What’s the vibe?
Heatwaves in 2026 are no joke. Heatstroke, heat rash, dehydration, perspiration, tarmac radiating heat like a pizza oven: sometimes you simply need to evacuate the Big Smoke, ogle the North Sea and douse sweaty feet in its frigid waters. The British seaside has never carried the cachet of, say, the Côte d’Azur, but that may be changing, as restaurateurs and hoteliers trade the hot fug of the capital for more salubrious settings. One such figure is George Pell, formerly of Soho institution L’Escargot, who brought its louche members’ club spirit to the Suffolk coast with a pop-up in 2020, then never looked back.
The site of choice? A 17th-century inn smack bang in the centre of town. Interior designer Kate Fulford worked with Suffolk-based architect Charles Curry-Hyde to create a space that is very much at peace and of a piece with its Aldeburgh setting, like the seafood shacks on the shingle. Downstairs, there’s a 60-cover restaurant and wine bar; upstairs, six bedrooms named after local landscapes; and, crowning the lot, a roof terrace with sea views, which is exactly where you want to be when London is busy turning itself into a kiln.
The Suffolk terrace
Head chef Luke Truelove
What to eat and drink?
Given that The Suffolk started out as a seafood pop-up, it knows its way around a fish. Head chef Luke Truelove arrived with serious pedigree, having previously worked as Tom Kerridge’s second, and clearly can tell his smelt from his sprats. We start on the roof terrace, where local Fishers Gin is stirred into a martini garnished with a Maldon oyster, while seagulls wheel on the summer thermals. From there, we head downstairs, crossing the driftwood-toned dining room to a round table at the far end, for the kind of dinner that makes staying the night feel not just sensible, but essential. We kick things off with more Maldon oysters, escargots doused in green garlic butter and an enormous whole brill, filleted tableside and served with rustling golden chips and green leaves sharpened by a razor-bright vinaigrette. Our waiter arrives with lobster plucked from the waters of the River Alde, not a mile away, split down its centre and lashed with garlic butter. We wage a dignified battle over three puddings: an impeccable Pump Street chocolate mousse, sticky toffee pudding with rum ice cream and a banoffee choux bun. By the time we make it upstairs to our room, the heat of London’s streets feels like something that happened to someone else.
Yet there is more to Aldeburgh than The Suffolk, and the staff are very happy to point us towards the good stuff. On Saturday, we drive to the hamlet of Easton to visit The Suffolk’s sister pub, The White Horse, and wash down roast cod with Suffolk bitter. We are sent to Fishers Gin, where I drink three G&Ts with founder Andrew Heald, who works coastal botanicals from his family farm into his spirits. There’s Pinch, with some of the best crullers in the country, and Ash Smoked Fishes, where we stock up on Noon Tarts, a local delicacy of flaky pastry, smoked haddock, cheddar, cream and free-range eggs, for the ride home. But our hearts and minds are most persuasively won over by beer-battered haddock and scampi from Aldeburgh Fish & Chips. The staff at The Suffolk, specifically a manager named Simona, furnish us with a bottle of Laurent-Perrier rosé, a silver ice bucket, white cotton napkins and champagne flutes to elevate our meal on the beach. Even a seagull plucking a battered sausage from my daughter’s hands can’t touch the vibe.
Baron Bigod Souffle
What to do?
The Suffolk coastline deserves to be explored, from the Alde’s broad estuary, where small regattas pick across the water, to the path north from The Suffolk towards Thorpeness, with its strange, lovely village, boating mere and antique shop. Back in Aldeburgh, The White Hart is the best spot in town for a pint, while Reed Books is a must if you enjoy a second-hand bookshop. During our stay, George is preparing himself for a 4am wake-up call to make bacon butties for visitors celebrating the summer solstice; I sleep in instead, fortifying myself mentally for the return to London’s heat. ♦
From £180 per night; the-suffolk.co.uk
