Rjc (2 August 2009)

This August, after surviving twenty-two years of marriage I thought it would be a nice treat to my wife and friends to dine at the Angel, Bury St. Edmunds, a hotel and restaurant which set the standard for other restaurants in the area. From the former elegance and ‘silver service’ that once had made the Angel special, it has now turned into a modern gastro type restaurant. We were shown to our seats and looked to order some drinks accompanied by some salted nuts and olives. We ordered some wine and chatted. Our waiter albeit very polite was not as attentive as he should have been, the olives had stones and maybe he should have considered that we needed a side plate to dispose of these little devils, he was prompted and thus delivered. Bread arrived which was a cake type Italian bread and with olive oil on the side it was truly delicious, again no side plates and our waiter was busy. The starters arrived, mine Asian pork and prawns in a nice spicy dressing, the flavours came alive in my mouth, initially doubtful about the combination, and it was wonderful, if not enough on the plate. I cannot comment on the other starters, just all agreed very nice indeed, just a little more please. The plate of olive pips remained on the table. Main courses, the sea bass, lamb dish and pork were all chosen by my guests, and all reported that the food was very nice, for me the scallops with pea and mint risotto, a wonderful combination, balanced and the ingredients complimented each other, the risotto was a little too wet, however this was insignificant overall. The plate of olive pips remained on the table and an order of drinks placed before the main course did not arrive until we prompted the waiter.

The wine we choose was reasonable, but in truth an average wine list at cheeky prices, and you could find better at a supermarket for 50% less, but I understand that they do need margin on consumables. The plate of olive pips was finally removed. Then came in the puddings and cheese, I went for the sticky toffee pudding, yes delicious, but felt a little manufactured, the girls had chocolate torte which again looked and tasted nice, my friend went for the cheese board and the amount of cheese was microscopic and looked a little disappointing on the platter, it would have been a great feast for a mouse, but sadly, not my guest. Overall the food was of a very high standard, a well designed menu, which delivered taste, flavours and customer satisfaction. The ambiance was nice, not the classical Angel, but as I was informed times have moved on, which I agree, but when you look for something ‘special’ the Angel has lost that little bit of magic which once made it a bright star shining above the competition. The price was fair, but could I have found the same standard at another restaurant for 15% less? Yes I could. Our waiter is still no doubt walking on the clouds, polite and a nice guy, however he just did not have the element that is required to deliver service.

William Whitiker (9 May 2007)

In all the experience was quite good, the waiting staff were fantastic with a great knowledge of the wines listed on the menu. The food was to an OK standard but it was all a bit samey, sauces where gloopy and sticky which went out of fashion in the mid 80. Choice of veg was good and cooked to perfection. I’ve been there three times in as many months and the menu doesn’t seem to change. I think the head chef needs some fresh ideas. Or maybe its like that because they don’t have one. Who knows in all it was OK. (thank goodness for the great service)