The best restaurants serving British food in East of England

Eliza, darina, Elisha. We’re bar staff never had an empty glass was like I was in America asking if I wanted another drink before I finished. Wonderful service.

Came here for the first time tonight, had the chicken and Leak pie, which was out of this world!! Great atmosphere, incredible food, friendly and attentive staff, overall a great place to dine!!

I recently dined at this venue known for its upscale ambiance and fine dining offerings. While I anticipated a luxurious experience, I left with mixed feelings about the heft price tag was justified. The food was good but not spectacular enough to defend the high prices charged for the main meal. The lamb pie was £23 and the lamb dish of the day was £32. I shall not be rushing to revisit this venue any time soon.

Great cafe, thanks Karl for being ultra quick polite and helpful

This was our first visit to the Five Bells as we are not local to this area. We were a table of 5 adults and all agreed that the food was amazing and we all returned clean plates. We were served by a young man called Zak who was friendly, welcoming and attentive, he was polite, professional and gave just the right amount of time before taking drink and food orders. Young people so often get bad press but Zak totally excelled today and made our Sunday lunch fabulous from start to finish.

What a let down booked a table to have dinner and was told they do not do food but the website is still says they do need to update website to say they no longer do food 😡

We were going to eat here but did not due to a very rude and sarcastic barman. His attitude irked me so much that we walked out.

I Haven’t been to this pub in years! Fantastic choice of food, Excellent service from Jacob, thank you! Will be coming back!

Had the most wonderful experience here. Food was superb, presentation was beautiful, the ambience excellent. Service first class. A gentleman called Mark took my booking. He actually greeted us too, even helped me wheel in my disabled sister. What an Ambassador for this establishment.

We waited ages for our food—clearly they only had one chef working on a busy Sunday morning, which is just ridiculous for a busy breakfast spot. When the food finally arrived, it was poor quality, bland, and greasy—not worth the wait in the slightest. To make things worse, they completely ignored the extras we specifically asked for with our breakfasts, and the extra drinks we ordered? Never showed up. Honestly shocking how poorly this place is run.

Clean tidy, staff lovely historic building, staff friendly. Marion behind bar and restaurant helpful and lovely to chat to

This is a non-pretentious, friendly, great value cafe and bakery. It's very busy, probably because it's so popular, so it might be necessary to wait a little while for the excellent cafe service. I enjoyed a full English breakfast whilst my husband had something similar. Happily for us, this cafe was also dog friendly. Whilst there, I did hear another customer waxing lyrical about the quality of their fresh bread. Unfortunately we were leaving Southwold the next day, so had no excuse to buy bread ourself.

My daughter and I stopped off for lunch on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we sat outside. We hadn’t booked this time but had arrived early so it was fine. It did get very busy soon after. We both had a quinoa, sweet potato and pomegranate salad with a delicious Dijon dressing and a side of skin on fries. The gentleman who looked after us was very attentive. We requested a Sauvignon Blanc to have with our meal. It was excellent and found out later it was Chilean. I like Chilean red but had never tried the white. For dessert we both had the vegan rum baba and it didn’t disappoint. I’m not a vegetarian but the meal was perfect for a sunny day. Will definitely go again and make a point of booking.

We called on the off chance for a family Sunday lunch. We were told they’d tables early or late so without any thought we drove straight to Clare and settled down with a well poured pint for a Sunday lunch! The vibe is friendly and relaxed with lots of smiling waiting staff. It’s perfect for families of all ages and they’ve clearly put their stamp on this lovely village pub. The garden will be useful when the weather improves too. We went for the sharing roast and a tray arrived with quality, perfectly cooked lamb, roast beef and probably half a chicken. Generous amounts of roasted and green veg plus a cheesy leek/vegetable dish, plus pigs and blankets, excellent roast potatoes and Yorkshires with a jug of rich, home made gravy. It was just like a roast you’d have at home (if you had the time to prepare). We managed nearly all the meat but had to leave some of the vegetables, so the servings are certainly generous. Unfortunately we’d no room for any puddings. But we’ve vowed to come back for some of the special events and our only advice would be to book to ensure you get a table. In all a lovely addition to Clare with perfectly cooked food and friendly service.

Lovely rooms. Friendly staff. We had a great dinner on the first night. Disappointed that breakfast was not provided. Breakfast was advertised when we booked. Room prices were adjusted to reflect this when we arrived. There were some good cafes nearby but perhaps more snacks can be placed in rooms. Upon leaving at 11.00am we had to use the 24hr access fire escape which wasn't ideal. Another guest was trying to pay. Otherwise good. Would stay again.