Norwich Lanes Food & Drink
We’re spoilt in the East with the sprawling, vibrant tapestry of historical alleys and roads that make up the Norwich Lanes. These days, every turn reveals a new culinary delight or place to enjoy. The Norwich Lanes food and drink scene is a celebration of flavours, blending the old with the new in these winding, characterful streets. From the aroma of freshly baked bread, to the colourful cocktails served in bustling, modern eateries, the Lanes offer a feast for both the senses and the soul in Norfolk’s fine city. Today, we’re exploring just a little of what we love that’s on offer in these wonderful streets…
St George’s Street
Expresso
Expresso is a cosy little café situated near Norwich University of the Arts and St. Andrew’s Hall. It’s an ideal spot for grabbing one of the many free newspapers provided near the door and enjoying a slowly-sipped americano brew while watching the world pass by. They have many delightful sandwiches and sweet treats on hand in their beautifully colourful and well-displayed counter, but our firm favourite is the mozzarella, tomato and basil panini – so simple, but freshly made and great tasting. It’s worth noting they also do outside catering for events and we can vouch for the positive feedback we’ve heard from those using them as a supplier.
The Playhouse Bar
Located beside the Norwich Playhouse Theatre, The Playhouse Bar is a vibrant, welcoming space featuring real ales from local breweries, German lagers, and an impressive selection of wines and exotic teas. We recommend the Peach Jubel as something worth trying from the bar. Their charming garden terrace, illuminated by quirky, colourful lights at night, is the perfect riverside retreat for summer evenings. If it gets a little bit chilly outside, ask at the main bar for the hot water bottles and blankets they have to rent to keep you snuggled up and warm. The Playhouse Bar is a must-visit, especially if you’re attending one of the many comedy shows, plays or music gigs in the theatre.
Exchange Street
The Wallow
At The Wallow, a unique self-service wine bar located at the end of Exchange Street in the lanes, you can pour your own wine from wall-mounted machines using a membership card. The cards can be loaded like prepaid cards to use in one sitting or on return visits. If you can nab a window seat, order a Wallow Board to enjoy and make those passing by jealous – they’re packed with charcuterie or cheese delicacies and great to graze on slowly while sampling the truly great selection of wines. A great entry for newbies into the world of The Wallow is to visit during “Wine Wednesday” when members receive 25% off from 5-9 pm.
Jive
Hidden up a narrow set of stairs, Jive is a well-loved, colourful foodie venue on Exchange Street, offering a vibrant, Mexican-inspired dining experience. The intimate venue is celebrated for its flavourful tacos, stunning small plates, and amazing cocktails. Guests can opt for a zingy margarita or a refreshing cerveza, alongside a wide variety of small plates and dishes that are all awe-inducing in terms of presentation and taste. Jive’s lively atmosphere makes it a hub of culinary delight and artistic energy making this always-busy venue a bubbling hub of life, art, tastes and smiles. If you love it here, you’ll also love Blue Joanna on Unthank Road in Norwich.
No 33
No 33 is your perfect, go-to place for brunch. Known for its extensive vegan options, hearty plates, and arguably the best pancake stacks in Norwich, this café is a beloved choice for locals and visitors alike. We’ve written previously about Cafe No 33 on Exchange Street in our article about our favourite Norfolk eateries, with huge menu selections, fully-stacked plates, kid-friendly options and a Shakshuka to die for, there is genuinely something for everyone to enjoy.
Bedford Street
The Wildman
Named after the 18th-century legend of Wildman Peter, The Wildman offers a buzzing atmosphere with a great selection of drinks, including expertly crafted cocktails. This recently refurbished pub is home to a team capable of crafting a decent Margarita or an authentic Old Fashioned, alongside the standard range of beers, ales and wines. What we love most about this place is the buzz, vibrancy and friendly nature of the staff and clientele. Happy hour deals in their Cocktail Club are well worth a trip here on an evening out with a 2 for £12 offer on every day from 4pm to 8pm. A TV is on-site for sports fans, but the venue is set out thoughtfully with a mixture of sofa, bench and contemporary seating areas that the sports is never intrusive for those wanting general socialising and chatter.
Dick’s Bar
Occupying the space of the former Frank’s Bar, Dick’s Bar brings an American twist to Norwich Lanes with its menu of pancake stacks, bagels, and hot dogs. This lively venue has also made a mark with its self-hosted street festival, Dick’s Ding Dong. A very welcome addition to the Norwich food scene – possibly the best place to try pecan pie!
St Benedicts Street
Slice & Dice
A haven for board game enthusiasts, Slice & Dice combines delicious vegan food with a vast selection of games. It’s a welcoming space for socialising and enjoying plant-based delights and with hundreds of board games, there are opportunities to make friends and socialise along the good food. Slice & Dice is one of a growing number of social gaming venues in Norwich – they’re all so welcoming to solo gamers too if you fancy meeting some likeminded people – and if you like it here, it’s worth checking out the likes of Athena Games and The Games Table too, again all located within the Norwich lanes areas of the city.
Makers House / Bar Hawthorn
Makers House offers a delightful experience with its tapas bar bistro on the ground floor, serving coffee from Caravan Coffee Roasters and an excellent selection of wines. Upstairs, Bar Hawthorn’s table service cocktails provide the perfect way to unwind in style. We last enjoyed this amazing Norwich Lanes venue for a few rounds of cocktails on the ground floor before moving on to a meal elsewhere, but not before looking at the extensive and varied menu that has encouraged us to look forward to giving the full dining experience a try soon. While the downstairs is for the main bar and a food menu influenced by flavours from Spain and France, upstairs is where Bar Hawthorne is to be found and it’s the ideal place to indulge with friends in table service cocktails from their eclectic and unique cocktail menu.
The Plough Pub
An updated version of its former self, this pub on St Benedicts Street is now popular with a wider range of city dwellers. The Plough offers a relaxing beer garden which is staged in sections allowing it to be busy and feel private at the same time. Throw in some of the most generous cheese boards in the city, and regular events like Turntable Tuesdays, and visitors are on to a winner. Their resident pub cat, Ralphie, adds to the charm of this local favourite – if you can spot him.
Don Txoko
Inspired by the Basque Country, Don Txoko serves impeccably sourced Spanish and Norfolk ingredients cooked over coals. Signature dishes like Txuleton steak and triple-cooked patatas bravas highlight the menu, making it a must-visit for food lovers. There are other Catalan staples on offer here too, like the highly recommended slow-cooked Ossobuco a la Milanese.
Bare Food Deli
A recent addition to the Lanes, Bare Food Deli offers guilt-free cakes and drinks made without additives or preservatives. A perfect spot for a health-conscious snack.
Lower Goat Lane
L’Hexagone
Located at 22 Lower Goat Lane, L’Hexagone is a charming French bistro known for its romantic ambience and authentic dishes. Since opening in 2020, it has become a favourite among those seeking a touch of France in the heart of Norwich and is run by a lovely couple with a wealth of culinary experience. Go for the croque…stay for everything else on the menu. And the wine!
Moorish Falafel Bar
For a filling vegan lunch, the Moorish Falafel Bar is a top choice. The meals on offer here really fuel you up for the day with tasty ingredients and tastes from the East and Med. Served up as either wraps or salad bowls this is an often busy lunchtime venue for many city dwellers – One tip, download their app to order ahead. The Mexican option with guac, salsa, jalapeños & slaw is the stand-out menu choice for our tastebuds.
Grosvenor Fish Bar (FSH)
With over 95 years of history, Grosvenor Fish Bar continues to be a beloved institution in Norwich. Whether you’re enjoying their creative specials like Bass with Sass or indulging in a BBLT with treacle and beer-battered bacon, this historic fish bar offers a dining experience steeped in tradition and flavour. There’s no need to convince you about the quality and popularity of FSH @ The Grosvenor Fish Bar, their longevity speaks for itself. Customers can dine in with space in their historic downstairs vault to seat 70 people. There’s also some seating outside on the public green where there’s often live music in the summer, so there’s no reason at all not to sit and enjoy one of the many diverse creations that the fab team at The Grosvenor have on offer.
St Giles Street
Waffle House
The Waffle House is one of Norwich’s most unique dining spots, serving a variety of sweet and savoury waffles. From the Bang Bang Chicken waffle to their ham, mushrooms and creamy cheese sauce waffle, everything here is made fresh on-site. Nothing is bought in meaning the team is completely aware of ingredients and able to cater for most tastes, diets and allergies.
Prime
A paradise for meat lovers, Prime offers Norfolk’s finest steaks, cooked dramatically on volcanic lava stone. The menu also features interesting fish dishes including hake and monkfish, making it a great spot for a slightly more special meal.
Upper St Giles Street
Bread Source
Bread Source, with its focus on traditional baking techniques and high-quality ingredients, is more than just a bakery. With seven stores in and around Norwich now, Bread Source remains a popular establishment that is more than a “run of the mill” bakery. They go far beyond this, ensuring that traditional techniques and ingredients are crafted into baked goods that fuel your day and brighten your mood. The other two nearby locations in the Norwich Lanes are on Bridewell Alley and their smaller marketplace unit on Gentleman’s Walk.
London Street
Gonzo’s Tea Room
Vibrant, quirky, retro – pick your adjective as Gonzo’s Tea Room has it all. It’s great to see this independent startup growing over the years into a buzzing tapestry of business including Voodoo Daddy’s Showroom for upcoming rock and indie acts (plus one of the best places to get pizza in Norwich), Gonzo’s Two Room for huge tunes and dance beat events and the newest fancy dining addition of Brix & Bones (see below). The team behind Gonzo’s offers up a rainbow of tastes, experiences and events, all adding to the vibrancy of the Norwich music scene in the absence of once-loved music venues like the Owl Sanctuary and The Ferryboat. Side note – Amazing poutine here too!
Brix & Bones
Part of the Gonzo’s family and also located on London Street, Brix & Bones is a dining experience that emphasises cooking by fire. Featured in Good Food Guide’s Top 14 under-the-radar eateries in the UK, it’s a must-try for those seeking a primal and flavourful meal. Brix & Bones offers a primal and visceral dining experience where the power of flame for cooking and crafting is at the forefront. Having seen the flair with which the staff prepared their food at the last Norwich Lanes festival, we can’t wait to try out a meal in-house soon.
Bar Cerdita
Bar Cerdita, from the team behind the nationally recognised Benoli, offers a Spanish-inspired tapas experience. Located at the top of London Street, this new venture in the Norwich lanes is all about shared tapas plates and enjoying the Spanish culture. The team suggests ordering a number of plates and using the dining experience as a chance to relax, explore and enjoy the tastes and flavours in a warm atmosphere. Their Clams and Sobrasada main with spicy sausage and cider sounds amazing!
Gentleman’s Walk (Marketplace)
Big Deal Bodega
There are so many food and drink outlets to explore on the colourful and unique Norwich Marketplace. One of our favourites has to be The Bodega after we first sampled their culinary wizardry during a recent Norwich Lanes festival. Located in the bustling Norwich Marketplace, Big Deal Bodega is known for its towering sandwiches and US-inspired flavours. Think stacked sandwiches the likes of which you’ve likely never encountered in terms of size, and then add in huge amounts of American taste and flavour. Their burgers are also insanely good! The team also links up with the Redwell Brewery on the outskirts of Norwich in Trowse for occasional BBQ events, as well as having a series of regular pop-up events around Norwich. It’s well worth following their social media accounts on Instagram and FB to keep up.
Bun Box
Whether you’re after a tempered veg dish or a beautiful bowl of chicken Katsu, The Bun Box at stall 23 on the Norwich market area of Gentleman’s Walk offers up fresh Asian flavours to the masses with all prices the last time we passed at under a £9.
Tasty House
Tasty House provides more Asian delights. Most dishes are available in either medium or large portions. We enjoyed the smaller bowl of Korean BBQ beef with spicy sauce and rice, plus a drink and it only set us back £8.70 in total, fueling us for the rest of the day! The large portions look huge!
Cocina Mia
Authentic Chilean cuisine comes to Norwich lanes with Cocina Mia, located in the Norwich Marketplace. Slap bang in the middle of the marketplace on Norwich’s Gentleman’s Walk, this tasty gem serves up bowls of joy based on family recipes passed down through generations. Daily lunchtime specials are on offer here with the roasted vegetable empanada with mixed veg and salad being amazing. This is a great option for those in a rush as is available to go, while other dishes take around 10 minutes to prep. There’s also a little seating area next to the market unit reserved for customers of Sir Tom’s Beer stall and Cocina Mia, ideal if you need a rest or the weather turns.
Swan Lane
Logan’s
Logan’s is a beloved institution on Swan Lane, known for its delicious sandwiches and custom lunch options. A longstanding business venture, Logan’s has been serving up all manner of tasty sandwiches for what seems like an eternity. Choose from their daily boards and menus or pay a modest amount of money to load up your own choices from their sandwich and salad bar to create a custom lunch option. Logan’s has long been a great place to grab lunch on the go for visitors and locals alike and there’s even seating in-house for those wishing to sit down and enjoy one of their heavenly loaded jacket potatoes. Logan’s, in its most recent form, is run by two sisters and remains an immensely popular place, particularly at lunchtime. With this in mind ordering ahead can sometimes be a worthwhile idea if you’re planning on collecting at peak times.
Turtle Bay
A popular Caribbean-orientated cocktail bar and one of the best places to consider if you’re looking for bottomless brunch options in Norwich. Be sure to download and make use of their app on your smartphone as there are regular offers, freebies and rewards that pop up. Note that these offers are sometimes restricted to “per table” if you have friends with multiple apps.
Pottergate
Christophe’s Crepes
After gaining popularity as an independent pop-up cart, Christophe’s Crepes has established a permanent home at 12 Pottergate. This move into a bricks-and-mortar store in 2020 was met with excitement by fans of their delicious crepes. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, you can’t go wrong with a stop here – especially when paired with a cup of their locally sourced Strangers Coffee or ice cream from Ronaldo’s.
YARD
YARD on Pottergate is a perfect example of simple, delicious Italian food done right. Known for its no-reservation policy, this eatery is ideal for spontaneous dining before a film at the nearby Cinema City or after a long day in Norwich. YARD offers a menu of tasty pasta and risotto dishes, with highlights like their creamy Rigatoni with sausage, crème fraîche & fennel, and Pappardelle with nduja, mascarpone & lemon making us want to return again and again. They’ve even extended their outdoor seating into the nearby churchyard, creating a charming additional spot for enjoying a meal in the heart of Norwich.
Bridewell Alley
SLICE
SLICE on Bridewell Alley brings the convenience of pizza by the slice to Norwich. From the team behind the Bun X Burger Joint at Micawbers Tavern at the end of Pottergate, Slice on the Lanes serves up the opportunity to buy pizza by the slice for around £4 at lunchtime. Amongst all their toppings, Slice do an amazing-looking Bolognese on a béchamel pizza base with homemade basil oil and occasionally is known to do unlimited all-you-can-eat pizza evenings – just make sure you follow their Instagram account to know when to book.
Bread Source
We’ve already mentioned Bread Source’s store on Upper St Giles Street, well their Bridewell Alley store offers up a similar array of artisan baking and coffee aromas. They excel in offering their well-refined produce hand-in-hand with their own bakery supplies for the home baker and bespoke day courses that help customers learn the traditional techniques and craft. Bread Source is a very special bakery that exudes a love of freshly baked, quality produce.
St Andrew’s Hill
Saporita
Saporita on St Andrew’s Hill is a quaint, intimate and cosy little pizzeria and provider of authentic Italian flavours. The team here serve up huge pizzas available to go as a whole or by the slice. There’s also an array of grazing platters and charcuterie offers available on request. There’s an all-you-can-eat slice offer inclusive of limoncello at £20 per person and a range of aperativo offers also. This is a great pizzeria to introduce younger family members to the tastes and flavours of Italy in a friendly and warm environment close to the city centre.
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