Mariners Of Ipswich

We celebrated our anniversary with a lovely Saturday lunch at this restaurant. The setting was beautiful and we were able to reminisce about our previous visit here 20 years ago. The food was excellent, and we opted for the set menu. Jade provided exceptional service and took care of us perfectly.

Checking in to a hotel in an unfamiliar place, it is tempting to book one 's first evening meal in the hotel 's restaurant (unless, of course, one has had chance to research the alternatives beforehand . This may seem a safe option, but is often a mistake, as it was on my visit to Ipswich. Had I only known that a minute 's walk along the quayside would have taken me to Mariners, I should have eaten there twice rather than only once! A floating restaurant can often prove to be a bit of a gimmick, but Mariners seemed to get good reviews so, on night two, I gave it a try. A beautifully restored and maintained Dutch customs gunboat from 1900, with gleaming brass and polished woodwork, the restaurant offers a limited, but well-constructed, menu to satisfy most tastes. Being aboard a boat, I opted for seafood, and was not disappointed. There being an R in the month , mussels were a good choice for my starter, followed by a seafood skewer , presented with just enough theatre to be amusing but not over the top. Not fine dining , perhaps, but well-prepared, nicely presented and very satisfying dishes at reasonable prices. A limited wine list, perhaps a bit on the pricey side, but the Picpoul de Pinet proved to be an excellent accompaniment without over-stressing the credit card. Service struck just the right balance between politeness and friendliness. My fellow diners embraced the whole age spectrum (I was by far the oldest! weighted perhaps towards the younger end, the common factor being that everyone (myself included was clearly enjoying themself. There are many other dining venues along the Ipswich quayside that my brief visit did not allow me to try, but Mariners can be recommended as a safe and enjoyable bet.

Had a lovely lunch here today, our second visit. Walked in without booking. The menu is small but has good choices. As a gastritis sufferer I did feel too many of the choices had spice in them. I went for the steak which was cooked as I requested and the sauce and triple cooked chips were lovely accompaniment. Mushroom and tomato rounded the plate off. My husband had the fish skewer which I later found out I could have ordered without the shell fish next time…. Delightful lunch with a view

My word this was poor. We have been there several times and it was great. We booked for this evening and really built it up to our friend. Ordered 2 starters and only got one. Waiter made a mistake it happens. After 1 hour and 15 minutes we asked where our mains were. 15 minutes later I was ready to walk out but was persuaded to stay. Suspect any dessert would have come around breakfast time. I have no problem paying top dollar for a good experience but this was rubbish. Food was ok but the service destroyed the evening. I complained but nobody really cared. 2 stars a bit generous to be honest.

A treat for my wife's birthday, pleasant atmosphere, efficient service, my wife had the cod steak which she enjoyed, I ordered the spicy lamb, I wasn't very impressed, the three small pieces of lamb we're full of sinew and gristle and a lot of fat, mostly ended up on the side of my plate, certainly not worth the money, a shame really, it spoilt the evening for me, I kept quiet and didn't complain as to not spoil my wife's birthday meal. Otherwise a pleasant evening if not a little expensive.