The best restaurants in East of England

Interminable tea room queue at nearby Mannington Hall led us to bail out and try instead this village shop-cum-cafe … what a find! … quirky shop and a fine little cafe attached, serving very nice coffee and tea and authentic cakes (and more), with a smile. I wish there were more like it!

when we go into Cambridge we always call in to Shelly and Sarah's for a lovely Bacon roll and a mug of tea. we even take our grandchildren there as they love the food and drinks. The prices are very good and reasonable and nothing is to much trouble for them.

The best cafe in Norfolk. Lovely people. Wonderful food. If you don't like the menu then you need your head Read! Breakfast in a sandwich!

We visited The Aviary for the first time at the end of the August.It was lovely.We wondered if we had just been lucky or if such fantastic food is par for the Course. Therefore we returned in October and I can report that it was no fluke and this restaurant is really special. Since our first visit it has been refurbished and also created a separate room acting as a bar serving light food. We stayed with the beautifully appointed restaurant and chose from their special lunch menu which is very good value at £ 25 for three courses and offers a number of choices with a diverse range of options. I started with the satay chicken with peanut sauce.In common with all the courses the presentation was superb.The chicken was very moist and the sauce was excellent.My wife opted for the avocado prawn and was surprised and happy that not only did it taste nice but the serving was most generous. We both had calves liver and crispy bacon served with a jus,mashed potato and broccoli.It was perfect.Every component of the dish was clearly made with such care and creativity.The sauce was enjoyably rich with a hint of sweetness.The chef clearly cares about the food he produces and succeeds with flying colours. For dessert we could choose any from the a la carte menu.I chose to have the banana bread pudding which was very nice and bananary ! My wife had sticky toffee pudding serviced with vanilla ice cream which she thought fabulous but she said it would have tasted even better if served with custard. The waitress whose name we found out to be Egle was brilliant.She made us feel very welcome,was very efficient and helpful and also had a lovely personality.She was proof of how important a server or manager is. A restaurant close by still very good but not as good as The Aviary had a great manager but she left and her departure left a real void. The Aviary is very fortunate indeed to have such a brilliant employee. We only have one concern and that is in trying to offer changes on the lunch menu more regularly some great dishes are taken off like the Atlantic cod.No doubt the calves liver will be replaced in time which would be sad as rather surprisingly it is not offered on the a la carte menu. It so happens that both our visits have been at lunch time.We are planning to go in the evening too.The prices for the evening are certainly no higher than those for the other high end restaurants indeed maybe slightly less. All in all The Aviary is a stunning restaurant both aesthetically and with the quality of the food.It is one of those rare places where you know you are going to be a regular after the first bite of food.

What an excellent find, tucked away in the corner of Beccles Common. Our Springer Cookie was first through the door and made very welcome. We sat outside in some very comfy garden chairs had a coffee and tea with a sausage roll and cheese scone, if it wasn’t cheesy enough came with an extra pot of cheese. Both came warm and hit the spot. Service was excellent and very reasonably priced £15 for our delights. Good place for a break after a dog walk although I do feel I would walk out of my way if I was in the area again

We have eaten here for Sunday roast and enjoyed a recent 'round the world' evening (Caribbean). The staff are wonderful ... really welcoming and attentive throughout. The food ..... omg!! You can smell how wonderful it's going to be, as soon as you park your car ... It is absolutely delicious 😋... the roasts are gorgeous, loads of tender meat/choice and beautifully cooked veg.. with a huge yorkshire pud ... that I wish I could master, but why bother when you can come to the L&R!! 🤔😁 The themed nights are tapas style with loads of meat/veg/hot/cold options and believe me.... each dish just absolutely melts in your mouth, and all are all so full of flavour and perfect balance of herbs/spices.... just simply delicious. Before each time we've been, we said to each other... 'we're not having desert' ... then seeing what comes out of the kitchen.. that statement went out the window!! Once you've finished, you can also then take home a selection of goodies ... pastries/pies/cakes etc from the fabulous deli counter... and I challenge you not to eat them before you get home ... or eat them as soon as you do get home ... as they smell, look, and taste so delicious. There's a fabulous choice of beers and lovely wines. Please visit, you will not be disappointed. Thank you L&R... keep up the good work and delicious food... and as Annie said .... we'll be back!! Xx

Well, finally we have made it, and yes it was fabulous. The best tasting burger EVER!!!!!

Excellent food, can highly recommend sandwiches and scones. Fabulous selection of teas. Staff very warm and welcoming, cannot do enough to make your visit special. Lovely setting - particularly liked the wall covered in foilage and large decorative flowers.

Visited Sunday and had a delicious Sunday Roast. I had Beef and my husband had lamb. Served with fresh vegetables and traditional Yorkshire pudding. The Chocolate cake that was served as dessert was also delicious, according to my husband! Great value and highly recommend.

Best spot for lunch in the area , good food , friendly ladies serving , cushions on all the seats ,super comfy ,and with a sea view, little bit of heaven

You would never know you were in a College once you step into Chefs Whites. It's modern design and peaceful atmosphere makes you feel you are in an upscale restaurant somewhere. We visited fir lunch for our 15th wedding anniversary. The food was amazing and such value for money. The only thing I would say in criticism is that the chocolate pot was very firm, like a ganache but still tasty. Our young waiter was polite, friendly and helpful. Yes there were some slight teething problems with the bill but quickly and calmly rectified. I really can't recommend a visit here enough and we will definitely be back for one of their special evening taster menus. Can't wait!

Very friendly attentive staff. Amazing food freshly prepared and full of flavour. Good value for money. Will be back to try more of the menu.

Visited here today for a late birthday celebration and can not fault it. I had never been but I will be back. The afternoon tea was amazing, plenty of food in fact so much cake that we had to have a take away box to enjoy some at home. The staff were so friendly and very helpful. Beautiful little establishment and lovely and clean too. See you soon 👍

Popped in for coffee and cake when visiting the area. The lady who served me was so friendly and welcoming, we had a chat about the cakes and the weather. I had a slice of clotted cream cake and a coffee - the cake was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Wish I’d stayed for a full lunch. Would thoroughly recommend.

I arranged an Afternoon Tea, baby shower for my sister at Papillon in August. I was in contact with Lisa from the start to sort out all the details, and Lisa was so lovely, friendly and happy to accommodate all our needs (including dietary needs). Even when I had to change the number of people coming (two times!), Lisa was still happy to help me out. On the afternoon of the event I arrived early to set up, and was very kindly given the big space at the back of the Café that was more private. Lisa and her team allowed me to put up banners and asked if I needed anything, etc. After all the guests had arrived, the staff at Papillon were so helpful in accommodating all the needs of our large group. It was also very and relaxed, as they allowed us to have time chatting before bringing out the afternoon teas. The Afternoon Tea was 10/10 as it always is, (I've been several times before!) such a great selection, and everything just tasted fantastic. But nothing can beat their sausage rolls, the best I've had in Bedford! They even put a little baby shower decoration on the afternoon tea stands, which was so lovely and gave us extra cheesecakes. Even after the Café was closing (and we lost track of the time.....) the staff were so considerate and let us stay a little longer to finish up our games. Every request I had (pencils for our games, boxes to back up the cakes) the staff couldn't be more helpful. At to top of it off, after we finally left (well after the closing time!) one of the staff members kindly took a group photograph. Overall I am so happy with the experience, and so grateful to all the staff at Papillon for helping to make this Baby Shower so special for my Sister. THANK YOU