Inspiration

Our favourite fish restaurants in Norfolk for seasonal and sustainable dining

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

From intimate Michelin-starred restaurants creating elegant dishes with local oysters and seabass, to village pubs with seafood and shanty festivals, Norfolk is home to some of the UK’s very best fish restaurants. We’ve selected some of our favourite fish restaurants in Norfolk and spoken to their chefs about why they are so passionate about working with Norfolk’s fresh-from-the-boat ingredients and the dishes they love to feature on their menus. Read on for our top picks.

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Norfolk

Meadowsweet, Holt

This Michelin-starred restaurant in the beautiful Georgian town Holt was opened by chef, Greg, and his partner, Rebecca, in 2021. Their menu is guided by the best local produce they can source using small regenerative farms, sustainable line-caught fish from small boats and unpasteurised cheese from independent farmers.

‘Since opening we have always featured the superb local, sustainable seafood on offer from our coast. We source them directly from the fishermen. Father and son team, Cyril and Ben, supply our Brancaster oysters and Henry Randell supplies the wild sea bass and the crabs for the canapés frequently featured on our menu. My personal favourite is the local lobster which Henry gets from Weybourne and we use in one of our customers favourite dishes – lobster raviolo with lemon verbena and aromatic bisque. Whatever else we use comes from local legend ‘John the Fish’ who runs North Norfolk Fish Company in Holt.’

Rebecca, owner of Meadowsweet

Stay close to Meadowsweet at one of our places to stay in Holt >

The Dabbling Duck, Great Massingham

When this quintessential English pub risked being taken over by developers, two local farmers stepped in to save it. The third owner, Mark, manages the pub with his wife Sally and Labrador – Dorris. Their menu showcases the best of local Norfolk produce, including fantastic game and seasonal vegetables, but it’s the wonders they work with fish we love most about The Dabbling Duck.

‘We’re very blessed along the North Norfolk Coastline to have plenty of local fish and shellfish to choose from all year round. Throughout the autumn we always tend to feature Brancaster mussels and Thornham oysters on our specials menu, as well as local mackerel, skate, freshwater rainbow trout and plenty more. To help create amazing dishes with the freshest fish we have plenty of local vegetables and sea herbs.

We also hold a two day Seafood Festival in November, which is always a huge success; complete with local Shantymen!’

Dale, head chef at The Dabbling Duck

Stay at The Dabbling Duck >

The Ingham Swan, Ingham

AA rosette-laden The Ingham Swan is one of Norfolk’s best fine dining restaurant pubs. The kitchen is headed up by The Swan’s owner and chef Daniel. Born and bred in Norfolk, Daniel is proud to be part of Norfolk’s incredible food scene and to count many of the Norfolk’s lobster and crab fisherman among his friends.

‘Our passion for food is based on Norfolk’s rich bounty of produce, buying the very best of what is available locally and seasonally and of course that applies to our seafood too. We’ve got a unique chalk reef off our Norfolk coastline which has never been trawled upon, so it’s still very natural – and the water is extremely rich in nutrients – making it a great environment for crabs and lobsters to feed and to grow. We appreciate how lucky we are to be able to enjoy freshly-caught seafood and we source our lobster and crab fresh off the boat at Cromer when they’re at their peak from March through to summer.

We know that many of our diners enjoy fresh Norfolk lobster as much as we do and we often serve it simply baked with garlic and served with broccoli pureé, Compté Custard and another of our favourite Norfolk specialities – samphire.’

Daniel, chef and owner at The Ingham Swan

Stay close to The Ingham Swan at one of our places to stay in Ingham >

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Ruth Richardson

Sawday's Expert

Ruth loves a good story. Following a decade living in London and working in publishing, her ears are always pricked for a spicy plot twist or unforgettable character. She delights in meeting hosts and discovering the history that brought saffron to her spaghetti, the hiking detours that will lead to temple ruins, and why someone cares so passionately about their special corner of the world. She loves that as a marketer for Sawday’s she can share these stories with others too.

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