Ipswich, gotta love it. Hmmm.

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OK, so there's a few threads here about Suffolk that I've been playing with, and I am enjoying it, so thought I'd enhance on stinky old Ippy in a very subjective and judgemental way...
This is Wet-Dock (Haven/Neptune) biased by the way.
Last Anchor... Yeah well. I don't bother.
Continental Colours Cafe (on Neptune Quay), good coffee, nice dainty sarnies. Quite pleasant to sit outside- a suntrap.
Malthouse Hotel on Neptune Quay)- Not been but the folks reckon it's utter pants- overpriced, surly, unhelpful staff and let-down food.
Shiplaunch Inn- down beyond the yah flats NE end of docks, recently re-furbed to pull in the yahs. Bit stark but food ok and Adnams on tap.Prices high side of pub, but not extortionate.
Lord Nelson- need I say more? (See you there).
Cafe opposite LN (can't remember name), poor example of greasy spoon- REALLY disappointing. Caravan on Woodbridge Quay infinitely better, but this is about Ips.
Orwell Street (leading up from LN)-
Fish'n Chip resto- despite ads, not Aldeburgh quality, only so-so. But then I don't rate Alde F'n C that highly either.
The 1st Thai place (can't remember name, but on sharp corner), is also the newest, but only 2nd worst in Ips.
East Ocean Chinese- used to be OK, not been lately.
Passage to India- used to be one of Ips better (trad style) Indians, but again, not been lately.
Baipo Thai- Ipswich's 2nd best Thai in my opinion. Also the longest running.
Thai 1 (yup, 3 Thai restos on 1 street)- my personal favourite. Same bunch as the one in Colchester. Fact that a Brit guy manages it, unlike the Thai run others means zilch, Thai cooks in windowed kitchen know their stuff.
Jem.
 
Continued...
From the other end of the docks- more convenient to Haveners, if you cross over the roundabout system, to the west is the Cardinal Park complex, of big chain names. Of these, I can only recommend Ask Pizza, as it's the only one I've been to, but it's pretty good- similar to Pizza Express (Ipswich's is on Lloyd's Avenue, off Cornhill (town square)).
Going the other way (N?) is St Nicholas St- there's a round building at the bottom.
The 1st resto up here is Ghandi's Indian, which was a good one at last count.
Beyond here, past the Silent St crossing is a strip of many restos.
Trong's Chinese is very good and the prices aren't as bad as most people think.
Zizzi is a chain I've not been to.
The Mexican place is rather so-so.
There's a fancy (hmmm) burger place called Totties or something like that. It's not bad (only had the veggie burger), but the contents had a habit of spilling down me, but then I am a clumsy [--word removed--].
Over the road is Kwan Thai, Ipswich's 2nd oldest and 1st worst Thai. How I wish Marnot's still had this location.
Next to this is Penelope's, who while Tapas 1 did great Tapas- surprisingly good in fact, despite being a bit of a towny spot. Not sure if the new incarnation has changed matters, but the menu still looks good.
Jem.
 
Continued...
Further afield.
Norwich Road has a few restos along it's length, some of which are worth the wander. Most notable is Maharani Indian resto. My family's choice in town.
The Greyhound on Henley Road is a decent Adnams Pub, serving good food, but in my mind, it's gone downhill in the last couple of years.
Mizu on Cornhill is a Wagamama rip-off that is very so-so, and overpriced for Ips, yet it gets busy, so I guess my idea of prices doesn't take the Ips wallies into consideration.
Memorable Cheeses in The Walk- between Tavern/Westgate St (?) and the Buttermarket is a specialist cheese shop that gets in here by selling superb cheese sarnies during the day. Less than £2 for the best cheese in E Anglia with pickle/chutney, salad and friendly service. My lunch choice! The moody place on Liverpool St Station don't come close. OK, London's irellevant, sorry.
Paddy McGinthai, in the back room of the Irish pub that used to be the Halberd (?) opposite the library (Northgate St?) is very so-so, maybe even worse than Kwan Thai, but it's a cheap little laid-back place, so I don't rate it as low.
Fish'n Chips- in Ipswich, I'd have to rate Poplar, at the bottom of Woodbridge Road, behind the (now closed) Odeon Cinema at Major's Corner, as my favourite in town. One of the most convenient for the docks too, albeit a 10 min walk.
However, if you want the best fish and chips around, and have access to a car, and are willing to travel I could only advise a trip out of town, about 6 miles westwards, into the heart of darkness that is Offton. Yes, The Offton Limeburners is a pub, but they've added a Fish'n Chip shop to one end. And it is the BEST around. It is my number one anywhere yet. Forget N Suffolk coast, forget Aberdeen (Never been to Padstow or Whitby), this makes wonderful F'n C, best tasting Haddock I've EVER had. Lovely batter, good chips. And they serve Adnams too. Oh me, oh my. A bit "local" inside, the regs'll get served 1st and the singing on certain nights is erm, interesting, but there's a pleasant garden and veranda which they'll serve you at (order inside though).
Jem.
 
If you see my belly, you'd not question it!
Memorable Cheeses lunch and Limeburners dinner today... I love my food.
Probably where my boat budget disappeared to.

BTW, saw today the Mexican place on St Nick St has gone, replaced by an Indian place, and the Baipo Menu looks improved.

A review of Baipo coming soon???
 
Used to know Ipswich very well - but I don't recognise the town you describe! I've been away too long, I guess. Back in my day, Bert Kwok had the only decent chinese (a pioneer investor in St Peter's St), the only decent indian was one on Norwich Road and most pub food was a bag of crisps and a pickled egg.

I do remember the Greyhound, The Swan, Mannings as being about the only decent (i.e. friendly to groups of young middle class males) pubs; the Halberd was a sleazy crim hangout, the Running Buck was full of psychopathic bikers, the Blue Coat Boy was gay in one bar and West Indian in the other, and pubs near the docks were sad empty Tolly houses with magnolia gloss walls, no real ales and C&W on the jukeboxes, all smelling faintly of dry rot and boiled cabbage.

But then I knew Ostrich Creek when it was just the home of the OYC - in those days cheap and deeply unfashionable.
 
Seems like it is cyclic. THose pubs all exist still in one way or other, except BCB and RB. Both of those got too dodgy and were closed down basically. I always remember tales of the BCB having a bell linked direct to the police station! RB got too druggy I heard and was closed, followed by Cindy's behind it. Halberd now an Irish bar is so-so to ok. The Swan though, went really townie and pretty scummy for a while, but improved greatly, now a bit "young" again, popular with goth kids at the end of a hard day of sitting on the town hall steps. Mannings in my "youth" was a bit alternative, so I tended to be there on sat eves before Olivia's but now a lot of office workers and "regular" people mostly.
No such thing as Tolly in heart now, so no Tolly pubs down the docks as far as I know (or care, not into Romford badge beer).
Bert Kwok? Isn't he the guy on TV that used to do VW ads? (The ones where the car dropped out of the sky next to him in the 80s).
Just thinking, I can't place Mr Kwok's place in my mind, but the name "Kwok's Rendezvous" sticks in my mind. Is that the one?
 
Update...
Fish'n Chips and beer at Offton still fantastic- as of friday night.
Ask Pizza and Pasta at Cardinal Park (as of last night) surprisingly good. Similar menu to Pizza Express, but better quality and portions- couldn't finish my Genovese with added garlic & gorgonzola, which is absurd for me. Very tasty and the service was above Ipswich usual standards. Probably also the cheapest (non Mac/KFC) option in Cardinal Park too.
Last Anchor (yesterday lunch) still poor, if not crappy. Too much sickly coctail sauce on my crayfish foccacia (ugh- trendy bread!), dad's baguette turned into bloody foccacia and our sarnies turned up after cooked food on next table ordered considerably later. And no draft beer!!! (Cellar problem).
Jem.
 
Nothing wrong with focaccia (esp. when I make it....) but CRAYFISH focc.?!?! What were you thinking?

Try the hotdog stall in the market square. Best food in Ipswich after the Lord Nelson. A man can starve in these parts......
 
Sadly they don't do veggie dogs (as far as I know).
Most focc seems to be crumbly, and you can't eat it like a sarnie, knives and forks a requirement. And that to me defeats the point of a sandwich. Don't get me started on "open" sandwiches though...
 
I've used the Brewery tap a couple of times, very friendly and good pub grub with real beer ,fortunatly not Tolly -horrible stuff it was. Walk to the dock entrance, its up above the main gate
 
Yep, Kwok's Rendevous!

I went to school at St Joe's and remember the Willis Faber & Dumas (or something else these days) building went up - glass curtain walling was very cutting edge in those days. The tractor showroom was on the opposite corner in that 1930s building - I used to stand and gaze lovingly at a big Ford tractor in the window.

Also long gone is one restaurant I forgot - the Heidelburg in Upper Brook St. Shnitzel and Strudel. Very Sound of Music.

You've spurred me to put the old town on my cruising plans for late summer - with a bit of gastronomic exploring and nostalgia thrown in! Many thanks.
 
I have a feeling the Brewery Tap is now closed, but don't quote me on that.

Don't think I remember the Heidelberg, I'd have to ask the folks. Sounds unique though! Willis... was one of Mr N Foster's earlier successes, and such a famous guy now.

Ate in the Shipwreck at Shotley last night. Really rather good- decent beer and food was most enjoyable. Another fine plate of fish'n chips- but still not at Offton's standard. However I really enjoyed the Racelette starter.

Jem.
 
Next step- Wherstead Road.

Had some OK chips from the chippy, but don't bother with the veg pancake roll- frozen nastiness. Loved the "retro" posters on the wall for pre-formed delights that would cheer up Jamie O no end.

The Journa Indian next door however was really enjoyable, it was buffet night on friday (?), but I went ala carte and had a very good... erm, forgotten the main dish but had garlic pilau (nice and garlicy) and sag paneer with it. Sadly the paneer was regular cheese, not Indian style paneer, but pleasant all the same. No alcohol served, but I saw you can BYO there.
Jem.
 
And another thing...
Just downriver at Woolverstone is Buttermans. Don't think it's been mentioned yet, but was there last night with the folks and we were all most impressed. The location is of course a great aspect, but being in an MDL, I expected high prices and bland fare. No such. The food was impressive and the prices fair/reasonable.
I didn't ask last night, but I did go a few months ago and they had no alco-free beer, but I doubt it's important to many people.
BTW, Brewery Tap, next to the old Tolly Brewery is still open, but my Ruddles County was grim and I left half...
Jem.
 
Cheers Mike... Sadly won't be there for a while, or able to add anything to this- gotta enjoy galley grub at work for a while.
Jem.
 
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