Aldeburgh: Regatta

07 May 2005

Aldeburgh has a fine sailing tradition, and the town reflects this passion. The Regatta restaurant is instantly part of the scene as it's painted in cheerful nautical colours and looks, to all intents and purposes, like a boat sailing along the High Street.

Naturally enough, and like other restaurants in this popular seaside town, locally-caught fish plays a very important part on the menu with everything from oysters to crab, smoked sprats and lobster on offer.

One highlight is the restaurant's own smoked fish, especially salmon, produced in its own smoke-house. So, yes, it would only be polite to try it. Served with a decent chilli and coriander jam, chunky new potatoes (they don't do any of that minimalist nonsense here) and seasonal vegetables, it's a hearty meal that hits the spot straightaway.

It's been run by husband-and-wife team, Robert and Johanna Mabey, since 1992. Robert, who is also head chef, trained at the Connaught Hotel and Le Gavroche before returning to his East Anglian roots – so his pedigree is top drawer.

But don't imagine that this is a fussy, formal kind of place. It's actually quite the reverse.

Wooden tables and chairs greet you, the day's specials are chalked up on blackboards in typical bistro style and there are quirky pictures on the walls.

This is a friendly, convivial place where people seem to know both each other and the staff. It's buzzy, with that lovely clink of wineglasses echoing around and you just know you're going to have fun.

After a tough day looking around the sights, including a trip to nearby Snape Maltings and a spot of serious shopping (or rather, window-shopping) on the High Street, my partner and I opted for a fairly early supper at 7.30pm, with fish featuring prominently.

I started with half a dozen oysters with a red wine and shallot vinegar at £6.50, while he chose smoked prawns and a garlic dipping sauce at £4.50 – which I tried and rated highly. Next time…

As already mentioned, I followed with one of the house favourites, which was delicious, while my better half tried the tuna, cooked through rather than the usual seared, and served with roasted Med veggies. Again, a success.

For pudding, I had one of my all-time favourites, a vanilla crème brulée, which was heavenly – rich, creamy and dangerous for the waistline – and a good price at £3.50. Various coffees are on offer, so Sir tried a cappuccino – although I stuck with the wine!

Service was slick, rather than thoughtful, and rather hurried, I felt, but the whole place has an action-packed atmosphere rather than a lingering over another cup of coffee feel.

Aldeburgh then, is well worth a visit, especially in the summer months. Dare we say move over Southwold?

This is certainly a thriving town, with a real family-friendly feel. We stayed for a couple of nights, surprisingly without the children, at the newly-revamped Brudenell hotel on the seafront, which was great. Very child-friendly, we couldn't help but notice, so perhaps we'll be back with the youngsters in the warmer weather – and, yes, back to the Regatta where they'd enjoy those chunky chips I spotted.