I only complete these reviews when my experience has been very good or very bad. Mike and Tina Pemburton were outstanding hosts. The ambiance,the food,the wine and the other couple we met and shared a table with were outstanding. We have had some sorry experiences in Norfolk where we live over the years and have paid a lot of money for mediocrity. This is the best place by far!

I really do not believe any of the other good reviews regarding this place! Although as you can see there are not many and this tells its own story!

The room was billed as 'modern', maybe for 1980, and not particularly tasteful, although clean enough, except the awful dusty grey venitian blinds which hid the dirty windows. The blinds kept no light out and with no curtains meant a nice early wake up a dawn! Outside a couple of loungers and chairs precariously set on a crazy pathed path served as a patio, with a dangerous drop down into the large but fairly unkempt garden. The pool looked grubby.

Dinner was a disappointing affair. The host and hostess bickered constantly. The canapes were rice crackers and olives. The wine we ordered was not available as it was frozen!! (Suprise when it had been kept in the freezer!). Service was poor.
Food was ok, but not local or seasonal as was billed (imported King Prawns and Swordfish). The hostess was once a food critic - and as such took TOO much pleasure in down rating all other restaurants in Norfolk (though we didn't believe that she had eaten in any of them). She even said she could not understand why some had Michelin Stars and she hadn't! This was obvious to us!

Breakfast was a joke - there were only 2 of us but we could not eat before 9.45am as this was the earliest she 'could possibly do, after such a busy night' (only a set menu for 8 guests). This time was only agreed after a lengthy discussion and she was clearly not happy that we wanted to get up SO early!!! A pathetic fruit salad was followed by greasy small portions of egg and refried beans and french toast.

Cost a fortune, very very disappointed. Have to say having read the other reviews this place is a case of 'The Emporers New Clothes' and I really can't see what its all about!

My advice: stay anywhere else - The White Horse Brancaster, Morston Hall, The Neptune Old Hunstanton are all excellent.

Tina's fusion of flavours provides layers of excitement for your taste buds! The ingredients are super fresh and the combination of herbs & spices are cleverly interwoven like a work of art. Expect a superb & imaginative dinner plus a delightful & original Cal/Mex breakfast/brunch. The rooms overlooking the garden are very clean , quiet & comfortable. Tina & Mike make you feel very welcome in their home and are both charming & discreet...treat yourselves!

We stayed mid-week and we were the only people dining that evening, but Tina and Mike just made it extra-special for us.

When we arrived Mike appeared at our car with a welcoming smile and took our luggage for us. We followed him to a large, modern, light and comfortable annexe attached to the main house. Impeccably clean with large windows giving us a view of the countryside garden setting, we instantly felt at home. The mid-afternoon sun was hot and we sat out at our terrace table with reading books and a bottle of Chablis - bliss! If the water had been warmer we would have used the pool, but that wasn't important to us.

Later, we enjoyed conversation with our hosts as we had our apperitifs at the kitchen bar, whilst watching Tina cooking her culinary delights on the hotplate in front us. Tina had already asked us about our likes and dislikes when I phoned to make the booking to stay for a night, so my husband thoroughly enjoyed king scallops with a corriander, ginger and lime vinaigrette followed by Cajun spiced swordfish and, as a vegetarian, I was delighted with salad of bean shoots, samphire, beetroot, fennel and roasted pineapple, followed by a Cajun spiced roasted butternut squash with halloumi cheese, tomato and sweet chilli marmalade, red peppers and aubergine.

If you like plain food this is not the place for you - the aromas of eastern spices and carribean marinades waft through the dining room/open-plan kitchen. The food is heavenly!

Seafood and fish is chosen daily from local Norfolk fishmongers and Tina knows her fish! Squid, scallops and swordfish were on the menu that evening.

Lunch is definitely not required prior to dinner at Brovey Lair in the evening. We thoroughly enjoyed 4 courses, but had to politely refuse the final sweetmeats and chocolates after a dessert of Zuppe Inglese (a modern trifle of raspberries, cherries, peaches, framboise liqueur and creme Anglaise).

Breakfast of a fresh fruit platter and goats yoghurt, followed by Mike's home-made french toast with bacon, or vegetarian option sauteed bananas, was delicious and not to be missed.

We will go again and take a couple of friends next time to share the experience.