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The Red Lion Vegetarian Restaurant, Greenstreet Green, Gt Bricett, Suffolk, IP7 7DD

Of course, I love my fiancee very much. This, I believe was demonstrated to its fullest when I booked a vegetarian restaurant for her birthday this year, The Red Lion in Great Bricett. Quite frankly, the thought of being denied a sweet scallop here and a juicy steak there had left me ....

The Red Lion Vegetarian Restaurant, Great Bricett

The Red Lion Vegetarian Restaurant, Great Bricett

Greenstreet Green, Gt Bricett, Suffolk, IP7 7DD

Of course, I love my fiancee very much. This, I believe was demonstrated to its fullest when I booked a vegetarian restaurant for her birthday this year, The Red Lion in Great Bricett. Quite frankly, the thought of being denied a sweet scallop here and a juicy steak there had left me contemplating the logistics of sneaking a lamb cutlet in under my shirt...
I needn't have worried, however, because the menu at this quiet country road pub had plenty to distract a hardened carnivore.

The Buxhall Crown, Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3DW

The Buxhall Crown, Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3DW

Buxhall, Near Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 3DW

A stalwart of local dining, this charming 17th century pub has seen some recent changes, not just with the owners but the menu also. With vast views over the fields of Suffolk, The Buxhall Crown is well known in the local area for hearty pub grub alongside more contemporary British cooking. It boasts of seasonal cooking from local produce, a point which new owner Wayne Felgate was quick to mention on our arrival. "We've bought four lambs this week - I can see them from my window. I haven't the heart to name them. Besides, I've got dibs on one of the racks!" he says. At least the lamb is more local than the beef, which is sourced from Scotland...Still, mustn't grumble...

Strada, Cupola House, 7 The Traverse, Bury St. Edmunds,IP33 1BJ

Strada, Cupola House, 7 The Traverse, Bury St. Edmunds,IP33 1BJ

Cupola House, 7 The Traverse, Bury St. Edmunds,IP33 1BJ

With the big J.O about to open his take on a neighbourhood chain, I thought I'd revisit a branch of Strada to remind myself what he's up against. Naturally, being a Suffolk fella, Bury St. Edmunds got my visit.
A wet and busy lunchtime saw myself and two fellow diners wringing out our brollies inside the door of the 1693 building, originally a residential house, then a pub of some poor repute. Interestingly, both Cupola House and the Nutshell (Britain's Smallest Pub, just down the way) have mummified cats beneath the floorboards to ward off evils spirits. It seems to have worked, as the staff here are welcoming and polite, and well turned out. Decor is almost precisely the same in every Strada branch - dark woods, reds and greens - nothing particularly inspiring, but pleasant enough.

The Great House, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10

The Great House, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10

Lavenham, Suffolk CO10

And so one year left until the full expectation of responsibility rests upon me, I found myself in the corner of The Great House in Lavenham, possibly the finest example of an English Medieval town you'll find, complete with the beamed buildings leaning at wonky angles across narrow thoroughfares. On this dark November night, you would expect it to be a sinister place, but the warm glow of the windows was, well, warming.

The Bildeston Crown, High Street, Bildeston, Suffolk IP7

The Bildeston Crown, High Street, Bildeston, Suffolk IP7

High Street, Bildeston, Suffolk IP7

Now I hope I am forgiven for my fondness for this restaurant/hotel just a stone's throw away from my parents place in Suffolk - this is where I entertained my future in-laws on our first meeting (only to be interrupted during aperitifs by a screaming blonde transvestite) and where I proposed to my fiancée at New Years Eve. It has great memories for me and is fantastic when it comes to the business of feeding one into a blissful gastronomic daze. But there is indeed a downside.
The building is 15th century, with the wonderful timber frames that often bless the villages of Suffolk in-between newer structures, a cheerful yellow colour and 'landed gentry' interior. It has a homely feel but manages to be elegant with it.

The Crown Inn, Snape, Suffolk


Snape, Suffolk

The Crown has a host of "good food guide" badges around its door, just under a sign saying "Children under 14 not allowed". This is a bit of a shame since, being a country pub, you would expect to see a few good-natured kids playing up while their mums and dads are fumbling with a toffee treacle pudding. Dogs are allowed, of course. The main feature of this pub is a magnificent suffolk settle (I hope I've got that right) which clusters round an open fireplace. The rest of the pub is decked out in typical Laura Ashley style. Get this too, they have a room they call the "restaurant" which looks exactly the same as the others. Here we are then in typical "blackboard pub" territory.

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