We were supposed to have been off to Ipswich for the day but heavy winds had meant that the makers market we were taking part in had been cancelled by the local council. This had also put an end to the roast dinner I'd planned to have in Ipswich. My wife suggested we headed to Cafe Britannia for a Sunday roast instead, after being in there for just five minutes though it seemed far to hectic and noisy to be enjoyable. We then went on to try The Quebec, William IV, The Jubilee, The Coach and Horses on Thorpe Road, The Compleat Angler and Roccos. Each place we tried either didn't have a proper vegetarian option for my wife or didn't appeal to us once inside. At this moment on our trail of disappointment we were suddenly filled with hope as we remembered The Sir Garnet in the city centre. We'd heard good things about it, so rushed there with our fingers crossed...
Upon entering - This quaint medieval building has heaps of character with its creaky floor and exposed beams. There's a bar and some tables on the ground floor, head up the stairs for even more tables and stunning views across the market. There's a fairly big outside seating area too, perfect for the warmer months. The first thing I noticed was how relaxing and peaceful it was inside, for me a must when eating out. There were menus on each table, once you've decided simply place your order and pay at the bar. You're given a pint glass containing your order number on a wooden spoon, salt, pepper and cutlery. Certainly a really nice place to enjoy food and somewhere you can easily chat, we really liked it. 8/10
Service - We placed our order and pondered over what Adnams lager to go for, the chap behind the bar kindly let us sample some before ordering which was really appreciated. We returned to the table with our pint glass of essentials and a bit later the food arrived. The staff here were certainly welcoming, friendly and helpful. 8/10
Type of roast - Ready served
Meats available - Topside of beef and turkey.
Contents - Turkey, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, beetroot, kale, cabbage and gravy. 7/10
Vegetable portions - I was delighted to discover that everything arrives already on the plate here so you can start eating the food with no messing about. There were four decent sized roast potatoes and a reasonable amount of vegetables on the plate. 7/10
Presentation - This towering Sunday roast was very pleasing on the eye and everything was nicely placed on the plate. 9/10
The food - Nice thick slices of beautifully cooked turkey, really tender and delicious. The roast potatoes were golden and crispy with a soft fluffy centre, they tasted amazing. The giant Yorkshire pudding was pretty good with a nice crunchy edge and softer texture in the middle. I love beetroot but had never eaten it with a roast dinner before, nor hot come to think of it, nice though! I'm a big fan of cabbage, carrots and kale, they were all cooked really nicely and full of flavour. 9/10
Gravy and sauces - A nice rich gravy was already poured over the dinner, it seemed like the right amount for me. A fairly generous amount of cranberry sauce was served in a small bowl. 7/10
Veggie option - Bean stuffed squashed with all the trimmings for £10
Value for money - The Sunday roast costs £10 here, it's filling and delicious so certainly a fair enough price. 7/10
Overall - A lovely pub to enjoy a great Sunday roast, a decent vegetarian option is on offer too which is always nice to see. The building is beautiful and the views across the market place are stunning, definitely a good find and somewhere I will return to again. 8/10
- Update, November 2017 -
- Update, November 2017 -
Just over two years since we first visited The Sir Garnet for a roast we were back again. We were delighted to see the price was the same as it was back in 2015 and my wife was impressed with the vegan option which many places overlook.
The roast Blythburgh pork was really tender and served in nice thick slices with crackling, perfect with apple sauce. The meat lay over a mound of creamy mashed potato, I welcome mashed potato with a roast dinner and wish more places would serve it. The roast potatoes were big and crispy and the vegetables quite firm so retaining plenty of their flavour. A decent sized portion with everything served on the plate, this is how I like to see it served!
My wife had the cranberry sauce filled nut roast served with a red wine gravy.
My wife was too full up for a dessert but I couldn't resist the homemade warmed chocolate brownie. Really gooey and so delicious served with vanilla ice cream.
