The Recruiting Sergeant in Broadland

Amazing premises to enjoy an extraordinary meal. The atmosphere and warm surroundings were lovely, and the menu was extensive. The French onion soup was spectacular (as was all the meal) and for the amount of food, very good value. Arrive Hungry!! A special mention to our server, Lisa. She was absolutely spectacular. Never felt rushed, just left to relax and enjoy our meal at a pleasant pace with Lisa only popping to ask us if they could do any more to help us enjoy our visit. Perfect. Highly recommended. On holidays, and it was a perfect find. I hope my travels brings me back here one day. 5 🌟 amazing.

The best gnocchi I’ve ever had—no contest! I ordered two starters instead of a main, and even though I was full, I wanted to order dessert in hopes that it would match the 👌. But I was just too full. I will be back!

Popped in for lunch. Lovely, warm greeting and a delicious steak suet pudding! The whole menu sounded great! Would definitely recommend.

Absolutely amazing, a real must!!!!

We were recommended the Recruitment Sargent as we are visiting near by. We were not disappointed at all! We ordered a fillet and a sirloin to be collected as a takeaway both steaks were cooked to perfection and the sides that came with it were divine. The staff were very professional and polite for the little time we were in there. Would definitely recommend to others. Very reasonably priced for what we ordered. Thank you Recruiting Sargent!

Went there for a lovely meal food and drinks were very good as usual can't fault the place. 👌

We were recommended to visit this pub when staying in the area last week. We had a fantastic, large portions, on a grey Monday lunch. We had our dogs with us so were shown to a smaller room at the rear which was perfect for the dogs to be kept away from the busy restaurant and the area to ourselves. Highly recommend

First time visiting with family the roasts are completely justified despite the price which really isn’t that bad to be honest. Delicious food , great service I don’t need to go into detail because visiting will justify it all

Highly recommend if you’re a meat eater as portions are huge and I’m told it’s delicious. However, the vegetarian food here is the worst I’ve had. The service is good and the restaurant itself is cosy but would benefit from having a little lighting- felt a bit odd seeing so many people using their phone lights to read the menu as there is no restaurant lighting other than candles on the tables.

Excellent service and food. Many thanks to Nicky, front of house team and catering staff for provision of superb day for our daughters wedding party

Not enough parking, but the food and service was excellent

Went for dinner, everything excellent, highly recommend it.

Lovely pub and restaurant- excellent food. Very comfortable beds - but road a bit noisy first thing in the morning!

Had our anniversary lunch, yesterday, food was extremely tasty and plenty of it. Everyone there seemed so friendly and keen to make sure we enjoyed our time there. Even presenting us with a lovely choco fudge 'gift' .. just added to the feeling of having been very welcome.

Had an amazing meal as usual, good atmosphere, been coming for a few years now.

Amazing visit to The Recruiting Sargent! Food is what can only be described as OUTSTANDING! Service also lovely. My husband had the steak and kidney pudding which was HUGE and in his words brimming with steak. I had the marinated lamb skewers (again huge!) mains and two Proseccos and a pint of Guinness soooo reasonable even with a 15% tip added as was truly deserved. We are visiting the area for a couple of days and actually said we would drive from Essex just for the food! Truly delicious and we have left so full! Thank you so much to the entire team!

Visiting with family to celebrate a milestone birthday it was clear from the get go that profit over experience for the diner was at the heart of this business. Having the large room for maximum of two hours was definitely on the clock. Let’s start with the food….the Sunday roast was one of the worst I have ever experienced at a restaurant. The food was cold, the vegetables raw and the plates served swimming in gravy it was more like a Sunday lunch soup. The offering was also served with a tasteless mound of what was I presume meant to be stuffing but was more the consistency of wallpaper paste. Thinking ok the main course let itself down let’s move onto pudding…the chocolate brownie was just that a brownie, nothing fancy but the £9.95 price tag definitely not worth it. Turning to the overall experience I mentioned profit over the diners and here it became evident as the two hour window approached in marched the I presume manager on duty and a colleague to unceremoniously strip the room of birthday banner and usher the guests out. Whilst I understand the two hour slot it was the way the room was stripped and guests hurried to get their coats on and moved out that was rather distressing. Would I recommend this place NO. Have I eaten here before YES but on this occasion and the overall experience I cannot see myself returning.

I have never paid so much money for such awful bland tasting food. Their children’s menu I wouldn’t feed my nonexistent dog… so had to get my 4 and 6 year old an adult meal. Pan fried chicken was the worst I’ve ever had and most expensive. Their “wagyu” burger I presume was boiled rather than grilled. Their chicken burger was cooked in such old oil that it was pretty much black. Triple cooked chips were nothing of such, more like triple boiled chunky wedges, again anwful. Everything was awful, even down to their sauces! You cannot charge £20-£30 per dish and serve 💩. Highly of the meal was bread and olives 😂. It’s dark af inside, I get all the adding to “ambiance”. But they have no ceiling lights. All wall lights and a poxy portable table lamp that lights up about 5inches of the table.

We visit the Recruiting Sergeant for dinner with friends, having dined here some years ago I wasn't too impressed, however the service and food this evening was fantastic, we will defiantly be returning soon. I hear rumours that the Recruiting Sergeant has bought the Bridge in Lenwade, I hope that when the venues is restored the dining experience will be just as good as we received today.

Fantastic place food wonderful and staff friendly and helpful ,

Held a small wake for family and friends after mums funeral. Food was gorgeous, good quality and very generous portions. Thank You

Great food. Great staff. Love this place

Unbelievable food, 1st time visit, can't wait to come back.

Always fantastic food here. Back again and enjoyed another lovely meal. Staff were cheerful and helpful and the right level of attentive.

One of the best restaurants in Norfolk

Again,when our family visits us,from Yorkshire, in December,we always have our Christmas meal at the Recruiting Sergeant. Every year the starter is always the best we have ever had,the main meal is always the best we have ever had,and we always take our desserts home with us every year,as our eyes are always bigger than our bellies!! The Recruiting Sergeant is exceptional. The staff are friendly,service is excellent, and yet again,the food is outstanding. See you all in December 2025!

Excellent meal, piping hot food, all served with a smile. Will definitely be going again. 2nd visit - just as good as the first. Not cheap but the portion sizes are immense. 3rd visit - Tried out their Sunday roasts. Had the Nut Roast and Roast Beef. The Beef was a huge portion and an excellent portion size for the price. The Nut Roast was really good quality. Worth a visit for a treat on a Sunday.

Restaurant Review. Visited this restaurant for a family meal at lunchtime. It was very busy but service was good. The menu is extensive and in my opinion some dishes are expensive. Fish pie £24 Skate £27 Fillet steak £37. Portion sizes are big but not everyone wants a large plate of food! We prefer a nicely presented plate with quality over quantity. My husband ordered a starter as he did not want a main course - scallops & chorizo - this was £16.50. When the dish came he was shocked to see it was 2 small scallops and a chorizo crumb !! Very disappointing. At the end of the meal we were talking (as a family would do) but got the distinct impression that the staff wanted us to leave - the table for 2 near us was turned 3 times !!. If you like large pub food at quite a high price then this pub is probably the place for you !

Birthday meal was superb, enjoyed spending quality time with my twin sister and other family members. Excellent service from lovely friendly staff.

I just wanted to take the time to thank all the staff working yesterday evening for making my birthday meal so lovely. I have quite a bit of stress at home and I decided to have a rare treat and have dinner all on my own with my book last night! The staff couldn't have got it all more perfect for me as a solo diner. They chose a really good spot in a quiet corner. They wished me a happy birthday as soon as I sat down which means they wrote it down at booking which was a nice touch. The food was phenomenal! As it always is at The Recruiting Seargent. They checked on me enough but not too much which is hard but they got just right, especially considering it was a very busy evening and they had a table of 30 in the next room. And then, when my pudding came out they'd written happy birthday across the chopping board which was such a kind touch. I couldn't fault anything and thank you so much to the serving and kitchen staff for the excellent and relaxing evening. Many thanks and Happy Christmas to you all :)

This place is the very best for money and the food is sublime! Best restaurant in norfolk. Me and my family have been dining here for 20years and still has a outstanding menu and staff

We enjoyed another first class meal here. Generous portion sizes, served fresh and hot with a smile. Staff friendly and attentive. The main bar area was busy and rather noisy but we requested to sit in the other, smaller room. Cosy and lovely decor. Prices are a little higher than other places but the standard and quality of food far exceeds these prices. Perfect for a special treat. Our second visit and we will return.

A beautiful Christmas meal ruined by far, far too much salt. So much so that nothing else could be tasted & even the drinks suffered. Staff were great & pub setting is lovely

Fab atmosphere, great menu, super staff, going back tomorrow to eat. Excellent menu

I have to say i have now stayed here twice and both occasions the food is fantastic the staff very helpful and the rooms well looked after and maintained. The restaurant food is very good indeed and i will be going back.

Family get together, as always food was excellent and service good and made to feel welcome. As we were a party of 17 it could have proved difficult for the staff but they coped admirably. Highly recommend.

Overall 5 star ! Top service and Incredible food cannot complain at all. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area or anyone visiting Norwich for an amazing meal.

Amazing food, an excellent experience. This place never fails to deliver good food.

This place is wonderful the food is to die for service amazin, it was our first visit this evening and as I said the the waitresses the food was fecking amazing!!!!!we will be going back

Lovely meal as usual on Friday evening good service very friendly. However I had a beautiful Pork chop but the crackling was soft I asked the waiter why and he said they don’t have time to crisp it! What a shame when it’s such a great bit of the chop.

Had Sunday lunch. Service was incredibly quick. Food was great, one of the best Sunday Lunches that I have had. Staff were very friendly and efficient.

We stopped for Sunday lunch and were extremely happy with the whole experience. Staff and service are wonderful. Food is plentiful and delicious 😋

Had a meal at this gastro pub / restaurant and was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of food, the atmosphere and the service. Initially we thought the prices were slightly higher than what we would have expected, but when you see the portion sizes and taste the quality. Those couple of extra pounds soon disappear and the meal becomes an absolute bargain. Make sure you book as it becomes busy very quickly. Will definitely be going again.

Fantastic food and drink the portions are massive but absolutely amazing thankyou for being so nice to us were definitely will come again 👌😋

Went for a meal and received a feast. The food is fantastic, and the portions are large. We got two starters, the veal and a porterhouse. Man alive you could feed 7 with just those. The quantity did not get in the way of the quality. The food was amazing. We will be returning again, and bringing others. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I now need to change into my jogging bottoms and cancel tomorrows roast.

Great choice of dishes, even for vegetarians - which makes a refreshing change. Large portions of very tasty food. Excellent, prompt, friendly service. Would love to try the rooms!

Food is very very good and you can not eat it all and I eat a lot, nice to see value for money, we all had a proper English roast dinner 8 of us

Visited today for my daughter's 21st Birthday and we had a great experience. The food was amazing and the amount of food you get is truly epic! The staff were excellent and the food is fantastic value given the amount of food on your plate. Will be visiting again purely for the Sunday roast. Highly recommended!

Absolutely top top tier Sunday roast, at still respectable prices (£17-20).

No complaints great place to eat

Good ambiance and attentive staff but way too much food. Starters were v tasty but main meals were piled high which was disappointing

Best steak and kidney pudding I have had for years! Good friendly service. Will definitely recommend The Recruiting Sergeant to others , and I definitely will return. I was there as a result of Woodfordes Ale Trail.

Nice dog friendly pub/restaurant. Great food, attentive staff & relatively easy to park ( on a weekday). Not that close to we were staying on this occasion but well with the drive.

This is our favourite place to eat. They always fit us in if they can. (Best to book weeks in advance as it is very popular) staff are lovely and very welcoming. The food is insane. My suggestion would be do not eat anything before you go. You will definitely struggle to find room for dessert and will not be leaving feeling hungry. Great prices too. You will not be disappointed with thus. Little gem of a place.

Great service and fantastic food

Super at good price and huge portions service duerb

Magnificent Sunday Roast! The quality, size and taste of our roast chicken and roast beef was excellent. Promptly served without a long wait for its arrival. All the staff we came across were friendly, polite and ready to please. We will spread the word!

Warm welcome when we arrived. Food was excellent quality and worth every penny. Staff knowledgeable about all menu details and very friendly to our dog!

Friendly and efficient service, food is fantastic and a lovely vibe in the charming garden. A MUST VISIT if you enjoy good food.

Great place for a roast! And the seating outside is lovely ☺️

Our second visit and it didn’t disappoint. The service was excellent and the quality of food was fantastic. The portions are huge though and it would be nice if they were slightly smaller to allow room for desserts.

Great food for a hungry family. The children’s portions were superb. I chose a starter as I knew there would be leftovers. I’m glad I did as it was delicious (Dover Sole and prawns in butter accompanied by samphire 😙👌🏻). Triple cooked chips unfortunately didn’t hit the mark but everything else was great. A lovely location with extra seating outside

Went here with family for a meal 😋 and the food was fantastic so compliments to the chef and everyone in kitchen and all staff it was a lovely old worldly pub well worth a vist

The food really is amazing here. Service excellent 👌

Massive menu, massive portions- but excellent food quality too

We visited the restaurant for lunch after a morning out on a boat on the river. Without any doubt the best meal we have had in a very long time. The standard of cooking, presentation, and service was incredibly high. The portion sizes were great value for money and sitting in the courtyard garden on a sunny day was just perfect. There is nothing I could find fault with at this gem.

Excellent service, quality grub, ask for a doggy bag because you won't eat all ,big portions.

On arrival could not park but the service food and service was excellent

Booked for Sunday Lunch! The best Sunday Lunch we have ever had. Food amazing quality and cooked to perfection, big portions and service first class. Manager took time out to speak to diners and took pride in her job and her staff.

Absolutely delicious food, great service, need I say more!

What a gem of a place. We were let down by another place for Sunday lunch and we were fitted in by lovely, helpful staff. Sunday lunch in the beautiful garden. Lovely food. Great service. Beautiful surroundings. Thank you so much

Absolutely amazing food. Recommended (and booked) by a friend for a long overdue meet up and informed it was their favourite pub ever... Safe to say he was spot on. Plenty of cask ale and draught beers on offer and the food was exquisite. It was a little more pricey that a typical pub, but the portions were huge and the quality of the food was top notch - well worth the extra cost! It's a dog friendly place too, we sat outside in the courtyard as we had a few 4 legged friends with us, but they also had a marquee for the less ideal days! Fully worth a visit if you're in the area - and if you're not in the area then go anyway as its worth the diversion! Just make sure you're either staying there or somewhere local as you'll have to roll back as you'll be stuffed with good food and good drinks!

Food was fantastic, Massive portions!! Good service. Lovely outside area with plenty of seating.

Meals we had were all excellent nice large portions great friendly staff

Gastro pub with several dining areas to accommodate everyone's choice. The food is delicious. Halibut cooked to perfection with a decent sized portion and beautiful prawns to join this lovely course. We also enjoyed crab thermidor again delicious. The staff were really friendly and helpful and it was just a lovely evening meal. I wish it was closer to home. I want to try the complete menu! For the standard and quality you can't fault the establishment.

We went here as a family with grandchildren. We ordered Sunday roast, a salmon dish and the seafood salad. The portions were huge especially the seafood salad which included smoked salmon, crab, oyster, king prawns , prawns, cockles, anchovies and whelks. Food was very good, staff friendly and service good.

Lovely pub and garden! Wonderful meal. Allergy friendly. Near the Norfolk broads. Short walk from the river

Drinks are a bit pricey , the restaurant was really busy to be fair but unclear tables snappy staff . Had 3 drinks spirt and mixer coke and pint over 16 quid . We left as it was a but of a shambles and we felt sorry for staff as they were already under pressure and struggling so did not eat .

I loved this restaurant! The food was outstanding and the service was excellent. If we lived locally, I would visit all the time. A beautiful place to eat!

Amazing food every time. Good prices and friendly service. 👌🏼

Beautifully cooked food, excellent service and a lovely atmosphere in the bar. Highly recommend the crab thermidor 🦀

As always, fantastic meal! Great atmosphere, friendly staff and great service! Can't fault them. Not the cheapest menu, but we'll worth the money!

This is, a great find, recommend by our Holiday neighbours. Food is plentiful, lots of choice and specials. Really Good service and we noticed that children were well catered for. Great service and good prices. Will defo go again

Excellent pub food. The staff were very attentive and excellent with our requirements for our daughter with allergies. The food itself was priced well and of very good quality. Lovely sunny garden. We went twice in a three day trip to Norfolk.

Fantastic food. We sat outside, lovely setting Will go again...

We had seen reviews on this restaurant and Wow the reviews were right it’s amazing. The service was excellent especially in this day and age most places are under staffed not here all happy and ready to help the menu is one of the best we have seen in years the choice was great the quality of the food was fantastic and the portion size Big We enjoyed our meals so much that we went back the next day Sunday and had the Roast Dinner some of our party don’t eat out for roast dinners as they are disappointing this was possible the Best Roast in a restaurant. Thanks guys you helped make a great holiday special also the Rising Sun sister restaurant on the river food and service very good

Food is amazing, always our go to place for special occasions. We have sampled much of the menu over the years and have not had a bad meal. The beef ribs are truly something to behold.

Visited for lunch. Parking was OK but can see how it might be tight later in day. Very friendly staff. Huge portions and interesting menu choices. All in all excellent value.

Good roast Sunday lunch. We were reseated in the garden as my companion was very breathless, so 10/10 to the waiting staff for care and attention. Delicious food and good portions in a lovely courtyard.

Have eaten here a few times, food is top notch

Perfect spot for a summer evening.

Great place for a birthday party, Catered for our every need at a fair price.

We had dinner here tonight and it was absolutely great: tasteful and lots of food. Definitely recommend!

Always reliable. Extensive menu, beautifully cooked, friendly, helpful staff. Just make sure you’re hungry when you visit!

Went here for dinner for my mums birthday. The food was delicious. Definitely recommend the halibut. Desserts also great - we had the bakewell tart but the sticky toffee pudding was also 👌. Big portions, friendly staff, nice atmosphere but let down by the slow service.

Absolutely amazing place ,, I'm overwhelmed how welcome I felt , gorgeous stay here so happy

It’s been a while since we’ve done anything other than Sunday lunch at The Recruiting Sergeant. But what an amazing place for a Saturday night family meal. The food was unreal - so good, the service was 5-star and the place was packed - great vibe. 👍🍺🍷

Wonderful food and a lovely staff. After my meal, my waitress asked me what my plan for the day was, and when I responded that I was going home to pack for my wedding, she seemed genuinely happy for me. She came back several minutes later with this kind gesture.

Never a bad experience here. Good food and generous portions. Always something different on the menu. Recommended.

Generous portions of delicious food. Excellent service and value for money