Food review: The Georgian Coffee House in Woodbridge

Setting

Woodbridge has long been celebrated as one of the most charming towns in Suffolk and it’s a beautiful place to while away a few hours.

The Georgian Coffee House is located on The Thoroughfare, the main high street that runs through the town, and is surrounded by a collection of interesting shops.

It’s instantly recognisable by its pretty arches and recessed porch area.

Interior

Cheery and friendly, the Georgian Coffee House is a traditional café with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Inside, there are numerous tables and chairs, a fireplace with an electric fire and a counter displaying delicious cakes and sweet treats.

The décor is simple and subtle, with pictures of local scenes hanging on the walls.

It’s just the place to take your mum for a catch up over lunch, and that’s exactly what I did.

We sat near the back of the café in the light and airy conservatory, where we could see a blackbird hopping around in the bushes outside and the sun trying to struggle through the clouds.

A couple of tables have also been placed outside at the front of the café under the arches – and if the weather was a little less biting, my mum and I would have been more than tempted to sit here for the duration of our lunch. It looks like the ideal place to watch the world go by.

The coffee house was busy when we visited on a Friday lunchtime and there were a range of people relaxing in the space – a young couple were enjoying a light lunch, a man was reading a newspaper with a cup of tea and two ladies were sampling the cafe’s homemade cakes.

Staff at the coffee shop are pleasant and personable and we were made to feel right at home.

Food

There are dishes to suit everyone available here - from light and convenient lunchtime bites to hearty, warming meals designed to fill you up. I was impressed by the number of gluten free options and the fact that careful consideration had been made to cater for vegetarians and pescetarians.

Well-loved homemade dishes such as chilli and rice, chicken curry, lasagne and macaroni cheese take centre stage on the specials board and in the main menu, and there are also salads, sandwiches, soup, toasted sandwiches, jacket potatoes and omelettes available. Breakfast items such as porridge can be enjoyed too.

All the dishes are cooked to order and use fresh ingredients which have been locally sourced when possible.

I chose the smoked haddock and pea risotto for my main course, which I really enjoyed. The piece of smoked haddock I was served was lovely and soft, and the whole dish had been nicely seasoned, with a good balance of flavours. The big pile of fresh salad leaves on the side was a nice addition too.

My mum’s dish was a real stomach pleaser and arrived looking fantastic. A huge Yorkshire pudding was piled high with hearty sausages, mashed potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, and thick gravy had been lavishly poured over the top.

This was really filling and just the thing to enjoy on a cool winter day.

I’ve never been a big eater at lunchtime, so I have to admit I was feeling quite full at this point – as was my mum who had somehow managed to eat her way through the whole of her main course.

And, so although we were tempted by the delicious desserts on the menu (which included spotted dick, bread and butter pudding, crumble and sticky toffee pudding) we opted to share a huge slice of homemade carrot cake instead of going for a dessert each.

The carrot cake was simply delicious. Earthy, with lots of different textures and a hint of spice, the cake was a real winner and the topping gave it a lovely sweet flavour.

Drink

There’s a selection of drinks to choose from at the tearoom.

Traditional tea, herbal tea, coffee and hot chocolate are among some of the options that could warm you up on a cooler day and there are also thirst-quenching cold drinks too.

I really enjoyed my James White apple juice, which was made less than 10 miles away in Ashbocking, while my mum couldn’t go wrong with her sparkling elderflower drink.

The coffee house is also licensed to serve alcohol –giving visitors the ideal excuse to treat themselves to a glass of wine with their lunch.

Price

The Georgian Coffee House is extremely well priced with homemade hot dishes priced at only £5.95 each. Hot desserts are £4.25.

The tearoom runs special offers throughout the day, allowing customers to enjoy a homemade sponge cake and drink for £3.95 between 9am and 11am and 3pm and 5pm and a toasted tea cake with tea or coffee for £2.25 between 9am and 11am.

Summary

With its convenient location, friendly staff and homemade dishes, The Georgian Coffee House is just the place to stop off for a refreshing drink or a bite to eat.

Traditional and inclusive, you’ll be made to feel very welcome. And I would definitely recommend leaving room for a slice of homemade cake.