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Hours
Sun
12:00 - 20:30
Mon
12:00 - 20:30
Tue
12:00 - 20:30
Wed
12:00 - 20:30
Thu
12:00 - 20:30
Fri
12:00 - 21:30
Sat
12:00 - 21:30
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
£5.00 – £40.00
CUISINES
Bar, Seafood, British, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Details
About
The Alma Inn and Dining Rooms has been at the centre of Harwich life since the 1850s serving ale to the citizens, sailors, soldiers and farmers of the wind that passed through.We offer food seven days a week. Go to our 'Whats On' page to take advantage of our food offers. Ideally located within moments of the quay or a five minute walk from Harwich town station.
PRICE RANGE
£5.00 – £40.00
CUISINES
Bar, Seafood, British, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Dog Friendly, Gift Cards Available
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4.5
980 reviews
Excellent
743
Very good
168
Average
41
Poor
18
Terrible
11
julie f
Chelmsford29 contributions
Nov 2024 • couples
On our first visit to a charming pub for my birthday, we were greeted with a warm and welcoming atmosphere right from the moment we stepped inside. Not knowing what to expect, we shared a delightful mackerel pate, fresh and homemade, accompanied by bread and black olives—plenty for the two of us. For my main course, I chose the fish and chips, while my husband enjoyed a sea bass crab and lobster risotto. For dessert, we indulged in an apple and peach crumble with custard and an almond tart served with ice cream. The total bill came to £67, and as a careful spender, I can confidently say it was worth every penny. The food was extraordinarily fresh, the service was impeccable, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Overall, it was an excellent dining experience.
Written 2 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick May
Thank you Julie, many happy returns both of the day and to the Alma!
Written 14 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tracew
Martlesham Heath104 contributions
Sept 2023 • couples
This restaurant had been recommended by a number of people and rightly so it seems. Apparently the Southwold bitter was about as good as beer gets and I had a choice between Pepsi (on tap and no thanks) or Diet Coke bottled.
We selected the seafood platter @£50 and I was worth every penny. Half a lobster each, cockles, anchovy, smoked mackerel pate, proper smoke house smoked salmon, gravadlax, shell on prawns, oysters, bread - a really good mix. Everything was wonderful but if I have one teeny gripe, I felt the shell on prawns were not as tasty as they possibly could be. However they were absolutely edible and my husband proved it by scoffing the lot.
Add excellent service and you have the perfect lunch!
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you Tracew, we have given the prawns a stern talking too and they have promised to be at the top of their game next time.
Written 28 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lucy G
12 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
We went here for some dinner with no reservation. Staff where very accommodating and fitted us in evening though they was very busy. The bar is cosy and classic, which is very homely.
Unfortunately, we waited just under an hour for our food to arrive and was told “the order didn’t go through to the kitchen” once they waiters realised and put our order through properly the food was out in no time, and hot!
We ordered fish and chips, and Sausage and mash.
The food itself was fantastic, with lots of flavour. We were both really pleased and would definitely be coming back again.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you for your review Lucy, sorry you met our technical gremlin, I am delighted the team fixed the problem and we got you fed. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
Written 9 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Frankie H
1 contribution
May 2024 • family
We visited the Alma inn today optimistic as our previous experience back in September was terrible we waited over 2 hours for main courses! Today was a similar story although my young children received their meals promptly we waited an hour and 20 mins to get our starters which was far from satisfactory the pil pil prawns were cold and the baked half dozen oysters came out with only 5 oysters and unclean shells also cold. Then progressed to the main which took an extra 45 minutes to come out when it arrived very cold and the only hot thing was the cauliflower cheese. My family member couldn't eat the meat as it was just too tough we had the porchetta roast which she herself had recommended us to have. My children both under 4 at this point being restless having to wait over 2 hours for a meal had their desserts after going to the bar and hastling people several times. There was one good waitress who told us at one point that there were going to take the starters off our bill then we didn't see her again till the end then we requested the bill and she was so embarrassed and informed us they would also take off the mains. We didn't request this we told them at the time the food is cold but we had to wait so long we don't have time to send the food back. I would definitely return for drinks but not for food it's a beautiful little place but maybe staffing could be better for a Sunday
Written 19 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you for your review Frankie, It was an unexpectedly busy day, we have taken your comments onboard and made changes that will benefit future guests. We where under the impression that you left satisfied but apologise if this was not the case.
Written 30 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jodene M
Dagenham79 contributions
Apr 2024 • family
This could be a great pub for a drink and a spot of lunch. I was disappointed with my fish and chips. I got very few chips and the piece of fish (haddock) wasn't the chunky flaky fish I was expecting...it was more slithery and thin.
My husband had the burger which he enjoyed and my daughter had the macaroni which she enjoyed.
Nice beer and wine. On very busy days parking might be difficult as it's down a narrow street.
They also encourage you to book online where you pay a £30 deposit. The website booking system was also a little frustrating with pop-ups getting in the way.
Written 19 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you for your feedback jodenem, Fish and chips is one of our best sellers and usually is a mountain of chips and a generous piece of fish hanging off the plate, I am not sure what happened on the day you visited but I hope you mentioned your disappointment to the staff who would have tried to resolve the problem for you.
Written 23 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Claire L
Bath6 contributions
Dec 2023 • business
We came for dinner… then we came back for lunch, then dinner again, then lunch again!
I was honestly googling local houses for sale by the time we’d finished the first meal. Such an incredibly warm friendly vibe, awesome staff, beautiful Christmas decorations (who doesn’t make Christmas bunting by hanging vintage Christmas albums?), delicious food and great music. There were groups of friends, people on their own, and everyone clearly felt totally comfy there. Very delicious spicy crab linguine (fennel seeds perfect, I’ll be copying that at home), and the Spanish onion soup was like velvet in a bowl. We all had that for the last lunch - with the mackerel pate as a chaser. What a fantastic place.
Written 23 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you so much for your lovely review, you will find local house prices surprisingly reasonable! Hope to see much more of you in future.
Written 11 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
AdrianS2403
Enfield712 contributions
Dec 2022 • couples
We came here on a recommendation and were not disappointed. A lively quaint and quirky hotel / Inn. We had a lovely room (1), Comfortable double bed and superb walk in shower. It can be a bit noisy until closing time, otherwise very peaceful. The staff were very obliging and friendly. We had a liveky evening meal, very reasonably priced , shame the local fishermen hadn't been out to catch lobster though. Breakfast was very nice and a good portion. We had a Nespresso machine in the room, great coffee but wouldn't advise trying to make a cup of tea. Woukd certainly return here.
Written 30 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen E
Thanks Adrian, your feedback is appreciated.
We do have an emergency kettle hidden away for anybody who doesn't get on with the gadgetty coffee machine.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Helen
Written 7 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
robthebuilder0
64 contributions
Jul 2022 • none
First of all I would like to say I have given a four star rating based on previous visits to the Alma which were excellent if I had given a rating based on this visit it would have been a one.
There were four of us we waited and waited for somebody to take our drink order eventually having to call a member of staff over.
My wife ordered fillet steak with just a side salad, it came with all the trimmings chips mushrooms etc.
One of our friends ordered the fish pie, it was full of mashed potato and little else hardly any fish and dry with no sauce whatsoever.
Our other friend had the battered fish which was grossly over cooked and dry.
I had the whole lobster with garlic butter, it looked like it had been cooked and held under a heat lamp therefore any garlic butter had completely dried up, I had to ask twice for implements to crack the claws.
Disappointed is an understatement we didn’t complain on the night so as not to embarrass owners or staff but all four meals were dreadful.
We have been to the Alma many times over the years and have always had excellent service and food hopefully this was just an off night, please if your reading this don’t let it put you off going there because we will certainly be going back in the future, hopefully to have a better experience.
Come on the Alma your much better than this.
Written 3 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tyrwhittali
London106 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
It was our first stay at the Alma Inn and we will definitely be back. It’s a lovely, friendly pub with an excellent beer and gin selection (we didn’t get a chance to try anything else). Our room was lovely and comfortable and despite being part of the pub, we weren’t bothered by noise. Our breakfast perfectly cooked and I particularly appreciated the offer of marmite to go with our toast (not being a jam person!)
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you for the review. IMO you can't have toast without marmite!
Written 26 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jon H
Colchester4 contributions
Jan 2024 • family
Have heard and read good things about this restaurant , sadly reality did not match it.
To start : burnt toast , lukewarm , bland and unseasoned sauce , anaemic mussels --- at the time was unsure if they were cooked properly, 24 hours later my stomach still confirming that they were not.
Main Course ; small skate wing , lettuce leaf , what should have been 3x cooked chips but texture and taste as if they had been through the fryer at least 2x too many
Dining Area : cold ; feet only just thawed out
Service : reasonable , the only thing that elevated the meal from 1* to 2*
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick May
So I’m replying to this review to help those that follow.
To Start : burnt toast = charred sourdough.
Anaemic mussels if they were open, they were cooked properly.
Main Course : small skate wing, we buy the whole catch from our local fishermen they come in different sizes if you’re hungry ask us for a large one if your not ask for a small ,we hate waste.
Dining Area : Cold, yep if it’s freezing cold outside and its a drafty 400 year old building. bring jumper!
Written 11 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richard C
7 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
When someone asks how your meal is before you’ve really started and from 10 feet behind you , then you can imagine they aren’t really interested in engaging with you! When I paid later and casually mentioned that my wife found hers to be cold I was told I should have mentioned it earlier! And that was it! Having irked me I thought to say to you all beware ! I had planned to book a table here for 6 for Friday week but we’re going somewhere else now. Having been visiting The Alma for over 30 years we’ve decided to cross it off our dining venue list which is such a shame. My Plaice was tiny, as was the cup of chips and salad with it, nice as they were. See picture!
Written 9 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick May
Richard , your most excellent picture of your tiny plaice shows it hanging over the plate!
See picture!
Methinks you were irked earlier and let that cloud your visit.
Hope your visit somewhere else didn't result in another crossing off. there aren't that many dining plaices left.
Please give us another go it would be a shame to end a thirty year relationship via social media.
nick
Written 11 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richard B
Germany43 contributions
Sept 2023 • family
We tried to book a table the night before going but everything went wrong with the link to pay a deposit. We also sent an email and tried phoning but this place is busy. We turned up on the night and explained the issues with booking as they had no record of my email and they were extremely busy. However the staff couldn't have been more understanding or helpful, they rearranged tables so we could sit and eat. My wife had the lobster which she described as probably the best she had eaten and I had traditional Fish and Chips, the batter was light and crispy and the fish tasted really good, my daughter wasn't particularly hungry so she had a starter and that was a good size to start with. The drinks were good, again my wife thought the wine serve was better than a standard table wine you find in a pub and we were able to bring the dog in too. We were getting the ferry back to Hoek of Holland later that day and it made a perfect end to our holiday.
Written 6 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Sorry the tech gremlins caused trouble but delighted to know that you where shoe horned in and had a great time. Our lobster has food feet not miles so is always stunning!
Written 28 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David P
Basildon24 contributions
Mar 2023 • none
So on a rare weekend that we get together with no animals or daughter we decided to look for nice places locally for us to eat. This one came up as one of the best in Essex and it was easy to see why.
On arrival we walked in to the main bar and mentioned that we were a bit earlier than planned but the table was ready to sit at and the staff were great.
We were quickly shown the menus and the specials, for starters we went with the mussels which were amazing, and tomato soup which apparently was also very nice.
For mains unfortunately they had no lobster, so I went with a medium rare fillet steak which was cooked to perfection and so tasty along with chips that tasted great almost like roasties! My partner had the fish and chips which ended up being too much for her, so I tried a bit and that was just as nice.
For desert I had the chocolate brownie which I would say was the only slight disappointment as it was soft and more like a cake, it was very nice, but not really a brownie texture. We also had the crumble which apparently was great too.
All in all the experience was just as good as we were expecting it to be, the staff were wonderful and the food was amazing, with parking just on the front so close we can't wait to come back to try more of the menu.
Written 20 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thank you so much for leaving us such a glowing review and choosing to spend your precious child free time with us!
Written 10 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jan M
Clacton-on-Sea91 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Found by accident walking around Harwich. But what a find. The food is amazing.. warm greetings and the menu is very good. Served in good time no rushing to get you out. Such a pleasant afternoon .
Have now been twice in 1 week. Taking different family members. Both times faultless.
Skate sea bass ..prawns.. fish n chips there is a good selection of sea-fish.. hand pressed burger right down to sausage n mash.. all tastes catered for..
Ring book a table . You won’t regret it
Written 12 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Thanks Jan, we're delighted you enjoyed your visits. Booking a table is worth it as we do get full and it's even easier now you can book on our website.
Written 31 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gloria Antoinette
5 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
We went to “The Glorious 12th” dinner. Four courses for £40 and it sounded delicious. It was one of the best meals I have ever had! All the subtlety and flavour of Michelin starred French food, especially the fish course which was sublime. You could taste everything separately but everything blended to a whole. It was exceptional. The grouse, being the star of the show, was also perfectly cooked and presented. We met the chef, who told us he was opening the new restaurant next door and we can’t wait to go there. I’ve been lucky enough to eat at Le Manoir, but this was better. Thank you for a wonderful evening
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Egner
Ohhh heck, you've gone and made us blush! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback x
Written 31 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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