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Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with aleandhearty
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Ribs of Beef, Norwich
Norwich
NR3 1HY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Ribs of Beef
A very nice riverside location for this largish pub. Internally it’s modern Victorian with grey where it’s not darkish wood or clear windows to make the most of the location. Nine pulls with eight in operation on the longer face of the L shaped counter plus two more with ciders and two low T-bars on the short face. The beers came from locally and further afield including a Turning Point from Knaresborough. I don’t think it sells ribs of beef but the made on site pizzas seem popular. The main bar is split in two by a residual wall or chimney breast with a seating area at the back. Downstairs are the toilets, a riverside jetty and a small function room. Decor is mainly old photos and large plastic ducks, nice carpet, a couple of discrete screens and a big pull down one, well behaved bar blockers and very switched on staff.
On 21st April 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3273 recommendations about 2982 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Ribs of Beef
With a superb location on the south side of the River Wensum and Fye Bridge we probably didn’t see this one at its best as our visit coincided with the prime after work drinking hours on a Friday evening when the place was rammed and packed to bursting and it was standing room only and somehow we kept getting in the way of staff trying to deliver food. It’s not the biggest of spaces, and especially not when the outdoor riverside seating and the advertised jetty are closed off, as they were for our visit for reasons the harassed food staff couldn’t completely explain to us.
So not the most comfortable of our drinking experiences around Norwich on this day, but still a good one as far as the actual drink went.
Some decent premium and craft keg options as Steve details below and having had the excellent Vocation Naughty & Nice Salted Caramel Stout earlier in the day at the Fat Cat Brewery Tap I went for the more local Mr Winters Evolution, which was a nice drop. So yes a very good range of different styles and strength options but I got the feeling that this one needs to decide if it is more a pub or more a restaurant I was also impressed with the bar staff team however who were very friendly and efficient, despite the demand on their services.
I will have to try and return to this one at a quieter time when I am back in this fine ale city.
On 4th May 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Steve C left this review about The Ribs of Beef
Located on the south side of the River Wensum and Fye Bridge, the Ribs of Beef was unsurprisingly very busy when visited early on a recent Friday evening. The L-shaped bar counter on the left wall faces seating in the leaded front window and small tables under the windows up the right-hand wall. At the rear is some prime split-level seating with views over the river. Downstairs are the toilets, and the Wherry Room which is a small space that was full of student aged persons, one of whom was moaning about his Norwich tattoo. I imagine the 5 – 1 drubbing that was to follow that evening at Middlesbrough did little to improve his mood. There is some outside seating and an advertised jetty, both of which were closed off.
Premium and craft keg were available from the bar that also supports around ten hand pumps. I noted the availability of Neptune Brewery’s AGWE, Vocation’s Naughty & Nice Salted Caramel Stout, Arbor’s Shangri-La, Nene Valley Brewery’s Bitter, Oakham Citra and Three Blind Mice Brewery’s Guns, Nuns & Cowboys. One hand pump was unused and another was reverse clipped. I found the service to be very friendly, especially considering how busy it was. Next time I’m in Norwich I will revisit here, but at a quieter time so that I can have a proper nose around, although it’s not really that big in here so it shouldn’t take very long.
On 1st May 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5263 recommendations about 5231 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Ribs of Beef
Situated on Wensum Street, with an outdoor view of the eponymous river, photos visible on their website.
Very cramped and noisy inside on an early Friday evening with clear food-led leanings; the denial of access to the outdoor seating was a bit unnecessary, no doubt an indication that the staff couldn’t be arsed to clear the tables.
A half of Oakham Citra came in at a rather pricey £2.30, the second dearest drink on the day and more than a London alehouse.
Not bad, it’s not a must-visit though.
On 23rd April 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1987 recommendations about 1953 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Ribs of Beef
My last stop on the PuG crawl and by 7pm on a Friday evening the pub was packed.It's by a bridge over the River Wensum and is an obvious circuit drinkers venue at weekends.There are some good looking lattice windows ,pleasing features and a print of the best players to have pulled on a Norwich City strip,some well past their best by the time they arrived at Carrow Road.There are two main section and different levels with a lower lounge with views over the river but my notetaking by this time were poor.I seem to remember flatscreens and a lively atmosphere..I noted the ale selection as Gun Brewery Mum & Cowboys,Oakham Citra (NBSS 3.5),Vocation Naughty & Nice,Mr Winters Evolution,Nene Valley Bitter and Arbor Shangri-la which is a very decent selection with a range of styles.I would most certainly return,next time for a longer stay and this really should be included on any tour of the city.
On 16th April 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2730 recommendations about 2730 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Ribs of Beef
We tried to make a return visit to the Ribs of Beef on a recent trip to Norwich, but were thwarted by the continued use of table service. This is always a popular pub with both locals and visitors. So, make sure you get here early to grab a table. On this visit, our party of 5 was more than they could handle and it is no longer acceptable here to stand at the bar. Deducting a mark for the strange service techniques. But I do hope to get back here again one day.
Original review 18/9/20:
The Ribs of Beef has fine river views and stocks a reasonable range of ales and ciders. You are met at the door and shown a selection of tables, with table service in operation. The 3 regular ales are Wolf Golden Jackal, Woodforde's Wherry & Adnams Ghost Ship. Guests were Nene Valley Hop Stash, Five Points Pale, Abbeydale Deception & Oakham Citra. 2 handpulls at the side of the bar had Weston's Old Rosie & Snail's Bank Raspberry Ripple.
Another decent pub that should be on a shortlist of pubs to try when in Norwich.
On 18th January 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2454 recommendations about 2453 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Ribs of Beef
An odd one - half cosy and half clinical refurb in bluey green colours, though the pub carpet did enough to keep it on the right side of spartan. Tiresome table service, I couldn’t see the bar and can’t remember the selection the floor walker reeled-off but my Woodfordes Wherry was fine (NBSS 3). The couple playing Trivial Pursuit next to us decided to pack up and go, was it something I said?? Couldn’t make my mind up on this one, perhaps if we had been able to access the river terrace and not have to sit in a corner like naughty schoolboys I might have swung to a clearer positive. I'd give it another go next time.
Visited early August.
On 12th September 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Ribs Of Beef
This was the first pub of my recent stay in the city, still with table service in operation as mentioned below. The single knocked through room was carpeted, the seating comfortable.There was clear perspex screens around the entire bar area. I counted 11 handpumps with seven ales on, Woodfordes Wherry, Oakham Citra, Wolf Golden Jackal, Adnams Ghost Ship, Mr Winters Rorschach Stout,Burning Sky Plateau and Nene Vally Heres The Thing, Cider was Rosies Pig and three craft keg beers from The Kernel , Deya and Three Blind Mice. All in all a decent selection. A pub worthy of a visit.
On 10th July 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1875 recommendations about 1848 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Ribs Of Beef
Crossing the river to the city centre, there's a distinct change between the back street pubs that I'd visited so far during a 10 pub crawl (back street locals like the Jubilee, Kings Head, Woolpack Yard) and this one and the Murderers, next on the list. These are pubs where there is still an emphasis on good real ale (there was an Abstract Jungle takeover at the time of my visit) but there's more than a nod towards the needs of other pub goers than beer tourists. Background music and live TV sports had been noticeable by their absence up to this point - not that either were off-putting here, just noticeable. There were eight real ales, by my count, and a real cider too. I wouldn't want to put anyone off, just to expect something different from the other pubs mentioned.
Date of visit: 21st February 2018
On 1st November 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3748 recommendations about 3484 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Ribs Of Beef
Ribs of Beef is nicely situated just to the north of the city centre and next to the River Wensum which can be seen from the main bar and the small downstairs terrace.
Inside it feels very much a local with both staff and customers seeming to be very familiar with each other. It also has that 'lived in' feeling of a local although in this case I think that it's just the wrong side of comfortable with peeling paint, seats sagging to the point of collapse and a vague whiff of damp mixed with deep frying.
The barmaids were excellent - efficient, chatty and friendly and they went a fair way to making the place feel welcoming.
Beers on were: Wolf's Golden Jackal and Whiskers, Woodforde's Wherry, Oakham JHB and Bishop's Farewell, Adnam's Ghostship, Boudicca's Prasto Porter, Pheasantry Best and Salopian Darwin's Origin. Prices ranged from £2.80 to £4.00 with most around the £3.50 to £3.70 mark. Not out of kilter with the Norwich average.
That's a fair range of largely local beers with one or two stand outs but I wasn't blown away by the range. Both the Porter and Whisker's were in decent nick but I wasn't tempted into a second of either.
The food menu lists basic pub grub but the prices are steep. A basic white bread and grated cheese sandwich comes in at £5.50 with chips an extra £2.00 on top.
I'd happily slide for a pint or two but only after I'd had a pasty.
On 24th November 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]