Brancaster Staithe Restaurant Guide

“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.)”

“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”.

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”.

“What a delight” – a “special dining experience” in Drove Orchards from Eric Snaith of Titchwell Manor fame, where you can either eat in or cart it away to enjoy amid the apple trees. The main event is “crisp, perfectly fried fish” ’n’ chips, and the “lunch and early-bird specials are excellent value”. There’s now a single spin-off in Holt, the chef having closed a five-year-old branch in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, in July 2024, with the intention to redirect his focus back on Norfolk.