Harden's says
Small plates restaurant in north Norfolk with a strong focus on local food.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Tucked away in a car park (so the views aren’t great!), but deservedly very popular” – Dan Lawrece and partner Natalie have won renown over its five years of operation for this very contemporary and airy venue. “Sharing plates in London are now a common occurrence, but Burnham Market?!” – “dishes showcase local produce and show great technique (but nothing too prissy)”, “the flavours are good and the idea works”, while all reports agree that it “never fails to deliver delicious, interesting cooking” – in fact it provided a couple of diners’ best meals of the year. Service “can’t be faulted” and the open kitchen is “calm, orderly and super- efficient”. One gripe – “I just wish the ambient noise was a bit lower”. Top Menu Tips – “dishes such as BBQ carrots, peanut satay, soy, coconut, lime; cured salmon, beetroot, horseradish, cucumber, fennel; tuna carpaccio, pickled ginger, soy, nori; lamb belly, carrot, cumin, green sauce”.
Summary
“You think it’s a strange building in a car park! Then you go in and have just the best food…” – Self-taught chef Dan Lawrence and partner Natalie’s purpose-built five-year-old is well “worth seeking out for some of the best food in this part of north Norfolk” (or even beyond, if you trust the AA’s 2022 ‘Restaurant of the Year’ accolade). It has a “small plates ethos” with “dishes designed for sharing” and “results are outstanding”.
Summary
In its four years since opening, this “delicious fusion-style small-plates” venue in the “sophisticated village of Burnham Market” has earned itself a reputation as one of the better culinary bets near the north Norfolk coast – and in September 2022 it was crowned the AA’s ‘Restaurant of the Year’. Self-taught chef-patron Dan Lawrence and his partner Natalie Stuhler “manage a food service that is innovative, tasty and full of surprises”, in a “fresh, modern purpose-built setting that feels as though it should be a fifteenth-century barn”.
Summary
Self-taught chef Dan Lawrence’s “stylish and tasty” small plates are “delivered with the minimum of fuss” by a “smart, well-informed team, well-marshalled” by his partner and co-owner Natalie Stuhler – it is the couple’s first venture, opened in airy, purpose-designed premises three years ago. “Staff are very knowledgeable about the food and its provenance – they champion local producers, not just in the food but also in the extensive selection of locally sourced beers and ales”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Socius?
11 Foundry Place, Burnham Market, PE31 8LG
Restaurant details
Socius Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Socius has been a real find and it is good to report that it is going from strength to strength. At our stage in life, the small plates concept is perfect for our eating habits these days. Small plates such as roasted carrots, cured salmon, smoked haddock, chicken liver parfait, Socius house rubbed chips, whipped cod’s roe and burrata are perfect in size and quality. Happily for us, Socius is only fifteen minutes from home. That combined with fine food, friendly, enthusiastic service and a sensibly priced wine list makes this a great venue for lunch for us. Reports from friends about the high quality of Sunday is another reason for a visit, but we have yet to discover this quality for ourselves."
"We love Socius and it's good to see their standards have not slipped one bit since they opened, and since winning a major award two years ago. The cooking is absolutely sound and very assured. Their "small plates" approach seems to have shifted slightly, but the menu remains interesting and capable of sharing. I find it surprising they haven't been rewarded with more plaudits. The building is lovely (albeit noisy) and the staff good - and I recognise some from our first visit not long after they opened! "
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
11 Foundry Place, Burnham Market, PE31 8LG
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm |
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