Norfolk Coast Pubs & Restaurants Guide 2021
If you are considering eating out on the Norfolk Coast on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday lunch – We strongly recommend that you make a reservation as soon as you can. Most good places won’t have drop in tables available at peak times. We have incorporated recent diners'”comments” as a useful guide.
* Indicates particularly recommended.
We have also tried to give you a steer regarding food and atmosphere
★★ – Good
★★★- Better
★★★★ – Very Good
★★★★★ – The Best You’ll Find
🏆 Recent Award Winner
👍 Recommended
Rose and Crown
Snettisham, Hunstanton PE31 7LX
The Good Food Guide’s Norfolk Dining Pub of the Year 2020. Still holds true to its long history as a coaching Inn with a traditional pub feel and warm hospitality. ‘Delicious food with a local slant’ and always very busy throughout the year. Busy with a happy mix of locals and offering pub meals and a restaurant menu with specials changing daily. Substantial garden with play area. Awarded the Good Pub Guide “UK Pub of the Year 2016”.
The Old Bank Restaurant 
10 Lynn Road Snettisham PE31 7LP
Aga and Lewis have created a reputation a great deal larger than their 24 cover restaurant. A passion for fresh, modern and imaginative’ food, using the very best local ingredients led to being named the Best Local Restaurant in Britain 2019 by the Good Food Guide and a listing in the Michelin Guide. Closed Monday & Tuesdays. Books weeks ahead.
The Gin Trap
Ringstead, Hunstanton PE36 5JU
With over 100 gins from around the world, The Gin Trap certainly lives up to its name. Complimented by a tasty menu this is a great lunch option. We regularly walk there and back down the Peddars Way for a relaxed weekend afternoon. Changed hands in 2019 with a fresh new look and great new outdoor garden space and kids play area.
The King William
Sedgeford, Hunstanton PE36 5LU
This village pub has a well-deserved reputation for good food and packs them in all year round. The King Willy's local loyal following adds to the atmosphere. Regularly changing specials board and we can totally recommend sharing an apple and cinnamon puff for pudding - amazing! Outside garden.
The Neptune
Old Hunstanton PE36 6HZ
This unpretentious restaurant has a much deserved Michelin star and is now probably the best ‘foodie’ restaurant to visit in East Anglia. Dishes are subtle with delicious combinations (think beetroot tart, lobster ceviche, loin of veal, tonka bean pannacotta). You will need deep pockets but will be talking fondly about the Neptune for a long time to come. Taster menu available. Advance booking is essential!
Henrys Fish and Chips
15 The Green, Hunstanton PE36 5AH
This Fish and Chip shop with views out over the sea recently had a £1m refurb and now looks very swanky indeed. However the real star of the show remains the Fish and Chips which have a very strong local following and prices that will also make you smile. Although many drive miles for the 'fluffy' chips and 'light crispy batter'. They also have various gluten free options
Old Town Beach Cafe
50 Sea Lane, Old Hunstanton PE36 6JN
A walk along the beach at Old Hunstanton is not complete without dropping into the Old Town Beach Cafe opposite the lifeboat station. Indeed in former times this was the Lifeboat station but for the last 100 years or so a great little beach cafe. Offering a mouth wateringly tempting menu from bacon butties to beef bourguignon or you can just pop in for a frothy, milky coffee, scone or brownie! A particular emphasis on tasty vegan and gluten free offerings. Pet-Friendly.
The Lodge
Old Hunstanton PE36 6HX
Upmarket bar with atmosphere and a good menu. This is where you go for that International final with a big screen and a really convivial crowd. Short walk to Old Hunstanton beach is another plus.
The Duck Inn
Stanhoe Burnham Market PE31 8QD
For many years the go to gastro-pub with it’s imaginative food receiving loads of accolades. Certainly ‘more restaurant than pub in its style’ but still deserves a place on your short list despite a fair few fresh recent openings. Very popular in Summer 2020 with a good menu and well spaced tables. Praised by Giles Coren in his Sunday Times column for great food and service. Booking essential
Thornham Deli
High St, Thornham PE36 6LX
The name is deceptive as this is really a very popular eatery with fab breakfasts and delicious lunches and afternoon teas. Always busy and complimented by a great deli and lifestyle shop. Eat outside in the summer in this bustling, vibrant venue with a strong local following.
Lifeboat Inn
Thornham Hunstanton PE36 6LT
A Norfolk institution, packed with character and local characters. Additional covered outside dining area and bar for 2021. Still a good bet for a lunch by the coast. Worth a detour if you are are spending an hour or two doing Anna's Walk.
The Orange Tree
Thornham Hunstanton PE36 6LY
Pub with a strong reputation for food and very popular with visitors to this part of the world. Menu often draws its inspiration from Asian and even fairground themes. Bear in mind that the OT has decided to offer only outside dining for summer 2021.
Erics Wood-Fired Pizza
Drove Orchards Thornham Hunstanton PE36 6LS
A fresh new opening at Drove Orchards in 2020 was Eric's Pizza in the Yurt which has also had a facelift. Upscale pizzas and and anti pasti boards that could include Dingley-Dell charcuterie, Italian burrata and anchovies as well as salads.
Chequers Inn
Thornham Hunstanton PE36 6LY
Relaunched in late 2019 to great reviews but post Covid some think now struggling to find its feet. Menu relies heavily on local ingredients especially seafood but complemented by a choice for meat-eaters of flame-grilled options. Staff friendly and eager to please. Dates back to the 16th century as an inn and still has that cosy pub feel. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Erics Fish and Chips
Thornham Hunstanton PE36 6LS & Holt, NR25 6BD
The poshest fish and chips on this part of the coast. Candle-lit canteen style restaurant with fish and chips often with a twist. The black garlic mayonnaise is amazing. No bookings and so fiercely busy but fun during peak periods.
East Coast Gelato Ice Cream Parlour
Drove Orchards, Thornham, Hunstanton PE36 6LS
East Coast Gelato, award-winning Norfolk gelato maker, opened this traditional Ice cream parlour at the beginning of August 2020. Using only the best ingredients to prepare and present amazing authentic Italian Gelato. Flavours on offer include passion fruit ripple, lemon meringue pie, bubblegum, carrot cake, coconut and strawberry - made from Sharrington strawberries. There are also cakes, special desserts and fudge!
Titchwell Manor
Titchwell, Hunstanton PE31 8BB
Emphasis on seafood with a menu that prides itself on being that bit different. Sisters restaurants Eric's Pizza and Eric's Fish and Chips are just down the road.
Jolly Sailors
Brancaster Staithe Hunstanton PE31 8BJ
A real Norfolk institution and offers everything from delicious hot-from-the-oven pizzas to local Brancaster mussels. Draws a substantial crowd to its large garden on a fine summer days and a fair few muddy dogs. Relaxed with a capital R but popular no reservation system replaced with online booking only since July 2020.
White Horse
Brancaster Staithe Hunstanton PE31 8BY
A firm favourite with a lovely conservatory restaurant, sun deck terrace and adjoining dining area with spectacular sea views over Brancaster and Scolt head Island. Great seafood with also good bar choices including a delicious tapas menu. Good for lunch or dinner and perfect for an early evening drink at sunset. For diners early booking is advisable.
Socius
Burnham Market PE31 8LG
The atmosphere at this latest opening is very metropolitan. The young team behind this venture have personality and an enthusiasm for good food. They have created an interesting menu which can be enjoyed tapas style or through the traditional three of four courses well presented dishes especially the Sticky King Prawns and the salmon with fennel. A great lunch venue. Early booking essential.
The Hoste Inn
Burnham Market PE31 8HD
The Grand-Daddy of them all and the biggest dining room on this part of the Norfolk coast. Changed hands a few years ago and much has changed but now under new ownership once again as part of the City Pub Group and looking to the future. Many think it had lost its personality and can be a bit more hit and miss when the coast is very busy.
Number 29
Burnham Market PE31 8HF
Burnham Market’s newest restaurant, opened in 2018 after a multi-million pound refit. A beautiful Georgian House over three floors with a good vibe and interesting menu including open-fire steaks, oysters, mixed seafood grill and Asian cuisine. Good bet for a buzzy, tasty night out and they do great cocktails to boot!
The Hero
Burnham Overy Staithe, Burnham Market PE31 8JE
The Hero is a place we are very fond of and now with new landlords since 2020.. Lovely atmosphere with lots of bustle but many think that the new menu choices are 'underwhelming'. Outside tables in the summer can be busy in this lovely marine town with pretty harbour.
The Nelson
Walsingham Rd, Burnham Thorpe, King's Lynn PE31 8HL
A bit to early to say anything but 'Welcome Back' to this Norfolk stalwart that has re-opened in June 2021 after a £1m refurbishment. The pub which has the strongest connections to Nelson, a former resident of this pretty Norfolk village closed in 2016. Now re-opening as a Woodfordes brewery pub it has been extended with a complete make-over to all aspects of the building and a substantial extension. Whether the infamous pub tipple 'Nelson's Blood' returns remains to be seen.
The Victoria
Holkham Wells-next-sea NR23 1RG
Once again being run as part of the Holkham Hall Estate and just a few steps from the beautiful beach at Holkham Bay which makes it a popular choice for a spot of lunch in the large gardens. An imaginative menu which breaks away from the fish & chips/burger/ribs/curry formula that sadly dominates so many of it's rivals offerings down the coast. Local ingredients include seafood and meat from the estate. Food metres rather than miles! Very large garden and gets very busy in the summer.
Wells Crab House
Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1BA
Spanking fresh fish, newly lifted from the nearby harbour, and those little personal touches that matter are just a couple of the reasons Kelly and Scott Dougal swept the board in the 2018 Eat Norfolk Food and Drink Awards. Expect to find everything from lobster and crab to scallops, mackerel & skate – whatever they can get from local fishermen. The restaurant is just a stone throw from the quay at Well so makes a great lunchtime choice with the beach also a short stroll away.
French's Fish and Chips
10 The Quay, Wells-Next- Sea NR23 1AH
Midday to 10.30pm All summer. Remember how Fish & Chips used to taste when you were a child? They still do at French's award-winning chippy who have been frying away since 1923. Get them wrapped and then a couple of minutes drive up to by the beach to eat them amongst the brightly painted huts at sunset - perfect!
Byfords Cafe
Holt Market Square NR25 6BG
Family-run upmarket deli with a real emphasis on delicious home-made food. Opened one of the original Norfolk cafés and is still something of a local institution. Very popular lunchtime venue especially when shopping in Holt but booking is absolutely essential at weekends if you don't want to wait forever.
Wiveton Cafe
Wiveton, Holt NR25 7TE
Described by Delia Smith as her favourite place to lunch and also gained popularity though the 'Normal for Norfolk' TV series. Focus is on wholesome food with a changing seasonal lunch menu. Popular with families due to the expansive gardens with a Giant Maize in the summer. Historical Tour with Desmond MacCarthy available throughout the summer.
The Moorings
High Street, Blakeney NR25 7NA
If travelling out to this part of the coast this is a good spot for dinner prior to returning to Magazine. Restaurant/Café format that prides itself on delivering fresh simple honest food - "fantastic local fish", shellfish, game in season, delicious meat and vegetarian dishes, dreamy puddings, and a well chosen wine list. No garden. Booking essential at weekends.
Rocky Bottoms
Cromer Rd, West Runton, Cromer NR27 9QA
Rocky Bottoms is a delightfully quirky restaurant, complete with crab hut lovingly restored by a local fishing family. Great views and many outside tables. You will find everything from Brancaster oysters, mussels, popcorn cockles, lobster, crab, fish and chips and surf and turf. They also have a deli style shop that does great hampers. Walk ins only.
Morston Hall
The Street, Morston, Holt NR25 7AA
Culinary accolades including a long-standing and well-deserved Michelin star abound for this country house restaurant directly on the coast . Large conservatory dining rooms, cosy lounges overlook well-tended lawns. Top notch cooking which comprises a no-choice, seven-course dinner menu (dietary requirements are accommodated) served at 8pm daily.
Cookie's Crab Shed
Salthouse Holt NR25 7AJ
Stephen Fry described this part of our coast, and Cookie's in particular as his favourite place in the British Isles. A bit of a shame as some think it may have become a victim of its own success. Still worth a stop if you are in the area. Open 9-7, 7 days a week for most of the year. Great fresh seafood including salads, sandwiches plus hot+cold drinks (It's a BYO for beer/wine) - all to take away or eat inside what is practically a shed or the garden overlooking the salt marshes. Do reserve a table or you might find it more hectic than relaxing!"
Silk Road 2
Lavender Hill, Lynn Road, Heacham PE31 7JE
Popular Chinese restaurant with a strong local following. Expect to find sizzling satay chicken, tasty ribs, crispy duck as well as usual favourites like beef in green pepper and black bean sauce, sweet and sour chicken balls, chow mien, egg fried rice and vegan/vegetarian options. Takeaway also available.
Northgate Indian
Hunstanton PE36 6EA
Very good Indian cuisine at this popular local restaurant particularly recommended for thalis and baltis. Gained many local awards. Booking at weekends advisable.
