Caviar and Champagne on the menu at new Jarrold restaurant

The Bay is a new seafood restaurant at Jarrold department store in central Norwich. Picture: Neil Didsbury (Image: Archant)

A former storecupboard at a Norwich department store has been transformed beyond recognition into what's set to be one of the cities most luxurious lunchtime dining experiences.

If quaffing Champagne and sampling the finest caviar sounds up your street, you really must make a date to visit The Bay, on the second floor at Jarrold.

Windows that were previously boarded up have been uncovered. Original architectural features and brickwork exposed. And a menu of shellfish and seafood deliciousness conjured up the executive chef and his team.

The eatery (Jarrold's sixth), is open from 9am to 3pm each day, and is part of a reimagining of this entire section of the store, with the lifestyle, homes and interiors department having been entirely revamped too.

The Bay is a new seafood restaurant at Jarrold department store in Norwich. Picture: Neil Didsbury (Image: Archant)

"The idea is to create as seamless a customer experience as possible," says Emma Harrowing of Jarrold. "While you're at The Bay you're surrounded by loads of plants and it feels like quite an escape from the busy shopping areas. There aren't many seafood places in town so we thought this would be a perfect fit."

Open for Jarrold's own-label coffee, Novus tea and sumptuous breakfasts in the morning, it's midday when The Bay really comes into its own, with the team paying attention to all the 'little things' that matter while crafting the concept, including using the very finest raw ingredients and making the majority of items from scratch…including the smoked salmon.

"We're doing our own version," Emma adds. "It's being produced on the premises over hot oak wood chips by our executive chef. He's made a lot of things like gravlax in-house!"

Platters of Jarrold salmon, John Ross Balmoral smoked salmon, hot kiln smoked salmon and gravlax come with your choice of accompaniment. From a simple plate of brown bread and butter with lemon and fresh black pepper, to pickled cucumber and beetroot ribbons with warm potato salad and dill crème fraiche.

Yasmin Burke, 20 from Norwich and Greta Butremaite, 20 from Norwich at the new Jarrold seafood restaurant, The Bay. Picture: Neil Didsbury (Image: Archant)

The remainder of the menu offers everything from a homely fish pie, to Cornish crab tian with tomato, cucumber jelly, keta and blinis, and a Scandi-style smorgasbord of pickled cucumber and red cabbage, radishes, new potatoes, egg salad, gravlax, pickled herring, mackerel, dill and lemon verbena sauce and Scandinavian bread.

Prices range from £7 to £14.

If you're pushing the boat out you absolutely have to try something that's a rarity in Norwich - caviar. "We have three types [Oscietra, Sevruga and Beluga] and they start from £80," reveals Emma, "so it's quite expensive but we've got a customer base who we know will be quite interested in coming to try it. We're trying to make Jarrold a bit more of an experience rather than just a shopping destination.

"Something we're also pleased about is that our team is experienced in matching Champagne and wine with each dish, so you can really push the boat out if you want to."

Caviar comes with blinis, crème fraiche, grated egg whites and egg yolk, ice cold vodka and, in truly ostentatious fashion, a mother of pearl spoon for slipping the silky, salty delicacy into your mouth.

If there's room for pudding, The Bay has a short but delicious-sounding trio of desserts on offer, from lemon posset to a lemon and prosecco sorbet- just the thing to cut through the brackish, seashore morsels that have preceded it.

There are hopes to open the restaurant during some evenings when special events are on in store…so watch this space.