaginative, well cooked and very well presented.