A 300-year-old coaching inn, The Ffolkes has become something of a landmark encompassing a festival vibe.
Situated on the busy A148 in Hillington, this restaurant/hotel/play palace is just a stone’s throw from the Sandringham estate, near King’s Lynn.
And with vibrant and eye-catching colours to lure you in, it is the type of place where you’ll be happy to stay for a few hours enjoying everything it has to offer.
Mr W and I opted to visit during a warm child-free Saturday lunchtime and although we relished in the peace and quiet away from the shackles of parenthood, The Ffolkes is actually a great family-friendly location.
There is a huge play area in the beer garden, complete with a giant dragon’s egg, and many littluns were enjoying themselves while the adults, us included, sipped on beverages. The other half enjoyed the Ffolkes-own lager (although commented it was a bit too citrussy for his taste) while I happily slurped on homemade elderflower limeade made in-house.
After soaking up some rays, we ventured indoors in enjoy our meal.
The Ffolkes is home to a variety of street kitchens with its unique FEAST-style food services. Depending on the day you visit, you will find a different food experience. We stumbled in to try its resident trader, Oishii Street Kitchen – and weren’t disappointed.
While it offers a small menu, there are some great choices to pick from and we decided to mix things up by creating our own mix-and-match buffet.
To start, we had bao buns (two for £10) and picked a different flavour each. I opted for the pork bao with char sui pork, pickled red onion, siracha mayo, crispy and spring onions, and Mr W had the chicken bao with Oishii hot sauce and slaw.
The buns were soft and light, allowing the fillings to do their thing and let our taste buds go wild. The ingredients were fresh and cooked to perfection with complementary flavours running through. The pulled pork was especially delicious.
Moving on to our mains, and there's something about a poke bowl that I simply cannot resist. Being a fan of tapas, I think the different pockets of flavour appeal to me and this meal was no exception. I picked tuna as the main for my poke bowl (£11) with pickled ginger, edamame beans, avocado, pineapple, kewpie mango and Oishii soy seasoning sprinkled with black sesame seeds. This was a perfect dish to complement the summer weather as it was both filling and refreshing.
I wasn't at all envious of the Kanji burger (£11) Mr W tucked into, despite the fact it included a 6oz Aberdeen beef patty, Oishii smoky mayo, American cheese, bacon, shredded iceberg lettuce and green chilli. It got a big thumbs up from him but, being a fan of spice, he would have liked it even hotter.
We had questioned whether or not we should share some loaded fries but we were too torn by different flavours so ordered a portion of Korean fries (£6.50) and Crackanese fries (£6.50) - plain fries are on the menu for £4. We couldn't finish the bowlful and one would have been fine between the two of us but we're still pleased we ordered one each. On the Korean fires was Gochujang mayo, crispy and spring onions, and Oishii seasoning, while the Crackanese were coated with a miso glaze, kewpie mayo, spring onion, Oishii seasoning and sesame seeds.
We'd hoped to have room for dessert from Reesey's, another guest trader offering sweet treats from unicorn sundaes to fluffy kinder pancake stacks, but our bellies were too full. So we decided to have a round of container golf instead - what a way to end a meal!
Setting
At first, it took me a little while to get my head around everything as there's a lot going on here, but once I'd settled in I was in awe of everything that was offered - including being a wedding venue. The place is vibrant and energetic and well worth the visit to check out the aesthetics if nothing else.
Value
The cost of the street food was in line with other establishments offering the same thing, but the great thing here is that you can use your Norfolk Passport. The staff were also quick to prompt us to use our card if we had one, saving us 10pc off our meal.
Drinks
There's so much on offer here, it was a joy just to read the drinks menu! From homemade limeade to The Ffolkes lager and gin, its drinks menu is certainly ambitious and it has paid off.
Toilets
The toilets are laid out as individual rooms set along a corridor. They are spacious, clean, and fully functioning.
Accessibility
There is a gravel car park but lots of open space once inside the main building for wheelchair and pushchair access. There are also vegan and GF options on the menu.
Service
Everyone who served us made us feel like part of the furniture. Warm, down-to-earth, and incredibly helpful. The staff couldn't do enough for us and were also just as excited about their menu as we were. Special shout out to Kirsty who made our experience that little bit more special.
Highlight
While the setting and the food are fab, the highlight for us was getting to play the exceptionally fun and challenging container golf! What a great activity to help the first course settle before ordering dessert. Quirky and well worth the price tag (adults are £6 on weekdays and £8 on weekends).
In summary
This is the type of place that I can see myself returning to many times, both for a date night, celebrating with family, and somewhere to let the kids burn off some energy while Mr W. and I sip on lager and limeade.
Disclaimer
Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues that do or do not advertise in our publication.
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Did you know...?
The Norfolk Passport is a free-to-join membership programme giving members perks and discounts across a number of Norfolk experiences, including 10pc off and 50pc savings at new locations or private menu tastings. This includes offers to explore beaches and enjoy afternoon teas, embark on scenic walks and antique hunting, or take advance of the Norfolk Top 5 guides on offer. More information about the Norfolk Passport can be found at www.norfolkpassport.com.
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