The story
Stoke Mill is a modern British restaurant at Mill Road, Stoke Holy Cross, Norwich NR14 8PA, and it earned a Michelin Recommended listing in 2026. The white weatherboarded building was once a mustard mill on the River Tas, and it was restored in 2013 by Ludo and Andy as a dining room.
Andy Rudd is co-owner and chef patron, and he cooks the menu with his team. The dishes change often as he finds new ideas. The kitchen uses fresh ingredients and sources organic local produce when it can. Within a year of the restoration he won the Norfolk Food & Drink Award. The Good Food Guide rates the restaurant Good for 2026 and describes bistro-style cooking that begins with warm home-baked bread.
Reviewers single out the twice-baked soufflé, made with smoked Norfolk Dapple and served with spinach and Parmesan cream. Mains include 12-hour braised beef with pomme purée and red wine jus at £34, and pan-fried sea bass fillet with brown shrimp beurre blanc at £36. Diners also praise the Orkney scallops and the trout tart. The classic crème brûlée arrives with raspberry sorbet at £15.
The dining room is light and contemporary, with a few monochrome photographs that recall the building's milling past. A garden terrace opens in summer. Guests can order a wine pairing, and one reviewer called the wine list excellent. The lunch set menu offers three courses for £38, with a glass of house wine and coffee included.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Back in the day, Jeremiah Colman and his people milled mustard within the white weatherboarded walls of Stoke Mill. Now, bar some monochrome pictures of generously bearded Victorian men, and the river Tas still flowing through on its way to Norwich, there’s little to remember that industry. The handsome building is busy in other ways, however, drawing a steady stream of appreciative diners into the contemporary, airy space to eat at Andy Rudd’s table – and be looked after by a warm and welcoming front-of-house team. Guests come for the chef/co-owner’s appealing bistro-style cooking, kicking off with complementary canapés and warm home-baked bread. Next, there might be a fluffy twice-baked soufflé, tangy with smoked Norfolk Dapple cheese (its richness balanced by spinach) or, perhaps, local asparagus with fried quail’s egg and hollandaise. To follow, try monkfish (lively with the flavours of Thailand) or sea bass with a generous crab croquette and zippy warm tartare sauce; alternatively, you could honour history with braised beef cheek accompanied by Colman’s mustard mash. Finish with a cheerful lemon posset – a deliciously sharp discovery as you spoon through passion-fruit foam and sorbet, fresh blueberries and pieces of meringue to reach the set cream itself. An excellent-value set lunch offers three courses for £38, including a glass of house wine and coffee.
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