Socius

Bright, modern, confident and ‘very buzzy’, Socius has the air of an urban restaurant – despite a location in one of Norfolk’s most attractive (and gentrified) little towns. It’s part of a new development on the outskirts of Burnham Market and benefits from the extra space this entails. A large open kitchen stretches almost the length of the ground floor, giving ample opportunity to see the well-run culinary operation; there’s less bustle in the mezzanine, where white walls sport splashes of copper paint and Velux windows allow natural light to flood the stylish, minimalist interior. Young, on-the-ball staff and a soundtrack of upbeat yet unobtrusive pop complete the cheery vibe. The weekday menu majors in contemporary sharing plates. Try the beetroot chunks with creamed goat's cheese – tangy beetroot purée, whisps of fennel and a scattering of pumpkin seeds adding extra punch. Better still at inspection was the tuna tartare, its soft flesh boosted by pickled ginger and a poppadom-like ‘wonton’. Both these dishes also feature as starters on a Sunday lunch menu where succulent pink slices of beef are ably supported by an excellent cast of side dishes (faultless roast potatoes, shredded cabbage, cauliflower cheese, carrots, creamed parsnips) and first-rate gravy. Grilled pollock with asparagus showed split-second accuracy in the cooking, and puddings, too, maintained the standard: an intensely flavoured Socius chocolate bar (resembling an elongated truffle) with salted caramel and ice cream, plus a perfectly wrought crème brûlée scattered with desiccated coconut and counterbalanced by flavour-packed fresh raspberries. Throw in a pleasingly varied wine list and Socius deserves its place in the top division of Norfolk dining.

2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence