Stiffkey Red Lion
Stiffkey, Norfolk
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‘Unmatched in the area, and a class act,’ this much-loved north Norfolk hostelry is now under the freshly energetic guidance of chef Liam Goldstone and his partner Caroline Cooke, whose family have owned the pub for some 35 years. As one reader noted: ‘A rural coastal setting with local ales straight out of the barrel, open fires and super-friendly staff – what more can you ask for?’ While the Red Lion hasn’t mislaid its roots as a ‘true local’, the food is many notches up from pub grub. Goldstone’s background in precise, classical kitchens (including, most recently, nearby Morston Hall) is evident: he has the confidence to take simple ingredients, cook and season them with expert care, and serve them without fuss. Come for a drink and a generous snack such as prawns by the half-pint with home-baked bread (black treacle and garlic, perhaps) or roasted bone marrow, the fattiness tamed by pickled shallots. A ‘crispy chicken Caesar’ is a crumbed bone-in thigh, served whole, hot and juicy, and topped with all the salty, creamy, savoury, fresh flavours you’d expect, plus a blizzard of Parmesan. Dig deeper into the menu to find cuttlefish ragù, the under-used fish diced and cooked low and very, very slow with port, red wine and veal stock, then served on a piece of toast – a richly delicious plateful. Neatly trimmed skate is served 'on the bone' with plenty of butter, curls of brown shrimp and the freshening lift and crunch of sweet young asparagus nodding to the season. A regularly changing pie – braised lamb shoulder and merguez, say – comes with dreamily creamy pommes mousseline rather than any old mash, but it’s still a simple, happy-making plate of food, while specials (for sharing) might include spatchcocked chicken from Walsingham Farm with chilli and garlic butter, fries and a salad. Finish with a glossy sticky toffee pudding or a bright little lemon posset topped with slips of blood orange and the balancing crunch of homemade granola. The wine list echoes the simple approach, offering straightforward bottles from £22 and 175ml pours from £7 – unless you’d prefer a pint of Woodforde’s Wherry from that cask on the bar.
