The Lifeboat Inn in King's Lynn and West Norfolk

This is a great pub for proper hearty food, and a great selection of drinks. Very very busy place. Staff friendly even though extremely busy Saturday half term in October and it was packed! Booked again for a dinner before we go home again. Negative reviews below not anywhere near the experience we had. Go enjoy it

Sunday lunch was amazing! Prawn cocktail stuffed with prawns and delicious sauce. A meal in itself! Followed by roast beef ( so much!) and I had roast pork ( so tender) and teeth crunching crackling! Veg was tasty and Yorkshire puddings the size of a saucer. Affogato for dessert was just the right sweetener. Service was fast and friendly- our waitress had hurt her foot but still soldiered on despite being in pain. Would highly recommend this lovely Norfolk Inn.

Favourite pub to visit after our 5 days in Norfolk!! Amazing food ( first time trying mussels), welcoming staff & atmosphere. Hopefully visit again sometime soon xo

super place for lunch after a lond walk through the dunes

We visited on Tuesday for dinner and enjoyed the night. We thought as we were staying just down the road we could repeat this on Friday. The hour and a half that we waited between starters and our main course was just too much. No " sorry just a few minutes" or any updates, we were just kept waiting. Nobody seemed to care. If you want to be treated as a cash cow, pop in on a Friday!

Disappointed. Food was average. Fish goujons were a couple of fish tails. My main gripe tho is 2 glasses of wine purchased and been sold the most expensive at £14.25 a glass & not offered an alternative. Also adding a service charge to drinks you order and pick up from the bar is outrageous!

I am local to the area and enjoyed walking the coastal path very much. It is such a shame that the meal/service at lunch time was disappointing. No table service. Very long waiting time at bith the bar and for food. Almost inedible burger. Tough and cremated. Mediterranean vegatable and goats cheese tart is more like a savoury egg custard with onion. Certainly not as described. I certainly will avoid it again for a while.

Very good dog friendly pub serving good reasonably priced food. Friendly and helpful staff. Visited on a weekday lunchtime in October and was surprisingly busy but were easier accommodated even though we hadn’t booked.

2 Experiences Sunday. No Roast dinners left. 2 Courses in record time. Wanted us in and out as Quickly as possible. Choice of only 4 Mains. The Food was very good, but the service was Poor. The Gentleman behind the Bar was Very Rude. We have eaten there alot and left Disappointed. We had Booked for the Monday in advance, so we decided to go again. Monday was Completely different. The young lady that greeted was very polite. The Gentleman that served us was Superb. Also the young girl that has been at the lifeboat for a While was Superb. Nothing was too much for them. Also the Gentleman behind the bar(Different from Sunday)was very Polite and Professional. The Food is Superb Especially the Ribs 👌

First vist to Life Boat Inn Very pleased with Marcus who looked after us very well with excellent professional friendly service the food was sausage and mash which was very tasty we enjoyed the evening also Liam I understand is training did very well. Ellen Flanagan will certainly recomend

Excellent sausage n mash; flavoursome Norfolk sausages with creamy mash and perfectly cooked tender stem broccoli, chanterai carrots and onion gravy. Wonderful attentive and professional service from Markus. As a younger member of the team Liam is doing very well. Thank you Neil & Ellie.

Loved this place on our last visit a year ago, looks like a change of management has seen the place go down, no welcome, no service at table, waited over 20 mins and then decided to order at the bar?? What arrived was appalling, a sharing Ploughman's for 2 people, included 1 x slither of Ham, 2x thin slices of cheese, grey pork pie, tired salad, overripe tomatoes and 2x pickled onions that looked a bit alien, we had our Grandchildren with us and their Pizza was a joke, would have sent it back but how do you tell a hungry 4 and 2 year old not to eat it, asked for a refund, they said they didn't know how to do it, problem with the card readers, no manger present, and poor staff not trained AVOID, AVOID, AVOID

Table booked turned up was shown to a table 20 minutes later no service no menu. When I ask for service a supervisor complained at me why was I complaining. Ask for the manager he did nothing and we left and a great meal at the orange tree. Avoid awful unprofessional staff

We have eaten here in the past and it’s always been wonderful, until now. Sadly a change of management means the warm welcoming atmosphere has disappeared. We had starters and mains and it was distinctly average. The starters were just finished when the mains arrived, we were out in less than 50 minutes!! To add to the overall lack of customer satisfaction 10% service charge is added to both food and drink on the bill, making the cost of a pint just under £6!

Great food and friendly staff. There was a good buzz about the place too. We really enjoyed our main courses and desserts. What I really liked about this pub is, unlike others, you can have a good chat with friends without having to shout over loud music.

Service very slow, food disappointing, gave up waiting for desserts and left. Dreadful lack of alcohol free drinks. System down, so as Chestnut Members were unable to register our rewards. Chestnut Group need to up there game, they are perhaps getting a bit too large, and management are loosing control. Will not return.

Friendly helpful staff .Great food lovely ambience. and very dog friendly .can't wait to stay there again loved it

Having been here every year for 25 years. What a sorry state it now is the fish board used to be fantastic, now has what looked like frozen prawns .we waited an hour to be served and another 45 mins for food . How very sad. Bar was in turmoil as well .

This was my chosen venue to celebrate my 80th birthday with my family and closest friends.... Jessika and her team did us proud.... Nothing was too much trouble and their service was outstanding. The food was brilliant, thank you chefs. We weren't rushed, we enjoyed the whole afternoon and thank you all so much. Highly recommended.

Went for lunch, food was fantastic, management and stuff were also fantastic and friendly we had a wonderful time

Lovely old fashioned pub in a really quiet location. Great service.

Good food, beautiful old pub not far from the beach

I really like this place. An old traditional inn with low doorways (mind your head!!) and lots of different styles of places to sit in the pub area - cuby holes, arm chairs, two fireplaces. The layout means that sound is well confined so even when busy it's a relaxed aural environment. Service can sometimes be a little slow but is friendly and professional so the occassional delay is instantly forgotten. I've eaten in the restaurant on one occasion - whole Plaice which was reasonably priced and tasted good. The other occasion was sharing a mushroom pizza in the bar area, that was good also. This is one of our go-to places when we're in the area. Dog friendly establishment.

Great location, great service, great food. Dog friendly and they welcomed all 9 of us together. Will definitely return when we are holidaying in Norfolk again.

Came here just for drinks in the pub. Lovely quaint pub, dimly lit too 👌🏻(if you like that rustic kind of vibe). Felt like an old classic pub which is what I love 👍🏻 Low beam ceilings and a local brew on the draught selection of beers too. Log fires were nice too.

Staying locally with family and was recommended by our AirBnB host as somewhere to eat. Food is slightly on the higher end of the price scale but it’s well worth the cost. Decent food portions and food is of a very high quality. Would return in the future. Also good options of gluten free food on offer.

Only came here for a coffee but the place was very nice and welcoming. Would come again.

Lovely pub, great food and nice atmosphere. Service was good and they have a nice selection of wines. It is in a great location for an after lunch stroll to the harbour.Highly recommend.

Such a great pub and restaurant. We have been twice now and the food and service has been amazing on both occasions. Good food and wine menu and service was excellent. Highly recommend.

This is the third or fourth time we've visited the lifeboat and it never lets us down. Last minute discussion to get away from work for a couple of days and what a great idea it was. Fully booked for dinner on Monday can't be a bad sign, illness struck unfortunately and some of the staff were off with this horrible flu that's going around, but the staff that were on really did work their socks off to look after everyone. Obviously they had the people that don't understand that booking only means booking only for a good reason which is stressful but Sue and the team handled them well. Anyway the food didn't suffer, always delicious. 🚨Word of warning to people that don't know that area, check high tide times!!!! I was very fortunate that my car didn't get flooded down at the harbour, we took the car so that we could have a quick walk to the beach but on our return our car was stranded on a little island. (Scary but what can you do)🚨 We walked back to the lifeboat and spoke to a few locals that explained it was a very high tide today and tomorrow would be higher, lucky. We only had to wait an hour or so and the sea retreated and I drove out of there happy as a pig in the proverbial. The rest of our stay was perfect at every turn, we honestly cannot fault Becky, sue, Ashley, Andy and the rest of the crew. Being a dog friendly hotel,pub and restaurant makes this place the ideal visit if you have furry friends with you. Thank you we will be back.

Unexpectedly had to find a hotel for a night or two and found the lifeboat on booking.com. Had been for a drink many years ago so knew that it was an old pub with atmosphere. Can’t say how impressed we were with Becky on reception who showed us some room options to consider and went well beyond the normal usual disappointing service that one expects nowadays. A refreshing change. Food and breakfast very good and would definitely recommend that you consider staying here. Thanks for looking after us

Popped in for a drink and the place was super busy. We didn’t eat but there are all different areas for eating and I have to say the food looked great. Only reason for dropping a star is because the ladies toilets really don’t smell particularly nice and couldn’t wait to get out of them.

A good down to earth hotel/restaurant, good value, very pleasant staff. Comfortable and welcomes dogs

We have been coming here for over 15 years and it has been getting worse and worse. We are always hoping for a good experience but we are always disappointed. Service very slow. Starters ok...but not for the price. But my 'whole plaice' mains was ...well, a child's meal. For £25. And my husband's fish and chips was bland and overcooked. £19. No one asked if our meals was OK. And when we liked for the manageress to voice our concerns she was chatting on the sofa. We are so sad. We used to love the lifeboat but sadly this is our last visit.

We've visited a couple of times this year and can't complain about the food or hospitality. When the mussels were in season they were delicious, as was the roast dinner we had at the weekend - huge portion. Good range of beers/ales etc and in a great location to explore the coastline. No complaints and we'll return again when in Norfolk!

During a short stay in Thornham, we ate here twice and really enjoyed both meals, which couldn't be faulted. The dining room is a lovely place to relax - very cosy without the tables being "on top of one another". Very friendly and efficient staff. Very dog-friendly.

Had two great ales and a brilliant meal. The room was lovely and well shocked. Would really recommend it.

Impeccable service. Small, but lovely rooms. Very quiet, with plenty of snacks and drinks available in the room or from the bar area downstairs. Very good food. The location was stunning and ideal for exploring the gorgeous Norfolk coast.

Amazing location, fabulous after the coastal path walk. We always have lunch and highly recommend the fish sandwich. Been coming for years, Jim behind the bar is great. Outside back garden since Covid overhaul is fantastic. Dog friendly. Love the place. Haven’t rated the rooms as not stayed since Helen ran the place so cannot comment, but where lovely.

Very sadly we experienced our first ever bad experience today. We pitched up late afternoon for a meal and were kindly offered a table in the conservatory. A chap initially asked us what we would like to drink, we ordered 2 drinks plus asked for some tap water. Our drinks came but no water. He then came back to take our food order so we reminded him politely about the water, again, it didn't appear. A woman then brought our main courses out to us so again we asked for our tap water. On starting to eat my meal I instantly found a blue piece of plastic/polythene in my salad. (Also the chips I had ordered had not been brought out initially and when we asked a member of staff they told us that they hadn't been written down, so consequently they came out late.) We then caught the attention of another female member of staff and showed her the piece of plastic. She took it and my plate away and very promptly returned telling us that it was just plastic from a bread bag that the chef had dropped in my meal and asked if we wanted a replacement meal. We explained that we did not have time to wait for another meal to be prepared. So she then assured us that we wouldn't be charged for my meal. After finishing our meal we asked for the bill, it was brought over to us and, to top off our poor experience so far, we had a random pint of ale and a large glass of white wine on our bill (£14.) Neither of which we had had. Yet again, we caught a female's attention and asked her why these drinks were on our bill to which she said "Oh gosh," took it away without an apology. After a while she returned saying she had altered it. We then asked if we could now, finally pay our bill to which she told us we'd have to pay at the bar because the card machine had 'literally just died.' Even though we had literally, just witnessed the couple opposite us pay by card at their table. So, we paid at the bar (we had to then wait as he was 'having a problem finding our bill.' Eventually a female member of staff shouted something to him and he 'found us!') When asked by the barman how our meal was we had no choice but to explain about the several disasters and VERY disappointing visit. He was the only member of staff to actually apologise. It really has dissapointed us as we've loved eating here for years. As much as the annoying and avoidable mistakes the staff concerned absolutely had no empathy and certainly didn't apologise and almost made us feel quite uncomfortable.

lovely rooms and staff, food was good to apart from tagliatelle which was supposed to be field mushroom but only had one mushroom however rest was good and mussels were the best I've ever had!! brilliantly situated too. The only criticism I would have is that they could do with more serving staff the two ladies working Saturday night were here there and everywhere but still managed excellent service. well done definitely worth a visit

Food very poor husband had soup xsne out cold sent back, came out again just warm, called over supervisor she said uts the chefs first day no excuse should have a thermometer probe to check heat vefore sending out🤮

Lovely meal in a nice environment would recommend highly

My partner and I went to the lifeboat Inn for a Saturday afternoon lunch, we both found the lifeboat clean tidy staff were approachable friendly. The food was nice. We would both recommend a visit. The only thing we didn't like was dogs were allowed in just a tad off putting when eating our personal opinion before anyone wants to say different

Excellent Sunday Roast after a brisk winter's walk. Service friendly a quick

Went for Sunday dinner, it's advisable to book. Lovely old historic pub, with tasteful extensions. The food was absolutely delicious, beautiful thick slices of beef, served with a huge Yorkshire pudding and tasty vegetables. For dessert I had the treacle tart, served with salted caramel ice cream and slices of stem ginger, it was lovely. Nice bottle of Merlot too. The staff were all pleasant. Dog friendly, which is nice as its near the coastal footpath. Large car park. We will definitely be returning.

Very friendly, food lovely toast are amazing desserts are perfect. Very dog friendly lovely clean and warm on a winters day. All staff were friendly and helpful We will return nothing negative at all Thank you

Lovely place to visit and stay. Very obliging staff with excellent food and drinks. Cannot wait for the weather to warm up to visit again.

Lovely old coastal pub great location, great atmosphere. Food very good . Great selection of ales ..

We hadn’t been to The Lifeboat in ages and we had a party of 12 there for a birthday lunch and it was absolutely delicious Food was excellent quality and substantial portions, I had steak pie which was rammed with meat For dessert I had homemade rice pudding- heaven The service was great We’ll be returning again very soon

We hadn't booked but stopped by on way back from Hunstanton for see if get a table for lunch. Only one barman serving. he said take any table in bar or conservatory that doesn't have a reserved sign on. Lots of empty tables but every one had a reserved sign on them. Walked back towards bar and he was telling two ladies to go to the restaurant/dining room as they are doing table service in there. Followed these ladies and we were met by an unfriendly/snobby "receptionist" who said "Oh they've sent you here have they?". The dining room was empty. After hearing what she said and her tone I said to my partner "We're leaving". Went to the Jolly Sailors in Brancaster Staithe and had a great lunch and secondly no attitude/ unwelcoming staff. Shame as this place used to be good.

Dinner in the tepee during Covid19 was far more appealing probably me but the menu I was given boxing day certainly wasn't what the table opposite ate Food to be fair was nice if not rather expensive for a meal day after Xmas Especially as we both fancied the burger that apparently wasn't featured Must have Been my imagination but the fat chips and onion rings on the opposite table looked better than my pork green curry 😕

Staff are great and the place great good food and beer

The staff were nice but forgot our drinks order and seemed tired by 3pm when we booked. I told them the gents toilet was flooded but they did nothing about it as I heard another customer tell them the same thing half an hour later. The food unfortunately was very average pub grub. My wife's burger for instance was not a proper beef burger but a fairly cheap packet item, which given the price seemed a little unfair. Much of the meal was the same although the Brancaster mussels were good as they should be really, being that local. I've stayed there before and visited fairly regularly over the years but the food in particular has gone downhill. I love the pub and hope this criticism is taken as constructive.

What an amazing, welcoming place to stay, just spent two days at the Lifeboat inn with some wonderful friends. Plenty of parking, the staff were so welcoming and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. Such a warm welcome as soon as you walk through the doors, within the hotels public areas every room had a wood burning fire which smelt divine, plenty of seating and dining areas, great outdoor seating at the back, dogs are very welcomed, they even had a sausage for breakfast, no area was out of bounds for your dogs either. Plenty of walking to be done if your up for it with some lovely pubs n dining along the way. We loved every moment of our stay. Thankyou to all at the Lifeboat inn.

Had a fabulous night, dinner and breakfast at the Lifeboat absolutely lovely room, food, Staff. Well done and thank you.

Had the most delicious Peppered mushroom pie with mash and vegetables. As a vegetarian it's such a pleasant surprise to see 'normal' pub food that I too can enjoy. Thank you.

Food was fabulous, sat by big roaring fire afterwards......very nice. Highly recommend this eatery, would come again.

Lovely stay. Food amazing especially chocolate cheesecake. Rooms spotless. Wonderful stay. Thankyou.

We went for the day to walk along the coast, came back to the Inn for dinner. It appears cosy and sweet but don't be deceived. Gave our order at the bar and waited. And waited. The service was seriously lacking but the food was worse! They were not busy. At one point went looking for some help and found one young waitress in the back scrolling through her phone. After chasing for our food we were told it was our fault it was delayed because we had taken our appetiser dishes up to the bar?! (It was our gentle effort to jivvy them along by bringing them.) It finally all arrived - tepid. Vegetables boiled to death and cold without anything on them. Had to wait another several minutes for olive oil. The cook must smoke because the venison pie was painfully over salted, and my mate's mash- also cold- arrived after he was nearly finished. My venison sausages were hard as rock, no exaggeration, requiring a steak knife, and were swimming in a disgusting sweet sauce, over sweet mash, also cold. Sweet mash? With London prices we expected so much better. A complete rip off. Had we not eaten but a coffee and toast for breakfast and been so tired we would have left it, asked for a refund, and found something elsewhere. Considering the location, they clearly have a captive audience. And food quality equivalent to a penitentiary, too.... Maybe acceptable for a drink before heading to some other place nearby with better food and service. It wouldn't take much to find something better than this place- especially at those inflated prices. We will return to that coastline again but will most definitely avoid this place, and recommend you avoid it, too. Don't waste your money or your time.

Had a lovely lunch here yesterday with the family. Fantastic pub Super service Very friendly staff Dog friendly We will definitely be back in the summer

We visited for lunch on a cold winter's Wednesday ... the place was busy which was a good sign. The grumpy barman directed us to the restaurant area where we were seated on a cramped table on the upper-level. The single paper menu1 was dirty...

We have visited the Lifeboat Inn for many years now, it is just as wonderful. Beautiful old, welcoming Inn with lovely food (my husband for the second time has said the mussels are the best ever) and attentive staff. Dog friendly too which is fabulous...

A delicious meal, great wine and excellent service. We enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch of sausage and mash & a lovely piece of plaice. The staff were helpful. There was plenty of choice and the service was great. Our 4 dogs were welcomed and we...

I don’t like writing negative reviews but feel like some change is needed at the lifeboat as I feel it’s got real potential, the location is fantastic and the building is really nice too! I do also love that they’re very dog friendly. It wasn’t...

Disappointing! We had been recommended this place by family who had previously had good experiences here so thought we'd give it a try. Right from the start, the service was dreadful. We announced our arrival and stood waiting for a good while until anyone noticed...

Advertised Food Served All Day. Checked Website on Sunday afternoon, understandably busy. Sunday Roasts served until 5pm. Went to reception at 4.30pm, asking for a table for 2, we are no longer serving food or offering tables ??!! The restaurant wasnt even half full !...

The staff went above and beyond to look after us and food was delicious, generous portion sizes too. Time to walk it off now, then back for a warming drink!

Food ok. Service was not good. Staff tried their best but lacked management. Such a shame as we had heard good reviews in previous years. We went on a Sunday for a roast dinner which was nice. We had a lovely prawn cocktail. Didn’t get...

Really nice cosy place. Good menu with a good mix of fish and meat. Service impacted by lack of staff, but ok. Location is very nice, great bar next to the restaurant

We visited here because I used to live in the area and remember it being amazing. How things have changed... To start either, the young girl on the reception seemed confused we had a booking, and took her time checking her bookings list. She then...

We’d dined at The Lifeboat Inn two years ago and enjoyed our visit so we had to revisit when returning to Thornham for Mum’s 80th. It was very busy as it was a Saturday evening but we were happy with the atmosphere and decor on...

Visited on a very busy Saturday afternoon, 14 in our party. Food was excellent from Cromer Crab salad to the enormous portions of fish and chips. We visited for drinks a few times over the weekend as we were staying close by, excellent service and...

Someone needs to put a bomb under the service here or get some more motivated staff in. We weren’t expecting West End levels of service but the staff seem permanently flustered and unable to get to grips. I don’t think this is their fault it...

We have been waiting to stay here for months due to our original booking being rescheduled due to covid and I must say it was definitely worth the wait. The hotel was undergoing rennovations in the restaurant, we were pre warned about this but it still didn't affect our stay. The staff were so polite and helpful even during our evening meal when it was very busy and there was only 3 waiting staff, nothing was too much trouble for them. Our food arrived quickly and it was beautiful. Our hotel room was immaculate and very well stocked. We didn't have a great sleep on the second night due to a couple arguing very loudly until the early hours but again the very kind gentleman working on the front desk was extremely helpful and kindly asked them to be quiet which they did. The views and setting of the hotel are just beautiful. The breakfast was lovely with a great selection on the menu. We will definitely be staying here again.

Good food and good prices. Place is being refurbished at the moment so lacking a little space but nice covered part attached to the pub and they have seating over the road with cover too. Nice Ales but service a little slow.

Called in for food and drinks, very quiet. Food took over an hour to arrive and when it did, after chasing twice the waitress spilt sauce over one of the guests ruining clothes. Food was good but £10 for an Aperol spritz!

The Lifeboat is usually our favourite restaurant/pub in the area but this visit was more like a scene from Fawlty Towers. You could only feel sorry for the waitresses, as they were so understaffed it was impossible to complain at them as they were working so hard.Sunday roast was not great, tough, fatty beef that was practically inedible and Yorkshire puddings so overcooked they were rock hard.Pizzas were good to be fair.Food turned up before the drinks order and coffees never arrived at all so eventually we gave up.A real shame considering it’s reputation and the competition in the area from other pubs/restaurants

Just had lunch for 4 - food was excellent. Large portions, tasty. on time and hot. Very impressed. All staff welcoming. Much changed from 2019/2020.

We were walking in the area and found this wonderful old pub. We had to drink in a marquee in the car park area rather than inside the pub itself. It would appear that the Lifeboat Inn is still enforcing Covid restrictions about not eating of drinking inside despite these restrictions having been lifted. A bit sad as the inside of the pub looked as thought is had great atmosphere

I had booked our evening meal a month earlier on line. I telephoned a week ago to check that we would be in the Dining room and they said that we would. When we arrived it was obvious that there was renovation work in progress which rang alarm bells. A waitress told me that we would be sitting outside even though I told her we had booked the Dining room. I asked if it was heated and she said it wasn't. It was only 11 degrees and there was a strong wind blowing so I told her that there was no way we were eating outside. She eventually offered us a table in a temporary dining room but said it was meant to be for residents only. There were several free tables as some of the residents had decided to eat elsewhere. We were not offered the Restaurant menu as listed on their website which we had been looking forward to, instead the menu we were given was a very basic pub grub one and quite limited in choice. The service was not great either as we were not asked if we wanted a dessert or coffee and had to ask the Waitress when she was clearing another table. I will not be going back there again. They have had plenty of time to do renovation work with the various Lockdowns.

Had booked online and assumed the meal would be in their dining room. It was outside on the coldest/windiest evening for some time. Told dining room which was empty was for hotel guests only. Others were storming out angry. We left. No communication and no management. Truly awful way to treat people.

I had booked a table in the restaurant, for the first night you could eat inside . We arrived to see a group of 6 arguing with a member of staff and then walking out . A couple in front of us then walked out , turned to us and said “Good luck”. This did not arguer well . We were quickly shown to a basic picnic table outside but undercover without heating . I did explain that I had booked in the restaurant but was told rudely that this was all they had . I asked to see a manager but was told that there was not one onsite ( highly unlikely ) . There was no apology and no explanation, just a rude and indifferent staff member . This completely spoilt our night . We had to leave as I was not dressed appropriately to eat outside on a cold night ! We later heard from other people that the restaurant refurbishment was not finished . All they had to do was make a quick phone call and explain the situation . They had my phone number and plenty of time to do this but they did not bother . I will never visit this shoddy excuse for a restaurant again .We were treated with utter disdain and disregard .This is the worst I have been treated in any restaurant anywhere! Their loss as we would have spent a considerable amount of money!

Lovely evening meal with friends outside. Waitress was so helpful and the food arrived in a timely manner and was wonderful. Reasonably priced....

Booked table for 2 in advance, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We were looking forwards to dining inside as the evening was chilly. On arrival we were shown into a canvas covered outdoor area with no heating. When questioning why we couldn’t have a table inside ( given this is what we thought we’d booked) we were informed this was only for residents by the unsmiling and unapologetic maitre de. The short menu didn’t reflect the breadth shown on the website. Felt quite sorry for the poor waitress who was left to explain the situation to unhappy diners some of whom we saw leave without eating. The food was at best ordinary and although not expensive not particularly good value for money. Managed one course and took our half finished bottle of wine back to our lovely B&B where a much warmer welcome waited.

We booked an indoor table for the 17 May when indoor dining started. We were taken to a table in an outdoor area beyond the conservatory. Despite explaining we had booked an indoor table the person in charge said we could not eat in the conservatory as this was reserved for residents. There were at least 4 tables unused. I asked to speak with the manager and was told the manager was not present. When pushed, the person in charge for the evening said he had to follow orders and he could not put us into the conservatory as it would look bad to the other guests dining in the outside area. We left the restaurant without eating.This is the worst customer service I have ever received from a restaurant. Book this restaurant at your peril.

We had booked well in advance for the first night you could eat inside, we were abruptly shown to a picnic table under cover but outside with no heating, we said we had booked a table in the restaurant.We were rudely told that was all we’ve got. No explanation , no apology. Many other people were leaving in disgust.Ruined the last night of our holiday.We were told by a chap with a foreign accent working there that there was no manager on site we could speak to. We suspect this was the manager I will never visit there again Martyn

Booked for the first night you could eat inside in May and had to confirm our booking at least five times. Was rung at work and warned we’d have to eat in conservatory as refurbishment not complete. Said OK. Then had to confirm booking again on the day, only to find angry customers ahead of us, a harassed manager who forgot our name twice then led us to a table outside, under canvas, beyond the conservatory - which was not full but evidently reserved for hotel guests. Other people who’d traveled a similar distance had same experience. No apology, they just seemed relieved when we left. Appalling place.

Exellent experience when visiting here off the cuff for dinner. Beautiful setting sitting under ‘the sail’. Hands down the most impressive food we’ve eaten in the local area of late. Varied menu with a vast selection. The chef even cooked some off menu dishes to accommodate for the vegans in our party, asparagus tips for starter and a brilliantly spiced tomato pasta dish for main. Couldn’t be faulted, thanks chef! Really friendly and helpful staff, from the person we booked with on the phone to the lovely lady who took our order at the table. Spot on. Go check out this little hidden gem, you won’t regret it people. Oh and the Malbec sold by the bottle goes down a treat too! Thanks again for the very pleasant experience!

This pub garden was very busy but they found us a table in a large marquee. Other tables were outside and all were appropriately distanced. The menu is varied and we were able to have vegetarian options. Food was well prepared and reasonably priced and the staff were very helpful and friendly. It was a very cold lunchtime so food didn't stay warm long but that most certainly was not the fault of the establishment!!

Swiftly seated with friendly staff and hot delicious food, could not fault one bit, will definitely be returning this summer again! Highly recommend the fish and chips, burger and ribs.

So it is great to be having a pub meal again even if outside. Fortunately the set up here is great. A quality marquee type shelter with good cover was a promising start. It has however taken up some of the car park although it did not pose a problem for us. The service was relaxed friendly and efficient. Nice to have three choices of beer and for food the Lifeboat Burger was lovely. My partner had scampi which was also tasty. No room for desserts although they did look appealing. Total cost around £45 which was fine as we had 2 drinks each. We will definitely go again although of course outdoor dining can be a little unpredictable and always wise to have lots of layers.

We’ve eaten here twice this week, our first week away from home for a long time!! The Lifeboat have set up an eating space in their car park, covered with a huge sail shaped tarpaulin. It was rather cold to say the least, but did we care? Nope!! The staff were helpful and pleasant under difficult circumstances. I had the rack of ribs. Phew!! It certainly was a huge plateful and absolutely delicious. The second time I had the burger with chunky chips. Also well cooked and tasty. We had booked a table at the Chequers in Thornham for later in the week and the staff checked the booking for us and made sure we had a good table. The staff went way beyond their duties to make sure we were looked after well. This place is doing all it can to make your meal a good experience in extremely difficult circumstances. I would totally recommend you trying this restaurant where the staff are really doing their utmost to make people welcome and have a good meal out.

Upon arrival, the staff were very nice and helpful, but it all went downhill from there. We ate in the Sail Restaurant, the Crayfish/Prawn starter had a bad taste, I felt that they were almost off. When the Fish and Chips arrived they were stone cold and looked as if they had been cooked earlier in the day and then warmed up and left to stand. I attempted to speak to the Italian Manager but was fobbed off and the waitress girl, who had been very good, was left to apologise.

We arrived covered in mud with 2 dogs between us and were 2 households so could only sit outside. We went round the back to find plenty of seating. It was unusually mild so it was quite pleasant even for December. Someone came to take our order within a few minutes and the drinks arrived very promptly. The food was lovely. We had a pizza, pie, venison sausages and a vegetarian tart. We all enjoyed our meals very much. Would definitely recommend.

A lot of negative reviews nearly put us off but pleased they did not. Pub grub in a proper pub. That’s what we wanted and that is what we got

Visited the Lifeboat on our stay. Staff very helpful. We ate early so no real problem in getting a table inside. The food was plentiful and very tasty. Worth a visit if in the area.

Friendly and helpful service - so important in these difficult times. Excellent mackerel pate, mussels and pepper steak pie to die for.

We stayed in Thornham with friends over Christmas and had some good evenings at The Lifeboat. Back again for October half-term and not such a good story. On the Saturday, we wandered in mid-afternoon for a drink and had to leave after ten minutes as there wasn’t a sign of life behind the bar. Booked for food at 5.30pm on the Wednesday, and after waiting ten minutes to be seated, we were told we were in the teepee in the carpark. I said this wasn’t pointed out when booking online and was told it’s because they are full. Sat down in the marquee and realised there was a very restricted menu (fish and chips or burger for main) and no children’s menu. Asked if there was space in the main restaurant and was told there was, as long as we were happy to be out by 7.15pm due to an existing booking, which we accepted. We skipped starters due to the time limitations, and with one shared pudding, were just out in time. The waiter looking after us was very good, as was the food, but I’d say service and number of waiting staff needs to be addressed.

I called in for lunch and wasn't sure whether I would get a table, but the staff were very helpful and found me probabaly the last table. They served me with the famous Brancaster mussels . It was a really good deal with refilling mussels and a Beer or glass of wine for £10 which I thought was a really good deal. The staff were very pleasent and if was up that way I would always eat there. I wanted to book for the evening as the menu looked great but sadly they had all tables booked twice over. Very popular place to eat and I'm sure that the locals use it. I'd never be out of it if I lived there.