Latest reviews from Ipswich
| 54 /100 Rasputin Food and Wine (Grocery Store) 67 ST MATTHEWS STREET “Selection of Eastern European & East Asian beers so worth a look if your near by.“ |
| 82 /100 22 LLOYDS AVENUE “Modern looking craft bar & smoke house I visited with Grumbo on a quiet Sunday lunchtime. Choice of 6 cask options, half been there own, plus 16 keg choices, some there own, craft guest from local breweries & macro. Well worth trying the food, with it living up to the interesting menu.“ |
| 70 /100 Spread Eagle (Grain) (Bar) 1-3 FORE STREET “Historic & well restored listed pub on a cross roads which I visited with Grumbo on a quiet Sunday lunchtime. Serving 6 to 8 of there own cask beers plus other local tapped craft beers.“ |
| 76 /100 Hopsters - Ipswich (Beer Store) 16 ST NICHOLAS STREET “Only a brief stop with Grumbo, selection of cans & bottles, mix of local, national & international to take away or drink in. Recently started pouring draft with a couple of taps. Certainly a place I'd like to return too for a longer visit.“ |
| 70 /100 69 ST. MATTHEW’S STREET “Visited with Grumbo Saturday early evening after a Ipswich thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday. Rather quirky, dark, dusty slim old style wooden pub with a range of 10 or so gravity casks, two which were there own beers all shown on a large blackboard. Friendly landlord with crazy prices of 50 pence per half pint as Town had won. Your best not to have too good a sense of smell if visiting the gents.“ |
| 80 /100 70 FORE ST “Visited with Grumbo on a early Saturday afternoon, this place is set as a smart & modern upstairs of a former bank with the brewery below. Choice of a dozen or so cask, keg & cider options with a good number been there own with interesting guests. There is also a large outside seating area including a marquee.“ |
| 78 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Just outside the city centre I visited with Grumbo on a Saturday lunchtime, a selection of a dozen cask ales plus keg & cider options with some of the beers been there own and brewed across just across the road. There is a small conservatory & a outside patio seating area. Home cooked food is served. A place well worth a visit“ |
| 90 /100 Fat Cat - Ipswich (Bar) 288 SPRING ROAD “A mile or so from the city centre this was the 1st stop of a Ipswich tour with Grumbo. I knew from the start it would be a strong contender but it turned out to be my favourite. Choice of nearly 20 well kept cask, keg, hand pump & cider options plus a number of different Belgian bottled beers, all listed on the chalkboards above the bar. It has a great set up with a cosy wooden interior of few small rooms off of the bar, a airy conservatory as well as a lovely clean & tidy outside space, a fair bit of it covered in case of inclement weather with picnic benches on the patio & grass. The absence of background music, games machines & TV's was a big bonus. Food is limited to homemade scotch eggs & crisps, but I believe they are happy for you to bring in takeaway food. Certainly a pub that I'd like to revisit for a longer visit.“ |
| 74 /100 The Arbor House (Bar) 43 HIGH STREET “Visited 18/8/2023 and many times before and since. I used to work close by and the pub was "meeting room 3". Back then the beer range was limited and it's been through various hands over the years, with beer choice never seemingly at the top of the agenda. But now there's a lot more effort put in on choice of cask ales and a recently installed beer fridge filled with beers from Arbor, Burnt Mill etc. It's one of the few places in Ipswich which went UT verified. Has a lovely walled suntrap garden out back. Now very much worth a visit - it mostly always has been for food and ambiance - but for beer choice now too.“ |
| 60 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Visited with Grumbo on a crowded Friday evening. Last unoccupied table was jammed next to the wall across from the bar, but it served its purpose. I had the one offering from the brewery of the same name, just across the road. Worth a quick look.“ |
| 70 /100 70 FORE ST “We started at Isaac's, same owner, because they had food and I was a bit peckish halfway through our scheduled crawls. They had three or four Briarbanks on offer from a small serving bar, in a cavernous space. Fish & chips were awful though. Next stop was the brewery tap, filled with youngsters, including some drunk ones that unknowingly provided entertainment for us. A dozen or so house beers, available in flights of three thirds. Several were pastry stouts and I asked about lactose and the bartender said she had no idea, and didn't ask anyone else, so I skipped them. Points off for that. Otherwise a decent place.“ |
| 70 /100 Arcade Street Tavern (Bar) ARCADE STREET “Visited with Grumbo. Interesting building with arches/arcades next door. Small interior, front room built around a serving bar, couple of backrooms and a single room upstairs. We accidentally intruded on a private party upstairs but they didn't seem to mind. Two DEYA beers and one from Cloudwater were highlights. Solid place.“ |
| 76 /100 Hopsters - Ipswich (Beer Store) 16 ST NICHOLAS STREET “Visited with Grumbo. Compact store lined with coolers on one side and shelves on the other, plus one long tables with eight barstools for in house consumption. Owner was very friendly and helpful. Good selection of quality stuff from around the region. Nice place“ |
| 74 /100 22 LLOYDS AVENUE “Visited with Grumbo on a not-crowded Friday afternoon. Lots of keg choices at the bar included six house beers and a whole bunch of guests plus a handful of cask. Flights of three thirds. Newish looking renovation to the place itself with lots of exposed brickwork. There is an upstairs too but we didn't try it. Tasty beers, something for everyone.“ |
| 64 /100 69 ST. MATTHEW’S STREET “Odd little place with all the casks being on gravity as far as I could see. The problem started when I went to order one of their beers - none were on. The landlord told me that the hot weather in August had ruined some of his brews so they had less of their beers available. However there were also less beers available in general. They had sold out of the majority of beers due to the previous day's football crowd. And seemingly were not in a hurry to replace them. That and the 18:00 opening time suggests they weren't expecting to be overly busy? A quite drinkers pun on that eveing... tbe staff were the loudest people. Only 5 or so beers on but at least there wad a new tick (Fox) and two from tiny Drinkstone. Landlord was very friendly.... although encouraging me to homebrew wouldn't be to.good for his business if he convinces everyone to do that. Will.be back... need to tick off their beers for a start.“ |
| 62 /100 22 LLOYDS AVENUE “Very large building with modern exposed brick craft stylee. The bogs were downstairs next to a door for a literally underground gin bar. The place is pretty cavernous - which was exaggerated by the lack of clientele... one table seemed to be making a lot of noise. Slightly annoying as they seemed to be some sort of business club/Ipswich Young Tories. A wide array of beers, the majority of which are their own. Wasn't too impressed with the ones I tried. They do a BBQ platter. But a starting point of £18 for 2 meat choices put me off sampling it. Not a place I'd seek out again. Too obviously craft beer styling as a business opportunity..“ |
| 68 /100 Spread Eagle (Grain) (Bar) 1-3 FORE STREET “Lovely old pub. On a dark and Sunday evening it certainly looked inviting. Sat in a nook within an ante room - I suspect it used to be a fireplace. Around 8 of Grain's beers on cask plus others on tap. They were clearly having some sort Oktoberfest because the majority of the guest beers were German lagers or UK Festbiers. There was one real issie with this place. It was an open mic night. After I sat down, an old dude sat down at his Yamaha keyboard and started some sort of seemingly free-form jazzrock dirge... identified by someone at a other table as a Queen cover. It was so bad I considered fleeing into the rain before I went completely insane. Very Lovecraftian. Definitely worth a visit for the building itself alone.
“ |
| 66 /100 70 FORE ST “The brewpub is a repurposed 60s (?) office/industrial unit. The brewery is on the ground floor, which also hosts the kiosk style outside bar. A marquee then sits out back. The sign outside stated 'closed' but the doors were open so I tried my luck. The downstairs bar was deserted but on heading upstairs discovered that the large bar area was actually quite lively but also quite well soundproofed. A good array of their beers on tap plus in bottle. Nice set up. Beers are OK. Worth dropping into but not a place I'd head to unless I wanted Briarbank ticks.“ |
| 72 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “My taxi driver warned me that this place was rough. I'd go with frayed around the edges. Not overly busy on a Sunday afternoon but had to nab the last free table when I returned in the evening. Middle aged or old clientele tempted by the decent array of real ale. Their own beers were OK and also managed to snag an Old Chinneys special. Spotted the fridge and ended up spending £50 on mainly Burnt Mill beers. The keg options were macro so maybe their hands are tied by a pubco so they have a well stocked fridge instead. Friendly old school barmaids. My favourite place in Ipswich.“ |
| 66 /100 69 ST. MATTHEW’S STREET “Only 10 years old but you'd be forgiven for thinking this tavern was historic given the heavy wooden olde world styling inside. It's in a shop unit in a soulless mid 20th century row of shops so it clearly isn't historic, but nevertheless it is a fine place to sup. Ales on my visit were all local and included three from the Mr Bees brewery, served in a dimple glass.“ |
| 68 /100 Spread Eagle (Grain) (Bar) 1-3 FORE STREET “In an historic building at a road junction, the interior has clearly gone through a modernisation in recent times but it's still got plenty of atmosphere and remains traditional enough to compliment the age of the place. Unusually the bar is against one of the exterior walls, in the main room after you enter, and sports a few ales from the Grain Brewery, which run this pub, and some keg options. There's also a garden area at the rear.“ |
| 62 /100 Greyhound, Ipswich (Bar) 9 HENLEY ROAD “Pleasant traditional Adnams pub with a central service area separating a couple of rooms. Perhaps more attractive if the weather allows is the beer garden down its side. Adnams cask and keg options are mainly what's available, food is served too.“ |
| 54 /100 Cricketers (JDW) (Bar) 51 CROWN STREET “In a fine period brick building directly opposite the bus station, somehow its central service area seems to limit its tables area, which is mostly against the exterior walls, however an extensive garden area at its side possible more than doubles capacity when the weather allows. Its ale selection was limited to well-known national brews.“ |
| 62 /100 22 LLOYDS AVENUE “On the road directly opposite the town hall front and square, this is a funky new age bar with a mainly craft keg selection, although cask does exist - but just the one from Colchester Brewery on my visit. Perhaps it has more in normal non post-covid times.“ |
| 66 /100 Arcade Street Tavern (Bar) ARCADE STREET “Multi-roomed venue behind the Town Hall mainly focussing on craft keg, but a couple of wickets exist at the bar offering up local options from microbreweries. The pleasant decor befits the older building the bar is situated in, and the arched roof in the alleyway between it and the adjoining building provides cover for its outdoor seating.“ |
| 52 /100 Swan & Hedgehog (Bar) 3 KING STREET “Older building directly behind the Town Hall and close to Arcade Beers. Has a front facing bar with not much room between the service area and windows and several cask ales are available - one from Nethergate and one from Mauldons on my day out in Ipswich but also maybe a little limited in post Covid times. A courtyard area at its side is an attractive enough place to sit and sup if the weather allows.“ |
| 76 /100 Hopsters - Ipswich (Beer Store) 16 ST NICHOLAS STREET “Small bottle and can shop in a unit in the oldest part of Ipswich between the commercial centre and the harbour. Friendly service, lots of choice international, nationally, local brews too, everything catered for.“ |
| 74 /100 Steamboat Tavern (Bar) 78-80 NEW CUT WEST “Along the road running south side of the river and marina where the current regeneration if the banks gives way to the old and industrial, which dominates across the water. This is a very pleasing urban real ale pub, kids welcome. It has a central bar with local real ales and just as many ciders - seating is around the external walls. Some riverside picnic tables are available“ |
| 70 /100 70 FORE ST “Brewpub on two levels with the brewing talking place downstairs. Seating is upstairs with the bar against one wall in the middle, which mostly has its own collection of brews with a couple guests as well as a cider. A courtyard area behind the building, which is part of the car park doubles as a beer garden.“ |
| 60 /100 Lord Nelson Inn (Bar) 81 FORE STREET “Cosy low-ceilinged Adnams pub that wouldn't look out of place in the countryside. Tables are more suited to dining than casual drinking, but both or either are fine. There's a very urban garden area at the rear. Gravity dispensed ale choices on my visit were from either Adnams or Woodfordes.“ |
| 80 /100 Lord Nelson Inn (Bar) 81 FORE STREET “Very nice place to drink and grab a bite to eat before the football. Good selection of lagers, ciders as well as different ales on draught. Good mix of bar snacks and home cook mains.“ |
| 72 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Corner pub, larger than it looks with several rooms beyond the main bar area after you enter. It has a mostly wooden traditional design with quite welcoming fixtures and fittings. There's also a courtyard area that's just as atmospheric a place to sit and sup. There's plenty of locally produced ale here, although some are local from Adnams and Greene King which are nationally available. Unique in the selection is an ale brewed on site from the naturally named Dove Brewery.“ |
| 70 /100 Fat Cat - Ipswich (Bar) 288 SPRING ROAD “Real ale pub with plenty of selection, all gravity dispensed from a back room, so it takes a while to read the chalked up menu above the bar. It's open plan after you've gained entry at the side with a big garden a the rear, which is partly covered and included a smoke room, which is more of a hut in reality. Keg options available too.“ |
| 64 /100 Duke of York (Bar) 212 WOODBRIDGE ROAD “Slightly uphill east of the centre, this is an older pub building but refurbished and open plan with mainly dining style tables to sit at - and one couch area in once corner with books over a fireplace. There's a garden area at the rear and local ales are on its pumps as well as a Greene King craft keg.“ |
| 80 /100 Hopsters - Ipswich (Beer Store) 16 ST NICHOLAS STREET “Made orders from Hopsters during the pandemic. Their service and selection is very good. They even delivered to Bury St Edmunds once a week. Now that restrictions are lifting I can't wait to visit in person.“ |
| 74 /100 Duke of York (Bar) 212 WOODBRIDGE ROAD “Visited 4/1/2020. This pub has closed and reopened a number of times in recent years but is now reopened by the same people who run the Angel in Woodbridge which bodes well. Comfortable pub at the top of Warwick Road, roughly mid-way (with a slight detour) between the Fat Cat and Dove and worth the detour if doing those two (or a visit in its own right even). 10 keg and 9 cask ales, local focus including 3 house beers brewed by a “mystery Suffolk brewer” they won’t reveal who. Nice comfortable surroundings, pleasant service, regular live music, big car park, darts board, kid and dog friendly - it’s good to see it reopened and adding a new (and worthy) option to the east Ipswich scene.“ |
| 70 /100 22 LLOYDS AVENUE “Visited 29/3/2019. Opened late 2018, new venture by the owners of Three Wise Monkeys, Colchester. Similar concept, with the building being multi-level and themed in each level. Ground floor is the main bar, upstairs is a restaurant and grill, and in the basement is a gin bar. Spent most of this visit in the restaurant. Food is good, mainly meat dish focused, along with the decor. Around 20 taps, including two from Other Monkey Brewery which is based was TWM Colchester, and 27 bottles on their bottle list, but was a little disappointed by the range which didn't seem as good as Colchester but will certainly give it a look again and it's a good addition to the central Ipswich beer scene. Very friendly service.“ |
| 76 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Visited 8/1/19. We had a mild from the brewery on the other side of the streer, lots of interesting beers on tap, good atmosphere and service, busy at our short visit. Well worth a visit“ |
| 76 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Visisted on trip to 22 southern counties with OGJ and EE 08.01.18. Nice local bar with twelve ales on cask, all served without sparkler. Friendly atmosphere - except the punter with pink mohawk who grabbed for the buttocks of the barmaid while she was stretching for something in the other direction. Decent selection of intereseting ales.“ |
| 64 /100 70 FORE ST “First place I've been to with Grumbo and Danlo. Open view of the brewery downstairs with a decent open space tap room upstairs. Pretty good selection of regulars and seasonal brews. The barista was attentive and helpful. If in the area why not try the line-up of 3rds.“ |
| 82 /100 Fat Cat - Ipswich (Bar) 288 SPRING ROAD “Last stop with Grumbo and Danlo. This place was super busy and to be expected by the vast selection. Very nice view of the casks and pretty well staffed. Lots of heat up in here made my glasses fogged for a hot minute. Pretty solid otherwise.“ |
| 78 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Dropped by here with Grumbo and Danlo while visiting. Decent tap selection and a couple of their own brews from across the street. Pretty busy in the main bar with locals, but enough space to find a table. Worth a stop if in the area.“ |
| 78 /100 Fat Cat - Ipswich (Bar) 288 SPRING ROAD “Very lively pub, a walk out from Centre of Ipswich. The casks are on view in a separate room as you enter, and a steamy sweaty atmosphere once inside. Main bar, has good selection, afew separate rooms and more space outside. Third stop visited with Grumbo & Shig.“ |
| 78 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “Traditonal brewpub in Ipswich with good range of beers on cask including one of their own brews and some interesting ciders. Main bar at the front and lots of more rooms inside. Second stop with Grumbo & Shig. Worth visiting.“ |
| 70 /100 70 FORE ST “Brewpub on the Marina in Ipswich visited with Grumbo & Shig. Brewing vessels are on view downstairs with bar upstairs. Good selection of brewery beers on tap.“ |
| 74 /100 76 ST HELENS STREET “The Dove Street Inn empire spans Dove Street, with the pub on the corner of St Helens Road and the brewery, bed and breakfast and newly opened (or soon to be opened?) beer and gin shop opposite. At the back of the pub there’s a sports bar type room dedicated mainly to Ipswich Town Football Club, a patio / yard and a marquee set up as - I think - a music venue. The decor is quite basic and it’s a bit scruffy but in a nice way.
With somewhere between 12 and 24 beers on tap I’d been expecting to find a few of their own beers but there were none, nor any sign of activity at the brewhouse. No matter - there was enough to choose from and the service was friendly.
(Visited 25 September 2018).“ |
| 74 /100 Spread Eagle (Grain) (Bar) 1-3 FORE STREET “An attractive looking wattle and daub building on the corner of Fore Street, the Spread Eagle showcases Grain beers in a very stylish interior which makes the most of the original layout of the place and its features, such as wooden beams and low ceilings. They are open for coffee from 8am but the bar doesn’t open until midday so they were just preparing the pump clips when we arrived almost on the dot of 12. There were four or five casks on offer, all from Grain. We made our choice and sat outside on the secluded terrace at the back to catch some late September sunshine.
(Visited 25 September 2018).“ |
| 8 /100 Swan & Hedgehog (Bar) 3 KING STREET “What looks to have been a music venue in a traditional old pub is now closed. There was a sign in the window saying that there had been a “peaceable re-entry” by the landlord / freeholder, which I gather means the lease has been terminated.
(Viewed from outside 25 September 2018).“ |
| 72 /100 Arcade Street Tavern (Bar) ARCADE STREET “A pleasant place tucked under the arch where King Street becomes Arcade Street. It’s a low ceilinged old building which has been nicely modernised. There are three small rooms, all painted in a muted grey colour, and one has a window onto a tiny enclosed triangle which has been paved over and filled with garden pots. The service was friendly and the wild flowers in beer bottles on each table added a homely touch. There were four keg and two cask beers, both of them local.
(Visited 25 September 2018).“ |
| 64 /100 Cricketers (JDW) (Bar) 51 CROWN STREET “One of the better Wetherspoons because it’s a proper pub, rather than a conversion of some other building, next door to the Crown Pools (a swimming pool and leisure centre). The decor is as usual and, as you might expect, there are several cricket related pictures and posters and two signed miniature cricket bats in cases on the wall plus some photos and information about Ipswich Town Football Club. There were about ten hand pumps and the service was very efficient despite there being only one person covering both the bar and the food orders. Breakfast was a steal at £3.40 for the traditional English.
(Visited 25 September 2018).“ |
