The Restaurant
George Wood opened Brix and Bones on London Street in 2021, taking over a Grade II listed building that had served various restaurant roles over the decades. Wood — Norwich-trained, with London experience at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and the Clove Club — returned to East Anglia with a clear concept: open-fire cooking, British produce, and a format that delivered serious food at prices the city could actually sustain. The Michelin Bib Gourmand arrived in 2023 and has been renewed every year.
The room is deliberately unpolished — exposed brick, banquette seating, an open kitchen dominated by a wood-fired Josper grill visible from every table. The menu is built around the fire: Norfolk short-rib, whole roasted plaice, hispi cabbage with miso butter, a Sunday roast that is genuinely one of the best in East Anglia. Small plates are the default, designed for sharing across a table of two, four, or six.
The wine list is compact and intelligent — Wood has a particular affection for the Loire and English sparkling, and both are well-represented. Cocktails are taken seriously without being elaborate. Prices remain remarkable for the level: a full dinner with drinks rarely passes £85 per person. The room stays busy from Tuesday through Saturday and has become the default meeting place for Norwich's younger professional and creative class.
Why This Is Norwich’s First Date Pick
For a first date in Norwich, Brix and Bones is the clear answer. The room is lively enough that silences never feel pressurised; the small-plate format builds natural conversation (what to order, what to share); and the open fire gives the dining room a sensory anchor beyond the food itself. Prices are accessible enough that neither party has to negotiate the bill afterwards. The exposed-brick, warm-lit space photographs beautifully. The walk afterwards — down London Street to the Riverside or up to the cathedral — is one of the prettier short walks in English city dining.