Head to the UK’s answer to the Hamptons for seafood, shingle and coastal chic

Looking for a seaside break with lashings of lobster, English wines and an elegant sailing crowd? Look no further than this idyllic sliver of Suffolk coast, says Lucy Thackray

Top places to stay include original seaside hotel The Brudenell (The Hotel Folk)

It’s a first world yet familiar problem. We don’t have enough mealtimes left in which to eat everything we want to in Aldeburgh. Each time I stroll along its coppery expanse of shingle, I notice something new: a squat fisherman’s hut, painted black with propped-up chalkboards proffering fresh oysters or smoked fish. A cosy-looking pub with Tudor-style stained glass windows. A waterfront terrace of locals nibbling crab arancini or garlicky prawns. I knew I was coming here for seafood, but I wasn’t prepared for how much food I’d see.

We’ve come to this under-the-radar bit of seaside, on the fringes of the Suffolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, for a late-spring long weekend. I only have a handful of things on my wishlist: a bracing coastal walk, a lobster dinner, fish and chips on the beach, and a look at Maggi Hambling’s sculpture, The Scallop. I quickly find out I should have left more space.

Aldeburgh highlights include a bracing coastal walk and fish and chips on the beach (Lucy Thackray)