Butley Orford Oysterage — Restaurant in East Suffolk

This was a very upsetting experience. I was taken to this restaurant for my birthday. My husband booked a table which was taken by a couple who had not booked, so, no bother, we found another, probably better table, to be honest. We ordered wine and were left some time whilst the order from the unbooked table was taken, and we watched their drinks being delivered as well. Eventually, we got our drinks order. We were asked for our choice, something simple - a baked sea bass. We did not order a starter as we were planning on a dessert. Then we watched as, not only did the unbooked table get their starter first but a table of 4 who arrived later recieved their starters for all 4 people plus drinks. We waited, and by this time, we had nearly drunk our entire bottle of wine. Eventually, we got our order - at exactly the same time as the unbooked table, who had already eaten their starter. We were told our order had not been given into the kitchen but that once it had been, it would be 5 minutes - 'fraid not. We waited over an hour for essentially fish and potatoes. We left after eating and without dessert ( I was ready to go beforehand, to be honest). Our bottle of wine and 2 plates of sea bass and potatoes was just shy of £40 in the end because the restaurant reduced the bill by 50% due to the wait. However, it was humiliating, and my husband was disappointed with the special meal he had planned for my birthday. Not a experience I intend to repeat in that restaurant. As a local person brought up on fresh fish straight from the trawlers, I appreciate nicely cooked fish - but as a restaurant, the experience was upsetting - it was not worth the money. I get the concept. Simple surroundings, simple food served well to the middle classes - but attention to detail makes the difference. Otherwise, it is just an overly expensive restaurant with shitty...

Walk into this restaurant and you expect to hear James Robertson Justice bellowing at a hapless Dirk Bogard and an inanely grinning Lance Percival about some real or imagined faux pas in the kitchen. Joan Simms and Sylvia Simms smile knowingly at each other from the front of house as Margaret Rutherford tucks into a plate of lightly grilled fish, glancing down to read about the latest murder in the village.

Walk into the Butley Oysterage and it's like walking back in the time. The decor is out of the late 50's, ivory walls with bright green accents, and the tables and chairs look like they're out of a traditional British boarding school.

It's fantastic!! The atmosphere is just right and the service is great. The oysters (we had a dozen between us to start) are the freshest, firmest yet most melt in the mouth I have ever had. They were probably taken out of Thier beds just a few hours earlier. Go for the oysters, the service and the atmosphere (and the stories you can tell) if nothing else.

Why a four then? My grilled cod was overcooked and brown on the plate, and the only choice of vegetable was new potatoes. This is, after all, an English restaurant. It is an English restaurant where not only the setting, but the food is still in the 50's. It was an experience and next time I'll try something else. If they smoke their fish as well as they do their oysters, that might be...

One of our party had eaten here before and highly recommended it. We arrived after a three hour drive to be told our table was not ready. OK, OK maybe I am out of touch, the prices here seemed extreme. Local lobster salad was £38. The lobster was fine, not my favourite. The salad pretty standard stuff. The dressing straight out of 50 litre catering pack. At this price you'd expect more. The medium mixed grill at £19.50 contained one prawn, one mussel, two sardines (the cheapest fish in the market) and the best thing on the plate a small serving of very good fried small squid and two slices of bread. Incredible price. The dover sole, consisting of two medium (ish) fish, were nice enough cooked, but needed a crust or some browning. They were ok. The taramosalata meh. We had two puddings. The basque cheesecake was no such thing. Very disappointing. The chocolate and almond cake tasted of almond essence, a crime against cake making if you ask me. £10 for each pudding! The room is pretty basic and the school room chairs uncomfortable. I can see what this place is trying to do, but I was unexcited by it and at these prices I would expect more. Still, it was full and as you'll see from other reviews,...