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Fat Cat & Canary, Norwich

101 Thorpe Road
Norwich
NR1 1TR

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


Old Boots left this review about Fat Cat & Canary

A long way out of the city, maybe further than the sister pub - the Fat Cat in the other direction, maybe not the must do of the canary-less version but a good pub nonetheless. A thirties deco building with one large drinking space within. There are separate areas denoted by stub walls. Seating is mainly benches with cushions, otherwise it’s tables and chairs. Being a long way out the clientele is probably more local than pub ticker. It retains a lot of thirties charm if you like deco, it also has traditional pub decor and suchlike, a dart board which entails furniture moving, a large collection of whisky jugs and more than a few bottles. Five pulls of Fat Cat beers plus guests from Oakham, Titanic and Crouch Vale, along with three T-bars of interesting beers. It does have a few arseholes as customers but don’t worry they’re not ubiquitous.
Yes I’d say walk out or get a bus, you’re not going to regret a visit.

On 21st April 2024 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]


Steve C left this review about Fat Cat & Canary

The Fat Cat and Canary has a black and white checkered floor and a bar counter on the right wall that faces a shelf with stools in the centre of the pub, some large tables and then benches up the left wall that run around to the right. In the large curved front window is a long bench with seating and at the rear is a sunken seating area. On the left-hand wall is a dartboard.
This is a Fat Cat Brewery pub so it wasn’t surprising to see Bitter, Tom Cat, Marmalade, Honey Ale, TABBY, Milk Stout and Wild Cat all available on cask. Also available were Crouch Vale’s Yakima Gold, Oakham’s Inferno, Ossett’s Look What The Rat Dragged In and Adnam’s Mosaic. I liked it in here, but there are too many excellent pubs on the other side of town to warrant the schlep to visit here again.

On 1st May 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blue Scrumpy left this review about Fat Cat & Canary

Over 8 years on since my last visit here, we headed here for a session after watching a match at the nearby Carrow Road football ground. It's a 10-15 minute walk uphill from the ground or the centre and is located in an area with few other decent options for a drink. However, the selection here is excellent and you don't need to go anywhere else.

Real ales are served either by handpull or direct from the cellar. Fat Cat Norwich Bitter & Honey seem to be regular beers. In addition, they also had their own Tabby, Tom Cat, Marmalade & Lockdown. Guests were Crouch Vale Yakima, Titanic Plum Porter & Oakham Inferno.

Beers are all listed on blackboards above the bar. A selection of 27 real ciders were also listed. Although not all of them were available and I noticed quite a few mistakes amongst the listing. But once I'd worked out what was what, I concluded that the 26 available ciders were Fat Cat Scrumpy Cat Cider, Perry, Mango Cider, Farmers Fruits, Raspberry Cider and Strawberry & Kiwi Cider, Broadoak Moonshine, Perry & Kingston Black, Weston's Vintage & Organic, Ampleforth Abbey Cider, Thistly Cross Original & Whisky Cask, Lilley's Tropical Cider & Pickled Parrot, Norfolk Raider Winkle Perry, Dolly Pink, Gator 24, Elder 24, Honey Belle, Cinnamon Lil & Wingman & Gwynt y Ddraig Two Trees Perry & Black Dragon.

The interior is fairly olde worlde with a decent size front bar and narrower rear room. TVs were showing live football and it was fairly busy and noisy, as you'd expect being reasonable close to the football ground. However, as the crowds began to thin out, it became much more civilised.

Service was very quick and efficient, even when we first walked in. There were plenty of staff, whilst the landlord was also wandering around with cups of tea in his hand. Although I'm not sure the first barman who served me was too impressed with having to fetch 4 halves of different ciders from the cellar, especially when one of the selection was not in fact available.

I have to say that my visit here was much improved on my last one in 2013, where I rated the pub a 5/10. Perhaps I somehow missed the full range of ales and ciders last time, or maybe it has improved dramatically. Either way, whilst getting to the Fat Cat itself should be a priority when in Norwich, the Fat Cat & Canary or the Fat Cat Brewery Tap are excellent substitutes if you can't.

On 18th January 2022 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about Fat Cat & Canary

As you’d expect it’s like a mini Fat Cat with a similar feel in terms of décor; black and white chequerboard flooring, mustard walls and lots of old pub memorabilia, spread over three areas in an L shaped interior. Five ales on pump (may have been more on stillage out back) and I went for a Fat Cat Norwich Bitter (NBSS 3, just), alongside plenty of keg. Didn’t visit at the best time, mid-afternoon with just three other customers and a barmaid who’d disappeared off into the cellar for five minutes, but I liked what I saw. 7.5
Visited early August.

On 12th September 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Moby Duck left this review about Fat Cat and Canary

Has the look and feel of an estate pub or social club but with the addition of a good beer selection along with the afore mentioned breweriana decorating the inside.The beer was from a mixture of handpump and stillage, a choice of ten in all, I went for a pint of Fat Cat Marmalade which was pretty decent. The pub itself had a bit of a rough and ready feel about it but was perfectly ok.

On 18th July 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Fat Cat and Canary

Curious building with a very large bow window behind a large front patio. Quite basic inside, but decorated with quite a bit of breweryana. Five beers on handpump plus eight on gravity when I called in on a flying visit, but I really enjoyed my pint of Fat Cat Porter (£3.20) and must return soon.

On 23rd June 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about Mustard Pot

This is a decent pub and is well worth visiting. The pub consists of two main drinking areas, the front room with bar and a long narrow section leading down the rear of the pub. The flooring is black and white lino squared tiles, there is also plenty of seating. This real ale paradise hosts six ales on handpump and eleven on gravity. They also have rolls on the bar at a pound each, which are fab and sell out fas - no surprise there as l managed to eat two, whilst downing a few pints of Fat Cat bitter, which is good and hoppy, Cat and Canary and Shepherds Delight Cotswold Lion. Will defo call again.

On 3rd November 2012 - rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Gill Smith left this review about Mustard Pot

Not a review but a comment. Pub has been closed a while, but is due to open in about 8 weeks time. Owner already has 2 Fat Cat pubs in Norwich, and hopes to sell a range of their beers plus guests and continental beers.

On 28th February 2012 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about Mustard Pot

The Mustard Pot is about a 10 minute walk from Norwich train station.
The pub looks like it was built in the 30s with its flat roof,once inside the pub had two rooms with a pool room and a smartish bar which was a fairly decent room to have a drink in.
When i visited this pub it was a Adnams tied house and there were three real ales on the bar i had a drink of Adnams bitter and this was a nice drink the other beers were Adnams Broadside and Regatta.
I thought this was a decent pub and worth the walk.

Pub visited 3/6/2006

On 3rd June 2006 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]