When it comes to history Sutherland House Hotel and Restaurant, on Southwold High Street, has it all. It dates from the 15th century, was the naval headquarters for the Battle of Sole Bay in the 17th, there's ornate plasterwork ceilings and a secret tunnel which, shivver me timbers, links the building to the nearby St. Edmunds Church. There's even, or so we hear tell, a resident ghost.

And, as befits a restaurant which is so near the sea, the latest chapter in its long story is the move towards more seafood. Andy Rudd is the general manager, a post he's had for the past two and a half years. He explains how the menu had been until recently a balance of meat and fish. He made a decision: 'Let's look at something which people will want in a seaside town.' A mainly but not exclusively seafood menu it was. 'Let's do that – and that's what I did, and it's really paid off. To get a table here on a Saturday night can sometimes take up to a month'.

We were here to sample. But not before taking in the atmosphere of the restaurant, the attractive walled garden and noting the fact that upstairs are three highly individual double rooms and one single, all taking their names from the historical characters associated with the building: former owner, local doctor and mayor John Sutherland; The Duke of York (later James II) who used the room over a ten year period during the Anglo-Dutch war in the 17th Century; and the Earl of Sandwich who was also resident there at the same time until he died in the Battle of Sole Bay.

It was allegedly on the eve of the battle he spent the night with a servant girl in the house. When he was killed at sea she later died of a broken heart,and continues to haunt the building. 'I've never seen it' says Andy, 'but my wife swears she did see it going across the dining room and through the wall'.

Sutherland House holds special memories for me. My parents took me to Southwold for the first time in 1962, a visit which ended with tea at Sutherland House. A decade later as a reporter on the Lowestoft Journal my patch included Southwold and a weekly visit on Wednesdays to do my 'calls' and have lunch, including the most wonderful raspberry pie.

So 40 years later we begin with a bouillabaisse style fish soup for our photographer, who was impressed with the delicate flavour of the main ingredient, mackerel. For me it was their 'famous seafood chowder' which included scallop roe and had a light pleasing taste, thanks to the use of turmeric. But the real star was the accompanying home-made foccacia bread. Such texture, such flavour and finished off with glazed butter on the crust.

Top marks for New Zealand chef Daniel Jones who just loves creating dishes from what is available locally and seasonally. This is a strong point for the restaurant. Premium fish and seafood comes from Lowestoft, Orford or Southwold harbour. Most of the vegetables are grown at an allotment up the road in Reydon. Food miles are minimal.

There are alternatives to fish on the menu. I tried Daniel's signature dish of slow braised belly of Blythburgh pork with medallions of fillet of pork wrapped with thin bacon. This was a taste revelation. The pork belly is marinaded in apple and cranberry juice for added flavour and was set off by a slice of black pudding. The fillet sat on yummy buttery cabbage while the apple was whole with spinach in the core. Sheer delight.

Rabbit loin and a rib-eye steak are also available. My companion tried the pan fried harbour caught cod and declared: 'I never knew that cod was meant to taste like this', a testament to the freshness, size and quality of the local fish. It was served with artichokes, scallops, crab, bacon and sauté new potatoes. Food miles? Ten. Satisfaction? Ten out of ten.

And so to puddings and I've saved the best 'till last. As a connoisseur of bread and butter pudding Daniel's is well described on the menu as 'famous'. Scrummy! And if that wasn't enough it came with, wait for it, vintage marmalade ice cream!

I can still recall the raspberry pie of 40 years ago and now the memory of the 21st century marmalade ice-cream and bread and butter pudding at the same Sutherland House will linger on too.

Sutherland House, 56, High Street, Southwold. Open lunchtimes and evenings. Telephone 01502 724544 or email: enquiries@sutherlandhouse.co.uk