Norfolk, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

“Interesting art” (from the likes of Tracey Emin, Lucian Freud and Damian Hirst) is par for the course at art dealer Ivor Braka’s foodie getaway – launched in 2011, and no stranger to ‘Top 50’ UK gastropub lists. The stately home sits on a 1,000-acre deer park, with ex-Hix alumni Stuart & Simone Tattersall overseeing a vigorous menu spanning the Gunton’s own venison plus seafood, mussels and crab caught in nearby Cromer. A few reports of “slightly complacent” service of late, but even cynics “could not fault the food and setting”.

“An unpretentious, well-run pub: long may it never change!” – “informal, laid-back but efficient staff”, “good gastropub food” and a “cosy ambience” make a meal here “a thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable experience”, with “the option for outside eating overlooking the salt marshes in better weather”.

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”.