Head to the UK’s answer to the Hamptons for seafood, shingle and coastal chic
Looking for a seaside break with lashings of lobster, English wines and an elegant sailing crowd? Look no further than this idyllic sliver of Suffolk coast, says Lucy Thackray
It’s a first world yet familiar problem. We don’t have enough mealtimes left in which to eat everything we want to in Aldeburgh. Each time I stroll along its coppery expanse of shingle, I notice something new: a squat fisherman’s hut, painted black with propped-up chalkboards proffering fresh oysters or smoked fish. A cosy-looking pub with Tudor-style stained glass windows. A waterfront terrace of locals nibbling crab arancini or garlicky prawns. I knew I was coming here for seafood, but I wasn’t prepared for how much food I’d see.
We’ve come to this under-the-radar bit of seaside, on the fringes of the Suffolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, for a late-spring long weekend. I only have a handful of things on my wishlist: a bracing coastal walk, a lobster dinner, fish and chips on the beach, and a look at Maggi Hambling’s sculpture, The Scallop. I quickly find out I should have left more space.
Arriving with my partner, Giles, and dog Milo in tow, we’re invigorated by the first sniff of salt air. As hardened Londoners, we tend to unwind and slow down near the sea – apart from Milo, who prefers to charge in headfirst. I came to Aldeburgh a few years ago to sing with a choir appearing at its Music Festival, so I know it’s pretty and quaint, with some music and arts heritage. I remember superlative fish and chips, eaten on the warm shingle with greasy hands and breeze in our hair.
Since then, it appears the town’s had a polish-up. New on the scene since November 2022 is The Suffolk, a trendy restaurant with rooms, to which we scoot our wheelie bags first. Delightfully, Milo’s welcome everywhere here: he curls up in the corner of our very plush room, complete with antique furniture and Chinese vases, and rests his head on my toes as we tuck into dinner – grilled lobster, roast saddle of Suffolk lamb, and martinis served with an oyster. The hotel feels not just dog-friendly, but dog-obsessed. Waiting staff fuss over him at breakfast, and we get chatting to the couple beside us about their own pups.
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There’s an entrepreneurial feel to Aldeburgh on this visit. The Suffolk’s restaurateur owner, George Pell, fizzes with excitement about homegrown spirits company Fishers Gin. He walks us over to its sea-facing tasting room, a modern, light-filled hangout with a broad wooden deck to sip G&Ts on. Its founder Andrew in turn raves about the brews at nearby, Southwold-based Adnams. We stroll over to the pastel-blue-fronted Regatta Restaurant on the high street for a wholesome lunch of fish and salads, where our hostess tips us off about two nearby pubs run by her sons. There’s a big, flourishing food ecosystem here, and we intend to try all of it.
After eating our fill, we set off on a golden-hour walk along the beach. In a slight detour from the town’s generally pet-friendly welcome, dogs are banned from Aldeburgh’s main stretch of beach from May to September. We venture north instead, following the side path where dogs trot on leads, until the official stretch of beach ends – slightly past Maggi Hambling’s glinting, cracked-shell sculpture. Here the shingle stretches up to the whimsical seaside resort of Thorpeness, with Milo free to frolic into the waves in search of driftwood.
On the way back from here we spot the modest fisherman’s huts, painted charcoal-black and laden with menu boards, sitting inches from fishing boats and lobster traps on the beach. It feels like something from a bygone age, but they’re still very much in business. Looking inland, I’m struck by how undeveloped and green the countryside fringing the coast is; no high-rise hotels, no new-build flats. Aldeburgh still feels like a well-kept secret, with tourists unable to flow in directly by public transport (the nearest station is Saxmundham, which is 20 minutes away by car).
The next day, we move to The Brudenell, the original seaside hotel and the only one on Aldeburgh’s beach. It attracts a smart set of polo-shirted and gilet-clad locals, tasting local ales on the al fresco terrace, and it’s dog-friendly, too (for a small extra fee). Just two minutes around the corner is the no-further-explanation-needed Aldeburgh Fish and Chips, whose crunchy golden treasures we eat in classic blustery beach weather. There’s something intensely nostalgic about sea breeze ruffling your hair as both hands and belly are warmed by fat, fryer-hot chips cradled in thin paper bags, tartare sauce gently pooling in one corner.
Somehow, we haul ourselves down the high street for a cuppa at the cute Chocolate Teapot cafe, where the smiley owners serve not just English breakfast in pretty mismatched china, but homemade French macarons in tempting flavours: black cherry, pistachio and salted caramel. We don’t really need dessert, but it’d be rude not to try a couple. Each. Later in the day they serve a nice wine list and English fizz with afternoon tea.
There’s something about this part of Suffolk that’s reminiscent of the most well-heeled, genteel bits of the USA’s New England coast: Maine, Nantucket, Cape Cod. Preppy cable knit sweaters and deck shoes look like Ralph Lauren’s styled the locals; smart yacht clubs hug the coast and river, and you’re never far from a decent glass of Champagne (nor a winery: Shawsgate is just 30 minutes inland, while we try Giffords Hall’s light Bacchus Suffolk at lunch that day).
Later, we find an idyllic walk south from our hotel, turning inland from the shoreline before Slaughden Sailing Club to follow the raised river wall along the Alde. It’s a neat, flat loop through apple-green meadows, with glossy-looking cows and wildflowers at our feet. We could follow this trail the two hours on to nearby Snape, with its concert hall, composer’s house and cute riverside pubs. But we have more to see (and eat) in town.
On our last morning, we’re met by drizzle. Bad news for beach huts, good news for tucking into that storybook high street. I devour an hour in Aldeburgh Bookshop, a darling, wood-fronted treasure trove of intriguing reads where a flyer informs me I’ve just missed the town’s petite literary festival. Down the street are seemingly unlimited independent boutiques selling recycled linen rugs, candles scented with coastal flora like gorse and samphire, glazed ceramics and shell-inspired jewellery.
But the best souvenirs here are edible: crumbly Suffolk Gold cheese and the brie-like Baron Bigod; Pinney’s smoked salmon; Giffords Hall wines and Fishers Gin; Stokes Suffolk pickle. I practically clear out Lawson’s deli in pursuit of the perfect spread. I may not have time for one more oyster by the sea – but if I can whisk a little of this elegant food scene home with me, it’ll keep me going until next time.
Travel essentials
Getting there
The nearest station is Saxmundham, a 20-minute taxi to Aldeburgh’s seafront. Take the train from London Liverpool Street and connect at Ipswich.
Staying there
The Suffolk is the new kid in town – a dog-friendly restaurant on the high street with six rooms, stylish interiors and a clear mission to use the best of the county’s produce. Its loved-by-locals restaurant, Sur Mer, does a cracking Suffolk Breakfast, as well as a glam cocktail menu by night.
The Brudenell is the town’s elegant seafront hotel, which also has some dog-friendly rooms. Its Seafood & Grill is renowned for its upmarket plates of crab thermidor, grilled prawns and catch of the day. Waking up to the sound of the waves in one of its seaview rooms is a real thrill.
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