User name:

Password:

Login


Sign in with Facebook


Not already a member?
Join our community and - Rate & review pubs - Upload pictures - Add events JOIN for free NOW


Chat about:
Approving photos with rpadam on the Pub Forum

The Alexandra Tavern, Norwich

16 Stafford Street
Norwich
NR2 3BB
Phone: 01603627772

Return to pub summary

Page: 1 2

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

First revisit to this excellent, traditional corner local for ten years. Retaining a twin-bar layout, it remains much as I remembered it. The public bar has five handpumps, basic tables and chairs, and plenty of breweriana. Separate lounge with another small counter and more comfortable furniture. Beer choice is local, featuring a pair from Mr Winter's, one from Humpty Dumpty and a fine Moon Gazer's Ostara spring ale. Well worth seeking out.

On 13th May 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Steve C left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

The Alexandra is a backstreet pub with a couple of picnic tables out the front, as well as a bus stop smoking shelter that is plastered in old pump clips. Inside, there is a wooden floored bar to the right with a banquette in the front window and a serving counter up the left-hand wall. Four of the five hand pumps were in operation drawing Mr Winter’s Vanilla Latte Stout and Ale X alongside Moon Gazer’s Ostara and Humpty Dumpty’s Swallowtail. Premium keg was also available alongside Carling and on the corner of the bar was a food container full of cheese and ham rolls. Hot food is also available from lunch to early evening. The menus are on chalk boards at the rear, the pub’s speciality seems to be soups and stews, all priced well under a tenner. On the left-hand wall next to the food menus is a small green tiled fireplace with a log burner and in the left rear corner is an old style jukebox. Seating runs up the right, split mid-way by a wooden partition with stained glass windows. The carpeted left-hand lounge bar has a counter up the right which faces bench seating with tables and small stools up the left. There is another fireplace in here with an old burner. In the front left corner is a dartboard with an oche that runs past the front window. The service was very friendly and I came away thinking the this is a very good boozer that was well worth a visit.

On 24th April 2023 - rating: 9
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Tris C left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

A traditional, backstreet boozer with a Courage cockerel atop a non-Courage sign bracket. The interior entices, with a huge array of pumps and an absolutely charming landlady and barmaid, the former offering to change my half of Mr Winter’s Ale X (£2.00) even though it was excellent.
Given the early hour, I don’t recall there being any customers aside from us 10-odd crawlers, our group photo being taken outside where a makeshift bus shelter doubles as a covered drinking area, bedecked with a multitude of pump clips (see photo).
A must-visit when in Norwich and my highlight of our crawl.

On 18th April 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Steve of N21 left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

This is an excellent traditional two room back street corner pub, one of those where you walk in through the front door to the small front bar section but then the rest of the pub, to the side and to the back, just urges you to explore it. Still has a retaining feeling of the old public/lounge split with the bar room having a wooden floor and the back room more lounge like and carpeted. But both areas containing a log burner in each and plenty of pub and local memorabilia to keep you interested for a fair while.
Four of the five ale handpumps were on the go for our visit, all with local Norwich Brewery ales. These were Humpty Dumpty Swallowtail, Norfolk Brewhouse Ostara Golden Ale and then two from the nearby Mr Winters Brewery, Ale X Best Bitter and the Vanilla Latte Milk Stout. I went for the Milk stout, and it was excellent, both as a Milk Stout and in condition, but then you would expect the latter considering its only had to travel from 10 minutes up the road.
I think there’s a small courtyard section to the back, but this was not explored, and there are some bench tables to the front of the pub and the interesting smoking shelter converted from a bus shelter mentioned in previous reviews.

On 18th April 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

A wonderful,traditional street corner boozer on the western edge of the city,the bar serves two rooms,the main tap room has a juke box at the far end,while what looks like a lounge has a fireplace with a wood burner.The tap rooms has two doors ,so possibly at some time this too was divided into seperate rooms,the archway gives a hint.
A decent selection of local real ale awaited,on our trip Mr Winters Ale X,Best Bitter and Vanilla Latte (NBSS 4),Moongazer Ostara and Humpty Dumpty Swallow Tail. It's close to the Fat Cat and so is a greast double header.Rightly in the 2023 GBG ,I really must stay longer next time and soak up the atmosphere.There is an interesting outside drinking shelter plastered with beer mats and pump clips and a lot of boozers have carved their names in the light red brickwork nearby.Charming staff,a must visit when in Norwich.

On 16th April 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Graham Coombs left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

A lovely side street local, pleasantly unmodernised and retaining a two room layout with good, traditional furnishings including several benches. The walls are nicely embellished with old-school photos and other stuff, while the welcome is excellent, as are the local ales which were from Humpty Dumpty, Moon Gazer and Mr Winters. Splendid.

On 16th April 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


paulof horsham left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

The Alexandra is a multi-roomed local in the backstreets west of the city centre. It offers up a very reasonably priced menu, with nothing priced higher than £8.50, with toasties at just £4. On top of that, you'll find half a dozen locally sourced ales.

6Music coming through the speakers and a fire burning on a wintry afternoon all added to the atmosphere. Highly recommended.

On 14th March 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 449 recommendations about 421 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

A lovely two room backstreet pub with traditional decor; burgundy and cream painted embossed wallpaper with dark varnish trim. Three ales on, 2x Winters and Woodfordes Reedlighter (a bit flabby, NBSS 2) served-up in a dirty pitted glass. No Chalk Hill beers on, guess that link is now severed. Another Norwich stereotype – lovely pub, shame about the beer…
Visited early August.

May 2009
A traditional corner local a couple of minutes stroll away from the (in)famous Fat Cat. Set over two rooms, retaining a semblance of the old public/lounge split with a log burner in each. A number of ales on with an emphasis on Chalk Hill. Pool and darts available. Enjoyable visit in this take-it-as-you-find-it pub. Rated 8

On 12th September 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Moby Duck left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

An excellent corner pub hidden away in the residential backstreets of Norwich and makes for a great double header with The Fat Cat 5 minutes walk away. It consists of two traditionally furnished rooms, wooden floored and walls half clad with wood panelling, an old traditional stand up jukebox nestles in a far corner. There were four beers on from the five handpumps, Robinsons Dizzy Blonde , Adnams Ghost Ship , Mr Winters Ale X and Oakham Citra, The Citra went down very well with a cheese and pickle Roll. A cracking pub.

On 11th July 2021 - rating: 9
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Alexandra Tavern

Hidden away in a residential area to the West of Norwich city centre, the Alexandra Tavern is a charming two bar traditional pub and the unofficial tap for the local Chalk Hill Brewery. The main bar is on the right hand side of the building and has a servery split in two parts by a partitioning wall and wide doorway which divides the room into two notional sections. A good amount of bench seating is supplied, supplemented by low stools and standard chairs, one of which had been claimed by the pub cat who looked like it was settling down for the rest of the day. The room has been decorated by various photos, newspaper clippings and breweriana as well as various maritime related items, whilst a pool table resides at the far end of the room. Doors at either end of the bar lead you through to the lounge - a cosy, carpeted space with a long fixed bench opposite the bar which displayed a collection of old Good Beer Guides on the ledge along its back, as well as a wireless set, barometer and old barrel among other nick-nacks. Next to this is a small stove in a pleasant fireplace and further into the room is another fixed bench with framed pump clips and beer adverts above. A stained glass pane set into a short screen in front of the toilet doors had the words 'Bullard's Ales' on it, hinting at one of the pub's previous owners. A dartboard can be found tucked in one corner of the room and there is also a display relating to the landlord's charity rowing challenge which saw him row across the Atlantic Ocean in 2005. Flowers had been placed into old beer bottles on each table which brightened the room up nicely and a quiet soundtrack played through my stay. The pub has a number of sports teams and even a philosophy club led by a former UEA lecturer.
Three Chalk Hill beers were on at the bar - Tap, CHB and Gold - so I decided to give one a try, opting for the Tap (£2.60) which turned out to be a very nice session bitter in reasonably good condition. Other options were Hyde's Request and a Pale Ale whose brewer I failed to note.
I really enjoyed visiting this interesting pub and left feeling that there was probably lots that I missed during my stay. This is the kind of place that will reward repeat visits and I would say this is one of the better pubs in a city full of excellent boozers.

On 19th September 2014 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]

Page: 1 2