Monastery Restaurant — Restaurant in Norfolk

Thank heaven Sheila chose the restaurant she wanted to dine in tonight: dinner for two at The Monastery on Valentine's Day 2021 was unforgettable--and of course that is the night of all others that it has to be. Sheila had a special Valentine dish of chicken prepared in a raspberry sauce, and I had a special Valentine dish of roast pork with sauerkraut and dry dumplings. Both dishes were splendid, beautifully prepared, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious. We have dined in Monastery Restaurant on two previous occasions--which happened not to be on Valentine's Days--but they might as well have been, because if we hadn't already been in love when we arrived,, we certainly would have left hand in hand! Monastery Restaurant is in the very heart of Norfolk, it IS the very Heart of Norfolk, and it is a European restaurant made for romance like no other in this region.

Sheila noted that the first two visits I had chosen the roast duckling, Number 3 on the regular menu, and both times it was so excellent that I was afraid I would never order anything else, although the menu is large and all the dishes sound very tempting. But this time I determined to try something new, and our wonderful waitress Naomi made two recommendations, and floored both of us. I would have been perfectly happy with either dish--and for this Valentine's Day, both of us were perfectly happy!

For wine we chose Rothschild's old reliable Mouton Cadet at $42 (J. Lohr was also available for the same price, but it is more commonly available). The pop red blend wine called "Bull's Blood" is of course the shock/horror wine for the young, but I try to discourage vintners from coming up with names that sound like pop beer, even in Hungary.

Things were busy tonight, but the excellent wait staff stayed on top of everything, everything was snapped to the table out of the oven--and cleared almost before you could snatch the last bite. But the food is so good you don't mind fighting to keep it while you scrape the plate. We came early so there was no danger of Monastery's kitchen running out of anything, but we did regret that the Chefs had elected not to serve the Crepes Suzettes among the desserts this evening: an excellent engineering decision on a busy night, but--we will certainly...

Fabulous high-class dining experience here. The service was phenomenal, the atmosphere gorgeous yet cozy. I had a half-plate of the Escargot (tastes similar to mussels, if you've never had them before), the Tomato & Feta Salad (a cold, simple dish, but incredibly well seasoned), the Apricot Palačinki (crepes filled with apricot jam), and the Blackberry Pierogi (soft dumpling stuffed with sweet blackberries and topped with tangy cottage cheese and sugar; absolutely excellent) - companion had the Steak Tartare and Apple Strudel. We were provided complimentary bread with soft and hard cheeses - as well as an apple - to pair it with. All of it was absolutely delicious, and obviously made of quality ingredients (demanding it, even - can't imagine how a steak tartare is made with low quality meat). According to our server, the owners themselves were cooking our food, which is just amazing - from what I saw, they actually came out to speak with a table celebrating a birthday, and seemed incredibly kind. Food took around

The moment you walk through the door, the ambience takes you by surprise. The frontage gives away no secrets of the gem inside. Greeted immediately by Naomi and Aaron, our servers for the evening, we felt welcomed and at ease. The menu is packed with Olde World comfort foods and gourmet selections, including escargot. Tonight, we selected the Goulash Soup as an appetizer to go with the generous table serving of fresh, warm crusted bread, havarti sliced cheese, Apple, and homemade cheese spread. It was a hearty soup with robust flavors that warmed the soul this chilly, snowflaked evening. Our main entrees were the Viennese steak with carmelized onions and fried potatoes and the Quiche Lorraine. Each were cooked to perfection and the portions were perfectly satisfying. Having shared the appetizer, we had room to sample their incredible dessert menu, but instead of the apple strudel, we went with the dessert special of the evening. We were so glad our server, Naomi suggested it. Though the apple strudel is ALWAYS good, it is a regular menu item. The raspberry dumpling, topped with cottage cheese, drizzled butter and powdered sugar was more incredible than we could even have imagined. Not only was the meal some of the finest cooking we have experienced in many years, the chefs/owners, Anna and Adolph, took the time to greet the customers and check on the meals personally. Their genuine passion for cooking and sharing the love of food was evident in their hospitality and the quality of our meal. The prices are very affordable for an evening out. I have spent way more in five star restaurants for way less of an experience. This place is a true gem, not to be missed. Take the time to try it out. You'll be...