The Ivy Norwich Brasserie — Restaurant in Norwich

An Afternoon Tea, Jay Gatsby himself, would be proud of... We set off to Norwich City to visit The Ivy for an afternoon tea experience that of sophisticated elegance with art deco glamour. The Ivy Norwich Brasserie transforms you back to an era where pride in appearance and customer service was of importance when dining. This beautifully decorated Brasserie in Norwich had some buzz going about and we just had to check it out! Savoury We began our experience with freshly delicate sandwiches. The truffled chicken on broiche was delightful, velvety and succulent. We enjoyed the classic cucumber slices and was surprised at the subtle citrus aftertaste. Elizabeth loved the smoked salmon on dark rye was my the earthiness of a dark chewy bread when paired with a spread with the bitter undertones from the dill. Sweet As we worked our way to the sweet top tier of our stand we started to beam with excitement... The Raspberry Cheesecake was the first to start to disappear... We were amazing with the size and freshness of the raspberries that topped the cheesecakes. Ellice took note of the crust of the cheesecake that had the texture of shortbread in combination of a traditional pie crust. A favourite chosen from Ellice was the Chocolate and Salted Carmel mousse. Orgionally we had thought it was a sort of dark chocolate and espresso flavoured pudding from presentation and the finding of an espresso bean in her cup but the menu tells differently. Elizabeth notes that the chocolate mousse was in fact more of a thick american pudding because of the lack of airiness normally associated with traditional mousse. Elizabeth's favorite was the Creme Brulee doughnut. The doughnut was cooked to perfection and the dough was completely enjoyable. The small amount of pastry creme was lovely with the traditional vanilla bean specks, but she wishes there was more to fill the doughnut to mimic the creme more. The brulee of the doughnut was well done and the extra sweet crisp was delightful.

Scones We both loved the defiable homemade crumble of the scones. We were happy to see the freshness of the clotted cream and jam. At inspection of the jam Elizabeth jumped quielty at discovering the seedlings inside the jam.

Thoughts While the wait staff was well groomed and showed wonderful tableside serving etiquette, unfortunately we felt to be looked after by a few members and did not feel we had a particular personal experience from one member. We know this is not particularly a big deal but unfortunately our tea had gone cold quickly and we were not asked how our meal was or if we needed anything during service. We had noticed while upstairs that servers would congregated near the service area and noticably not checking on other tables as well. Although our plates were cleared promptly and quietly after each course, no one had stopped to ask if we needed anything. That was until one staff member had offered us more sandwhiches, unbeknown to us that there would be an charged for the extra sandwhiches as they were offered to us and we did not request them. • In regards to the food it would have been a nice touch to had offered another savory option other than the sandwhiches, possibly a sharp cheese, root vegetable or quiche option would have been perfect instead of an extra plate of sandwhiches. . We did enjoy our experience at The Ivy, although there were a few misses we believe are worth mentioning or could be...

We recently visited The Ivy in Norwich for afternoon tea, hoping for a special experience to celebrate the impending arrival of our baby. Unfortunately, while there were some lovely aspects to the visit, several factors left us feeling disappointed, especially given the establishment's well-regarded reputation.

On a positive note, the atmosphere at The Ivy was vibrant and lively, offering a pleasant buzz that made for a lovely setting. It was clear that attention had been given to our dietary requirements, with our request to avoid smoked salmon due to pregnancy being noted in advance. The substitutions were thoughtfully discussed, and the sandwich selection was, on the whole, delightful. The chicken sandwich in particular was excellent and a perfect choice in place of the smoked salmon. The scones were also absolutely delicious – warm, fluffy, and a definite highlight.

However, there were a few elements that detracted from what should have been a truly memorable experience. While the service started well with a friendly host who seated us and took our tea order, it soon became apparent that there were lapses in attention. The host was unable to provide information about the available teas, and, disappointingly, the Jasmine tea I had hoped for was unavailable. Throughout the tea, we were not offered any refills, and it was only after having to wave down a waiter that we managed to get a top-up.

The sandwich portion was another letdown. Given the price of the experience, we found the offering of just three small finger sandwiches to be rather insufficient. While the sandwiches we were served were tasty, we couldn’t understand why the quantity was so minimal when the dessert selection was abundant. Speaking of the desserts, they were underwhelming. Especially when compared to the superb tasting sandwiches. The lemon and poppyseed dessert had an overly heavy icing and lacked any vibrant flavour (or any flavour at all) it promised. The crème brûlée, a classic and beloved dessert, was particularly disappointing – there was no satisfying crack on the top, and the custard was thick and coagulated resulting in an unpleasant texture. The mini chocolate bomb, while somewhat fun with the addition of popping candy, was average at best.

In the end, while there were certainly some positive aspects, the overall experience did not live up to expectations. What should have been a celebratory and enjoyable afternoon tea fell short due to a series of service lapses and underwhelming offerings. After this visit, we’ve decided to look elsewhere to celebrate my first Mother’s Day, which we were hoping...

I'd been looking forward to visiting the Ivy for a long time, it's one of those places you walk past in Norwich and it just looks so lavish.

Until the day of visiting I naively hadn't realised that it is a chain, looking at the menu (before visiting) I was getting slightly cold feet; nothing on the menu really stood out for me and I worried the evening was going to be all show with little substance.

My worries however, were immediately relieved as soon as I set foot in the restaurant. The building, decor and ambience are exceptional; 1930s facade in a stunning period building. Worthy of the Ivy signage, this feels every bit of the experience you'd expect from a fancy London restaurant, only it's in little Norwich!

Staff have clearly been well trained, they were all very welcoming, attentive, friendly and efficient. For me, the welcoming aspect is important. There's nothing worse than visiting a "nice restaurant" only for the staff to be unfriendly, quiet and pretentious. I felt the perfect balance of courteous and friendly was met. This also includes the bar staff which were happy to make a bespoke cocktail, a new recipe my partner was happy to guinea pig!

OK, so the food. As I mentioned earlier, my initial impression was slightly underwhelmed at the menu. I'm not sure what I was expecting, all the usual menu staples are there plus there's an Asian menu. The menu is online so there's no need for any further detail on this, what I can tell you is that the food has been carefully considered. Every single course, or side was delicious. It's every bit the sort of food you'd expect from a high end establishment, plus the quantity was also perfectly sufficient (always a concern for me!).

So, should you be put off as I was that this is a chain? Absolutely not. This place is a great experience, if anything the fact that it's a chain has benefits as it feels like a well oiled machine, they have the formula well honed for how to deliver a consistent service throughout. Prices are mid to high, however there are set meals that can be had if you're on a smaller budget and still want a nice time. Overall I give this a well deserved 10/10, I will be returning.

My only real gripe is the service charge added at the end. Yes it's "discretionary" but let's be honest, it's really going to sour the mood. Please just build this into the price, it's a nasty tactic. If I feel a tip is earned, I'll pay it directly...