What will we make of new opening, Orford Flat Iron?
Food 'My dad said this place used to be called Sheds Dennis,' whispered the woman on the next table to her boyfriend.
Close, but not quite. It was actually the French-Creole joint Chez Denis which previously occupied this space in the city centre courtyard, which also houses Looses Cookshop.
Now it's home to a little bistro-style steakhouse with a hipsterish logo, run by a small, young, enthusiastic team who still appear to be slightly nervous in their third month of opening.
Maybe it's the location which gives them the jitters. Orford Flat Iron is just round the corner from Middleton's, the reliable if noisy Norwich favourite which has been dishing up Norfolk beef on Timber Hill since 2013.
And maybe that's why this young pretender has chosen to specialise in the flat iron, the fashionable and perfectly-marbled shoulder cut which used to be known as a butler's or top blade steak. It doesn't currently feature on their well-established rival's menu.
We started well, with plump tiger prawns heavy with lime and chili, and slices of salmon tataki, which combined well with spring onions and soy.
But there was a note of warning in a bowl of heritage tomatoes - neither too big or too small to be really flavoursome, served far too cold and accompanied by a balsamic dressing which was ho-hum at best.
They say any steakhouse stands or falls on the cut and cooking of its meat. In this case, Orford Flat Iron wobbled slightly.
Both a flat iron and a sirloin very much looked the part: satisfying amounts of meat, charred on the outside and succulently medium-rare in the centre. Yet both were lacking in the correct seasoning to unlock their deep, rich flavours.
This wasn't easy to remedy at our table either. Salt and pepper comes in pre-ground in traditional shakers rather trusting customers with peppercorns and rock salt in grinders, while the steak's accompanying peppercorn sauce - gluey, dull and over-floured - stayed mostly in its pot.
Speaking of pots, those who like to be outraged about these kind of things will be delighted to know that your triple-cooked chips are served in a miniature saucepan. Like the steaks, these were decent if under-seasoned, though the accompanying Bloody Mary-style ketchup brought very little to the party. New potatoes were good; spinach too citrusy.
After such a mixed bag with the mains we approached the end of our meal with trepidation, but chocolate mousse with a crumbled amaretto biscuit was deceptively light and satisfyingly bitter. However, it came in the kind of glass you used to buy with Green Shield Stamps.
Apple and blueberry crumble was good enough to make us wish for the onset of proper winter and more comforting, warming desserts to come. The accompanying crême anglaise, though, was a little too heavy.
And that is Orford Flat Iron in a nutshell: A good room with good staff, a good drinks list and some good cooking, generating plenty of goodwill. But let down by a couple of bad choices and bad mistakes (and, perhaps, an unwillingness to take a few risks this early in their development).
Hence, we can't yet give them a good review. Close, but not quite.
Drinks
A small but well-formed wine list, with 12 bottles for under £20, including fruity, good-value Albarino and Merlot (£4.50 for 175ml, £17 a bottle). Some white wine arrived at the table a little warm. Good bottled beers: Camden Pale Ale, Peroni and Brewdog's Dead Pony Club.
Ambience
A pleasant, 32-cover room which could benefit from being slightly darker and warmer.
Service
Attentive, if still suffering a little from recently-opened stiltedness.
Price
Reasonable for the location, and the lunch menu - £10 for a starter and flat iron steak with chips - is a bargain. Sides are inexpensive but some side portions are small.
Loos
Tastefully decorated, but there's only one (unisex) toilet, meaning you might have to queue at busy times.
Location
Just opposite Debenhams in the city centre. Proximity to Middleton's brings its own pressure.
Parking
Nearest is Castle Mall car park 2.
Highlight
Tiger prawn starter and the chocolate mousse dessert were the best things we ate; decor is dominated by a large and lovely panoramic photograph of Red Lion Street in 1953, destined for a skip until it was rescued by the chef/owner.
In summary
A lot of meat for your money, plus decent starters, wine and dessert - but still plenty of mis-steps to (flat) iron out.
This is an independent review.
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