WHY?

It’s a UNESCO City of Literature, has a zillion other awards besides – and when it comes to independent shops, bars, cafés, restaurants, galleries and theatres, you’re in heaven. Plus, it’s known as one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK, with a strong sustainability ethos – and it’s less than an hour from the coast!

EAT

Mentioning all the foodie fabulousness in Norwich will take a whole book so we literally stuck a pin in the map and came up with this lucky dip. All of them celebrating fantastic seasonal eating, and most of them family run. For brunch and lunch, hot tickets include the two-time Muddy Award-winner Ber Street Kitchen, Urban Lounge and No33 Café which often has a queue snaking up Exchange Street (the breakfast hash alone is totally worth the wait, let alone the pancake stacks and lush cakes!). Speaking of sweet treats, The Assembly House is famed for its themed afternoon tea, Biddy’s Tea Room for its Victoriana-cool setting and, if that wasn’t enough sugar, head to the Fig Bar, a heavenly dessert-only spot.

There’s something for every appetite at Yalm, a trendy indoor food court in the Royal Arcade, hosting nine kitchens and three bars. We also recommend the venerable Grosvenor Fish Bar (fish tacos, yes please!) and the open-fire cooking at Brie & Bones, or swish, Michelin-rated Benedicts for a special occasion.

And no need to travel for authentic flavour: there’s fantastique family bistro Français L’Hexagone, The Merchants of Spice with its renowned Indian signature dishes, delectable Japanese Shiki in Tombland, and Asian-inspired dishes at XO Kitchen and Blue Joanna. And of course you can eat your way around the world at Norwich’s famed market – personal favourites are a Philly-style pulled pork sub with cheese, jalapeños and crispy onions from The Bodega, the aubergine tempura bao buns drizzled with sesame dressing from Bun Box, and some wood-fired pizza from Brick Pizza.

Thirsty? With its ever-growing cocktail bar scene, Norwich will delight cocktail queens. Highlights include TipsyJar, library parlour J. Doe & Co, speakeasy style Bar Hawthorn, and The Last Wine Bar & Restaurant, plus check out more favourites here. There’s so many tempting joints for a bevvy including the groovy Garnet, The Unthank in the Golden Triangle and the Fat Cat Pub in the north of the city. And for coffee, you ask? Local brewers Strangers Coffee Co. have you covered.

SHOP

Jarrold's Department Store in Norwich — Jarrolds department store

As with places to eat, Norwich is bursting at the seams with cool indies for a spot of retail therapy. Norwich Lanes is a great starter for ten with a fab mix of fashion (Atwin Store, Gallyons, Stones Vintage, Seven Wolves), jewellery (Lisa Angel, Aurum, Dipples) and lifestyle (Elm, The Giggly Goat, Pascale) stores. Don’t miss Gentleman’s Walk either and its brilliant 250-year-old family-run department store Jarrolds with an innovative Store Folk section championing eclectic artisan makers across the county, and stylish Food Hall with wine bar.

The Victorian Royal Arcade is a stunning place to support local, and you’ll find more cracking indie stores here, including super-glam jeweller Sonkai, pretty sugar-fixes at Macarons & More and beautiful house plants from B’Leaf to add to your growing collection. In this most bookish of cities your luck’s in with the brilliant Book Hive and joyous, child-friendly Bookbugs and Dragon Tales. While all your main brands can be found at Chantry Place shopping mall.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Park Farm Hotel and Leisure in Hethersett Norfolk SWIMMING POOL — Park Farm Hotel & Leisure

Norwich has its own hospital as well as a handful of NHS surgeries, plus private GP surgeries, cosmetic and medical clinics and private dental practices. For eye care, our go-to is opticians Dipple & Conway, their selection of seriously chic eyewear is second to none, they also offer hearing tests which kills two birds with one stone. On the other side of wellness there’s former Muddy Awards winner Charisma Beauty Skincare & Aesthetics for all your beauty needs, and Barry Alan Hair Salon which was voted Best Hair Salon in the Muddy Awards two years on the trot (just two of many fab hair and beauty salons to choose from in Norwich). For fitness there’s no end of pools and gyms so you’ll easily find one that is a great fit however Muddy prefers the luxe vibes of Park Farm Hotel & Leisure in Hethersett, just outside the city, for our exercise, wellness and relaxation needs. And Muddy Award-winning wellness hub, The Lions’ Den is a great spot for some sauna in the city action.

COMMUNITY

Norwich maybe a relatively big city but it’s not short on community vibes. The Lord Mayor’s Weekend each July brings in the crowds. The procession, acrobats, dancers, flashmob performance, music and spectacular displays around the city are a sight to behold (as is the Great Norwich Duck Race). There’s the annual Pride celebrations of Norwich’s thriving LGBTQIA+ community, and who could forget the Royal Norfolk Show? The country’s largest two-day agricultural show with Norfolk food, farming and heritage at its heart.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Norwich Castle graces the city skyline and is great for a family day out. There are lovely parks and green spaces, two cathedrals and two rivers, the Yare and the Wensum – Norfolk Paddleboards will get you out on the peaceful city backwaters. Plus the Broads and stunning coastline are in easy reach.

CULTURE

The sculpture park at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich — Sainsbury Centre sculpture park

There’s world-class entertainment at Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich Playhouse and more. Sainsbury Centre on the UEA campus is a fantastic space with a fabulous permanent collection, exhibitions and sculpture park in the landscaped grounds. Fans of the Marvel movies will be in for a surprise too! (Clue: it features in Avengers: Age of Ultron.)

Festival wise, Norwich has them in spades – Wild Fields, Rock N Roll Circus (new this year) and of course, the sublime and mostly free Norfolk & Norwich Festival which lasts the majority of May with events held all over the city. Shakespeare fans the Shakespeare Festival held in the Cathedral each July is a must, while The Forum has no end of cool cultural events happening year round. And, given that it’s a City of Literature, you are never far from a best-selling author or two with the National Centre for Writing a great literary point of call. Culture vultures are seriously spoilt for choice in Norwich.

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES

£290,060. On average, terraced properties sell for £265,194, semi-detached £284,949 and detached £423,132.

HOT PROPERTY

A five-bed detached property a short walk to the city centre, on the market for £1,395,000.

NURSERIES

Your outstanding options are: University of East Anglia Nursery School with its own woodland Forest School site and an exclusively vegetarian menu prepared by its own chef. And Once Upon a Time Nursery School at White House Farm on the edge of Norwich which is housed in converted stables and barns, surrounded by farmland that the children can explore.

For city central childcare with good ratings and full-time chefs preparing nutritious food, there’s Chestnut Nursery Schools St Giles, located in a Grade II listed former auction room and chapel, and Chapelfield Children’s Day Nursery in the heart of Chapelfield Gardens with its play equipment for post-pick up fun.

For alternative learning approaches, try the outstanding and entirely outdoors Dandelion Education at Eaton, where all of the classes and play sessions are held in its open-air woodland setting (with cosy yurt on standby), and the child-led Norwich Montessori School (Ofsted Good), which offers extra-curriculars like yoga and drama.

SCHOOLS

Plenty of excellent private school options in the city centre including Norwich School in the cathedral grounds, Norwich High School for Girls and Town Close. Nearby countryside boarding options – Wymondham College, Langley and Beeston Hall. State options include the many Good and Outstanding primaries across the city.

High schools include Ofsted Good Jane Austen College with an Outstanding sixth form, which specialises in English, humanities and the arts, in partnership with Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form, the UK’s first specialist science and mathematics sixth form. Also rated Good is Notre Dame High School and Sixth Form.

Creative teens eyeing up London art schools should look at City College‘s UAL diplomas taught in modern Creative Arts studios. There’s an impressive range of traditional and alternative courses plus the cool multi-million-pound Digi-Tech Factory .

BEST KEPT SECRET

Norwich’s own Diagon Alley – completely hidden secret passageways and abandoned houses have been discovered beneath Castle Street. The Shoebox Community Hub offers tours with a historian storyteller. If you love crime novels, read The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths which features disturbing goings on in these old tunnels deep under the city.

COMMUTE

It’s 118 miles and 2 hrs 17 mins drive from Norwich to London or 1 hr 30 mins by direct train into Liverpool Street with trains running roughly every half hour. Cambridge is 1 hr 14 mins by car or 1 hr 20 mins by train.

View the full Top 260 Best Places to Live.

Norwich

See more in Norfolk