Norwich once claimed a pub for every day of the year. Its cocktail bars now match its pubs. This guide covers 25 bars. Cocktail bars come first, then the city's oldest pubs and its famous real ale houses, by area, with our top ten, a map and walking routes.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
If you only have one night, start here.
Bespoke cocktails up a side door.
Norwich Lanes and St Benedicts StreetSeasonal and classic cocktails on Upper King Street.
Tombland and Upper King StreetWhiskey, cocktails and live jazz.
Norwich Lanes and St Benedicts StreetOriginal cocktails with homemade ingredients.
Tombland and Upper King StreetAn 1820s apothecary with live music.
Tombland and Upper King StreetArt Deco cocktails on Pottergate.
Norwich Lanes and St Benedicts StreetCreative cocktails on Redwell Street.
London Street, Bank Plain and Rose LaneOne of the city's smallest bars, all about gin.
Norwich Lanes and St Benedicts StreetCathedral and castle views.
London Street, Bank Plain and Rose LaneCocktails and local food on Tombland.
Tombland and Upper King StreetTap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
The maze of independent streets west of the market: Pottergate, Bedford Street, Charing Cross and St Benedicts Street, with speakeasies and a tiny gin bar.
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Speakeasy cocktail bar
A relaxed upstairs cocktail bar above Makers House on St Benedicts Street, reached by a side door, serving unusual and bespoke cocktails. Open on Friday and Saturday evenings.
📍 2-4 St Benedicts St, Norwich NR2 4AG
Speakeasy cocktail and whiskey bar
A speakeasy-style bar on Charing Cross for fun cocktails and whiskey, with drinks made to order and regular live jazz.
📍 14 Charing Cross, Norwich NR2 4AL
Art Deco cocktail bar
A lively Art Deco-inspired cocktail bar on Pottergate.
📍 23 Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DS
Gin bar and tasting room
One of Norwich's smallest bars, a tucked-away gin bar and tasting room on Bedford Street run by the Bullards distillery. Open Thursday to Sunday.
📍 27c Bedford St, Norwich NR2 1AG
Coffee and cocktail bar
A coffee bar on St Gregory's Alley with its own list of coffee cocktails.
📍 4 St Gregorys Alley, Norwich NR2 1ER
Pub with a cocktail menu
A pub on St Andrews Street with live music, open until 1am. A new cocktail menu from September 2026 has three takes on the negroni.
📍 4 St Andrews St, Norwich NR2 4AF
Bar
A relaxed bar on St Benedicts Street at the bottom of Ten Bells Lane, with bespoke cocktails, craft beer, wings and a daily cocktail club from 4pm to 8pm.
📍 74-78 St Benedicts St, Norwich NR2 4AR
The old square by the cathedral gates and the streets around it, with some of the city's best cocktail bars a few doors apart.
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Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar on Upper King Street built around seasonal and classic cocktails, with a daily happy hour and good music.
📍 9-11 Upper King St, Norwich NR3 1RB
Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar on Wensum Street specialising in original cocktails made with homemade ingredients, plus classics, bespoke drinks and a big spirits range.
📍 12-14 Wensum St, Norwich NR3 1HY
Themed cocktail bar
A cocktail bar on Upper King Street styled as an 1820s apothecary, with live music and homemade food.
📍 2 Upper King St, Norwich NR3 1HA
Cocktail bar and restaurant
A cocktail bar and restaurant on Tombland with speciality cocktails, spirits, fine wine and food made with local produce.
📍 28 Tombland, Norwich NR3 1RE
Cuban cocktail bar and café
A Cuban café and cocktail bar on Upper King Street.
📍 3 Upper King St, Norwich NR3 1RB
Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar on Tombland, opposite the cathedral gates.
📍 29 Tombland, Norwich NR3 1RE
Historic pub
Norwich's oldest pub, thought to date back to 1249, close to the cathedral, with exposed beams, low ceilings, real ales and traditional pub food.
📍 17 Bishopgate, Norwich NR3 1RZ
Historic pub
A small Grade II listed corner pub from the 17th century on Colegate.
📍 57 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1DD
Around London Street, Redwell Street, Bank Plain and Queen Street, plus a rooftop bar on Rose Lane and the Georgian Assembly House.
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Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar on Redwell Street for creative cocktails. Drinks only, no food.
📍 8 Redwell St, Norwich NR2 4SN
Rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar
Norwich's rooftop restaurant and bar on Rose Lane, with 360-degree views taking in the cathedral and the castle.
📍 51-59 Rose Ln, Norwich NR1 1BY
Late-night rooftop bar
A very late bar on London Street with a rooftop space and events that run until 4am.
📍 68 London St, Norwich NR2 1JT
Cocktail bar
A late cocktail bar on Bank Plain with a long menu, two-for-one offers and masterclasses.
📍 23 Bank Plain, Norwich NR2 4SF
Cuban bar and restaurant
A Cuban tapas bar and restaurant on Queen Street with rum cocktails and weekday cocktail deals.
📍 7-9 Queen St, Norwich NR2 4TL
Georgian hotel bar
A Georgian house on Theatre Street, now a boutique hotel and restaurant famous for afternoon tea, which has served cake-themed cocktails.
📍 Theatre St, Norwich NR2 1RQ
Historic pub
Long known as the Sir Garnet, a Grade II listed pub from around 1500 looking over Norwich Market.
📍 36 Pudding Lane, Norwich
Historic pub
One of the city's oldest pubs, full of character and rumoured to be haunted.
📍 Orford Place, Norwich
Across the river in the quieter Colegate area, with a long-running wine bar and brasserie.
Wine bar and brasserie
A buzzing wine bar and brasserie on St Georges Street with cocktails and casual fine dining.
📍 70-76 St Georges St, Norwich NR3 1AB
A short walk west of the Lanes for one of Britain's most famous real ale pubs.
Real ale pub
Twice CAMRA National Pub of the Year
A traditional ale emporium, opened in 1868 as the New Inn and twice CAMRA's National Pub of the Year, with more than 30 real ales including its own Fat Cat beers.
📍 49 West End Street, Norwich NR2 4NA
Three routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
6 bars · about 8 minutes on foot in total
6 bars · about 11 minutes on foot in total
4 bars · about 6 minutes on foot in total
Start with Bar Hawthorn on St Benedicts Street, 11th & Social on Upper King Street and J. Doe & Co. on Charing Cross. Chambers Cocktail Company is the pick for original drinks made with homemade ingredients.
Tombland and Upper King Street have several of the best bars a few doors apart. The Norwich Lanes are best for speakeasies and independents and London Street and Bank Plain are busiest late.
Yes. Bar Hawthorn is upstairs through a side door on St Benedicts Street, J. Doe & Co. is a speakeasy-style bar on Charing Cross and Tipsy Anchor is tucked away on Bedford Street.
Yes. Rooftop Gardens on Rose Lane has views of the cathedral and the castle and Gonzo's Tea Room on London Street has a rooftop space.
Gonzo's Tea Room runs events until 4am, J. Doe & Co. is open until 1am on Friday and Saturday and The Rumsey Wells is open until 1am. Hours change, so check before you go.
The Adam and Eve on Bishopgate, near the cathedral, thought to date back to 1249. It is also one of the smallest.
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run cocktail festivals in more than 20 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland and have worked with hundreds of bars since 2022. We love Norwich's bars, so we put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Our nearest cocktail festivals to Norwich
Run a bar in Norwich that should be here? Get in touch at alice@m-ad.co.uk and tell us about it.
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