Norwich's Top Dining Destinations: A Curated Guide to the Best Restaurants
If you're in search of a no-nonsense, curated guide to the best restaurants in Norwich, look no further – you've landed in the right place. Dive straight into the city's culinary heart as we spotlight the standout dining destinations. From gourmet masterpieces to iconic Norfolk specialties, we've handpicked Norwich's top-tier eateries just for you.
Yard
Set in the heart of the Norwich Lanes, YARD offers up a casual, high-quality dining experience at an incredibly reasonable price.
An array of fresh pasta dishes and sides made with locally sourced and Italian-imported ingredients, twinned with an extensive list of all original cocktails, has proven a hit with local customers and those far and wide. YARD is a walk-in-only venue, so no need to book, just turn up and grab a table. Or you can even order your food to take away. The site consists of a dining room, front bar area, cellar cocktail bar with additional seating, and for outside dining there’s seating in their private courtyard and in the churchyard opposite.
📍6 Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DS
Benedicts
Fine dining without the white tablecloth, Benedicts in Norwich serves high-quality seasonal ingredients in a relaxed environment. Run by Richard and Katja Bainbridge, this modern neighbourhood restaurant prides itself on good old-fashioned hospitality paired with fine wines and carefully sourced local produce. Diners first visit to try the best-selling British Summer Trifle that won BBC2’s Great British Menu in 2015, but they return time and again for the excellent-value set lunches and Michelin-worthy five- or eight-course tasting menus. Private dining is also available in the intimate Sewing Room upstairs, overlooking St Gregory’s Green. You can also bring the taste of Benedicts home with their Dine at Home meals and R Bainbridge Provisions.
📍 9 St Benedict's Street, Norwich, NR2 4PE
Danomey
One-to-watch Danomey Kitchen serves lunch, brunch and dinner inspired by chef Naomi’s East End roots, world markets and, of course, the family dinner table. Think decadent, honest protein-fuelled soul food – as if your mum or nan has served up your favourite supper. Using fresh and local produce, Naomi and her team love an exotic dry store, have a bit of a thing for proteins, sauces and breads, and enjoy creating unique veggie, vegan and gluten-free options. Their popular brunch includes bagels from Brick Lane in East London.
📍72 Magdalen Rd, Norwich NR3 4AQ
Blue Joanna
Friendly neighbourhood bar and kitchen Blue Joanna, in the heart of Norwich’s Golden Triangle, has been serving up tasty Asian-inspired street food and cool cocktails to hungry residents since 2015. A great spot for snacks and a drink, there are vegetarian and vegan options aplenty, and the entire menu is gluten-free. Known for its signature blue corn tacos filled with beef, pork, chicken, tofu or jackfruit, all served with salsa, slaw and pickles, the menu of sharing plates also has seasonal specials. Whether inside the intimate bar or on the heated terrace, there is an atmosphere that’s both laidback and spontaneous: you never know when someone will pick up a guitar, sit down to play the blue Joanna or spin some vinyl.
📍103 Unthank Rd, Norwich NR2 2PE
Benoli
Benoli is an independently owned modern Italian restaurant in Norwich that focuses on Italian and local ingredients cooked with skill and care. Everything is made in-house from scratch, from the pasta to the choux buns. The menu takes inspiration from food across Italy, bringing a modern twist on classic recipes, and changes regularly and often with the season. As well as antipasti and handmade fresh pasta, you’ll find reimagined meat, fish and vegetarian/vegan dishes on the menu. Benoli is open seven days a week with three floors of modern dining space and an Italian-style trattoria bar for relaxed eating, serving Italian-inspired cocktails, beers and wines. A private dining room is also available for exclusive parties of up to eight people.
📍5 Orford Street, Norwich, NR1 3LE
Brick Pizza
Combining the culinary prowess of Neapolitan food culture with the best local ingredients and a splash of innovation, Brick has become a firm favourite on the Norwich pizza scene, known for its consistent quality of pizzas. Brick restaurant in the heart of the city, just off Norwich Market, opened in 2015 and remains true to its roots, recently acquiring the use of St Peter Mancroft Church’s garden for outdoor dining.
You can also get hot, fresh pizza delivered to your door by ordering through the Brick app. Or if you prefer to always have a stash to hand, you can buy their frozen or chilled range of pizzas in bulk, ready to cook or freeze, from selected stockists. Every single ‘Brick’ that leaves its Norwich production facility is individually hand-crafted from beginning to end.
📍39 Market Place, Norwich, NR2 1ND
L’Hexagone Bistro Français
For a taste of quality, authentic French food and wine, head to L’Hexagone Bistro Français in the heart of Norwich. Husband-and-wife team Thomas and Gemma opened the restaurant in 2020, fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning their own bistro in the Norwich Lanes. L’Hexagone is what French people fondly nickname their hexagonal-shaped country. Serving simple French food, chef Thomas focuses on authentic family recipes he grew up enjoying. Cooking runs in the family for Thomas as his mother was a cook and his uncle a butcher; that family history has influenced his menu.
📍 22 Lower Goat Lane, Norwich, NR2 1EL
Namaste Village
Family-run Namaste Village is an Indian restaurant serving innovative vegan and vegetarian delights from different regions of India. With an ethos of ‘good food served with care’, the Namaste team share their love of traditional Indian plant-based food made using authentic recipes and sourcing the very best local, fresh ingredients. Winner of Best Vegetarian/Vegan 2021 from Eat Out Norwich, their authentically spiced dishes include the popular chilli gobi, south Indian dosas and mock meat curries. You can also sample some traditional Indian sweets or order a mouthwatering takeaway. Housed in a former Methodist church hall on Queens Road, this historic building has been transformed into a large, vibrant venue perfect for group bookings, such as parties, conferences and weddings.
📍 131–139 Queens Road, Norwich, NR1 3PN
Bishop’s Dining Room and Wine Bar
An established Norwich Lanes favourite for over 10 years, Bishop’s Dining Room and Wine Bar is a small fine-dining restaurant on St Andrew’s Hill. Savoy-trained Alessandro Tranquillo and his team offer informal fine dining with attentive, well-paced service.
The cosy bar area allows time for a pre-dining drink and relaxed menu selection before moving through to the intimate dining room at the back. Al-fresco dining offers views over St Andrew’s Church with its medieval flint tower. Using local ingredients wherever possible, menus are seasonal with signature dishes such as cod cheek chowder.
Oishii Street Kitchen
An established Norwich Lanes favourite for over 10 years, Bishop’s Dining Room and Wine Bar is a small fine-dining restaurant on St Andrew’s Hill. Savoy-trained Alessandro Tranquillo and his team offer informal fine dining with attentive, well-paced service.
The cosy bar area allows time for a pre-dining drink and relaxed menu selection before moving through to the intimate dining room at the back. Al-fresco dining offers views over St Andrew’s Church with its medieval flint tower. Using local ingredients wherever possible, menus are seasonal with signature dishes such as cod cheek chowder.
Shiki
Based in Norwich’s historic Tombland, Shiki has been creating authentic Japanese cuisine with locally sourced ingredients for over 15 years. The restaurant invites diners to eat casually, so you can focus on what’s important: sharing lively conversation, good times and great food. When head chef Shun created the menu at Shiki, he felt the best way for customers to enjoy the experience was to do otsumami (not too substantial but shareable dishes), where everyone can try a bit of everything. Harking back to his time in Japan, when Shun often went to small, relaxed bars known as izakaya with friends to share dishes, talk about the future and drink beer and sake, the aim is to create the same warmth, happiness and delicious food at Shiki.
Brix and Bones
Hidden away above Gonzo’s Tea Room, Brix and Bones is a city centre open-fire restaurant in Norwich, headed up by
chef George Wood, formerly of Temper. Brix is a term used by winemakers to measure a wine’s potential strength, and you'll discover the wine list has been designed with plenty of strength in mind. For the Bones, it’s cooking from an open kitchen fitted with a bespoke, coal-fired grill, using the best organic and sustainably sourced local ingredients available. The menu rolls with the seasons, with provenance, freshness and quality at the heart of everything they do.
Woolf & Social
Since 2015 Woolf & Social has been a popular destination for food lovers looking for innovative and exciting dining in Norwich. Francis Woolf and Felix Rehberg launched the restaurant with the belief that great restaurant food should not just be reserved for the big spender. With pared-back decor and a residential neighbourhood location, prices have remained affordable while Woolf & Social continues to innovate and delight its diners. This has been recognised nationally, with the restaurant featuring favourably in the broadsheets and being named Best Local Restaurant Central and East by The Good Food Guide. Menus are continually adapting to the best seasonal ingredients Norfolk has to offer. The eclectic selection of sharing plates take inspiration from chef Francis’s background in street food and fine dining. Chardonnay from Dorset, an umeshu negroni and a fantastic Rasteau feature on the extensive drinks list curated by manager Benedict Hemmens.
Fupburger
If you’re after a filthy good burger, made from quality local ingredients, Fupburger is hard to beat. Coined the ‘Purveyors
of Gourmet Filth’, Tom and his team use the best possible produce with no corners cut to enhance profits. All their aged beef is bred, reared, slaughtered and butchered within a 10-mile radius of Norwich. They are passionate about supporting local businesses, use a local baker and dry goods supplier, and all their disposable packaging is either biodegradable or compostable. Eat in, collect or order for delivery at The Ten Bells on St Benedict's Street. The menu includes vegan and veggie options.
River Green Restaurant
River Green Restaurant turned 10 in 2021, and with it came a shift to a completely plant-based menu. Overlooking the village green
in Trowse, this family-friendly, dog-friendly restaurant is within walking distance of Whitlingham Broad. Chef-owner Chris Avey cooks with seasonal ingredients and is willing to change the menu weekly or even daily to achieve this. The menu is inspired by flavours from around the world, each dish adapted and reimagined with ingredients from as near to home as possible. Dishes include the ever-popular mushroom Wellington and a Japanese pancake, one of two dishes to win a silver medal in the International Salon Culinaire.
The Waffle House
Independent since 1978, The Waffle House’s philosophy of ‘always homemade, always fresh’ has remained the same for over 40 years. Located in Norwich, and using locally sourced, free-range and organic produce, generations of loyal customers return time and again for their extensive menu of light and crispy sweet and savoury waffles. Simply choose a base of either plain, wholemeal or gluten-free/vegan waffle, or rice, then choose your topping. All food is cooked in-house with equal emphasis on vegetarian options and a healthy children’s menu for under sevens. They also provide a selection of organic beers, award-winning ales and ethically sourced wines, locally sourced soft drinks, handmade milkshakes and fair-trade coffee.
XO Kitchen
XO Kitchen is a buzzy, casual eatery in the heart of Norwich’s vibrant cultural quarter, with a menu of inventive twists on world plates – think cheeseburger wantons and hot-cross-bun ice-cream sandos. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch through to dinner, popular dishes include Korean-fried chicken bao, pork katsu donburi and beef rendang bone marrow. You’ll never get bored of the same dishes either – head chef Jimmy Preston loves to mix it up.
While the menu is heavy on Asian-inspired plates, you never know what the kitchen will dream up for the ever-changing specials board. And save space for the legendary desserts. The vibe is lively and fun, from the open kitchen to the cool beats and super refreshing speciality cocktails.
Jarrold Food Hall and Restaurants
As well as a unique shopping experience over five floors, Jarrold provides a culinary exploration with six places to eat, drink and enjoy local produce. Starting in the lower ground floor, the Food Hall is dedicated to the local and the gourmet. You can explore shelves and fresh counters of delicious produce, discover the Cheese Room or one of the two wine bars.
Wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta can be enjoyed in The Exchange in a relaxed dining environment; a delicious menu of seasonal produce is waiting to be discovered in Benji’s; traditional treats, including the legendary Jarrold scone, can be found in The Pantry; or for those seeking a taste of the ocean, visit The Bay for some of the best seafood in Norwich, overlooking the historical and colourful marketplace.
Yalm
Yalm Food Hall in the iconic Royal Arcade in Norwich showcases some of the best independent chefs and kitchens from the region. Spread across two floors, and embracing its stunning Victorian art nouveau setting, the focus here is on quality at every turn.
With a wide variety of dishes, the food hall makes for a great family-friendly communal dining experience; you can order everything from a coffee to a cocktail, a bowl of ramen to a steak sandwich, hand-delivered to your table. A welcome addition to the Norwich food scene, Yalm has a vibrant community feel to it with an ever-evolving programme of events. Offering all-day dining and drinking, it’s the perfect city centre spot to come and ‘yalm’ with friends.