The 10 Must-Try Restaurants And Pubs In Norwich England

Once upon a time Norwich was the second largest city in medieval Britain, with a prospering wool-weaving industry. Nowadays, although the city is less prominent, people do seem to underestimate Norwich’s standing as a cultural city. You may be pleasantly surprised at the number of award -winning fine dining restaurants that are housed in the city. Here are our top ten places in Norwich’s thriving culinary scene.

Roger Hickman’s

Roger Hickman’s, lavished with praise and critical acclaim, is the only restaurant in Norwich to possess the much coveted three AA rosettes. This accolade is particularly astounding as the restaurant only opened in 2010. Roger Hickman has clearly learned a lot from his time working as head chef for the Michelin-starred Adlard’s, which used to occupy Upper Giles before 2010. The restaurant conjures up modern British cuisine, highlights including roast skate wing with charred leek and the vegetarian roasted globe artichoke with wild mushrooms, Israeli couscous and truffle puree. Roger Hickman’s undoubtedly delivers on a superb fine dining experience in Norwich.
Roger Hickman’s, 79 Upper St. Giles St, Norwich, UK +44 1603 633522

1. Brummells Seafood Restaurant

Restaurant, Seafood

Housed in a 17th century house, Brummells provides an enchanting and romantic location for one to enjoy its gourmet seafood dishes. The restaurant prides itself on making use of the best, locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant also does meats from the grill, such as the impressive local Breckland Wild Deer venison steaks. This is all supplemented with an award-winning wine menu and a consistently friendly atmosphere. So Brummells is definitely a culinary delight to be discovered in the historic Norwich city centre.

2. Assembly House

Assembly House

Assembly House © Flickr

3. Shiki Japanese Restaurant

Restaurant, Japanese

Nearby the cathedral and Norwich University of Arts, Shiki is a very popular restaurant in the city. Complimented for its stylish and contemporary décor, the restaurant excels in serving a wide variety of Japanese food from Sushi to Teppan-Yaki. If you’re in a rush you can always get a takeaway. Otherwise, if you desire to drink in the scenic surroundings of Norwich then you can take advantage of outdoor seating.

4. Tatlers

Bar, Restaurant, British, European

A contemporary restaurant based in a charming 19th century converted townhouse nearby Norwich Cathedral, Tatlers has been a mainstay in Norwich’s culinary scene. Its varied and ambitious à la carte menus are always an enticing proposition. For example, you can order a Nordic inspired beetroot cured gravlax for starters, and then enjoy Dingley Dell belly pork and braised cheek for main course. Furthermore, the restaurant makes an effort to ensure that the wine they serve is produced sustainably and organically. So Tatlers is an extremely welcoming environment, cooking fresh and inventive food that is reasonably priced.

5. Dining Rooms

Restaurant, British, Vegetarian, Beer

Dining Rooms at Cinema City is a delightful treat in the historic heart of the city. Here you will find the oldest independent art house in the country, housed in the medieval Suckling House. Although it has been renovated many times over the years, there are still some medieval bricks within the structure of the house. Moreover, the exterior of the house at the front is architecturally Georgian in style since its renovation in the 18th century. So it is fair to say the Dining Rooms is an atmospheric location for a spot of fine dining. The restaurant is great value with its menu exploring local cuisine, such as for example Half Sheringham Dressed Lobster and Trio of Blythburgh Pork.

6. SGH Bistro

Hotel

SGH Bistro provides a relaxed dining experience in an imposing Edwardian hotel. St. Giles House Hotel is a Grade II listed building designed by Norwich’s very own architect George Skipper. SGH bistro, exuding art-deco design, possess two AA rosettes. So therefore it set itself an extremely high standard to deliver memorable culinary experience.

7. Last Wine Bar & Restaurant

Bar, Restaurant, Wine Bar, Gastropub, European, British, Wine

The name of the restaurant is actually a reference to the mechanical form ‘shoe last’. The relevance of this is that the building was formerly a 19th century shoe factory. However, since its inauguration as a restaurant in 1990, it has became an incredibly popular place to go to in Norwich. Entering the restaurant’s courtyard entrance on St. George’s Street, you will encounter a busy but genial environment. It welcomes an eclectic mix of diners, for there are three distinctive dining rooms, each providing a different vibe. Despite its history, the menu is regularly updated and kept fresh. Modern British cuisine cooked by an international team of chefs is accompanied with an immense wine list consisting of over 100 wines.

8. Riverbank Chinese Buffet

Restaurant, Chinese

Within walking distance from Riverside Leisure Park and Carrow Road, this restaurant challenges you to eat as much authentic Chinese food as is humanly possible. A highlight of this restaurant is the Teppanyaki bar, preserved exclusively for evenings only, whereby you can watch the chef cooking on an iron griddle close-up. Throughout the day though, the menu is attracting customers with its wide-range of exciting dishes such as braised beef with mooli, mussels in black bean sauce and five spice king prawn. Riverbank Chinese Buffet supplements this with a generous wine list. It has firmly established as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.