A Hophead’s Guide To Seven Of The Best Cromer Pubs!

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Last updated on October 4, 2022 by Wandering our World

Known for its picturesque views, lovely pier and beautiful beaches, it’s no wonder Cromer is such a popular holiday destination for families.

There are plenty of local attractions to enjoy, as well as activities like surfing, boating on the lake, golf or enjoying the town’s fantastic zoo. You can even hike the ‘Ale Trail’!

With all of that on offer, there’s no doubt that Cromer is an amazing place to visit. But there’s another reason we love this town so much – the great selection of pubs in Cromer! 

Regardless of how you spend your time here, if you’re like us then after a day of adventuring you’ll need some delicious food and a refreshing pint. 

Luckily for you,` we’ve decided to put together a list of what we believe are the best pubs in Cromer!

As you’ll see, this town has kept in touch with its history, there’s a focus on great food and drink, while there’s plenty of places to have your pint with a view or enjoy some live entertainment.

So sit back and relax as we guide you through Cromer’s pub culture. 

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/DisobeyArt

The Best Pubs in Cromer For Beer, Food & Views!

1. The Kings Head

To kick things off we had to go with what is easily one of our favourite pubs in Cromer, the Kings Head. Located near the Pier, there’s a little bit of everything here including great food, lots of entertainment and a fantastic beer garden perfect for soaking up the sun when the temperamental British weather is being kind.

Inside, the open plan bar and accompanying snug are both comfortable, modern and friendly, and the layout has clearly been well thought out. That even includes the positioning of the TV, which is great for watching live sport, but as it doesn’t dominate the room the TV is easy to ignore as well.

On sunny days there is a paved beer garden to enjoy – where you’re welcome to bring your dog – and there’s some sheltered outside areas too for when the sun gets a little too much.

For those interested in some history, while this pub is fairly modern looking, the building itself is actually Grade II listed and has been standing for over 200 years! That sense of history and tradition has been retained to this day, especially in the picturesque exterior walls.

Whether sitting outside or inside, there’s a great selection of ales, lager, cider and wine to pick. If you just want a small snack with your pint, be sure to check out the Black Pudding Bites. But if you want something more substantial then the Handmade Chicken and Ham Pie or Slow Cooked Pulled BBQ Beef Burger are both great choices.

To guide you through a week at the Kings Head, Wednesdays are all about wine, while Fridays are for fizz and live music. On Saturday there’s likely to be live music too, and of course Sunday is reserved for a traditional roast. That’s not the only entertainment, and sometimes they even have comedy nights!

Even if you’ve only got time for just one drink, we still think it’s worth popping into the Kings Head and enjoying this proper pub and all that it offers.

Address: High Street, Cromer, NR27 9H

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/William87

2. Pavilion Bar

If being near Cromer Pier wasn’t quite close enough to the sea for you, how about being on the pier itself? Well Pavilion Bar offers just that in a location that has possibly the best views in Cromer!

This place with its picturesque views is also dog friendly – always a bonus as far as we’re concerned. There is a water station for your four-legged friend and treats available too. After all, why should you be the only one having all the fun? 

So your pup is sorted, but what about you? Well, if you’re on the look out for ale then Pavilion Bar have Adnams available, but they also have a fine selection of gin available as well – which is always refreshing in the sun.

This isn’t just a place for sunny days though, it can be an ideal place to relax when it’s a little colder too. Grab yourself one of their tasty hot chocolates with cream and marshmallows alongside a slab of cake.

After a walk along the beach, this is one of our favourite places to drop in for a drink and something sweet to re-energise.

Address: Cromer Pier, The Promenade, Cromer, NR27 9HE

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/MaximFesenko

3. The Wellington

If you’re visiting for longer than a day then you’ll need somewhere to stay – so why not stay at one of the best pubs in Cromer? The Wellington (aka the ‘Welly’) has rooms to hire and is not only perfectly located close to the beach, but also has plenty on offer downstairs in the pub and restaurant.

The bar area is both family and dog friendly, and is stocked with a fantastic selection of ale, lager, whisky and other spirits. They also have live music most weekends, live sport on the TVs and a pool table. So you won’t be lost for things to do if visiting.

The Smokehouse Restaurant here is well worth trying out too, and has some of the best dishes in town, many of which are made using locally sourced meat. We’d recommend the Beef Brisky which is slowly cooked for 12 hours before being served! But you can’t go wrong with a Steak or Burger here either. After all, The Wellington are experts when it comes to meat-heavy food.

After some incredible food and a few pints you’ll be hoping your bed isn’t too far away, so if you do need somewhere to stay, then just a book a room here and you can stumble upstairs at the end of your evening! In our opinion, the Welly is easily one of the best pubs in Cromer.

Address: Garden Street, Cromer, NR27 9HN

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/NatashaPhoto

4. The Albion

We’ve always thought Cromer was a fun town, and one of the best pubs in Cromer for fun and entertainment has to be The Albion!

They’ve got quiz nights, karaoke, DJs and live musicians, making this a lively place to be and somewhere definitely worth visiting on a night out. Especially at the weekends where this is a fun and sociable place to hang out.

You would think with so much going on all the time it would be hard to focus on anything else, however they also serve some very good food. Settle in the modern yet traditional looking bar and order a pint of ale to go with one of The Albion’s freshly made baguettes.

After that (and a couple more pints…..) then if you’re anything like us you’ll want to share your taste in music. Thankfully this old school pub has a jukebox. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a jukebox!

Simplicity is key at times and The Albion have that down to a tee. This place is an honest authentic pub with good food, drink and lots going on. What more could you want?

Address: 32 Church Street, Cromer, NR27 9ES

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/Pro2sound

5. The White Horse

The White Horse have kept in touch with the past through an interior that will tastefully take you back in time, but with some added extra comfort.

By splitting the pub into two areas, two different atmospheres have been created here. One is rather laid back, ideal for sitting and talking. While the other is a bit more lively thanks to the TV for live sports, pool table and darts.

To make things even better they’ve got an enclosed patio area to enjoy when the weather is kind and you’re able to being your dog there too.

And if hungry you’re in luck. The White Horse serve home-cooked British pub classics in good portion sizes. The very popular Steak and Ale Pie with Seasonal Veg is well worth ordering – it’s one of those dishes that once you see it going to another table, you have to order it yourself! There’s a good choice of vegetarian dishes too, which is a bonus.

On tap there’s usually three ales available, typically from the same three brewers – Adnams, Greene King and Sharp’s. A strong selection as far as we’re concerned.

Address: 24 West Street, Cromer, NR27 9DS

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/Drazen Zigic

6. Red Lion Hotel

This pub is for those dog owners and lovers out there.

The Red Lion Hotel has won both the ‘Dog Friendliest Pub of the Year’ and ‘Dog Friendliest Hotel of the Year’ in the past, so you know they’ve got your dog’s best interests at heart. Oh and they’ll do their best for human visitors too!    

For just £7.50 on top of the usual price of a room your dog can stay with you overnight here. That money will even secure your pup a bowl, bed and welcome package on arrival!

Now just as humans need breakfast in the morning, so do dogs! And this hotel will make sure your dog gets their breakfast sausages as well. To go with that they even have ‘Pawsecco’ and ‘Doggy Beer’ available in their very own doggy bar.

If you’re wanting a day out at the beach with your furry friend, then the kind lot at The Red Lion have even put together a list of all the nearby beaches that have no dog restrictions – you can see that at this link.

OK, so back to the human-orientated parts about this pub! Along with being arguably the most dog friendly pub in Cromer, The Red Lion is also set in a beautiful building with many old Victorian features still in place.

Their restaurant is award winning and has an extensive menu so there’s plenty of British and international dishes to choose from. On top of that there’s six ales from local brewers to choose from, so you’re bound to find a pint you’ll enjoy after a long coastal walk. 

Address: Brook Street, Cromer, NR27 9HD

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/Anahy Modeneis

7. The Village Inn

Although not in Cromer, we couldn’t leave out the biggest beer garden we’ve found in a while. In fact the beer garden at The Village Inn is so big it can seat 200 people!

The interior is worth enjoying too and has a modern finish without compromising on the historical aspects. There’s some interesting history here too, as to the rear of the pub is where the West Runton Pavilion used to stand. It’s there where gigs by bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols used to take place.

Nowadays this is a family friendly pub with a real focus on providing great ale and home cooked food.

So what ale is on offer? The short answer is lots. They’ve got Moon Glazer Dark Mild, Adnams Ghost Ship and Oakham Citra to name a few.

Any of those would go perfectly with the very good Burgers they do at The Village Inn, or the Sausage & Mash or Chilli.

We stumbled across this pub by accident and were so glad we did. Great ales, a bit of history, and a huge beer garden! It’s definitely worth the short trip from Cromer. 

Address: Water Lane, West Runton, NR27 9QP

Photo for illustrative purposes only: iStock.com/DGLimages

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