The Lighthouse — Restaurant in East Suffolk

came here for dinner to celebrate my wife's b/day. i decided on this purely because of the reviews as opposed to Regatta and Sur-Mer. i prefer honest portions and great produce over most Michelin style food with an honest ambiance over pretentiousness. not saying the the other two are like this, just going on reviews. bit of a let down really, i had scallops with bacon and my wife asparagus. unfortunately, when they arrived they had bought the wrong dish for my wife, taking both away they returned five mins later with the right dish but had left mine either on the side or under a heat source. as it had salad in it this was a little spoiled. there was also a lot of bacon fat, that did not add to the dish. my main was pork tenderloin in mustard sauce. it was not pork tenderloin but a pork chop! the sauce was less mustard and more cream. my wife had Gnocchi, this looked to be straight out of a packet. they do have an extensive if not eclectic wine list but not so broad a choice with after dinner spirits. i fancied a brandy and noted the only half-decent option was Remy. having had waiters ask if i want ice with this before, i pre-empted by asking the waited if he would do me a favour and warm the glass with some hot water before putting the brandy in. it arrived cold! décor a little odd with items left over from various birthdays and other bits and bobs that just look like they have not cleared up properly and a rather annoying patron at the adjacent table with their dog. spread out a large dog mat on the floor, letting the dog wander about and constantly feeding it from the table. Nothing really wrong here. all good honest cooking, lots of local clientele with many regulars. just think it is overly well reviewed in terms of...

Came here to celebrate my 60th birthday. All of us are vegan so we're keen to see the vegan menu Obviously very popular as it soon started to fill up once we got there (make sure you ring and book a table ) Varied selection of dishes on the separate vegan, vegetarian menu, all had starters which were good (warm bread, oil, balsamic vinegar, olives, tapanade ) For the mains two of the party had the chilli and rice which was lacking in depth and flavour, I had the mushroom risotto which seemed to be lacking in mushrooms, as we were told there would be slices of mushrooms. My wife had the tagine which she enjoyed, all had chunky chips to share which were excellent but wished there were more. Service was attentive as the restaurant was full. Large wine and drinks list. Dogs allowed in the restaurant. We took our dog and he got a free sausage which was a nice touch. Did not have puddings but there was a selection for vegans.We eat out a lot and are keen to support restaurants that provide a vegan menu, as we are all accomplished vegan cooks we felt that the service and ambience was good but the overall taste, quality and portion sizes were lacking. Also the overall meal was expensive.Good access for toilets and you can take your dog, please mention this...

We visited this restaurant today for my sister's birthday; it was our first time, but it most definitely won't be our last! I want to shout from the rooftops how amazing this restaurant is! If you are lucky enough to have Laura as your server, you will enjoy every minute of your visit - she is fun and so welcoming; nothing is too much bother (and believe me, as someone who needs gluten free food, I experienced truly exceptional help. As soon as Laura knew my dietary needs, she took her time over the 2.5 hours we were there, to make sure I was catered for and knew what I could and couldn't eat). The owner, went out of his way to come and say hello to us and have a chat and when they surprised my sister by singing 'Happy Birthday' we just couldn't have asked for a warmer and more welcoming environment. Add to that, the exceptional quality of the food ( yes, they altered a dish to gluten free for me), and the 'no rush' approach to the dining experience, I can honestly say this is the best dining experience I have had in many years...so much so, that this is my first, yes first, review of a restaurant! Bravo to the whole team. You are amazing and we will be back to visit with more family members. Thank you...