Cromer: So good Banksy put his stamp on it

How this website has been live for live for a month and a half and I still haven't written a blog on Cromer is beyond me! It's one of our absolute favourite places.

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of "British Seaside Resort" type places and when we first moved to Norfolk, the image that I got of Cromer from the internet was not one that hugely inspired me. But the internet was wrong, so so wrong!

Cromer isn't just up and coming...it's already there. A recent Telegraph article about Cromer had the headline "The crumbling Norfolk seaside town being restored to its former glory", but I think that's unfair; it's shining in all its glory already.

Cromer's most famous for its crab, and my goodness that crab is good! With fishmongers a plenty (even one that's a pop-up in someones front garden on New Street), you really can't visit Cromer without trying the crab.

For me though, Cromer is so much more than crab. It's art (check out the Banksy on the sea defences on the beach past the beach huts), it's Edwardian architectural beauty (check out the newly renovated Cliftonville Hotel which does fab coffee and food) and it's cool, really flipping cool.

From incredible 'Wholefoods type' independent food shops (Fig & Olive) to beautiful quaint bookshops (Bookworms of Cromer) and everything in between. You could spend a whole day in Cromer, wandering its character filled streets and find a hidden gem on every corner.

We've spent a lot of time in Cromer playing with our dog on the beautiful beach and sampling the best of the best when it comes to everything else Cromer has to offer, so here's our run down of our recommendations of how to spend a day:

Activities

Surfing with Glide Surf School

Walk on the beach and check out the Banksy and the beautiful colourful beach huts

Pitch and Put overlooking the sea at Cromer Putting Green

Take the kids to the Amazona Zoo

Coffee

North Sea Coffee (right on the promenade and the absolute best coffee in Cromer) 🐾

Food & Drink

Cliftonville Hotel (they do a great breakfast) 🐾

Red Lion (amazing views of the sea, amazing loaded fries in the bar area as well as a great full menu in the restaurant) 🐾

Whitewater (perfect for takeaway wood fired pizza to eat on the beach, as well as amazing lunch and breakfast to eat in) 🐾

Crab Pot Cafe (best crab sandwiches to eat in or takeaway) 🐾

Mary Janes (best fish & chips)

Yumy Yumy House (Vietnamese Street Food to eat in or takeaway) 🐾

Indian on the Cliff (the BEST Indian for miles - you can even pick exactly how spicy you want every single dish) 🐾

Gangway (coffee to cocktails) 🐾

Shopping

Wetdog Surf Shop (amazing water sports clothing and accessories shop - I bought my paddleboard from here)

Fig & Olive (incredible independent food shop) 🐾

East Coast Surf (in the same building as Fig & Olive, with the best range of surfboards and accessories) 🐾

Beast to Block (amazing artisan butchers)

Lizzie's Fruits & Vegetables Shop (the prettiest independent greengrocers)

Constance & Thyme (beautiful home and floral shop) 🐾

Another Planet (independent record store)

Little Gems Rock Shop (the most beautiful fossils, rocks and crystals) 🐾

Bookworms (the most picture perfect independent book shop)

🐾 = dog friendly

I could literally go on all day about how much I love Cromer but I'd rather you visited and checked it out for yourself. There's something beautiful in the way old meets new. How the streets wind around the coastline and how the waves crash against the promenade at high tide. There's magic in Cromer. A magic that will always keep you coming back for more!