Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Norwich
Hardens guides have spent 32 years compiling reviews of the best Norwich restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 9 restaurants in Norwich and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Norwich restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Norwich Restaurants
1. Stoke Mill
British, Modern restaurant in Stoke Holy Cross
Mill Road - NR14
“A bit quirky, but it has a lot class as well” – this scenic, 700-year-old mill on the River Tas was once home to the business that became Colman’s Mustard, and since 2013 under Ludo and Andy Rudd has been restored to be a restaurant of some ambition. There is an à la carte menu, or go the whole hog and have the 7-course tasting menu for £75. Top Menu Tip – “the best Sunday lunch for miles”.
2. Brasteds
British, Modern restaurant in Framingham Pigot
Manor Farm Barns - NR14
Brasted’s Award Winning Restaurant is located in the picturesque privately owned village of Framingham Pigot. With its warm, inviting décor and friendly staff it’s the perfect choice for any special occasion or celebration. Our A La Carte Menu changes on a seas...
3. Namaste India
Indian restaurant in Norwich
2a Opie Street - NR1
2021 Review: “Exceptional” Indian vegetarian and vegan cooking wins high ratings for this “beautifully decorated” little restaurant on a central Norwich backstreet – a family-run business operated by “people who really care”.
4. Benedicts
British, Modern restaurant in Norwich
9 St Benedicts St - NR2
Entering its eighth year, Richard & Katja Bainbridge’s “relaxing” operation remains the most commented-on option in town in our annual diners’ poll and also the highest rated. Fans say it’s their “go-to” option, thanks to its “incredible” menus (“catering to all tastes”) and staff who are “attentive without being overly ever present”. However, ratings were dragged down by a few “disappointing” reports of the “might-have-been-a-bad-day-but…” variety.
5. Farmyard Restaurant
British, Modern restaurant in Norwich
23 Saint Benedicts Street - NR2
This “vibrant” operation from chef-patron Andrew Jones, who worked for Richard Corrigan and Claude Bosi before returning to his native Norfolk, majors on “interesting, well-executed dishes” using “locally sourced ingredients”. He and his partner, Hannah, also run The Dial House restaurant-with-rooms in Reepham.
6. Last Wine Bar & Restaurant
British, Traditional restaurant in Norwich
70 - 76 St Georges Street - NR3
2021 Review: “After nearly 30 years under the same ownership” owner James Sawrey-Cookson retired and this “well-loved Norwich institution” changed hands last year: bought by a number of business-minded regulars. Chef of three years’ standing, Iain McCarten is “well into his stride, but what makes this place so popular is the whole atmosphere (there is a real sense of belonging”). “Hopefully the new owners don’t ruin the formula” although change is certainly afoot, with a new outside terrace and adjoining brasserie section opening in autumn 2019.
7. Roger Hickman’s
British, Modern restaurant in Norwich
79 Upper St. Giles St - NR2
“A long-term destination in the culinary wastelands of Norfolk, but so good it is worth a trip”, say fans of Roger Hickman’s “lovely” culinary beacon (which dates from 1990 under former owner David Adlard). Reports often compare it favourably with nearby Benedicts, although the latter outscored it by a whisker again this year. Whatever the ranking, all reports rate it well, lauding “superbly executed food, with touches of inventiveness which all hit the spot”. Such gripes as featured in feedback are that it’s pricey or “a bit OTT” in its approach.
8. The Wildebeest Arms
British, Modern restaurant in Stoke Holy Cross
82-86 Norwich Rd - NR14
“Excellent food, beautifully prepared and presented from local produce”, ticks the boxes at this village pub-restaurant just outside Norwich, which serves a modern British menu from Norfolk-born chef Daniel Smith (ex-Le Gavroche and Morston Hall), who also runs the Ingham Swan (his third venture, Warwick Street Social in Norwich, closed during the pandemic). The Wildebeest’s name is a relic of its previous life as an African-themed gastropub. Top Tip – “the fixed-price lunch is a real bargain”.
9. Benoli
Italian restaurant in Norwich
5 Orford Street - NR1
This central Norwich newcomer (est. 2019) from ex-Roux at the Landau head chef Oliver Boon and his brother Ben (the Ben & Oli of its name) “always offers tasty pasta-based and Italian-styled treats, in a modern setting”. The commendably short menu “changes regularly”, revolving around a handful of handmade pastas, one main meat and one fish dish, and vegan options.
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