Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Norfolk/Suffolk

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Norfolk/Suffolk? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Steam Packet

4.9

4.9 (36)

£26 to £40

British

Norwich

About the restaurant

The Steam Packet is a small, cozy pub with an upstairs restaurant serving local, seasonal British food with European influences.

Top review

Gareth

Dined on Apr 4, 2025

Really lovely welcome, attentive service without being intrusive, food was delicious. Prices reasonable (slight negative was that service charge added right bill). Will be back. Loved it.

Rocky Bottoms

4.7

4.7 (1652)

£26 to £40

Seafood

Cromer

About the restaurant

Rocky Bottoms started out as an 1800s brick kiln with a purpose to fire bricks. Eventually the brick kiln was unable to compete with larger competitors and closed down after WW2. Since this time the brick kiln has offered itself as agricultural storage until it collapsed and stood derelict.

In 2008 the brick kiln’s potential and need of restoration was spotted by local fishing family; The Matthews. After years of love and attention, Rocky Bottoms, as we know it today was born. Our doors opened in May 2015, just in time for the start of the crab season. We deliver local shellfish from pot to plate in a laid back environment. Rocky Bottoms believes in enjoying the simpler things in life!

Top review

Chris

Dined 4 days ago

Amazing as always. Thank you!! Great food, nice wines, good service and love to be by the sea eating fresh fish. If I had one wish … I’d prefer the fish platters to. be less lobster focused. We love a fish platter but neither of us a fan of lobster so we avoid. A none lobster version would be amazing.

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Popular dish

Oysters

Popular dish

Small seafood platter served warm

Popular dish

Fish pie

The Ivy Norwich Brasserie

4.6

4.6 (7681)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Norwich

About the restaurant

Located within the heart of Norwich, the restaurant will offer sophisticated and friendly all-day dining to both residents and visitors alike. Whether visiting for a relaxing breakfast, working lunch, cocktails with friends or a three-course dinner, The Ivy Norwich Brasserie will add to the charm of Norwich.

Top review

Janice

Dined on Apr 9, 2025

Loved our catch up lunch at The Ivy, Norwich. The decor is amazing. It is a real experience to dine here. The food was delicious and the staff were all very professional and friendly. My only slight criticism is that I feel the wines are overpriced in relation to the food prices.

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Experience

A Night at the Musicals

Experience

Veuve Clicquot Brunch

Experience

The Ivy Norwich Brasserie Afternoon Tea

Côte Brasserie - Bury St Edmunds

4.6

4.6 (67)

£25 and under

French

Bury St. Edmunds

About the restaurant

Cote is inspired by the brasseries of Paris, serving authentic French dishes all day in our classically designed restaurants. We are committed to producing authentic French classics, freshly cooked to order, from the highest quality sourced ingredients.

Top review

Ian

Dined 3 days ago

Good visit. Our first meal with Cote. We will visit again

The Suffolk

4.6

4.6 (186)

£41 and over

British

Aldeburgh

About the restaurant

A restaurant that celebrates the splendour of British seafood and produce from local farms.

We are delighted to use the finest of local producers, farmers, and growers of the region. Seafood will always remain our focus. Oysters from Pinneys of Orford, fresh fish from Wightman based in Lowestoft, as well as meat from Salter & King in Aldeburgh, we are incredibly lucky to work with the best.

Top review

Thomas

Dined 2 days ago

The food here is excellent but be warned, they allow dogs too ,so unfortunately the couple next to us had two very smelly dogs, so we didn't stay for dessert!

The William & Florence

4.5

4.5 (579)

£25 and under

British

Norwich

About the restaurant

WERE BACK!

After some time out we are refurbed & re open, we cannot wait to see you!

OPENING TIMES

Kitchen 10am-9pm Monday to Saturday
Brunch 10am-2pm Monday to Saturday

SUNDAY SERVICE
Brunch 10am-12pm
Roasts & Main menu 12:30-8pm

If you are having problems making a booking with us, please give us a call on 01603 660706

Top review

Kate

Dined on Apr 16, 2025

We had the best meal out in ages here we loved the atmosphere was lovely. The staff were perfect; relaxed but really attentive.

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4.5

4.5 (1671)

£25 and under

British

Brancaster Staithe

About the restaurant

Attention: Please note that all reservations made will be located in our inside restaurant, our tables located in our large pub garden, bar area and covered garden room are available for walk-ins only.

Voted the nation’s favourite family pub, our 18th century village local on the Norfolk coast serves real ales from our microbrewery Brancaster Brewery, home cooked wholesome food, great pub classics including Jolly Smokehouse specials, local seafood, stone baked pizzas and ice cream from a garden beach hut (and not forgetting the largest selection of rum on the coast!).

Top review

Kelvin

Dined 4 days ago

The staff at the jolly sailor’s were friendly , polite and helpful the food was excellent and good value. I’ve been to the pub three times in the past ten years and it’s always been a pleasure to visit. I’ll definitely be back in the future.

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Popular dish

Fish & Chips

Meat & Greet BBQ Steakhouse

4.5

4.5 (131)

£25 and under

Steakhouse

Bury St. Edmunds

About the restaurant

Meat & Greet BBQ started in 2019, where initially we sold uncooked meats which had been seasoned with spice blends from all across the world. The Covid pandemic saw the business begin to grow rapidly – with us delivering our high-quality meats all around the clock, direct to customer’s doors and helping people in need to get food they required.

In 2021, many of our customers were asking us to add a street food element to the business so that our delicious meats could be enjoyed on the go. With Lee having an existing passion for being behind the grill; already owning several BBQs and cooking outdoors on them all year-round. Using the best cuts of meat, seasoned with fresh blends of herbs & spices cooked over local lump wood charcoal, Meat & Greet BBQ came alive in the summer 2021. 18 months down the road we have one of the best reputations in East Anglia, not only for BBQing but as a distinguished street food vendor.

Top review

Jane

Dined 4 days ago

Fantastic service and amazing food. Lots of offers on so great value too. Will definitely be returning

Rooftop Gardens

4.2

4.2 (3732)

£26 to £40

Mediterranean

Norwich

About the restaurant

Norwich's First Rooftop Bar and Restaurant located on the top floor of The Union Building. Our unique urban venue invites you to eat from our luscious modern menu, grab a drink from our vibrant bar and enjoy the stunning 360-degree panoramic views.

PARKING
Rose Lane car park – 3-min walk. 24/7.
Union Building car park – 1-min walk. Weekends, Sat-Sun: 08:00 till 18:00. Evenings, Mon-Sun: 18:00 till 08:00.

Top review

Sonny

Dined 6 days ago

Workers there extremely helpful and went above and beyond to make sure everything is good

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3.9

3.9 (935)

£25 and under

Belgian

Norwich

About the restaurant

The Belgian Monk opened in December 2000. The main objective was to create something different yet to fit in with the way drinking and dining is changing. It has become a successful and established bar and restaurant, offering customers a choice of a regular selection of some 45 beers together with a selection of special beers. The menu is based on serving only the best products available freshly prepared daily, at realistic prices, in an informal relaxed "friends and family" atmosphere. It provides more than just the meal or drink but a whole Belgian experience. Now owned and run by Wursty Four Biers Ltd the new owners hope to take this fantastic venue to new heights and enhance the service style and offer. Sincerely not to be missed!

Top review

Billy

Dined 4 days ago

Table for 2 booked on Monday 21st April at 6pm, excellent service from Elyssia. Food was of a high quality, and was reasonably priced. Quite a small pub, which was good as meant it wasn't loud at all Well worth a visit

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Popular dish

Crispy Pork Belly

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