When calling the telephone numbers below from the United States, first dial 011-44, unless noted otherwise.
Getting There
By Train The One network trains run from London Liverpool Street to Norwich every half hour from 6 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. weekdays and from 5:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Saturday, and every hour on the half hour from 8:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Sunday. The trip takes two hours. 8456-007-245; onerailway.com.
By Air Norwich International, five miles from the city center, has links to several U.K. cities, Amsterdam, Dublin, Geneva, Paris and more. The principal airlines are Flybe and KLM. norwichairport.co.uk.
Getting Around
Unless you're sticking to Norwich, you will need a car. Hertz (hertz.com), National (nationalcar.com) and Sixt (sixtusa.com) have offices in Norwich; also try inexpensive local company Norwich Car Hire (norwichcarhire.co.uk).
Hotels & Restaurants
Adlard's The polished Michelin-starred cuisine of young chef Roger Hickman is served in a warren of intimate rooms. Cod with chickpea and chorizo stew and squid beignet is typical of the updated classic French style. 79 Upper St. Giles St., Norwich; 1603-633-522.
Blakeney Cottage Company This well-known outfit rents stunning cottages on and around the northern coast. 1263-741-773; blakeneycottagecompany.co.uk.
Cley Mill The six rooms in the 18th-century windmill have black-beamed ceilings, wainscoting, whitewashed walls and Windsor chairs. The former stables and boat shed can be rented for self-catered vacations. Rooms $177; $701 a week for self-catering. The Mill, Cley-next-the-Sea; 1263-740-209; cleymill.co.uk.
Congham Hall Come for this traditional country-house hotel's excellent kitchen. Rooms $216. Grimston, near King's Lynn; 1485-600-250; conghamhallhotel.co.uk.
Crown Hotel The Crown Bar has fine snacks (goat cheese–rosemary brûlée) and hearty dishes; the dining room does more upscale meals (Thai marinated duck breast). The eleven modern rooms are simple but comfortable. Rooms $216. The Butt-lands, Wells-next-the-Sea; 1328-710-209; thecrownhotelwells.co.uk.
Fishes Restaurant & Rooms This is among the best places in the county for fish. The menu, which features fresh seafood bought from local day boats, changes twice daily. Rooms $255. Market Place, Burnham Market; 1328-738-588; fishesrestaurant.co.uk.
Globe Inn The seven-room gastropub is an offshoot of the Victoria Hotel. Unfortunately, the bar-restaurant is so minimal, it echoes. Stick to the simpler dishes, such as chipolatas (thin sausages) with mustard dip and homemade pies. Rooms $128. The Buttlands, Wells-next-the-Sea; 1328-710-206; holkham.co.uk/globe.
Hoste Arms Located in a beautiful Georgian town, this 17th-century hotel has thirty-six rooms in an assortment of exuberant styles to go with the restaurant, which is known countywide. Rooms $428. The Green, Burnham Market; 1328-738-777; hostearms.co.uk.
Ivory's Restaurant & Cafe Bar It's worth coming here just to bask in the grand Georgian room with its painted moldings. Heavy English dishes (steak-and-kidney pie) are made from local products. The Assembly House, Theatre St., Norwich; 1603-627-526.
Macintosh's Canteen Sit upstairs at this good-value two-story restaurant to indulge in locally sourced food (smoked mackerel, pesto-baked corn-fed chicken). Unit 410, Chapelfield Plain, Norwich; 1603-305-280.
Morston Hall This formal Michelin-starred dining room in classic country-house lodgings gets mixed reviews: some rave, others find it stuffy and stiff. Rooms $452. Morston, near Holt; 1263-741-041; morstonhall.com.
St. Giles House Hotel A twenty-three-room hotel in a 19th-century building showcases the Art Deco style favored by its Russian and English owners. Some bathrooms have fireplaces; there's also a spa, a bistro and a private club. It's the nearest thing in Norwich to a grand hotel. Rooms $226. 41–45 St. Giles St.; 1603-275-180; stgileshouse.com.
Strattons Vanessa Scott's bewitching ten-room haven is full of rich decor in styles from Jacobean to modern. It's eco-friendly, too, with hens on the lawn and all-local produce in the restaurant. Rooms $275. 4 Ash Close, Swaffham; 1760-723-845; strattons-hotel.co.uk.
Tatlers Everything about this two-level bistro, from the supersmart cooking of chef Brendan Ansbro (charred lamb-leg steak, salt-and-pepper-fried chicken) to the service, shows what's good about New Norfolk. 21 Tombland, Norwich; 1603-766-670.
Victoria Hotel This gate lodge of an ancestral estate near the sea has ten rooms in a colorful Raj-boho style and an unpretentious restaurant. There are also three other lodges. Rooms $265. Park Rd., Holkham; 1328-711-008; victoriaatholkham.co.uk.
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