A county which produces ten per cent of all the UK's food, Norfolk is a real foodie destination, offering a combination of high quality produce, Michelin-starred restaurants, cosy gastro-pubs, eye-catching delis and farm shops, and some of the best fish and chips in the world.

There are foodie delights around almost every corner, but here are a few of our favourite places to indulge our gastronomic passion.

Cover image: Andy Newman

Table of contents

Michelin Starred Restaurants

North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival

Fish and Chips

Bakers & Larners Food Hall

Cromer Crabs

Gastro-pubs

Farmers Markets

---

Michelin Starred Restaurants

Norfolk has three Michelin-starred restaurants, all of them in the north of the county.

Morston Hall has held the accolade for an amazing 25 years, all of them under chef-proprietor Galton Blackiston, who will be well-known to fans of BBC1's Saturday Kitchen.  Dating back to the 17th century, the menu here changes every day, so that Galton and his team can showcase the finest seasonal produce that Norfolk's coastline has to offer.  A seven course tasting menu is served at dinner is served every evening except Mondays, with lunch served on Saturdays and Sundays , and afternoon tea from Tuesday to Friday.

Norfolk's newest starred restaurant is Meadowsweet in Holt, which gained the award in 2022.  Run by chef Greg Anderson (who previously worked with Galton Blackiston at Morston Hall) and his partner Rebecca Williams, the restaurant is set in a lovingly-restored Georgian building, and offers what the Michelin Guide describes as 'a skilfully prepared tasting menu where deep flavours come together perfectly and no detail is overlooked'.  Dinner is served from Wednesday to Saturday, and lunch on Saturday.

The county's third Michelin-starred restaurant is The Neptune in Hunstanton, which has held the accolade since 2009.  Set in a charming 18th century former coaching inn which has been refurbished to provide an intimate restaurant, the emphasis here is on fresh local produce including locally-landed fish and lobsters, and Norfolk pork and game from local estate and farms.  A tasting menu is served for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, with a simpler three course menu also available in Wednesdays.

Image: Rebecca Williams/Morston Hall

Find out more

---

North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival

One of the country's leading food and drink events the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival takes place in the spectacular setting of the Walled Garden at Holkham Hall.  A huge selection of artisan food and drink producers exhibit the very best of north Norfolk produce, including fresh meat and game, vegetables, cakes, artisan beer, bread, tarts, juices, cakes and bakes, chocolates and much more.

One of the most popular attractions is the Cookery Theatre, which hosts demonstrations by many of the region's leading chefs, as well as interactive tasting sessions with food and drink producers.

An array of concessions offer delicious food for eating on site, with entertainment including live music, story-telling, and children’s activities.

The Festival is not a commercial event; it is organised by a voluntary committee of local food-lovers who simply want to share their passion for the county's food and drink.  Entrance to the Festival is free (there is a small charge for car parking).

The 2025 North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival takes place on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August.

image: North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival

Find out more

---

Fish and Chips

Surrounded as it is by the sea, it is hardly surprising that fish and chips is a favourite in the county.  You can enjoy the traditional dish sitting on the beach, or be sit in comfort in one of the emerging upmarket fish and chip restaurants dotted along the coast.

You will find fish and chips around every corner in north Norfolk; here are just a few of our favourite places to enjoy them.

No.1, Cromer
Owned by Galton Blackiston, chef-proprietor at the Michelin-starred Morston Hall, No.1 has gained a national reputation for for serving some of the freshest and most delicious seafood in the UK - The Times rated it the sixth best place to eat by the sea.  It prides itself on its commitment to quality, sourcing locally caught fish and using traditional methods to prepare the dishes.  Downstairs serves traditional fish and chips; upstairs offers a wider choice of fish-based dishes.

Eric's Fish and Chips, Thornham and Holt
Owned and run by award-winning chef Eric Snaith of the three-Rosette Titchwell Manor near King's Lynn, Eric's Fish and Chips was described by leading food critic Giles Coren in the Times a 'at the very top end of what fish and chips could be'.  It offers the freshest fish (from sustainable sources), traditionally fried chips, battered seafood, mushy peas and classic homemade sauces with a twist, all washed down with great beers, wine and refreshment in a relaxed and family-friendly place to sit down.

French's Fish and Chip Shop and Plattens Fish and Chips, Wells-next-the-Sea
Just two doors away from each other opposite the quay at Wells are two of the best fish and chip shops on the north Norfolk coast.  Both offer fish fresh off the boat, boast large queues and have loyal followings.  There is only one way to decide which is better: try them both!

The Sheringham Trawler, Sheringham
A north Norfolk institution situated right on Sheringham High Street, The Sheringham Trawler is a 40-seater air-conditioned restaurant which also offers takeaway fish and chips.  As well as the classics, less frequently found fresh fish like Rock Eel and Skate are also on the menu most days. 

Mary Jane's Fish Bar, Cromer
If you like your fish and chips traditional, this is the place to go.  Owned by the same family since 1977, Mary Jane's offers both takeaway meals to enjoy on the Cromer promenade, or eat-in meals in its 62-seater restaurant.  Mary Jane's is open seven days a week.

Image: Andy Wang/Unsplash

Find out more

---

Bakers & Larners Food Hall

Part of the historic Bakers & Larners department store in Holt, and newly-refurbished in late 2024, the B&L food hall has been known for many years as the 'Harrods Food Hall' of Norfolk.  Although it stocks food and drink from around the world, it has a reputation for championing Norfolk producers, and there are few better places to come if you want a showcase of what the county has to offer.

The huge food hall has an 18 metre long delicatessen counter, a luxury chocolate counter, and one of the largest wine cellars in Norfolk.  If you are lucky you may spot a celebrity or even a royal shopping there - the prince and Princess of Wales were seen shopping together in the summer of 2024.

Bakers & Larners is open Monday to Saturday, 9am-5pm, and has its own car park behind the store.

Image: Bakers & Larners

Find out more

---

Cromer Crabs

The edible or brown crab is not just found in the North Sea.  It is also fished in the north Atlantic and even in the Mediterranean.  But it is off the north Norfolk coast that it reaches its zenith.  The sea bed off Cromer is flinty and chalky, and the sea unusually shallow, and these factors lead to crabs which, although they might be slightly

There is no better place to taste them than at Davies Fish Shop in Garden Street in Cromer, which has been selling crabs straight off their own boat since 1974.  John Davies is a familiar figure on national TV, and his crabs are regularly used by celebrity chefs such as Phil Vickery.  At the back of the shop is a team of four dressers, who can each dress as many as 20 crabs in an hour.

You will find Cromer crabs on menus in pubs, restaurants and cafes throughout Norfolk; it would be a crime not to try them while you are here.

Image: Andy Newman

Find out more

---

Gastro-pubs

There is nowhere quite like a traditional Norfolk pub for sitting back and enjoying the very best food and drink that the county has to offer.  North Norfolk has many fabulous pubs; here are just a few of our favourites.

The Gunton Arms
Set in a traditional country house in an extensive historic park near Cromer, The Gunton Arms is a traditional pub serving traditional and local produce including venison from its own deer, and mussels and crabs caught by local fishermen.  The real draw here is the Elk Room, where steaks, Blythburgh pork chops, Gunton red deer rump and venison sausages are cooked on an open fire and served with goose fat roast potatoes.

The Wiveton Bell
Just inland from Blakeney is the Wiveton Bell, perfectly set on the village green, and with a delightful sunny garden for summer dining.  The food is modern British, sourcing ingredients from very local producers.  The pub is very dog-friendly - your furry friends even have their own menu.

The Morston Anchor
Whether it's fish and chips or locally-caught mussels, a meal at the Morston Anchor is a slice of traditional coastal Norfolk.  Just a stone's throw from the famous north Norfolk salt marshes, this is a convivial pub whose ancient walls whisper stories of smugglers and seadogs.

The Ship Inn, Weybourne
Right in the heart of the village, The Ship is a true local, being owned and operated locally as a freehouse.  The food is equally local - the pub openly lists all of its suppliers, including Weybourne fisherman Johnny Seago, who catches crabs and lobsters for the menu.  There is an attractive garden and weather-proof wooden 'pods' which are bookable.

The Dun Cow, Salthouse
A favorite pit-stop for coastal walkers, the Dun Cow is perfectly situaed to take advantage of sweeping views of the saltmarshes.  The interior is cosy with lots of nooks and crannies, exposed brickwork and beams, and a log burner to keep you warm in winter.  In the summer its huge garden comes into its own.  The food is modern British, with pub favourites and more adventurous dishes.  The Dun Cow has been named a 'Local Gem' by the Good Food Guide.

The Victoria, Holkham
Actually a hotel rather than a pub, we include it here because it has a really cosy feel - and its renowned menu showcases everything that the Holkham Estate produces, from venison and game to vegetables and fruit grown in the Hall's walled garden.  The Orangery offers magnificant views over teh holkham National Nature reserve, while a log fire will keep it cosy in the winter months.

The Gin Trap, Ringstead
A gin trap is actually a (now illegal) device which was used by poachers to catch animals.  But this lovely pub, which has been serving everyone from fishermen to smugglers since 1668, has adopted a new meaning for the phrase: it serves over 100 different varieties of gin, including several which are made here in Norfolk.  The decor is traditional, with a wooden bar and inglenook fireplace; the food is award-winning, fresh and seasonal, with an exciting a la carte menu and a simpler pub menu.

Image: Rick Barrett/Ambitious Studio/Unsplash

Find out more

---

Farmers Markets

The great thing about self-catering is that not only can you enjoy the colour, smells and buzz of a local farmers market and meet the people who produce the delicious food and drink, but you can buy the produce on show and enjoy it for yourself.  Our part of Norfolk has several really good farmers markets, including:

Aldborough: held at Aldborough Community Centre on the first Sunday of every month from 9.30am to 12pm

Aylsham: held in the Market Place in the centre of the town on the first Saturday of every month (not January) from 9am to 1pm

Creake Abbey: one of the county's biggest, held on the first Saturday of every month (not January) from 9.30am to 1pm

Docking: held at the Dr W.E.Ripper Hall every Wednesday from 9am to 1pm

Fakenham: held in the town's Market Square on the fourth Saturday of every month from 8.30am to 12pm

North Walsham: held in the town's Market Place on the last Sunday of every month from 10am to 2pm

Reepham: held at The Bircham Centre every Wednesday from 8am to 11am

Sandringham: held at the Sandringham Visitor Centre on the fourth Sunday of every month (not January) from 10am to 3pm

Stalham: held in the Town Hall on the first and third Saturday of every month from 9am to 12pm

Worstead: held at Church Farm, Smallburgh on the last Saturday of every month

Image: Shelley Pauls/Unsplash

Find out more