Norfolk, French Restaurant Guide

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”.

Launched in 2020 by Frenchman Thomas Aubrit, son of a cook and nephew of a butcher, and English wife Gemma (FOH), this “very small” but very good Gallic outfit in Norwich Lanes has cemented its popularity with “simple good food” from a short menu featuring all the expected classics (e.g., onion soup, boeuf bourguignon). Thanks to the “very attentive” hosts, a “warm atmosphere” pervades both the miniscule downstairs bar and the 20-seat upstairs dining room.