Being the late planner that I am, I forgot to book a place for a Sunday roast. Feeling the pending crisis of going without, I decided to "just go anywhere" and stumbled across The Hermitage pub and restaurant on Acle’s Old Road.
Let me assure you.
This place isn't just anywhere.
When we arrived, we were greeted with a warm welcome by the staff and offered a lovely seat in the sunshine. Families were gathered over empty plates and half-drank pints of beer, catching up and unwinding in the good weather.
We decided to go all out and ordered three courses each, starting with the devilled whitebait (£5.75) and the Caprese salad (£5.95).
My partner’s whitebait came in hot with a lightly spiced crispy batter which was tempered with a refreshingly tangy lemon aftertaste from the mayonnaise. The tiny fish were plentiful and full-flavoured.
My Caprese salad was deliciously simple, with soft tones from the mozzarella and a subtle hint of fresh basil which was given a kick from the balsamic vinegar. The tomatoes were fresh, soft and juicy, and the salad's texture was capped with the creaminess from the olives.
For the main course, I had the roast pork with all the trimmings (£11.95) and my partner had the veg Wellington (£11.95).
The cut of pork was magnificent and was succulent and tender. The trimmings consisted of golden roasted potatoes, peas, carrots, broccoli, red cabbage, mash, creamy cauliflower cheese, a Yorkshire pudding and freshly crisped parsnips.
The vegetable melange was pleasing to the eye and even more so to the tastebuds. The roast pork came with a nice-sized serving of crackling, and the meaty stuffing on the side made the meal pop.
The Wellington contained a medley of mushrooms and vegetables with undertones of a red berry sauce inside the crispy crunch of flaky pastry.
The generous amount of gravy enveloped the soft vegetables and evoked all the nostalgic traditions associated with one of our country’s best-loved meals.
The Hermitage makes a perfect Sunday roast.
Despite loosening our belts, we still had room in our dessert stomachs. Lucky for us The Hermitage knows how to cater to those with an insatiably sweet tooth.
My partner went with the amaretto affogato - Madagascan vanilla ice cream, espresso with a shot of amaretto (£5.95) – and I went the whole hog and ordered the Biscoff lasagne with vanilla ice cream (£5.95).
There are few things which please me more than good dessert, and this has to be one of the best I have ever had. It was so decadent I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for how much I enjoyed the biscuity crunch and soft speculoos spread combination. As much as it pains me to say, the only criticism I have is that there was a bit too much of it. I would have been just as satisfied with half the amount at the same cost.
This is definitely one to share.
The amaretto affogato was a dessert of ice cream and coffee with a liqueur. Simple on their own but pour the coffee over the ice cream and it unleashed a brilliant contrast of sweet and bitter flavours.
Setting
Inside, The Hermitage is a quaint Norfolk pub with dark wood and friendly regulars. Outside, we enjoyed our dinner on picnic benches in the sunshine. Being so close to the Old Road, I thought there would be a lot of noise to shout over, but the wooden fence is a great sound barrier – we forgot the road was even there at times.
Value
Very good. We paid just over £55 (without tip) for three courses and four non-alcoholic drinks (Appletiser, Diet Coke, sparkling water), and we didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day.
Drinks
The Hermitage is well-stocked with beers on tap, as well as other tipples and warm drinks.
Toilets
Well maintained and easy to find.
Accessibility
Everything was on one floor, except some of the toilets, which were down one step. There is a disabled toilet which is easier to access.
Service
We were well tended to. The staff were friendly, chatty and speedy. Food came soon after ordering.
Highlight
It’s a close call, but the Biscoff lasagne was out of this world.
In summary
The Hermitage is a brilliant family pub close to the Broads, Great Yarmouth and Norwich. Everyone is welcome, and they deliver a wonderfully traditional Sunday roast.
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