please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Stumbled across this pub on a cold January Thursday afternoon. Not a great location (car park view) but pub looked nice... Went in, felt cozy, got halfway to the bar only to be told (abruptly) they didn't accept dogs... I won't go into detail, but I think as I looked at my missus, then around the totally empty pub (not one person in there) he got the message.. Took the mini Schnauzer to the Nearby Wig & Pen where we were welcomed immediately...
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Not too difficult to find but you're unlikely to stumble upon it accidentally. Claims to be Norwich's oldest pub with the current building being 17th century. Adnams Southwold Bitter, Woodfordes Reedlighter, Theakstons Old Peculier and Wolf's Golden Jackal were on sale last Saturday. If only the view across the river was as good as the inside of the pub....
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Old pub with several small rooms, each very busy on a Sunday lunchtime. Good place to visit after the walk around the cathedral.
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The Adnams Southwold was perfectly decent without being stunning. The food was good value and seemed homemade. Interesting building around the back of the cathedral. A solid choice if you like small, traditional, slightly quirky pubs.
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Lovely little pub, well worth a detour. 5 cask ales available, the Woodforde's Sundew I tried was excellent. A bit pricy at £3.70 a pint was the only slight drawback. Food served until 7pm midweek.
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Good old fashioned pub by the cathedral and very much in keeping with it's surroundings re the stone walls - I missed it walking down Bishopgate one evening. Likes to advertise it's good beer ceredentials with plaques of various awards won including Cask Marque. 5 ales were on and the Woodforde Sundew was very good, it was also the most expensive pint of my 5 days in Norwich at £3.70/pint, in the other pubs it was nearer £3.20/pint. Worth a visit for the interior, food and beer - just make sure it's not your round.
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Anonymous who states, "This is possibly the best pub in Norfolk. Service was excellent and the other clientele were pleasant. Good ambience." You are the landlady. Ha ha. Caught you.
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Meeting in Norwich today only had time for one pint before catching the train, more's the pity.
Lovely little pub nice pint of Reedham. I shall return.
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I was visiting friends in Norfolk recently when we decided to take the Norwich Ghost Walk which begins and ends at this delightful pub, tucked away a stone's throw from the Cathedral. Not the roomiest establishment I've been in but the ale is good and well kept, unfortunately as time was against us we weren't able to sample the food. There are several tables outside which, I imagine, during the summer are wonderful, peaceful places to sit and watch the world go by. Just a note about the Ghost Walk, reference the comment by jerome uk, we found that all of the ghosts mentioned referred to Norwich and the areas we were walking.
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Nice boozer though clientle of barristers clients & solicitors made the stemming of all conversation as we entered at lunchtime last week a slightly odd reaction akin to that which an 'outsider' get in the sticks.
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if you like your historical pubs as i do then this is a good pub, lots of little rooms etc, small selection of ales, worth a visit for one or two, especially in winter to see if you meet the "ghost". p.s. the ghost walk is a bit crap seeing as he doesnt talk about norwich ghosts much but about ghost from other parts of england!, bu thats nothing to do with this pub at all.
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like people have said nice enough pub..cozy and sweet but the choice of ales are limited.
5/10
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I don't much else to add to what has already been said about this pub. I visited it during the afternoon on a weekday and it was worth seeking out. It has a delightfully cosy feel to it and simply oozes history with it close proximity to the cathedral. The menu was straightforward, which I tend to favour in pubs these days. The beer was also very good. I recommend this pub to anyone visiting Norwich.
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I've been visiting the Adam & Eve since the 1970's and have a great deal of affection for it. Whilst the food may not be adventurous, we enjoyed our sandwich and baguette and a fine pint of Adnams.
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As this pub always seemed to be busy a work colleague and I decided to pay a little over the odds for a week day lunch (around 9 pounds) and treat ourselves! I really wish we had not bothered. The staff were surly and our seafood pasta was a boil in the bag bowl of mush. The tiny pieces of salmon had been boiled to the points of shrivelling and my bowl was swimming in white coloured hot water which I am presuming was supposed to be the sauce. It was disgusting and we both had bad stomach ache the whole afternoon. I would have been better of going to the 'Iceland 99p section' and the aching stomach syndrome is exactly the reason that I never do! What a rip off and a cheek.
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Splendid cottage type pub with flint and brick walls and timber beams hidden away slightly off the beaten track in a country lane quite close to the cathedral.
The Adam and Eve lays claim to being the oldest pub in Norwich - 1249 AD - and it was apparently used as a brewhouse for workmen building the nearby Norwich Cathedral which dates back to that time. In the 19th Century, it was a wherrymans' pub.
Nowadays, it seems to attract a mix of locals and visitors to the city, many of whom are obviously attracted by the history and its frequent appearance in the Good Food Guide, Good Pub Guide etc - stickers aplenty in the front window.
The pub has a real country feel to it, enhanced by flower buckets outside and the carved corbels above the entrance door. The interior has, perhaps inevitably, been knocked about quite a bit, but it's not unpleasant.
Perhaps inevitably, there's ghost stories in the pub's history and Norwich Ghost Trail tours start here.
Perhaps surprisingly, its Cask Marque accredited and the CM symbol is proudly displayed. My pint of Adnams - at what might be considered a reasonable price of � 2.70p - was on good form.
There's some outside seating at the front and a large pay and display car park opposite.
Despite not having a great range of real ales - only 4 in total - this is a fine pub, well worth seeking out
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As you walk up to the Adam & Eve you could be about to visit the scary pub on the moors, the one on the edge of the enchanted forest .... or you could be in the centre of Norwich. Worth stepping off the beaten track to relax with some fine ales.
psepo - 30 Nov 2008 16:27 |
Nice pub in unexpected location. Tables a bit small, just at right height to be hit by a knee and so likely to spill one of the excellent beers on offer. Mole Trap and Black Adder were appreciated
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Well, this pub could be an absolute cracker - but I've never been made to feel welcome here. The woman who has served me on the last few occasions that I have been in (Landlady?) seems to resent Customers for some reason.....waste of time trying to strike up a conversation with her as, if you're lucky, you'll get a snappy, one word answer.
However, the Mauldon's Moletrap is a good pint (although it should be at �3 a pint) and overall, the pub is well worth a visit for the building alone.
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Great little pub with lots of character. Well kept real ale and good food. Can be a little on the cramped side due to its size.
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A pleasant old pub, with good food (try the mushrooms stuffed with pate) and a decent pint of Adnam's. Try to ignore the sour lady behind the bar and enjoy the oldest pub in Norwich.
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Great pub. If you want 'character', then this is the place - claims to be the oldest in Norwich.
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An very attractive pub from the outside. I wish I had taken a photo, I am sure my mate did who also uses BITE. I will suggest he supplies it. I am not sure when this pub dates back to but as others have already pointed out the floor is quite wonky. We took the table just in from the door where both the chair and table both rocked back and forward. We all moved round which did improve things. 5 hand pumps were available but only 4 beers Adnam's Best, Mauldon's Moletrap, Well's Bombadier & Theakston's Old Peculiar.
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It's a Norwich experience. Take foreigners here and watch them marvel at the wonkey-ness and compactness of the place. Set in a pleasent area, but doesn't justify the over priced ale and food. Probably a good'un for a quick half.
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Glad to hear my experience wasn't a one-off, as that was what was putting me off reviewing it with a negative slant. Landlady definitely gave off the impression that she had a million better things to be doing than serving me or being civil or welcoming. Despite her, they have a good choice of ales (can't remember if prices were extortionate) and looked like they might be a good choice for food (though I haven't tried yet, so that's just a hunch at the mo). It's a lovely building and we sat outside in the glorious sunshine and then took a walk through the cathedral gardens and the nearby river, which is just the type of experience this pub is suited for. I believe it's enough of a back-water pub to not be overly touristy, but then I suppose anyone coming to Norwich for the cathedral will walk around the back and discover it, so maybe not.
Would've scored higher than a six were it not for the attitude of the landlady. Which is a shame.
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Have to agree with the previous comment, an expensive tourist trap with a surly woman in charge. Avoid.
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Would you Adam and Eve it? �2.90 for an ale and NOTHING local. Pretty enough place but has turned into a tourist trap.Would not set foot in here again,much better and cheaper places in Norwich. What a rip-off.
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Good Pub, nice building, tasty beer.
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vey good pub,good ale and good food,
very traditonal
only problem is the bar staff didnt seem too happy with younger drinkers rather than older locals
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This is possibly the best pub in Norfolk. Service was excellent and the other clientele were pleasant. Good ambience.
anonymous - 15 Jul 2006 19:59 |
very poor
very disapointing
great building.
needs entirely new staff
anonymous - 12 May 2006 18:06 |
Agree with the comments - lovely looking pub, plenty of atmosphere - but I've never really had much to say to the staff other than ask for more beer, and then they've managed that ok and given me the correct change. What more do you want? It's a pub, not a speed-dating gig.
What the pub does have going for it big time in the spring/summer season is that it's the starting (and end) point for the very excellent, guide-led Norwich Ghost walks, which are worth a punt.
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I recently visited the adam & eve and was pleasantly suprised after reading the reviews on this website. Not only was the interior cosy and welcoming with a great selection of beer and food on offer, but I found the staff unusually helpful.
I was on a walk with my dog and was therefore sitting outside. Not only did the friendly bar staff find some water for my dog, but the licensee, Rita came outside to talk to me and brought some titbits for my dog.
I found the whole experience very enjoyable and would not hesitate in recommending this pub to others.
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Used to come in here about 15 years ago. The staff were often miserable and rude in those days. Perhaps they're specially trained in it. Not worth the walk.
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Although I didn't stay in the pub long enough to have extended dealings with the staff, I thought them unhelpful. Normally when taking in a couple of pubs I like to have an occasional glass of water (to thin things out a bit - sensible drinking and all that). We ordered our drinks but when I asked for a drop of H20 I was told quite definately that 'we don't do that sort of thing'. I could of course buy a bottle of the stuff from a nice 'spring' nicely packaged said the girly behind the bar. Interesting I thought... How do they manage the washing up? If I ordered a whiskey, presumably I would have to buy a bottle of water if I required it thinning out!
All in all - a nice pub to look at but no atmos and a frosty front put up by the staff. Probably won't bother again.
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The Adam and Eve should be a 10/10 pub, as all but one of its features hits the button splendidly.
The interior is simply fantastic: both classic and character filled, with wonderful low ceilings that slant and slide above a deep wooden floor, distinctive brickish walls and a nicely laid out selection of fitting furniture. It really feels like a proper boozer steeped in history that could well be telling the truth in its claim to be one of the oldest pubs in the country, although to be honest I`ve been in so many places that boast they�ve been pulling pints since the missing link was roaming the land, that even a convincing prospect like the Eve leaves me a bit suspicious! However, even if you don�t buy the authenticity of this claim you will surely be satisfied with its other good features, including a tap selection that is as wide and variable (especially on the ale front) as anywhere in Norwich, which is saying something considering what a great city this is for true booze variety. The prices are also reasonable, the food above average and the general clientele pleasant, if at the higher and sometimes grumpier end of the age scale.
But I`m not going to give it a 10/10 because one single yet important feature scuppers the whole place: the staff. I`m not usually the sort of person who lays into the undervalued people behind our bars, as having done the job myself I not only realise what a constant battle against a parade of arseholes it can be, but also that you cant often generalise about a pubs staff, as there will usually be the good, the average and the crap on most managers books. However, there are a few places where a smug culture of rudeness, laziness and general poor service seems to take hold, and the Adam and Eve is one of these cases. And most unfortunately the staff have been so abysmal to customers (as indicated by Ms Robinson and John) from sloppy deliver of booze to nasty exchanges with clients who dare to raise descent, that the Adam and Eve has accumulated a bad reputation in Norwich that puts a lot of people off even stepping through its doors.
This is such a big factor that I`m knocking the Eve down to an 8/10 � and a lot of people I know would think I`m being a soft hearted pillock by being this generous.
anonymous - 26 Jun 2005 20:31 |
Takes itself far too seriously. Evidently you're not supposed to enjoy yourself in Norwich's oldest pub and any jollity is frowned upon. Reverential whisperings only. Nice beer though.
John - 25 Oct 2004 23:50 |
Great pub, nice staff and atmosphere, and one of my favourite places to be!
ping - 27 Jun 2004 15:00 |
Great atmosphere, parking right next door, low celings (tall people beware) and GREAT BEER!
A Larter - 8 Jun 2004 13:33 |
Dear Sir / Madam,
I am writing to express my disappointment when four friends accompanied myself last night for a meal / drinks etc and then onto the ghost walk.
We found that your staff attitude ( 2 ladies ) was rude and when ordering our meal found that you had ran out of the gooseberry sauce, this was delivered in a raised voice across the bar at our group and then proceeded to be told as they had started cooking the brie we could not have another choice off the menu. Also our dishes, although nice, were on the small side and considering the price for what we got was very expensive.We all enjoyed the ghost walk, as we had been looking forward to this for sometime, but felt that our Adam & Eve experience was not so good.
Regards Sonia Robinson
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NICE. GOOD ATMOSPHERE.
TOM - 8 Oct 2003 10:37 |
14th Century - Oldest pub in Norwich. Very pretty - covered in flower filled baskets. Near cathedral. Parking. Good food and drink. Norwich ghost tours start her twice a week
Liz Connor - 21 Sep 2003 09:10 |
