Norwich maybe be a city with an 'indie spirit' but it's coffee shops seems to be losing the battle…read moreagainst the big chains. The city centre is monopolised by Costa, Starbucks and Nero and whilst I don't have as much against them as most people it is nice to find somewhere a bit different. Hence The Vanilla Bean House. It's a bit out of the centre on London Road heading towards Tombland. It's got a fairly large outdoor seating area in the middle of the street, some tall benches in the window and a more comfortable area upstairs, it's really quite tastefully designed and there's usually a copy of The Times or Guardian available. The coffee is good, I've only had lattés so I can't speak for it's pedigree but it tastes as good as Starbucks and when you drink in you get a little crispy straw thing which is a nice touch. There's also a good selection of other drinks, not only Coke and Fanta but also elderflower presse and that ilk. The sandwiches are certainly the best thing about this place. Whilst they may look a bit lacklustre, like something you'd make at home wrapped up like a packed lunch they are really good quality with lots of filling. The prawn and avocado sandwich was on a nice granary bread and they didn't go easy on either the prawns or avocado and I'm guessing they added a bit of Tabasco as it had a good kick to it. It's not cheap, cheap but it's not expensive. You can get a cold drink, packet of crisps and a decent sandwich for under £5 and the coffees are around the usual £1.90-£2.50 mark. Certainly worth a try for a quiet lunch or for people watching in the outside seating.

Recently changed its name to the Vanilla Bean Cafe but retaining its staff and management…read more This cafe provides the office workers of Norwich the chance to get a decent cappucino or latte without the expense of the main chains. Bacon rolls are also available early in the morning, with a selection of cold drinks, sandwiches and cakes and pastries in the chiller cabinets. Baked potatoes, and baked sweet potatoes with a range of fillings are available at lunchtime, and many of the sandwiches can be toasted. There is usually a soup available to buy, but there is only one choice. Whilst the prices of the coffees are reasonably cheap, prices of the food is slightly more expensive, but the food is quite good. You can take away, or sit in - upstairs on comfy sofas, or downstairs to watch the world go by. If the weather is fine, tables and chairs are set up outside.

Excellent coffee from beans they've roasted themselves. The cafe is clean and fresh looking, the…read moreprices reasonable, the food I've sampled (scones, cake and a bacon sandwich over three visits) is tasty, well presented and prepared and the service good.

Cafe Culture is an excellent small cafe serving a range of teas, coffees and snacks. The tea is…read moregreat value and there is a choice of different blends. Scones were also very good and reasonably priced. Service is prompt and friendly.

Definitely did not enjoy this place. Yes it is very cheap, but you get what you pay for. The…read moreomelette was bland and the coffee was cheap instant coffee. I mean, if your wallet is in a pinch, sure come eat here. It's... edible. Personally I wouldn't come here unless I was forced to.

What a brilliant little find this is! Hidden away at the back of the Britten Shopping Centre, it is…read morea little cafe, with little old ladies preparing the food and drinks in the back, you are assured of great grub at a great price. The breakfast is brilliant, at £4, you get 2 rashers of bacon, two sausages, egg on toast or fried bread, beans and a piece of toast on the side. For some reason, they do not include a drink, so you have to pay a little more for a mug of tea or coffee, but I'm not complaining! There are other things, cakes, variety of drinks, other main dishes and so on. The staff are all great. A rally friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended!

I usually enjoy my time at this bohemian and relaxing cafe, but unfortunately I experienced racial…read morediscrimination when I last went. When I questioned being treated differently (loudly demanding payment from me in advance, in front of the other customers, none of whom had been asked to settle their bills before being served). After being challenged about it he insisted the only reason he'd treated me differently was that he was busy at that moment (really!?! Unconscious much...!?!) I've given two stars because the bone marrow dish I had was delicious- just a bit tainted by the waiter....

This kooky cafe/restaurant is an upstairs downstairs type place with mismatched furniture and…read morecrockery. It is quite small and any a group bigger than 5 would make it quite squishy. It's more of an intimate, cosy place to catch up with friends and enjoy a variety of tapas options or nip in for a quiet lunch and take advantage of the seasonal menu and fresh bakes. Unfortunately there are no menus, just black boards located around of brekafast, mains and dessert, which is slightly confusing and overly complex. Good location and props for the seasonal, healthy menu, it was just a bit too cluttered for my taste. Will try again on my next visit to the UK.

Not a bad place to go if you're shopping in Chapelfield. They have quite a range of food on offer…read moreand I enjoy the tea, muffins and sandwiches. Only thing is, I wish it had a proper unit where we could sit down. These places that are positioned in the middle of the shopping centres just make me feel like I need to rush, I don't feel I can relax properly.

It may not look like much, just an island style cafe in the middle of Chapelfield shopping centre,…read morebut the coffee is great, the sandwiches are filling and the prices are really, really low. There isn't much to fault here to be honest. The staff are usually a bit surly and stressed, but at least they make good food.

a lovely sandwich bar on tombland, with a few window bar-stool seats if you wanted to eat in…read more they do amazing sandwiches and salads, using your standard fillings (cheese, ham etc) or something a little different (tandoori chicken perhaps, or brie). you can have standard bread, bagueete, panini andthe salads coe in different sizes. it is a little more pricey than grabbing something pre-packed, but it is all freshly made. they also do some lovely crisps - we are not talking walkers here, but hand friend with lovely flavours such as chilli. there are vegetable crisps too - parsnip are lovely! tea, coffee andother hot drinks are sold, as are cold drinks. a great little sandwich shop in an area of town that seemingly doesnt have one!

With an eat in area towards the back of the premises, allowing you to enjoy your food and drink…read moreinside, the main business here is catering for city workers who want a take out lunch. An excellent selection of bagels, sandwiches and freshly cooked baguettes with one of the biggest array of fillings you will ever come across means that you don't need to have the same thing twice for some time! Also available is soup, salad and jacket potatoes, along with coffees and a range of chilled drinks. In addition to the lunches, there are chutneys and sauces, generally from local producers, that are available to purchase, along with speciality flours and pastas. Reasonable prices for good food. This is a popular place and so be prepared to queue at peak lunch times, but they have many staff and get through the queues as quickly as they can.

This is a very nice place for breakfast or lunch! The coffee is good and we all had a hot chicken…read moreitaly sandwich. We really recomend it! The staff was very nice! Go here:-)!

Just on the pier, it's a light, bright, colourful, cheery, clean cafe serving snacks, meals and…read moredrinks from 8:30am every day except Christmas day. Teas and coffees are great the food looks good too. Recommended if you're in Southwold.

This is a really fun place to have breakfast in or a coffee. Brilliant colourful tables and chairs,…read morea couple of members of staff were a bit too serious for such a fun place. I have got to say though £5 for a bacon roll is rather steep when a full breakfast is just over £6