The Angel Hotel Vaults, Bury St Edmunds

01.08.09; after surviving 22 years of marriage I thought it would be a nice treat to my wife and friends to dinner at The Angel, Bury St Edmunds, a Hotel and Restaurant which set the standard for other restaurants in the area.

From the former elegance and "silver service" that once had made the Angel special, it has now turned into a modern gastro type restaurant.

We were show to our seats and looked to order some drinks accompanied by some salted nuts and olives, we ordered some wine and chatted. Our waiter albeit very polite was not at attentive as he should have been, the olives had stones and maybe he should have considered that we needed a side plate to dispose of these little devils, he was prompted and thus delivered.

Bread arrived which was a cake type Italian bread and with Olive Oil on the side it was truly delicious, again no side plates and our waiter was busy.

The starters arrived, mine an Asian pork and prawns in a nice spicy dressing, the flavours came alive in my mouth, initially doubtful about the combination, it was wonderful, if not enough on the plate. I cannot comment on the other starters, just all agreed very nice indeed, just a little more please.

The plate of olive pips remained on the table.

Main courses, The Sea Bass, Lamb dish and Pork were all chosen by my guests, and all reported that the food was very nice, for me the Scallops with pea and mint risotto, a wonderful combination, balanced and the ingredients complimented each other, the risotto was a little too wet, however this was insignificant overall.

The plate of olive pips remained on the table and an order of drinks placed before the main course did not arrive until we prompted the waiter.

The wine we choose was reasonable, but in truth an average wine list at cheeky prices, and you could find better at Waitrose for 50% less, but I understand that they do need margin on consumables.

The plate of olive pips were finally removed.

The Puddings and Cheese, I went for the Toffee sticky pudding, yes delicious, but felt a little manufactured, the girls had Chocolate tort which again looked and tasted nice, my friend went for the cheese board, and it was a little disappointing, the amount of cheese was microscopic and looked a little disappointing on the platter, it would have been a great feast for a mouse, but sadly, not my guest.

Overall the food was of a very high standard, a well designed menu, which delivered taste, flavours and customer satisfaction.

The ambiance was nice, not the classical Angel, but as I was informed times have moved on, which I agree, but when you look for something "special" The Angel has lost that little bit of magic which once made it a bright star shining above the competition.

The price was fair, but could I have found the same standard at another restaurant for 15% less, yes I could.

Our waiter is still no doubt walking on the clouds, polite and a nice guy, however he just did not have the element that is required to deliver service.

I really couldn't fault the service. We were in a large party (which can usually mean everything takes twice as long) and the food was prompt and hot! Several of the group asked for slight variations on the dishes on the menu and this was no problem whatsoever. Very flexible.

I'd highly recommend it.

The Angel Hotel is a large hotel situated facing the gateway to the Abbey Gardens in Bury St. Edmunds. The Vaults is their restaurant, situated in the cellar of the hotel. The Vaults restaurant offers atmospheric lighting and a cosy feel. (It serves the same menu as their Abbeygate restaurant - a more formal (and decadent) dining room).

Staff are always very helpful and friendly. They make the experience very comfortable for you. The menu consists of around 8 starters (approximately £5 - £8.50), 10 mains (approximately £10.95 - £18)and 6 desserts (approximately £4.50 - £5.50). Wine is reasonably priced from £15 onwards.

The food is always of a very high standard, and cooked to perfection. Perfectly seasoned and great portion sizes - enough to fill you up, but not too much if you're having three courses).

If you're in the Bury area and looking for a great meal at a reasonable price, then The Angel Hotel is well worth a look.