32 weeks of eating and drinking at Norwich market are over for James and I…… The most obvious comment I can make here is that there is a remarkable choice of food and drink at the market all from small scale operators with nearly all of them having this as their only trading location.
There are some great value options here, lots of different cuisines and no shortage of wonderful food and welcoming service. It has been hugely problematic to find a winner to all of this as there were so many brilliant options available. Nonetheless, we’ve managed to select five (well, six for the observant) of our favourite choices of this year.
The full list of stalls is here and I’d recommend people try somewhere new as I have often been surprised and delighted this year.
So, in reverse order to build excitement. This is the list that absolutely no-one really cares about, but James and I aren’t worried about that, we’ve had a lovely time meandering around the market. We still can’t navigate our way around with any ease though, frequently having to hunt for where stalls are.
And finally, I don’t take anything very seriously and also not this, but I’ve decided to just write about our five favourite places (well, actually six). We have had long debates about who should win, it’s all very exciting. And remember that I don’t get out much.
I’d also note that I’ve tried to be hugely positive about every stall and that was easy in just about every case. A couple of times things weren’t quite right and I’ve made reference to that, but every single location at the market deserves a visit and we know that sometimes people have an off-day or something goes wrong. We do know that these businesses are hugely important to their owners and I hope it comes across that we’ve always respected that above all else.
5TH PLACE
DEBS – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-10-and-debs/
That is perfect bacon for me, crispy and cooked just as I requested. But, the service here was friendly and engaging, it felt welcoming. For James, he had a burger and had a side quest that he hadn’t intended of seeing which stall was the best in that regard. He decided that Deb’s was the best burger he had of the year. That’s huge praise.
4TH PLACE
LUCYS FISH AND CHIPS – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-12-and-lucys-fish-and-chips/
Just look at that, truly beautiful! Friendly service, reasonable prices and delicious. I miss the butchers sausages that they used to use, but the quality remains high and I love the free scraps. There’s an eat-in area here, it’s somewhere that James and I have visited for years and it’s a simply wonderful stall.
3RD PLACE
CRUNCH – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-20-and-crunch/
There are some challenges with this stall as it’s shut more than is ideal and we had to try multiple times to order here. However, the food of battered chicken was excellent, tender meat with a crispy exterior and all at low prices. It’s excellent value for money and I hope they start opening a little more regularly.
JOINT 2ND PLACE
CHURROS FOR THE PEOPLE – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-17-and-churros-for-the-people/
Joint second? Yes, we just couldn’t decide. This stall offers an authentic Spanish experience and a chance to sit in and experience beer and food which is of a high quality. It’s not the cheapest, but the quality is high, the service is friendly and it feels like it’s something different.
JOINT 2ND PLACE
BODEGA – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-25-and-bodega/
This was our winner when we did this in 2023 and it was up there once again. Hugely friendly service, great food, a wonderful atmosphere and free stickers. Just brilliant and look at that pastrami.
WINNER
PAPA MOMBASSA – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-22-and-papa-mombassa/
I was disappointed that Cocina had left the market, but this is one hell of a replacement in their place. Wonderfully engaging service, a fun environment and food which had a depth of taste and flavour. This, we thought, was the best of the year when taking everything into account such as service, price, quality and atmosphere. Really very lovely!
And, we’ll be doing all of this again in 2027…..