Louis Marchesi in Norwich

Jazz night, quirky place, eclectic customers, excellent young man behind the bar, super Canadian chef, culminating in a perfect evening, thank you very, very much.

Came here with 12 others as a pub on our norwich pub run , by far the most accommodating and all of ours new favourite pub. Cara on bar was so so lovely and honestly made our evening by letting us put karaoke on the TV upstairs. i’m sorry to the other drinkers that heard us murder wonderwall. 10/10 vibes in this pub, an absolute credit to norwich wouldn’t want to go anywhere else !! x

Great staff. The young lady behind the bar was very welcoming, spoke about a baby pigeon she'd saved earlier (not on the menu). I saw the chef and asked what was his favorite dish on the menu at the mo, he told me me and a little later i order this and a starter. Excellent homemade veggie spring rolls with sweet soy dip, and a perfect monkfish in coconuct cream with king prawns and rice. Really darn good. Ive eaten here before, the fish here is always exceptional, the pizzas and steaks as well. Ox cheek on the menu at the mo which is what i will have next. Simon was playing jazz piano 'jazz beans' as i walked past which enticed me in as i was walking nearby. Cracking evening.

Visited the Louis Marchesi as an ex Tabler to see where it all began. It's a fantastic organisation and it was good to see the pub retained its heritage

What a chef. Hats off to Quentin, a perfect lunch. My wife had the Monkfish and King Prawn with chillie and cream sauce whilst I stuck to the perfect medium rare Ribeye steak. A delight as alwaysand thank you.

Thank you all so much for a great lunch last Saturday, 15th June. Thanks go to Cara, the gentleman waiter and especial thanks to your chef. He had not been well, but we had advanced booked and he came in especially. All the food tasted grand. King prawn starters were very tasty. The ribeye steaks were cooked exactly as requested, x2 rare and x1 medium rare. Nice chunky chips. My husband enjoyed his monkfish and my ox cheek stew was delicious and very tender. Also all the alcohol went down a treat. We are CAMRA members and the real ale was on good form. Our two dogs were given a very happy welcome and enjoyed some of the above food. We have eaten here before and will do so again. Also the food is reasonably priced, unlike, unfortunately, now many of the pubs in Norwich.

This is an interesting city pub with good food and great staff

Went in for a quick half before the escape room next door and the young girl behind the bar couldn't be asked, luckily there was a young chap that made up for her lack of service. Wouldn't be the first pub I would choose but not an awful choice.

Love this place. Staff a amazing. Live music Friday and Saturday nights.

Very nice staff very good atmosphere very good singing Neil Francis xx

Food took ages to come and was very average when it did. The chips were good at least. Was fine otherwise.

There’s a fun, eclectic open mic here on Wednesdays. Love their shows in the charming crypt as well.

Absolutely love the folk night on Mondays <3

We took a table upstairs this evening to get away from the full and boisterous main floor! Oh if I was young enough to participate! Alas, too deaf! Food was excellent, as always.

Pretty tatty inside, definitely needs some love. Pub toilets aren't usually great, but this was a new low. Nice ale, but we got out of there after a quick drink

Lovely exterior whilst inside flatters to d eceive. Enthusiastic barmaid greeted us but two ale pumps were off. Third produced vinegary ale so reduced to ordering a lager. Decor is dated and pub needs a lick or three of paint .’Real fire’ is actually gas driven. Could be ok but ‘best pub in Norwich’? I don’t think so.

Good beer & food, friendly staff. If you're a Camra member, show your up to date card for discounts. Crypt bar for parties.

ABK has gone but the pub is still friendly and good value.

Phenomenal food. Thrilled to have heard about the place, have come back multiple times during my stay in Norwich. The rosemary chicken was sheer perfection. Cheers to the chef!

Open Mic night. Good range of acts. Food looked great. The selection of beers was a little narrow but the service was really great.

Visited Saturday evening when live music on. Had one drink. Poor service and crowded. Left.

Brilliant food an service .such a friendly atmosphere.

Went there for a live band on the weekend we where in Norwich, asked for our drink and was charged 12 pound and having to pay with cash I gave the bartender 20 pounds and ended up with 2 pound back, had to call him and ask if that was correct, he didn't even say sorry game me then 2.50 but still I was missing money. At this point I was a bit pissed with the situation asked for the rest of the money had my drink and left.

Very friendly pub. We stayed in Norwich for a few nights for the football. Came to this pub both days due to the friendly service from the barman. Nice selection of drinks on tap.

Friendly pub welcoming not bad priced

Great open mic event every Wednesday and now with a REAL piano. The pub is nothing short of amazing and has an awesome crypt and upstairs area too where I have been to many candlelit classical music learned in there. A truly beautiful venue.

Well what an unexpected suprise... I had the potato skin starter and my wife had the camembert with Honey with toasted cibarter..a great start to our meal. I then had a perfectly seasoned 10 oz Ribeye steak medium rare and the Mrs had the Pan fried rosemary seasoned chicken...both cooked to perfection especially my Ribeye I have to say pure quality and hats off to the chef.

Decent beer. Nice old feel inside. Outside area is terrible though

Louis M. is the best pub in Norwich by far. 😄 The staff are so funny and friendly. I've had delicious meals there served with a flourish and the eponymous real ale is very tasty. Open mic night on Wednesdays 8pm is the best 🎵 event and always over-scribed so if you want to play, get there early.

A mid way venue for the nightlife of Norwich or the locally frequented bars, just out of the main strip. Three floors in one building, with the basement crpyt having it's own stocked bar. The first floor can be hired for private functions and has the addition of a small terrace area. Often, there are two different events occurring which makes for a busy pub, but service is still fast by the polite and friendly staff. Live music is always a draw here and Louis Marchesi is firmly known for this.

Owain and Kaye where brilliant made sure i was okay and chilled out afterwards 10/10

I came here for a friend's book launch in a room upstairs. I have been a couple of times before.

Great pub, the open jam nights are especially good. Cool event spaces too. Does take a while to get served whilst busy due to space / staff numbers but that can't be helped.

Girl behind bar, not dressed probably, shorts, tee-shirt and trainers no smile, no hi what can u get you. It was yes. When we walked in 2 of your workers were in the kitchen on their phones not even noticing us, not good service, maybe will try again

It’s a bit cakey Ft. Prince’s fave piano There’s no need to book

Went on Saturday, for the upstairs event. There were two events going on that night, which were fantastic although i felt the bar was severely understaffed (2 people behind the bar against 2 events and a usual crowd and pub golfers!), and the staff clearly overworked. Don't host two events if you cant support it. I waited 25 minutes for a pint, At NO fault of the staff. Owen was a fantastic bartender, thank you!!

Thoroughly enjoyed the April ‘Comedy Cannon’, a monthly comedy night in the crypt of this wonderful history steeped boozer. Jack was a super compère and all the acts were funny (which is a blessing for a comedy night 😜). Laughs are guaranteed* (T’s & C’s apply).

Good atmosphere along with good choice of beers, plus nice comfy sofas.

Just had a quick drink, very nice bar, open gas fire, lively. Toilets let the place down

Nice city centre pub, nice atmosphere. Great location near the cathedral.

Lovely Sunday Lunch! I had the lamb which was cooked beautifully. The jus is gorgeous. Wish I'd had room left to try a dessert!

Nice pub, good entertainment. Live music and stand up comedy in The Crypt.

In Norwich city, where every pub and bar seems to have delusions of grandeur, insisting that booking a table is a prerequisite to being served, amongst this sea of pomposity sits the Louis Marchesi as a beacon of hope for the customer wishing to enjoy a good beer, whilst enjoying the pleasure of actually taking with friends. The staff are friendly, engaging and genuinely passionate about providing hospitality. Highly recommended for those who remember when pubs were pubs!

Great new chef and foods fab but the pub, decor and furnishings really let the place down. In need of some serious TLC, sat right next to a wall with black mould!

Great atmosphere and friendly staff!!

We had a wonderful afternoon here. Simon and Raza were so welcoming and great fun. Everything a pub should be. Food was good, atmosphere was great and we left much later than we expected l. We will be back! Thank you ❤️

Great staff, lovely vibe, wonderful live music

Please don't get caught out like I did using Louis Marchesi for a surprise party. I'm £410 down and extremely disappointed by the immaturity of the landlord and the diabolical service to say the least! Let me explain... I chose to use LM for as a venue for my boyfriend's surprise birthday party. Even before the event, there were so many red flags which I shouldn't have ignored... 🤦🏼‍♀️ 🚩 I went into the pub to pay for a £50 deposit and was reassured numerous times by their staff that I'd receive the deposit back within a few days of the event. I NEVER got this back. 🚩 I had to call the pub 14 times (plus the countless times my mum had to call them and the number of times I tried to call the landlord's mobile directly) to chase and ascertain what food they would serve (my boyfriend and I are vegan). Only 1 of these calls were answered, despite me leaving voicemails each time begging them to return my calls. 🚩 On 03/01/23 (4 days before the event), I was emailed by the landlord to say that the Crypt had flooded. I specifically hired the Crypt because they have speakers to play your own music and a private bar. I was offered a meeting room as a replacement and I declined this as the meeting room had neither of those things. I was then informed on 04/03/23, that the Crypt was "sorted" and "the crypt was fine", after mentioning that I would have to look elsewhere. 🚩 When I got there on the evening to set up, the Crypt stank of damp and mould as soon as I opened the door. I even had to take antihistamines as it was making me and my friends' sneeze. 🚩 I had to ask if there was any way in which the room could be airated because it was so noticeable and disgusting. It was only then that I was given a dehumidifier, after I asked - not before I even arrived to perhaps prevent the smell from lingering... 🚩 Even after leaving the dehumidifier on for hours, I had friends who brushed against the walls and their clothes got stained because of the damp. 🚩 The staff didn't know how to set the speakers up so it became a guessing game of which leads were needed, which were pointless and how to get them to work. 🚩 My friend and I had to move all of the furniture ourselves and unfortunately the tables and benches were heavy. 🚩 There were Christmas decorations up all around the crypt and half deflated old balloons on the floor, which I had to take down. I filled two bags with these decorations, even though the landlord said she "sorted" everything. 🚩 I explicitly informed the pub each time I called, and over emails, of the time that I'd arrive to set up. My boyfriend was to arrive at 7pm so I was going to arrive at 5:30pm to set up. Despite this, the downstairs bar wasn't manned until past 8pm, despite me asking numerous times if somebody could work it and despite me saying that I wanted the crypt up and running by 6:30pm, as that was when the guests were arriving by. 🚩 2 friends bought rum and coke from the upstairs bar whilst we were waiting for the downstairs bar to be opened, and both of their drinks didn't contain any rum or alcohol in. 🚩 When I asked the downstairs bar if the drinks could be cold (because none of the drinks were refrigerated and were just on top of the counter) the staff shrugged and said that they would have to get ice from upstairs, acting like it was as problem to do so. I had to request that they get ice a few times which I felt guilty for despite just wanting my drinks to be cold. 🚩 One of my friend's ordered a bottle of prosecco and she drunk half of the bottle before it vanished as staff had cleared it up. 🚩 The tapas food arrived at random times and some dishes were 20 minutes plus apart from each other. 🚩 When the staff asked if we were done with the food, I explicitly said to them that I wanted to take the rest home (which was a big plate of the pasta and nearly a full plate of patatas bravas). The staff tried to dissuade me from doing this and said "I don't know if we have the means for you to take it home", even though I said I'd be happy with foil because I'd paid £360 for it. 🚩 When I was leaving, I had to remind the staff that I wanted to take the food home. All I was given was a tiny amount of potatoes that didn't even fill a small cardboard box... so this made my boyfriend and friends suspect that perhaps the staff had eaten the leftovers. 🚩 When I contacted the landlord to say that I wasn't happy with the services I received, she did not apologise or take any ownership of any of the issues. I requested for my deposit to be refunded as a MINIMUM - to which she refused. I didn't want to become a keyboard warrior by posting the complaint on social media, and she perceived this to be me threatening her (imagine!!!), and said that she wouldn't contact me anymore... 🚩 My boyfriend then called the landlord after to say that the service was unacceptable and she said that I had been childish and nasty by mentioning a complaint. The landlord also said that she "would have given me my deposit back if I hadn't mentioned the complaint". Please, please, PLEASE avoid The Louis Marchesi. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Really nice pub, great staff. Lots of live events and a great place to have a drink!

We went to the Louis Marchesi for Depth Charge and wow, what an amazing night. Depth Charge took place in the small Crypt below the pub whilst bands were playing upstairs so the atmosphere was very busy. The staff were doing their best to keep up with the crowds and did an amazing job with both. Towards the end of the night the bar was shut off and the party continued downstairs with water until the end of the event. Would 100% go again, brilliant night!

Went here on open mic night. Great fun and atmosphere. Some beer had ran but apart from that a good laugh.

Small pub but superb atmosphere, good location quaint settings, go for lunch or eveni, did not try but the food menu looked appetising, well worth a visit just for the atmosphere

1st experince here we ordered a gin and lemonade and was given tonic, partner went back to bar and they added lemonade to the tonic drink. 2nd time round was a weird experience. We coildnt find the court yard that was upstairs according to the wall. Took a while to be served, gave up. Later went to the emties and was served then.

Lovely fire and great drinks selection

Lager was horrible had to change it terrible bar

"Fancy a pint?" "Awight." "Where shall we go?" "We're standing outside a boozer." "In here, then?" "Awight."

Good selection of drinks and food. Staff were friendly and welcoming.

Cool building, nicely priced and Lisa, Kay and Jordan all very welcoming. Possible new favourite venue tbh

Great pub. Friendly staff. Function room upstairs and pool table in the Crypt downstairs.

Excellent range of beer and ale

Top marks for the landlord and landlady. Nice beer.... Music slightly grunge but I was tapping a toe

Photo is of the Maid's Head courtyard not the Louis. Bit of an artsy / hipster bar with refular live music events both in the main bar and upstairs. Cellar makes up for the black mould associated with a poorly ventilated, historic arched cellar by being converted to a games room with pool, old style computer games table and board games, dominos etc. Plenty of charm with reasonable food and good cellar. Named after the chap who started the round table charity at this establishment. Well worthy of a visit, can be quite loud on live music nights.

Proper pub, great mix, good selection of beers.

Proper pub, fine selection of beers and ales, great atmosphere and a nice vibe, mix of people young old and in-between. Lovely bar staff and service.

This place is fab. Popped in early evening on our lovely trip to Norwich, and after visiting the main Cathedral which is very close by. A nice size, different areas and rooms. An outdoor terrace. Cool, funky 80's music playing, cool staff, great, nice, quirky clientele. Wonderful decor and ambience. We stayed longer than we intended and didn't want to leave!

Very expensive for what you get with extremely slow service, one and half hours wait for sandwiches. Poor customer service with no apology from waiters or manager.

I went in a group of nine people for lunch, we waited a hour and a half for our orders to arrive, some of which were just sandwiches. The staff didn't keep us informed of what was happening and didn't tell us that our order was going to be delayed so significantly, one of our group had to chase up the status of the orders. We never got an apology for the delay and poor service. The meal I ordered was nice enough but the poor service left a very sour taste in the mouth. An apology and them being proactive would have been appreciated. As a pub it is probably good, but if I want to eat out at a restaurant I won't hurry back unfortunately. A shame!

Great vibe n fab open mic nights on a Wednesday night, good selection of gigs on a weekend.

We went in here to kill time whilst waiting to check into our hotel … what a lovely find. Warm friendly welcome and the tapas we had was absolutely amazing 🤩

If I could give more than 5* I would. Lisa and her team hosted my brother's Wake on 18th Feb, giving us use of the crypt and function room. They served amazing food (more than one person told me that the garlic bread was the best they'd ever tasted), were helpful and tolerant throughout the whole evening. We also hired their fantastic air bnb. Massive thank you to the staff, and cannot recommend a visit to this excellent pub enough.

Friendly pub with open mic night on Wednesdays.

The Marchesi crew always look after us and make us feel welcome. Always good beer and atmosphere. We love it!

Good atmosphere. Good and varied menu.

Fantastic hosts and some of the best pub food in Norwich

As always such a wonderful and accommodating venue for party's and functions

Different menu than the one that's online. Apart from that everything was OK.

We were very disappointed in this establishment. Not much atmosphere for a typical English pub, poor food, tables that were sticky to the touch, reasonable service.

I think after lastnight its my favorite place in Norwich ! Never been here before but will definitely be coming again

Good little boozer with a downstairs pool table and games room, not a bad place to go!

Very good service . Food very good and cooked when you order . Would recommend .

First time here and had a great experience, friendly staff and good selection of drinks. Food was very nice and thoroughly enjoyed. Would highly recommend and I shall definitely be visiting again very soon!

Fantastic pub and eaterie. Great light snack, presented in a lovely way and very friendly service. Second to none, music great to.

The upstairs room is fascinating but the terrace tiny. The whole place is full of character and the staff friendly.

This pub was a great find, spent all afternoon sampling their selection of ciders and wasn't disappointed. We were name to feel very welcome and tge owner was very knowledgeable. Only disappointment when we had to leave 😪

I came here with a friend on the 16th of July 2021. As with most people, I've had a hell of a rough year and haven't been able to get out much at all and the staff at this pub reminded me of how important socialisation is and it's no exaggeration to say, restored my faith in humanity. I've been isolated and in and out of hospital and they just reminded me that some people truly do selflessly care and went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant experience. Staff can really make or break your evening and they provided a genuinely lovely experience which is rare currently and I will be eternally grateful. They were kind, accommodating, professional, and listened to my blabbering with a sympathetic ear. I did ask their names but then immediately forgot them sorry! But management should know that the two gentlemen and lady working that evening, are incredible staff members and humans. This place has rocketed to the top of my list of favourite pubs as a result. For the pub itself, it has literally everything you need, a lovely little terrace with a nice ambience, a cool undercroft with a plethora of games, Jenga, chess, etc and a pool table. They also have a cozy fireplace and all round lovely atmosphere, of which the staff are a huge part in contributing to. Thanks so much for providing such a great experience when I really needed it. See you all soon!

Had a lovely meal & drinks today sitting on comfy sofas in front of a lovely open fire. Our dogs were welcomed no problem & we had a great time. If you want great food,friendly staff and a relaxing atmosphere you definitely need to try here

Went for dinner on Saturday and the choice of food was excellent. The staff were friendly and were very good with social distancing and making our experience as good as it could be. Will return for sure.

Lovely staff. Real fireplace. Good Food.

Staff were great and the music was very much to my liking. A nice place for a drink and a place I've been visiting since 1975 when first posted to Norfolk in the RAF

Cosy and lovely atmosphere, the staff were very friendly also.

Called in for a beer after a long day in the city , very nice comfortable seats , first pub we found that had a good selection of ales , very friendly service

One salmon supreme, and lamb steak in maple syrup glaze. Lovely food. Very friendly host. Happy to discuss 'vegetables' and real ale. Thoroughly recommended. Food was great. Enjoyed the Beer and the chat.

Had booked this a couple of weeks in advance as the reviews were superband we were on holiday!We were greeted at the door by a young guy who was friendly enough but didn't know what he was doing,no concept of any booking or where we were going to sit! I had been looking forward to the Monkfish as it's my favourite ,only to be told that they had sold out at 7pm the guy said it would have been a good idea if I had rung through earlier and reserved a portion!I never thought!!! So back to the drawing board,so we eventually chose 2 calamari to start,then a lamb rump and linguine, 20 minutes later , we were told there was only 1 portion of Calamari left,back to the drawing board again! Calamari was just ordinary, the linguine was tasteless and the lamb rump was like 2 lumps of fat on top of a hideous mush that was crushed new potatoes! Waste of money and a waste of time! We paid up quickly and ran!

Popped in without a reservation for dinner. The extremely friendly and courteous staff explained that there would be a wait as the kitchen was busy. We accepted this and were sat in a comfy area to have drinks. The range of beers is excellent and very well kept. We were moved to a table when one became available and the food was well worth the wait. Excellent food, well cooked and presented. The monkfish was especially good. The staff were very busy throughout our stay, but were cheerful and efficient. Thoroughly enjoyed this visit and will certainly return.

Covid steps in place staff on hand cheerful and helpful had a lovely meal at a reasonable price great

Great staff just left pub tonight one of the best pubs in norwich bar staff fantastic landlord fantastic

Popped in on a warm day with tired feet and hot and bothered, cool and calm here, it may be old but it's well loved, and makes the most of all available space, came back in evening and was so glad we did, the food was absolutely delicous,fab choice, fresh and hot, and believe me their hand cut chips are to die for, staff couldn't do enough for us, while applying to new Covid standards, would visit Norwich again just to visit this establishment, hats off to you

Reservamos una mesa y llegamos a este acogedor bar, inmediatamente parecía faltar el personal donde la camarera que estaba vestida con su propia ropa informal y otro hombre con una camiseta con manchas de pintura, estaban corriendo. Pedí los calamares (encantadores) para comenzar y la pasta canelones que disfruté menos, ojalá hubiera pedido las estacas de cordero, ya que eran preciosas. El restaurante estaba limpio y tenía un buen ambiente de bar con los lugareños frecuentando y reuniéndose.

Visiting the area and found this lovely pub . Great staff , friendly and chirpy. Decided to come back for dinner in the evening and sat on the little terrace . Great food and great service . Will be back .

Bit of a wait for food but steak was amazing!