The Owl

As the oldest tea room in Norfolk, The Owl is a very special place.  So many of our customers enjoy recalling visits with their grandparents as children and this continuity is always a comfort and a pleasure.  Who doesn’t enjoy a cosy café selling homemade cakes and savouries? 

Established in 1929 the Owl has always been a bakery which makes everything on-site and we continue to bake around the clock to this day. Ben and I took the helm in 2017 and have preserved the long-held traditions of this iconic bakery and café, whilst easing it into the 21st century with all sorts of new and exciting specialities.

Our shop is crammed with a tempting variety of bread, cakes, cookies and savouries and we offer a fresh salad bar too.  A state of the art espresso machine takes pride of place, serving artisan coffee from Norwich’s Little Red Roaster.  We consider all dietary requirements and specialise in vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and decaffeinated products.  We are lucky to have tables on the pavement outside facing south where customers can sit and watch Holt life go by. 

Our secret garden to the rear has an attractive, paved terrace and colourful borders. Offering seating for 35 people, this peaceful sun-trap, away from the noise and bustle of the town, is a perfect place to meet friends or escape to for a relaxing glass of wine or coffee. We have two very large canopies offering both shade and protection from rain when necessary.  Dogs are welcome in the garden and on the pavement at the front.

The Georgian dining room is light and airy with natural wood, mirrors and cascading plants.  It is also centrally heated for those cold winter days and offers free wifi. For our menu, please see the Food section.