The Gunton Arms

Eating

As well as being a fully functioning pub with a selection of local ales on tap, the excellent restaurant, presided over by ex-Mark Hix chef Stuart Tattersall, is the main reason to visit. There are 2 restaurant areas, both designed by Martin Brudzinski. The main one sits under a grand elk's head; the second acts as more of an overflow area. The private dining room, which hotel guests can use on request, seats 8. All are warm and characterful with wooden furniture and open fires.

The pub itself is a curious place, collecting a mix of people and furniture including a 13th-century coffin table, modern pine, 17th-century wood panelling, silver plated cutlery and outlandish modern art. All the more to talk about over dinner!

The menu is seasonal, changing with a focus on local food. They smoke their own venison and salmon here, and if food miles are an issue, you'll love that the Gunton Venison has travelled under a mile, and fish is from the coast 4 miles away.

The menu includes the likes of nettle and leek soup, linguini with Brancaster mussels and clams, a mixed grill of Gunton Fallow Deer and steamed treacle sponge plus a shot of sloe gin jelly. The portions are vast and there's an extensive wine list.

For breakfast, you can help yourself to toast and cereal from the pantry or otherwise order off the menu (included) which has some local delights: double fried duck eggs as part of the Gunton fried breakfast, and drop scones with Swafield cured bacon and Alby honey.

During the day, guests have use of the tea and coffee facilities in the pub (there are none in rooms). There are bar snacks and sandwiches available all day, including a Gunton venison sausage roll and parsnip crisps.

For a change of scene, The Vernon Arms is recommended, a local village pub. And a great little find is Cookies, a crab shack on the coast road heading north.