Food lovers rejoice: Norfolk’s finest pubs, restaurants and chippies

The Gunton Arms

A richly atmospheric elegance infuses this beautifully restored, fire-warmed inn, positioned to overlook a thousand acres of lush and historic parkland. Sample pints of Wherry alongside gamekeepers and gentry; tuck into rib of beef cooked over the fire in the vaulted dining room. Stuart (ex-Mark Hix) champions locally sourced ingredients – venison from the park, crab from Cromer – so enjoy simple, gutsy, ingredient-led cooking which prioritises seasonal food. Bedrooms ooze country house charm with antiques, gorgeous fabrics and indulgent marble-tiled bathrooms, some with deep tubs and walk-in showers; wake to parkland views. Breakfast on Swafield cured bacon and Alby honey, Cley Smokehouse kippers, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Dogs welcome too. 

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The Dabbling Duck

Join the locals at this village pub for a real ale or their own brand gin, or book a table to sample gourmet pub food – if you sit in the garden on Friday and Saturday evenings in summer you can have pizza from the wood-fired oven. Bedrooms have home-made biscuits; dogs are welcome and there’s a communal hallway with books and a sofa. Breakfast is served in the atmospheric Library and could be anything from duck egg waffles to a Mexican breakfast with smashed avocado, beans and salsa or a full English with sausages and bacon from the local butcher. The Peddars Way walking and cycling route runs past the back of the pub, and you’re ten minute’s drive from Sandringham, Castle Rising and Houghton Hall and Gardens. The coast at Hunstanton and bird-rich salt marshes are 18 miles away.

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Socius

Natalie (front of house) and Dan (head chef) set up Socius in 2018 with the aim of creating a memorable food and drink experience in a completely relaxed environment. Dan is self-taught and trained on the job in restaurants and pubs across the Midlands, Natalie has waitressed from the age of 15, and they both dreamt of opening their own place. Positioned in Foundry Place, just off North Street in Burnham Market, Socius is a bright and breezy space, offering locally sourced produce on daily-changing menus that reflect the seasons. The feel is friendly and communal with snacks and small plates designed to share, and a supper club every two months with a tasting menu paired with wine. 

Store

Store is the low-key, cooler, younger brother of the attached Stoke Mill restaurant. The room where you dine once stored the mustard seed that made Colman’s Mustard. Now, chef Liam Nichols (local lad, globally trained), has bagged a coveted Michelin star and you’re in for a real treat. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, take your seat at 7pm for a multi-course tasting menu paired with wine if you wish. With two talented chefs in the kitchen and five tables of diners, the experience is immersive and delicious. Menus change daily and you feast on ingredients from their own garden alongside prime produce from around the UK in dishes that mingle classic French and modern British dishes. 

No1 Cromer

From fine dining to the humble fish and chip supper. Or not so humble in this venerable Cromer establishment overlooking the famed pier. It traces its origins back to the Spencer Gray family’s fishing business established in 1842. Today, Head Chef Matty Adcock’s innovative approach and focus on locally-sourced ingredients has earnt No1 Cromer a clutch of awards including a spot in the Top Ten National Fish and Chips restaurant awards 2024. Downstairs at No 1 is a classic chippie, with a takeaway operation and a comfortable sit-down restaurant. Upstairs, in the brightly lit, pastel-coloured dining room, tuck into local crab, catch of the day or a cod burger paired with a cold crisp glass of something as the sun sinks over the horizon. 

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