Blakeney Restaurant in North Norfolk

Came here with family for a birthday lunch. It did not disappoint. We had a good table looking out towards the sea, on a cold late April day. Our waiter was very good, in control and knowledgeable. The food was good without being in any way exceptional, fish pie and crab linguine were both tasty. Desserts were the usual bought in sugar filled delights, but no worse than expected. It was all very old school, but that can be nice sometimes! To sum up, it was a nice old fashioned hotel lunch!!

Another visit to this delightful hotel and another lovely experience. The staff are so attentive and kind, the room delightful and so comfortable, and the food and wine is good with great service. I didn’t get chance to use the leisure facilities but they look superb. I would say this hotel is a must when visiting the area.

I booked for my husbands 60th Birthday with my grown up children. We had a delicious meal, which was well cooked and well presented. High quality and professional service from the moment we entered the restaurant. A special mention to the amazing waitress that served us in a calm and professional manner. Holly is obviously an asset to your team. What a lovely young lady! Thank you so much.

Very overpriced for a Sunday lunch and one of our group ordered crab which she couldn’t eat due to it being frozen. Unfortunately I would not recommend this restaurant, very disappointing.

I liked the setting a lot. It was dark and foggy and very atmospheric around the quay. On the website there're just sample menus with no prices so I went to have a look outside and again found sample menus with no prices - and no dinner menu. It said to enquire at reception about it. This put me off a bit but nevertheless I followed the instruction only to have the receptionist direct me to somewhere else. After having a look at the menu and attempting to enter the restaurant, one of the staff checked with me I'd understood how much it was going to cost. I didn't think it was very expensive (£42) so she needn't have done this. There were two menus and it was possible to order across them. The £42 was the minimum charge though. I was personally happy to have 3 courses but, if you just wanted to have 1 or 2, you would still have to pay £42. What is the justification for this? A lot of dishes also carried large supplements. I thought it was overly complicated basically. I had a giant king prawn starter, some halibut with mash and samphire and a toffee and pecan sponge cake. The starter was beautifully presented and the fish was a very generous portion. It was nice but also quite ordinary really. The wine list wasn't very exciting, not by the glass anyway. It was possible to have tea or coffee (included) in a different lounge area afterwards but I didn't do this. Despite it being practically empty, I was squeezed into a terribly uncomfortable table in the corner. I had my back to the wall and it was very cramped. When a few older couples arrived, they were shown to much better tables and I wondered why. There're very few eating options in the village so I didn't have any choice really. Whilst I thought it was okay, I couldn't help but think that the staff thought it was better than it was. I had previously enquired about staying at the hotel only to be told that there was a £150 per night single person supplement. This, coupled with my relegation to the corner, makes me think they're perhaps not very welcoming towards single people.

My wife and I visited this Hotel Restaurant for Sunday Lunch having been here many times pre pandemic. I am delighted to say that standards have not slipped and the meal we were served was perfect. We were seated immediately on arrival by friendly staff. The 3 course meal was exceptional, well cooked and presented and served in a timely manner. Time to rest and chat between courses but with no uncomfortable delay. There is an ample choice of food on the menu to cater for most if not all tastes. A really pleasant experience.

its a set meal / price here with additional charges for 'special' dishes. We chose the chicken liver parfait to start which was exceptionally cold and crumbly and very difficult to spread on the bread provided. We both paid an additional charge for the main courses which was whole lobster thermidor and a Dover sole. The Dover sole was filleted and the first mouthful had bones in it ! and it was not particularly tasty, the lobster was just covered in a thick yellow substance and didn't appear to have been put under a grill at all. It was very poorly cooked and very overpriced for the food that was served up. The Hotel looks lovely from the outside but we could not have left more disappointed. This was a special occasion that was ruined by poor quality cooking. The view was very nice.

Went for Sunday lunch, it was really good, it's unusual to be able to choose how your beef is cooked, 2 of us asked for rare and 1 had medium all perfect, attentive staff. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The Sunday roasts, lamb and beef were excellent. Lovely meat, well cooked vegetables. The desserts were gorgeous. The tables had clean white tablecloths and were set properly. Service was very good and we felt very welcome. The view from the window was lovely. We would not hesitate to return.

Had Sunday lunch, Roast beef and lamb. Lamb was lovely and vegetables very nicely cooked. The roast potatoes however were not good. Very large and quite under cooked. My wife's beef, although ordered medium rare, arrived very well done. Superb table with outstanding outlook. Underwhelmed unfortunately.

Staff were fabulous. Variety of food and standards are very good and we would go back. Nice outlook and I would recommend

We went for an evening meal at the hotel restaurant. The service was excellent, the dining room elegant. The menu seemed very seasonal. They served a lovely home-made bread selection. The rest of the food was ok, but felt a bit average considering the setting and a bit on the heavy side. Could have been down to our food choice, but for example we ordered the lobster Thermidor, which was just overpowered by a heavy cheesy sauce. The fried gnocchi with ham hock starter were quite greasy and dry. However, the fish soup was very good and we finished with excellent, what seemed like homemade sorbets. As I said, great setting and very friendly service, but the food was a bit mixed.

We were not expecting too much from a hotel restaurant, especially one that had been around for a long time. However it exceeded our expectations. The dining room is very spacious and well furnished and had it been light we would have had a lovely harbour view. The set menu was good and good value. The only thing that let the service down was waiting a long time for the wine to be served and the same for the after meal coffee. We were offered coffee in either the downstairs lounge (beautifully furnished) or the upstairs lounge (fantastic views, when it is light). Good experience and not too be missed if you are staying in the area. Nice romantic setting.

If you like trendy this is probably not the place for you but if you want a good quality meal, good service, and a quite relaxed atmosphere then this is the place. The food is well presented and tasty albeit the portions are on the smaller side. Service relaxed and efficient. After lunch we were offered coffee in the observatory a nice relaxed lounge overlooking the harbour. The cost of the meal was very reasonable compared to many other eateries in the surrounding area and offers good value. The hotel as lots of parking for guests. Blakeney can be a bit frenetic and this offers an oasis of calm and elegance. Would definitely come again.

Have eaten and stayed at the Blakeney Hotel on a number of occasions and they never dissapoint. Wonderful lunch, seafood was cooked to perfection and the fish soup was deep and delicious. A slice of toast with the potted shrimp would have helped but otherwise everything was as you should expect from a quality establishment. Service (as always) very polite and efficient with an air of calm. Please don't change.

This hotel is renowned for being one of the best in the area. So naturally you would assume that the afternoon tea would would be good! It’s a bit like if you are going to the Ritz in London, you do have an expectation before arriving. What I did have was premonitions of a quintessentially Brittish experience - however, this kind of felt like a rush job. So the food was ok. The bread and fillings was fresh for the sarnies, and I must say that the warm raisin scone with local clotted cream was yummy. But the cakes were average with the best being the macaroon that was soft and fluffy with an al dente bite, but the chocolate cake was very stodgy and not really sure what was going on with the lemon thing / tart / soft meringue concoction - nice idea by the chef but for me it didn’t work. Whilst I was thrilled that they were able to get us in at short notice, the place was empty, and really did not meet our high expectations based on how wonderful so many people have said the restaurant at this hotel is. Whilst the views were great, and our tiered cake stand was presented beautifully, service friendly - honestly I just found it a little bit underwhelming. And disappointed we couldn’t refill our food pkstes. It was nice, just very average. Not a feel of a high class hotel.

We booked an afternoon tea to celebrate my mother’s in law birthday as she liked the location, sadly, it was the only thing to like ! Everything was very-very basic , it didn’t feel SPECIAL, as they promise. The bread in sandwiches- hard , the choice of cakes - basic ( our school canteen does much better!) To too it up - we had to remind the waiter to give us the cutlery and napkins! For the price they charge, to have what we had - appalling! We won’t go there again.

Excellent service with even better food.We had a crab salad and fish pie served with a selection of fresh and perfectly cooked vegetables.My wife (the desert expert) went for the trio of traditional puddings and two days on she is still singing it's praises.i went for the cheese board ,and if your a cheese lover like me, you wouldn't be disappointment.All in all we will have to arrange a return visit, without waiting for another birthday.

We stayed for two nights and ate each evening in the restaurant as the food was so good. Very good menu, excellent desserts!

We had a nice lunch in the main dining room of this hotel.The food was well presented and fresh. The starter and main menu had a good choice but unfortunately the dessert menu was not really to my taste as it had lots of modern desserts and I prefer the old fashioned kind!We sat near the window watching the children sliding down the muddy banks outside, which was quite amusing.The service was OK. We had a nice meal.

I must stress at the start of my review that we did not stay at this hotel but stopped for a pub lunch.The courtyard offers the most delightful sun trap and has a limited but welcome view of the majesty that is Blakeney. The seafood platter was delicious and other sandwiches on the lunch menu equally so.Such a shame that the area was not cleared of previous clients detritus on arrival.Having enjoyed our lunch the act of our used crockery taunting us by not being cleared, even after another round of drinks, was enough to mark the experience as disappointing.Maybe Day visitors are not the clientele this hotel is not wanting to encourage? I certainly have no incentive to revisit.

I can only 'score' a restaurant based on how well it does what it sets out to do. On that the meal we had at the Blakeney Hotel was absolutely first class. We have been before, several times, with Norfolk friends. We tend to dash into a small area just beyond the main lounge, with its open fire and boat models, and sit in splendid isolation, with a large window to watch people coming and going and to look out over the marshes and waterways. There we can chat to our hearts' content, do the crossword in the paper that is lying around on the coffee table and eat a delicious selection of sandwiches, wraps, salads, sausage roll and, top of the list, chips. They are excellent (crunchy outer, fluffy insides).We were very well looked after by Aaron and Jacob (rather a biblical theme going on here) who were polite and efficient and made us feel wanted.A good wine list and very reasonable prices... but then again, we do live in London so perhaps we are no longer used to this sort of really good value!

My husband and I enjoyed the quality of the food but wished tables could have been cleared before being seated.

After visiting here last year, we decided to book again. We both had the 3 course meal which for £32 we think is good value and excellent food. The restaurant seems much larger consequently more tables, which probably meant as we were sat tucked away near a wall, no one came to see if we required coffee! Consequently we paid our bill and left. The table we were given was probably one of the worst in the restaurant (realise the people who stay at the hotel are given the window seats) think you are cramming more tables in, resulting in more revenue, to the cost of neglecting people. Not sure if we will visit again.

Food was fantastic!. We had a table by the window with lovely views across the estuary. Staff very friendly and very attentive.

Popped in fairly late in the afternoon but they served with no problem service excellent and the cake was really good

Enjoyed a three course dinner. Locally sourced ingredients and a very good chef made our meal an absolute pleasure. Local cheeses, beer I could go on. All served in a very comfortable relaxed atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

Lovely view, quiet restaurant with attentive service and relaxed atmosphere. Great for a coffee and light bite too.

Ate in the restaurant for a family Sunday lunch. This hotel has an old fashioned charm. The service was good. The atmosphere was lovely. The food was not outstanding, but good overall. We would certainly book this again for a family occasion.

Visitamos aquí en un día de calor', y nos recibieron con un personal más que dispuestos para sentarse en el conservatorio con nuestro perro, la comida era de una calidad excelente, dispuestos a adaptar el menú para satisfacer a nuestros gustos, personal atento, y no había presión para dejar una vez que habíamos comido.

My husband and I had lunch here Mon July13th.We were fortunate enough to be seated at a table by the open window with the fantastic view.The table was already set with a jug of water and the linen crisp white and clean including napkins.Service was excellent and the food superb.Also an extensive wine list.By far the best meal and setting we had whilst in North Norfolk.Great experience from start to finish.

Cenamos en cuatro noches como parte de nuestra reserva de paquete. El comedor tiene vistas a las marismas de sal y Quay y está muy bien decorado. Los camareros son muy simpáticos y bien formado. El menú ofrece una amplia selección de 3 platos por 29 libras con un gran número de platos que atraen a un suplemento considerable. La lista de vinos es extensa con botellas la mayoría cuesta 20 libras o más. Nos pareció que la calidad de la comida era un poco impredecible con algunos platos siendo bueno pero otros tener algunos fallos.a unos 1 AA Rosette estándar, pero dada la ubicación y la calidad del hotel, es sorprendente que el restaurante no aspirar a un más alto nivel

slick service delicious food in a vintage setting an informal relaxed atmosphere with splendid views over the water and if you are lucky wonderful sunsets

We had lunch on Sunday the 14th of June, super Sunday lunch , excellent staff , lovely starters and puddings , like having lunch in a friends home with great comfort

Lovely setting. Very tastefully decorated. Food very good value for money. Outside seating available. Recommend the seafood platter, yum!

The food was outstanding and real choice; the service excellent. We had window seats overlooking the estuary which was a real bonus.

I love fish soup and always order when on the menu - Well they must have had the Roux Brothers in there making the fish soup when I was there it was brilliant!

Everything a good restaurant should be. Easy booking, a friendly welcome, comfortable chairs, and an easy ambiance.The food was as described. Well presented by willing and cheerful staff. The chef's work was professional in every respect and his?output was fresh, tasty and well with paying for.The wine list catered for most tastes and prices.This was one of life's pleasures.

We had lunch in the restaurant on a December Saturday - we won't be going back.1. Our booking had been forgotten so a table wasn't laid for us and we had to stand and watch while the scruffy waiter moved chairs around and laid the table.2. The furniture was worn and shabby - not in a chic way.3. The staff were poorly dressed in black, grubby polyester which looked more like work-wear in a garden centre than a smart restaurant.4. There was no licence so alcoholic drinks could not be purchased.5. All of our food was really bad, my medium rare ribeye steak was paper thin and incinerated, my halloumi salad starter tasted of absolutely nothing whatsoever as did the soup of the day. My wife's soufflé was like a giant tasteless piece of foam rubber, the chips were indifferent and a little cold. We didn't stay for dessert.This place used to have a really good name, but goodness knows what's gone wrong. We've seen similar hotels go this way and it's as if the owners simply lose interest and rely on past glories to put bums on seats. Eventually, over time they improve or die.

It was good food, good selection and reasonable price - is it s destination restaurant - may be not, but for a hotel it was good wholesome stuff! - excellent service

Service is from another cenrury The menu changes daily in some parts and it is so good to see a sweet trolley

We booked a table and asked to sit in the bar area. We were shown into a sort of conservatory room which had little atmosphere and few people. We noticed sometime later that there were still empty tables in the other room. Odd!My fish looked good but un fortunately wasn't cooked through. The waitress took it away with nairy a word. I wasn't offered another piece of fish, a glass of wine or a coffee. A sorry was all I eventually received. Was there anyone in charge? I think not. Very disappointing.Our overall conclusion was there was no drive, no energy in the place it just felt incredibly flat.

Four of us had lunch in this hotel on Easter Monday. My daughter, who is vegetarian, asked about the chips served with the meals. We were told that they were cooked in the same oil as the fish!! This is totally unacceptable. So beware, vegetarians, vegans and those with fish allergies. We certainly will not be going back there again. Shame, as it could be such a nice place if it was run properly.

My grandma who lives locally was ill last weekend, so her daughter (my mother) and my brother and myself all drove up from Essex and London.Due to work I could not get there until ten past nine, but my mum and brother were there much earlier.My brother asked if he could order their meals there and then, and order mine at 9, but to plate it up until 9.10, even if it was a salad or anything? Thier request was declined.I arrived and I was allowed their desserts as I was starving!I chose the cheese board, with two cheeses. £3.00 per cheese/item ordered.... No problem.Half an hour later, after asking, it arrived. Oh my god!, 2 slim tiny pieces, 1 of each cheese. Not even big enough for 1 cracker each!Lovely ambiance, but lousy desserts!To be fair, mums and my brothers main course was excellent apparently.We will return but please sort out customer satisfaction and portion sizes??

We have eaten here many times when self catering in Blakeney and stayed here once before for my birthday. As we enjoyed our stay I booked for 3 nights as a surprise for my husbands birthday. Wish I hadnt bothered. Although the young staff are pleasant there appears to be no one in overall charge. Ate in the dining room on our first night. My starter of mussels was served in a cold bowl and my linguine looked as if it had been chopped up, although tasty. My husbands main course of mussels was overlooked. The following 2 evenings we ate elsewhere. The fruit at breakfast consisted of a bowl of cling filmed prunes and in segmented grapefruit. On the 2nd morning there was no fruit at all. Same poor choice this morning. I asked for boiled eggs yesterday with non marmite soldiers and was given scrambled eggs! The young waiter offered to change it but didn't want to make a fuss or have to wait. This morning I was give the boiled eggs but with neither egg spoon or teaspoon. I have left a long list of my complaints but as there is no evidence of anyone running the place I don't expect a response. I will be contacting Adnams too but from other reviews I don't suppose they'll be too bothered either. Our 3 night stay cost me over £400. Certainly not worth it. What a shame.

menu just the same as last visit, no change to vary choices - had to bring own vegetarian gravy granules this time. Staff quite pleasant but had to attract attention to get service to order food.

Two of us went in for dinner at 7.30 on a Saturday night. Didn't seem busy but after hanging about and being ignored by several members of staff a message was relayed to us with minimal apology that they were fully booked. General attitude and atmosphere did not make us feel inclined to go back on another night.

Really lovely to find somewhere serving a traditional Sunday lunch, in a lovely setting with a wonderful view. Should say that this will not be for everyone, as there is a level of formality, however, if you like a drink in the bar before your lunch, a nice dining room in which to eat, with pressed linen tablecloths and napkins, pleasant efficient service and good food and are happy to accept that the average age may be older, then I would suggest you give it a try. £21 per head for this I think is cracking value, with coffee. The hotel itself has been beautifully modernised and felt luxurious. I would most certainly return to eat and would love to stay if the opportunity arose!

Just popped in for sandwich very nice for two with drinks just under £20 was in there bar area tables a little low for eating on but service was quick and served with a smile

The Restaurant at the Blakeney Hotel is everything you would want in terms of professional staff, elegant atmosphere and top rate food - a return to a more old fashioned charming way of life where nothing is too much trouble. The meal we had on our last night was superb - mackerel pate to start, beautifully presented, pheasant cooked in a most imaginative way, and custard tart with fresh local raspberries - delicious!

We stayed at this hotel on a Saturday night and chose to eat in the restaurant despite a number of other options in Blakeney. We were not disappointed.We thought the quality and freshness of food was excellent, the menu has a lot of options we would happily have chosen, the wine list was interesting containing a number of familiar and unusual options.My fish soup was tasty and my steak was lovely and moist with a delicious large meaty mushroom. My girlfriend had a fantastic crab starter followed by a chunky cod. No room for desserts but they looked good too. Coffee was also excellent.Service was unrushed, unobtrusive, and whilst occasionally a little clumsy was friendly and efficient.

We actually stayed in the Whitehorse hotel which is lovely but went to book a table for dinner at the blakeney hotel.We asked the receptionist if there was a table for that night and she said yes no problem then asked us what room we were in,I told her we were not residents but as they have a sign outside saying non residents welcome I thought this would be okay.On hearing this she said we have no tables in fact we are fully booked for the next week,how rude.This was also a complete lie as we walked past that night to see an empty restaurant.I wouldn't recommend this pompous hotel to anyone.

The food was lovely and the staff really make you welcome. We have eaten full meals there and also had sandwiches, cream teas etc. The surroundings are charming

A limited but well balanced menu food was well presented and wines not overly priced.Dislike - no fresh squeezed orange juce at breakfast

We took American friends there on 26 June. They wanted the battered haddock. When it arrived we sent it back and asked chef to try again because the batter was soggy and horrid. The replacement was almost as bad. We peeled the batter away and ate the fish but it was all a mess and my wife and I were embarrassed

This review is of the Restaurant ONLY 19 August 2008.We booked for dinner at The White Horse, arrived 30 minutes early and had a drink in the bar which was lacking character and dimly lit before dinner.We had heard The White Horse had a good reputation for food and I had booked a table in the restaurant (they apparently have 3 dining areas - bar/casual/restaurant) The food was ok - we had bruschetta and a salad with risotto for main followed by cheese and bread and butter pudding. The wine was excellent (a white from Lanquedoc) and the bill with water came to 69 pounds. Food came out reasonably quickly (no long wait in between courses almost too fast)The dining room was lacking character, not much atmosphere (maybe some soft jazz music would have been lovely) although it was lit nicely with tealights and not too much heavy halogen.Our problem was with the service, we were served by a younger girl with flip flops and jeans who was polite but she was on her own rushing in and out of the restaurant which when we had requested the restaurant out of the bar/casual area we didn’t expect to be served by someone on roller skates with no bedside manner. The rushing did not lend itself to a relaxing evening - it was as though they were rushing us to finish - in fact at 9.45pm we heard the extractor in the kitchen being turned off and when we left at 9.50pm there was no one else in either the restaurant or the casual dining area next to the bar - we just heard voices from the bar. This was a Tuesday night in August the week before the bank holiday. My suspicion is that she was waitressing for all 3 areas which is not acceptable given the prices in the restaurant. We did see 2 other waitresses so there were definitely more staff around.What was even more confusing was earlier at aprox 8pm we had been sat in the bar having a drink before dinner and 2 sets of separate couples had come into the bar and asked if they could have dinner at the White Horse that night - they were told they were fully booked and they left - LOST CUSTOMERS!, but when we were seated in the restaurant 30 minutes later at 8.30pm only 3 of the 12 tables had anyone sat at them, and this was the case ALL NIGHT as we were the last ones to leave at 9.50pm! So we had a bizarre experience - customers being turned away when there were lots of empty tables and a waitress who rushed around even though there were only 3 of the 12 tables occupied all night!!! Does this make sense? If it does I am a banana! Tomorrow night we are going to The Wiverton Bell followed by The Anchor at nearby Morston on Thursday - we certainly won’t be going back to the White Horse unless we want trapped wind or indigestion (as my wife has as I write this upon getting back to the place we are staying) from watching young staff running round like they had been set on fire with no passion, character or rapore. The food was OK but nothing outstanding and it's such a shame as they have a captive Blakeney audience with not much choice in the nearby area so they should be cleaning up. We came to The Blakeney White Horse expecting discerning standards but we might as well have been back home in Nando’s in Hackney - Its not just about the food - service and character are just as important to the complete enjoyment of a civilised dinner, sorry to rant but they need to pull up their standards if they are pitching themselves in the ‘quality’ marketplace as we were led to believe - they need to go back to basics and manage their team in a more focused manner (where was any evidence of management all night??!!) rather than having ‘surf kids’ running around like an blind one-legged ostrich on amphetamines. If you have a restaurant within your hotel that has a different menu/standards than the pub/casual area then give service levels that reflect this or deserve to disappoint customers by misleading them.