Coffee. It’s been the beverage of choice for early rises for literally thousands of years – so ubiquitous in fact, that the smell of a brewing coffee pot alone can excite any morning routine, meeting or commute. Although, our love for coffee extends much further beyond its use as our morning energy boost – coffee is social, so social in fact that beyond making coffee for friends and family in our own homes, we have entire spaces, churches of coffee, simply made to give patrons a taste of the ‘better’ beans, and enjoy it in a place of their design

Coffee shops tend to have many different uses, for many different people (although most are themed around the hot drink). If you are there to study, finish up that last paragraph of that book you’re writing, if it’s your meeting place before school, or maybe even the spot of your first date, coffee shops are made for people.

Alchemista Coffee Co

Let’s face it – Coffee shops aren’t all about the coffee. It’s the ambience, the atmosphere – and if there’s one place in Norwich that has all of this in buckets, and is able to top it off with top quality artisanal coffee, it’s Alchemista Coffee Co.

Easily the top spot for any coffee lover, Alchemista proudly touts their ability to make what they call ‘coffee potions’, incorporating a dash of the mystical into every drink they make – their custom, steam-punk inspired cold brew machine should speak for itself. 

The folks at Alchemista subscribe to the “its coffee, you get what you pay for” philosophy, and frankly, it pays off. You’d be hard-pressed to find another cafe with as wide a breadth of knowledge about beans from Asia, to Africa, to South America as this lot. 

Brilliant coffee, with a beautiful atmosphere, in one of the best spots in the city – the caffeine chemists are not worth missing! Did we mention they also mix cocktails?

No33 Cafe Bar

Every now and again, a cafe opens in a city or township, and instead of simply becoming a great place to fill up and regain some energy, becomes a part of the community – weaving itself into the fabric of day-to-day life in the city. No33 Cafe is one of those places.

A literal stone’s throw away from the heart of Norwich Market, No33 has been serving happy locals and caring for visitors to our Fine City since 2006. With a passionate ensemble of professionally trained baristas at the helm, crafting their own proprietary blend of ethically sourced Arabica beans hailing from Brazil, El Salvador and India. 

A good cafe doesn’t leave out the option for some hearty food, and if No33 is anything, it’s a good cafe! Whether you have a sweet tooth or a fondness for the savoury, No33 serves everything from freshly baked cakes and sweet treats to full-on breakfasts like Egg’s Benedict, American style pancakes and lunchtime favourites!

Sahara Cafes & Patisseries

Coffee and North Africa have an age-old relationship, and the teams behind the two locations of Sarah Cafes understand this to the highest degree. Since its establishment in 2014, Faycal and Borhane have founded two of the most authentic North African coffee houses and patisseries in the city, if not the county. With rich flavours and culinary inspiration hailing from “as far back as the 1st century, French, Ottoman Turks, Carthaginians and Berbers all adding to the rich flavour.” 

Foodies rejoice, at either Sahara Cafe, although we are partial to their Benedict Street location, you can expect authentically prepared dishes hailing from around the world, why not step out of your regular routine and try some of their renowned vegetable tagine or shakshouka. Sahara also specialise in Saraha mint tea, and Arabic Coffee, so expect extremely rich, and caffeine heavy espressos from here!

Strangers Coffee House

We mentioned earlier how a cafe like No33 can transform into a community hotspot, we think the same rule applies to Strangers Coffee House too, but perhaps even to a greater degree. If you’re not from Norwich, we can imagine it’s quite easy to overlook Strangers – its minimalistic design, combined with its black & white colour scheme and that one of their three locations doesn’t even have seating inside makes it a bit unconventional. However, Strangers Coffee House might just be the most popular coffee spot on this list.

Established in 2009, this family-run business is run by the three Maddocks brothers, who with now over a decade worth of experience, have been blending and roasting their own sustainably farmed and hand-picked beans for both purchases for home brewers and service in their three locations! 

Take a seat in their Pottergate cafe, and enjoy watching The Lanes go by with freshly made cakes, snacks and sandwiches. Perhaps pick up a bag of beans and watch the roasting take place in front of your eyes in The Roastery on Dove Street, or maybe just stop for a quick pick-me-up at the hole-in-the-wall cafe in All Saints Green. 

While those are a few of our favourite coffee shops in and around our fine city,

Rest assured there are many more to find and explore – why not ask any one of our dedicated ABC Taxi drivers, who’ll surely have some of their own favourite picks for the best cup of joe in the city.

After all, at ABC we’re all about the adventure to find that new secret spot that you just can’t help but show others, so let us take you there – book your ABC Taxi online, or call 01603 666333