We visited this twice, once at 11:30am, and once later in the evening. It was St Patrick’s day, and the landlady was suitably attired, but the first visit felt wrong: professional drinkers were in (we drank water & coke), and we’d had a walk through some of Gt Yarmouth’s less salubrious areas.
Later that day, we found ourselves back, and went back in, and celebrations were in full swing: a nice atmosphere, cheap Guinness, and the landlady welcomed us back- there was karaoke on with a suitably oirish theme (apparently, the landlord is Irish), and we happily stayed for a few pints…
Our nearest pub for a few days. The Tripadvisor reviews seemed to be polarised between shit and brilliant, but I can’t for the life of me think why; it is neither.
What it is is a fairly average traditional pub, with decent beer (3 ales), and a fairly extensive if unremarkable (in that it’s exactly what you’d expect) pub-food menu. The food itself is pretty good- home-cooked pie, for instance, and the beer was fine, as were the staff and prices, so there’s plenty to like here, even if it’s not incredible, it’s certainly not shit by a very long chalk.
Popular with the Chelsea-tractor set, the Victoria Hotel is part of the Holkam Estate & close to Holkham Hall (home to the Earl of Leicester & a favourite haunt of various royals, notably Charles & Camilla). The interior is a mix of 19th century British colonial styles, but the menu is more reflective of the surrounding slice of traditional English countryside. A classical menu is supported by interesting innovations & uses produce grown, if not on the estate, then locally, including game shot on the Earl’s range. Dishes are complimented by a healthy range of global wines.
which says it all. It’s all about the food and the airs and graces. It’s included here because it’s a pub, just, but it’s well on the way to being a restaurant, and not a cheap one either. It’s nicely decorated, the staff and beer are fine, but it has no soul.
Burnham Market is nice. A little too nice. You could imagine shops selling nothing but olives here, that’s what it’s like: comfortable, middle-class, well off.
The Hoste Arms is yet another hotel that feels like upmarket pub. From the street the bar is very pub-like, and as you go futher back it feels more like a hotel. The staff were friendly, the beer good, and there’s nice space out the front to sit, drink, and play spot-the-AMG. Prices, surprisingly, OK too.
Just up the road from The Jolly Sailors, this was a close call. It’s a hotel, but feels like a poshish pub, like so many places near here. Decent beer, friendly staff, good lunch (not cheap, though), and a stunning terrace out the back with a great view.
Another nice A149 pub. Friendly welcome, good ale, good outdoor space. Customers in beer garden stating “The only famous person from Norfolk is that fucking wanker James Blunt” wins it a few points, and the food menu looked interesting.
Overlooking the sea front, this is an actual hotel, but felt sufficiently pub-like for inclusion. sadly, it’s not that nice feeling: the bar feels like a standard chain-pub family feedbag (as did the menu), and this was, I think, the only place we went in all week with no ale. We also had to have plastic glasses, which is a blasphemy in itself. Staff were OK, but it was dissapointing overall: cracking location in a nice town, but could do better.
This one didn’t hit the spot for some reason. It was by no means awful, just a little uninspiring: It’s a traditional pub, in a nice place, though arguably the Blakeney Hotel just up the road is a better place for a drink, and actually a bit cheaper for drinks, though not a pub by a wide margin, hence not included here.
It was just a little tatty- something I usually don’t mind, to be fair, and drinks a little bit expensive.
On the A149. We’d had a bus trip to Cromer, and this was our lunch stop. Beer was great, food sounded promising, and the pub was very pleasant but the chef was sick. However, the Landlord directed us to a shop over the road, and let us eat at his table outside- nice chap. Great beer too. Then it was back on the bus to the next….
