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The 2 AA rosette winning Dove Restaurant in Harleston offers delightful French country style cuisine, rustic dishes prepared using the best ingredients and without a trace of pretension. So what you have before you is honest, simple food, flavourful to the last bite, served in a genuinely warm and comfy atmosphere. Their accommodation is excellent but it is the food which draws people to this restaurant which has been in the Oberhoffer family since 1980.

The lounge is perfect for a pre-dinner drink while the dining room is cosy and intimate. The menu strives to remain within the realm of the known, so expect dishes such as snails with garlic butter followed by sea bass with mussel ratatouille and basil sauce finishing with crêpes Suzette. The wine list at Dove is populated by selections from small and independent growers, which complements the meal excellently.

Taka and Charlotte Nakamoto opened Momiji Japanese Restaurant and Bar in August 2003. In Japanese, the word Momiji is the name of a tree, the Japanese Maple. This tree is particularly beautiful in the autumn, when the leaves change colour. Japanese people enjoy making trips to areas of natural beauty, to view the autumn leaves.

Miyajima Island, near the city of Hiroshima, is so famous for its dramatic autumn views, that the MOMIJI leaf has become a symbol of the Hiroshima region. The name "Momiji" was chosen because Taka is originally from Hiroshima and Charlotte spent a number of years there.

Many people are surprised to find a Japanese restaurant in the small Norfolk market Town of Harleston and tend to ask "Why Harleston?". The choice of location is not quite as random as it may seem as Charlotte is originally from nearby Bungay, and while living in London she and Taka would often come back to this part of the country to visit family and friends. The idea of introducing a completely new type of dining to the area really appealed to Taka and Charlotte and since opening they have gained many loyal customers.

The style of eating is known as Izakaya; this type of Japanese restaurant differs greatly from the typical Western "starter, main, dessert" format. The best way to experience Japanese food is to order a number of dishes to be shared among your group, as the main feature of Izakayas is the communal dining style. By sharing dishes with your party everyone can enjoy a wide range of dishes and it makes for a relaxed, sociable evening.

If you think that Japanese food is all about eating raw fish you will get a pleasant surprise - though you will find sushi - as they offer a wide variety on their menu from delicious starters like mushrooms in a light tempura batter with a chilli-mayonnaise or chicken kara-age, juicy marinated chicken, crispy fried with a spring onion sauce, to mains featuring steak, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes.

Harleston Gallery has received a facelift, it's now a bright and airy exhibition centre showcasing fine art and craft from the East Anglian region and beyond, now that's for the arty types, but wandering epicures also have something to look forward to at the in-house Gurney's Bistro. Done up in an effortlessly chic style, this red brick Georgian building has already become an integral part of the town's community life.

The positive buzz follows through to the menu, which is a collection of European, Modern British and Mediterranean dishes, so a meal could commence with black pudding, ham, pea and walnut salad with cranberry dressing, or deep fried breaded king prawns with sweet chilli dipping sauce and leaves. A few minutes later plates of char-grilled swordfish steak, or flash fried lamb's liver could follow and a classic way to finish could be the small morsels of Stilton, Brie and Hereford Hop with the slightly bitter taste of lightly toasted hops making a pleasant contrast to the creamy, sweet taste of the cheese.