Owned by the Mobbs family for over 90 years, The Imperial Hotel has been a stalwart of both the town’s hotel sector and restaurant trade for decades. Earlier this year, Nick and Eileen Mobbs handed over the reins to an employee ownership trust.

Grant Smith with Aileen and Nick Mobbs outside the seafront Imperial Hotel Picture: The Little Marketing Shop (Image: The Little Marketing Shop)Having only tried an afternoon tea at the hotel several years ago, I thought Cafe Cru would be a good option for a cold November night.

Off the street, we were greeted by our waitress and quickly taken to our booth. The restaurant was well laid out, and it filled in no time with a birthday party and several work dinners.

With the arrangement of several sets of cutlery and the added floral detail to the butter, it was clear from the get-go that Cafe Cru tries hard to make its presentation stand out.

We were given complimentary bread to nibble as we looked through the menu. I went with the venison and black pudding Scotch egg for starters and my partner opted for the Norfolk mussels. For mains, I had the pan-fried Barbary duck breast and Rosa had a pan-roasted hake fillet.

Venison and black pudding Scotch egg, with remoulade, baby leaf, sweet mustard vinaigrette. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)In anticipation, I was expecting a salty, rich black pudding inside the Scotch egg, but what I got was much better. The pudding was minimal inside the meaty casing but added a very subtle hint of salt.

Mixed with the venison, it was a far superior take on the traditional Scotch egg. And when I bit into the middle and was greeted with the soft oozing yolk, it felt extra special.

My starter came on top of a bed of remoulade, baby leaf and sweet mustard vinaigrette, which was a little bit underwhelming. All in all, it was an enjoyable starter. But I feel the remoulade was overpowered by the vinaigrette and would have benefited from a spicier undertone.

Norfolk Mussels poached in cider and finished with cream and fresh herbs. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)The mussels had been poached in cider, which had blended with the cream and fresh herbs in the bottom of the pan. You can’t go wrong with a bucket of mussels and these were perfectly cooked.

Pan-fried Barbary duck breast, duck leg and five spice croquette, butternut squash, savoy cabbage, crispy kale and jus. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)On to the mains, and the pan-fried duck stole the show. I was greeted with two perfectly formed pieces of meat. One with a succulent layer of tasty fat and the other with a crumbly coating.

The duck was pink, juicy and irresistible. But as I tried the coated portion, I found the surprise I was hoping for. The coating was a mixture of croquette and Chinese five spice and it instantly made me appreciate the versatility of duck and how it is enjoyed all over the world.

Combined with butternut squash, savoy cabbage, crispy kale and a deep, rich jus, the kitchen went above and beyond with this dish.

READ MORE: Food review: The Shed tapas bar, Gorleston, Norfolk

Pan-roasted hake fillet with cauliflower, cabbage and bacon, bacon crumb, white fish quenelle, pommes anna and jus. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)Rosa tucked into her hake, which was served with a bacon crumb, cauliflower, pomme anna and a white fish quenelle.

The meaty fish melted in the mouth with a slight crunch from the crumb. Like the duck, my partner’s meal also came with a rich jus, which added depth to the dish. And Rosa was enamoured with the white fish quenelle, which had a mouth-watering salty undertone.

We were given a decent amount of time to digest our meal before being asked whether we would like dessert. It took less than a millisecond to confirm.

Rosa ordered the hot chocolate fondant and I went with the plum clafoutis.

Hot chocolate fondant, chocolate mousse, coffee biscotti and ice cream, caramelised walnuts and dark chocolate soil. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)Dessert was served after a little while and I loved the clafoutis’ accompanying mascarpone ice cream, which complemented the sweet plum chutney and roasted pistachios.

The clafoutis was spongy and enjoyable.

Plum Clafoutis, mascarpone ice cream, sweet plum chutney, roasted pistachios and baby lemon balm. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)The fondant was a chocolate-lover dream, with chocolate mousse, dark chocolate soil, caramelised walnuts, coffee biscotti and ice cream.

By the end, we were pleasantly sated by the amount and some things really shone throughout the meal.

Setting

Cafe Cru is inside the Imperial Hotel and is a more traditional restaurant with booths and tables. It has an air of formality, which can feel a little intimidating at times.

Price

We each ordered a starter, a main and a dessert, as well as a pint of Diet Coke and one Appletiser, which all came to £84.50.

Service

We were seen by three waiters throughout the meal, and everyone was kind and courteous. However, one waiter was a little more formal at times, which felt a little unnerving.

Superb: The pan-fried Barbary duck breast at Cafe Cru. Picture – James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)Highlight

Both of the main courses were exceptional. But I think the pan-fried duck has to be one of the most enjoyable meals I have had. I have nothing but praise for the chef for that wonderful dish. If you visit Cafe Cru, you will not regret ordering the duck.

Summary

I feel somewhat torn about Cafe Cru. The food was great throughout, but there were times (mostly with my starter) when I felt it underdelivered ever so slightly. One other thing which detracted from the experience was the toilets. While they were both well-stocked and mostly clean, the gent’s cubicle could have had a deeper clean on one of the walls.

Cafe Cru clearly has a more formal approach, highlighted by the layout, the manner of the waiting staff and the slightly higher price point. And that is absolutely fine.

I just feel the restaurant needs to give a few more surprises to its diners to stand head and shoulders above the competition.