...opened last night and runs for 9 more days. Numerous pubs are involved around the city, offering quizzes, live music, talks by regional brewers etc. I'm thinking about a cheeky visit (the 3 Fat cat pubs are running a minibus service linking all 3 ) and just wondered if I might bump into any contributors from this forum over a foaming pint of ale? http://cityofale.org.uk/2013/ (Thai and china, don't worry you have special exemption )
You may bump into me, I am a great fan of the Fat Cat and many other purveyors of fine REAL ales in the City.
Massively envious of all of you who are going to this whilst I'm stuck in the big smoke. I love the Fat Cat.
I'm out and about. 12:30 fish n chips and then; Alex, fat Cat, ten bells, plough, Rumsey Wells, Norwich Tap, zac 5, Glass house, Ribs of Beef, Wig and Pen, Adam and Eve, then to the Belgian Monk, curry at the clipper, Reindeer or Earlham arms to finish, and if still hungry for more back to the Alex I will be the Dapper Dan man! Bah!
Equally jealous JK - Cromer please blow the froth off a couple (or seven) for me - fizzy lager is the only choice here in the sun and while I have learned to get used to this, my first port of call when ever I'm in Norwich is the Plasterer's Arms on Cowgate - it's had many a change in my years of drinking there, but now is back to its roots - serving great beer. They are on the City of Ale route - worth a visit if you're up Magdalen Road: http://cityofale.org.uk/2013/pub/plasterers/
I used to live opposite the Plasterers Arms along Bull Close near the Karate Academy. Mike and Bev used to have it under Adnams it but its been sold now and is now a freehouse.
The reindeer is great these days. The only place I know that serves duck hearts on toast! See Menu below: Duck Liver Parfait, Red Onion Marmelade & Toast £5 Brancaster Mussels, White Wine & Tomato Broth £5 Ox Cheek Fritter, Spinach & Parsnip Puree £5 Sweetcorn Fritter with Natural Yoghurt & Chives £5 Duck Hearts on Toast £4 Quarter Dozen / Half Dozen Brancaster Oysters £6 / £12 Mains Hevingham Rib of Beef with Garlic & Rosemary Wedges (For 2) £26.00 Guinea Fowl, Potato & Wild Mushroom £ 13.50 Swannington Farm Pork Duo, Parsnip Mash & Greens £13.50 Whole Cornish Plaice, New Potato & Greens £13.00 Beer Battered Haddock, Potato & Minted Peas £11.50 Squash, Sage & Butter Bean Stew £11 Wild Mushroom, Spinach & Goats Cheese Wellington £11 Game Pie (for 1 or for sharing) £13 pp Sides £3 Seasonal Vegetables Triple Cooked Chips Autumn Vegetable Hotchpot Garden Salad Potted Rabbit £5 British Charcuterie £5 Best of Norfolk Cheeses £6 Bray’s Cottage Pork Pie £3 Honey & Colmans Roasted Nuts £1.50 Homemade Crackling £2 Beer Stick £1
Hi Kemp - The Plasterers was the first pub I was served in as a young 'un and perhaps it was Mike who served me. The Karate Academy I remember most as the Sally Army.
kemp, china i was in there a few weeks back, my sister lives very close to it. it was great, lots of real ale on draft all at the same reasonable price.
Mike was quite short and rotund but a nice bloke. An ardent city fan even had a canary as a pet bird in the bar, had 3 crib teams, darts teams and a football team. Did not allow loud foul language in the bar and knew how to run a pub. I've moved to the Suburbs now as I have kids, but I miss those days. There was a guy who used to over from abroad from time to time and could play "on the ball city" on the piano in the bar. the old full version. It was fantastic.
The menu sounds good but our wee party are all boarder line curry obsessed so curry it will be! I had chicken hearts in a brazilian restaurant, and whilst OK I won't be rushing to have them again, I will eat near enough anything, well once anyway! Bah!
I remember when I joined CAMRA in the mid seventies the Plasterers was just about the only pub in Norwich in the beer guide. The entire city was awash with scheisse like Whitbread and - god forbid, Watneys. After a weekend camping in Norfolk ( I lived in Essex at the time, innit) we stopped there and my little eyes nearly popped out of my head - a whole bank of handpumps Plus four guys turned up and started playing Irish folk tunes, violin, guitar, pipes and Bodhrán. Imo it's fallen from grace a bit lately, but only because there's now so much competition. Take the Kings Head on Magdalene St. I never went in while I lived there due to the 'rough-house' reputation but it's wonderful now Will wear an old city top when I come over this weekend/next week, so do ask if you see an oldish, balding geezer about 6'2" with a replica shirt on.
Damn Cromer, there was I thinking your avatar was you...it'd take about 15 ales to be so...it is interesting that in the wake of all the Wetherspoons and other corporate type bars how there has been a resurgence in good pubs - I probably see this more acutely as I'm only back in Norwich every once in a while. Norwich does this very well - I spend a lot of time in Bath as well and many of the better boozers have disappeared (The Bell Inn excepted). Agree about the Kings - we used to do a pub crawl called the Maids Run from the Maids in Catton to the Maids Head Hotel and the Kings Head was a quick in and out, cos we feared the clientele! I popped in there last summer and had a lovely couple of ales...
The Kings Head is a great ale pub. It also has bar billiards on one of the old style machines. They serve great pork pies from the Metfield Bakery in Dereham.
At the risk of contaminating a real ale thread, this was (one of) my staples last week please log in to view this image
With you on the King's! I'm personally a fan of the Rumsey Wells and the Playhouse, which I know may be a bit youthful for some of you chaps! Hoping to get up to the festival at some point, so if you see someone big and hairy... (actually, probably best not to ask them if they're me, they may take offence)
