Festive Treats in Suffolk’s Foodie Capital
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Bury St Edmunds so whether you’re looking for a festive feast with family or simply an after-work beer among the baubles – the foodie capital of Suffolk is the place to be this December for all your favourite seasonal food and drink treats. With so much to choose from ‘yule’ be guaranteed to have a wonderful Christmas time when visiting the town centre.
If you can’t get away to the real ski slopes this winter then why not enjoy the Alpine ambience of Gastrono-Me on Abbeygate Street which has transformed itself with a cosy Aspen ski lodge theme until just after New Year. Enjoy the two or three course menu featuring the Chalet Burger or Snowplough Burger and desserts including a White Out Sundae or Snownuts.
For the final touches to your Christmas decorations take a look at the hand-made crafts for sale while enjoying a mince pie with a luxury mint hot chocolate or gingerbread latte at The Lounge and Garden in Hatter Street. With everywhere looking so very festive at the moment make sure you check out the perfectly pink window display with adorable gingerbread houses at Lotties Coffee and Waffle House on Angel Hill. Their Christmas afternoon tea includes bagels, churros and home-made gelato.
Just a few doors away you’ll find The One Bull, where if you are looking for a Christmas meal as a group then the festive menu is now available to book – but be quick as more than 1,000 places are already confirmed. Three courses cost £33 and include vegan options such as cranberry and lentil bake. Meanwhile its sister restaurant Damson & Wilde in Abbeygate Street is also a great place for a Christmas party – you can start your evening with a mulled wine or prosecco reception for that extra special touch before choosing a two or three course set menu of festive favourites.
Mulled wine is also on the menu, along with pecan butter tarts at Bay Tree Café in St Johns Street. It’s the perfect place to stop for a break after visiting the eclectic range of independent shops while present hunting in this part of town. Or carry on down the road and find Cookie Barista where a cookie dough mince pie is a sweet accompaniment to a bubble tea.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without chocolate – right? At Marimba in the Buttermarket you can choose from Christmas pudding chocolate thins, truffle filled crackers or tablets of chocolate decorated with reindeer or Christmas trees.
For sweet treat stocking-fillers you’ll find as many candy canes as you can eat at Mr Simms sweet shop also on the Buttermarket. Also look out for cute little chocolate snowmen, chocolate Santas and boxes of festive pick and mix.
If the traditional mince pie or Christmas pudding isn’t your thing then how about something with more of a Mediterranean flavour? Sweet treats are very much part of the traditional Christmas fayre in Greece. You’ll find plenty of options if you visit Papaki’s Deli in the Buttermarket.
Procopios Pantry in Langton Place has a Christmas-themed pudding club in December and is also serving a festive afternoon tea menu. It includes treats such as pigs in blankets sausage rolls and mulled berry cheesecake. On a similar theme you’ll find an ELF-ternoon tea on selected Saturdays at Queens Bar and Grill in Churchgate Street. Santa hat cupcakes and snowman Biscoff truffles are two of the highlights of the menu. Meanwhile the three-course Christmas party menu is £35 per person. And Queen’s sister business Crumbs in High Baxter Street has delicious cheesecakes, Christmas cookies and even a giant seasonal wreath cookie among the delights that await you.
If you’re looking for something to sip over the holiday season then Beautiful Beers in St Johns Street is the place to visit. Why not take home a bottle of Moon Gazer’s Snowshoe beer or Cranes Cranberry and Lime Cider to serve with Christmas lunch?
There are more festive drinks, menu specials and warm spicy flavours to be found at Hunter Club Bar & Venue in St Andrews Street South, plus check out their events in the run up to Christmas for a great party night out. Alternatively, there are two spaces that can be booked for your own private party.
A visit to the Angel Hotel is a real treat at Christmas time. Throughout December a festive afternoon tea is served including turkey sandwiches and a white chocolate and cranberry tart. There’s also a set three course and coffee Christmas menu served for lunch or dinner and on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day the restaurant is taking lunch bookings. And why not combine a visit to the Angel with a winter walk in the beautiful Abbey Gardens just across the road. Get away from the bustle of Christmas shopping in the town centre and enjoy the relative tranquillity of the award-winning park. You’ll find Grounds Café there – a great place for a light lunch or a coffee and a gingerbread person or gluten-free cookie.
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