Going out for dinner is about much more than choosing what to eat. The best evenings start before the first course arrives and don’t necessarily end when dessert is finished. A drink at the bar gives you time to settle in, catch up and enjoy the occasion without feeling as though you need to head straight to your table.
At The Greenhouse, our bar is part of the restaurant experience. From cocktails and wine to beers, spirits, alcohol-free options and soft drinks, there is plenty to choose from if you fancy arriving early for a drink, ordering something alongside your meal or staying a little longer afterwards.
There is something about ordering a cocktail before dinner that makes an ordinary meal out feel more like an occasion. It gives everyone time to arrive, takes away the rush of heading immediately to the table and creates a natural start to the evening.
Our drinks selection includes cocktails alongside a wider choice of wines, beers, ciders, spirits and alcohol-free alternatives. That means the bar works just as well for a celebratory round of drinks as it does for a quiet catch-up before dinner.
You don’t have to be joining us for a major celebration either. Date nights, meals with friends, birthdays or simply deciding you don’t fancy cooking are all good excuses to make a little more of the evening.
Once you’re at the table, your drink can become part of the meal itself. Some people already know exactly what they like, while others would rather choose something based on what they’re eating or simply how they feel that evening.
Wine remains a classic choice with dinner, and The Greenhouse offers red, white, rosé and sparkling options alongside Prosecco. Beer, cider, spirits and soft drinks give you plenty of alternatives if wine isn’t your thing.
There’s no need to turn choosing a drink into a science. A crisp white can be refreshing alongside lighter dishes, while a fuller red is often a natural match for richer flavours. Ultimately, the best choice is the one you’ll actually enjoy.
The end of the meal doesn’t have to mean the end of the evening. After-dinner drinks give you an excuse to stay at the table or bar for a little longer, particularly when you’re celebrating or catching up with people you haven’t seen for a while.
A final cocktail, glass of wine, spirit or alcohol-free drink can be a relaxed way to round things off. Alternatively, tea or coffee might be exactly what you fancy after dessert.
This is one of the reasons we think of the bar as more than somewhere to grab a drink while you’re waiting. It helps turn dinner into an evening out rather than something that begins with ordering food and ends as soon as the plates are cleared.
Choosing not to drink alcohol shouldn’t leave you stuck with an uninspiring alternative. The Greenhouse drinks menu includes alcohol-free options alongside soft drinks and other choices, making it easier for everyone at the table to find something they actually want to order.
Alcohol-free drinks can work particularly well if you’re driving, taking a break from alcohol or simply don’t fancy drinking that evening. You can still join everyone else for pre-dinner or after-dinner drinks without the experience feeling like an afterthought.
Of course, you don’t always need a full meal as an excuse to visit. Sometimes meeting someone for a drink is the plan in itself.
Our bar offers somewhere to catch up over a drink, start an evening out or simply spend some time together without needing a special occasion. With cocktails, wines, beers, spirits and alcohol-free choices available, you can choose whatever suits the mood.
And if one drink turns into deciding you’d quite like something to eat after all, the restaurant is right there.
The bar is an important part of what makes an evening at The Greenhouse feel like more than simply going somewhere for dinner. Arrive a little earlier for cocktails, choose something to complement your meal or stay for after-dinner drinks and make the most of your time together.
Located in Downham Market, Norfolk, The Greenhouse brings food, drinks and a relaxed restaurant atmosphere together under one roof.
Take a look at our food and drinks menus and book your table at The Greenhouse for your next meal out.