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Amongst the many appealing pubs with restaurants in Norfolk there are few that can ratchet up the charm factor much more than The Walpole Arms. In the middle of nowhere, a great virtue in Norfolk where people actively seek isolation, they really do seem to have it all. To which you can add a list of awards resembling a Russian General's chest, including the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand every year since 2003, one of only 30 pubs in UK to receive the award at all.

The menu changes on a daily basis and reflects what is best and freshest on the day. Typical starters include escabeche of red mullet with pine nuts, sultana and butter beans or a terrine of pigeon, prune and pork with homemade chutney and salad. Main courses often feature a magnificent grilled leg of lamb steak, or homemade Catalonian pork sausages. There could hardly be anything more satisfying than a raspberry sorbet with Viennese whirls or a sticky toffee and date pudding for dessert.

The Rare Grill and Steakhouse, is a new introduction to the Norwich dining scene. Located in the heart of the city, this lively restaurant has a vibrant décor and a cool and contemporary feel. The building is listed and has beautiful gardens with a heated seating area on a patio.

Start with strips of beef marinated in five spices mixed with a selection of dressed sprouting shoots and toasted pine nuts and rolled chicken stuffed with fresh pomegranate and walnuts dressed with affilila cress. Move on to slow braised rib of beef served on caramelised onions, finished with rustic baby vegetables and a rich red wine sauce rub and two whole quails oven roasted and finished with a kumquat and silver skin onion sauce. For dessert try kiwi and mango parfait and strawberry pavlova. The Mirror Bar has several options available including local ales and fine wines along with a Champagne menu and a variety of cocktails.

Whilst the 42 Loch Fyne restaurants have a shared background there is a welcome degree of individuality encouraged throughout the group, which makes for customer interest. If you like wholesome, fresh and reliable seafood caught and reared under carefully controlled conditions, well presented in unfussy surroundings, and you enjoy being well looked after by pleasant staff, Loch Fyne is for you.

There is an increasing awareness of other food staples with an extended choice of meat dishes, but it is the original fare upon which their success was created that prevails. Loch Fyne kippers, a fine bouillabaisse, braden rost, kiln-roasted salmon fillet, and the toothsome oysters on ice, with a selection of accompaniments, all are to be found throughout the various restaurants, as well as Glen Fyne 21 day aged rib-eye steak and Scottish smoked venison. There is invariably a well-travelled wine list available which is sensible, both in content and prices.

Loch Fyne's greatest achievement has been to prove to a sceptical populace that chains or conglomerates can be made to work in the eating-out public's best interests.

The Lavender House is one of Norfolk's finest restaurants, serving innovative, locally sourced food in a famous Grade II listed thatched cottage that dates back to 1540. Since husband and wife team Richard and Sue Hughes opened the restaurant in 2002, it has quickly made its mark on the Norfolk dining scene, receiving rave reviews from customers, press and guide books alike and featuring on the BBC series Rick Stein's Food Heroes.

Most dishes on the menu are rooted in the classics, but traditional combinations are served in an innovative way, for example Cromer crab cocktail served in a Martini glass with Bloody Mary jelly. Richard is a staunch supporter of quality ingredients and champion of the Norfolk food industry and almost all ingredients used are sourced from local producers, butchers and farm shops.

Richard is one of the region's most innovative chefs, but it is not just Richard's approach to food that is dynamic; he also runs a series of courses, master classes and demonstrations on a wide range of food and cooking techniques for customers, school pupils, suppliers, members of the food industry and trainee chefs.

Richard and his team are dedicated to inspiring young people to develop an interest in cooking and a love of good food. The Lavender House team have been welcoming pupils from local schools into the restaurant to learn more about food and eat lunch there free of charge since 2002.

Passionate about food, motivated to perfect his craft and encourage others to develop a love of food and cooking, Richard's hard work has been recognised by several industry awards, including a Catey for Menu of the Year in 1994 and an award for the work with local schools. He is well respected among his peers and the local community for his passion and work.

A keen writer, Richard is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Norfolk, a columnist in the EDP Saturday magazine and EDP Norfolk magazine and appears regularly on BBC Look East and Anglia News.

Located in the heart of Norfolk's Thetford Forest, The Crown Hotel was formerly a hunting inn and a local magistrate's court. Although not much of its past is evident now it has retained a rustic feel and the Old Court restaurant and the Club Room bear testament to its rich history.

The wide ranging modern European menu is seasonal and hearty, and the regularly changing daily specials provide a range of interesting options such as steamed Brancaster mussels, or pan fried medallions of beef with foie gras and oxtail daube, red wine sauce and crispy sage leaves. On the main menu skilfully prepared starters such as smoked haddock and scallion fishcake, and smoked trout timbale can be followed by substantial main courses of slow braised Cornish lamb kleftico, and chicken fricassée. If you?d prefer something a little lighter try the whole tail scampi, haddock and chips or homemade beef burger.

The Crown Hotel also houses a Lounge Bar with a relaxed feel, while things liven up a bit in the vibrant Public Bar.

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.

The serene Broad House Hotel set in the midst of the Norfolk Broads National Park in Wroxham is a delight for the senses, particularly if your nerves are strained by the pressures of modern living. This boutique hotel is surrounded by 24 acres of lush parkland, making it the perfect venue for weddings and other such special occasions. You could easily get used to the luxury and comfort offered by this gorgeous hotel and its lovely rooms and facilities and when it comes to fine dining, the Trafford's Restaurant is an excellent choice.

The sophisticated and elegant atmosphere of the restaurant is a wonderful spot to savour the delicious dishes on offer and the menu could typically begin with starters of crab cakes with avocado ice cream and dressed leaves leading on to partridge with fondant potato, braised red cabbage, redcurrant and port jus. Finally, there's the caramel mousse and wines from the Broad House Hotel cellars which complement every aspect of the meal superbly.