The Stables, Royal Norwich

Style and character await at The Royal Norwich

Set in a 400 year old parkland estate in Norfolk, The Royal Norwich is a stunning place to play golf, with a dining experience to match. If you’re a serious golfer in Norfolk, then you probably already know about The Stables at The Royal Norwich. But it seems to be a bit of a hidden secret to many I’ve spoken to recently (and perhaps they want to keep it this way!). The Stables is, in fact, the clubhouse, not that it even slightly resembles one. Once an elegant country house, The Stables was renovated in 2019 to seamlessly combine both the old and the new.

What’s even better is that you don’t have to be a member to go. Yep, it’s open to the public! The Royal Norwich might have a posh name (they had to get permission from Buckingham Palace to drop ‘golf club’ from its title) but it’s not snotty and exclusive. In fact, The Stables is so far from a golf clubhouse of yesteryear. It’s contemporary, airy, with a vast glass frontage with views that would rival some of London’s real estate. And seriously, how many clubhouses do you know – golf or other sport – that has it’s own micro-brewery?! Let me tell you that not a single other golf course in the UK has one.

The Royal Norwich doesn’t just set itself apart from every other golf course by having a brewery. Its ethos and openness to non-members is great. I could sit and extol the virtues of this non-stuffy, modern-approach golf establishment, but I’m here to experience the food and drink. So let’s get down to business.

The Stables restaurant and bar

The Stables really is a lovely place to come and drink coffee, eat lunch, enjoy afternoon tea on the outdoor terrace and watch the golfers tee-off, or come for drinks at the bar after an afternoon on the range – or even dinner in the Perowne private fine-dining room. In fact, you could just spent an entire day here sampling all the different meals on offer.

However, Mrs HB and I came here with another couple for lunch. Whilst the dining room is lovely, it is soooooo big that we felt a bit swallowed up by the place. There were a few other people dotted around, but the lack of people made the place lack a bit of atmosphere. Being a clubhouse rather than a dedicated restaurant, I guess that’s one of the trade-offs for a place like this. Even on a weekday. However, once I’d got over the quietness, I happily discovered a menu offering a good range of options for lunch. If you’re looking for something light to nibble there are olives and nuts. Slightly hungrier but don’t want a full course? Have a sausage roll or a plate of whitebait.

If you’re looking for something to keep you going for the afternoon, the fare is fairly standard: burgers and chips, sausage and mash, pie and chips or a bowl of carb-loaded pasta. But the best thing on the menu is the pizza – stone baked sourdough pizzas that are homemade, thin and crispy with a lovely choice of toppings. They’re big for one person but won’t leave you bloated and needing a snooze!

There is a long list of hot and cold sandwiches, and a few run-of-the-mill salads. And if you’ve got room for pudding there’s brownie, cake of the day, and ice creams and sorbets to choose from.

It all sounds lovely but remains very ‘club-housey’ rather than a place you’d come for a dining ‘experience’. I can’t fault the food really – everything was cooked well, the pizzas weren’t soggy, our friends’ burger and sandwich were, well, good. I’m not saying I was underwhelmed, but I didn’t experience a ‘wow’ either.

Value for money? Probably, but I think I expected something ‘more’ – a more modern, quirky menu to match the stunning surroundings perhaps?

Would I come again? Probably. Because I think this place has so much more potential than it’s currently putting out there.

What I would definitely come back for is the afternoon tea. With the hot sun bearing down, a super-chilled bottle of crisp Sancerre rosé from Domaine Sylvain Bailly, and stunning views from the outdoor terrace over the golf course, what more could you want? An enormous plank of wood with a beautiful spread of sweet and savoury treats? Yes please. From succulent and subtly-spiced sausage rolls, perfectly prepared finger sandwiches and cheese scones, to bright green-apple macarons, chocolate fudge cake and flapjack – all homemade I might add – this is a feast in itself.

It’s a seriously good way to spend a relaxing afternoon, whether you like golf or not. Just sit back, eat, breathe in the fresh air and take in the views. Ask me if this is good value for money? Astoundingly so at just £24.95 per person.

Anyone up for dinner at The Stables (might as well experience all three meals!)? It has a much more pleasant ring to it then “shall we go to the clubhouse?”.