Blackheath, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

A “beautiful setting” on the banks of the River Stour in the unspoilt heart of Constable Country is the making of this well-known half-timbered venue – these days a spa hotel and restaurant owned by East Anglia’s Milsom Hotels group. As is so often the case here, opinion divides sharply on the merits of its cuisine, with some diners enjoying an “excellent meal” with “noteworthy service”, while others complain of “very average and expensive food” and “service which doesn’t live up to its former excellence”. Local superstar Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance last summer, singing a three-song acoustic set in a marquee on the lawn at the launch of the Lentonbrook Foundation, a new charity to help children and families in Suffolk.

“Great cooking… a welcoming, warming atmosphere… an ever-changing menu” – there’s plenty to love about this “gorgeous traditional coaching inn” set in prime Constable Country, and with a distinctive yellow façade. There was praise this year for the “well-priced” seafood, as well as the “delightful” service, and it’s “also worth a shout-out to the excellent range of local beers”. Owner Piers Baker, who has shepherded the venue for two decades, is also behind Church Street Tavern in Colchester and, as of 2022, The White Hart Inn on Mersea Island.

2023 Review: In the heart of Constable Country, this gastropub with rooms is “a busy venue with a good atmosphere and friendly service”. Foodwise, it’s praised for cooking that’s “outstanding” at the “very reasonable price”; and wine lovers are well-catered for too, with 250 bins (they also run their own merchants).

This “very popular gastropub/hotel in a pretty village” was taken over and lavishly revamped by new owners a few years ago, and “the conversion of an old building is very well done (down to the super WCs!)”, making it a most “attractive” spot for a meal. Chef Matthew Hurry oversees the French-ish cooking, which ranges from fish Fridays to “outstanding” desserts. Reflecting comments in previous surveys, there was praise this year for the “very reasonably priced set menu – £26 for two courses, £34 for three – considering the quality”.

“Utterly reliable”, with “a great choice of fish and seafood cooked in a variety of ways” – “this is a go-to restaurant, and there’s nothing like it close by”, say fans of Californian chef Sherri Singleton’s former village coaching inn (with rooms), which she has run for more than two decades. She also has a cooking school on site and an Italian restaurant, Enoteca Lucca, in nearby Manningtree.

“Old fashioned, with understated service and great ambience” – this impressive Grade I listed property dates from 1440 and was once the HQ to 1970s TV chef Robert Carrier, who restored it in the early 1970s. There’s a wide range of à la carte, tasting and afternoon tea menus, all in a traditional mould and all at relatively affordable prices.

Surprise! Paul Wendholt announced the closure of his tiny operation ‘in the heart of Colchester town centre in the shadow of a multi storey car park’, only in August to dub 2025 ‘The Year of the U-Turn’ with reopening announced in September. The format is little-changed: there’s a full seven-course tasting menu for £90 per person, with a short one for £65 available all week except Saturday evenings. Our diners will be pleased: they say, “this restaurant has had a consistently high standard since it first opened in 2016 as Grain. Their tasting menu is delicious from course to course with lovely combinations of flavours. Service is friendly and knowledgeable”.