As summer stretches before us and the weather gets warmer, it’s a rare pleasure to be able to dine alfresco.
All along the Suffolk Coast there are pubs and restaurants that serve great food – in market towns, in sleepy villages and in bustling seaside resorts.
So take a look at our favourite alfresco dining spots on the Suffolk Coast…
The Sweffling White Horse is a magnet for real ale lovers, serving beers from a selection of small local brewers. And although they don’t have an extensive menu there’ll be something on the menu to complement the local beer. The small beer garden with a rustic arbor is enchantingly lit by candles and fairylights at night. The beer garden is open from spring equinox to autumn equinox, every Sunday lunchtime and every pub night until 10pm.
The Boardwalk on Southwold Pier offers the chance to sip a glass of beautiful wine in the gentle sea breeze and enjoy one of the classically prepared dishes. With the stars above and the waves shimmering below you have no excuses for not getting a little bit romantic!
There’s a daily changing menu at The Ufford Crown, near Woodbridge. Created by Head Chef Will Hardiman, it is hearty, wholesome British pub food with a French influence made with fresh, local ingredients. With a terrace and garden at the rear you can enjoy warm summer evenings and some fine alfresco dining.
The Ramsholt Arms faces south over the River Deben and is the place to enjoy great food and beautiful Suffolk sunsets. The sun-soaked terrace is the ideal place to enjoy fresh, locally caught fish.
Here’s what Condé Nast Traveller had to say about The Ship at Dunwich, “The pick is The Ship at Dunwich, a little pub with rooms that dishes up huge portions of fried fish - cod, haddock or plaice - with some of the finest chips in the land. Washed down with a glass of Adnams Southwold Bitter, this comes close to heaven”.
And all this can be enjoyed in the secluded courtyard or in the enormous garden that’s dotted with fruit trees.
For character and rustic charm it has to be The Westleton Crown, a 12th century coaching inn close to Southwold and Aldeburgh. Enjoy alfresco dining in their charming terraced garden, choosing from the creatively indulgent menu.
Or for a relaxed evening sat underneath fairy lights and lanterns, dine or drink at The Table in Woodbridge.
Go on… take full advantage of the warmer weather and treat yourself to alfresco dining on the Suffolk Coast.