Watson and Walpole — Restaurant in East Suffolk

What a delight Watson and Walpole is. Situated in the market town of Framlingham, this little Italian restaurant is the joint venture between Chef Rob Walpole and Ruth and David Watson.

A beautifully decorated and laid out dining room greets you upon entry. All accentuated by the warm and friendly greeting from the staff.

We booked the 6.30 sitting and arrived right on time, the doors were opening as we arrived so we were first in the restaurant. When booking we were told that we'd need to be done by 8.30 for the next sitting.

Service was fast and wonderfully pleasant, the staff happy to talk and were lovely through the whole meal.

The menu had a good selection of seasonal dishes that as I understand change on a monthly basis depending on available ingredients.

To start I had Scottish scallops with artichoke crema and 'nduja (£12) and it was a fantastic marriage of the 3 flavours. The scallops were perfectly cooked and a nice presentation.

For primi course I had Porcini and guanciale pansoti with sage butter (£11) and boy was this this dish of the night. The strength of flavour from the Porcini was incredible, the pasta was perfectly made and just the right thickness. I could have had that 3 times over and been happy.

My secondi course was Wood roasted Skate with agretti and lemon (£18.5) and the fish was beautifully cooked with some capers and a butter based sauce and the agretti added a lovely lemony flavour.

We had a bowl of Zucchini fritti to share which were very nice if a tad salty.

For pudding I went adventurous and had the vanilla ice cream.

The wine list wasn't extensive but it has a fantastic selection and variety, there should be something to please every palatte.

It's clearly doing well as by the time we left. The restaurant was full and tables were being turned over fast. Book early to avoid disappointment, we booked two weeks ahead and there was already limited space.

My only negatives would be that at the end things felt a little rushed as we were nearing the 8.30 cut off but this can easily be avoided by booking in the second sitting.

Secondly, the bill already had a discretionary 12.5% service charge added. This is in no way me saying the staff were not deserving of the tip, they were for sure, fantastic service all the way through the evening as I already mentioned. My main feeling is let me decide how much I want to tip, I'd have probably tipped more than the 12.5% because I think the staff were worth more but as it was on there I was less inclined to. I know it's becoming more of the norm to add it to the bill but personally I don't agree with it.

Overall Chef Walpole and the staff are doing something quite special here in this little Italian.

Thank you to all the team for a wonderful night. I was visiting family from Sheffield so I am sad it will be a while before I can...

Review for Beviamo, just drinks so won't rate the food.

We finally got around to checking out Beviamo last night. What a much needed authentic and refreshing addition to Framlingham's nightlife. Subdued lighting, some cool tunes, busy but not overly crowded, a nice Saturday buzz, I felt right at home. Great use of a reclaimed building btw, needs a few more Italian fooball team scarves and scudetti adorning rhe walls though, instead of the Liverpool, Norwich and Brighton ones ;-)worry not, its not a sportsbar feel, its a bone fide Italian Bar feel. Original and interesting cocktails, some safe, selected and revisited classics and some "have you got the cojons to order me" to tempt the connoisseur or adventurous dilettante. NOT the same old cheese like many city cocktail bars. Nice to see some genuine Italian liqueurs and spirits on the shelf, winking at me like old friends, sunny days and Summer nights in Italia remembered. The 2 bartenders were busy mixing and pouring out some beautiful concoctions for most of the time we were there but this didn't slow down service provided at all, I'm in no rush on a Saturday night out with La mia Amata anyway. In fact it was a pleasure to watch them ply their trade, cool but unpretentious, efficient and coordinated, with a little bit of flair and saper fare, Italian style meets English class. Well done ragazzi. 1 niggle , better quality wine glasses. It ain't cheap. It was the most expensive, but not extortionate, round of the night in town but it has no compare so fair enough. However, the quality is there, the Watson knowledge and experience, the Walpole drive and creativity. We will return, babysitters permitting. Or perhaps for a cheeky Prosecco b4 lunch,or a quick espresso after lunch, at the counter, just like in Italy. I may even donate some of my favourite Perugia calcio scarves upon our ritorno. Treat yourself,get down to Beviamo. Alla...

I had the unfortunate experience of dining at what was supposed to be a high-end Italian restaurant, and I can't express enough how thoroughly disappointed I am. Let's start with the premixed cocktails – an absolute travesty. I expected a place of this caliber to offer artisanal cocktails with fresh ingredients, but instead, I was met with premixed concoctions that tasted like they'd been sitting on the shelf for ages. It's astonishing that a restaurant claiming to be upscale would resort to such shortcuts.

The discomfort didn't stop at the drinks. The seating and overall environment were downright dreadful. The chairs were unbelievably uncomfortable, and the atmosphere was devoid of the charm and elegance one would anticipate from a high-end Italian establishment. It felt more like a hastily thrown-together cafeteria than a place where you'd expect to savor a fine Italian meal. To make matters worse, the service was agonizingly slow. It took an eternity for our food to arrive, and our server appeared more interested in their own agenda than ensuring our dining experience was pleasant. Finally, the prices were absolutely ludicrous for the quality of experience we endured. I don't mind paying a premium for exceptional dining, but what we got was nothing short of a rip-off. In summary, this restaurant failed spectacularly in delivering the high-end Italian dining experience it promised, and I would...