Suffolk Gold
The County

The County

The County Hotel, NE46 1PS, Northumberland, United Kingdom

Steak • Pasta • European • Bar-lounge


"My wife and I have been to the County Kitchen a few times for their Sunday Carvery. So why, you may ask have I only given the County Kitchen 3 stars and entitled my review as lacks consistency? Well the title does say it all, it isn 't that the food and service and surroundings are bad its just that as a complete package it...........lacks consistency. Perhaps I should explain rather than repeating myself Our table was crammed in with others in the small conservatory/veranda area. It felt cramped as we were against a pillar and so close to at least 6 other diners that it felt uncomfortable and unwelcoming, especially as the rest of the restaurant was empty. Moving on to our food. We opted for starters, followed by the carvery. My wife 's starter crab haddock fishcake, with chive hollandaise was presented nicely and according to her very nice but lacked flavour . Mine was pork belly terrine and chutney my comments mirror those of my wife 's. Lacked seasoning and flavour, but looked nice. I echo Greg Wallace 's thoughts on Masterchef the other day..... ...would rather have something that tastes good rather than a dish that just looks pretty... Now the carvery you have a choice of at 3 roast meats plus vegetables and if you feeling really hungry there isn 't a limit to the number of times you can go back. But for most appetites 1 visit is enough. Being a little greedy I had a couple of slices of port with yummily crisp crackling) and some beef. The carver described the beef as medium rare my preference) but it was more like medium to well done so it was a bit tough and chewy shame as it looked a fantastic joint of beef). That finally put an end to our meal, we paid our bill £59.95 incl bottle of wine, and starters) and left. I have to say that this hasn 't been our experience on other occasions, so perhaps its was just an off day. Will we go back? Probably, but we won 't be rushing back. Its not a bad place, it just.....lacks consistency!"

The Queen

The Queen

The street Brandeston, Suffolk IP13 7AD, Suffolk Coastal, United Kingdom

Bars • Beer • Wine • Casual


"We had our engagement dinner at this restaurant two years ago, and decided to return for our 1st anniversary. The first time we dined here, the ambience was beautiful with many locals enjoying drinks at the pub, and the food was exceptional. The staff were all very friendly, creating a special atmosphere. However, on our recent visit, it seemed like a completely different place. We had a reservation for 6 o'clock and were the only ones dining, except for one other family. Although the menu sounded promising, we were disappointed with our burgers and veggie chili. The burger patty was small and unimpressive, served in a plain bun like you would find at a fast food truck. The fries appeared to be frozen, rather than freshly cut and fried as they were before. The portion sizes were also quite small, and we decided to skip dessert as the only option was Eton Mess. We paid £31 for our meal, including a bottle of water, which seemed quite expensive for the quality of food we received. The woman behind the bar was friendly, but it was evident that there had been many changes. It was mentioned that a new menu would be introduced the next day, and the chef had just started that week. Overall, we were disappointed with our experience, which put a slight damper on our otherwise lovely anniversary celebration. I doubt we will return to this restaurant unless we can be assured of the same high standard of food and atmosphere we experienced before."