The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe

We are regular customers of The White Horse, and I have reviewed it very favourably in the past. Today was another story.
We arrived early and went into the bar. We said we had booked in the restaurant, and were given menus. At just before 12:30 we went into the restaurant, and were shown to our table. The waitress took my coat. From there on everything went downhill. Although one of us still had a glass with a little beer in it brought from the bar, no-​one asked if we would like anything else, or offered us a jug of water. People who were shown to the table next to us, were immediately asked if they would like a drink or water! I looked pointedly at the waitress, but was ignored.
Eventually we were asked if we were ready to order. I asked for a glass of wine and a jug of water, and queried why we had not been asked when others who were seated after us had been. We assumed as you brought a drink in with you, you were OK was the response. Since when has a little beer in a glass been a substitute for a jug of water, or wine? How ridiculous.
We ordered, then realised we had no bread. Apparently, we have to pay £1.95 for a little bread now, whereas it used to always be put on the table. I queried this and was told that people ate the bread and didn’t order starters. But we had already ordered starters and main courses! Surely it is not unreasonable to expect just a piece of bread to go with it. As I had no intention of paying £1.95 for one slice of bread, an item that costs pennies, I declined. To add insult to injury, I was told that if it was the evening bread would have been given to us. Why discriminate between lunchtime and evening? Especially when both the courses I ordered are on the evening menu at exactly the same price.
Our duck starter arrived. It was basically a very small glass bowl of salad, with 4 extremely small and thin pieces of duck on top. The duck must have been sliced on a mandoline on the thinnest setting. One small breast would have made upwards of 20 starters. In addition, the bowl I had was chipped; I can only hope the chip was not in my food! When I pointed it out to the waitress, all she said was I’ll tell the kitchen.
Our main courses were fine, but nothing special.
After we had finished our mains, another member of staff asked us if our meal so far was OK. We said the mains were, but the starter was extremely disappointing, and the bread issue was unacceptable. She offered us a free dessert, but we insisted we pay for them. We were not out to get something for nothing. We ordered, and I had a chocolate/​turkish delight option. It was awful! One of the worst desserts I have ever had. It was so hard that a steak knife was needed. The turkish delight turned out to be a claggy lump at the bottom. We did not complain, because we did not want to appear to be serial complainers. But there was a lady opposite with the same dessert, who saw me struggling to cut it, and said awful isn’t it.
I left most of the dessert, but the waitress ignored this. We declined coffee, and paid. I asked for my coat, and rather than get it she just pointed, said it will be on a hook through there, and walked away!
All in all a very disappointing experience, and for £82 with no coffee, one beer and two glasses of wine, quite expensive for an unsatisfactory meal. I can only assume that someone, somewhere has ordained that changes have to be made in the restaurant, which has resulted in the standard dropping so significantly.

All the rooms are spacious and modern, decorated in sea scape colours. Avid birdwatcher should book the room at the top which boasts a viewing telescope to the tidal marsh.
You are greeted to breakfast which is and extensive spread and the award winning restaurant specialises in seafood and the local seasonal produce.

The White Horse is situated in the village of Brancaster, on the main coastal road in North Norfolk. It’s a gastropub known well in the area for the quality of its food — much of it sourced locally and specialising in local seafood and game. The dining area is light and airy and the large windows afford terrfific views across the salt marshes and out to sea. Service is good too and friendly with it. It’s not cheap however but I’d still rate it as excellent value for money given the quality of the food on offer. Beers are well kept and mainly from the Woodfordes brewery local to this area of Norfolk.