Shambles Cafe Bar Bistro in North Norfolk

We loved our Sunday roasts of guineafowl, pork and prawns. The roasts are superb with all the trimmings. The crevettes are large, meaty and juicy. Friendly service too! Service charge is automatically added, but you could adjust.

Great Sunday Roast. Just had the tapas platter to share, awesome!! Greek night is fabulous too, also the Italian night is good to look out for.

I love Shambles and would love to spend more time there. The decor is cosy, the courtyard is perfect in the summer, and the music is great and not too loud. I look forward to my next visit.

The murder afternoon tea was a bit of a Shambles to start with, but the atmosphere and the actors were very good. Very inclusive. Just needs some tweaking regarding organising food and seating.

We booked Shambles for a 90th birthday celebration for 19 people. We had a lovely upstairs room all to ourselves, which had been laid out beautifully for us. We had pre-ordered from a good choice of starters, mains and desserts. Everything was delicious, lovely and hot and plenty of it. The staff were so attentive, nothing was too much trouble. We would definitely highly recommend Shambles.

We visited Shambles on a Sunday lunchtime for a celebratory family meal. The restaurant has a really lovely atmosphere - we sat upstairs in a very pleasant room. The food was delicious and the prices were extremely good for the high quality meals we had. The staff were friendly and attentive-nothing was too much trouble. They also let us take our own cake in, which was very much appreciated. Thank you to everyone at Shambles- we will certainly be visiting again soon.

Stopped off for a coffee with my mum, she said one of the best decaffeinated coffees she's had and she loved the gluten free lemon drizzle

We found the Shambles bistro by chance, and happy we did had very nice meal (sirloin steak) and the staff were very nice

I thought this place was living up to its name when we arrived. We’d booked online and I’m not sure we were expected, but things eventually improved. The food was good and imaginative, the service a little hit and miss to begin with but got better as what appeared to be a more senior fellow became involved. Overall worth a visit.

Super food and great service for a friend’s hen do. Staff were so friendly and really accommodating for a big group of us. Highly recommend.

Nice, busy little place. Food was good and the staff were very friendly. Seemed a bit rushed and the atmosphere could have been better.

What a quaint restaurant, the courtyard is very welcoming. Excellent food, highly recommended

Great atmosphere, good tea and delicious food. The staff are great too.

Popped in for a roast dinner on our holibobs. Roast dinner was lovely. Cooked well and very good portions. Staff were really friendly and the dogs were allowed in.

Lovely staff and helpful. We phoned for a last minute table for 10, unfortunately no availability. However a later time was available which actually suited us better and on arrival the same day table all ready for us. Now, importantly, the food: we covered much of the lunch menu between us and were all very happy. It was freshly made, tasty and fairly priced. Certainly if we lived nearby it would be a regular stop for our family and when in the area we will be back.

Tasty food and great service at a great price.

whilst the food was delicious that didn’t make up for the poor service. when we arrived our server Harry was very sarcastic and rude towards us as apparently we made the mistake of not specifying we didn’t want a table upstairs. i had never been to this establishment so i had no idea there was an upstairs ???? so i had no idea i would need to specify about not wanting a table upstairs. he was very argumentative with us when we asked politely to perhaps not have a table upstairs. this passive aggressive tone continues throughout the meal making it seem like we were being difficult or awkward when we asked for anything. when we went to order our food he huffed and asked us if we were going to put in a complicated order? which was just bizarre. trust me i have worked in hospitality and currently working in retail so i know how awkward customers can be. we were not being awkward! it’s a shame as the restaurant itself was lovely with cool decor and the food was delish. but i really think the staff make a place and this really dragged down our experience. we will be not returning unfortunately.

We love coming here for breakfast. It seems to have become our weekly Saturday treat. The kids love it here, and they cater to their fussy/unique tastes. The staff are friendly and helpful. The food is always spot on too! 10/10 from us!!

This was a great recommendation from our camp site. Great food, great service.

Excellent food, well presented, pleasant staff. Having to go to the counter to order for a larger party was irksome, but not a major issue.

Well what can I say apart from spot on amazing casual dining experience staff are casual but attentive and food is exceptional we will be back

I normally love Shambles go quite often for coffee & lunch now & again in the evening, went on Friday night with 4 friends for my Birthday, really disappointed with my meal I ordered lambTagine it was nothing like tagine no spices no sweetness just pieces of lamb in a brown gravy and I must have left at least 15 olives quite upset as had been really looking forward to it.My niece asked fo a glass of water there was something on the rim of the glass the young lad just brushed it off, should have said something but she just drank from the other side.Think it will be a while before I go again.

Loved the platter we had, everything om it was delicious.

A great Sunday lunch with service to match. An excellent guinea fowl roast with an amazing cauliflower cheese. Staff where friendly and professional. Portion size was generous. Good value.

Good meal but oddly very quiet. Service was super, and helpful but odd start to pride weekend.

We had a lovely meal here which was suitable for all the family. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly. The decor was fantastic and fitted well with their spec. There was a small seating area outside, suitable for drinks. This is a dog friendly establishment. A fabulous experience all round

I ordered ribeye medium but received almost burnt. Side Chips was not delicious. Not an expected taste from a steak/meat restaurant. Sorry.

Plats manquant d’assaisonnement à notre goût. Service sympathique mais lent.

Great family meal out. Food was so nice. Great atmosphere and ambience. Service was great. We will definitely be returning.

There’s nothing to not like here. Staff are friendly, the setting is perfect, lively courtyard out back. Rustic looking, cosy. Ideal for a first date! Lovely food. I’ve been meaning to come here since it opened, and now that I have - I’ll 100% be back again.

No Ambiance, We booked a table which was upstairs. We were then given the menu. This wasn’t the same as shown on their instagram page. I then asked if there was Cromer crab, tapas deals etc, to which they said yes these were available. After that I asked for the cocktail menu and after looking at this said I didn’t like the silly small cocktails in the martini glasses as they were priced at £8-£10 each so decided I’d have a glass of wine instead. I then read at the bottom that they were on the happy hour as we were there Saturday between 6 and 7 but no one mentioned this to us. Another 2 tables of families then arrived upstairs where we were. It was so quiet and no background music playing or anything so we were whispering to have a conversation. I then went downstairs to the bar and asked if someone could put some background music on as it was awful up there. I then got my dish, WOW what a SHAMBLES, funny that eh the name lol. I ordered Crab Linguine, it was full of chopped fresh mint leaves I spent 20 minutes trying to remove it, totally impossible all the crab was covered in it, Small portion would be an understatement Overkill with mint my eyes were watering needless to say I was still hungry when we left. My husband told them about all the mint and they took off the £5.50 service charge. So disappointed with all the great reviews WHAT AN ABSOLUTE SHAMBLES

Again we thoroughly enjoyed our evening at your restaurant. Very tasty food, well priced and served in delightful surroundings. Great location and good atmosphere.

We visited Shambles twice last week whilst on holiday in the area, once as a family group of 6 and once as a couple - we went back having enjoyed our first visit. It’s a great place, with friendly and hardworking staff and super food. Everything we had on two visits was lovely, with the lamb fillet starter and crevettes main standing out. But don’t miss the garlic bread with mozzarella and oregano - it’s unbelievably good, and worth a visit on its own! Great value, too.

Perfect afternoon/evening. Very friendly staff and very good food. Have been many times and always the same.👍

5 stars,great food,great service well worth a visit.

Stopped here on our trip around Norfolk and wasn't disappointed. The café was fairly busy but still had a nice chilled vibe. The breakfast menu had a good choice and prices were reasonable for the area. Ordered with ease and food was served in a very reasonable time from polite and friendly staff. The food was of excellent quality - well prepared, hot and tasty. Pot of tea was great and served at least 3 good cups. Really enjoyed the experience and food - I would defiantly recommend

Lovely establishment, fabulous service. We had a platter for 2, and a lovely bottle of wine, which was more than enough for 2 people. The baked feta was my favourite (although everything was perfect). The food is locally sourced and of high quality, which you can tell. I've heard great things about shambles, but this was my first visit. It certainly will not be my last.

The bauillbaisse tasted absolutely amazing. In fact all the food was totally delicious! Highly recommend.

Weird vibe, really loud but empty? We were waiting to be serviced for so long that we had to leave before ordering

Fantastic afternoon with my wife Fantastic food and service

Very good evening staff very helpful and friendly

Lovely establishment. Bartender named Henry made an amazing cocktail for me. Great customer service, scenery and music. 10/10 will come again

Lovely food and very friendly staff

Delightful converted fisherman’s cottage in the Lanes run by Honest Abe and his Bohemian colleague from Queens New York. Varied and interesting menu well prepared and very tasty. Ambience is very comfortable with linen table cloths and candles,but OH! Get rid of the paper napkins.! A “cracking” good dinner Thanks,we will be back Steve

Very relaxed, good food and service.

Just 1st class, great place, staff, food & drink, perfect. Nice chilled atmosphere, recommended.

Mediocre at best, food was very average, stuck upstairs in room with no ambience, how this got on the list of best restaurants in Brighton I don't know!!!

Lovely, relaxed atmosphere and great food. Staff was friendly and helpful. There's no parking at the bistro, but a pay & display car park is within a 10 min walk.

Lovely little place with good food and a pleasant atmosphere.

Good food and service, excellent location! I’ll be back for sure

Friendly welcoming atmosphere. Great Sunday roast

A very cozy, boutique and sophisticated set-up. Fhe service was very attentive. The food - delicious! Just a few improvements are needed, to make this a real top-notch place; for the type of standard it offers with the price we pay, I would expect some bread on the table and water. Also, possibly with the food - a little more work to be put in. My casserole was more a soup, with nothing else presented with it. It is very awkward and difficult to elegantly eat large prawns thrown in a messy soup splashing everywhere. Some extra considerations like that would go a long way. The presentation needs work. The pasta and chicken is very bland. Other than that it is fabulous.

Friendly and quick service, nice mix of Italian and UK food. Good wine list and range of cocktails. Child friendly too.

We had the best Sunday roast here on Easter Sunday. Everything was delicious and with very generous portion sizes.

Great service, tasty food!!.. what more could you ask for??

Super fun cafe that also serves food at night as well as alcoholic drinks. Looks like a lovely spot for breakfast/ cake and a coffee too but we visited in the evening. We booked ahead in case but small tables could easily just turn up. Tapas board is a MUST. So good! Also dog friendly which was a huge bonus

Friendly staff, had 3 courses all delicious

Welcoming, excellent service and the food was very good too.

Great atmosphere and food was good. Great value for money.

Very nice , atmosphere was pleasant and the food was nice if, however, need some seasoning.

North Walsham's best coffee shop imo. Brilliant breakfast menu with vegetarian and vegan options as well as meat. My veggie breakfast was so big I had to pass what I couldn't eat to my partner. Be warned...you need to be really hungry to finish it. Lovely chilled decor, with kelim cushions, big old refectory tables, real flowers in shabby chic jugs on the tables. Conservatory and courtyard tables. Dogs allowed. Laid back music in background. Staff are very friendly. Love ❤️ this cafe bar bistro.

Fantastic food and great service the staff were very attentive and very friendly and helpful the meal we had was cooked just right and full of flavour it’s quite a busy little restaurant which is great to see we would definitely eat there again the only criticism I can give is that it’s a very warm place being a small venue and how busy it gets the body heat from everyone is quite apparent but I would definitely recommend this little gem of a restaurant to everyone.

Food was mostly excellent … really superb steak … but the desert (tiramisu) was a bit of a let down

Honestly one of the nicest small places I've eaten in Me and my wife had the starter platter and it was delightful I highly recommend the lamb as it was sensational. When I come back to that part of the country I will certainly be booking a table here again

Disappointed Staff were disinterested not at all welcoming Our overpriced flat white coffees took some time to arrive in their small cup without saucer When they did arrive the waitress when asked if the table could be cleared before the coffee could be put down she proceeded to put them down on the dirty table and proceeded to clear and clean around them

Pleasant spot for coffee and cake. Staff very friendly.

We had a brilliant brunch. Delicious food, well presented. Great coffee. Delicious cake (that we had as takeaway). Really friendly people and super dog friendly. We loved it!

So lovely. We had dinner on a Saturday evening at 5pm before watching a show. We don’t live in Brighton but wish we did after eating here. We didn’t know what to expect but the decor and ambience was gorgeous. Whether it was a candle or an air freshener, it smelt amazing also! The service was lovely and very attentive without being pushy and the food was unreal. A lovely restaurant for a date like us and on the next table was a group of girlfriends having a catch up who were also having a lovely time.

There was a very noisy group of people celebrating a birthday. So we couldn’t hear each other as it’s a very small space. Service was great, food was disappointing. Also, they put 15% extra on your bill which I thought was a bit excessive. Overall wouldn’t return

Excellent service with plenty of variety on the menu.

Valentine's night. Delicious shared platter and good wine, all at a reasonable price. The staff welcoming, fun and professional. The restaurant itself was well decorated for such an evening, with attractive lighting, all in all, a really enjoyable and relaxing experience.

Family meal out and the food was excellent. Pizza, burgers and monkfish were all really tasty and satisfied us all. We were on a wonky table but it seemed to fit in with the rustic type lamps and surroundings! Would definitely come again.

Had a great time. Staff were very accommodating and the food was unreal. Would come again

Tasty food, friendly servers, cosy atmosphere! Will be back!!

Lovely staff and good atmosphere. Steaks and desserts were delicious.

Lovely cafe with a great selection of food with brilliant quality and service to match.

Great place! We went with our dog and he was made very welcome. The atmosphere was great with lovely decor. The sharing platter was a beast, delicious and massive!

We had a lovely time dining here. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. The ambience was relaxed and warm and the food was delicious and plentiful!

We are regulars at Il Bistro. Great food and service. That’s why we keep returning. Beats larger chains every time. Individual service counts a lot. Superior to being treated like a number. Keep going. We’ll be back.

Amazing steak, wine and cocktails. They had a large group downstairs so we were put in a quieter room upstairs with only 3 tables so good for a date night with wine but was a bit awkward to begin with. We got a free shot of limonchello from voting online for the restaurant for an award they were up for.

We came here after finding this bistro on google search and what a great find. We had 4 small plate sharing platter. The food was just lovely. There was so much that I’m sure it could have gone round three people. We had two alcoholic drinks with it and the bill came to around £60. Can highly recommend

Beautiful birthday afternoon tea for our daughter, Had alovely time,highly recommend,friendly staff,great service & food.Will Cater for all your special dietary requirements Thank you guys!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such a cute spot. Service was great, food was delicious. Definitely coming back ♥️

What a wonderful place!! Warm and cosy, very dog (and human!) friendly. Good selection of food and drink and cheerful service.

Our delayed New Year celebration at Il Bistro was superb, as ever. Abe, the patron, was super attentive and professional. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food and wine presented and cooked perfectly. The whole experience was an oasis of calm in a world of madness. We’ll be back.

Perfect New Years Eve! I visited with my husband and 18 year old daughter on NYE. We were staying in North Walsham at a cottage for the new year. We had a deciduous meal. I had the Norfolk ham and mashed potato’s, my husband and daughter had the beef roast. All the meals were delusions. The meat on all meals was divine, such great quality. The cauliflower cheese was also exceptional, we all commented that we have never had cauliflower cheese from a restaurant that tasted this good. It’s a home cooked family fav so this is a bigger compliment. The service was excellent. So friendly and welcoming. Thank you. Would highly recommend.

We really enjoyed our family night out at Shambles. Food was great, service was charming and competent, bill was good value.

Four of us for lunch and we enjoyed three chicken club and a steak and blue cheese sandwich. White wine and some soft drinks. All very good. Staff efficient and friendly, as ever.

Nice lunch after food shopping for New Year's Eve party. Greek burger was nice, but a bit dry, could do with some tzatziki

Great service, very tasty food . Steak especially delicious

Lunch there on a weekend away. Food was great, service was helpful and just right Will definitely visit again and recommend.

The perfect meal out - food was amazing, service brilliant and there was a lovely ambiance about the place, our family of 4 thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I would highly recommend. (Two adults, an 11 & a 14 year old)

Cracking cocktails in the upstairs lounge bar. Such a nice surprise to find in North Walsham. Well worth a visit

We came for our Christmas party and everything from the service, food, staff and drinks were all excellent. Such a friendly and warm atmosphere. Can’t wait for our next visit

Went for our company Christmas Meal on Friday 15th December 2023. Food was excellent and atmosphere was perfect. All staff were very kind and polite and the service couldn't be faulted. The Manager Julie looked after us from the moment we enquired right through to the end of the meal. Couldn't recommend the place enough. From all at Ladbrook Mfg Ltd. :)

Brought some family here for lunch on Thursday and as usual, it was superb. There was a lovely festive buzz about the place and it was clear that they were rushed off their feet serving a few other large partys. The service didn't falter one bit. A couple of us had the chicken and ham pie....they couldn't have packed any more filling in if they'd tried. Packed with chicken breast and delicious ham, the pie was absolutely superb. All the other meals were equally excellent although we did glance jealously at the Christmas roasts coming out of the kitchen. We absolutely love the Shambles and it's become a firm favourite.

What a find!! We were a group of six on a busy pre Christmas Saturday lunch and were lucky enough to get a table. There was a wide ranging menu and all at very reasonable prices. Staff were lovely, very knowledgeable on their menu and wine list. Food was delicious but sadly we had no room left for puddings. Which also looked delicious!! Will definitely be back and not just for the pudding!!

Had utterly delicious tapas here for an evening meal. The service was excellent, the food was outstanding. We shared the tapas board for 2 + 3 extra tapas dishes between 4 adults and a child. It was totally delicious and worth it.

The food was amazing and the service was excellent. Really nice touch with the baked apple to go with the pork! Really friendly and very helpful staff. Would definitely go back and would also recommend!

We have eaten here before and once again Il Bistro didn’t fail to meet all expectations. The atmosphere is great, the food is brilliant and Abe and his team are so welcoming and pleasant you couldn’t ask for more. Definitely will be visiting again next time we are in Brighton.