If you’re looking for an evening meal out in a beautiful, historic setting, with good quality comfort food and a stunning river view, then you can’t go wrong with Marriott’s Warehouse on Lynn’s South Quay.
It had been a few years since we had paid our last visit to the cafe and restaurant – housed in a building dating back to the 1580s – and I’m sure it won’t be too long before we’re back again.
The usual four – myself, my partner Shane and my mum and dad – went along to Marriott’s on Thursday evening, having only called up half an hour before to ensure we would get a table.
The South Quay is one of my favourite spots in Lynn and we were treated to a beautiful sunset as we made our way to the restaurant at around 7pm.
I always think the outside area looks like such a lovely place to spend a summer’s evening – but Thursday was not one of those, and so we were sat indoors.
Luckily, the interior of Marriott’s is just as lovely indoors as out, with works from local artist Ali Atrissi for sale, the model of Lynn’s waterfront in the 1600s by Frederick Hall (donated to the Marriott’s Warehouse Trust) on display upstairs and lots of nice touches.
It wasn’t overly busy or super quiet when we arrived, but we received really good service from waiting staff who were quick to show us our table and take our orders.
To drink, we ordered a raspberry lemonade (£3), an orange juice (£2.25), an elderflower (£3.10) and a Madri beer (£5.80).
The four of us took our time perusing the main and specials menus, and I was pleased to see a few options which could be made vegan. I decided I was in the mood for a burger, and so chose the chickpea and sweetcorn burger with Cajun wedges and slaw (£15.95). Meanwhile, Shane opted for the fish platter for one (£13.95), Mum went for the Swedish meatballs (£15.95) and Dad picked the beef bourguignon (£18.95).
Mum described the meatballs from the specials menu – served with mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet carrots and peas – as comfort food, saying it warmed her up on a cooler autumn evening.
Dad said the bourguignon – served with cheesy mash and seasonal vegetables – “more than met expectations”. “The beef was beautifully done, wonderfully presented and it was a very generous portion,” he added.
My burger was a little dry, probably as the usual mango and garlic mayo was not vegan, but it could have done with another sauce in its stead. The burger though was soft and tasty, while the wedges added a little kick and had a good crunch, while being soft inside.
Shane’s fish platter came with scampi, smoked salmon, breaded butterfly king prawns, whitebait, mackerel pate, tartare sauce, rye bread and mixed house salad. While he enjoyed the “wide variety of fishy flavours” and said the salad was “really nice and well-dressed”, he had expected a bigger portion and more bread – but that this was reflected in the price.
We all decided we had room for desserts, with Shane choosing the lemon posset with whipped cream and fresh fruit (£5.95), Mum picked the cheesecake of the day (vanilla, chocolate and pear) for £7.25, I went for the vegan version of the Belgian chocolate brownie sundae (£7.25) and Dad only had room for a light dessert, so got two scoops of rum and raisin gelato ice cream (£3.50).
Mum described the cheesecake – served with chocolate shavings and fruit – as “scrummy, creamy and decadent”. It certainly looked the part too.
It was no surprise that Dad enjoyed his ice cream as it was his favourite flavour. Meanwhile, my ice cream sundae was delicious. The brownie pieces were without a doubt the highlight, as they were chewy and thoroughly chocolately.
Shane said he felt that the lemon posset was “essentially a very nice lemon mousse”, but that it was decorated with too much whipped cream. He was left wishing he had opted for a different dessert, saying ours had made him envious – but again, it was presented beautifully.
Our total bill came to £102.90 – just over £25 each, which is not too bad at all.
Ratings out of five:
Food: On the whole, really tasty but some of us would choose differently next time. ****
Drink: Lots to choose from. ****
Decor: Beautifully decorated inside and out, showcasing the building’s history and the work of a local artist. *****
Staff: Friendly, helpful and efficient. ****
Price: A total of £25 per person for two courses and a drink is decent value for money for what we got. ****
