A Norfolk restaurant has been named one of the best in the country for a fine dining experience. 

Morston Hall in Holt has been hailed by the Good Food Guide as one of the top restaurants in the UK for classical French cuisine. 

Owner, Galton Blackiston, said: "It came as a surprise, the Good Food Guide has been going for many years and is one those guides that all restaurants pay a lot of notice to.

Eastern Daily Press: Morston Hall was called a 'shrine to classical haute cuisine' Morston Hall was called a 'shrine to classical haute cuisine' (Image: Ian Burt)

"I really think this accolade is a terrific thing - and I've had a Michelin star for 24 years."

Mr Blackiston said that being in north Norfolk is no longer the disadvantage it used to be, with the food industry paying more attention to restaurants outside of London and other large cities. 

READ MORE: Four Norfolk restaurants named among best in England at prestigious awards

"Norfolk and north Norfolk are really, really on the food map now," he said. "We are beginning to make people sit up and notice, it's really nice."

The Good Food Guide describes the food at the restaurant as "sublime" and notes the attractiveness of the 17th-century hall in which the dining hall is set. 

The Guide states: "It’s astonishing how Galton Blackiston has managed to keep Morston Hall at the top of its game for so long.

"The chefs take care – and show abundant skill – with the basics."

The Michelin-star restaurant was named alongside The Ritz in London.