Norwich Restaurant Guide

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”.

“Great local Norfolk ingredients are used to good effect” at Richard Bainbridge’s inviting if simply decorated destination that’s “probably still the joint best restaurant in Norwich”, and as such “well worth a visit” for its “consistently good” cooking from a series of set menus that are pleasantly ambitious but without the excessive flummery of a classic tasting menu format.

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.

“French-inspired fine dining in a cosy room” – using “high-quality ingredients” and “intricately presented” to showcase “the skills of the chef” – has won a national reputation for this long-running fixture “in one of the well-preserved historic quarters of the city”. The ratings slipped a touch this year, accompanied by a couple of reports from erstwhile local fans who bemoaned staff turnover post-Covid and an experience that was “disappointing” compared with past years. But they are still outweighed by those who say: “We have dined a good few times over the years and the high standards have remained consistent”.

This “terrific find just outside Norwich” is an “excellent gastropub” with “really pleasant staff” – owned and run by locally born chef Daniel Smith, it’s “sister to the Ingham Swan and just as good”. Originally a village pub called the Red Lion, it was re-named with an African theme as the Wildebeest by a previous owner, and the name stuck. Top Tip – “the daily fixed-price lunch is very good and very good value”.

Launched in 2020 by Frenchman Thomas Aubrit, son of a cook and nephew of a butcher, and English wife Gemma (FOH), this “very small” but very good Gallic outfit in Norwich Lanes has cemented its popularity with “simple good food” from a short menu featuring all the expected classics (e.g., onion soup, boeuf bourguignon). Thanks to the “very attentive” hosts, a “warm atmosphere” pervades both the miniscule downstairs bar and the 20-seat upstairs dining room.

“Oli Boon’s cookery makes every visit a treat” – “fabulous fresh pasta” is the key attraction on a “limited but delicious Italian menu”, which “changes constantly – at this “high-quality addition to Norwich” which is entering its fifth year; and the food is consistently a flavour explosion”. (“Oh, and Oli’s brother Ben has never worked here: he’s a lovely chap, but is just in the name”). Top Menu Tip – “the parmesan croquettes are to die for”.

“A fresh and vibrant menu with a fusion of local foods and inspired cooking” inspires enthusiastic (if limited) feedback on Jimmy Preston’s funky two-year-old, which started as a pop-up and went permanent in late 2021. In early 2023, The Observer’s Jay Rayner also raved over its “face-slapping flavours” and “cheeky, magpie-like romp across Asia” (including XO seasoning which includes Frazzles, Scampi Fries and Monster Munch).

Excellent feedback this year for ex-Alimentum chef Mark Poynton’s dining room in a country-house hotel a ten-minute drive from Norwich. The odd reporter feels that “the venue doesn’t match the food just yet”, but all agree that “you’re made to feel special as soon as you enter the restaurant” and that the food – which is exclusively from a tasting menu – is “fantastic”. At six courses for £49.50 per person, the entry-level option is particularly affordable.