A beautifully appointed pub in an iconic & pretty Norfolk village (church, village store, pond etc) The pub layout is extraordinary- the rooms so very well designed for style and comfort. We stayed 3 nights and were fortunate to be upgraded to the Mole End room in Barrack House immediately adjacent to the main building - which had a separate sitting room and a fantastic bath and shower cubicle. The standard of food presented from the kitchen was top drawer - not one meal could be described as anything other than perfect. Head Chef & team are commended! Lastly, the staff..........EVERY member of the Dabbling Duck was so super pleasant in every way - they were efficient, focused, well trained, roles discharged faultlessly - it was a privilege to be a part of this experience - we cannot wait to return!

There was nothing to not like!

The location is idyllic, you have duck ponds to the left and right of the pub. Everything was great, the accommodation, the breakfast, evening meals and all the staff were lovely and friendly. We stayed previously about 3 years ago and wanted to come back again. Sarah had been our waitress the previous time and it was good to see her again. The beach at Holkham is fab, we had a great day with our dog. My husband left a top behind and Izzy kindly posted it to us.

Nothing

Large comfortable rooms at the back of a busy pub. Very friendly staff. Despite how busy the pub was we got a great nights sleep. Food was (mainly) excellent.

Food service should have been better- evening meal mains brought out before starters mains seemed to have been then just kept warm which didnt do the Yorkshire's and Roasties any favours- both very dry and overcooked. Breakfast started with single member of staff who seemed overwhelmed - both orange and apple juice jugs empty, and orders taken at random. Later joined by a colleague and things went a lot more smoothly.

Staff so professional and a fantastic atmosphere, food excellent quality and excellent chef, the only thing I didn't like was the desert however that is my taste buds. Rooms lovely and clean and I would 100% recommend this great village public house.

Being told by booking.com that my upgraded room included wine/champagne on arrival, however when I approached the pub/hotel that my free drink was not in my room they said they never do these deals and it must have been booking.com. Will leave to your discretion but Dabbling duck fantastic.

The property is gorgeous. Has been sympathetically renovated to a high standard retaining the charm of its original period. Quality of food is extremely high and service from all members of staff also very high. Village is beautiful, quiet and relaxing.

Staircase up to first floor in main building is quite difficult to climb (although if you book direct with the owners you can request a downstairs room) and edge of stairs not easy to see. Also bath too high to get in and out of easily particularly with no handrail. When staff left at night they talked very loudly outside waking us up

Great breakfast.

We arrived early and whist we were able (after asking) to leave our bags at reception until our later return, the better response would have been say, as we arrived, that they couldn't give us the room until 3pm but feel free to leave bags and they would arrange to take them to our rooms. I asked if they could arrange a taxi for us and was handed a list of phone numbers. Better than nothing but I regard this as a B&B/Self catering service. I'd expect a hotel reception to say "Yes sir, of course. Where and what time?"

After a full day of travelling from London and working nearby in Fakenham, my overnight stay at The Dabbling Duck was exactly what I needed before heading back home to Nottinghamshire. The village is a true hidden gem—peaceful, picturesque, and the perfect setting for a well-earned recharge. The food was just as impressive. I’d highly recommend the burger—bursting with flavour and totally hit the spot. 🍔

Nothing - I would return again

Great location in picture-perfect English village, comfortable room with view over village green, good menu - not cheap but reasonably priced for the area and the quality. Loved the free home-made vodka sample! (NB: I was walking the Peddars Way, which was not too easy to "stage" as it doesn't pass through too many towns/villages. For a three-day journey, Great Massingham and Watton seemed to be the best two stops, so the DD is excellent from this perspective.)

Nothing, great place: for me, would have been even better if breakfast included but I can see why they do it this way and it was clearly documented that it wasn't so no confusion (and for all I know it may have been available as an option during booking and I missed it).

We picked the DD off the internet - and it was a find! Beautiful old pub, gorgeous location. The evening meal was one of the best we have had. Our (upgraded) room was still quite small, but delightfully furnished and very comfortable. And where else would you be left with a carafe of home-made vodka! Staff were friendly and helpful.

The things we found difficult were those you can't do anything about! We are elderly, so found the stairs a bit of a challenge. The car park is adequate but access is quite tricky if there are cars parked opposite. But really, as an experience, there was nothing to complain about.

The room was perfect, clean, the styling was good, comfortable and attention to detail was lovely, such as glasses in the fridge and milk ready for tea and coffees. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Really it was a perfect weekend.

Sometimes it was difficult to find a member of staff when checking in and out or trying to book a table earlier in the day. It was really on a very minor inconvenience