Regular readers will know that Aldeburgh has become a favourite place for me to head to for a short break. It’s an easy and not too long drive and, most importantly, I’ve come to really love it there. I first went in June 2022. I wanted to explore Suffolk, a county I didn’t know at all, and I wanted to stay by the sea. I’d never heard of Aldeburgh (though I’ve heard lots since!) and did a search of places to stay from Southwold towards the north of Suffolk all the way along the coast to Aldeburgh in the south. I found a pub by the beach with rooms, highly rated on booking.com, and with views of the sea. It sounded perfect. And it was. I’m just back from my fourth stay – always in the lovely The Cross Keys pub.

Suffolk is very different to other places to visit from London for a short break. Suffolk is known for its big skies, which, with the shingle beach which runs for miles allows you to feel very much away from things. All around you is space. Aldeburgh is quite a small town and whenever I’ve been, it’s been fairly quiet; the beach almost empty. The locals told me this time not to ever come in the school holidays – it’s very busy. I did wonder though what would constitute ‘very busy’ to this Londoner! There’s a slightly old-fashioned feel to Aldeburgh, as if time slowed down. There are smart restaurants though, quirky independent shops; Aldeburgh isn’t ‘back in time’ in terms of what it offers the visitor but there’s not the manic rush of Cornwall or the South Coast in the summer. This lends itself to allowing the visitor to slow down, which makes it a great place to relax and switch off.

   

Pretty coloured houses line the seafront and high street. It’s quite an eclectic mix of architecture from large, quite grand houses to small cottages. As you walk along the high street there are frequent gaps with alleyways leading to the sea.

How to get there

I drove from London but while there’s no train station in Aldeburgh, there are trains to nearby Saxmundham from where you can get a local bus. There’s also a bus from Ipswich (I’ve seen it in the high street) and although it takes over an hour and a half, it’s said to be a beautiful scenic route taking in some of the best sights of Suffolk.

Where to stay

I can’t imagine staying anywhere other than The Cross Keys pub. The staff are just the friendliest people and will chat to me, which as a solo traveller is a huge bonus. The rooms are quite simple yet everything is so thoughtfully done, including nice toiletries, a good selection of Clipper organic teas and Border biscuits in the rooms, and a large carafe of drinking water that’s refilled every day. There’s a separate entrance for ‘residents’ so you don’t have to go through the bar to get to your room. But be warned – there are only three rooms and they get booked up very quickly. They always give hotel guests a 10% discount card for the Adnams shop in the high street. For more, click here.

You can see the back of the pub, nestled in the centre, in the photo below.

I’ve always been given Room 1, which is the largest room and has a sea view, so is slightly more expensive. It looks over the pub’s terrace and while that can be busy, I’ve never had a problem with it being too noisy.

   

Breakfast is included in the price and there’s a good choice from ‘Full English’, including a veggie version, to a more modern ‘smashed avocado on focaccia with crumbled feta’. I’m not a ‘cooked breakfast’ person though, so stick to their pot of ‘Greek yogurt, fresh berries and granola’ with some juice, coffee and croissant.

   

Morning coffee

My favourite place for a mid-morning and afternoon coffee is Libardi’s, a kiosk on the seafront near the Moot Hall. Run by Italians, the coffee is superb, as is their gelato. Munchies in the high street is another favourite, serving good coffee, pastries and sandwiches and snacks for lunch.

   

Lunch

I prefer to have my main meal in the evening so I’m always looking for something light for lunch. I arrived at The Cross Keys at lunchtime, the weather wasn’t great – wet and very windy – and so I decided to stay put in the welcoming pub and eat there. I always want to eat there some of the time for the food is good and it’s nice to also support the place you’re staying in. I had an excellent sandwich of creamed salmon with coleslaw, salad and crisps on the side and a bottle of non-alcoholic beer. Fortunately when I’d finished my room was ready so I could settle in properly.

There are still a few fishermen working out of Aldeburgh and a number of shacks on the seafront where you can buy fish and also prepared dishes. On my second day – when thankfully the sun came out – I had lunch at the Ash Smokehouse. My smoked salmon on an open roll (£5.50) was possibly the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had!

   

Having fish ‘n’ chips from the Aldeburgh Fish & Chip Shop one day is a must. It’s won praise from various quarters for being one of the best fish ‘n’ chips shops in the UK. And it is very good!

They do have a restaurant where you can sit down but I prefer to have this treat on a day when the weather is good enough to eat on the beach. My cod and chips was £10.20. I was asked if I wanted it wrapped or open. Open, I replied, and I salted my chips and shook over some vinegar – traditional style! I took it down a nearby alleyway and straight to the beach. There are quite a few benches along the seafront but not at this point. I settled down on a wall – trying to avoid there being any seagulls too close – they have a bad reputation and will take food from your hand!

   

Really … could there be a better lunch than some excellent fish ‘n’ chips on a nice September day, sitting on a beach wall with a view like this?

Dinner

Dinner – supper – is the most important meal of the day for me, whether at home or away. Away, I’m always looking for something special – I am on holiday after all and a self-proclaimed foodie. This first evening I ate in the pub, enjoying their Fish Pie (£19) with a glass of white Burgundy.  Given how autumnal it was outside, it was a perfect warming supper.

For my second night, I’d booked a table at The Suffolk. The Suffolk is an offshoot of the famous L’Escargot in London’s Soho and opened in Aldeburgh as a pop-up in 2020. It was so successful they acquired a large elegant 17th century house on the high street and converted it into a restaurant with rooms above. I first went there in September 2022, soon after the restaurant opened (the hotel part opened a bit later). Inevitably, I went with high expectations having eaten at its famous ‘parent’. Sadly I was very disappointed. I didn’t even bother to write it up. But since then it’s received ecstatic reviews from top restaurant critics, so surely it was worth going back?

I received a warm welcome and service was good and friendly throughout. My slight criticism was that they offered to take my (new!) coat and when I left at the end, they just pointed to a rail at the entrance and said it was there. If I’m handing my coat over in a smart restaurant, I expect it to be put somewhere safe, not left in this way.

Inside, the restaurant is modern and attractive. They brought me water straight away and some excellent bread.

They specialise, unsurprisingly, in seafood, but I’d already eaten quite a bit of fish since arriving so opted for something different. For my starter, I chose Great Glemham Beetroot, Burrata, Cashew Dukkah (£12). It looked very pretty when it arrived, though I was slightly confused: where was the burrata? Then I realised it had been squashed down and the beetroot put on top. I wasn’t entirely sure about this way of serving one of life’s foodie delights, but it all tasted delicious, so in the end it was fine.

My main course was Suffolk Lamb Rump, Salsa Verde (£29). I ordered some Pommes Frites on the side (£6). The lamb was lovely, very tender and tasty. The salsa verde was a bit strong and too overpowering, I thought, so I put only the tiniest amount on the lamb as I ate it. The ‘frites’ were pretty miserable, limp morsels; they really didn’t justify the description of ‘pommes frites’, which should be crispy on the outside and nicely soft inside. For dessert, I chose Apricot and Pistachio Frangipane Tart (£10). I was only given a spoon to eat it with and needed a dessert fork too. The tart wasn’t actually very nice; I almost didn’t finish it. Frangipane should of course be soft but this was almost uncooked and there wasn’t much evidence of apricots or pistachios. I also had some Pellegrino sparkling water and a glass of French Pinot Noir (£12). The final bill, with service, was £80.85.

   

   

The Suffolk was rather disappointing again. I think a large part of the problem is that if you’re connected to a big name, a famous restaurant like L’Escargot, then expectations are going to be high. I was expecting something exceptional but ended up with a meal that was fairly ordinary, and parts of it not even ‘good’. And although the prices were much less than London prices, it was still expensive compared to other restaurants in Aldeburgh.

For my final night, I’d booked at the Regatta Restaurant, which has always been my favourite in Aldeburgh.

Regatta is smart, but in a more informal way than The Suffolk, and really it’s more my kind of place. I was warmly welcomed by a woman I recognised from previous visits. Was I happy with where she’d sat me? She’d thought about where she’d like to sit (presumably if she was on her own). I was in a corner, but not one of those hidden-away corners restaurants sometimes like to hide solo diners in. In fact, I’d sat here the first time I’d gone to the restaurant and liked it, so I was very happy indeed.

It was my last evening and I decided to have some fizz to begin and then a glass of wine with the meal. I was about to order a glass of Prosecco when I saw they had a local (well, almost local – Norfolk) rosé sparkling wine: Flint Charmat Rosé (£10.50).  I wouldn’t normally choose rosé except on a warm summer’s evening, and it was distantly chilly outside, but I fancied trying something local. I’m glad I did as it was delicious. I’d forgotten they bring a nice selection of butters and olive oil and balsamic to go with the bread. So I was off to a very good start.

I may have gone with the rosé, but it was cold outside (what’s happened to India summers in September?) so I chose Homemade fish soup with paprika mayonnaise and crouton (£9). It’s a long time since I’ve had a good fish soup; it’s something I’ve often chosen to have when in France. This was excellent and had the addition of a few prawns and mussels in it.

   

For my main I had Breast of Gressingham duck (served pink) on French-style peas with chips (£25). The duck was beautifully tender; the peas a little creamier than expected but still very good, with bit of bacon in the sauce as is traditional. The chips were fantastic; just as they should be – gorgeously crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle. It was a very good main course. I barely needed a dessert but I do like to have one when on holiday and in a nice restaurant. I chose Pear tarte satin with honeycomb ice cream and caramel sauce (£9). I asked if I could have vanilla ice cream instead of the honeycomb one, which I thought would be too much sweetness for me. I used to be a big fan (and cook) of rich desserts but my tastes have changed over the years and I like simpler desserts, preferably ones that contain fruit. This one was perfect for me! The final bill was £60.50 and I added service. It was an excellent meal; a lovely setting and great service. Regatta remains my favourite place to eat in Aldeburgh!

   

Things to do and buy

There are lots of things to do and see in and around Aldeburgh, some of which I’ve written about before: visiting Benjamin Britten’s home, The Red House, and the music centre he set up at Snape Maltings; going to Thorpeness or Southwold.  In June there’s an annual Music Festival, set up by Britten, and a Food Festival in late September. There are, however, two things I absolutely have to go to see whenever I’m in Aldeburgh: the first is to walk, almost as soon as I arrive, up the beach towards Thorpeness to see Maggi Hambling’s glorious Scallop sculpture, her memorial to Britten. It always moves me and I go back to it many times while there.

The other thing I always do is visit the St Peter & St Paul Parish Church to see John Piper’s glorious stained-glass window, another memorial to Britten. He was a friend of Britten’s and The Red House contains some of his paintings.

The walk to the church isn’t far; it’s really in the town rather than outside it. You can walk up the steep Victoria Road (which is also the main road in and out of Aldeburgh from the A12) but I like to go up Town Steps, from which there’s a great view over the town, and then walk along a private road (accessible to pedestrians though), which comes out opposite the church.

   

Walking along the beach towards the north of the town you come to Moot Hall, a Tudor building that once stood in the centre of town but due to erosion is now by the sea. It’s a magnificent building and you can go inside. It’s still used as a council meeting place and is situated opposite the fish shacks and fishing boats.

Also nearby is Libardi’s coffee kiosk. I had a great flat white from them on my first afternoon but sadly it didn’t open again while I was there. However, on the Friday afternoon as I approached, I could hear music. And there, by the kiosk, was a harpist playing beautiful music. A number of people were stood around listening and I joined them. Then I realised I had no change to give the musician so I headed off down the road, bought a good takeaway coffee in Lawson’s deli (which is also a great place to buy some takeaway lunch), and rushed back. The harpist was still there playing and I put some money in her box. People moved on and I talked to her and ended up buying one of her CDs. She plays professionally and teaches too. It really was a lovely, unexpected and special part of my day. To find out more click here.

   

There’s a gin distillery on the seafront at the southern end: Fisher’s Gin. I’m not really a gin drinker but both my son and daughter have said it’s very good gin so I always buy a small bottle for them. They run tours and tastings and I’ve thought that one day I’ll do one – but I think I’ll wait for a more summery time! To find out more click here.

I found a brilliant butcher in the town. I would have loved to bring some of their produce home but didn’t want to risk it in quite a long car journey but another time I might take a cold box with me. Though the butcher did tell me they deliver to Twickenham so that’s an option too. If you were renting a holiday home in Aldeburgh it would be great to have this on your doorstep. They sell local vegetables too. To find out more, click here.

I didn’t go into this diner but thought I might. It looked so quirky and appealing – so maybe another time.

I did go into Orlando’s, opposite the butcher’s, which sells clothes, gifts and things for the home. I bought a lovely print of a painting of the seafront to bring back home. Click here.

Of course, you don’t have to ‘visit’ anything. It’s nice to have interesting things to see, places to eat, etc., but I just like to spend a lot of my time there walking miles along the beach. And what a beautiful place it is to be.

This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Aldeburgh.