The Duck — Restaurant in East Suffolk

We visited The Dog and Duck on Saturday, whilst on holiday in the local area, to celebrate a special occasion in the family. We had chosen this pub as a more 'special' option to some of the more local pubs, but sadly we left feeling very disappointed.

We got off to a promising start with a warm welcome from the owners father, a lovely seat in a great setting (the decor is beautiful), and lots to choose from on the brilliant and varied sounding menu. Initial service was great - friendly, attentive waiters, and a little bit of charming but unobtrusive chat from the owners father which made us feel relaxed and welcomed. Our starters were promising, no complaints there... but unfortunately that was where our lovely evening went sour... After over an HOUR, we still had no main courses, and no-one had come round to ask if we'd like more drinks. The owners father came round asking how our food had been and whether we'd like to see the desert menu; when we said our starter had been great but we were still waiting on our mains, he promisingly said he'd go and fetch our mains from the kitchen right away. He never returned to our table to say where our food was, or to even apologise for the wait..... and still nobody came to ask us if we'd like more drinks. After some time, our mains arrived. The food presentation was absolutely wonderful - but - the food itself needs work. We had calves liver with bubble & squeak - the liver was perfect, but the whole dish came out cold, and the bubble and squeak was inedible (a sour/bitter taste, then overpowered by burnt flavour). Pesto cod, with veggies - again, the cod was beautifully cooked, but the new potatoes were hard and inedible. And, a pork dish off of the specials board - the sauce was absolutely delicious, but the pork was tough, and again the potatoes very undercooked.

We stressed heavily to the waitresses that we were unhappy with the time it took for our food to come out, and also with the disappointing and inedible aspects to our main meals. We appreciate that your meals are freshly cooked, but, if this means leaving customers over an hour between courses... with some items still undercooked... this is NOT satisfactory or professional, and you need to hire more kitchen staff. We were all highly upset with the way in which these complaints were managed as we had no genuine apology for the long wait for food, and absolutely no compensation for the fact that all 3 of us had to leave something on our plates - with one of us (the calves liver) literally only being able to eat the meat. We felt that we were trying to give constructive and valid comments, as we can see that your pub has great potential, but you really need to work on your customer service. The customer is always right. and should always come first. Your staff dealt with our comments in a very defensive manner, and we left feeling unwelcome, ignored, and undervalued as paying customers....

Really welcoming, both to us and to the dogs! We visited on a sunny Saturday lunchtime and sat outside, and it is clear they have put thought and effort into making the outdoor area appealing. The food menu was limited to bbq (burgers) at the time we visited, and we had the nicest vegetarian option I’ve had in a while. It is a halloumi burger but elevated over most by the miso glazed grilled aubergine - I didn’t think I even cared much for aubergine prior to this, so I’m going to assume the miso is the star ingredient here! Burgers come with a generous portion of fries, so you probably won’t need 2 sides, as we found out. On the other hand, their lemony potato salad with spring onions does impress.

The dogs enjoyed their visit too, thanks to attentive staff who supplied fresh water and doggy treats without prompting. In addition there is a playing field behind where the dogs were able to stretch their legs and tire themselves out before and after. The service was excellent and the prices competitive. Ducking...

Best roast we’ve had for as long as we can remember!

We were holidaying in the area and drove passed the pub. It looked really welcoming and smart from the outside so we tried our luck at getting a last minute table.

The staff made it possible for us to eat in the main part of the pub after moving tables around. The atmosphere was great and the pub is beautifully decorated.

The staff were warm and professional, taking extra time to explain the menu to our children. My husband and I opted for the pork roast and the turkey roast. Both were sensational! The roast potatoes were fresh and the vegetables perfectly cooked. The meat was succulent and tasty. Even better, the food is priced really well - not expensive.

Well done to everyone at The Duck. We believe it’s a new venture? Good luck for 2020. We’re sure you will be successful - especially if you carry on what...