Brancaster Staithe Restaurant Guide

“Brilliant shellfish, with wonderful sea views over the marshes” is the trump card of this coastal village pub that has been transformed by Cliff Nye and his family over the last 20 years or so into a “restaurant-with-rooms with a lovely open feel”; and which is the flagship of his Anglian Country Inns group. Hugely popular in the summer for “meals on the outside deck”, it’s great at any time of the year (“we celebrate our wedding anniversary here in early December”) – but “it’s wise to book well in advance for a front-row table: the view’s not so great from the back of the dining room”. Top Menu Tips – “Brancaster mussels from local fisherman Tom Large served with focaccia followed by chargrilled whole gilthead bream”.

“Venture beyond the rather unprepossessing exterior” (a car park-adjacent new build) and “delights await” at this surprisingly bright and “always amazing” outfit, est. 2018 by self-taught chef Dan Lawrence and partner Natalie. The “really interesting (in a good way) menu” is “constantly evolving” and focuses on “lovely small plates to share (or not)”. Added boon: you won’t “feel like a freak asking for gluten-free”.

“Fish is always a winner” at this “first-rate gastropub”, which remains “deservedly very popular” under the direction of chef Jeremy Parke and his sommelier wife Rachael, who took over the 300-year-old inn in 2023 – “the menu has a great selection, supported by a good wine list”.

“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.