No.1 Cromer

According to the Ordnance Survey, Church Flatts farm, southeast of Coton in the Elm in Derbyshire is the farthest point from the sea in Great Britain. In geographical terms though it’s nothing being only 70 miles away. Essentially, all of us are always within easy reach of the sea. Having a father who was a marine biologist meant that the sea has always been a big factor for our family emphasised by growing up close to the Firth of Clyde.

Consequently, one of the worst things for me about moving to Upstate New York is that is no longer easy to get to the sea.  70 miles from our house gets you just to the New York/Pennsylvania border and barely a third of the way to anything that passes for a marine environment. Wherever possible we’ll try to get to the beach when we’re back. That means the shores on the Solway Firth if visiting my parents or somewhere like Great Yarmouth when visiting the in-laws.

This time, though, I got my request in early. By visiting Cromer we could get to the sea, recreate scenes from Alpha Papa on Cromer Pier and best of all have lunch at No.1 Cromer.

Galton Blackiston was born in Norfolk and got the bug for cooking as a teen when he sold his own baked goods at a local market. He has no formal training but gained kitchen experience at the Miller Howe hotel in the Lake District. He bought Morston Hall hotel over 20 years ago and the restaurant in the hotel has had a Michelin star since 1999. I first became aware of him when watching the Great British Menu when it was possible not to sympathise as he agonised over the judges’ reactions to his food. Morston Hall has long been on my list but it’s far enough from my wife’s family that it hasn’t been easy to fit in during brief visits, especially as they only serve lunches on a Sunday.

More recently in the summer of 2013, he branched out by opening No.1 Cromer, a restaurant taking advantage of abundant natural produce and focussing on fish. Parking at Cromer is up the hill from the town centre and as you walk down to the main business area it’s impossible to ignore the large blue-painted end of terrace property that overlooks Cromer pier. As you get closer, it’s easier to see the blue signage proclaiming No 1 Cromer Fish & Chips and Upstairs at No 1 as well as the pink billboard announcing Ice Cromer.  

There are two dining rooms. Upstairs has a more sophisticated approach to food and it sounds fantastic but we want proper battered fish and chips so downstairs is the only real option. We play the foreigner card when we book and ask for a view of the sea. It’s difficult to beat a fish and chip lunch with a view of the pier. 

The large dining room is a sea of blue and white and has a light airy feel. Pine tables are accompanied by pine chairs with deep blue velour cushions or booths using the same blue cushioning. The open kitchen hatch just around the corner from the street side of the room so you can watch the small team plating up. To one side of the hatch are stacks of coloured plastic sandcastle buckets that are used for serving kids’ meals and that they can then take to the beach.

There are large murals depicting Norfolk seaside life on the walls. The least disconcerting of these depicts a pair of empty deckchairs looking out to Cromer pier with those No. 1 Cromer buckets scattered round them.

Fried fish is our main objective but it doesn’t stop us ordering a couple of starters first. My choice is the cockle popcorn with chilli vinegar and a spiced salt shaker and it turns out to be brilliant. The combination of meal crust on the juicy cockles is a great start but you have to drown them in vinegar with the spicy salt and they become utterly superb. I’d happily order and eat another portion but luckily see sense.

We also order the whitebait marinated in lager, soy and ginger with a wasabi mayo dip (not pictured). The battered whitebait are simply the best I’ve ever had. Fresh and juicy with a delightful flavour. The wasabi dip is good but this dish is all about the delightful fish. And yes I’m tempted to order more of these too.

There’s not long to wait before the main event. The North Sea cod and chips continues the trend of quality satisfying food. The beautiful flaky fish encased in a light batter is an utter pleasure. The chips are great too, particularly doused in Sarson’s. The condiments on the table include homemade tomato ketchup and brown sauce that are both really moreish. 

Side orders include a pickled egg that is a nice trimming but little more. Luckily the waitress doesn’t hear me order a bread and butter because that would have tipped me over the edge.

Over the course of lunch we watch the tide slowly encroaching onto the beach and displacing the seagulls from their perches on the groynes. Our plan of walking on the beach also disappears so we take the next best option of heading down to the pier. Some of us spend time fishing for crabs but realise quickly that the bacon we’d brought as bait is not what the crabs really want. Turns out they’re connoisseurs and chicken or especially squid is their thing. My prey are the Turnstones that stalk the shore and prom, almost as tame as urban pigeons. By the time we head back to the car, via a brief stop off on the Penny Falls, we’re still full and content. We roll home and thus ends a perfect day for a family of expats enjoying a brief stay back in England.

No.1 Cromer provides a wonderful warm experience in a great setting. It was the perfect centrepiece to a day at the beach and I highly recommend it. I would really like to try Upstairs at No.1 to see how the less traditional menu compares.  

Overall Rating 4/5