Cross Keys in North Norfolk

We had a lovely meal tonight celebrating 2 birthdays. All staff were friendly, polite and checked that we were happy. Food was delicious and this isn't our first visit. We have come here for Sunday dinner on quite a few occasions. The bar area had a few patrons enjoying each others company and the dining area is so lovely and looks very different from some of the older pictures by past diners. We enjoy coming here and are booked to have our 2nd Xmas lunch with Cross keys. Thank you to everyone working there.

Super food and friendly service. The portions were huge (and delicious, I loved my chicken curry) and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. We attended for a family member’s 70th birthday and they allowed us to bring our own cake and decorate before hand. We recieved a discount because of staying in the local air bnb, which was another bonus! We would definitely visit again, but unfortunately we do not live locally, however, I would recommend The Cross Keys to anyone else staying locally.

We ate here on a Saturday evening. Had a sharing starter, then steak and chips. Steak was OK, but it was not outstanding. It was slightly overcooked and very thin. Not thick and juicy.

After staying locally for a night, we had an evening meal at the pub which was delicious, reasonably priced and good portions. The staff are super friendly and the homemade cheesecake was our favourite! Then, because we enjoyed it so much we came back the next day for Sunday lunch which again, was amazing-but too full for pudding! Would definitely recommend and will return.

Food was delicious staff brilliant. Really enjoyed our beef roast dinner.

First visit to the Cross keys at Dilham and we were not disappointed the food was wonderful and just enough the meals are excellent value for money a bit of advice is to book a table before you go we are planning to visit a lot more

A village local,dropped in while in the area for lunch. Accommodated by friendly staff member and given table in the bar area. As written on the menu..not fast food but as it turned out the food, when it came 35 mins later was very good indeed. Hot plates, always a plus with us, generous portions and well cooked and thoroughly enjoyable. Reasonably priced fare. Would say to visitors do not be put off by the appearance of the rear car park or the decor in the bar as the food is good.

This is a nice country pub. The barman was friendly and well informed about menu changes. Sadly, the food was a little disappointing. The pie looked great but contained almost no meat. The dish was served with no vegetables or additional gravy. Quite a shame after waiting an hour. Sandwiches are basic and fine. I don’t want to slate the establishment but based on quality of food, we wouldn’t return. It seemed popular for a drink and a bag of crisps with locals, cyclists and walkers. We wish you the best with your garden and car park renovations :)

Went for meal here whilst staying in a local holiday let. The garden was a lovely space with little cars in for little ones and a Bear Bar for a good photo opportunity. The portions were very generously sized and were cooked to perfection, I had the Tikka Masala and couldn't recommend it enough. They had a party in at the time and managed to squeeze us in right at the last minute but we were made to feel extremely welcome and even gave us the wifi code to keep our little one entertained. If we were ever in the area again we would definitely return.

Amazing mid week roast! Very accommodating, we didn't have a booking, food was excellent. Thank you

Excellent, slightly off the beaten track pub, with brilliant chef, at very reasonable prices. Close to the wonderful Dilham Canal, where one can view nature at its best.

What a disappointment! The website looked lovely but the reality was very different. Tired and lacking atmosphere, this was not to be the enjoyable family meal out I had hoped for. When I went to order our pizzas at the bar, I was told they didn't have the ones we wanted: it would have been helpful to know that in advance. After a 50 minute wait we were finally served our pizzas - 2 of which were burnt on top, and all of them were raw in the middle. It ruined our night out and the only saving grace was that they gave us a full refund before leaving.

Poor service. Disappointed with my Sunday roast dinner.

Scruffy pub, which could be so nice if somebody took some pride in the garden area and was more welcoming. Garden area was extremely messy with trip hazard and untended flower beds. A good sweep up would have worked wonders.

We went there to have lunch, but were told that no steak was being made and that only one or two of several dishes were available. Because of food we moved on.

We went into the cross keys this evening for a meal and I must say, it was delicious! The menu caters for all i.e., meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans and gluten free. We had the steak (specials) which was 2 for £20!! We didn't expect much at this price but it was one of the best meals I've had for a long time. The steak was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. It was served with lovely chunky chips, mushrooms, onion rings and tomato. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes steak. We watched meals being served to other tables such as, scampi, chicken and wings .. they all looked amazing! We couldn't leave without having dessert, I had FOMO lol so we ordered biscoff cheesecake and apple pie, absolutely devine! The staff were lovely, the atmosphere was relaxed and warming, if we lived locally we would return again and again. Thank you for a wonderful experience 💛

Gem of a pub! Went on pizza Tuesday and it was the best I've eaten. Really accommodating too, as they made special effort for my elderly father with a pie. Great staff and atmosphere. Will defo go again.

Absolutely wonderful food, service excellent. Very friendly staff, go out of their way yo make you feel welcome.

Try to go in most Saturday evenings to meet a group of friends. Friendly atmosphere, good beer and always plenty of people eating. Proper village pub

Yet another superb meal at The Keys Homemade pizza, homemade Chilli and excerlant desserts. Staff friendly- best to book as normally very busy.

To start of this interesting experience let's just say. We were greeted by the images showed below. We ordered some scrumdidilydumptios pizzas apart from a member of our group who's pizza was raw twice. The food was nice but I don't like raw pizzas.

Didn't eat here , staff stressed as very busy & they let us know! Inadvertently !! so we changed our plan & had a few Beers very well kept & tasty! & a bag of crisps with our drinks!

Visited here as we were staying in the area. Our first impressions weren't brilliant as the outside looked very dilapidated. On entering, there were only two other people in the bar, which again looked to be in need of redecoration. The young lady who was behind the bar was very pleasant and helpful. We ordered steak and chips, which came after about 40 minutes. The steak was very, very chewy and a weird grey colour. However, the chips were nice and extremely hot. Wouldn't bother visiting here again.

Based on reviews, I booked dinner for 2. Massively disappointed. Menu was very limited and pretty much everything fried. Had chicken burger which had no flavour, wife had scampi which was plain. When left our clothes smelled like we had worked in a chip shop all night given we were only there 40mins. The decor was very tired and there was a pile of old rubbish next to our table near the bar.

Lovely starter then steak for main. Best steaks we had for a long time. Highly recommend*****

Great burgers and fries. The beer brilliant, and a warm welcome thanks.

Had a lovely meal here on holiday with friends. The food is absolutely superb. Fantastic service & a great venue. Highly recommended 10/10

A very unexpected vegan roast dinner! Lots of veg and a beetroot wellington ....good local beer (small selection but that's ok with me if it's good - and it was!). Big beer garden and lots of outdoor seating - recommend!

I came on a Sunday night with my two kids. They had roast dinners and I had mixed bean chilli (because I'm gluten free). The food was delicious and I asked to take home a dinner boxed up for my husband who was back at our holiday rental cottage with the flu. They very kindly prepared him 2 sirloin beef rolls with a pot of gravy free of charge because they didn't have any roast potatoes left to make a full Sunday dinner. What a lovely touch. Great service too and very reasonably priced food. I highly recommend this place. Brownie was delicious too!

WOW WOW WOW BEST SUNDAY DINNER EVER SERVICE FANTASTIC CAN'T RECOMMEND ANY MORE MUST VIST YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED

Called in to see if they were doing food (5.45), they were but after 6.30 the atmosphere was great and everyone said hello , however they cooked us Scampi and chips before 6, (which was absolutely lovely.) We sat in the restaurant, the bar was busy as they were showing 4 in a bed (they were featured in it ), at 6.30 there was a loud cheer as it was announced they had won. On leaving we were given a glass of prosecco to celebrate their win. Lovely pub , lovely food , lovely people.

Had a Sunday 3 course meal.Food was lovely and very reasonably priced.Came out stuffed and would definitely go again

Highly recommend!!! Cross keys catered for my hen do with supplying and delivering the most delicious afternoon cream tea for 13 guests. Every single part of the afternoon tea was perfection and I couldn't fault their service and ongoing communication with me leading up to and on the day of delivery. I had a GF afternoon tea which was honestly the most delicious GF treats I've ever had, everything cooked fresh and still warm on delivery. Thank you so much and well done cross keys, we will 💯 be ordering with you again.

Fantastic food, great pub - defo recommend.

Six of us for a meal Saturday night. Very good food. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Tikka, which was very tasty and well cooked. Very good steak with an unusually thick peppercorn sauce that was excellent. Very good real ale too. Excellent stuff! Many thanks.

Transport available at the end of the night.

Went on a Friday late afternoon, service was OK but no ice for our drinks and lacked any atmosphere.

Nice space, nice staff. My only thought would be to do like a KFC spicy burger, a really good beef burger using toppings from the menu. Maybe a specials board

4 of us had Sunday lunch here, and enjoyed it. There is a good variety of choices on the menu, and the service is very good. I had roast beef with all the usual trimmings, including a great range of veg, and my wife had roast turkey. Both provided a hearty meal, leaving just enough room for a sticky toffee pudding, or an apple pie and custard.

Just been to have Christmas dinner there with the family and what a spread the staff were so polite and helpful we will be prebooking for next year 100% great vibes and awesome food. Been again since 20,11,2023 again great as always this place is a hidden gem for food and drink highly recommended

Lots of potential. Needs a good tidy up outside. Food was not great greasy chicken burger

Booking advised as the chef doesn't take kindly to punters walking in on the off chance of getting a meal. That said, the waitress was perfectly charming and the food was adequate.

Amazing vegan food. Home cooked and great value. Definitely recommend.

Great pizza cooked outside in a fire oven. We were a big group and they were great.

Great food as always, lovely hosts, highly recommend.

First visited Sept.22 Landlord very welcoming and helpful. Despite them not serving food that day, he took pity and arranged a very nice ploughmans for us. Fast fwd to today. Arrived 13.55. Checked we were in time for food, had already looked at very colourful website but just to be polite.... Asked for 2 ploughmans which were clearly on the menu on website. Surprise no.1 .ploughmans not available any more. Go to second choice. Cheese baguettes.After 20 mins. Two underbaked baguettes arrive with a smear of melted cheese inside. Accompanied by a tiny bowl of very stale crisps, and a "salad" that looked like it had been out of the fridge for a week. The piece de resistance? We were charged £22.15 for a pint and a half of lager, and the most depressing food ever served. A total rip off. The land lord should be ashamed. EDIT I have just seen that the owner has replied.its a shame he couldn't read the review correctly. I never claimed we were charged £22.15 for a pint and a half of lager. What I actually wrote was " We were charged £22.15 for a pint and a half of lager, AND THE MOST DEPRESSING FOOD EVER SERVED" If he could be bothered to read the review properly, he would see the complaint was about the awful food, not the beer. The fact that he jumped on the price comment shows exactly where his mind is.

Food was lovely - perfectly cooked. Beautiful pint of bitter at just the right temperature. Friendly service. Lovely September weather and table in the shade. Such a shame there weren't more customers around at lunchtime to enjoy it with us.

So disappointing ☹️ We were expecting so much more having read the reviews, but within 10 minutes of being here I did have to check that we hadn’t walked into the wrong place. The bar seemed to have run out of several beers as bar towels kept appearing on pumps. Regardless, the food was very second rate. It all felt like something was wrong. Like the chef had quit the week before or the owner had done a runner. We quit before desert and cut our losses. As we left I was trying to figure out what was going on and why the place wasn’t a patch on the rave reviews it has historically received when a local customer walking into the pub shouted over to us: “You thinking of buying it? It’s up fer sale” - “that explains a lot” I says in me best Norfolk’ese. Shame. We wanted to come back for the wood fired pizza on Friday but just too apprehensive it’ll be another fail.

Friendly atmosphere, good beer selection

Good place to unwind. Not serving food that day so cannot comment.

A very scruffy pub . Restaurant only open at weekends.needs a makeover.

Smashing pub, reasonably priced food. Excellent chef and staff. (Toilets are not at the same level at the rest of the pub.. mind you)

We had a party of 40 people, and this team smashed it. Service was excellent as so was the food. Big thumbs up and we will be back im sure

Fantastic local pub/restaurant, great food and service

Popped in here with the family at the weekend..Great selection of beer..Bar staff were professional and polite..My son had a pizza from the outside pizza kitchen which was absolutely fantastic..Highly recommend..Will definitely come back next time this way..Cheers guys

I would like to take this opportunity To extend Kerry Johnston's review, Firstly if you're going to leave, a Google review be factual and truthful. I witnessed your whole experience from our table. I find it strange to complain about a restaurant when you had empty plates, albeit the buns from your burger. It is also irrelevant how young staff are, especially in the restaurant industry during the summer holidays when it is the highest time for young seasonal staff to be working. If you want a bucket of coleslaw. Feel free to off to order from the vegetarian menu. Also, why have you not added on the fact that you were served cold sausages... As this was the main thing you were shouting about at the bar at the end of your meal. Let me just add that you asked for these sausages for your dog. FYI dogs shouldn't be served hot food and they shouldn't be served pork sausages. Our tables were also politely checked upon regularly. Why did you not choose this time to complain to the staff during your meal? Instead of overpowering a young lady behind the bar with loud, aggressive language when you were given your bill, thinking that this would solve your issue. You failed to give the restaurant any opportunities to rectify any issues that you may have had during your visit to this restaurant? The only other customers complaining were about you, when you left. How dare you behave in such a way to a member of staff the way you did. They're probably working 12 hour shifts, do you think they deserve your aggressive behaviour? You didn't even ask for a refund when you were being dealt with by management. You were too busy making sure the rest of the restaurant was aware your dog had eaten cold sausages for tea. This review that I am referring to wasn't written by Kerry by the way. As she was waiting outside with the dog, probably too embarrassed of the scene her acquaintance was causing inside. If you are reading this 'Kerry' , you know in your glamping business, when you get those customers that you know you will never please, no matter how far you go with your service... Anyway people, this was my first experience and it was spot on. Very yummy, fresh and sensibly portioned. For around 33 quid, I got 2 mains, 2 drinks and a side. Can't argue with that surely? The bar was a great area to be, the locals were very welcoming, everyone seemed be having a good time. They are dog friendly and child friendly with entertainment out side for them to play. You don't have to make reservations. Looking forward to their wood fired pizza nights in the shack in the garden. Please go and get your own opinion of The Cross Keys instead of listing to mine and 'Kerry's' review. To all the staff, It really was a lovely evening, the food was spot on. You've got a busy season ahead, so don't let yesterday throw you off. Take it on the chin, and aim for the win! See you soon 😊

Great Sunday lunch very good value for money. We hadn't booked just turned up. Drinks ar reasonable prices. Lovely big garden for youngsters to run around platic cars to play on. Very quiet & peaceful surroundings.

The Cross Keys has been our 'Go To' pub/restaurant since moving to Norfolk 4 years ago. We have always recommend them to our own Glamping guests. However, unfortunately after todays visit, we will not be returning or recommending them in future. The food has gone from Good Quality & Tasty to REALLY REALLY Cheap & Nasty (and that is truly an understatement !!!). The burgers were always a great choice at The Cross Keys but todays offering was completely tasteless and contained so much rusk that it didn't even hold together... The Cheapest of the Cheap. Yuk !!! Coleslaw portion is now about 1/3 of the size (not that we could eat todays horrible poor quality stuff). Our reserved table was dirty, wet and very sticky. We asked a staff member 4 times for a damp cloth to clean up. She finally came over and gave about a quarter of the table a rudimentary wipe and walked away. The place was staffed by youngsters. We didn't see any management even when other customers complained about their meals and demanded a refund. I could say much more about the nasty food and poor service but I am aware that this is beginning to sound like a bit of a whinge-fest. Suffice to say that this pub/restaurant has seriously gone down hill. Such a shame. Don't waste your money here.....AVOID !!!

Lovely pub with a wonderful beer garden. Loads of space for kids, balls, trikes etc. But we had pizza and it was really poor. The dough was both over cooked and under cooked. Raw in the middle, burnt on the outside. Lovely place for a drink in the sun but avoid the pizza.

Friendly staff v helpful and lovely bunch of regulars too

Never judge a book... One of the few places open for food on a Monday evening and highly rated on trip advisor. Parking up, I thought I'd got the wrong place but the entrance is around the front, overlooking the huge garden. Table for 6, 4 adults & 2 children. We hadn't booked but that was no problem. Our waitress was a bit rushed as she was on her own (they weren't expecting many people) but nothing was too much trouble, we even got some extras with the meal. Eyes being bigger than belly, I just had to have a dessert. I opted for the cheesecake. We vowed to return later in the week but time rushed by so fast and we didn't seem to be going that way. However, next time we're that way on holiday, we're definitely going back. Also, dog friendly.

Had early evening meal here and sat outside on a warm evening. Easily accommodated a wheelchair and a high chair on patio area sheltered with a large gazebo. Large garden (with plenty of extra tables) ideal for our 2 year old grandson to run around whilst waiting for dinner. A number of Little Times vehicles provided for children's use - only slight negative- one or two had damaged seats with sharp plastic posing a hazard but otherwise a welcome addition to keep little ones entertained. Delighted to see that children's meals are smaller portions of the adult meals rather than the usual 'fast food' type options seen in so many other places. Unlike some other places, there was no objection to our request for a child's meal for our elderly mother who can never eat a full meal. Delicious food, friendly service and great value for money. Fully recommended.Thank you Cross Keys

Great pub for supper, very good service and a great beer garden.

Cross Keys is a fantastic pub with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. I would highly recommend this pub to anyone looking for a great place to eat and drink. The food is amazing! I had the fish and chips and it was some of the best I've ever had. The service is top-notch. The staff are friendly and attentive and they really go the extra mile to make sure you have a great experience. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy a drink with friends. If you're looking for a great place to eat and drink, I highly recommend Cross Keys. You won't be disappointed!

Excellent food and service! Don't be put off by the rather ramshackle exterior as the food will definitely be worth it!

Great find, friendly helpful staff. Good food. Definitely go back if in the area.

Cracking pub with friendly staff, good food and a great beer garden!

Local wild craft beer served by friendly staff

The worst meal I have ever had🤬 if I could have given a minus score I would have. If you like decent food this is not the place for you.

Excellent Sunday roast. Very pleased to see Wildcraft beers available. Only managed to try the IPA though.

Lovely village pub with restaurant. Food was excellent and plenty of it.

Very friendly. Accomodated a group of is for food even though we hadnt booked. Food very good and reasonably priced. Only one ale today but excellent quality

This place has incredible food! Such a nice atmosphere. It’s not the biggest inside, but it boasts a lovely outdoor space with plenty of grass for children to play on. Decor is lovely, with some funny artwork around the place. But most importantly - the food is amazing!! The kitchen was very accommodating with food requests, cooked everything to perfection and presented it beautifully. Desert was exquisite, and there was even a nicely stocked bar to top it all off. Lovely, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Booking recommended.

This a great little pub with a really nice dining room. The food was good & very reasonably priced . Will definitely go back

Went for lunch, scampi and chips, lovely pub grub! Very nice village pub popular with the locals. Very friendly staff will definitely go again.

In response to your reply...I asked if you had Aspalls and was told no! I also asked about a ploughman's but was told they could do a baguette? Disappointing selection of ciders no Aspall or Thatchers and only dry white wine...No ploughman's or salads...I ordered a baguette with cheese and as the baguette was warm the cheese was melting great on toast/toasties! Not in a baguette. Plus not a lot of room to sit when you have a dog! As the bar filled up with dog walker's standing up at the bar we felt uncomfortable sitting eating! On the positive staff were friendly.

The vegan food was amazing, staff were so friendly, really glad we found this gem of a place.

Lovely place to go. Food was great and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Will definitely be going back again

We stopped off whilst on a cycle ride with our dogs. Lovely pub with really friendly staff and locals who made us feel very welcome.

Roast dinner! Haha 😂 they have no idea ! The veg was raw, the beef was tough, the yorkshires were burnt, and the manager upon being given this feedback in a polite way clearly suffers from small person syndrome, by person, I’m saying I’m not sure on what side of the gender chart they reside. He’s arrogance was outstanding and clearly doesn’t have a clue how to run a restaurant. Nonetheless, we wouldn’t go back there again whilst the current mob are pretending to be a restaurant. Cheap pub if you don’t care about taste.

Excellent food at reasonable prices, friendly, helpful and competent staff. Highly recommend. Rooms are also available.

What a great dog friendly pub. Had a lovely welcome when we went for dinner. Food was good and tasty and the ale very nice from a local brewery just down the road. Had the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and custard, what a bonus !! Got pride of place by the fire and the dogs loved the treats they were given and steching out by the fire. As I say when ever I find a good pub, wish this was my local.

Nice village pub with plenty of food options and additional choice of a roast on Sunday. Very reasonably priced and warm atmosphere.

Absolutely lovely pub, enjoyed a lovely welcome and gorgeous food even the 4 dogs got a treat 😀. The handsome Thor lookalike made my evening 😁 will definitely visit again the next time we are In the area

Absolutely wonderful place the staff where wonderful and the food was absolutely amazing and so well priced I would recommend cross keys one thousand times over

Excellent food in a very friendly pub

Very nice lassage for lunch with a good pint of local real ale.

Very good food was great and atmosphere good would happily go back if in the area

I have had quite a few meals out but the food here is amazing . I had steak with all the trimmings and it just melted in my mouth so very tender and perfectly cooked. My husband and friend had the mix grill and i have never seen so much food on one plate before. My husband is big eater and he struggled lol our other friend had scampi with all the trimmings and she had no complaints either all cooked to perfection. The staff so very friendly and make you feel so welcome. We will definitely go back. Thank you all at the Cross Keys

Lovely food and friendly service

Picked the Cross Keys for supper based on others reviews and we were not disappointed. On a quiet Tuesday the pub and dining room were nicely busy. We enjoyed good food, beer and very pleasant service. This is a place worth seeking out.

Although we hadn't booked bank holiday Sunday they found is a table. Food excellent, staff helpful. Take no notice of exterior

Lovely food made very welcome, even the dog enjoyed his experience

Was once a lovely pub, now rundown grubby and the locals are not pleased to see new people. Has huge potential to be great but misses the mark in every measure. Even my beer glass was dirty. Left without finishing

Great to sit in the large beer garden on a hot summers evening with a fabulous home made to order pizza and a cold beer …Thanks Dave Debbie Fay …..top draw 👍

Disappointing came for food just turned 8pm and they had stopped serving but came back the following day and the service was excellent can't fult it and the staff are excellent would recommend I will be back again soon

Great outside space, we had a seafood tapas which was plenty for two. Calamari rings and Whitebait in a lovely thin batter. Accompanied by olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bread and oil. It made a perfect lunch out. Nice that it's so close to Dilham Staithe so you can walk up if you're out on the water.

Popped in for a bite to eat. Ordered a hot and spicy pizza - the best pizza I’ve eaten in years! Homemade, but authentic, definitely recommended.

Had a lovely afternoon. Very friendly. Great with the dog. Nice food

Meal was great, staff friendly.