Sutherland House
High Street, Southwold, Suffolk Coast · Guest House
View on Google MapsPhoto: Sutherland House
Grade II listed restaurant with rooms on Southwold High Street, dating from 1455, with a small seafood-led dining room.
Photos
Photos via Google
About Sutherland House
Sutherland House is one of the oldest buildings in Southwold, a Grade II listed house on the High Street with parts dating from around 1455. James II is recorded as having stayed here, and the interior still carries the evidence of its age: a pargetted ceiling from 1660, wide fireplaces, heavy timbers and floors that slope where the building has settled. It operates as a restaurant with rooms rather than a full hotel, so there is no reception desk or lounge in the conventional sense.
There are a small number of bedrooms, all shaped by the original layout of the house and therefore unusually large. One has a sleigh bed beneath the 17th-century plasterwork ceiling; another has a six-foot double-ended slipper bath set in front of a substantial fireplace. Furnishings are a mix of antique and contemporary, and bathrooms have been fitted in without cutting the rooms up. Guests should expect stairs and low doorways throughout.
The dining room seats around 22 and opens for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, plus Sunday lunch, usually with two sittings. The menu is led by fish and seafood landed locally, alongside high-quality Suffolk pork and a proper plant-based selection rather than an afterthought. Breakfast for residents is cooked to order and uses the same suppliers. Booking dinner well ahead is advisable given how few covers there are.
The position on the High Street puts the beach, the pier, the Adnams shops and the harbour walk within a few minutes on foot, and the ferry across to Walberswick is a pleasant twenty-minute stroll. It suits couples who want somewhere small and characterful, food-led travellers, and guests who would rather be in the middle of the town than on its edge. There is limited parking, so check arrangements before arrival.
Reception hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- 6:00 – 9:00 PM
- Wednesday
- 6:00 – 9:00 PM
- Thursday
- 6:00 – 9:00 PM
- Friday
- 6:00 – 9:00 PM
- Saturday
- 6:00 – 9:00 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Current hours may differ from the usual schedule above (e.g. holidays) — check Google Maps for today's hours.
What guests say
John Sutherland suite. There are some positive points. Lovely big fluffy towels in the large on suite with complimentary toiletries. Beautiful linen on the bed. Nice lounge with a fridge. Tea & coffee with biscuits every day. Bottles of water. Still & sparkly. Negatives. The stairs. 2 sets. 1 to enter the property 15 steap set to enter the property. The second set were even worse. Very tight narrow stairs with a twist under a lintel. You have to duck to get under it. I appreciate this is an old property but there is no mention on the booking. If there were we wouldn't have booked. We only stayed as we had already paid. We both have mobility issues & we had to crawl up the second set to the room. The room was extremely hot but there was a fan in the room. I can enclosed photos of the stairs. For further references please mention the stairs. It is a major problem.
a month ago · via Google
A wonderful stay at Sutherland House. We booked for a birthday weekend and stay Friday and Saturday night through booking.com. The entrance to the venue for staying is round the back of the building (walk down the other road that leads to the back of the building). Stairs upto the rooms. Key is safes which you get the code on the day. Handle bars either side to do the stairs. We had the first room. It was as advertised small room with a bathroom with a bath and shower. The room had heating for the cold nights. The location of the building is perfect for the town life. Sunday the church bells went off to be aware off. Staff were friendly and approachable during our stay. The bed is against the wall so have to climb over partner during night but not an issue for us. We will be back.
2 months ago · via Google
A thoughtful menu; seasonal and delicious food. Their own English sparkling wine is superb. Service is warm and attentive, made to feel very welcome. Comfortable, gentle atmosphere. A beautiful dining experience.
4 months ago · via Google
Staying in Southwold and some desktop research brought my wife and I to Sutherland House for dinner on a Friday night. Incredible experience - the food was superb, the restaurant packed out with a great ambience, and the service as good as it gets. An energetic and attentive staff who looked after us from start to finish. Thank you! (ps, please may we come back??)
3 months ago · via Google
Diners like this restaurant's delicious, inventive, and beautifully presented food, with many highlighting the superb quality of dishes like the mackerel scotch egg and halibut. They also mention the excellent and reasonably priced wine list, including their own English sparkling wine. Guests appreciate the warm, attentive, and friendly service, contributing to a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere.
Summary via Google
At a glance
- Address
- 56 High Street, Southwold, IP18 6DN Get directions
- Property type
- Guest House
- Location
- High Street, Southwold, Suffolk Coast
- Star rating
- 4 star
- Guest score
- 8.7 / 10 (500 reviews)
- Prices from
- £120 per night
- Good for children
- No
- Destination
- Suffolk