Tucked into the heart of the Norwich city centre, The Corkscrew is a mashup of two worlds – Norfolk’s fields and forests, and Italy’s kitchens and vineyards. The blend is the work of chef patron Samuel Beggi, who is a Michelin-trained, endlessly curious talent, who cooks the way he learned as he grew up.
Samuel enjoys being led by what's seasonal, and is instinctive in his methods. Using the likes of wild garlic, handpicked mushrooms, foraged herbs and berries, Samuel models creative dishes, shaping them around what's seasonally available. As such, the menus shift with the times, but you can always guarantee that Italian wines will lead the way on the menu, followed by crafty cocktails that borrow from the hedgerows as much as the vines.
A lot is left up to mystery when you book a table at The Corkscrew, because of how quickly the menus evolve. To give you a bit of a taste for what's coming, you can expect to find a five course sharing set menu, which is charged per person. First up may be the cauliflower veloute, drizzled with truffle dressing and chive textures, followed by 36 hour cured chalk stream trout, paired with beetroot ketchup and apple and cucumber tartare. The homemade tortellini is paired with local chanterelle and 16 month old parmigiano, and last but not least for the savoury courses, you may find roasted monkfish with miso, lemon and sea herb oil.
A sweet treat finishes things off (unless you're adding the option cheese course with frozen grapes, chestnut honey and homemade crackers), and could be a deliciously rich chocolate panna cotta with almond textures and local pears.