At a Glance:
Head to the home of the Canaries on Carrow Road. Climbing it’s way back into the Premiership in 2015, the fans are passionate, the stadium is intimate (it seats less than 28,000) and you get to enjoy watching world class football players with your mates. It’s a belta of a way to begin your stag weekend in Norwich.
Whether you are speeding around in a go kart, pummelling your best mate with paintballs, playing a round of golf or drinking a round of pints - you’ll have an unforgettable time on a stag do in Norwich.
Best bars and pubs:
Did you know that Norwich has the highest concentration of pubs per square mile of anywhere in the UK? That’s good news for your stag do crew, so here are some of the best drinking houses to visit during your trip:
The Fat Cat
If you are a fan of real ale, you will feel like you died and went to heaven at the Fat Cat. It serves of 25 different real ales and it is the only pub in the UK to win the CAMRA National Pub of the Year Award twice!
The Murderers
This is a classic style bar. Great food, great live bands and all the best sports broadcast on the big screen. It dates back to 1530 and it is one of the last family owned public houses in Norwich City Centre.
Stadia
Bit of a one stop shop here. Once you go in, you probably won’t be leaving anytime soon. Stadia keeps it simple, but does it well. Lots of TV’s around to enjoy the sports, tasty burgers and onion rings for those in need of a belly filler and a decent selection of beers at a reasonable price. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, that’s right. A trip downstairs to the german bierhaus. Knock back a couple of steins, listen to some music, then attempt on wobbly legs to make it back upstairs.
Frank’s Bar
This laid back yet lively establishment is one of the best bars in Norfolk and it offers tasty food, drinks, great live music and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s a great place to strike up a conversation and make new friends and people are warm, friendly and easy to talk to. You can even come back on Sunday morning and cure your hangover with a cooked breakfast.
Nightlife:
The epicentre of the party scene
The Golden Triangle, consisting of Prince of Wales Street, St. Andrews Street and Exchange Street. Norwich became a popular nightlife destination when tens of thousands of US service personnel were stationed in the surrounding countryside during and after World War II. These days it is a student city and the nightlife scene is still lively and exciting here.
For a bunch of lads
Prince of Wales (POW) road is the only place to go in Norwich. A strip full of bars, take-aways and clubs, the street is rammed with people on a Friday and Saturday night. Despite the rep it’s been given, the area is well policed and you shouldn’t see too much trouble.
Otherwise
You could happily take a wander down the whole road, ending up in Mercy XS for the end of the night. The biggest club in Norwich is a safe bet for any large group of lads - the sort of place with a sticky dance floor, cheap alcohol and fantastically dodgy mix of chart hits and 80’s disco. A stag do dream.
Elsewhere
A short walk from the POW is the riverside, which has a far stronger restaurant vibe than bar scene, but still holds a massive Wetherspoons, coming in very handy after a cheeky meal.
Speaking of meals
One of the top spots to hit up is in the “tombland” area, about a hundred metres past POW. There’s a cracking steak and fish restaurant called “The Edith Cavell” where the steak arrives on a hot stone for a bit of drama.
Other large chains
La Tasca, Prezzo and Zizzi’s are also along this strip. There’s also a decent Japanese and Indian restaurant in the same area.
Events not to miss:
- Norwich Beer Festival - Plan your stag do for October so that you can raise a glass at this beer loving celebration.
- Sundown Festival - This event takes place in August and is one of the biggest and best music festivals in the region.
- Laugh in the Park - There’s nothing like a great stand-up show to get you and your mates in a fun mood. During this July festival several top comics perform live outdoor shows.
- A Norwich City F.C game - Majority owned by your mums favourite cook Delia Smith, a footy game is the perfect way to get you and boys singing from the rooftops.
Getting there and getting around:
Norwich can be reached via two major trunk roads, the A11 and the A47. You can also get there by train and the two main routes run south to London via Colchester and Ipswich. There are also other services between the other major cities in the North and the Midlands. If you plan on taking the bus, there are regular National Express bus services to and London. However, keep in mind that the journey via bus can take almost twice as long as the train and it is not much cheaper.
The best way to get around the city is on foot, as the city centre is compact. You don’t have to worry about forking out ridiculous amounts of money for taxis (it’s a small city after all) and with it’s relatively flat terrain, it’s a synch to walk about.
There are also city buses operated by FirstGroup that will take you between the train station, the riverside entertainment district and other areas of town.
