North Walsham Restaurant Guide

With its “wonderful food, great art (Lucian Freud, Tracey Emin), brilliant ambience and lovely setting in a deer park”, this very “English-eccentric gastropub” is “simply the best place for a memorable experience”. Launched 15 years ago by art dealer Ivor Braka and run by ex-Hix duo Stuart & Simone Tattersall, it excels for “meat cooked to perfection over a roaring fire in a slightly surreal setting”; “just perfect on a cold winter’s day”.

“Top-drawer fish ’n’ chips with great sea views” are the attractive offer at this clifftop venue from prominent Norfolk chef Galton Blackiston – a more casual spin-off from his upmarket Morston Hall flagship. Choose between the downstairs café and a menu of more refined fish and seafood in the upstairs restaurant.

Richard & Katja Bainbridge’s comfortable yet simply decorated dining room is often recommended as the best restaurant in Norwich and is well-rated in all diner feedback this year. There are a variety of menus, although they are in a “fixed ‘tasting menu’ style these days” which some diners feel “can be a little overwhelming at lunchtime”. Even such doubters, however, say “but it’s always a lovely experience, and so reliably good”. The entry level offering at dinner is an eight course ingredient-led selection for £65 per person.

“Goes from strength to strength – an absolute treat” – Greg Anderson & Rebecca Williams’s simply but tastefully converted Georgian townhouse provides “exceptional service and attention to detail in calm, and beautiful surroundings”. The cuisine is “exquisite” too (“the food stands comparison with any of the top restaurants we’ve eaten in the world over”). At dinner, there’s a ten-course tasting menu for £150 per person (a cheaper four-course menu for £85 is also available earlier in the week, and on Saturday lunchtimes): “it’s good that the chefs themselves bring the food to the table and give an introduction” and “each course has many ingredient combinations, blending into a perfect composite and displayed with great artistry”. Top Tip – “Stay in one of their three rooms if you can, and take advantage of Rebecca’s wine expertise”.

“Great tapas in a beautiful location” is the promise at this twin venue to the famous Gunton Arms, a mile away, from art dealer Ivor Branka – “the quality of the Hispanic cuisine is consistent and the staff are fantastic”, while the abiding memory for most visitors is the striking modern art on the walls.

“Hidden away in Cromer… what a find!” – Dan Goff & Ruth Butler opened this new venture in a converted butcher’s shop in late 2024 and initial feedback, though too thin for a definitive rating, is promising on its short menu (e.g. bavette steak, grilled mackerel, gnocchi). An early reporter notes: “the food is really fantastic from a beautifully constructed compact and balanced menu, with great ingredients and wonderfully cooked – we have been back and it was even better the second time!”

“Incredible food that’s very reasonably priced from a menu that’s excellent value and brilliant service” win enthusiastic praise (if only from a limited fan base) for Daniel Smith’s “small” converted 14th-century inn: nowadays a restaurant-with-rooms. It’s the possessor of an impressive three AA rosettes.

“Generous helpings of clearly fresh locally caught fish and seafood” are “tastefully presented” at this “cliff-top favourite” – a Victorian former brick kiln repurposed 10 years ago by Alison Matthews and her husband Richard, a crab and lobster fisherman (“alternatives to fish are also available”). Top Menu Tip – don’t miss the “notable desserts: ‘Runton Mess’ a lovely pile with several summer fruits, and a tangy lemon posset”.

2024 Review: “A fresh and vibrant menu with a fusion of local foods and inspired cooking” inspires enthusiastic (if limited) feedback on Jimmy Preston’s funky two-year-old, which started as a pop-up and went permanent in late 2021. In early 2023, The Observer’s Jay Rayner also raved over its “face-slapping flavours” and “cheeky, magpie-like romp across Asia” (including XO seasoning which includes Frazzles, Scampi Fries and Monster Munch).

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.

“Inventive Italian dishes” are “delivered brilliantly” at this popular trattoria from locally born Oli Boon, a former head chef of Roux at the Landau and MasterChef: The Professionals finalist. There’s a relatively compact menu with a focus on handmade pasta, but it changes frequently to entice regular visitors. Top Menu Tips – “the parmesan croquettes are a must and if the agnolotti carbonara is on... have it!”.