Salthouse Harbour Hotel is a contemporary boutique hotel with lots of character, nestled on the quayside of Ipswich Harbour.
It’s the perfect spot for a relaxing weekend getaway, located just over an hour away from London by train and five minutes from the train station in a taxi. Beyond enjoying the tranquility of the marina, you can explore Suffolk’s rolling countryside and pretty beaches, as well as Ickworth House, St Edmundsbury Cathedral and retro Southwold Pier.
We visited Salthouse Harbour Hotel (part of Gough Hotels) on a sunny Saturday and the hotel was already busy with hotel guests and locals enjoying afternoon tea, lunch on the terrace and lazy drinks in the lounge. The quayside was filled with people taking a weekend stroll in the sun or soaking up the sun on their boats.
On arrival, we were given a warm welcome and check-in was swift and friendly. We were lucky enough to be assigned the Penthouse Suite, which was impressive and sophisticated with a slanted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling views of the marina.
The Suite
The bright and homely suite is designed in neutral colours with vintage furniture and attractive fabrics. The large living room features a gorgeous chaise-longue, leather armchair, coffee tables, stunning lamps made from driftwood, large working desk with a retro silver telephone and a flatscreen TV.
A lovely feature is the complimentary tea and coffee making facilities with fresh cafetiere coffee and cool mugs by graffiti artist Pure Evil. We were even welcomed with a handwritten note and a box of retro gummy bears.
The open-plan bedroom is spacious yet cosy with a very comfortable king-size bed with crisp linen and plenty of cushions. Other room features include a Bose iPod dock, a spacious wardrobe, powerful air-conditioning and free wifi.
The Bathroom
The large bathroom is simply designed with a small freestanding power shower and separate bath, plenty of fluffy towels, over-sized bathrobes and a full set of Temple Spa bathroom products. The restrained white colour palette is offset with a lime green tiled floor flecked with silver glitter – an eccentric touch that is sure to be a talking point (I was mesmerised by it).
Dinner at Eaterie
That evening we dined at the hotel’s lively all-day restaurant Eaterie. It’s clearly a destination restaurant in Ipswich with a mix of hotel guests and dressed-up locals enjoying a Saturday night out.
The exposed brick restaurant has a lofty warehouse feel and has very comfy seating and quirky trinkets dotted around such as Chinese lucky cats and golden robots.
We were brought some fresh home-made bread and olive oil to graze on before our starters arrived. My Spring chicken breast, leg and parma ham ballotine, prune and leek was beautifully-presented and ever so tasty. The roasted chicken was perfectly cooked with golden skin and came with two pieces of meaty, flavoursome ballotine and a rich, sticky sauce.
Steven went for the Pork cheek and terrine wrapped in parma ham, with hazelnut praline, black pudding and fennel. The slow-cooked, flaky pork was well-complimented by the cold, herby terrine and the accompaniments made it a very sophisticated dish.
My main dish of Roast duck with Boulangere potatoes, lardons and peas was French comfort food done exceedingly well. The medium-cooked duck was succulent and tender with a crispy skin and I loved the addition of the buttery boulangere potatoes and roasted, caramelised carrots.
Steven went for a classic Hereford Long Horn rib eye steak with hand-cut chips and slow-roasted tomatoes. The lean, juicy steak was cooked medium on a charcoal grill and had a delicious smoky taste. The thick-cut chips were freshly cooked and well-seasoned, however the dish would have benefited from some béarnaise or peppercorn sauce.
Dessert
For dessert, the Blackberry cake with mint granita and marscapone came highly recommended by our waiter. The moist, home-baked blackberry sponge was accompanied by a small serving of refreshing, aromatic mint granita and the creamy mascarpone sorbet added an indulgent touch.
Steven’s Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream was an enormous, decadent pudding that dwarfed my delicate little dessert. It was as good as gets with a gooey, dense and spicy sponge doused in a generous amount of sweet, sticky toffee sauce. This is the dessert to order if you have a seriously sweet tooth and plenty of room left.
We enjoyed our desserts with a pleasant glass of Sauternes, which was recommended on the dessert menu, and finished with a pot of fresh mint tea. It was a fantastic meal and the staff were very friendly, although the service was at times a little wobbly and could be a bit more polished to really impress.
The hotel is well-positioned for a lovely evening walk around the marina after dinner, plus there are a number of bars if you want to make a night of it.
Breakfast
After a glorious night’s sleep, we headed back down to The Eaterie for a leisurely breakfast. The menu includes tempting dishes such as Eggs Benedict, a Suffolk Grill and toasted bagel with smoked salmon and a poached egg.
We usually choose different breakfast dishes, but were both tempted by the American style buttermilk pancakes with berry compote and maple syrup. There was a lengthy wait for the pancakes, but it was worth it as they were deliciously hot and fluffy with plenty of stewed berries and lovely maple syrup.
Salthouse Harbour Hotel is a real gem with lots of personality and a great location. Being so close to London, it’s the perfect bolthole for a relaxing short break.
For more information and booking, visit: www.salthouseharbour.co.uk or call 01473 226789.
Chérie City was a guest of Salthouse Harbour Hotel
All photos by Chérie City
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