The Nye family first hit the headlines with the highly regarded White Horse, Brancaster Staithe and now have a cluster of venues under the umbrella of Anglian Country Inns. Taking its cue from their recent hit Hermitage Rd, Water Lane is another mega conversion – this time a three-storey site that was once part of the old Hawkes Brewery. The interior has been stripped back, leaving much of the original brickwork, arches and eye-catching features intact, while the menu majors on fashionable small plates and sharing boards, backed by supplies of Brancaster mussels, oysters and fish – perhaps grilled mackerel with radish, smoked beetroot and warm poatato salad. Burgers and filled flatbreads also feature, along with puds such as caramelised lemon tart. Below stairs is a cellar bar complete with old copper piping, pillars and a brick-vaulted ceiling: come here for beers from the owners’ microbrewery, plus cocktails and global wines.