Nest Farmhouse review: Luxury Norfolk hideout with great food

Just one night where we can drop the toddler off with his grandparents and hide away with a bit of luxury.

So we’ve made the journey to Norfolk (roughly a three-hour drive from London) in search of that, where up an unassuming farm track not far from King’s Lynn, you can find Nest Farmhouse.

Set in a thousand acres of working farmland is a converted barn now home to five king-size bedrooms and a restaurant run by the team behind London’s Michelin-starred St Barts.

The Nest Farmhouse, pictured in warmer times (Image: Nest Farmhouse) The building is reminiscent of an American farmhouse, with its grey cladding, veranda and balconies that look out across an expanse of fields that stretch as far as the eye can see.

This makes the Nest feel very isolated, especially with the grass turned white by the sub-zero temperatures.

The view from our balcony (Image: Simon Murfitt, Newsquest) The view from our balcony takes in a reeded pond a short stroll away where in the summer months guests can enjoy waterside drinks, but it’s much too cold for that now.

Instead, we enjoy hiding away in our room, which is comfortable, spacious, and boasts a luxurious bathroom with walk-in shower and huge bath.

The snacks delivered to our room (Image: Simon Murfitt, Newsquest) Famished from missing lunch on our drive, we get a taster of what’s to come at dinner by ordering some soda bread and fried chicken to our room for a snack. The succulent chicken tastes like a gourmet KFC, which makes me even more excited for the evening meal.

The restaurant area spans the length of the building, with a cosy, relaxed area in front of a raging fire where guests can sit and play board games at one end. At the other, diners can look out across the grounds through large windows as they enjoy dinner.

The menu reflects the farmland surroundings, with plenty of organic and home-grown produce, having been guided by a ‘farm-to-plate’ ethos.

The Orkney scallop starter (Image: Simon Murfitt, Newsquest) To start, we choose the hand dived Orkney scallop with swede and fermented chili from the specials board, as well as a lamb neck croquette and sauce gribiche.

The scallop is delightfully presented in its shell on a bed of noodles, seared on the outside, yet still smooth and tender. And the meaty crunch of the croquette is delicately offset by little jabs of pickle in the sauce gribiche.  

And for the main event we choose the pork, which comes with apple sauce and black pudding, as well as the fish of the day. On this occasion it’s a fresh skate fillet served with a moreish smoked mussel butter and braised leeks.

The glazed pork and in the foreground the delicious crispy garlic potatoes (Image: Simon Murfitt, Newsquest) The pork comes in little chunks of tender meat with crackling on one end. It’s very rich, but complemented well by the sweetness of pickled Savoy cabbage, so the thought of leaving any doesn’t cross your mind. The dish that will remain in my memory longest, however, is the crispy garlic potatoes. Very simple, but so delicious in how crunchy they are, with just the right amount of garlic.

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For dessert we enjoy the spiced custard pot, which has little rocks of chocolate to give a bit of added texture, and doughnuts – still warm from the oven. It’s a very indulgent meal and we feel lucky that it’s only a short walk up the stairs to get back to our room.

But after a good night’s sleep we’re ready to go again, with kipper and poached eggs and French toast for breakfast before we hit the road.

Kipper and poached eggs for breakfast (Image: Simon Murfitt, Newsquest) We feel very content and refreshed from our night away and ready to get back to the real world of dinner at 6pm and bedtime routines.

For those who want a longer a break, The Nest is less than 20 minutes away from seaside resorts such as Hunstanton, the Sandringham Estate, and about 30 minutes from Blakeney where you can go seal spotting.

Rooms at Nest Farmhouse start from £200 per night and dogs are welcome. For more information go to https://nestfarmhouse.co.uk/