The Forge Kitchen
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Should have left this review months ago (sorry!)... We hired out the whole place for the day for our wedding reception (120 guests) last October. Grant, Kieran and the team could not have been more accommodating. The sheer effort, communication, coming up with special items on the menu, organising timings etc was just impeccable. They made us feel like nothing was any bother, provided excellent value for money and so many people commented on the unique and beautiful venue and delicious food. Grant just seemed to "get" us, and we couldn't have asked for more. Through his industry experience he provided sensible advice, and worked with us to provide as secure an environment as possible due to Covid. I must try to dig out a photo of the decorations - we provided them and Kieran worked tirelessly (I've since heard overnight!) to put them up, and he did a stunning job. I've just seen that they're now officially offering the venue for hire. If you're thinking about it, pay them a visit, The Forge made our wedding extra special and we still go back there for meals!
Jacki AgerJacki Ager
00
Visited here for the second time today. Its an impressive looking venue.... and for visitors to Ipswich perfectly located for a stroll to the Waterfront after dinner where you can enjoy a drink or dessert in one of the many harbour-side bars. The Forge is clean with modern, industrial interiors. Both times I have eaten have been on a Sunday.... when there is a specific menu presenting a selection of the usual weekday grill dishes as well as Sunday roasts. We were a party of five who had reserved a table in advance. We were advised that we could dine outdoors. As we sipped drinks in the bar area we were advised that outdoor dining wasn't actually available due to a wedding party. No bother. The menu is moderately expensive... £11.50 for a Sunday dinner plus additional cost for carrots and cauliflower cheese. A selection of vegetables were included in the price which are served communally - each person helping themselves. The issue was all of the vegetables were 'green' - cabbage, peas and green beans.... making the dinner look somewhat insipid. Also there was not enough. The gravy is served in small ramekins.... we were advised that we could ask for more. We did (it was a tiny tiny serving) and were suprised to see a charge of £2.24 for the additional gravy on the bill! We were not advised we'd pay for gravy. Due to an hour wait for mains on our last visit we had a 25% discount voucher. We presented this.... and the overall bill was reduced by £1.50! On a £75 spend. We queried this and on the second attempt the discount was applied to the whole bill.... watch it - they are crafty. I can see why some people like it.... the food is nice.... venue and toilets are spotless.... but with all of the additional charges on the menu (chips, salad, onion rings etc are not included with mains) as well as additional charges maybe you'd be better off at The Harvester.... where the venue may not be so exciting but at least the pricing structure is simple. Disappointing.
Sam ThorleySam Thorley
00
We came in blind being the first booking on opening day hoping for the best and we were well and truly not let down. We had 2 starters and a nibbl to share consisting of padron peppers, salt & pepper squid, cod cheek scampi and everything was cooked to perfection, cod was wonderfully moist and the squid was not chewy in the slightest. For mains we had the beef & bone marrow burger along with the smoked pork belly and sides of salt & pepper skinny fries, courgette fries and smoked roasted vegetables. The pork was beautifully cooked and full of Smokey flavour and the burger.... Oh man the burger.... The new home of Ipswich's best beef burger... Massive melt in the mouth flavour of roast beef and bone marrow full of toppings for extra crunch, all of the sides tasted amazing as well. To top it all off there is an amazing cocktail menu and excellent selection of beers and wines.
Tony CowlingTony Cowling
20
The thing that stands out at this restaurant is the customer service, special touches, and quality. The owner took the time to personally greet and speak with us when we arrived, which is something that rarely happens at other places. The cocktails are amazing and reasonably priced for the quality, , and flair that goes into them. The high-end glassware, drink decor, and the skill of the bar staff really stood out. The spiced rum and Coke I had was a real winner too. There is so much in the press about hospitality businesses shutting down every day, and I am sure The Forge has seen some tough times too. However, this owner has adapted quickly and offered something very special, and the place was so busy I thought I was in a different town! We didn’t get the chance to eat, but the warm welcome and experience we had means we will be back to try the food too.
melissa Neisler Dickinsonmelissa Neisler Dickinson
00
The forge kitchen is a modern bar/restaurant with a really quirky and unique aesthetic. It has a nearly steampunk/industrial vibe and the food is really solid. I was here for a work event and so couldn't look through the whole menu but what I did have was delicious. The Vegan Big Jack was really tasty. The burger was cooked extremely well and the garnish was well portioned. Overall a really good burger! The skin on fries were also very tasty. It would be good to see a wider variety of different plant-based meals considering how good this one was. The service was particularly good, with staff consistently making sure my colleagues and I were well looked after. I would definitely advise visiting this restaurant, especially given how well they handled such a large party of people.
Tiarnán ByrneTiarnán Byrne
20
Second time dining here and it was as good, if not better, than the first time! Everything from the atmosphere to the staff, food to drinks is spot on. We tend to go for a smorgasbord of different plates as there is so much on offer but the highlights are those in the picture: burnt beef ends, charred iceberg, loaded fries and onion rings. Added the ham tacos this time and they were epic. Special mention needed for the mac and cheese which is the best. Now, there are some fancy and intriguing drinks on the menu but these gingerbread espresso martinis were a perfect liquid dessert to end the night on. Definitely going back and definitely ordering more of what we love and maybe a couple of new ones.
Oli WellsOli Wells
00
Nearby Attractions Of The Forge Kitchen
Ipswich Waterfront
Omniplex Cinema Ipswich
Holywells Park
Ipswich Museum
Escape Ipswich
St Mary-le-Tower
Inflata Nation Inflatable Theme Park Ipswich
Clifford Road Tunnels Heritage Site
Inflata Nation Ipswich
Unitarian Meeting House

Ipswich Waterfront
4.5
(1.4K)Click for details

Omniplex Cinema Ipswich
4.6
(975)Click for details

Holywells Park
4.6
(977)Click for details

Ipswich Museum
4.6
(572)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The Forge Kitchen
Isaacs On The Quay
Papa Panda
Ocean Fish Platter
Cock and Pye
Nando's Ipswich - Cardinal Park
Takayama Restaurant
Mahzen
Rios Brazil
The Dove Street Inn
wagamama ipswich

Isaacs On The Quay
4.3
(1.4K)Click for details

Papa Panda
4.3
(678)Click for details

Ocean Fish Platter
4.7
(576)$$
Click for details

Cock and Pye
4.2
(588)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
1-3 Duke St, Ipswich IP3 0AE, United Kingdom
Map
Phone
+44 1473 232009
Call
Website
theforgekitchen.co.uk
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.4
(562 reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Steaks, weekend brunch & cocktails offered in an industrial-chic smokehouse with a terrace.
attractions: Ipswich Waterfront, Omniplex Cinema Ipswich, Holywells Park, Ipswich Museum, Escape Ipswich, St Mary-le-Tower, Inflata Nation Inflatable Theme Park Ipswich, Clifford Road Tunnels Heritage Site, Inflata Nation Ipswich, Unitarian Meeting House, restaurants: Isaacs On The Quay, Papa Panda, Ocean Fish Platter, Cock and Pye, Nando's Ipswich - Cardinal Park, Takayama Restaurant, Mahzen, Rios Brazil, The Dove Street Inn, wagamama ipswich
