Fakenham, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This “old pub with delicious food” is thriving under its new owners, chef Jeremy Parke and his sommelier wife Rachael, who have “maintained the standards and brought some of their own dishes to the menu” – and there’s still “a great atmosphere in the ‘anything but standard’ layout of the dining rooms”. Top Menu Tips – “the Norfolk crab and roast monkfish are both musts”.

A “beautiful” hotel dining room with a “great location” on the Holkham Estate, just inland from Holkham beach, one of the finest sandy stretches on the North Norfolk coast. Chef Michael Chamberlain is behind the menu, which echoes the estate’s commitment to sustainability (cue much sourcing of ingredients from the grounds). While “it can lack consistency”, continuing the tenor of reports over the years, “at its best it comes up trumps with careful cooking and a warm atmosphere”.

“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”.

2021 Review: “Relaxed, friendly” and a “brilliant pub”, just along the coast from Blakeney, which was taken over by old school friends in 2011, and swiftly given a retro, nautical refurb’; the “delicious menu” takes in local north Norfolk catch and game.

This village boozer-with-rooms par excellence overlooking the green was taken over by the Chestnut Group in 2022. While there are those for whom the “favourite” pitstop “has actually been improved since the takeover” and is now a “top-end gastropub”, there are also critics, for whom “the change of ownership has led to a diminution of standards”.

“Superb locally sourced seafood” is the highlight of the menu at this family-run operation founded by Angela Long and her late husband Richard, which has a “carefully built and locally supported reputation over many years” – “value for money and a great attention to detail is a special combination” that “attracts both locals and the many visitors to the North Norfolk coast”.

“A triumph!” – “Exquisite food, meticulously prepared and as stunning to look at as it is to taste”, all alongside “delightfully attentive but unpretentious service and interesting wines too”, are the key strengths of Greg Anderson and Rebecca Williams’s “exceptional” three-year-old. “We loved Rebecca and Greg when they were at Morston Hall, and their talents truly shine in their own restaurant”. “Greg has a lightness of touch that many chefs don’t achieve” and “working out of a small kitchen, he uses local produce wherever possible to produce delightful food. He is ably partnered by Rebecca, who charmingly runs the three delightful rooms and front of house as well as being an excellent sommelier. The wine flight that she organises is a delicious adventure every time”. Most reporters also like the “minimalist” decor, and think “it’s a great touch having the cutlery cunningly concealed in a drawer in the table”. A large number of top gastronomic experiences are reported here. “We will definitely be back next time we’re in Norfolk”.

2021 Review: Fans are “happy to report the continued success and popularity of owner Desmond’s venture on the north Norfolk coast” – lionised in a BBC TV series, and combining “really good freshly cooked” farm food with “lots of outside space to run around in”.

“A star item – local oysters – eat them overlooking the waters they come from on a sunny day and it’s perfection”, according to fans of this mega-popular pub renowned for its “excellent seafood in spitting distance of the sea”.“This is a real Norfolk favourite. In winter, the roaring fires and welcoming staff make for a great atmosphere. In summer, the views from the dining-room over the marshes to the sea and the same welcoming staff likewise make this a hit”. The odd report considers it “overhyped except for the view”. But the overwhelming majority of feedback suggests that “despite its popularity, staff are invariably helpful, friendly and efficient; menus and cooking continue to make the most of fresh, local ingredients; and standards are good”. (“We always spend a night here for our wedding anniversary, even though we only live a few minutes away. There is always plenty of choice on the menu, although we normally choose fish as there is such a good choice of fresh locally caught fish on the menu. The place is a gem.)”

2021 Review: “An excellent breakfast” is the top tip at Hannah Springham and Andrew Jones’s good-looking, Georgian restaurant with rooms: sibling to Norwich’s Farmyard. For other occasions, feedback on its straightforward, brasserie-style fare (fish pie, côte de boeuf, burger) is still too limited for a rating.

With its “tranquil riverside setting”, this 18th-century watermill conversion – “a lovely building in a beautiful rural setting” – is “more than worth a visit any time of the year, but in the summer, dining outside in the lovely garden is a special treat”. It’s “owned and run by sisters Siobhan and Caitriona” (whose brother, Oliver Peyton is the figurehead of the family’s London catering business) and inspires a similar mix of opinions to former Peyton operations in the capital – to some “over-hyped with average service and food”, while others speak of “very good dishes”.

Lewis King and wife Aga have a real hit on their hands with this “wonderful restaurant”. Aga takes care of the “great” welcome and wines, while Lewis is behind the “amazing cooking from a one-man kitchen”, which is strong on sourcing, and comes via short or long set menus (Wednesday and Thursday) or the longer menu only on Friday and Saturday. Fans just “wish we lived nearer”.