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Trafford Arms, Norwich

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user reviews of Trafford Arms, Norwich

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Popped in on City of Ale tour. Locals pub, bit out the way but worth the detour. Greeted by a lovely barmaid and the beers were in good order. Tried an Oakham ale and a Woodfordes Wherry as a marker. Food was good - the chilli was full of chunks of beef.
mikey64 - 30 May 2016 15:22
10 pumps serving, selection of dark, copper and pale ales. Little pots showing the colour in front of each pump and a taster offered. Both beers I tried were in fine condition. Food menu has changed and I think it's less local now and more national. Both local sounding meals, lamb leg steak and sausages were off when I was eating early evening. Not convinced that the chips were home made and the fish seemed too regular for a local catch. But I may be wrong.
TonyMitch - 10 May 2016 20:27
Elgood black dog d
Addams south m
Adams ghost m?
Woodfordes brew352 l
Woodfordes wherry m
Gales firecracker m
Flip side sterling l
Big lamp prince bishop l
Black hill shield row l
Harviestoun old engine oil d

Excellent pub. Busy Friday just before Xmas. Food basic limited menu but well cooked and local produce still on the menu. Tried the 2 trad bitters that were available. Both in good nick. Staff friendly and accommodating. Try this pub!
TonyMitch - 18 Dec 2015 22:22
Excellent pub, good food, fair price and local produce if possible used. 11 beers on, woodfordes Wherry, burton bridge top dog stout, GK manga carta, Adnams mosaic and southwold bitter, BB Donald's duck, Oakhams Inferno, Castle rock Runneymead, Tetleys keg bitter!, Adnams blackshore stout, winters mild. Donald Duck is light but fortunately not too citrus, well kept . Pub is worth a visit in a city blessed with numerous decent pubs.
TonyMitch - 10 Jun 2015 19:25
A pub which fully deserves the praise it is getting - a large interior with good old-fashioned service and a mixture of customers from youngsters to pensioners, many partaking of what looked like very good and varied food. The large selection of ales available were mostly local and my pint of Wherry was very well kept. A number of future events of various kinds were being advertised and the overall good-humoured atmosphere and pleasant ambience indicates that the people who run it really know how to please a wide range of customers.
Stamfordian - 4 Dec 2012 12:31
Still as good as ever, well kept selection of ten real ales, good food, newspapers to read and a friendly, relaxed feeling to the place, one of my favourites in Norwich.
Hodge1 - 22 May 2012 08:15
I echo the views of the last reviewer exactly 1 year ago! The Trafford Arms was the best of the 5 pubs we visited in Norwich yesterday. The pub was very busy with home football fans. Service was good. 10 ales were on - Timothy Taylor Dark Mild, Adnams Bitter, American Style IPA & Sole Star, Norfolk Moongazer Golden, Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger, Castle Rock Sheriff's Tipple, Oakham Black Hole Porter & Woodfordes Wherry. They also dispense a real cider, which yesterday was from Kingfisher Farm. Well worth a visit, on any Norwich crawl.
blue_scrumpy - 8 Apr 2012 11:01
If this pub had been this good when I was attending Norwich City College in the early eighties I wouldn't have attended any lectures at all! Lovely pint of Adnams Mild last Saturday lunchtime, a great selection of 10 ever changing real ales, cracking atmosphere, and great food. Very popular when the Canaries are playing at home, one of the 'must visit' pubs on a crawl of Norwich.
Hodge1 - 8 Apr 2011 11:41
Fantastic selection of beers and ciders. Simply the best pub in Norwich, by a mile !
WaggsieC - 13 May 2010 12:33
Great pub, great Ales!!! Enough said.
petethepub - 5 Aug 2009 21:03
An ale drinker's heaven and close to the city centre too, just brilliant.
Stare_Smokovec - 26 Jun 2009 12:13
Late review from October when we spent a week in Norwich to visit the beer festival. This was easily the best we visited for the good selection of quality real ales from micros.
gillhalfpint - 17 Jan 2009 12:55
First class pub, with an excellent choice of 10 real ales (including a very nice pint of Woodforde's Admiral's Reserve. Seek it out!
rpadam - 24 Sep 2008 00:14
You will need to travel a long way to find real ale kept to such an extremely high standard. Admittedly some of the guest beers, especially the lower strength beers, seem a tad expensive but the quality is always guaranteed.

Good pub food and always seems busy particularly so when Norwich are playing at home.

A beer festival is held during valentines week each year so if you are looking for the perfect valentines gift then a night at the beer festival is a must.
Micky_P - 3 Sep 2008 22:16
Large pub that gradually transforms from a bar with pool table and $ky TV, through a traditional bar and round into a restaurant. Has up to ten real ales, most of which are regularly changing guests. Certainly worth a visit.
Rod_Hariga - 5 Jul 2008 18:39
A once excellent pub, with a great selection of ales.

Plenty of room inside, and a limited number of seats outside for the summer or smoking.

Pool table, and big screen for sports. Does standard pub food at a reasonable price.

Recent departures of fit barmaids has diminished the pub in my eyes, though.

Overall, a good pub to spend a few hours in.
nrgroom - 25 May 2008 15:38
Another fantastic pub on our Norwich crawl on Saturday. Things are starting to get a bit hazy now but at least I had some scant notes & phone pics.
A large imposing pub when you first spot it. A pub has been on this site since the about the 1860's but it was completely rebuilt after being bombed in 1942. There is a good history of the pub on their website.
10 hand pumps were in use but 9 different ales were available on Saturday. I understand 3 of the beers are permanent Adnams Best, Woodfordes Wherry and Tetleys. This means the other 6 or 7 pumps alter quite regularly so I will not bother listing. We all decided to have two halves of different beer; I had Timothy Taylor's Dark Mild and as it was very near to my birthday a Bateman's Aries Ale.
Love_good_ale - 24 Mar 2008 14:13
Still excellent elcomimg Pub with good food and fine ales. Real cider also served and a good selection of bottled beers available
ahscum - 1 Mar 2008 14:52
Visited this pub during a football tour having played the resident team on a Saturday afternoon. Very busy and with good reason. Fine selection of around 9-10 real ales and good food served too. We shall be renewing the fixture again next season.
tangerineman - 12 Nov 2007 20:05
This is the one I was meant to be in all along. Popped in here after playing squash at Wensum lodge.

Great selection of beer and ale. Let down by the big tellys all over the place. Wouldn't say no to another pint in there some time.
The_Ace - 5 Nov 2007 23:47
Very busy pub but what a good choice of ales. Too packed to move around comfortably so stood by the door with my drink. Will need to visit again next time I am in Norwich to get the feel of the pub at a quieter time.
gillhalfpint - 30 Oct 2007 08:31
great beer pub

avoid the quiz where teams of 12 will beat teams of 3 and the annoying speaker shouts down here his megaphone like everyone is 150.
alundra - 24 Oct 2007 15:05
Ten Real ales and nice cosy atmous. football was on the night that we were in there, but this did not rule the roost as it so frequently does in other Pubs. Local Kingfisher Cider is also served and food is exceptional value. Try the Lowestoft Fish and chips
ahscum - 24 Feb 2007 16:21
An EXCELLENT pub. Turned up here by chance between Christmas and New Year, which is always a strange time for pubs. We had been to the Kings Arms only to find that fewer than half the listd ales were available and the landlord clearly wasn't bothered about bringing more on that evening. Strange attitude really because the pub is usually SO GOOD. But its their loss because we found the Trafford on recommendation from a local, and what a find. Tremendous choice of real ales and a very pleasant atmosphere in the place. We shall definitely return. Deservedly a Norwich CAMRA pub of the year. And come July there won't be any smoke to endure either.
GrahamH - 17 Jan 2007 10:54
Well-appointed pub just outside the city centre. One of the best pubs for beer choice in Norwich and a nice place in which to drink them. Ten handpulled beer range includes local brews. Wine is accentuated almost as much as the beer. Norwich CAMRA Pub of the Year 2005.
Alerover - 12 Aug 2006 15:53
It is the best pub of Norwich. All the staff and all customers are very cool. Now, I am turned over at home to France, I miss this pub!!!!!!!
see you later Trafford Arms....

camille - 25 Apr 2006 09:07
The Trafford is a very friendly pub but the prices are quite expensive compared with the Kings Arms.
BBKF - 31 Mar 2006 17:22
every one rants on about the fat cat but this is a much more friendly and balanced real ale pub. It doesnt tut if you order lager ( some pubs in norwich you cant even order a lager )
anonymous - 29 Nov 2005 22:20
Always a good range of beers which are well kept. Never had the food but it always looks good. Holds beer festival out back around valentines day every year and subsequently gets packed. Chris and the bar staff are always friendly.
trekman - 4 Sep 2005 22:27
Wide range of real ales and friendly staff. Beer quality 10/10
stevewilliams - 12 Jul 2005 20:46
Went to this pub on Saturday night fair few people in but not packed, pool table so mixed age range, decent selection of real ales on draught.
lovesong - 23 May 2005 16:26

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