Review of the King William IV Country Pub and Hotel, Sedgeford: Exceptional food in a warm and friendly setting

Just as I thought I knew all the loveliest places to eat in West Norfolk, I discovered another gem.

Nestled in the lovely village of Sedgeford, off the busy A149, the King William IV pub and hotel is just 17 miles from Lynn and well worth the trip if you fancy an exceptional meal.

I went with my daughter Tilly on Saturday afternoon when we had a lovely catch-up in a superb, welcoming location, and ate some wonderful food.

As we stepped out of the driving rain and into the pub we were immediately struck by its warmth and friendliness.

It was reasonably quiet, with three or four families enjoying lunch and the attentive waiter, who would look after us all afternoon, gave us a choice of places to sit before we chose a snug corner spot.

There are three spacious, tastefully decorated rooms to dine in and pop music playing gently in the background helped the casual yet classy vibe the pub was giving off.

After choosing our drinks – a large Coke each as I was driving and Tilly would be working later –we had a look at the impressive menu.

I went for the roasted butternut squash and sunblush tomato (£6.50) for my starter. It came with a gorgeous red pepper humus, harissa coconut yoghurt, toasted almonds, pomegranate pearls and coriander and was served on a flatbread. It was amazing.

Tilly chose the crispy halloumi (£7.95), served with rocket, pomegranate pearls and harissa yoghurt. She said the seeds added a nice crunch to the cheese, which had a lovely strong flavour.

Other starters included prawn cocktails, potted pork and crispy squid, and there were also nibbles and sharing dishes.

There were an impressive four vegan options for mains and I opted for the sunblush tomato gnocchi (£14.25) which came in a marinara sauce, served with toasted pine nuts, prosociano cheese, basil oil and pangrattato. I added grilled tofu for an extra £3, but could have had chicken or prawns. Just like my starter, this dish was melt-in-the-mouth gorgeous. I washed it down with a glass of lemonade.

Pan-fried chicken supreme (£17.45) was Tilly’s choice, served with crushed new potatoes, green beans, watercress and a peppercorn sauce. She said the chicken and potatoes were cooked to perfection and the tangy sauce was strong and full of flavour. I can vouch for the potatoes as she couldn’t finish the dish and I gave her a helping hand!

Fish and chips, pie of the day, roast ham, sausage and mash, lamb, fish, salads, steaks and burgers were other main course options.

Now with Tilly not able to finish her main course and me stuffed, you may think we’d call it a day, but a quick look at the dessert menu and we decided it looked too good to miss out on.

We did go for the lighter options though, Tilly having the three-scoop sorbet (£6.50) and myself the orange and passion fruit torte, which came with a coconut sorbet and mango coulis (£7.50). Mine was just as amazing as my first two dishes and Tilly found her’s refreshing and full of flavour.

Sticky toffee pudding, crumble, chocolate brownie, Nutella doughnuts, ice cream and a cheese board were also available.

The King William is now up there with the Dabbling Duck in Great Massingham as my favourite place to eat in the borough – and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Ratings out of five:

Food: Wonderful, tasty food that you wouldn’t find on many pub menus. *****

Drink: We only had soft drinks and there was no drinks menu, but we had no complaints. ***

Price: £63.15 was very reasonable for such lovely dishes. ****

Staff: Faultless and friendly service. ****

Decor: Spacious, comfortable and welcoming. ****