No33 Exchange Street — Restaurant in Norwich

My recent visit to No 33 Cafe left me feeling quite disappointed, especially considering the hype surrounding this establishment. While it's not my first time coming here, this visit fell short of expectations in several ways.

We decided to try the Lazeez Bowl and the Vegan Hash from their separate vegan menu. Unfortunately, the taste we were anticipating seemed to be missing. The menu descriptions and meal names had built up our expectations, but the reality didn't live up to the hype. What struck me most was the lack of flavor; the dishes just didn't hit the mark. Moreover, for the price we paid, the portion sizes left much to be desired. I don't mind smaller portions if the quality is exceptional, but here, both taste and quantity left us wanting more. The freshness of the ingredients also left something to be desired.

I must admit that I've been to No 33 Cafe before, primarily for their vegan chocolate cakes, and have always been satisfied. However, the letdown during this visit was hard to ignore.

Turning to the service aspect, we were seated after a wait of 5-10 minutes, which was reasonable. However, once our food was served, the servers seemed disengaged. Not once did they inquire if everything was to our satisfaction. It was disappointing to feel like they were more interested in serving the food and moving on to take orders from other customers than in ensuring a pleasant dining experience for those already seated.

As someone who enjoys exploring independent cafes in Norwich and its surroundings, I regret to say that I cannot wholeheartedly recommend No 33 Cafe if you're looking for a satisfying, flavorful vegetarian meal. It seems that the cafe's popularity has led to long queues and a crowded atmosphere, but sadly, the food and service did not match up to the expectations set by...

A nice enough place but nothing special.

It's a well run place with food that is cooked well but nothing mind blowing. Of course in reality this should be the basic standard to expect from everywhere but apathy rules nowadays and places that deliver stand out as special.

The customer service is very friendly and relaxed which helps to put up with the shortcomings.

I don't agree with the way they seem to enjoy people queueing up outside as if it's a badge of honour. If they truly loved their customers they would sort reservations and seating in a far better manner to put the customer first rather than themselves. Personally if I hadn't been with someone who wanted to queue I would have gone somewhere else.

Inside there is not much atmosphere. We were seated upstairs in a little cubby hole spot which was quite dark and had no real view of anything. Cutlery was quite badly water stained which didn't give a great impression of cleanliness and there was quite a lot of crumbs and mess on the floor.

Food was good for me but not for my other half. We both went for the full breakfast. My eggs were well done indeed but my partner's were very undercooked with a lot of runny albumen. My toast again was great but my partner's was very hard and over toasted and so chewy and tough. Bacon was very poor for both of us. Tasteless and overcooked like cardboard with a lot of fat. Sausages and everything else was great. (Not exclusive to this place but please stop putting the baked beans in separate little pots! Just put it on the plate with everything else).

All in all a nice enough place but not worth the hype and hassle to get in if busy. Better cafés with less cachet that do...

Finally decided to take on the queues outside and I'm so glad I did!! Despite the long waiting time outside, my friend and I decided to try Cafe No. 33. We both agreed it was definitely worth the wait. The vibe inside is lovely. It is really spacious and there is plenty of seating (though busy!). I think the queue reflects how popular this cafe is, and now I know why. The staff were friendly and worked hard. The service was quick from when we had our order taken, and then after we finished they didn't push or pressurise us to immediately pay and leave, which we really appreciated and I always love this from a cafe. The interior is nicely decorated and bright and airy. I ordered the vegan gluten free Lazeez Bowl and wow, it was delicious!! Cauliflower, chickpea, spinach, lentils, rice, sweet potato and a delicious hummus, all topped with pomegranate seeds. I loved this bowl. It was hearty, warming, nourishing and packed with flavour. I could really taste the fresh mint and would absolutely order it again. It was a generous portion size too, and great value for money considering the ingredients and size. My friend ordered the Veggie Breakfast and it looked incredible, the best veggie breakfast I have ever seen! Huge portion size and she said the flavour was fantastic. Fresh ingredients and the sourdough looked amazing. We both ordered hot chocolate with almond milk and that was rich but not sickly, we really enjoyed it. Will definitely be back, perhaps to try one of their slices of cake, which look amazing. 100% recommend this spot - just don't go here if you're in a rush and want...