Places to Eat and Drink
There are so many to choose from along the North Norfolk coast and it’s a good idea to book where you can as most tend to be busy all year round. Docking itself has one pub, The Railway Inn, which is about a 10 minute walk from the cottage, serves good, reasonably priced food and is family friendly.
Some of our favourites
The Duck Inn, Stanhoe
A wonderful gastropub only 2 miles from the cottage (but unfortunately not walking distance due to the roads). It was listed as one of the top 50 UK gastropubs in 2019 and is highly recommended. Booking essential.
The Lifeboat Inn, Thornham
A wonderful pub which sits a few metres from the beach at Thornham. We have always enjoyed a good meal here although some of our guests have said it can be a bit hit and miss.
The White Horse, Brancaster
This is a hotel with bar/restaurant and has wonderful views over the salt marshes. Booking essential, especially in summer months if you would like to sit outside on the terrace.
Chequers Inn, Thornham
A 16th century pub which has been completely refurbished by the Agellus Hotels group where open fires and a cosily beamed bar combine with contemporary dining room and good food.
The Ship Hotel, Brancaster
A traditional Norfolk pub refurbished to a high standard and which offers very tasty food and the vast sweep of yellow sand at Brancaster is close by.
The Hoste, Burnham Market
Set in the centre of Burnham Market, The Hoste has been welcoming guests since the 1650s and is home to an award-winning restaurant as well as a luxury spa and there’s also a 20-seat cinema!
The Lookout Cafe, Holkham
This cosy little cafe can be found on Lady Anne’s Drive, at the entrance of Holkham beach. Warm up after a windy beach walk with a menu of locally roasted coffee, tea and homemade cakes. If you can secure a spot outside, it also overlooks the nature reserve, making it ideal for birdwatchers.
The Hero, Burnham Overy
One of our favourite pubs (they also have rooms) serving traditional and more innovative dishes.
The Neptune, Old Hunstanton
A fine dining restaurant with one Michelin star based in Old Hunstanton.
The Hoste, Burnham Market
Set in the centre of Burnham Market, The Hoste has been welcoming guests since the 1650s and is home to an award-winning restaurant as well as a luxury spa and there’s also a 20-seat cinema!
The Beach Cafe, Wells-next-the-Sea
The aptly named Beach Cafe in pretty Wells-next-the-Sea can be found right on the sand, with a large outdoor seating area. Everything on the menu is locally sourced, from the sausage rolls to the Victoria sponge. Relax here after a walk on the wild and windy beach.
Wiveton Bell, Wiveton
The Wiveton Bell is situated just a mile from the North Norfolk coast at Blakeney and enjoys a fabulous location year round. It’s lights are a beacon of welcome on a dark winter’s night, while in summer both the pub and garden are a magnet for walkers, bird watchers and everyone else enjoying this beautiful part of the country.
The Dabbling Duck
By the village green with a duck pond, this super local with good food, scrubbed tables and a bar that has been cut from a single slice of ancient Norfolk oak is only twenty minutes from the beach and the bird-rich saltmarshes.
Morston Hall, Morston
Morston Hall is a home to a Michelin starred restaurant headed up by Galton Blackiston – the perfect place for a real treat. The seven course tasting menu features a range of seasonal produce and locally-sourced ingredients, with canapes served in the lounge or garden beforehand. it sits right on the coast, so you can take a walk on the beach before or after your meal.
The Tuscan Farm Shop, Burnham Market
You’ll find this deli perched on the edge of Burnham Market’s green, but be expected to be transported to an Italian vineyard once inside. It serves up some tasty antipasti platters along with soups, Italian wines and indulgent homemade desserts. Head there for coffee and pastry, or book a table for an italian feast-style lunch.
The Crab Hut, Brancaster Staithe
If you love fresh seafood eaten on the beachside then this is unbeatable. Simon Letzer, who runs The Crab Hut, catches seafood including lobster, crab, skate and whiting from his boat, Speedwell, in Brancaster Staithe and uses traditional methods to smoke Scottish salmon, cod, herring, mackerel and prawns. The hut serves baguettes stuffed with crab, prawns, cockles, whelks, rollmops, crayfish, smoked salmon, kippers and lobster.
The Gin Trap Inn, Ringstead
A wonderful restaurant serving good food and as the name suggests, a large selection of gins!
The Victoria Inn, Holkham
A lovely cosy place to stop off for a bite to eat after a walk on Holkham beach.
Socius, Burnham Market
A wonderfully bright and modern tapas restaurant which has proved hugely popular in the area.
The Feathers Hotel, Holt
The Feathers Hotel is a historic, Grade II listed building that has been a place to socialise as early as 1650. Situated right in the centre of pretty Holt, the Feathers is family owned and offers a stylish welcome steeped in history and serving good food.
Worth the extra journey
The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market
Probably one of our favourite restaurants in the area, although it is a bit of a drive from the cottage the food and setting are spectacular. They rear their own deer so their venison dishes are always recommended.
theguntonarms.co.uk
Rocky Bottoms, West Runton
A relaxed and quirky fresh seafood restaurant serving crabs and lobsters along with other tasty dishes. Rocky Bottoms started out as an 1800s brick kiln with a purpose to fire bricks.
rockybottoms.co.uk
Great for kids
Jolly Sailors, Brancaster
Eat, Drink and Be Jolly from our beach huts … at the heart of village life in scenic North Norfolk, just across the road from Brancaster Staithe harbour and beach.
jollysailorsbrancaster.co.uk
Rose & Crown, Snettisham
A picture-perfect-pub-with-rooms in a small, rural village offering a friendly welcome and good food and is listed in the UK top ten pubs and in the Good Pub Guide 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. It’s popular with locals, returning guests and most recently Prince William who popped in for a chat, cider and chips!
roseandcrownsnettisham.co.uk