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Hidden away from much of the UK, Norwich offers an incredible nightlife for all kinds of occasions.

In fact, Norwich was awarded the ATCM Purple Flag award for its excellence in managing the city centre in the evening and at night. There is a huge selection of different cuisines to tuck into at foodie hotspots and dotted around the city to get the night started. From there, Norwich is filled with pubs, clubs, and bars that suit the many different nights that people seek. Each venue boasts its own special ambience and offering on the drinks menu, so a night that takes you to many different clubs, pubs, and bars is a very enjoyable one.

For a more sophisticated night out in Norwich, but by no means less enjoyable than your standard club-to-club night, there are some key venues that you should attend. With an exclusive bar, specialist cocktail bars, and VIP club and lounge areas, Norwich can give you the highbrow feel while you enjoy the diverse nightlife, you can make your spring break trips more exciting here.

Exclusive Bar

Just a few minutes from Norwich train station, up from the club-oriented Prince of Wales Road and into the Norwich Lanes, Bedfords Bar sits as one of the finest establishments in Norwich. The multifaceted bar offers an upstairs bar, an ancient underground level called The Crypt, and the exclusive, members-only private bar: The Vault. Featuring a modern yet authentic look in an industrial theme, The Vault was designed to impress its members and offer the exclusive-feel that its members deserve. What makes The Vault so exclusive is its 50-guest capacity. Capacity is key to exclusive bars as it manages to keep its prestige high. Take the world-famous Jerry Thomas Project in Rome; it features regularly changing passwords which is very fancy, as well as a 40-person capacity to add to the exclusivity of the bar. The Clubhouse in Buenos Aires is another lauded exclusive bar and is made so popular by its outdoor garden area. Well, The Vault manages to cater for all walks of members by also having an outside courtyard with seating. It’s an impressive bar, one that gives its members the feel of exclusivity. To add a little sugar on top, the intimate bar gives its new members a booklet with £50 worth of drink vouchers, with each voucher featuring Walter White, or Heisenberg from Breaking Bad.

 

Cocktail Bars

When people want a social evening that features tasty drinks and a relaxed atmosphere, they turn to the cocktail bars. One of the best ones that Norwich has to offer and a fairly new arrival is the Hawthorn Bar. Not a huge walk from the train station or Prince of Wales Road, the Hawthorn bar is situated close to St Gregory’s Centre for the Arts on St Benedict’s, a hipster street full of indie food and drink venues. Said by many to make the best cocktails around, the Hawthorn Bar specialises in making flavoursome, creative, and original cocktails while producing a friendly and relaxing ambience. Just around the corner from the Hawthorn Bar, also on St Benedicts Street, is Platform Twelve. If it’s more a rhythmic feel to your evening that you’d like, look no further than Platform Twelve. It’s a piano bar that exudes the sophistication of a Persian bar. Regularly hosting live musicians, you can enjoy all of the world’s most famous cocktails while you sit back and enjoy the music. The combination of great live music and classy cocktail drinks makes for the perfect evening of sophistication. If you’re after some exciting food along with your cocktails, then Turtle Bay is the place for you. Turn into Swan Lane, and you’ll spot Turtle Bay immediately thanks to its huge teal lettering and the Caribbean feel that seeps from the very building. Inside, you’ll find a very fun and casual menu of Caribbean dishes as well as a wide range of wine, beer, cider, and a long list of specialist cocktails. The Caribbean fun infused into Turtle Bay makes it a very enjoyable atmosphere that’s perfect for a sophisticated evening with friends.

Clubs with VIP

Prince of Wales Road is recognised among residents as the place to be if you’re looking for a fun night. While it used to feature many more varied clubs and bars, the strongest remain along Prince of Wales Road. For the VIP experience, two of the most popular clubs stand out. Mantra Club and Lounge is an exemplary club. Upon entry, you find yourself in a  classy lounge with an iconic bar and very comfy booths for a relaxing atmosphere. Go downstairs and everything changes. An open dance floor and live DJ has the room thumping, while the long bar serves thirsty patrons. Also, in this downstairs area is the VIP booths. Comfy seated areas that overlook the floor and provide a table and VIP drinks menu. While it is integrated well with everyone else, it’s also separated enough that you can enjoy the exclusivity of your VIP package. On many occasions, professional footballers playing for Norwich have been spotted in Mantra, making the most of the VIP offering. For the big-room DJ experience in a very classy establishment, turn to Mercy XS. Mercy runs a huge range of themed nights and acts throughout the year and hosts a gigantic dance floor and incredibly long bar. Best of all, for that VIP experience, you can experience the action from above the floor level in the upper circle while also having easy access to the thrills below. With drinks, a huge crowd below, pyrotechnics and performers bringing the thrills, Mercy XS is a great place for those looking for the VIP experience and everyone else. 

In recent years, Norwich nightlife has been on the rise, and seems to continue to do so through the efforts of the Norwich BID, promoters and club owners. The existence of VIP options is welcome to audiences celebrating, or even those who prefer higher-end entertainment.

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