The story
Just a few miles south of Norwich, in the quiet village of Stoke Holy Cross, The Wildebeest occupies a handsome pub that has become a serious dining destination. Chef Patron Daniel Smith, a Norfolk native, brings three decades of experience to the kitchen. His career includes a stint at Le Gavroche under Michel Roux Jr and a Michelin star at Morston Hall, where he was head chef at 23. After opening his first restaurant, The Ingham Swan, in 2010, he returned to his roots in 2015 by acquiring The Wildebeest.
The cooking here is an inventive tribute to modern British cuisine. The team works with hand-selected produce from trusted Norfolk farmers and growers, building dishes where every element plays an integral role. The menus change regularly—daily across the Du Jour, A La Carte, and Taste of Norfolk taster menus, and weekly on Sundays, when classic roasts and Wildebeest favourites take centre stage. Holding a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026 and three AA Rosettes, the restaurant proves that refined cooking need not be stuffy.
The wine list is a personal project for Daniel Smith, inspired by his late father’s love of Burgundy. With over 200 bottles spanning Old and New World regions—including biodynamic and organic options—it is curated with a focus on creativity and provenance. The team regularly tastes wines straight from the barrel to keep the selection fresh. It is an invitation to explore, not just to drink.
From a five-course lunch taster to a seven-course dinner menu, the offering is flexible and driven by the seasons. The Sunday menu, running from 12.30pm to 7.30pm, features dishes like roast chateau of British beef fillet with all the trimmings, or pan-fried halibut with broad beans and asparagus. Even the sides—truffle and Parmesan fries, garlic-buttered tenderstem broccoli—show care. The result is a restaurant that feels both ambitious and welcoming, rooted in Norfolk and open to the world.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
At first glance it looks like a roadside pub, name emblazoned on the painted brickwork, garden furniture and parasols on the terrace, decent parking at the side. But look again to find an ambitious restaurant in a spacious, airy room with plants, bare floors, moody photographic art, banquettes and carefully laid tables. Chef-owner Daniel Smith’s roots live deep in the classical repertoire, so expect ingredients that nod to luxury, and techniques that tell of a drilled and skilled kitchen. The choice is rich (and pricey) in these days of pared-back, shortened menus – a seven-course taster, a substantial carte and a more wallet-friendly set menu 'du jour'. Out for early applause comes monkfish, beautifully pale and tender, with brown shrimps, a tangle of crisped potato and freshening cucumber, some chopped finely into a raita and some chunked and seared sweetly. It’s no surprise to find scallops on offer, seared and served with pork (belly and boudin), as tradition dictates. Fillet of beef and Gressingham duck breast vie for main-course attention, but John Dory wins. It is crisp of skin and expertly cooked, while the mash it sits on is of the silkily butter-laden Robuchon kind. The result is luxurious, generous and well-seasoned, finished with a flourish of Champagne sauce and minuscule spheres of courgette, pieces of asparagus, flicks of samphire and a few nasturtium leaves lightening everything up. Desserts are true to classical form, so expect soufflés, crémeux and parfaits that do wondrous things with local strawberries, cherries and rhubarb, all plated with fragile tuiles at jaunty angles, sharp sorbets and gels, and the occasional tumble of sweet white chocolate. You’ll find wine from £26, while a broad by-the-glass choice (starting at £6.75 for a simple South African Chenin Blanc) is welcome.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
Facebook
Instagram