The Dabbling Duck

Just returned home from spending a night at The Dabbling Duck. Can honestly say it’s one of the best places we’ve stayed in. Felt so welcomed from the beginning, nothing was too much trouble. Room was fantastic, so comfortable and with plenty of space (we stayed in Badgers Sett). Food in the pub was delicious and breakfast equally so. We will definitely be back!

Lovely pub and restaurant in a very pretty village, albeit off the beaten track. Very busy on the Sunday afternoon we visited in October, so obviously very popular. Highly recommended if you've not been. Sunday roast was excellent as was the service. Very friendly staff too.

Exceptional country pub with great atmosphere, friendly staff and locals. Very high quality locally sourced food and drink, dog friendly and classy without being snobby. We only wish we lived closer so we could visit more. The dog friendly room is also really useful for an overnight stay, comfortable beds and great bathroom.

Stunning place. Fantastic attention to detail. Rooms were beautiful in design and the double shower lovely. Service in the restaurant was faultless as was the food. The team behind this venue have it absolutely perfect.

A great pub! Great atmosphere, loved the smoked makerel starter and venison, look out for the specials board. Excellent goat's cheese and baked beetroot too.

Went to this lovely village pub for a birthday treat. Great service and a well thought out tempting menu. We all enjoyed all of our 3 courses and there was a good wine list. Great service and will definitely visit again.

Lovely village and great looking pub and restaurant. We both had a Sunday roast and sat in the garden. Spare tables outside, as the restaurant/inside looked packed. Food was good, lovely outdoor barn area with seating and a separate bar. This place served until 8pm unlike many other places we visit, so if you are like us and want to eat a Sunday Dinner later this place is perfect.

+6

Lovely pub with a great atmosphere, the food was yummy! Dog friendly and the staff were all really attentive and kind despite it being busy

Loved this place. Stayed overnight with dinner and breakfast. Fabulous food and atmosphere. Room had a few little extras which were well thought of. Very comfortable bed and pillows with a powerful shower. Top marks on all fronts.

Absolutely one of the loveliest pubs i have been too. Warm and friendly AND dog friendly. Great breakfast. 100% recommend.

Fabulous secret in Gt Massingham, Norfolk. Our accommodation was 5 star, check pics below, dinning experience was superb (thank you Ann Eves for attending our dining needs), bar rustic. Staff and management professional and charming. Highly recommend. Mark and Sally, I take my hat off to you both for running an amazing operation.

+6

Went for a fantastic meal on the weekend of the seafood festival lovely service from Sarah. Excellent food good service and great value we will return soon. Thanks all

We won a nights stay here, with dinner, from an event at Duration Brewery (also 5 ⭐). Hospitality from the moment we checked in was outstanding. The room was so cosy with everything you would need and loved the added extra of the homemade vodka. We had the roast dinner, hubby had beef and I had the vegan option. The food was first class, well presented and tasted amazing. All the staff were attentive and very friendly, especially Annie who even made sure we were ok before she left. Breakfast was just as nice with a large selection to suit all. The Dabbling Duck has a really cosy pub atmosphere and definitely worth a visit, it's also dog friendly. Can't thank the staff enough for making our stay a memorable one. Will definitely be returning.

The food was excellent and service very quick. We went on a Sunday lunch. The vegan roast was lovely and the best I have had. Big portions. It was busy but we had booked. Separate areas so it doesn't seem you are on top of each other. Very dog friendly as lots of dogs. The car park was busy although they had an overflow that was waterlogged. The pub itself is very quirky decorated. Would definitely be going back again.

We have been eating at the Dabbling Duck for many years and love the ever changing menu - everything from pub classics to in season fine dining style. We visited last night and had duck and beef from the valentine set menu and venison and tarte tatin from the classics. It was all amazing - the best meal we’ve had there so compliments to the chef!! The waiting staff are lovely and they are dog friendly too! Thoroughly recommend !!

We stopped by on a whim and were truly impressed by both the food and the service! We ordered a burger, haddock, and sausages, and everything was made with high-quality ingredients and cooked to perfection—no greasy food at all. The portions were generous, and the staff were incredibly kind and helpful. We’ll definitely be back whenever we have the chance and highly recommend this place!

Had an absolutely fantastic experience at The Dabbling Duck last night. The atmosphere and decor is really nice and cosy and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. Despite being absolutely packed, the service was actually really quick. The food was also unreal! We had the duck nuggets and the pumpkin starter, both of which were delicious. We then got the steak of the day and the scampi and they were also both fantastic. The steak was cooked perfectly and had so much flavour. Cannot recommend this place highly enough, and it’s earned a rightful place on our list of best pubs/restaurants in Norfolk!

+1

We had a lovely welcome when we arrived. The pub is very dog friendly. One particular member of staff made a real fuss of our dog Pippin. We ordered food which was very good. I can recommend the Roast Cauliflower Soup. They even bought Pippin a starter and a main, chunks of cheese and sausages for his main. If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely call in. Thank you.

Excellent food and excellent service. An amazing pub in a beautiful Norfolk village. We visited twice this week while on holiday a few miles away and will definitely be back when we are that way again. Cannot rate the rooms as we didn’t stay but I’m sure they are lovely if the pub is anything to go by.

Fantastic place. Lovely cosy atmosphere. Comfortable decor and the friendliest welcome. Food and service was great. Thoroughly recommend. Very dog friendly, too...

Good size meals good selection on menu. Good selection of drinks. Service was quick. Overall great experience

Delicious food, excellent service. Very friendly knowledgeable staff. The food was amazing. Highly recommend.

Really enjoyed our meal , service was great and the team were very friendly . A great place to take the dog Thank you

Great pub, excellent food, we stayed during Norfolk Restaurant Week, superb value. The staff were really helpful and accommodating.

A quant old country pub with loads of character. Warm and welcoming. Food options were wide and quality good. Served with a smile .

Oh my word.. the Sunday roasts are huge and such quality. Staff are so very friendly and have a great sense of humour

Evening meal in a pleasant surrounding. Attentive staff, happy to amplify the menu choices. Portuguese curry was generous and flavoursome. Rump steak with samphire garnish extremely succulent and cooked to a ‘T’! Sticky toffee pudding definitely a cut above the rest! Hazel nuts made all the difference.

A lovely warm and friendly pub (dog friendly too). Great food. Great Massingham is a very picturesque village. We will definitely return for another visit

Just visited today for a family evening meal. Absolutely blown away but the kindness and attentiveness of the staff. Couldn’t complain about our delicious roasts and the special (couldn’t read what it was but said I’ll have it) Will definitely be back during our holiday this week

My wife and I stayed a few days ago at the Dabbling Duck Great location Great room and especially the bathroom Great hospitality (they even had 'Wherry' on . . . . if you know you just know) And the warmest of welcomes and service throughout our stay We will be back Chris

I visited this restaurant today 22/2 as a table of 11 and unfortunately the experience was disappointing. We had to wait quite a long time for our food, and when it finally arrived, it was cold. As We went on a Sunday most of us had roast dinners, some had burgers, Again we were disappointed and not what we expected for the price they charge. Roast potatoes were terrible, reheated, hard and not what a roastie should be. Service wasn’t overly great, we waited ages to order drinks then no one checked on our table to see if our food was ok, if they had at this point we could have mentioned our food was cold, it was only when they cleared the table they asked us and we then mentioned about the food being cold and a burger bun being burnt and not edible. The waitress was apologetic and then made us aware they were an oven down and most stuff was being cooked on the grill. she then went on to offer us complimentary deserts, which were delicious but not everyone on the table had them so again didn’t compensate us hugely. ( another waitress had let a table beside us know on arrival what the situation was and that there could be a wait) if they were struggling then why not make a smaller menu ? Or cancel bookings so people are not paying for expensive meals and not getting the quality. Also to note it is a dog friendly pub/restaurant, we had a dog in our party so not an issue; however there were dogs barking which some owners seem to let happen!! Over all, we were really looking forward to coming, most reviews are really good and sadly it seemed we happened to go on a bad day, would we go back ? Probably not !!

Roast turkey Sunday lunch. Meat and gravy superb. Potatoes and Yorkshire very overdone.....crunchy.

Sunday 7 th December, lunch , Starter, duck nuggets with sauce,3 x nuggets,£7 bit over priced for what it was .Mains roast pork nice but cabbage and kale on the same plate a cheap way to fill the plate , also no pork crackling.Dessert.A Sunday with honeycomb and white chocolate you would think it would come in a tall Sunday glass but alas no, in a bowl such a let down and charged £ 8.50 been robbed there I feel

A Disappointing lunch for 4 yesterday . The 2 men had burgers described as dry and average at best and the 2 females both had scampi which was perhaps more on par with a home 'cook from frozen meal' . I requested more tartare (despite being heavy on the capers ) to try and add some taste and texture but I am afraid the quality just wasnt there . The accompanying fries for all meals did not relate to the menu description and the entire meal for each if us fell short of the gastro pub expectation - I have eaten here before and never had such a mediocre meal . I grant it was busy, but it was a disappointment. Our waitress was charming but clearly rushed off her feet hence our decision to not raise our comments at the time , but we would all hesitate in returning .

Another trip for work and was recommended the ‘Dabbling Duck’… However I’m really unsure as to why! The outside and location is good, plenty of parking on the common area outside. Inside your straight into the bar, which has a cozy country feel. I checked in and was shown to my room. A triple bed setup which was ok, apart from the poor location of the TV, this was mounted to the wall blocked by the bed rails so you’d have to stand to watch it unobstructed. The bathroom was ok, however the shower controls didn’t work very well and I couldn’t turn down the heat without the fear of breaking the controls. Went down for my booked table, and service was ok, very friendly waitress saw to me for the evening. That’s unfortunately where the good bits end.. the menu is for the want of a better word ‘random’ I can eat pretty much anything and like many cuisines but this was very much not for everyone. I struggled with a choice and ended up with a Malaysian beef curry, which to be honest was pretty bland and unseasoned. I chose the cheese board for desert and this again was very different to every other I’ve had. The cheese was ok apart from one being stale, the crackers were like pressed thins and pretty useless at holding flavour. The chutney was obviously kept in the fridge as it was cold and too thick to spread without smashing the stupid thin crackers. Randomly had prunes on the side which were not welcome and neither were the biscuit/hash brown looking things which were very tasteless and dry. Breakfast: I wasn’t too hungry so just ordered smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Now Smoked salmon happens to be one of my favourite foods however some how the chef has now ruined that treat for me.. I’ve never seen salmon looking very very pale pink/grey and I definitely haven’t tasted it that is hard in places like gristle! Truly truly disgusting. All in all a really bad stay, one I will certainly not repeat nor recommend to my colleagues. l certainly not repeat nor recommend to my colleagues.

Unfortunately we had a really long wait for all dishes, mains (all burgers!) came almost 1hr after starters, which came 30min after ordering. We asked for the children food to come together with starters, and it took around 20min after. If the staff had communicated or provided info/explanation, would have been better, but we had to ask multiple times for updates on the food, and only one of the servers apologised in the end. The burgers were overcooked and dry, probably another consequence of the mess in the kitchen. It’s a shame as the pub is quite nice and cozy, and we probably were unlucky on the day, but cannot recommend based on our experience.

Food average. Mushy peas were cold. Coffee slopped into the saucers making the boring wrapped biscuit swimming in it. Very little care and attention given and a great disappointment, as this should have been a special lunch for us.

Had really high expectations as always heard good things. I am sad to say it was very disappointing. We were seated at our table rather quickly and told what the soup of the day was - no mention of other specials. Starters were ordered and a request for the kids meal to come with starters - it arrived 20 mins after starters. The burger that arrived was accompanied by a cold dry bun and a totally over seasoned burger. The chips were covered in salt not ideal for a toddler. The starters were fantastic - really well thought out and really well executed. We then waited nearly an hour for main courses - which was accompanied by a weak apology. The fish and chips was totally over fired - a deep brown. The accompanying peas were cold. The curry was ok - in fact the flavour was great. The jasmine rice was inedible. The other meals were ok - not fantastic. Just got the impression that the kitchen team had recently changed and that they were too busy to cope. Average and not worth the prices.

I was really looking forward to visiting this pub, its reputation locally is excellent - but I found it extremely disappointing. For £32.50 this is my duck, a wedge of cabbage and two small pieces of duck breast, and a dry overcooked confit of duck. It needs potato dauphinois or fondant, something filling. That’s a lot of money on lunch to still feel hungry afterwards. Its presentation lacked the finesse of similar establishments. Another companion on our table told me her burger was extremely salty and mostly inedible. Did we complain - no sadly we were being treated by our host and didn’t want to make a scene or appear ungrateful. Lunch for 4 was £170 so it was a generous gesture on his part and not worth ruining the day for. The other two meals (fish and chips looked good and were much better value) The dark haired waiter who delivered our food seemed mostly clueless, our food arrived - he looked confused and took it away before reappearing with the same plates. He hadn’t known which table it was for. When he bought dessert they had to be returned as they had been served incorrectly. It wasn’t the slick service we were anticipating. Overall pretty pub, nice atmosphere but food and service disappointing- would we return? No

We ventured to this gastro pub after seeing good reviews. My experience wasn't great. Had to get your own cutlery and condiments even though waitresses was walking by. No way off placing an order in the garden, so have to walk backwards and forwards to place order. Overall for a gastro pub it's not great. Staff were good, they also didn't bring a pudding out so had to wait 20mins for that to be done by the kitchen. I don't feel the food quality warranted the price paid either.

After visiting the Dabbling Duck last week for Sunday lunch 3 of our party came away with food poisoning which lasted 2 days and ruined our holiday. After contacting the Dabbling Duck they were extremely defensive and said they would contact me if they heard of any other cases, which as I expected they didn’t! Upon arrival the front of house staff were rude, we were 20 minutes early for our table so we sat outside for a drink which was our plan anyway. We went in to ask if our table was ready at 2:25 and was very abruptly told our table was booked for 2:30 and sent back outside. The 3 who were poorly all had the same dish, but the rest of the party had different and I must say it was lovely. I thought I must share this, as I really feel the whole experience was not up to standard and would have expected to be treated in a more polite and professional manner.

We had a fantastic evening with our family dining at the pub. The food was great, the staff were brilliant. The whole evening was just right. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will definitely be returning soon. Thank you

I am writing to formally complain about the way my family and I were treated during our visit to The Dabbling Duck. We stopped in for one quick drink with our family, accompanied by our small beagle. The dog barked twice, briefly, and immediately settled. Despite this, we were asked by the supervising gentleman on duty to leave the pub and to put our dog in the car. This was both unreasonable and disappointing, particularly given that The Dabbling Duck presents itself as a dog-friendly establishment. Our dog is small, calm, and in no way intimidating. In fact, the couple seated beside us were visibly shocked at how the situation was handled. At no point were we offered a reasonable or courteous discussion—only an abrupt demand to leave. The supervisor’s handling of the situation was, frankly, incompetent and demonstrated a lack of basic customer service. As a business owner myself, I found the approach entirely unacceptable and damaging to the reputation of the pub. As a result of this experience, we will not be returning, and I will be warning others of how dog-owning customers may be treated. I believe the ownership should be made aware of how this incident was managed, as it reflects poorly on the establishment. I hope you take this feedback seriously and review both your dog policy and staff training to prevent similar experiences for future customers.

A very much overrated venue. We attended Restaurant Week with high expectations. We were extremely disappointed with our meals. The first course of pigeon was tepid and not of a sufficiently high temperature. We overheard similar complaints of various cold food at other tables. Explanation: Had not been left long enough in the microwave! The second course of cod neck was far far too hot spice wise and inedible due to burning chilli vegetables. We overheard similar complaints at the adjacent table. The dessert course was of cheap supermarket sticky toffee cake and not of restaurant quality. Then they tried to charge us twice for the drinks which was challenged without apology. We will not be going back again ever.

Extremely interesting review below from Captain Nemo and aptly timed as we visited this week and chose to eat from the Norfolk Restaurant menu which my wife had the pigeon for starter. The meat itself was tough to cut so I cut it for my wife and when doing so it appeared raw throughout and wasn't warm and certainly not hot. My wife thought not too much of it as it wasnt chicken and ate what she wanted leaving the rest. Unfortunately, later that evening she was extremely poorly being sick into the early hours. As a result she emailed The Dabbling Duck not to outwardly complain but to merely question if there had been anyone else question anything about the pigeon to which their response was there hadn't been and it couldn't have been the pigeon to cause this. They went on to say food poisoning wouldn't occur that quickly and takes between 24 and 48 hours. We are certain it wasn't anything she ate during the day that would have caused this and as such sought independent medical advice to confirm they are incorrect as a human body would look to reject a foreign body as quickly as necessary (and not between any given timeline) be that a physical object or any food / liquid consumed. Given my wifes recent experience and that of Captain Nemo, and potentially others of late who either cannot or simply do not leaves reviews, maybe The Dabbling Duck would like to discuss this internally and address what appears to be a number of shortcomings.