In 2020, the enigmatic restaurateur George Pell — then managing director of L’Escargot in London — moved from Brixton, south London, to the Suffolk coastal town of Aldeburgh. That summer he opened L’Escargot Sur-Mer, a pop-up seafood joint in a ramshackle 17th-century building on Aldeburgh’s high street. Now, after a meticulous year-long refurb of the historic property, the Suffolk is a permanent fixture. Last summer, Pell added six bedrooms above the dining room, and an outdoor terrace. At weekends it’s filled with a mix of “up-from-Londoners” and locals — and it seems there’s little chance of Pell returning to the capital any time soon.
Overall score 9/10
Main photo: the Abraham’s Bosom room at the Suffolk (Rebecca Dickson)
Rooms and suites
Score 9/10
The Suffolk architect Charles Curry-Hyde led the restoration but it was the local interior designer Kate Fulford who was responsible for kitting out the six mellow — and noise-proofed — bedrooms above the restaurant. Each is named in homage to a local spot; Abraham’s Bosom after an anchorage at the mouth of the River Ore; Orford Ness for the National Trust’s nature reserve; and Little Japan after a nearby beach. Bold furniture includes antique wardrobes bought at auction, and Arts and Crafts-style bird-print blinds alongside neutral carpets, white linens and metro-tiled showers. There are no TVs, so pop the radio on, people-watch or, if you’re in the Iken bedroom, admire the sea view from the window seat. There is an honesty pantry on the first floor for nibbles. Two of the bedrooms are dog-friendly (cleaning charge £30). There is a lift to the first floor, but the rooms are not wheelchair accessible due to the steps between landings.
Food and drink
Score 10/10
There are steaks and snails on the menu but seafood is the speciality. Head chef Tom Payne sources fish from local businesses including Dean Fryer (his boat lands 200 yards away) while briny oysters come from Pinney’s of Orford, 20 minutes down the road, which has harvested them for more than 60 years. Starters include local crab (pleasingly both white and brown meat) and fried cod cheeks. There’s barbecued monkfish and lobster for mains, but the day-boat catch — a whole fluffy-fleshed sea bass, filleted at the table, accompanied by mini hasselback potatoes and chargrilled hispi, for example — is ideal for sharing. There’s treacle tart and poached pears for dessert; perfect when paired with a glass of sauternes. The ideal mop-up for one too many house negroni blancos or glasses of Spanish garnacha (cocktails from £12, bottles of wine from £26) is a Suffolk breakfast with a square rosti and sourdough toast slathered in Bungay butter. In winter, the curved wooden bar with its log-burner beckons, while in summer there’s also a sea-view terrace, with a separate grill menu that changes weekly.
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What else is there?
Score n/a
The Suffolk sticks to what it does best — great food and drink.
Where is it?
Score 9/10
The heart of Aldeburgh is a compelling setting. Go north along the seafront’s Crag Path from the hotel and you’ll reach Maggi Hambling’s sculpture, Scallop. Further south, in town is Fishers Gin, the UK’s closest distillery to the sea, where botanicals are foraged locally (tastings from £35pp; fishersgin.com). Aldeburgh’s High Street is also the place to stock your fridge at independent shops including Lawson’s deli and the Suffolk chocolatier Harris & James.
Laura Jackson was a guest of the Suffolk
Price B&B doubles from £180
Restaurant mains from £20
Dog-friendly Y
Family-friendly N
Accessible N
the-suffolk.co.uk
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