If you can't be bothered to whip and flip your own pancakes on February 13, check out these East Anglian offerings.

This week is full-on when it comes to food. Because not only, dear readers, is it the jour d'amour (Valentine's Day) on Wednesday, but Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) falls on Tuesday. Yummy. It's pretty simple to whip up a batch in your own kitchen – all you need is eggs, milk, flour and oil. But why not make a 'thing' of it and check out one of the east's best pancake purveyors?

Darsham Nurseries, Darsham

At first glance, as you travel up the A12 from Suffolk towards Southwold and Lowestoft, this looks like a posh garden centre – but make sure you stop in. The café is a peaceful little haven from your journey and its menu is absolutely nothing like a roadside greasy spoon. They do flipping great buttermilk pancakes dressed with syrup and streaky bacon or yoghurt and berry compote.

Zak's Diner, Norwich

Pancakes are a mainstay at each of the Zak's locations in Norfolk. Can you finish their stack of five thick buttermilk pancakes topped with your choice of two tasty additions? We reckon black cherries and chocolate sauce would be amazing.

Twyfords Café, Beccles

If you can bear to steer yourself away from the handmade chocolates, traybakes and dizzying array of cakes at the counter, find a table inside this café and sit yourself down to a plate of expertly-made pancakes. The American-style stack comes with bacon and maple syrup, but if you're feeling greedy you can add local sausage and egg too.

Arbuckles, Downham Market

A firm family favourite for its more elegant-looking American diner space, there's a bit of a sense of occasion about coming here – which is why it's so popular for parties. The kitchen is pro at cooking up American-style buttermilk pancakes, which come with toppings such as lemon and sugar, black cherry and banana and toffee.

Earsham Street Café, Bungay

A charming spot for breakfast and lunch, this place is going all-out on February 13 with a special Pancake Day menu – all profits going to the charity Toilet Twinnings. Pick anything from simple lemon and sugar, to apple and spice, and 'pimp it up' with clotted cream, yoghurt or a scoop of Norfolk ice cream.

Christophe's Crepes, Davey Place, Norwich

Look out for this cutesy buttercup yellow van, from which a delectable array of crepes is dosed out to customers, wrapped into a cone shape and piled with fillings. A top seller is the Mont Blanc, with strawberries, chocolate and marshmallows, but another recent delight included a crepe of salted caramel, Kinder chocolate and banana!

Petite Pancakes, Stowmarket

Bright, light and very family friendly, this pancake hot spot isn't very big so you're going to need to book in advance. Expect really interesting sweet and savoury pancakes, barista-made coffee and artisan loose leaf teas. Pancake flavours have included pulled pork, Welsh rarebit, berry and apple crumble, and dark chocolate caramel.

Frank's Bar, Norwich

Effortlessly cool and unassuming, everyone should visit Frank's at least once – but you'll definitely want to go back. Pop by at breakfast for American-style pancakes with two toppings of your choice. We fancy peanut butter and chocolate buttons – naughty but nice!

Creams, Ipswich

This one's a chain, but is getting popular with visitors to Ipswich's Buttermarket complex – home of the new Empire Cinema. As well as milkshakes and on-trend bubble pop waffles, they are serious about crepes here. We're talking piles of pancakes covered in chocolate sauce, rocher gelato, chopped nuts and rocher chocolate, or burrito wraps filled with fresh whole banana, chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings.

The Albatros, Wells Next The Sea

Fancy something a tad different? Then climb aboard The Albatros – a retired Dutch barge that now sells homemade Dutch-style food below deck. You've got king sized savoury cakes of mushrooms, garlic and stilton, or homemade hummus, red peppers, pesto and olives. Then there are supersized or diddy sweet pancakes lavished with apples, sultanas, cinnamon, syrup and cream, or pear, Advokaat and cream. It's listed in the Good Beer Guide too if you fancy a decent pint.

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