The Kings Arms
Haughley, Suffolk
As the A14 takes you through mid-Suffolk, stop and slip off the main road towards Haughley. Why? Because that’s where you’ll find The Kings Arms pub. Lucy Newland’s welcome is warm, and her husband Grant’s cooking moves with ease between notch-up pub classics (beer-battered line-caught pollack with triple-cooked chips and pea purée, or buttermilk fried chicken burger in a brioche bun, for example), to dishes that more keenly express his chef credentials. Snack on crisp lamb belly bonbons – the flavours of pomegranate molasses, sumac and tahini bring the meat to life – while you wait for cheese custard with charred baby leeks, little confit potatoes and black garlic purée. The smoky savouriness of this dish made a standout starter on a spring visit. Wild garlic roots a simple risotto firmly in the same season, especially when served with early asparagus and peas. Sweet-savoury lobster bisque is a suitably luxurious accompaniment for a fillet of wild bass, alongside tender salsify and a flutter of saline sea vegetables. Go classic for pudding, maybe a tonka-bean crème brûlée or lemon tart with a delicate Earl Grey ice cream. Wines from £22.
Dining Information:
Separate bar, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly, Credit card required
3 Old Street, Haughley, Suffolk IP14 3NT
01449 257120
