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Located within the Regatta development of Ipswich Waterfront, Quayside offers an all day cafe, restaurant and bar. It is a stylish and spacious restaurant with modern British cuisine offering seasonally changing menus and freshly prepared food. Guests can enjoy views across the marina and the Old Customs House building.

Starters could be carpaccio of venison, roquette, thyme, honey and chive dressing and seared scallops, watercress salad, chili jam and crème fraîche.  Main course could consist of natural smoked haddock cassoulet, haricot beans, hawston cheese and herb crust, Chips, new potatoes, twice baked jackets with sour cream, spring onions and cheddar cheese, green salad, mixed seasonal vegetables and free range Gloucester old spot sausages, mustard mash, onion rings and aspall's cider gravy. To end the meal on a sweet note order caramelised pineapple in rum, ginger and chilli syrup with coconut ice cream and kirsch milkshake with homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Baipo on Upper Orwell Street, Ipswich is a popular Thai restaurant where typical Oriental tradition takes the upper hand over the dining experience, particularly the aspect of sharing meals. So, diners are generally expected to order several dishes that take centre stage on the table, and then pile their plates with rice or noodles as they sample each of the dishes in turn.

A look at the menu reveals starters of spicy chicken wrapped in spinach leaves served with a sweet and sour sauce or minced fish mixed with red curry paste and green bean, deep fried and served with onions, cucumber salad and crushed peanut sauce. Amongst more substantial dishes, there's a delicious stir fried meat of your choice with ginger and mushrooms or chilli and basil while vegetarians also have a wide variety available. A well-mannered wine list caters to all your requirements suitably.

New Orleans, ravaged in 2005 by hurricane Katrina, is now full of beans with plenty of food, jazz and Mardi Gras celebrations happening there. Taking a cue from the city's genuine sense of joie de vivre, Old Orleans celebrates the enthusiasm and authentic tastes of the Deep South. Latching on to the Crescent City style theme, the atmosphere across the 14 restaurants in the UK is cheerful and lively with a menu well fuelled by classic Louisiana and Cajun dishes.

Catfish or squid bites, chicken tenders, black and blue mushrooms, and Caesar's salad might be the first things you'll notice, closely followed by a Louisiana sampler of grilled chicken breast skewers, rustic cornbread, potato skins, hot and spicy wings, coconut shrimps, dusted squid and mini pork riblets, plus a BBQ sauce and sour cream dip.

For lovers of cocktails, ice cream and sliders there's a wide spread indeed and cocktail specialties include Hurricane, Serendipity and Screaming Banana Banshee. Little diners at Old Orleans are also well catered for with a special menu designed to suit their allegedly tiny appetites.

Ipswich is steeped in history, yet full of life. The chance to stroll along its historic waterfront and streets, a vibrant mix of heritage, arts and theatre has inspired creative geniuses such as painter Thomas Gainsborough and novelist Charles Dickens. Saints Tapas Café, ideally located in the heart of the town on Peter Street serves authentic Mediterranean food.

Lunch at Saints' is the busiest time of the day as they serve a mix of sandwiches, salads, tapas and an àla carte menu in a light airy atmosphere. The fresh daily made soup is popular, especially in the winter as is the goats' cheese salad in the summer.

During warmer months there is al fresco dining on the wide pavement surrounded by historic buildings. In the evening the lights go down and the atmosphere becomes more relaxed and intimate.

The wine is exclusively European with Cruz Campo beer on tap, wonderful for complementing the cuisine.

The Belstead Brook Hotel in Ipswich comes from the Swallow Hotels group which are renowned for their excellent service, warm welcome and the perfect combination of luxury and comfort. Located in nine acres of serene gardens and a delightful willow-lined stream, this lovely hotel is perfect for a vacation or even just a weekend while their superb conferencing facilities make it an ideal spot for business meetings also. The hotel is close to the city centre and those wishing to access the picturesque Suffolk coast will find it to be an excellent base.

Their Manor Restaurant is housed in the original 16th century Jacobean hunting lodge, an elegant, oak panelled space where you can enjoy the delicious meals in an intimate atmosphere. Guests are encouraged to sit back and relax as they peruse the contemporary bistro style menu which demonstrates a generous use of local produce in creating modern British fare. The Garden Bar is more suited for informal meals and light lunches.

The Galley is one of those happy, carefree places that gives a whole new definition to the expression 'eating out', and allowing for the dry East Anglian climate you are as likely to end up eating beneath a market umbrella (to shield the sun, of course) as inside the bewitchingly ancient building itself. Either way Ugur Vata, the talkative Turk who runs this worthy house will see to it that you run no risk of going away unhappy or anything less than replete and contented. The rest is up to you.

Local produce is a prime support of cuisine here, starting with Tuttenham Hall asparagus, through to Ipswich almond pudding, a delightful indulgence made from a centuries-old recipe. For a starter try the Sicilian style prawn and red onion gateau with medi salsa before, or Middle Eastern soup with bulgur wheat moving on to Highland rack of lamb with a local organic oyster mushroom sauce. Quite what the secret ingredient is in the sexy sticky toffee pudding with its accompanying vanilla ice cream I know not, but you may feel you should give it a try.

At The Galley they import many of their wines direct, including some attractive Chilean numbers, and if you like the wine with your meal that much they will sell you the rest of the case, which leads me on to mention their speciality food store where ciabatta, baguettes and wraps, with a fine array of fillings are on sale to those in a hurry or looking ahead.