The Ancient Mariner Inn in King's Lynn and West Norfolk

A group of friends we went as a gathering as a meet up for Christmas. We each had a menu, I asked if there was another menu and the server said they were both the same! We all ordered and were brought our meals and enjoyed our drinks. On leaving I noticed a further festive menu on the counter and we asked about this the server said she had given us one! but she hadn't, we would have loved the festive choices. So was very disappointed. The pasty was also disappointing the pastry was really difficult to bite into and quite tasteless so was a big letdown. This is one of our locals so we hope things improve next time. We also had to ask for a further discount voucher which should have been offered when we paid the bill.

Food wasn’t great, very overpriced. Service was average at best! Had to ask twice for them to bring my daughters birthday cake out and we were the only people there so it wasn’t as though they were busy!! When I booked I was lead to believe that it would be very busy - absolutely zero atmosphere, no one else there 😲

Just wanted to say what lovely food we had at The Mariners last night. We got a lovely warm reception from the staff, which is always nice to have. It was very busy, with a great buzzy atmosphere, got our great food within 15 minutes of ordering. We had Scampi & Chips, Gammon & Chips, & Steak Pie & Chips, all delicious, good portions of good home cooked pub food... Empty plates which is always a good sign! The staff were all really friendly, helpful, thankyou for a lovely night, see you soon...😊

Nice place on the front over looking the sea. Lovely outside area, inside I thought was a bit 'hungry horse' or 'brewers fayre' compared to outside. Food was basic for what the location is. Can do so much better on that front. Staff were friendly, prices ok, location great...parking horrible...literally nowhere to park so get ready to walk to get there!

First time here. We came on a Sunday when there Emergency services day event was on at the beach/lifeboat station so we thought it would be busy but it wasn’t too busy. Staff were friendly and food was very good even though. we were quite a large group. We came first my father in laws birthday and the staff were very nice and helpful with the cake we hid. Loved the garden with the sea view!

Lovely staff. Delicious food. Would definitely recommend. We had breakfast on the first day of our holiday and lunch on the second.

Please get some staff working .. poor service at 12.15pm.. queues for drinks and food !! Crazy … surely you would no you would be busy

On arrival, having pre-booked a table were told no trace of the booking. Advised “you can have a table over there” were given menus and left to sort ourselves out. Bar staff seemed disinterested in serving. When food came portions were adequate but of poor quality. Doubt if meat/produce was sourced locally, meat may not even have been British? Gammon extremely salty. Understand this business has recently changed ownership, just hope the new owners can get it sorted! Ideal location with views over the sea.

It was busy, but plenty of room. To find a table. Food was quick not too long to wait, but food was nice, not bad value for money, puds bit over priced for what you get but tasty. Staff were nice enough. You can take dogs in to this pub, but they didn't seem to be a problem.

Sat outside and had our meal, the chicken my mum had was so dry it was inedible, we complained, but we didn't even get a sorry, we live in Hunstanton but wont be going again.

Great location and view. Menu very dated, furnishing and decor pretty run down and food average for three of us and one of meals was inedible (and cost was refunded). I don’t expect to fetch my own cutlery when I’m paying £23 for a plate of food. Definitely would avoid.

Most eating places now are fully aware of food allergies and catering for people who can not eat gluten. Unfortunately your menu is very limited and really does not cater for people like me. My husband and son had a meal but really all I could have was chips.

Food very average just pub food, prices 2 fish and chips one pint of beer and a black coffee £39 50p, the staff were lovely though this place has gone downhill.

Food was ok, but nothing special. We had a voucher that gave us 25% off food so that made it very reasonable price wise. Service at the bar was very slow which wasn't helped by that intermittent errors with the tills. After ordering (and the till momentarily working) I paid using my card. Thankfully I asked for the receipt as after returning to my seat a rather rude lady approached me and demanded I return to the bar to pay for the food I had ordered. I explained I had paid and showed my receipt but she still insisted I return to the bar. I did return to the bar and the barman looked and confirmed that I had paid, it wasn't me that needed to come back to the bar! No apology, nothing other than she pushed past me using her elbow in my chest. When the food arrived, it was ok but the service certainly left a bitter taste.

Some other pubs were full for Sunday lunch but there was plenty of space at the Mariner. We found the food and service very good and it's right next to the beach for a walk and dog friendly. Everyone in our party was very happy.

Arrived on a cold Monday Afternoon to a fantastic welcome by Kate behind the Bar who had not been working here very long. Nice Pint of cold Lager and a glass of Wine along with great friendly and attentive service by Kate! Look forward to the Summer. Simon Claire and Grace the Dog!!

Ordered food (a burger and a lasagna) it literally came within 5mins so clearly pre-made and reheated in microwave. Burger looked and tasted like one you'd buy at a fun fair greasy mobile chip wagon. Tried our luck on desserts (a waffle and apple crumble with custard.) The apple crumble was cold. Took it back to the bar who said we'd receive a replacement (no apology.) 'Replacement' arrived instantly only to be the first one that had obviously been bunged into a microwave and then returned to me (with a glorious skin on the custard.) Another trip to the bar with the bowl and insisted on a refund. The woman did not seem particularly bothered and offered a half hearted apology whilst giving me my refund. All staff were pretty scruffy in appearance and barely spoke and lacked any kind of enthusiasm. Very dissatisfied and would NOT recommend!

During the week there is always plenty of tables available. The food is great especially the gammon and the fish pie. The 5 of us all enjoy coming here and will always return

Super family lunch in this often maligned pub. Fine dining it isn’t, but log fire, good beer and a surprisingly good roast beef lunch made our day. Staff were great, friendly and helpful and the food was generous and piping hot and the best Yorkshire puds we’ve had in a pub. We followed with jam sponge and custard, whilst the children had complimentary ice creams. We like and regularly eat at the posher coast pubs but this really hit the spot today as comforting, unpretentious and good value. Well done to the staff!!

Lovely views over the sea, but very much a budget family restaurant. Ordered at bar and our order was lost. 30 mins later had to chase. Once it arrived some 50 mins after ordering the food was good. Didn't stay for dessert as wait was too long. Very noisy, lots of young children. Staff friendly. Probably wouldn't go back even though the views were lovely unless it was a nice day to sit outside and for a drink only.

Not overpriced as many restaurants are in west Norfolk. Good choice of dishes, friendly and efficient people. We return often.

Beautiful spot overlooking Hunstanton beach. Outstanding waitress service, friendly, engaging, prompt everything you wish for. Food excellent too. We made a beeline for it after returning to Norfolk after 3 years. Highly recommend.

We all had a lovely meal here. Service was exceptionally good. Good priced drinks. Would highly recommend this place.

We booked here for food for about 45ish people for our wedding renewal, not only where all the staff super friendly and accommodating but the did truly make our day that extra special, we had fish and chips for all the adults and chicken nuggets for all the little ones and one veggie lasagna for my fussy vegetarian mum. EVERYONE commented on how delicious the food was and how hot and quick it all came out as serving 45 people in one go can’t be easy, as I mentioned my mum is a very fussy vegetarian and she could not stop raving about the lasagna. I honestly can’t recommend this place enough, they are friendly, amazing and went above and beyond our day finished amazingly because of the wonderful food and staff here.

Can't believe some of the negative reviews after we'd had such a positive experience. We arrived on a very wet and windy evening to be met with friendly staff who accomodated us for a meal despite many tables being reserved. The service was fantastic and the food was excellent - not cheap but worthy of the quality - we'd had some very moderate food at similar prices elsewhere so were very pleased when we had a quality meal. The views were spectacular despite the weather and I would expect a short stay there would be very nice. Despite what I've read, we cann only say our experience was very good and we'd recommend it without hesitation.

Disgusting overpriced sandwiches, only saving grace was the pint of ale and bottled lager. Service was slow, the barman was useless; had to read the bottle to see if it was lager, short poured the pint. Not worth the effort of visiting!

We popped into this place for lunch after a lovely morning on the beach. We each had a prawn sandwich which came with salad and crisps. The salad was unwashed, covered in grit and was inedible, prawns were bland and watery and bread so tiny we did think we should have popped to Tesco for a meal deal. This pub needs bringing into the 21st century it’s quite tired too. I had high hopes as other establishments like Eric’s fish and chips, the white horse, briarfields and Titchwell manor all on this coastal road all have outstanding seafood, service, ambiance and character. Sadly we won’t be back and we are locals which is so disappointing.

Good food & service , the staff were very friendly & helpful plus lovely views both from in & outside great place will definitely go again

Nice food. Unfortunately the waitress wouldn’t help an elderly couple that had mobility issues with ordering a meal . My wife then ordered there meal for them. Good service doesn’t cost anything.

We have been to The Mariners (or The Ancient Mariner as it used to be called) many times, being Norfolk residents. Then we really enjoyed the food. When we went recently we ordered the prawn sandwiches. What came was very disappointing. Two thin slices of sliced supermarket-style bread with a minimum of small prawns a scrawny salad, and the cheapest possible crisps. I would say it was cheap and nasty, but at £9 each this was appalling. On the positive side the staff were friendly and helpful. We will not be returning any time soon; we are relieved we didn't take friends new to Norfolk.

We are local, know they charge in summer for parking due to beach use thought refund in the pub on purchasing. What we didn't realise was that even if you do not want anything to do with beach or to be there for long just go into pub for refreshments if it comes to less than £10 tough you pay a £10 parking fee PLUS WHAT IT COSTS FOR DRINKS!!! We don't eat there as food very average your better off at the chippie. Lodge down the road has fee parking for customers (&better food)

Sat overlooking the sea on a glorious sunny day and enjoyed a great lunch from the specials. Plaice and chips and a fantastic salmon and prawn salad with buttered new potatoes great value for money. The lady that served us was lovely, friendly and as it happens was originally from Rugby which is close to us. Sorry didn't get her name.

Great location for a drink or a meal overlooking the sea. Some reports mention unfriendly staff or poor meals but we found the staff to be friendly and the meals although mainly standard pub grub were fine for us. We had the Caesar salad and the vege burger which were fine and the pub was great for real ale. The prices are not cheap but as expected for the location

Beautiful day with a perfect lunch today , the garlic prawns were delicious and well worth the price , ample portions. Seating with great views across the beach . Pay to park but it's deducted from your bill so not a problem. Recommend a visit if you're in the area and the beach goes on for miles .

We had dinner here, nice setting with views out to sea. Service was ok, nothing to shout about, food was served hot, the quality and presentation was ok. Pretty average meal, not bad, just average.

I ordered scampi which came out in minutes of me sitting down. It was overcooked to as were the chips. Both crunchy and greasy and no flavour. Definitely overpriced for a very poor meal.

The food is excellent good value and plenty of it, the beers great and location the best. Service wonderful dog gets a drink first

We are in our 70’s and have NEVER been served anything as revolting looking. Ordered the Chilli, rice and garlic bread….it arrived in just a few mins. The garlic bread was ok, but the ‘chilli’ didn’t taste of chilli and looked like slushy soup…meat had...

Service was good. However, main courses were not very good- in particular the chicken caesar salad, the chicken was very cold and not freshly cooked at all. However, the desserts were excellent, in particular the cheesecakes.

We visited The Mariners for an evening meal a few days ago and it was great! We had a sea view in the restaurant side, and the two girls serving us were friendly and attentive. The meal portions were large and priced well with consideration...

This is a great spot for a family gathering or a small place to drink. The food is reasonably priced for the amount of food you get Recommend to anyone who visits the area

E visited this restaurant recently with family and it was very expensive and the portion size was not great. Asked to sit in the restaurant and we were refused as being busy all night. There must have been at least 10 tables free. The quickly...

Had lovely lunch with my wife staff were great going to come back again with friends and family xxx

Very disappointing Sunday lunch ! … young lady who I’m guessing was incharge of the eating area had no personality no customer service skills .. we ordered our wine and meal wine came nearly chucked onto the table we opened our bottle of wine and...

Stopped off here for lunch after arriving in Norfolk and I think it's probably one of the worst lunches I've ever eaten. Sandwiches priced at £9.00 which came with crisps and salad. For that price I'd at least expect chips - one of my biggest...

We love a visit to the beach and often frequent this establishment. Its great all year round, parking for the beach (small charge) and we can take the dogs in too, so a win/win for us!

The restaurant is in a beautiful setting and the menu is pretty varied. Visited many times however on this occasion we had to sit in the bar to eat, we were surrounded by young very noisy children. Parents seemed oblivious until they were leaving whereby...

We have been here a few times in the past for family meals and it’s always been a pleasant experience. However it took me multiple calls over a few days to actually book. When you call and push the number for the restaurant you end...

Not a great experience. Staff looked very busy and fed up. My salad came with a huge dollop of mayonnaise and a few shrimps which looked like any you would buy from a freezer in a supermarket. My crayfish were missing from salad which when...

Great setting plus Good service & food we went there years ago & it was good but its improved on both the food and ambiance.

We ate here twice. Outside with the beautiful view for a lovely sandwich. Not cheap but very good food. Second visit was for dinner in the restaurant and again we were very happy with our food. Megan was a fantastic waitress and really made the...

We visited on Tuesday lunch time,after walking from Holme next the sea. This pub is a gem of a place with lovely sea views from the dining patio. We ordered the butcher’s sausage sandwich and BBQ chips. Both arrived within 5 minutes and were of...

Nice pub, food was excellent, staff were very friendly, and the facilities are very clean. Very welcoming. Book in advance if you can, it gets very busy. Indoor seating and outside.

Staying in hotel and after a busy day, didn't want to go too far so decided on Mariners. Phoned reception to book a table in the dog free area and was told none available. However phoned 10 mins later and said there was a table....

We have been here many times and never had a problem, like it especially as they do not let dogs in carpeted areas which we like. Notice as you enter says no dogs in family or carpeted areas. We ordered our meal in the family...

Very pretty building with gorgeous views over the sea. Staff were friendly. The beef roast lunch option was good and pretty generous portions. The shrimp was excellent with generous portions and an excellent salad. Vegan chili was a bit sparse, would have benefitted from a...

Firstly we didn't eat there. We went and had a drink outside on the only sunny evening we had. The setting is superb and one staff member was very chatty and brought our dog some treats. The only issue we had was the young lady...

Not good. I had the steak and ale pie. I asked if there were onions in it, no the waitress said. It arrived contained onions and about 4 -5 small pieces of meat, a thick gravy and thick crust. (Find the meat quizz) I did...

Stopped here for lunch as looked reasonable vegan choices but the presentation was lazy…tablespoon of salad and quorn fillets thrown in a roll. Wrong order arrived which was veg curry instead of five bean chilli, we didn’t bother to send it back as wanted to...

Beautiful location with lovely sea views from the restaurant. The staff were friendly and the food delicious. Will definitely return when we come back on holiday.

No more.. 2 Pints 2 sandwiches.. just under £30… come on.. that’s it for us.. Cheese & Pickle..few crisps.. few leaves.. £9.00. It’s not Harrods. We live local but will make alternative arrangements next time

Four vegans in our party and a few options on the menu which was promising. However, the vegan fish and chips and the vegan chicken burger proved to be exactly the same deep fried piece of quorn- tasteless and expensive.

Young staff doing their best to serve when very busy. Food: was prawn & crayfish salad with new potatoes. Meal arrived promptly served by a smiling server. Salad consisted of small prawns as you may by in freezer at supermarket with a huge serving of...

In the many reviews I’ve done it’s very rare I only go for 1 out of 5. We made the mistake of not checking TripAdvisor beforehand. On arrival the place has a feeling of a 80s working man’s club. Old furniture with a dated decor....

Terrible service. Slow and staff just stood around chatting. Waitress never smiled or really spoke to us. Food was basic but not at a basic price. Wine list was poor with choice and highly inflated charge for supermarket bottles offered. Wine served to us was...

Had evening meal two nights on the trot. Food excellent on both evenings. Made to feel very welcome and nothing to much trouble for the waitress serving us.

Some of our starters did not arrive and staff had to be reminded. Three vegan meals were all very bad and one vegan burger and vegan fish and chips were mixed up and the “fish” served as the burger and vice versa. One main course...

We were spending a few days in Norfolk and pulled into this pub for a cuppa enrout to our hotel. We have stopped off here before. Our order was taken and we were told to sit by the lovely open fire! What a lovely welcome....

Cannot fault the food , and views great but the manager was very unfriendly and needed lessons in customer service , we may have caught her on a bad day but she really had no manners at all

Seven adults, one toddler and four dogs for Friday lunch - we hadn’t booked but that wasn’t a problem. Service excellent both at the bar (Daisy?) and from our waitress. Plenty of choice on the menu and at the bar - we all enjoyed our...

Called in as usual when we stay at Le Strange Hotel. What a disappointment; the place was deserted, cold, no fire lit? Really no reason to stay at all... We had a walk to The Lodge round the corner which was a delight... Nice staff,...

We popped in here for a midweek meal and could not have been more disappointed. The main bar area had a strange off putting smell but the bar restaurant area was fine. So we looked at the menu and both chose the beer battered fish....

Great cosy pub that welcomed our dog with open arms…. and a few treats too. Great location. Food was delicious too. Would 100% recommend

We visited this place for Sunday lunch with our 2 children,we all had roast beef and it was the worst roast I’ve probably ever had,even our 5 year old boy said he didn’t like it!! Told the manager and he agreed to knock all the...

Popped in for an early evening drink. Range of beer was fair but perhaps over dominated by Adnams when I was there, but I did have a perfectly good pint of Broadside. Found the general atmosphere,, in the area I was sitting in near the...

We always ‘go up the mariner ‘ when in Hunstanton ; you know what your getting; a lovely sunset if eating outside or a cosy old fashioned pub inside. Coke came out quickly and drinks were served with a smile. Tania was very helpful with...

Very ordinary pub menu. You order at the bar and bring out your own drinks. They could do with a few more staff on duty at dinner time for ordering at the bar and more importantly, for clearing and washing tables. It’s all a bit...

Evening meal pre booked 3 families. We were warned that they were short staffed and to be fair they managed quite well. The decor was surprisingly bad (for such a lovely building) very dated. The food was OK pub grub, good choice for everyone and...

Called in for an evening meal and got seated in the restaurant despite no booking , opted for the prawn and crayfish salad . Arrived promptly and very impressed my co diner had the chili but didn't find it hot enough and disappointed that no...

Ordered two vegetable lasagnes and one Manhatten chicken. The Manhatten chicken was just about average, but the vegetable lasagnes were not good. Where were the vegetables we asked? Found about 8 pieces of squashed diced carrot and some bits of green mush in mine and...

Great place to eat in the sunshine, great views, food is really tasty, served piping hot very quick service even though a very busy day, in the heat, staff were very happy to help. A realy lovely place to relax with a cold beer or...

Not a bad restaurant, food pretty good, priced about right. Fabulous location. Let down by lack of staff. I don’t like pubs where you have order food at the bar at the best of times but with so few staff queue was often 10 deep,...

Positives were - Food was good, service was quick. Negatives were - Dirty tables outside, overran by wasps outside, overpriced. Prawn and Crayfish salad was £14 which was lovely but for the amount served totally overpriced, as was the vegetable lasagne at £13. It was...

Great value for money food., pleasant service. Nice setting, only thing that stopped it having five stars was the toilets. Need to inspect them on a regular basis if only to top up the soap dispensers!

We were a party of 3 and had pre booked our table. On arrival we were told where our table was but it was only set up for 2. Bar staff didn't seem to know what they were doing. Went to the bar to order...

Lovely food and great service, I really enjoyed my scampi. I am sorry my mother did not feel able to eat, she was in a bad space with a tummy upset, I think brought on by the huge drive from Oxford.

We had a lovely lunchtime in this beautiful setting plenty of outdoor seating. We had a lovely evening meal and will be going back again tonight

I chose the sit down restaurant with table service at The Mariner. (They have three dining areas- Outside on the patio, Pub, and Restaurant with table service dining.) Friendly and helpful waitress. The restaurant decor is sadly lacking - it felt a bit like dining...

When to this venue 3 years ago was super, this visit terrible for the following reason. 1 Was not allowed to order starter when ordering at bar . And other tables had starter local guests . Visitors not allowed 2. Was offered a dirty half...

Had a really juicy steak tonight, one medium well and one well done with peppercorn and blue cheese sauces. Both cooked perfectly as per our requests. Definitely recommend and will return. Thank you 😋

Visited with friends and I had my two dogs with me. The customer service started before we entered as the lovely lady who works there came out while I was waiting for my friends with a bowl of water for my dogs. I had a...

We had Sunday lunch in the restaurant area, which was spacious and clean. Our waitress was very helpful and friendly. The food was what I would expect in a good pub, rather than a restaurant, especially as there was also a separate “Bar Menu” and...

Really nice atmosphere, lovey pub food and good beer. What more can you ask for. Would recommend a visit! Nice short walk from Hunstanton

we called in after a walk on the beach. Very nice place and the staff were friendly. We only had drinks and a dessert. We sat outside in a lovely area, with a nice view.

Staff were friendly & helpful especially Megan. Food was delivered quickly. Was asked how everything was and staff were very attentive. It got busy but service wasn’t affected.

We visited as a family group of 12 and everyone enjoyed their meal, excellent portions , all the meals arrived at the same time and everything hot. Lovely staff and excellent service.

Visited on Tuesday 24 May . Great food , great service from friendly staff with a great view. We liked it so much we booked again for later in the week and we were given a ‘ welcome back voucher ‘ with 25% off our...

25/05/22 Lunch After not being able to visit re covid etc, We had a great lunch Fish & chips as always , could not find a fault with the food. Natasha greeted us took us to our table left menus returned to take order. Emily...

Beautiful views and lovely food, no trouble changing things to cater for food intolerances and staff friendly and helpful.

I was overwhelmed by the staffs kindness today when my husband and I stopped by for lunch. Unfortunately my husband experienced weakness in his legs and slipped down to the floor. Staff couldn’t do enough to help, and made certain everything was as comfortable and...