First impressions
My friend at work scrunched up his face in distaste when I told him I was off to the Crown. "It's rough," he snorted. Condemnation indeed from a man who lives in Ipswich, home of the world's fattest man.
"It's had a makeover. It's a boutique hotel now," I bleated, as if boutique is shorthand for all that is good in hotels. I'd been spooked: getting such an inside tip on a hotel before you arrive is like going on a blind date with a woman you've just been warned has an Asbo.
Our worries disappeared before we even stepped inside the Crown. The pub stands on the corner of Woodbridge's main street, a collection of 17th-century buildings looking smart in their new paint job. It was Friday night and the bar was busy. Cool whites and greys dominated – a green rowing skiff suspended over the long bar gave a splash of colour, and a humorous touch.
The rooms
The hotel has just 10 rooms after its refit. Walls had obviously come tumbling down, judging by our room's generous proportions. Three sash windows gave onto the street, flooding the room, again decorated in the colours of the seashore, with light. No minibar, obviously – no boutique hotel worth its eco-credentials dares to have one these days. Free cookies tempted us instead.
The food
Woodbridge does not have the foodie reputation of its London-by-the-Sea neighbours Aldeburgh and Southwold, but the Crown is setting out to right this. I may have been slightly wild-eyed after a tiring drive down the A12, but my first glance at the menu made me feel a bit queasy. Too many sections! Starters/Chilled Shellfish/Seafood/Charred/On Toast/Meat/Superfoods/Spork Food. The latter billed "Is it a spoon, is it a fork?" No, it's just a bad gimmick. It all smacked of trying too hard, which is a shame because the food itself was great. I had crispy sweetbreads with mint yogurt, and meatballs with a puttanesca sauce; my girlfriend went for a ham hock terrine followed by a cool and tingling salad of quinoa grains, watermelon, sweet chilli and goat's cheese sauce. All washed down by a zesty Verdejo, as zesty as any New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
The verdict
Great style, great food, great location – what's not to like? Only the Spork.
The cost
The Crown at Woodbridge (01394 384242; the crownatwoodbridge.co.uk) Doubles from £145, including breakfast. Main courses from around £12.
