Thornham Restaurant Guide

“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.

“Amazing that one chef can produce such high-quality and varied food” say fans of Kevin & Jackie Margeolles’s former coaching inn on the north Norfolk coast where “glorious cooking from Kevin is superbly served by his wife”, either from the three-course à la carte for £80 per person or the more extensive tasting menu for £105 per person. “A lovely place to stay and enjoy great food in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere” – it has a very dedicated fan club amongst our reporters, a couple of whom report their best meal of the year here.

“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.)”