My first morning at The Suffolk, I woke not long after dawn and took a bleary-eyed stroll across the pebbled beach, where I found the majority of the staff – including owner George Pell – preparing for their morning dip. Not wanting to let the side down, I stripped off my dry robe (borrowed from the hotel) and waded into the water. This was weeks before the heatwave, and while it was a dazzlingly sunny morning, it was also bloody freezing. This is the North Sea, after all. Still, there are few better feelings than dragging yourself from the surf and drying off in the biting wind. No wonder it’s a daily ritual here. 

What’s the deal with The Suffolk?

The Suffolk is the passion project of Pell, who London foodies may remember from his time at Soho’s L’Escargot. He gave up the city some four years ago to renovate this 17th century coaching inn in Aldeburgh, turning it into a cornerstone of the seaside town. The building has been lovingly restored, from the handsome columns at the entrance through to the seaside chic interiors and the terracotta floor tiles. There are only six rooms, of which I stayed in The Havergate, a spacious, duck egg blue affair with a bay window overlooking that icy cold sea.

Where is The Suffolk?

You can drive from central London to Aldeburgh in just over two hours, with the closest train station, Saxmundham (also two hours from London), about 15 minutes away in a cab. This stretch of coastline hardly counts as a hidden gem but it avoids being too saturated with DFLs (down from Londoners), despite being about as pretty a seaside town as you could imagine.

What about the food? 

Pell being a restaurateur at heart, The Suffolk is billed as a “restaurant with rooms”, with a meal in the 60-cover dining room practically mandatory. Here chef Luke Truelove – who has worked beneath Tom Kerridge – crafts a no nonsense menu of hyper local dishes, with stand-outs including dressed crab on toast with avocado puree, fat little scallops with crispy chilli and an impeccable trout in vadouvan cockle sauce. The restaurant is frequented by locals and tourists alike – make sure you book in advance – with the odd sleb also making an appearance; apparently Tom Hiddleston had been in the week I visited. It’s a wonderfully laid-back place to sink a bottle or two of white wine as the sun sets across the dining room, which is adorned by charming paintings by local artist Mike Crockett.

Should you get peckish in the night, there’s a complimentary “pantry” for guests, with a selection of meats, cheeses, crackers and pre-mixed negronis available; just bear in mind the more negronis you sink, the harder it will be to coax yourself towards the sea the next morning.

What is there to do in Aldeburgh?

After your swim, soak in the atmosphere in the room for an hour or two – I recommend sitting in the bay window with the crossword – before heading out for a walk along the beach. There’s a beautiful village called Thorpness a brisk half an hour’s walk up the coast, passing Maggi Hambling’s Shell sculpture, where you can enjoy a well earned pint at The Dolphin before. Pick up some fresh crab and cockles on the parade back into town. 

If you’re still thirsty there’s a great little place called The White Hart, which might just be the Platonic ideal of the seaside pub, filled with chatty locals and their friendly hounds.

Before you leave, pop in to the excellent local butcher Salter & King to stock up on heritage breed meats for far cheaper than you will find back in the capital. 

• Rooms at The Suffolk start from £180 – visit the website here for more information and to book