Search the Good Food Guide - Site Settings site

Location

Establishment Type

Cuisine

Price

Clear
  View all 6 photos
  /6
X

The Old Bank

Norfolk, Snettisham - Modern British - Restaurant - £££

Overall Rating: Very Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Very Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Exceptional

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Very Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Exceptional

Having honed their already-impressive operation still further, Aga and Lewis King are now custodians of one of Norfolk’s best restaurants – plus a new bakery and coffee shop next door. Dispense with all preconceptions about banks before dining here. The venue occupies a well-proportioned but hardly capacious old building in the centre of Snettisham, and its dining room is an ‘intimate, carefully lit’ space with just 22 covers. Local prints and photos hang on grey walls, while a jazz soundtrack and Aga's informal but informative service ensure a casual atmosphere much loved by couples. Vegan and dairy-free diets aren't catered for; the choice is between Lewis's 'short' menu and his (better-value) 'long' tasting menu. Poise, accuracy, outstanding ingredients and a mastery of strong flavours characterised an inspection meal, which began with 'snacks' of truffled egg yolk 'jam' on a chickpea cracker with Parmesan, and a well-matched apple and crab roe assembly toppe...

Having honed their already-impressive operation still further, Aga and Lewis King are now custodians of one of Norfolk’s best restaurants – plus a new bakery and coffee shop next door. Dispense with all preconceptions about banks before dining here. The venue occupies a well-proportioned but hardly capacious old building in the centre of Snettisham, and its dining room is an ‘intimate, carefully lit’ space with just 22 covers. Local prints and photos hang on grey walls, while a jazz soundtrack and Aga's informal but informative service ensure a casual atmosphere much loved by couples. Vegan and dairy-free diets aren't catered for; the choice is between Lewis's 'short' menu and his (better-value) 'long' tasting menu. Poise, accuracy, outstanding ingredients and a mastery of strong flavours characterised an inspection meal, which began with 'snacks' of truffled egg yolk 'jam' on a chickpea cracker with Parmesan, and a well-matched apple and crab roe assembly topped with edible flowers. The fungal world is oft-explored here, and the following course of 'white onion, seeds, Wiltshire truffle' was a marvellously light soup made tangy with yoghurt and featuring a generous grating of truffle on top – plus toasted pumpkin seeds at the bottom. The eight-course bonanza continued with flavoursome cured mackerel partnered by crisp fennel and slices of kohlrabi onto which was poured a creamy horseradish and dill sauce: again, a triumph of carefully judged flavours and textures. So too, a dish of marinated beetroot with pungent goat's cheese, pine nuts and resilient slices of king oyster mushroom. No course disappointed: the halibut was meaty, fresh, and boosted by a deliciously savoury mussel sauce, although the Norfolk beef (both sirloin and short rib) was perhaps the highlight of the meal – a rich collection of juicy, flavour-packed meat sharing the plate with hazelnuts, a tangle of hen of the woods mushrooms, cep purée and an intense red wine jus. Some ingredients are grown in the Old Bank's organic allotment; others don’t travel far. Strawberries (from the nearby village of Sharrington) arrived covered by a Greek yoghurt mousse scattered with pistachios, while the finale – a second dessert involving a wobbly dark-chocolate tart matched with discs of peanut brittle, sliced black cherries (at their succulent peak) and a morello cherry sorbet – yieled even more delights. The drinks list allows plenty of scope for exploration, with decent house wines and ample by-the-glass selections (including an optional wine flight), as well as a few Norfolk beers. Our verdict? Outstanding.

Read full reviewSee less

VENUE DETAILS

10 Lynn Road
Snettisham
Norfolk
PE31 7LPGB

01485 544080

View opening times

Make a reservation

OTHER INFORMATION

Wheelchair access, Credit card required

More like this

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    Latest articles