Manningtree, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

In a very comfortable 18th-century coaching inn, set in the “quaint village of Mistley”, California-bred Sherri Singleton’s neighbourhood restaurant (with rooms, plus a kitchen shop and cookery school) has long been of note for its “great seafood”, which includes “wonderful” grilled options, year-round Mersea oysters and bargain moules-frites nights on Thursdays. One caveat: owing to all the above (plus its great-value set meals and River Stour views) it “gets busy, so you must book”.

“Locally sourced food cooked to perfection” and a “charming welcome” reward visitors to Constable Country who are lured by the distinctive yellow facade of this 15th-century coaching inn, owned and operated for 22 years by Piers Baker. The “great menu”, which takes most of its cues from Italian cuisine, makes this “a place to while away the afternoon” over a long lunch.

“The setting is beautiful” – “especially outside in the summer months” – at this famous half-timbered destination, which has been a restaurant since 1925 and is a major favourite in the area for special occasions thanks to its marvellous beamed interior and heavenly location in Constable Country. Even those who acknowledge these strengths, though, note that “the food varies in quality and does disappoint” as results are “only average and very overpriced”. Also, “service can go downhill, especially when there is a large wedding going on… but it is lovely…”

“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.

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).

A 500-year-old country inn set in gorgeous Suffolk countryside provides a stunning backdrop to a meal at this ambitious property, which has been owned by Richard Sunderland & Sarah Broadbent since 2022. But if “after spending millions the place is very nice”, the odd report also has reservations: the traditional (and sensibly priced) French-inflected cuisine is well-rated by one repeat-visitor, but another feels that: “they seem to be chasing a Michelin Star, but are trying to run before they can walk”.

2021 Review: “Quirky, quaint and stylish, with excellent food” – Julien & Karine Jourdain took over this antique Belgian gunboat in October 2018 from the Crépy family, and it’s “one of the best Ipswich has to offer”. Permanently moored in the marina, near the city-centre, its modern European menu options vary by the day.

In July 2024, Ben & Sophie Crittenden re-located their award-winning (including, last year, Harden‘s Top 100) venture from Thanet in Kent to this new site over 100 miles away on the Essex coast. It occupies the wooden clapboard premises of what was previously ‘Seafood at Dawn’ and is bigger than the 12-seater they’ve left behind. The six-course tasting menu format is broadly unchanged, with the menu provided at £90 per person (with a wine flight available at £55 per person). No feedback as yet, but we’ve taken a punt and maintained the excellent ratings that they held in Kent – reports please!

2023 Review: This half-timbered fifteenth-century former coaching inn is a “reliable venue for good food”, with a menu that ticks boxes all the way from basic cheeseburger or beer-battered hake ’n’ chips to more original offerings such as goat cheese doughnut with beetroot sugar and a flexible selection of dishes available in two sizes – as either starters or mains. Top Tip – “the great lobster Caesar salad”.

Paul Wendholt’s tiny operation serves a 9-12 course tasting menu at £80 per person, with servings varying in size (from bite-size snacks to full plates). We received too few reports for a full rating this year, but one promising review continues to justify its inclusion as a tip when in the area: “exceptional tasting menu food and that you can chat about while watching the preparation of the dishes. Ambience is less exceptional, but then you are engrossed anyway”.