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The Lawns - Holt

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Stylish Norfolk restaurant-with-rooms

For a stylish and contemporary retreat in picturesque and historic surroundings, The Lawns Wine Bar and Hotel in Holt really hits the spot. Recently renovated, the Lawns’ popular wine bar and buzzing restaurant give no clue to the relaxing and airy bedrooms upstairs – perfect for a vibrant, yet cosy weekend away.

Eight stylishly-decorated rooms offer big, comfy beds, fantastic en-suite bathrooms, flat screen tellies and huge windows overlooking The Lawns’ lawns (!). The building’s high, Georgian ceilings add to the feeling of airiness that pervades, making the rooms perfect for long summer nights and cosy winter snug-athons like.

Downstairs, the friendly staff and relaxed menus make the atmosphere even more chilled-out, with the chic dining room offering simple classics such as steak-and-kidney pudding, but using local ingredients wherever possible. As you would expect from a wine bar, The Lawns has a pretty impressive wine list to wash it all down with.

Where is it?

The tiny Georgian market town of Holt is stunning, and The Lawns is just a few minutes’ walk from the centre. A jumble of brightly-coloured antique shops, boutiques, delis and restaurants, lie along tiny alleys and hidden squares, but all within a few seconds’ walk of each other. Tea shops reign supreme, and for lovers of home-made cake or those with a penchant for freshly-baked pies, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. The Weekenders’ particular favourite has to be The Owl tearooms (Tel: 01263 713232), where smiling staff sell a whole range of deliciousness, including a great gluren-free selection of cakes and biscuits.

Holt is also a stop on the fabulous steam-powered North Norfolk Railway (www.nnrailway.co.uk Tel: 01263 820800). A short walk from the town centre to the picturesque railway station, and you can be whisked off on a 10-mile steam train journey through some of Norfolk’s most beautiful scenery to the seaside resort at Sheringham. Real Agatha Christie stuff.

But if you really want to explore North Norfolk, Holt is a perfectly placed base camp – everything is on your doorstep. The famous beach at Holkham, part of the gorgeous estate at the magnificent Holkham Hall (www.holkham.co.uk Tel: 01328 710227), and stand-in for a Caribbean desert island in Shakespeare in Love, is less than half an hour away. Or you could take a boat trip to see the Blakeney Point seals from Blakeney Quay, about ten minutes’ drive from Holt. Beans Boat Trips are one of the best operators (www.beansboattrips.co.uk Tel: 01263 740505).

Read The Weekenders Guide to North Norfolk for the full run-down on things to see and places to eat in the area.

Where can I eat?

The restaurant at The Lawns is a buzzing place to spend an evening, with an award-winning chef and great food – and, of course, there’s nothing better than enjoying a meal and a few glasses of vino in the knowledge that your bed is within stumbling distance…

But, if you fancy an alternative, one of the best restaurants in Norfolk is within a ten minute drive of Holt at Morston Hall in Blakeney (www.morstonhall.com Tel: 01263 741041). The brainchild of local gastronomic hero, Galton Blackistock, Morston Hall’s fresh and vibrant menus, most using fresh, local ingredients, have earned it the only Michelin Star within a 50-mile radius. Unsurprisingly, it books up fast, so make sure you ring ahead.

Another great alternative is the restaurant at the famous The Victoria at Holkham (www.holkham.co.uk/victoria Tel: 01328 711008), about half an hour from The Lawns. The dining at this luxurious hotel is fresh, sumptuous adn relaxed, and makes for a very special night out.

For lunch-time picnic-lovers, however, there is only one place to go. Bakers & Larners in Holt (www.bakersandlarners.co.uk Tel: 01263 712244) is a veritable Fortnums & Masons on the Norfolk coast and perfect for seaside al fresco options.

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For a stylish and contemporary retreat in picturesque and historic surroundings, The Lawns Wine Bar and Hotel in Holt really hits the spot.