Wells Crab House Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in North Norfolk

I’ve never given a negative review about a restaurant before and we eat out probably weekly! The prices here would suggest that you are eating at a quality establishment, but the food is quite below average and therefore overpriced! I ordered the half lobster, I even checked on ordering that it was a substantial size, it wasn’t! I’ve eaten bigger langoustines! Hardly any meat on it at all (equivalent to two king prawns). The slice of bread, and pile of mixed leaves (supermarket bagged kind) with no dressing - was the focus of my meal after that! My daughter ordered the curry - it was seriously spicy! No mention of chilli or heat levels on the menu (as pictured below). A coconut and pineapple based curry with no mention of chilli would usually be sweet and mild, however it was way too hot to eat for an adult let alone a teen, so we politely raised this when it was served, at which point we would’ve expected an offer of changing to a different dish. But instead we were told it is described as a “medium curry” on the menu? See pic below - no sign of that?? Instead we were offered to have it mixed with yogurt. We said ok but it was still too hot for our daughter so we were stuck with it. We also ordered the fish and chips. We hoped for a fresh, white, moist piece of haddock in a light batter. Unfortunately we were served a dry greyish bit of fish which was clearly previously frozen from the colour, and in a very thick batter! Lastly, the atmosphere was dreadful! There is a very bizarre situation in the restaurant whereby you are expected to announce to the whole restaurant if you are using the male or female toilet by turning over a coloured paddle on the main door which leads to both loos. We found this public announcement quite weird, once you are inside the loo, there are signs requesting you do not forget to turn the paddle back around when you leave! On both occasions I used the loo, I heard that I was quickly followed by a member of staff who turned the paddle outside when I went in! And my son was made to return when he left the loo to turn it back again! Slightly creepy! We left there hungry and almost £120 down for 5 mains and two glasses of wine. We walked to French’s for some FRESH and filling fish and chips! Maybe if the same attention to detail was given to the quality of the food as is given to the red/green toilet indication system - they’d be closer to being a half decent...

We had a very special family meal here on Wednesday evening. You do need to book ahead as it is rightly popular and gets booked up in advance. We specifically chose Wells Crab and Seafood restaurant because we had never eaten crab or lobster before and we felt that it would be ridiculous to come all the way to the north Norfolk coast and NOT try them! - Theres a great selection of drinks and my husband chose the BOB bustard beer which is brewed locally and I had lovely Norfolk black shuck gin with lemonade. We began by sharing two starters - softshell crab with slaw and pickled ginger and panko prawns with sweet chilli dip. Both were delicious and our son especially loved the prawns. For main's we opted to share the half a lobster in garlic butter and dressed crab with chips, salad, bread and butter, pickle and tartar sauce. Our son had the haddock and chips and tried a little taste of ours. The lobster was a winner all round, the meat was sweet and fresh and with just the right amount of garlic butter. Accompanied perfectly by salad (love those mixed leaves from Blakeney - peppery and tender)beets and bread were also delicious, the pickle was tangy and gherkiny and just right. We were less keen on the crab - through no fault of its own - bless it's little pincers and with thanks to the chef - it was an experience to try - which we're so glad we did in such wonderful surroundings - next time we'll just go for a whole lobster and bring bibs! The only tiny letdown were the chips - which were a bit hard but definitely not a massive deal. We finished with lovely strong coffee and G had a chocolate sundae which he loved. The staff were all beautifully friendly and helpful, warm and happy and clearly enjoy working together which immediately made me feel at ease. Having been a chef for many years i know that if your front of house team are happy - the kitchen squad are too - when things gel it shows and it really really shows here. Thank you so much, for letting us spend a special evening with you and for making us feel...

We visited Wells Crab House today for lunch — myself, Sarah and our daughter Izzi — and what an absolute gem of a place!

We hadn’t booked (rookie mistake, I know!) but unlike so many restaurants that make you feel you’ve committed some terrible crime, the team couldn’t have been more welcoming. They did everything they could to seat us, with genuine warmth and kindness.

I’d been craving proper fresh crab, and this lovely, clean, tidy and beautifully run restaurant delivered in style. The menu is bursting with seaside goodness — crab, lobster, fresh fish, platters and more. We went for the dressed crab, panko-crumbed prawns and a crab Thermidor.

Then came the drinks — and hats off to Kelly (the owner, I believe) who offered beer options with the same care usually reserved for fine wines: light, dark, local, shelf temperature or chilled. I opted for the local East Quay “Golden Buoy” (chilled) — absolutely spot on!

Now the food… the tomatoes were deep red, perfectly ripe and full of flavour (none of those fridge-cold imposters that ruin a good salad!). Every element — from the pickles to the beetroot — was delicious and perfectly balanced. The crab was beautifully prepared and packed with flavour, and the crab Thermidor topped with goats’ cheese and breadcrumbs was divine. The panko prawns were crisp, light and piping hot — perfection.

Izzi had a great choice from the children’s menu, which deserves a special mention. It was proper homemade food — no cheap frozen nonsense here! Her chicken goujons were freshly made, golden, crispy and real chicken breast through and through.

Every member of staff was friendly, attentive and clearly proud of what they do — and rightly so.

All in all, it was a superb meal from start to finish, in a lovely relaxed setting. We honestly can’t...