Category Archives: Things to do in Bury St Edmunds

The Best Independent Restaurants in Bury St Edmunds

Posted on by

We all like to support independent restaurants and cafes, but when we’re on holiday it’s sometimes hard to find out where the best independent restaurants are hiding. We’ve put together a list of the best independent places to eat in Bury St Edmunds so that you can just relax and enjoy the experience!

  1. The Old Cannon. 

The Old Cannon is an independent brewery and restaurant in the heart of town that uses local ingredients in their beers as well as their delicious selection of food.

2. Mings Oriental

This independent restaurant serves up Chinese and classic Asian flavours with a twist, using only the best ingredients. It’s conveniently located right in the centre of Bury St Edmunds, and they even do takeaway Monday-Thursday!

3. Maison Bleue

The Maison Bleue serves up, you guessed it, wonderful French cuisine that has won all sorts of awards. TripAdvisor consistently rates it among the top 10 fine dining restaurants in the country, so put on your best shoes and go and see what all the fuss is about.

4. The Zen Noodle Bar

Another fantastic spot for dinner right in the centre of town. The chefs at Zen cook up Chinese, Japonese, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese influenced rice and noodle dishes where you can see them at work. They also do takeaway if you’d rather eat with your feet up.

5. Casa del Mar

For a Mediterranean feel, head down to Casa del Mar, a quirky little independent place in the centre of Bury St Edmunds that serves up tapas and meze alongside main courses.

6. Cafe Kotanni

A brilliant lunchtime option is this little Greek cafe that is always popular. Little wonder, when everything is so delicious. Try the meze platter!

And when you get peckish…

7. Really Rather Good Coffee

This beautifully decorated coffee house serves wonderful hot drinks alongside extremely tempting cakes, as well as a few savoury options. It’s right on Angel Hill, looking down at the old Abbey Gate, so you can re-energise before exploring more of the delights of Bury St Edmunds. 

Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds

The Abbey Gardens

 

Places to Visit in Suffolk: Picturesque Villages

Posted on by

Suffolk is quintessential British countryside territory, where acres of green fields are dotted with picturesque villages, many of which looked exactly the same 500 years ago.

But with so many to choose from, which ones should be at the top of your list? To help you make the most of your time exploring the delights of Suffolk, we’ve put together a list of 4 of the quaintest villages that the county has to offer.

  1. Cavendish 

Cavendish is a picture-perfect village that you can find between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. The green in the centre is charming, and the thatched, pink cottages nestling in front of the impressive parish church make for a beautiful photo opportunity. The George is a cosy restaurant on the village green serving delicious food made with fresh local produce. Cavendish

2. Lavenham 

Just down the road from Cavendish, Lavenham looks like it was frozen in time in the 16th century. Step back in time for an afternoon and try and decide which of the tudor cottages is the most wonky. This village was used as Godric’s Hollow in the 7th Harry Potter film, but you don’t have to be a fan of the franchise to appreciate Lavenham’s magic. Treat yourself to a cream tea in one of the villages many classic tea shops or go all out and indulge in a three course meal at The Swan. Have a peak at the village’s website for more information.

19419185242_097a4f1d87_b

3. Hartest

Hartest is another example of a classic village set around a beautifully maintained green, and is very close to the market town of Bury St Edmunds. Admire the perfectly preserved, colourful cottages that cluster around the green and then head to The Crown for a restorative pint of the local brew, or a bite to eat.

1936434_7bfdb70a.jpg

4. Kersey

Kersey is a little further away from Bury St Edmunds, but it’s more than worth the drive, especially if combined with a trip out to the Suffolk coast or Ipswich. Like Lavenham, coming into Kersey you get the impression that everything would have looked exactly the same if you’d trundled on a horse and cart 5 centuries ago. Apart from the cars, that is. Pause for refreshment at The Bell Inn.

113372_d04c83c7

We find that all these villages are at their most charming during the Great British summer, but they are beautiful at any time of year.

Have you been to Suffolk? Do you have another candidate for our most-picturesque village list? 

Things to Do in Bury St Edmunds

Posted on by

As well as being the perfect base to explore the wonders of East Anglia, Bury St Edmunds makes the perfect destination for a weekend break, with plenty of activities to keep you busy within the town itself!

  1. The Abbey Gardens

Bury St Edmunds was once an extremely important centre of Pilgrimage, and the remains of the huge Abbey can still be found in the town centre, having now been turned into beautifully kept public gardens.

3588905_f2a0081d

2. The Cathedral

The 16th century Cathedral was only completed in 2005, with the addition of a beautiful tower, which can be seen from miles around.

3. The Smallest Pub in England

The Nutshell is officially the smallest pub in England, with its bar area measuring only 15ft by 7ft. Squeeze into the pub to sample some local beers and inspect the extraordinary collection of objects hanging from the ceiling which are a guarantee that you’ll never lack a topic of conversation.

17338223354_7651c356ae_b

4. Greene King Brewery Tour

Greene King is a national brand, but it was born in Bury St Edmunds and the empire is still run from the original town centre brewery. The tours are extremely interesting and end with a tasting session in the brewery’s own pub, The Brewery Tap, where they don’t hold back on the free samples.

5. Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal is a beautiful example of a Regency theatre and has recently been lovingly restored. Check out the website for details of the incredibly varied shows the theatre has to offer.

Broyal01

6. Medieval Grid

Parts of the old town centre still look much as they have for centuries, with crooked Tudor houses and cobbled streets. A happy couple of hours can be whiled away exploring the medieval grid, perhaps with a few pit stops at pubs offering pints of Greene King’s finest.

7. Moyses Hall

Moyses Hall is almost 900 years old and served as the town gaol, workhouse and police station before becoming a museum over 100 years ago. No visit to Bury St Edmunds is complete without learning about the fascinating history of this once-great religious centre and market town.

8. Market Day

There has been a market in Bury St Edmunds for centuries, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays the town centre is still taken over by stalls selling flowers, food and everything in between.