The 10 Best Pubs in North Norfolk
Updated: Aug 19
Published by Willow Cottages Norfolk
North Norfolk is, by just about any measure, one of the finest pub counties in England. The combination of a working coastline, a strong brewing tradition, an extraordinary larder of local produce and a culture that takes hospitality seriously has produced a pub scene of remarkable quality — from Michelin Bib Gourmand dining rooms in ancient deer parks to award-winning village locals where the landlord knows everyone by name.
Whether you're looking for the best gastropubs in North Norfolk, a dog-friendly pub after a coastal walk, a traditional village inn or somewhere special for Sunday lunch, these are the pubs we recommend most often to guests staying with us.
The good news for guests staying at our cottages in Wighton, Binham and Walsingham is that several of the very best are practically on your doorstep. Here are our ten favourites — all dog-friendly, all worth the visit, and all very much a part of what makes a holiday in this corner of Norfolk so difficult to forget.
1. The Carpenters Arms, Wighton
Norfolk Magazine Pub of the Year 2024 | TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2025 | On the Doorstep of Willow Cottage
There is no more fitting place to start than the pub that is, quite literally, a short walk from Willow Cottage's front door. Run by husband-and-wife team Andrew and Izzy Robinson since 2019, The Carpenters Arms has transformed from a quiet village local into one of the most celebrated pubs in the county — winning the Norfolk Magazine Pub of the Year 2024 and earning a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice award in 2025 along the way.
The kitchen is where The Carpenters Arms really earns its reputation. Andrew is a trained chef who takes worldwide inspiration while making full use of the Norfolk larder around him — Swannington Farm to Fork and Walsingham Farm Shop for meat, Brancaster Seafood for fish, Mrs Temple's Cheese from just up the hill in Wighton, Blakeney Leaf for salads, and New Barn Farm for seasonal vegetables. The menu changes constantly, and the only permanent fixture is the sticky toffee pudding, which is entirely understandable. The bar offers local ales, a strong wine list and all the regulars, and the beer garden makes a very fine place to spend a summer evening. Dogs and families are warmly welcome.
Location: 57 High Street, Wighton, NR23 1PF
Website: carpentersarmsnorfolk.co.uk
2. The Black Lion, Walsingham
Sister Pub to The Carpenters Arms | Historic Setting | On the Doorstep of Robin Hood Cottage
Set in a historic Grade II-listed building in the heart of Little Walsingham, just yards from the ruins of Walsingham Priory, The Black Lion is the sister pub to The Carpenters Arms and shares the same commitment to quality, warmth and locally sourced food. For guests staying at Robin Hood Cottage, it is a short stroll from the front door — another of those happy coincidences that makes North Norfolk feel so effortlessly well supplied.
The setting is extraordinary: ancient flint walls, exposed beams and the romantic silhouette of one of England's most important medieval priories just beyond the window. The menu follows the same philosophy as its sibling — inventive, seasonal and deeply rooted in Norfolk produce — and the atmosphere is relaxed and convivial. A firm favourite with both locals and visitors, and a pub that rewards a return visit on every stay.
Location: The Common Place, Walsingham, NR22 6BP
Website: blacklionnorfolk.co.uk
3. The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market
Michelin Bib Gourmand | Good Food Guide Top 20 Best Pubs in the UK 2025 | Deer Park Setting
The Gunton Arms is unlike anywhere else in North Norfolk — possibly unlike anywhere else in England. Ranked 19th in the Good Food Guide's inaugural 100 Best Pubs list in 2025, it is a pub of genuine national significance, set on the edge of a 1,000-acre deer park near Cromer with herds of deer roaming the parkland beyond the windows.
The interiors are extraordinary — walls hung with works by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Lucian Freud, antler chandeliers, roaring fires and a sense of cultivated, eccentric grandeur. In the flag-floored Elk Room, prime cuts of local meat — venison from the estate, whole ribs of beef, pork chops and seasonal game — are carved and cooked over a vast open fire as you watch from your table. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognises both the quality and the remarkable value of the cooking, which extends well beyond the fire to exceptional pies, nose-to-tail dishes, and whole-animal Sunday roasts of uncommon quality. Allow around 45 minutes to drive from Wighton. Book well in advance.
Location: Gunton Park, Thorpe Market, NR11 8TZ
Website: theguntonarms.co.uk
4. The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe
Good Food Guide Top 100 Best Pubs 2025 | 2 AA Rosettes | Salt Marsh Views
There are few finer places to eat in North Norfolk on a summer evening than the terrace at The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe — mussels and oysters from the tidal beds in the marsh directly below you, a glass of something cold, and the sun going down over Scolt Head Island. It is a setting that makes everything taste better, and the food here needs no such assistance.
Executive chef Fran Hartshorne has built a two-AA-Rosette kitchen that makes exceptional use of the local coastline's larder — mussels and oysters from the village fishermen working the marsh outside, locally landed crab and lobster, sustainably sourced sea bass and mackerel. The on-site Staithe Smokehouse produces award-winning smoked salmon and other provisions, some of which find their way onto the menu and into the pub's deli. Named in the Good Food Guide's 100 Best Pubs 2025, and with a Food Made Good Sustainable Restaurant Association award to its name, The White Horse is one of those pubs you plan a walk around. Dogs are welcome in the bar and courtyard areas.
Location: Main Road, Brancaster Staithe, PE31 8BY
Website: whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk
5. The Dun Cow, Salthouse
Coastal Views | Daily Changing Menu | Birdwatchers' Favourite
The Dun Cow at Salthouse occupies one of the finest positions of any pub on the North Norfolk coast — an old flint inn sitting directly beside the salt marshes at Salthouse, with sweeping views across the reed beds and tidal creeks from the main bar. It is the kind of pub that birdwatchers discover by accident and immediately adopt as their base; the marshes outside are internationally important for waders and wildfowl, and the pub's relaxed atmosphere and daily-changing menu of Norfolk-inspired food make it an ideal place to debrief after a morning with binoculars.
The menu is small, focused and changes daily to reflect what's available — a refreshingly honest approach that prioritises quality over choice, and which produces food of consistently high standard. The courtyard garden is a lovely spot in summer. Dogs are warmly welcome throughout.
Location: Coast Road, Salthouse, Holt, NR25 7XA
Website: salthouseduncow.com
6. The King's Head, Letheringsett
Beautifully Restored | Family Friendly | Near Holt | Good Food Guide Recommended 2025
Just outside the handsome market town of Holt and beside the River Glaven, The King's Head at Letheringsett is one of the most beautiful pub buildings in North Norfolk — a classically proportioned coaching inn with a large garden, traditional bar, and a restaurant that has been Good Food Guide recommended for several years running.
The atmosphere is warm and unpretentious, with a happy mix of locals, walkers and visitors from the surrounding area. The menu balances pub classics with more adventurous seasonal dishes, and the kitchen has a notably good reputation for game in autumn and winter. The riverside garden and children's play area make it an excellent choice for families, and the short drive into Holt for a post-pub browse through the independent shops is a natural extension of an afternoon here. Dogs are welcome.
Location: Holt Road, Letheringsett, NR25 7AR
Website: kingsheadnorfolk.co.uk
7. The Saracen's Head, Wolterton
Hidden Gem | Georgian Inn | Wolterton Park | Exceptional Food
The Saracen's Head is the North Norfolk pub that most rewards the effort of finding it. Set at the end of a series of increasingly narrow country lanes on the edge of Wolterton Park — built in 1806 by architect G S Repton for Horatio Walpole as a companion to Wolterton Hall — it is a six-bedroom Georgian inn with a walled garden, magnificent views over fields to the coast, and some of the most thoughtful cooking in the county.
Described repeatedly by those who find it as "worth the journey" and "an absolute must," The Saracen's Head operates on a simple ethos: locally sourced ingredients, cooking that does justice to them, and hosts who make guests feel genuinely at home. The ever-changing menu draws on the best of what's available from the surrounding Norfolk countryside — the Sunday roasts in particular are exceptional, with generous portions and the kind of gravy that suggests someone cares deeply about the result. Families with dogs are entirely at home here, and the rooms are much loved by those who stay. Booking is essential.
Location: Wall Road, Wolterton, NR11 7LZ
Website: saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk
8. The Victoria at Holkham
2 AA Rosettes | Estate Produce | Dog Friendly | Orangery with Marsh Views
While The Victoria at Holkham also features in our guide to the best restaurants in North Norfolk, it earns its place on this list equally as a pub — specifically as one of the finest places in North Norfolk to sit with a dog, a pint of something local, and the best bar snacks on the coast. The bar and orangery overlook the Holkham National Nature Reserve, and in the right light the view of the marsh and the distant sea is quietly spectacular.
The menu draws entirely on the Holkham Estate's own production — beef from the estate farms, game from the family shoot, venison from the deer herd, vegetables from the walled garden, and fish from the Norfolk coast. For a pub lunch after a long walk on Holkham Beach, which is a ten-minute walk away, it is very difficult to improve upon. Dogs are welcome throughout.
Location: Park Road, Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1RG
Website: holkham.co.uk/victoria
9. The Three Horseshoes, Warham
Dating from 1725 | New Ownership | Walled Garden | One of Norfolk's Most Characterful
The Three Horseshoes at Warham is a pub that exists in cheerful defiance of fashion. Dating from 1725, it sits in the quiet village of Warham just a mile from Wells-next-the-Sea, and its characterful interiors — pamment-tiled floors, scrubbed pine furniture, exposed beams, a working fireplace and one of the very few surviving traditional serving hatches in Norfolk — have barely changed in centuries.
The pub recently changed hands, passing to sisters Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton who also run the Ship at Brancaster and Sculthorpe Mill — and early word from those who know North Norfolk well is that it is in very good hands. The new team have retained everything that makes The Three Horseshoes so beloved while bringing fresh energy to the kitchen and the welcome. Simple, unfussy food made with local produce, real ales, a spacious walled garden, and ten en-suite rooms for those who want to stay — it remains one of the most characterful pubs in the county and well worth a visit to see what the new chapter holds. Dogs are welcome throughout.
Location: The Street, Warham, NR23 1NL
Website: threehorseshoeswarham.co.uk
10. The Hero, Burnham Overy Staithe
Coastal | Dog Friendly | Post-Walk Favourite | Salt Marsh Setting
The Hero at Burnham Overy Staithe is the post-walk pub of choice for those who have been exploring the dunes and salt marsh paths between Burnham Overy and Holkham. A traditional village pub with views across the staithe and the marshes beyond, it has the easy, unhurried quality of a place that has been refreshing walkers, sailors and birdwatchers for generations — and shows no intention of changing.
The food is honest and well-executed, the welcome is warm, and the outside seating on a fine afternoon is one of the simple pleasures of the North Norfolk coast. Dogs are always welcome, and the pub is a natural endpoint for the Burnham Overy Staithe circular walk featured in our circular walks guide.
Location: The Street, Burnham Overy Staithe, PE31 8JE
Website: theheroburnhamoveryco.uk
Booking Pubs in North Norfolk
Several of the pubs on this list — particularly The Gunton Arms, The White Horse at Brancaster Staithe and The Saracen's Head — book up well in advance for weekend evenings and Sunday lunches in summer. If a particular pub is high on your list, booking before you travel is strongly recommended. The Carpenters Arms and The Black Lion can often accommodate bookings at shorter notice and are ideal for a mid-week meal without the planning pressure.
Almost every pub in North Norfolk welcomes dogs — it is one of the many reasons this part of England is such a natural destination for those who holiday with their four-legged companions. See our guide to the best dog-friendly beaches in North Norfolk for more on exploring the coast with a dog.
Where to Stay in North Norfolk
Our luxury holiday cottages in Wighton, Binham and Little Walsingham put you within easy reach of many of the best pubs in North Norfolk. The Carpenters Arms is a short walk from Willow Cottage; The Black Lion is steps from Robin Hood Cottage; and the White Horse, Dun Cow, Gunton Arms, Saracen’s Head and the rest are all within easy reach for lunch or dinner.
Willow Cottages Norfolk — four exceptional luxury retreats in the heart of North Norfolk, perfectly placed for the finest pubs the county has to offer.
