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New Iraqi and Kurdish restaurant to open in Ipswich's Tacket Street

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We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

A new restaurant offering Iraqi and Kurdish cuisine will open "in the next couple of weeks" in Ipswich town centre.

Why it matters: Baghdad, located on Tacket Street in Ipswich's town centre, will bring traditional Middle Eastern flavours to Ipswich, offering local diners the chance to experience cuisines with ancient roots dating back to the fertile crescent.

The big picture: Iraqi cuisine reached its peak during the Islamic Golden Age when Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 AD), while Kurdish culinary traditions share cultural similarities with neighbouring regions, including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Armenia.

Baghdad, a Kurdish and Iraqi restaurant in Ipswich
Baghdad will open its doors to diners in the next two weeksOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

What to expect: While specific menu details have not yet been confirmed, here's what you could expect:

  • Both cuisines are known for extensive use of fresh herbs and spices

  • Iraqi cuisine varies by region, with pomegranate-flavoured dolma in the north and fish dishes common in the south

  • Popular Kurdish dishes include biryani, white rice dishes (with meat or vegetables), and various salads and pastries

  • Traditional beverages include sweetened black tea and strong coffee

Location: The restaurant will occupy the former Salt 'n' Pepper café premises on Tacket Street, which closed in November 2023.

The bottom line: The restaurant is in the final stages of the fitting-out process. When it opens its doors in the next couple of weeks, Baghdad will become the town's first Iraqi and Kurdish restaurant.

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Council slaps car park users with £100 fines despite publicly acknowledging payment machines were down

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Motorists have been hit with £100 parking fines at Duke Street car park despite Ipserv, which is owned by the council, publicly acknowledging payment machines were out of order.

Why it matters: Ipserv, the commercial arm of Ipswich Borough Council, has been issuing penalty charges to drivers unable to pay at Ipswich's largest Waterfront car park, where machines have been malfunctioning intermittently since late January.

A broken payment machine at Duke Street car park in Ipswich
A broken payment machine at Duke Street car park in IpswichOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The details: The payment terminals had been experiencing problems throughout January, with all machines reported out of service on 31 January.

What they said: An Ipserv spokesperson previously stated: "Unfortunately, there is an intermittent issue with the machine at Duke Street Car Park (21851), which our engineers are actively investigating.

"While we work to resolve the problem, we kindly ask customers to use the RingGo app for payment or call RingGo Customer Services on 020 3046 0010 for assistance."

Yes, but: Many visitors are unable to pay via the RingGo app, and those who typically tap to pay with their smartphones often do not carry payment cards with them, making it impossible to pay by telephone.

A scenario seemingly overlooked by Ipserv.

What they're saying now: We approached Ipserv for comment and asked them if they would be proactively reaching out to users issued with fines despite not being able to pay. They issued the following response:

“We acknowledge that there were intermittent technical difficulties with the payment machines on the 31st January 2025. However, we wish to stress that alternative payment methods were available, users could pay via a mobile app or by contacting RingGo’s customer service on the number provided on the side of the payment machine. While we regret any inconvenience caused, these options were in place to ensure customers had a means to pay.

"The availability of alternative options of payment means that simply citing the technical issue will not, on its own, automatically cancel a parking charge notice. As an approved contractor with the British Parking Association, we are committed to correcting any errors in a fair and timely manner and will review any appeals in accordance with the recognised code of conduct.”

The bottom line: Despite publicly acknowledging these "machine issues", the council-owned company has proceeded to issue £100 fines to motorists who had no means of paying. Affected motorists are encouraged to appeal the decision.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

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