PizzaExpress — Restaurant in Norwich

As a regular at Pizza Express, I’ve come to appreciate not only the consistently high quality of food but also the attentive and friendly service that the chain is known for. Every time, whether it’s a casual lunch or a weekend dinner, I leave impressed by the standards of food and welcoming atmosphere. That’s why I was quite surprised by my recent experience at the Norwich branch, where, while the food was up to the usual Pizza Express standard, the service left much to be desired.

To start on a positive note, the food was, as always, delicious. Pizza Express has a menu that perfectly balances classic and contemporary dishes, and my meal at this location was no different. Each dish was prepared with care, and the flavors were spot on. It’s evident that the kitchen team here maintains the brand's culinary standards, and in that regard, the Norwich branch certainly did not disappoint.

However, the service on this visit was somewhat disappointing, particularly in terms of courtesy and professionalism. While the initial interactions with staff were satisfactory, it was at the end of the meal that the experience took an unexpected turn. After receiving our bill, we paid the amount, which already included a standard service charge. In the past, when choosing not to add an additional tip, we’ve always received a friendly farewell. Staff members typically remain polite, engaging, and thank us on our way out – a gesture that leaves a positive impression and often brings us back for more.

Unfortunately, this time, the reaction was far from what I’ve come to expect from Pizza Express. Upon noticing that we hadn’t added an additional tip, our waitress visibly reacted with frustration and even seemed to “run away” without a simple goodbye, thank you, or any other courteous exchange. This behavior struck me as not only unprofessional but, frankly, a bit childish. A standard in customer service is that guests should feel appreciated, regardless of whether they choose to add a gratuity, especially when a service charge is already applied.

This uncharacteristic behavior was unsettling, and while it may have been an isolated incident, it still affected our experience. It’s entirely possible that the waitress was having a difficult day, and if so, I sincerely hope things improve for her. However, personal issues shouldn’t compromise professionalism or how customers are treated.

This experience has been an outlier, as I’ve only encountered such behavior here at the Norwich branch – never at any other Pizza Express location. I would appreciate it if management could reach out to discuss this matter further, as I believe this staff member could benefit from additional support in handling customer interactions, especially in challenging situations.

Pizza Express has built a reputation for not just great food but also warm and reliable service, and I hope that, with some guidance, the Norwich branch can consistently reflect...

We love pizza express generally and used to go to the Forum one, but service was generally poor there - nearly ever visit we had to wait ages after being seated to even be approached by staff to take a drinks order, so we started going to St Benedict's one instead and the service, up until today, has always been much better.

This evening, however, we felt very disrespected and disappointed with the attitude and service from the waitress, who I later discovered was the shift manager.

We asked for a lemonade with blackcurrant and a coffee and the waitress brought just a lemonade, so we called her back and reminded her we asked for one with blackcurrant. She went off, without an apology and came back a few minutes later With just my coffee and we asked again for the blackcurrant. She walked away, in the opposite direction for he drinks area and looked as if she was about to clear a table, so I asked again about the blackcurrant, rather bemused that she seemed to be ignoring our request again. She turned back and said, 'I was going to get it now' and did walk back to the drinks area.

She then returned with a small glass of orange cordial, which she put on the table, but with no explanation and again, no apology. I called her back as she was walking off and said we wanted blackcurrant and she simply said 'we don't have any'.

By this point I was feeling really uncomfortable, as she was not in the slightest apologetic or friendly.

I'd also asked which was cheaper, to use my Blue light card or the pizza express rewards. She has told me the rewards would work out less of a discount, but when I worked it out, drinks aren't included in the blue light system, so rewards would be better -she had failed to mention this, so I decided we'd use the rewards. I then saw that the lemonade wasn't included in rewards, but we had a free drinks one, so I asked her for a can of Orangiata Rosso, (fizzy orange). She came back and put a can down, without speaking and walked off. It was the Lemon version of the drink, so I called her back yet again and told her I'd ordered the orange and she just picked up the can and walked off, again with no apology or conversation and returned with the orange one and put it down, again without apology, or words, or any body language other than, being totally unconcerned how she was making us feel.

By this point I was thoroughly fed up with her poor service and 'couldn't give a damn...

Firstly, our waitress Rachel was an absolute dream to have wait on us. She was so friendly and professional. Top marks for her. For someone who travels the world so often and eats out 80% of the time, I can safely say that she has lots of experience and it shows.

However, my main issue with this place was the disappointing pizza I was served. I had ordered a Queen Margherita pizza which came with a huge ball of Burrata in the middle. Burrata is my favourite thing to have on a pizza so needless to say, I was excited.

The pizza arrived and in the middle was what I though, Burrata. I sliced into it and fan it out over the pizza but I was shocked to feel that it was cold and solid throughout. It wasn't Burrata but in fact Mozzarella.

I asked Rachel about this however she told me that she was just informed that they didn't have any Burrata despite it being a slow and quiet restaurant. Firstly I was surprised and disappointed that a pizzaiolo would serve me a pizza and would try to hide the lack of Burrata with a ball of Mozzarella as if I wouldn't notice.

Rachel was very quick to try and rectify the problem despite recently dealing with two other customers who were causing problems. She kindly offered a replacement pizza and to take it off the bill however I stuck with the current pizza as I didn't wish to wait whilst my companion had their pizza. Obviously this ruined the experience.

Furthermore, the edges of my pizza were thin and far too crispy, likened to that of a burnt piece of a breadstick and lacking any cheese topping around 4 inches away from the edge of the pizza as the picture will show.

I realised quickly why I only come to Pizza Express once or twice every few years.

Takeaway points, don't be stingy with your toppings don't sneakily replace an ingredient don't burn the pizza. Where's the dough?

I think at this rate, I’d have been better off with a...