Norfolk


<p>Winter is all about crisp cold days, frosty walks, and the kind of expertly prepared triple-cooked chips that only a really good gastropub can do (or pan-fried trout if you’re in a virtuous mood). Wash it down with a fabulous local ale or perfectly matched pinot and, hey presto, you’re in gastropub heaven.&nbsp;</p>



<p>And so, with the timing perfection of an expertly cooked fillet steak, along comes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.top50gastropubs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The&nbsp;Estrella Damm</a>&nbsp;list of the country’s finest gastropubs, with three Norfolk gastros in the top 50, and a further three making the top 100. </p>



<p>So here they are, the Norfolk sensational six. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The White Horse</a>, Brancaster Staithe (No. 34)</h2>



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<p>Placing highest of the Norfolk gastropubs is a new entry to the Estrella Damm list. With stunning views of the tidal&nbsp;saltmarsh to Scolt Head Island and the sea beyond, The White Horse is a light, airy&nbsp;restaurant, pub and boutique hotel on North Norfolk’s spectacular coast. </p>



<p>It&#8217;s <em>the</em> perfect place&nbsp;to eat seafood (with a chilled Chablis, please) as the&nbsp;lobster pots and oyster beds&nbsp;are literally a stone&#8217;s throw away. Head chef&nbsp;Fran Hartshorne loves working with Norfolk&#8217;s fabulous local produce and it totally shines in her consistently delicious &#8211; and award-winning &#8211; cooking. Staithe Smokehouse smoked cod mashed potato, spinach, poached egg with cockle hollandaise is a favourite. Did we mention Fran and her husband Phil run a smokehouse at the bottom of the garden?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-duck-inn-stanhoe-no-40"><a href="https://duckinn.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Duck Inn</a>, Stanhoe (No. 40)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="698" src="https://norfolk.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Duck-Inn-Stanhoe.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31657" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Duck-Inn-Stanhoe.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Duck-Inn-Stanhoe-300x209.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Duck-Inn-Stanhoe-716x500.jpeg 716w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Duck-Inn-Stanhoe-768x536.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Duck-Inn-Stanhoe-752x525.jpeg 752w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Well, if it can satisfy Giles Coren’s famously cutting tongue, it’s good enough for us! This is the fourth time this rustic haunt has made the Estrella Damm list, and it was a finalist in the 2018 GQ Food and Drink Awards for Best Pub, as well as a runner up in the Observer Food Awards 2019 for Best Sunday Lunch (obviously, most importantly, it frequently gets a look-in at the Muddy Awards).&nbsp;</p>



<p>Run by couple Ben and Sarah Handley, The Duck is famed for its super-local menu, which often features Brancaster oysters, beef from Arthur Howell’s in Wells-next-the-Sea and Staithe Smokehouse salmon. The&nbsp;<em>pièce de résistance</em>? S.F.C., aka Stanhoe Fried Chicken.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.theguntonarms.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Gunton Arms</a>, Thorpe Market (No. 46)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="714" src="https://norfolk.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Gunton-Arms.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-31658" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Gunton-Arms.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Gunton-Arms-300x214.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Gunton-Arms-700x500.jpeg 700w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Gunton-Arms-768x548.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/01/The-Gunton-Arms-735x525.jpeg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Owned and run by an art dealer and headed up by a chef with a Mark Hix pedigree, it’s no wonder that The Gunton Arms is quite so cool – or the menu so excellent. In fact, the pub has held onto a Michelin Bib Gourmand for seven years in a row now, thanks to their fiercely seasonal and locally-sourced menu.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Unsurprisingly for a gastropub within in an 1000-acre deer park, venison often features on the menu – it’s cooked, along with beef from the local herd at Blickling, over a large open fire in the Elk Room. Local seafood also plays a big part, with mussels and crab caught fresh in nearby Cromer. A vegetarian paradise it is not, but carnivores will certainly get their fix here.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">And the Norfolk gastropubs in the next Top 50…</h2>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.sculthorpemill.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sculthorpe Mill</a>, Fakenham (No. 51)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Sculthorpe-Mill.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-38625" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Sculthorpe-Mill.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Sculthorpe-Mill-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Sculthorpe-Mill-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Sculthorpe-Mill-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Owned by restaurateurs, Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton &#8211; sisters of <em>Great British Menu</em> judge Oliver Peyton &#8211; Sculthorpe Mill is prettily situated inside a lovingly restored 18th-century watermill, right by the River Wensum. Declared Best Hotel in the East of England by <em>The Sunday Times</em>, it&#8217;s also one of only 16 pubs in Great Britain and Ireland to have received a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2022, plus it recently secured an entry on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/best/uk-top-100-restaurants_238" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SquareMeal 100</a> restaurant league table.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://thebrisleybell.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Brisley Bell</a>, Brisley (No. 85)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Brisley-Bell-20235.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-38723" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Brisley-Bell-20235.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Brisley-Bell-20235-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Brisley-Bell-20235-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Brisley-Bell-20235-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Poised on a pretty common in the mid-Norfolk village of Brisley, this country house style pub exudes a vibe of classy cosiness. With Michelin-trained head chef Herve Stouvenel whipping up classic British dishes with French technique, it&#8217;s no stranger to awards having scooped 2021 Great British Pub of the Year. There&#8217;s also six very comfortable individually designed en-suite bedrooms. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://norfolk.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/suffield-arms-gunton/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Suffield Arms</a>, Thorpe Market (No. 93)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Suffield-Arms.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-38626" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Suffield-Arms.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Suffield-Arms-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Suffield-Arms-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/norfolk/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/01/Suffield-Arms-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Located bang opposite Gunton Station (on the Norwich to Cromer line), The Suffield Arms is the latest gastropub of prestigious art dealer Ivor Braka, who also owns nearby Gunton Arms (which placed 46, see above). Expect an authentic Mediterranean dining experience with a focus on large feast-style meals of tasty tapas for small and big parties. The sumptuous surroundings, adorned with high-end, often edgy art, include an opulent saloon bar, with dark papered walls, red velvet sofas and low lighting. Read our review <a href="https://norfolk.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/review-the-suffield-arms-thorpe-market-norfolk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Over the border and worth the petrol…</strong></h2>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-unruly-pig-woodbridge-no-2"><a href="https://theunrulypig.co.uk/">The Unruly Pig</a>, Woodbridge (No.2)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/03/unrulyfood.jpg" alt="The unruly pig Woodbridge food " class="wp-image-21219" /></figure>



<p>The Unruly Pig led by chef supreme Dave Wall (<a href="https://suffolkcambs.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/interview-dave-wall-the-unruly-pig/">read our interview with him here</a>) was first last year on the list and second for 2023 so you know you’re in for a treat! The ever-changing menu is a mouth-watering combo of seasonal and locally-sourced British food with an Italian influence, plus there’s an Inka grill in the kitchen to enhance the flavour and succulence of grilled meat and fish. The space is a mix between historic and Regency with brightly coloured dining rooms, funky art and an extensive decked terrace and fire pit. For little ones not interested in fancy food, there’s a dedicated kids’ menu, plus the pub offers gluten-free, dairy-free and veggie options.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Try this:</strong>&nbsp;Black pork pressa with braised cheek ravioli, lardo di colonnata, and gremolata.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://theploughcoton.co.uk/">The Plough</a>, Coton (no.65)&nbsp;</h2>



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<p>Cambs locals love this smart gastropub, owned by Pasquale Benedetto and his family, in the pretty village of Coton just outside Cambridge, which serves the kind of quality Sunday roast with all the trimmings we’re willing to drive many miles for. The menu’s full of classics like fillet of hake with butternut squash, crushed potatoes and sundried tomatoes; and braised beef bourguignon with pancetta lardons, truffle mash and parsnips. The dishes are pretty as a picture – literally, they’re all over Instagram. Great outside space too including a play area, massive terrace and private meadow, which is probably why it came 4th in&nbsp;<em>The Times’</em>&nbsp;Top 40 outside dining spots in the UK last year.&nbsp;Open Tues – Sun.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Try this:&nbsp;</strong>Roast venison loin<strong>&nbsp;</strong>with braised red cabbage, crispy kale, potato noisette &amp; pickled black berries. £21</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://thebrewersrattlesden.co.uk/">The Brewers</a>, Rattlesden (no.70)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2022/11/brewers-1.jpg" alt="the brewers Rattlesden food" class="wp-image-29717" /></figure>



<p>A new entry for Suffolk,&nbsp;<a href="https://suffolkcambs.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-brewers-rattlesden/">The Brewers in Rattlesden</a>&nbsp;is a lovingly restored, cosy and characterful pub with an exciting menu that celebrates local food, a fabulous choice of drinks and a wonderful atmosphere that welcomes everyone, including dogs. Inside is all pretty beams and twinkling lights, while outside you’ll find a pub garden that’s so lovely it was voted as one of the UK’s prettiest pub gardens in&nbsp;<em>The Times</em>. The menu is all&nbsp;about celebrating the taste and flavour of seasonal, local produce sustainably sourced from indie butchers, fishmongers and veg suppliers. As well as an à la carte menu there’s a set lunch menu, a chef’s tasting menu, and special one off nose to tail – a celebration of beef menu. There’s plenty on offer for veggies and vegans too.</p>



<p><strong>Try this:</strong>&nbsp;Pork tenderloin with turnip puree, black cabbage, pork croquette and pickled girolles.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.greyhoundpettistree.co.uk/#reservations">The Greyhound Inn</a>, Pettistree (no.87)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/01/greyhound-pettistree.jpg" alt="greyhound Pettistree" class="wp-image-30638" /><figcaption>Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brokentaco/8373627042&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>



<p>Another brand new entry for Suffolk thanks to four friends from London who took over this lovely country pub in 2022 and have made quite the mark already. The interiors have been zhuzhed up, while chef Harry McKenzie,&nbsp;from London’s The River Café, has worked his magic on a new and exciting daily menu using local produce. The bar is a beautiful place to relax and drink the many local cask beers as well as a chance to work your way through an impressive wine list. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm until 10:30pm and Sunday from 12pm until 6pm.</p>



<p><strong>Try this:</strong>&nbsp;Roast Quail, Cotechino Stuffed Onion and Green Lentils, £24</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.thethreehills.co.uk/">The Three Hills</a>, Bartlow (no.90)</h2>



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<p>We’ve enjoyed many a lunch, the odd dinner, and copious glasses of very good wine at this super friendly, but hugely professional pub, plus they won Best Boutique Stay in Suffolk &amp; Cambs in the Muddy Stilettos Awards in 2022. The Sunday roast is legendary, including the option to share a roast chicken, with the most flavoursome stuffing, roasties and Yorkshires too, all served in the roasting tin – so good. Whether you want a light lunch, classic pub fare like fish and chips or a burger, or something more ‘restauranty’ like beetroot tartare followed by pan-fried halibut – you will not be disappointed. Plus it’s in the same lovely village as The Studio Bartlow, so you can fit in a workout before your meal and then eat three courses completely guilt free!&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Try this:</strong>&nbsp;Sea Bream with seaweed potato, verbena, leeks, golden raisin, verjus cream, and caviar. £24</p>



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Which gastropubs have made the UK’s Top 50 in Norfolk?

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