Wildebeest Arms

As soon as we arrived we were sat at the bar and given menus to read, despite the restaurant being empty. Only after asking if we could sit at our table we were eventually seated. Service was average throughout. The starters we impressive. The ‘woodpigeon with smoked eel’ was incredible. Matched it with a beautiful smokey Cab Sauv, the name of which I can't recall. I couldn't wait for my main… …lamb. Standard meat and veg arranged with some thought, but nothing special. The red peppers added seemed like an afterthought, sadly their flavour didn't complement what was really just a ‘decent roast’, leaving the dish neither here nor there. Disappointing. I was visiting from London for the weekend and staying in the nearby Dunston Hall. After the meal I asked that the waitress called me a taxi to take me the 1.8 miles back to the hotel. She called Loyal Cars (minicab service) and failed to mention that they would charge from Norwich. So the 1.8 mile journey cost a staggering £11 pounds. If you need to order a cab after your meal perhaps specify that the restaurant call a company like City Cabs, who didn't charge from town when we used them for trips into Norwich from our hotel. I suggested politely to the restaurant staff that they might like to do this in future, but they didn't seem too interested. This restaurant certainly has potential, it just failed to reach it when I visited. Definitely not ‘exceptional’ as Michelin Bib Gourmand would suggest.

THE GOOD:- Great looking pub inside and out, with attentive and well presented staff. Lovely outside seating area at the front for those warm summer nights. Food very well presented with numerous taste sensations that food critics will love but maybe slightly over the top for those that just seek very good quality pub food. Slightly pretentious crowd but maybe thats a another reason to visit? THE NOT SO GOOD:- We were a party of 10 and of mixed income groups, with 4 of the party being pensioners of limited income. I mention this, as on their website they advertise a ‘menu du jour’/evening' 2 course meal for £17.95 or 3 courses for £21.50. On arrival we were told that this does not apply to Saturday nights; it does not state this on their website nor on the menu displayed at the front door. As most of the main courses were priced at around £17.95, the oldies opted for a main course only and out of politeness we all followed suit. THE BAD:- Once seated we were served freshly baked bread rolls but had no side plates. On asking for side plates we were told that they do not have any but we could have saucers (tiny coffee cup saucers complete with the indentation to hold the coffee cup) which the waitress duly provided. Really if you are trying to be an upmarket food eatery why do you not have side plates? The menu was completely different from that on display at the front door. On closer inspection the menu on the front door was for March, this was 3rd April Easter bank holiday weekend, very sloppy not to have updated it. IN SUMMARY:- Attractive venue, attentive staff and great food that will have your taste buds buzzing. Please visit, I am sure you will love it. However for me, if you are charging top dollar and striving to be somewhat pretentious every detail counts. No side plates and out of date menus I can forgive at the very best of traditional pub restaurants but are inexcusable at the prices charged here.