Darbys Freehouse in Breckland

Absolutely shocking manager .. is all I have to say . If you go there your witness this your self I will not attend again …..

Since moving locally a few months ago, Darby's has been my local pub and I am delighted! It's always friendly, the food is great, the live music is varied and often of high quality, plenty of parking and a small but good selection of ales. The proprietors have done a fantastic job of keeping a village asset alive. I'm a great believer in "use it or lose it" and I hope the locals continue to support both Darby's as well as the Angel ( for Swanton is one of the lucky villages to still have two pubs).

Had a fantastic Sunday lunch here. Booked at the last minute for 7 of us. Table was ready and family catered for including 2 vegetarians/ vegans. Great service too! Thank you

We came here for a vegetarian Sunday roast, which is a very hard thing to find done well….Darby’s have absolutely nailed it! The centrepiece was a generous portion of a moist, full flavoured nut roast, accompanied by a lovely Yorkshire pudding , great roast potatoes and parsnips , cauliflower cheese, braised red cabbage, carrots, broccoli and kale, all of which were cooked superbly and lots of tasty gravy to complete the dish. We were so impressed with the main course that we all ordered desserts. The sticky toffee pudding was amazing, a was the salted caramel ice cream which came with it. All the staff were really friendly and service was excellent. Wish we lived nearer and this could be our local as it’s a real gem of a pub.

Have been to darbys a goid few times (a lot)excellent been there tonight for the band excellent also had the pizza fantastic excellent place great atmosphere great staff and a great place to visit

Four of us had a lunchtime meal in The Darby. A really enjoyable experience - very friendly staff (landlord and landlady). Lovely atmosphere and excellent food. We will recommend to others and go again.

Eleven of us (plus a dog) gathered for a family celebration - age range from 9 to 86. Everyone found something they liked on the menu. Portion sizes were good - big Apple and rhubarb crumble! Staff were attentive, efficient and knowledgeable about the food. No problem to adjust meals to suit those who didn't want certain things. Relaxed atmosphere and well looked after.

The best Sunday lunch we have had for ages! Warm welcome (we hadn't booked), excellent service from lovely staff, super surroundings, and the lunch was absolutely superb! Wonderful veggies, and yorkshires, the nut roast was gorgeous, as was the roast pork belly according to my husband! We can't wait to go back, but we are not locals - very envious of you all to have this in your village.

We stayed in the village and this place was recommended, we were not disappointed,we had not booked a table but yhe staff managed to accommodate ys and nothing was too much trouble, I had the burger and chips and it was fantastic! The chips were like you get in a fish and chip shop, the burger was beautiful, with a great flavour, my partner had the fish which she really enjoyed and our friends had the belly pork which they loved, all of our plates were empty, unfortunately no room for desert!. The food was fantastic, service was second to none. And the real ale was well kept. Lots of locals in the pub which made for a good atmosphere and in my opinion is how a pub should be, no wonder its in the goid beer guide. We will certainly visit again

Never been to Darbys before so didn't know what to expect. Walked in to a bar full of customers watching the England Six Nations game and saw empty tables in this area. I asked at the bar, as we had booked, where our table was and they said it was away from the TV in a different part of the establishment which was great as the friends we were meeting, we hadn't seen in ages and as a massive Rugby fan I would not have been able to concentrate on the mat h and their company!!! Now what can I say, the initial greeting was warm and very friendly, the service was the best I have received when eating out, the food was amazing and teh potion sizes were just right. Nothing was too much trouble. We will definitely book to come here again, probably on a monthly basis as it is mid distance for us both to travel to. A hidden gem that should be visited by anyone who is reading this review. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Absolutely fantastic pub and restaurant, with a Sunday roast to die for. Great selection of wines and beers. Excellent staff and reasonable prices. Definitely a 5 out of 5

OK but not enough roast potatoes!!! 3 tiny half potatoes is just grinchlike considering how cheap spuds are!!!...The veg selection was vast and excellent but was missing brussel sprouts and stuffing and at this time of year they are essential. Saying that though the plate was so full there may not have been room... I know it's prob on the Xmas menu but we're almost midway through December. And my last moan is no mulled wine. The young polite server had no clue what I was asking for and directed me to the wine list. He was very thoughtful and offered us water but didn't return to check back on us which would have been a nice touch. Atmosphere was lovely and we will return soon. I had the nutloaf which was delicious and tasted slightly spiced with curry which wasn't necessary if it was. Will definitely try again as its great having Darbys open again and I do want to support the local businesses.

Excellent Sunday lunch for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Friendly and attentive staff who looked after 4 adults made our 2 young children feel special.

I have just co.e home from celebrating my 70th birthday with siblings and our spouses. The food was amazing and the staff friendly and attentive. This was definitely the highlight of my birthday so far and worth at least 5 stars

Fantastic village pub. Located closely to Hunters Hall. The landlord was fantastic and was kind enough to give us a lift to Hunters Hall to attend a wedding as it was throwing it down with rain. Will definitely pay a visit again if I’m in Swanton Morley. Thanks for the lift!

Was pleasantly surprised by this quaint pub in Swanton Morley, that is under new management, (recently been done out) atmosphere good, toilets very clean and tidy. The staff were very friendly and attentive, we decided to have some food, which was really lovely. Hubby had Ox liver and I had the belly of pork, both were lovely, hot and plenty of it. Recommended to friends, who then popped in for a drink. Hope to return whenever back in area, would recommend 100%.

Booked for dinner and we were truly delighted. We had the Ox Liver and Sea Bass with Garlic mushrooms for starters- outstanding food

Had a roast dinner today, the beef was a little tough. You advertise cauliflower cheese on the menu but the amount you give cannot be called a proper portion! Had to ask for extra gravy and extra custard (shame the custard is not homemade) but the custard came out after we’d finished our desserts.

Food was great. Service good. Was so full asked for the remaining food to be but in downside was asked for a takeaway box and server threw it in the bin! Great shame

We have just enjoyed a splendid Sunday lunch at Darby’s for my Dad’s 80th birthday celebration. There were eleven of us and we were seated upstairs in the dining room (we booked in advance and the table was all ready for us when we arrived). Most of us had the roast (beef for the majority, I had the pork) and a couple had other dishes (the double decker burger with pulled pork was particularly notable!). The roasts were genuinely perfection (crunchy crackling, freshly cooked yorkies, wonderful tender meat, and superb gravy) and the veg was 😘👌🏻 (particularly the cauliflower cheese). They even did perfectly portioned versions for the kids who gobbled them down between visits to the playground… we could even keep an eye on them from the window. Staff were attentive and kind (Josh particularly), service was quick but not rushed, and new owners Kate and Colin are so welcoming! The whole meal was finished off with some excellent puddings and Dad was thrilled with his exquisite (and extensive!) cheeseboard. We lingered for almost three hours and it went in a flash! We will definitely be back again and again!

Always travelling internationally, I like to eat out and the food has to be good. Darbys certainly delivers on flavour and at a fair price. Top marks!

We had not been in here since the new management came in. Thought we would try Sunday lunch, as we had read good reviews. We were met by pleasant staff and the food came quickly enough. Unfortunately, the food was barely warm, the green veg was badly cooked and the roast potatoes were chewy rather than crunchy. All very bland in taste. We had requested some mustard, but were presented with an empty pot. On paying for our meal, we found that we had been charged 10.50 for three cups of tea! Sadly, we will not be returning.

Gorgeous food and lovely staff. Really loved the local, warm feeling and food was delicious. Good array of drinks and clean etc

Nice ambiance and super friendly staff. Light Bites as mentioned below are great value. We shared a very very generous portion of delicious whitebait, and then had a generous portion of the scampi and chips and a double burger from the main menu. Maybe the...

Visited with family plus dog. The food is excellent, the variety of drinks is great. As are the lovely staff!! We had three course and weren't disappointed with a single dish.

Having looked at previous reviews we wanted to try the new management approach and boy was it worth it. Lovely venue - accessible, plenty of parking and lovely ambience. Big garden area with play area too though not so accessible if in a chair or...

Under new ownership and wow how they have transformed the place - great atmosphere, fantastic food (particularly the chicken burger) and deserts that are as good as you'll find in a high-end restaurants. The pizzas are delicious from the outdoor kitchen and plenty of good...

We had not been to Darbys for a few years when our son asked us to join him and family for Sunday lunch . We knew that Darbys was under new management so did not know what to expect . The pub was how we...

Absolutely delicious Sunday lunch,food was lush,staff are very friendly polite and helpful, certainly going back.

Fantastic Food, great atmosphere and helpful staff. Been twice now and each time the food has been spot on, all freshly cooked.

Delicious lunch; child friendly, great service, excellent value. I had moules, husband had whitebait, kids had food from the children’s menu. One of our party was coeliac and the staff were helpful and knowledgeable.

Under new Management this pub has made a great impression, we had a fantastic family Sunday roast. Could not fault it. Tender meat, fabulous gravy, crispy potatoes and perfect veg. We also had the goats cheese salad and pork Belly for main, very good. Sadly...

It’s lovely to have the pub open again . The new owners have created a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The new tipee is particularly lovely and the garden looks fabulous. As for food, it is so much more flexible and walk-ins are possible . The Sunday...

We visited for lunch and were greeted by friendly staff and immediately shown to our table in the restaurant area. The menu was explained, recommendations were made and service was efficient. The food was beautiful. So fresh and delicious. Highly recommend! We then decided to go through to the bar area for a drink and the team were very accommodating. We would definitely return. Overall a brilliant service and exceptional food.

We honestly could not fault this pub. Lovely food, great atmosphere and the nicest, friendliest staff you could ever wish for. We had a wonderful evening and booked for the Sunday lunch to ensure we got in!

Perfect setting, amazing service, yummy grub and I think there may have been some indulgence in Shots. Would not have missed it for the world.

Came here twice whilst staying on holiday locally. Ate in the restaurant one night and pizza in the garden the other. Staff all friendly. Food was good - we had the cod, chickpea patties and the chicken burger followed by banoffee cheesecake. Reasonably priced. Would come here again if I were in the area.

We were visiting to remember the anniversary of our father's death. It doesn't need to be busy for the service to be slow. Given how bad the wifi is inside, giving staff ipads to process the orders doesn't seem too sensible. They didn't have any of the Cromer crab so I opted for the chickpea patties (note the plural) supposed to be served with lettuce and guacamole (and sweet potato fries). What I got was a burger with one small chickpea patty, a very thin smear of guacamole and a small pot of aforementioned fries. I noted that the lady on the next table had ordered the same, and she also expressed surprise that she received one patty slapped between two thick pieces of stodgy bread. I guess that what happened was they only had two patties left and split them between the two of us. £10 seemed a lot for it. The other lady said she enjoyed hers, I found it stodgy and not to my taste so I left the entire meal. My sister ordered the risotto and ate less than half of it; the rice was overcooked and stodgy and it was heavily under-seasoned, lacking any real mushroom, hardly any mushrooms in it, or any of the promised truffle flavour. Our new friend on the next table leaned over and said OMG I nearly ordered that I'm glad I didn't. The harried server was genial and polite and we were given 10% of each meal which was something but not ideal given we paid £50 and went home and cooked something to eat. Darby's used to be our 'go-to' with such cracking food but if I am certain of one thing that we will not be visiting again. Here's a shout out to anyone reading this - why is it so hard to find a good pub lunch around here??

I would genuinely love to give a good review, but several issues arised which just shouldn't happen at a lunch time when we the restaurant was so quite!1. Upon ordering we had to stand and wait whilst the member of staff had to inform the chef that we were a party of 6! Not very welcoming is it?! Especially when we were the first order of that day so not as though he's busy. I think th chef could do with a reality check!2. After waiting (with children!) for 45 minutes we were told that our order hadn't gone through due to WiFi issues. Strange considering the chev had been personally told 45 minutes ago that there was a party of 6?!3. When our order arrived we were missing a childs lunch. We all had to eat whilst a child had to patiently wait even longer for their meal4. When the child's meal did arrive it looked like it a child had prepared it.Now I know that things happen and am a very patient and understanding woman...but a little customer service can go a long way considering more than one issue! No offer of a courtesy drink whilst we waited or anything! Good points...food was ok and good park for the children.This experience has put myself and my friend who visited off from returning again and I sincerely hope the management read my review to improve. I just wanted a nice, easy lunch which to be honest, I can definitely get elsewhere.

We booked for family lunch with more than one family. We were told off when we arrived as apparently we were later than we had thought we had booked for ( our email said the time we had thought we booked for, however they insisted that we were wrong and I found myself apologising for a mix up.) Despite this our pre ordered food didn't arrive until 45mins after we got there anyway. We were the only people in the restaurant. We had several children but were not allowed to sit outside to eat next to the playground, even when my husband offered to bring all of the food out to the outside area as it was claimed that there weren't enough staff to take the food outside to the garden area. We were told that we couldn't order pudding because we were late. We asked for ice cream for the children, presumimg that this would not be too difficult to prepare, and they had to check check the chef first! Good food and great serving staff. But strangely unhelpful management. . . Who seemed reluctant to take more of our money for second courses...

Excellent "Seniors Lunch" - good value for money, friendly service. Hand cut chunky chips, peas cooked with butter and mint, generous slices of tasty ham, crispy batter on the fish...all served with a smile. Thankyou

Darby'sSwanton MorleyShame on you Darbys796396282Our party of four was booked in for a meal at Darbys yesterday evening. We were looking forward to it as we had not been there before. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at 6.50pm, to find a locked and deserted establishment. Darbys had taken our phone number when we booked. If they had been unable to open for some reason, WHY DID THEY NOT CALL US TO TELL US OUR BOOKING WAS CANCELLED? There was not even any notice up when we arrived to explain why they were closed..We will not be booking again. Bad form Darbys!

We visited this lovely pub on a lunchtime. We were greeted by the lovely Rachel who asked us to sign in and showed us through to the restaurant. We were given menus and offered some water for the table. We had some questions about the menu and Rachel was very knowledgeable and helpful, in fact we were only planning on having mains but she recommended the asparagus starter and made it sound so delicious we couldn’t resist, we also ended up having deserts which were once again lovely. She also knew lots about the wines and beers on offer which was great to hear. The food was delicious and so fresh and full of flavour. The service for us was outstanding. Rachel was so attentive and on hand to ensure we had a fantastic dining experience. Well done darbys on the superb food, great covid measures and more importantly the staff, Rachel really did make our dining experience one to remember. Keep up the great work!

We visited Darby's for Sunday lunch this weekend and what a treat!The roasts were delicious and hot with a variety of local vegetables.My risotto was one of the best that I have ever tasted and the other two dinners were superb too. Excellent value for money and we looked after very well by our waitress Chrissy. Good luck to Jane and Steve and team we will be back again in August when we visit the area again for a little holiday

Me and my 2 friends visited on a Thursday evening for our first night out since the lockdown ease. We had a drink in the garden before heading to our table, which was a great start to the evening. The pimms was very moreish! I had the crab tagliatelle, which was delicious, and judging by my friends plates they had an equally lovely meal. The staff were polite and friendly, and very helpful, even when dealing with more difficult customers. I fully recommend a visit, and will be back soon!

Lovely staff - rushed off their feet on the first warm sunny evening for weeks, but friendly, professional and working their hardest to keep everyone happy. We came in here for 2 nights ...... once to eat. The menu was tasty and seasonal - and freshly cooked. The drinks were very reasonably priced. We can recommend the house red wine and the Thundering Molly cider. There's a great playground for kids and a nice beer garden .... it's really well worth a visit. Thank you!

Visited here with my mum as our first meal out after lockdown and we really enjoyed the food. We ordered for the main menu as we love seafood and everything was cooked and presented beautifully. Our server was also very kind and knowledgeable about the food.The scallops, salmon, crab were delicious (and we are pretty fussy ;))The portions were perfect for us, however, when i come again and bring my husband i will probably advise him to pick from the bar menu or add some sides as he would want something more substantial to go with his beer. It's great that there is a good mix of fine dining and more traditional pub favourites to suit all.Lovely atmosphere for our first taste of freedom. Thank you.

Went for a lovely meal a number of weeks ago. I had a burger and it melted in your mouth. I’ve never tasted anything so good. I spoke with the chef and he cooked up a lovely meal for my children. Staff were spot on. Will definitely be coming back again soon. Thank you!!

Have to say I have been a customer of Darbys for over 20 years and have always loved the atmosphere, service and time spent there until now. The chef is probably one of the rudest people I have ever seen work in hospitality, he was incredibly rude and abusive towards one of the local regulars in front of the rest of the bar even telling him to jog on as he dared to question why his food was taking so long. Fair point as the pub was unusually quite for a Sunday lunch service. Other orders were not served complete with no veg being served. Darbys has always been a local family friendly pub with home comfort food with excellent friendly customer service.Having spoken with other long time regulars sadly no more. Over priced and poor service is now the norm apparently

Had Sunday dinner here on the 27th... Called at half 2 and was given a reservation for half 3 which was perfect for what we wanted. Had a lamb and a beef which came out very prettily presented with lots of veg and gravy. Beef was slightly odd and not quite what we expected but delicious nonetheless, lamb was thick cut healthy slices and was very reasonably priced for 2 roasts and 2pints each... £42. Well done! We'll be back very soon!

Just been for a meal out at this place that I haven't visited in years since moving away. The chefs, Tom and Kelsey did a fantastic job, my risotto was fantastic and so tasty and the Mrs was so pleased with her steak. Had a lovely pint of ale too, can't fault it. Will come again the next time we are down in Norfolk.

We recently visited here to have dinner but unfortunately we had to sit in the bar area to eat as we had a dog with us. I’m afraid with the new Covid rules it means that the door to outside is kept open at all times and all weathers. We experienced a very heavy rainstorm and it was cold. It certainly didn’t feel like a warm welcoming place and my partner kept her coat on whilst we eat. Be warned the new COVID menu is a bit limited. I chose to have the pie of the day and my partner had fish and chips. We both really enjoyed the food but unfortunately due to the whole experience of very hard seats in the bar area and wind and rain blowing in that spoilt the whole experience for us. This review might be slightly unfair as we are all now living in different times and it might have been very different a year ago.

Didn't have any problems with service as in last two reviews,we were asked which table we wanted and the chef came out to ask about the curry the wife chose. Found the food and the real ale from the Wolf brewery most enjoyable,maybe it was the walk from the campsite 1m away. It is a large pub with a separate restaurant and bar/dining area where the locals hang out gossoping. There is a nice garden area at the rear of the pub.

I know everyone is doing their best to cope with coronavirus - but to walk into a pub and be greeted with a sign, in block caps, stating that by entering this establishment you are forgoing your right to compensation if you get sick, to me that is not an inviting start! But still, we were hungry, and had booked, so took our table and read the menus whilst drinks were offered and credit due, they were promptly brought to our table. I chose puff pastry chicken pie, hubby chose the burger. I received a shortcrust steak pie - it was actually delicious, but that’s beside the point - I mentioned it when the waitress brought over the condiments, but she didn’t even apologise, just said, oh it changes every day. I then heard her tell someone behind the bar and heard the response that maybe they should change the menu, followed by ‘was she ok’, not - is the customer ok, or is the customer happy, I’m a ‘she’ and ‘was she ok’ - again, not particularly welcoming. So we ate our food - compliments to the chef, it was really lovely. Plates were cleared away and we were asked if we’d like to see the deserts menu, yes please we would. Waitress came back five minutes later with notes scribbled on a pad, apparently they have no desert menus, the poor lass appeared new, nervous and very quiet, could barely hear what was on offer. We declined, paid and left. It’s a shame the atmosphere is not more warm and welcoming, or the standard of service better, because the food deserves it!

We booked into Darby's for the last night of our holiday. The food we received was very nice and should be recommended. However, the customer service was appalling.We were told initially they had run out of wine and only had one kind left. About 10 minutes later we heard another table get read a full list of wines available. We ordered our food and it was taken to the wrong table. For further service we had to go to the bar and speak to people as nobody came back to the table. Another table, on asking about service were told they would have to sort themselves out as the staff were too busy. They were undoubtedly understaffed, but one member of staff appeared just to be folding napkins and didn't move to help when asked.We were going to order dessert, but decided to just to pay and leave as it was apparent no member of staff was coming to see us. Again, this was a shame as the food was very good. They clearly need more staff to run the bar and restaurant to match the service you are paying for.

we had dinner here with some friends a few weeks ago and had an absolutely gorgeous meal. the four of us had four different starters, mains and desserts and all of them were amazing. the service was very good and Mel who served us was fairly new to the job but did an excellent job and was very cheerful. not much in the way of negatives apart from a no steak knife, which wasn't needed as the steak cut like butter. looking forward to going back very soon

Absolutely fantastic evening and a very worthy foodie experience. The high standard quality of the food was equalled by the beautiful presentation and refined taste of each ingredient.We had perfectly cooked scallops and delicious dressed Cromer Crab, followed by a very inventive Pork belly and Turbot with clams and beurre blanc sauce. The raspberry and lemon posset was both deliciously tasty and light.In addition, the staff is friendly and professional making dinner a homely experience. The fact that they are very conscious about using as much local products as possible is admirable.Well done to the whole team and please carry on.

3 of us plus dog had been for a walk along the river and passed this on the way back to our car. It was lunchtime so decided to eat here for ease. I have eaten here for dinner on a few occasions over the years and was never overly impressed but hoped to get a sandwich or similar. I vaguely remembered that the pub had been closed for refurb and when I went in to order could see that it had been done up. I didn't know, until I read the reviews, that it was under new ownership though. The menu was limited but personally, I really don't think that's a problem if the food is fresh and well cooked. Two of us had the open fish finger sandwich which was really tasty, the other one had the brie and Cumberland sauce. I think the text on the menu for the brie sandwich was odd and probably mistyped but the sarnie was nice, if lacking in the sauce (more sauce please) I ordered extra fries but a small bowl of chunky chips arrived. The chips were fine but the portion a bit tight. Overall it was an enjoyable lunch and an improvement on my previous experience at Darbys. I will go back for dinner one evening. Good luck to the new team

Finally our village pub has got it right. Under new management , very well organised, polite and friendly. Food was absolutely delicious very well presented and reasonably priced. The whole pub has gone a little bit more up market just what the village needs. Well done Darbys

We ate at Darby's several times over the last week as we were staying at the campsite nearby. Delicious food, helpful staff and great service. We enquired about whether they could allow us to book for a group for Sunday lunch, and wow we didn't expect the amazing service we got! They not a=only allowed us to book for a group, they booked the garden for us, had an option ready in case it rained, arranged the garden for social distancing, sent menus in advance, catered specially for a vegan and for the children and were generally so helpful and friendly to our group. Special thanks to the chef Danny. We will be back the next time we are in the area

decent menu even though was obviously limited because of the 'lockdown thing', everyone enjoyed their meal although a medium rare steak was a little over done. very friendly staff, they would do well to keep hold of Mellissa the new young girl who was a little bit nervous to start with but very eager to learn and 'got the joke', she's obviously got some good people to learn from. would visit again.

Delicious food served by excellent staff. We were a group of 4 adults & 4 kids & 1 dog, the chef spoke to us a couple of times & couldn’t have been nicer, the waitress was very attentive, observant & helpful. Highly recommended.

As we were staying in Swanton Morley with our dog we decided to eat at Darbys as they are a dog friendly pub. First we went there at lunchtime. Although there was no lunch menu out the staff offered us sandwiches to be made and gave us a choice of fillings. Very yummy and did the job. Returned for evening meal and sat in the bar as dog obviously not allowed in restaurant. The menu online is not what they are offering. New owners recently and are having problems contacting previous owners to get website taken down. Although menu is fairly small there was enough variety to choose from. Risotto and burger ordered and arrived a few mins later. Very nice food, perfectly cooked. For pudding we had chocolate brownie. Delicious. Could’ve quite happily ordered another!! A couple of teething staffing issues but that didn’t detract from the experience

Had the most amazing dinner , the food was wonderful , having just re-opened under new management / new chef it was great . The bar staff were really good , the new owner Rachel made it even that much more special Well done to the New Darbys Team !! see you soon

Our builder recommended Darby's once it opened after a refurb and yesterday we decided to try it. WOW! There are many pubs serving mediocre food but this is definitely not one of them! My sister had the cheese and bacon burger which she declared one of the best she had ever had. A proper brioche bun, a great quality hand made burger, great cheese and tasty bacon. It came on a board with a huge pot of hand cut chips, coleslaw, pickles, salad and three massive onion rings. She polished off the lot. I had the pan fried salmon with brocolli and new potatoes with an aromatic cream and tarragon sauce. It was simply delicious and I almost licked the plate clean. My sister also declared the Eton Mess a success (where she found the space for it after that burger I don't know!) declaring the ice cream within it some of the best she's ever tasted. I had the cheese board which featured some excellent cheese, biscuits, celery, walnuts and pickle. What a delightful place, full of character, great food, lovely, friendly and very accommodating staff and we were so pleased we went on to book for this forthcoming Sunday for the Mothers Day lunch. I really hope this place gets busier as the sheer quality of the food and cooking of it, needs to stop being a local secret. Simply superb. Our new favourite local (we moved to Dereham recently). I ummed and ahhhed about posting this because the flip side might be that it becomes so popular we'll never get a table!

Had a very enjoyable meal with a large group of local people. Food was great as usual, all the staff are so friendly and welcoming. It's a shame that 2 ex members of staff turned up looking for trouble, complaining loudly about the food, upsetting staff and writing such a negative review about an amazing pub that continues to improve.

Mac Donald’s are better... Darby food raw... has no customer services. Went to darbys as paying customers and we was targeted by customers as to why we was there, our meal was ruined by a couple of customers who came to our table and ruined our evening, we then got up to leave before receiving our main meals, was made to pay the full bill and we have all been barred from darbys for complaining about the food. Bad management what a load of bull sh*t darbys has become

We dropped in today for a drink and a bite with the mother in law. A great decision!Lovely local pub with a nice atmosphere. Staff were great and service spot on. The food is reasonably simple, varied and very well cooked.Chicken burgers (cajun) usually disappoint.  This was well presented, tasty and spot on. The crayfish salad was spot on and the chips are superb!Well worth a visit.

We are a local family who have been in the village for over 10 years. The food is excellent under new management of a Henry & Naomi. Good service, friendly team and really good food - eaten twice there in as many weeks and very pleased both times. Portions are fantastic and children’s food a vast improvement.

Henry the chef and his lovely wife extend a warm welcome when you enter Darbys. Had a lovely steak and salad, well presented and very tasty. Will be back to see you soon. Jo and Steve x

My wife and I stopped in for a meal and a drink after hearing of new management. Was absolutely lovely. Food was tasty and well presented and staff were friendly and attentive. Highly recommended.

Darby is under new management ,just before Christmas x My husband and I have visited 3times over the holiday season x Great attentive staff , always greeted with a smile ,Food has been brilliant ,love the steak and mushrooms!. Just popping in for a drink ? and a few chips ?large bowl of chips ,chunky or skinny fries,£3 .Fantastic family pub x

Very clean and welcoming, with a roaring log fire. Haven't sampled the food here but I understand that it's under new management now.

We dined here recently, it is a nice setting with a large coal fire, we ate in the bar which was rather noisy, the food was OK.

A group of family and friends had a celebration meal, at this supurb venue. The food was supurb, the venue warm and friendly, the staff amazing. The menu was varied and by all accounts delisious. Would highly recommend for future events.

We arrived at Darbys when half way round a very long walk with our two dogs. It was 2.50pm and they stop serving food at 3 - we were a little concerned about the reception we might get arriving so close to end of service but we really needed some fuel for our onward journey! Our concerns were completely misplaced. We were met with a very warm welcome by Jane who provided treats for the dogs and could not have been more accommodating. We enjoyed hot freshly cooked tasty food to help us on our way. Jane was attentive without being overbearing and at no point did we feel rushed. We sat in the courtyard under the grape vine where fresh water was provided for the dogs and they even received a departure treat to help them on their way. Jane was a credit to the team and we had the chance to meet the boss and tell him before we left. If we are ever in Norfolk again we wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Not being biased as this is our local pub, over the last few months this place just gets better and better. Now has a lovely atmosphere, great management and staff. Food is fantastic and they really deserve to do well. Also tried their new concept of takeaway pizza this weekend and probably the best pizza we have ever had! All fresh and tasty. Well done team Darby’s keep up the great work.

The food is excellent , we enjoyed it so much on the Saturday 7th we went back on the Wednesday 11th for more!

Darby’s was recommended by a colleague that is a Dereham local. That is always a good starting point.I am struggling to understand the one star reviews for this place because the service was exceptional and the food was prompt and of high quality.It was burger night and the spicy bean burger was excellent and priced at a really good level with a first drink included.The service from Anna and Ziggy was top notch. Friendly and helpful service without being overbearing. Nothing was too much trouble.As a potential customer please be wary of the motives behind the one star reviews. These reviews are totally unfair to a business with a great product, superb staff and really good customer service.

I had a prawn and bacon linguine with garlic bread, I couldn't eat it all, there was so much of it. Absolutely beautiful. My partner had the beefburger, again there was plenty of it and he didn't eat half the bun, just too full. Wednesday special was burger and a pint for £9.95, great deal. Couldn't manage a dessert but the table next door did and they looked amazing. Looking forward to our next visit.

Had Sunday lunch, they offer two menus, a three course meal for £14.99 or a two course for £9.95, my wife and I had the two course, starter and main meal both courses were excellent, we had the roast beef lunch which was excellent, we also asked for some chicken for our dogs, which came out all cut up ready for them to eat. The staff are friendly and nothing is to much trouble. Highly recommend.

Well done darbys. Lovely lovely lunch today. Excellent food and service. Can’t wait to come back for dinner. Fabulous to see it back to how it used to be. But better! Great menus! And I loved the specials board. I could see that so much effort had been put in to the menus and the staff were so on the ball. Well done. 10 out of 10 x

Went to The Darby today for a drink and see what food was available on the normal boring menu...stop press whilst ordering the drinks the new Chef came over for a chat to tell us about a new menu and great ideas she has and I went all wobbly..New menu...new ideas, whatever next, checked out new menu, spoilt for choice and all at great prices...hmm I thought I cannot remember last time I had good food at good prices, normally one has to hive...but not at the Darby....we only wanted a snack so ordered the Prawns in Marie Sauce in a baguette and salted squid in bread crumbs.Oh wow, how can something so simple be turned into something special...the baguette was fresh and the Prawns juicy, the smooth was tangy but not over bearing let me some are...the dish was complimented but French Fries, beef tomato, Cucumber and mixed coloured lettice leafs Ina light balsamic vinegar.... absolutely delicious and all for £5.95...superb. As for the Salted Squid in Bread Crumbs...soft and delicate balanced with a slightly crunchie spiced breadcrumb...again with similar garish...absolute heaven...I was left full and happy... As Oliver said...it left me wanting more....well done Chef..well done Darby. Brilliant.

Just back from having a lovely meal at Darby’s. All four meals were expertly cooked, and of generous portions, clearly the new chef is working her magic! Service was good and there was a nice buzzy atmosphere, we’ll be back again very soon, especially now they have a small TV with Sky.

We first visited Darbys when it reopened around Christmas Time. Oh boy was it fantastic! The food was pricey but you didn't mind because the quality was up there.It quickly went downhill from there.The quality of the food deteriorated quickly. Orders came out wrong on more than one occasion that we visited. For some reason because it's our local pub we felt that we should keep giving it another chance. I'd say over the last half a year we've probably been 15/20 times and each time we leave feeling a little more dejected. The staff do try but I feel like they feel that they are fighting a losing battle.Today has been the worst experience yet. The service was actually fine. New staff, once again, but lovely nonetheless. The food however was pitiful. Really really disappointing, which was further compounded when, what we could only assume was the chef, came into the bar shouting and gesturing at the bar staff. It's simply just not what you expect from a pub that could have such potential.Would recommend the place for a drink, as I've already said the bar staff have always been friendly and pleasant.

As a vegeterian who wanted lunch I was disappointed with the limited veggie choices. The pub has a great atmosphere and good choices of ales.Prices to are on the high side

Visited a couple of times over the weekend really enjoyed the atmosphere and the staff are helpfully however the food needs improvement I ordered lasagne which when it came out was cold in the middle they happily took it away to make me a fresh one and gave me a free drink....when the new lasagne was brought out it was bubbling hot.if a good quality pub needs to microwave food surely it should not be on the menu even I could do that at home myself!not impressed with paying £12 for something they throw in the microwave.i would return but would ask if my meal is freshly cooked or just reheated from another day

We have been staying in a nearby B&B and this was the nearest pub (incidentally owned by the B&B landlords) so on a very rainy evening we had a meal here. The food was excellent pub type food and the four of us chose a variety of different meals. The order took a long time to come so we ate quite late, having booked for about 7.45, and the nice lass serving seemed to be rushing around on her own, with other bar staff chatting to bar customers. But with friends at the table, the timing didn’t matter too much. Food was plentiful which sadly eliminated the desire for a pud!

This pub and restaurant is set in the pretty village of Swanton Morley. We visited recently. The food was good. Served promptly by friendly helpful staff .

Possibly the worst pub I’ve eaten in. Ordered: crayfish, smoked salmon, avacado and sourdough toast and got a soggy prawn cocktail. Main was just as awful. Don’t recommend at all and won’t be revisiting.

Excellent meal here it is one of the best Restaurants in the area, and I can certainly recommend this to anyone wanting a good meal

Called in at Darby,s Saturday evening , for a drink , wasn,t sure if staying for a meal or not. Nice friendly welcome from chap behind bar, who asked us if we be dining there.We had a look at the fresh menu, and yes we decided to stay and eat .Chose homemade lasagne delicious, whilst hubby had the belly pork which he would deffiently have again!!! We even had homemade cheesecake for pudding. Really enjoyed our visit to Darbys and will visit often in the future.

Went in for a meal with my husband and 2 friends along with their 5 year old son. As soon as we entered the pub we were hit with an odd damp smell. We had rang and booked and when we told the bar staff member this she looked and couldn't find our booking so we were made to wait an extra 15 minutes before we could sit down despite us having rang ahead! We thought we would stick it out and chalk it up to new staff not really knowing what they're doing. We were sat in the bar which was fairly cold, no heating appeared to be on. When the waitress finally took our order she had to tell us that there were only 4 things on the menu available which we thought was a joke at first but we had driven almost 20 miles to be here so we chose lamb shank and beef pies and my friends son had just chips. The food was soggy and cold and when we complained about this the chef came and apologised and said he was having a terrible day! Not very professional but I digress... we didn't bother with dessert as the couple in the table next to us had got dessert and they had to send them back as well. I heard one of the men at the bar saying that there had been rats running all about the garden and that there were even rats on the pub roof!We didn't get any money off our meals which were very overpriced. We wont be returning which is a shame because when the previous owner ran it it was a great place to be. I don't know who runs it now but perhaps they should consider another career!

Went for lunch, been loads of times but not really recently.Looks like work has been done, changed a few things, all good there.Small menu which is a good thing, should mean food is fresh and well prepared.Main courses were ok, however the sweet was anything but. Suffice to say my Rhubarb crumble looked like a broth with a bit of crumble sprinkled on top - how can you get this wrong. Ditto the good lady's sweet a chocolaty thing was in such a small glass that the tea spoon she was given wouldn't reach the bottom. Should I have complained? I passed comment at the table and when I paid but that's not the point (they were good enough to deduct from the bill). Both are basic errors and as such either take off the menu or just a bit of thought with cutlery. Shame because it used to be good, next time Elsing Mermaid!!

I use this fine establishment as a pub rather that a Restaurant. I carries a fine range of cask ales and craft brews. A mecca for anyone who enjoys fine ale and beer. I have used the Restaurant on two occasions and enjoyed both meals, however they were a tad too expensive for my taste. The menu is ambitious and I would like to see a more traditional Pub Fayre.The interior has had extensive work carried out and it is a bright homely place with an excellent open fire.

We went back again with high hopes following the publised revamp, the interior looks much the same, the toilets are much better.The lunch menu was small: scampi and chips, fish and chips, burger and chips sort of thing. No specials board.Only one lady, very pleasant and friendly, serving the bar drinks, bar food and restaurant food.Despite there not being many covers, it took nearly an hour before the food arrived.All OK, burger buns a bit dry and some over toasted. The bill was reduced by £3 for this.All in all overpriced and disappointing. There are other pubs in the area which serve better food and a bigger choice at these prices.

First time back since the renovation, previous experiences were touch and go but had to give it another go post-renovation.Menu looked good and specials board had a good selection, chose Scampi from the Specials board so was expecting good things for £11.95 and for this pub staple to be a special it had to be good, right? oh dear chips where the lower standard of frozen fried (actually could have been oven cooked as dry and lifeless), bulk standard frozen scampi and peas, nothing special at all, disappointed. Weatherspoon quality with The Fox at Lyng prices. Such a shame. They need to go to other pubs locally to see whats on offer for quality and price and price accordingly.On a positive note the service was great.

Haven`t been back to this Pub for some time due to a previous bad experience. Recently visited to check out the new owners improvements. WOW...…..what a change ! Super friendly and attentive staff in nice surroundings with a good choice of Ales. The biggest change has taken place in the kitchen. We both had the Sea Bass off the specials board which was superb in every way. Cooked to perfection with a beautifully constructed and flavoured sauce, compliments to a talented young chef who has only just arrived, and long may he stay ! The only Downside was provided by a family with rather rowdy young children in a large group which spoiled the atmosphere for us, and notably some other diners, but will definitely be returning, as long as the chef remains in place !

Arrived with some friends and had a great evening with great food and service. Menu is very versatile and priced reasonably.

We had been told there were new owners so thought we would give it a go after avoiding for a couple of years. Sunday roast - awful, the worst ever. Meat was all fat, had our dog who ate that, parsnips were raw - not even the dog could eat those and, £13.50!!! Certainly won’t be going back.