Just over a year after opening, Fino in Cromer has already made a big impact on the region’s food and drink scene. As well as being named Restaurant of the Year at the Norfolk and Suffolk magazine Food & Drink Awards 2025, it was also the Central and East of England winner in the Good Food Guide 100 Best Local Restaurants 2025.

Our judges commented on receiving a ‘fantastic welcome’ and described Fino as ‘very cosy’ and with a ‘great atmosphere’.

They were impressed by the local food offering and said everything was beautifully cooked, adding that they ‘let the main ingredient sing from the plate, and everything else worked with it’.

Fino is owned and run by husband and wife team Dan Goff and Ruth Butler. Dan has a long history of running businesses on the north Norfolk coast, including The White Horse in Blakeney and, until the advent of Fino, The Dun Cow at Salthouse.

Ruth, a talented artist with an MA from Norwich University of the Arts, and her father owned the eponymous and much-missed Butler’s restaurant in Holt.

They are fantastically supported in the kitchen by their friend, Kelby Light, and now, Ben Pert, who have both had long cheffing careers in Norfolk, London and Edinburgh.

And the front of house team, which includes Hannah Greeves, the Toms – Butler and Lloyd – and Valeska Harvey all have years of local hospitality experience.

Dan tells us about the journey so far.

The team at Fino in Cromer. (Image: Contributed by Fino)

Tell us about the concept behind Fino and what you wanted to create in Cromer

We wanted to create the kind of restaurant we love to visit ourselves. Warm, convivial service in an environment to match, alongside simple, nourishing dishes of high quality.

A restaurant that fills the gap between the gastro pubs and the Michelin stars. Having lived in Cromer for some years, it felt like the natural choice of location: busy, lively, community-driven and with a tourist influx to boot.

With Ruth’s beautiful paintings influencing the whole ‘look’, we feel we’ve created a space for food and art to go hand in glove.

Our menu is short but constantly changing. Largely meat and fish led, we are heavily influenced by the food of rural France and, to a degree, Italy and Spain.

Favourites just at the moment include guinea fowl supreme with sauce vin jaune and morels, or eight-hour braised veal cheek with risotto Milanese and halibut fillet with fennel velouté, braised fennel and trout roe.

What local suppliers do you work with?

Wonderful fresh fish comes to us from Ned and James at The Brancaster

Seafood Company. Graves butchers keep us stocked with local game in season and the amazing Allie Wharf and Willie Athill supply our oysters.

What ingredients do you particularly like to cook with at this time of year?

Scallops are great just now and we’re happy to be supplied by Disco Scallops, whose low intervention method of fishing is so much kinder to our marine environment. And we mustn’t forget the earliest forced rhubarb, which is always a sweet treat.

Fino in Cromer. (Image: Contributed by Fino)

What have the biggest challenges been so far?

Opening a restaurant is always a challenge, but I suppose doing so in a time of economic uncertainty has heightened that.

What advice would you give to someone who has an idea for a food or drink business and is just starting out?

Be very clear in your ideas and focus. Lots of well-meaning people will offer advice. Try not to let too many influences distract you from your focus. Be prepared for sleepless nights and hard work. Embrace it.

How did it feel to hear your names read out at the awards night and what does the accolade mean to you?

Naturally, we were absolutely thrilled. It’s hugely gratifying for us and the team to have our efforts recognised..

Fino is in Garden Street, Cromer.

For more information, visit finocromer.co.uk

The Fino Team with their Restaurant of the Year Award. (Image: Matthew Potter Photography and Videography)

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