The Cookhouse is a newly opened contemporary British restaurant situated on the Suffolk Coast and Heaths near the River Orwell in Suffolk. As you arrive, you may first encounter The Award Winning Food Hall, a true food lover’s heaven offering a superior selection of delectable food. Enchanting lighted pathways lead you from the Food Hall to the Restaurant.
Enjoy premium local produce, as you gaze out upon the sweeping beautiful scenery. The extensive array of gourmet food weaves a myriad of flavours you may not experience elsewhere. The modern spacious restaurant emits a welcoming atmosphere during the daytime or the evening. I was delighted to discover that the waiter provides any information required about the source of any ingredients on the menu. I particularly favour wide-open spaces, where the design flows uninterrupted, so The Cookhouse did not disappoint. The restaurant and bar are designed to connect seamlessly, rather than separate.
I started with oven roasted vegetable salad with wild rocket, ciabatta croutons and shaved parmesan. The waiter was able to inform me where the salad leaves were grown, apparently a very short distance from the restaurant. The fresh taste of the leaves will permeate my memory as a new standard for salad. The taste was so fresh, and bursting with deeper flavour than usually experienced from salad leaves. I had been keen to try the Broxtead onion soup with a Suffolk Gold rarebit topping, as I am an avid lover of cheese. Sadly, as a vegetarian, I was unable to order the onion soup, as it contained beef stock. The waiter kindly appeared at the table with two slices of the rarebit for me to try. I recommend the Suffolk Gold cheese, as one of the best cheese’s I have tasted, to date.
For Mains I chose mushroom casserole with crushed potatoes, pak choi, and parsnip crisp. The portion sizes are much larger than you may find in other restaurants, yet artfully and elegantly plated. The wide varieties of wild mushrooms were delicious, local and plentiful.
My gourmet journey completed with vanilla crème brulee, strawberry and raspberry sundae topped with meringue and raspberry sauce.
Prices are incredibly reasonable, given the generous portion sizes. The restaurant is to be admired for sourcing some of the best award winning produce available within Suffolk. The environment is peaceful and relaxed, as you may expect in Suffolk, thus ideal for a break to recuperate.
Outstanding panoramic views of The River Orwell may be seen through floor to ceiling windows
Private dining, cookery workshops and much more are also available at The Cookhouse.
To book at table call: – 01473 786616
Address
Cookhouse
Suffolk Food Hall Ltd,
Wherstead,
Ipswich,
Suffolk,
IP9 2AB
Review by Sarah Ince
