Wiveton Bell
Blakeney Road Wiveton Blakeney Norfolk NR25 7TL
This great village pub is perfectly placed for striding out across the marshes towards the coast at Blakeney and the great thing is it's one of the best places to eat in the area too, with a yummy menu that you can enjoy either in the pubby bar area or the bright conservatory beyond – or indeed, when the weather is set fair, in the large garden too.
The menu focuses on high quality local ingredients – and the food is deliciously and deliberately British. The have 2 AA rosettes and offer a menu of light dishes and pub classics at lunchtime (steaks, burgers, local mussels), and a slightly more interesting menu in the evening, when the pub classics are complemented by regularly changing dishes featuring game and pork from nearby farms and estates and – naturally – good local fish and seafood from the coast. If you went this evening you could choose from local venison, pork two ways with black pudding, plaice with brown shrimps and (the veggie choice) pearl barley risotto. Puddings are simple and similarly seasonal, with steamed suet pudding, treacle tart and rice pudding on the winter menu. It’s simple, hearty food, comforting yet refined, that you can enjoy in the bar in front of a roaring fire or out in the conservatory extension – or in summer in the large back garden. Prices are moderate, and during the winter months they serve a different pub classic each night for just £10.99 with a pint or glass of wine.
There's a good wine list, local ales on tap and it's dog-friendly. Pretty much all you could wish for from a country gastro pub in other words – and they have comfy rooms upstairs if you can't tear yourself away.
