Compleat Angler

This pub looks quite inviting from the outside and portrays itself as a real/​cask ale pub.
The inside is disappointing.
The drinks weren’t great, the atmosphere was mostly dead but the angry football fan getting very animated and abusing a team on tv who couldn’t hear his shouts, gave the bar an edgy feel.
The décor is drab and a bit grubby.
Not or me but we are all different …

Stopped in here on my way to the train station. It is really close to the train station so walking into the city center or to the train station, it is a nice place to get a pint. Staff is decently friendly. There is outdoor patio overlooking the canal. The bar is split into different areas so it has several different atmospheres with one area where it is mostly stools, another area with couches, and another area with tables to eat or for groups.

I’ve been in the Compleat Angler a few times, mainly in the first year of my time in Norwich, since it’s just so handily near the station. The pub is fine, has a little bit of a station pub feel to it (like the Head of Steam at Euston in London, or whatever they call it now!). The ale seems to be well kept, I’ve not had a duff pint, and the outside terrace is fantastic, overlooking the river and shielded from the road. It’s nice to have a walk from here, along the river, to Magdelen Street, so well worth a visit if you’re planning a pub crawl from the station!

The bit of Norwich between the Station and the Cathedral has seen better days. Situated right opposite the station and, as far as I can tell, the only non chain owned pub in sight, the Compleat Angler enjoys a great location on the river and a nice terrace to soak up the rain.
You can enjoy a very reasonably priced pint and watch all sorts of rare breeds coming in and out of the station — together with tourists trying to park their boats without denting them.
The place could do with some sprucing up, but the staff are friendly and helpful.
There are the usual bunch of toothless Norwich alcoholics here who appear to have been drinking since breakfast — but I’m getting used to them now.

The only good thing about this pub as far as I can tell is its location. On a whistle-​stop trip to Norwich on a warm day it provided a lovely sunny place to sit on the waterfront with a safe stumbling distance to the station.
However, I would not recommend ordering food here. Perhaps we’d have loved this pub if we’d only been wanting drinks, but we came in for Sunday brunch and the service was pretty shocking.
We were asked three times what coffees we had ordered (the staff apparently forgot on the first two occasions) and they eventually arrived about 25 minutes later. The coffee itself was dreadful too: I wasn’t expecting anything special in a pub, but somehow having waited almost half an hour for a bad machine coffee made it taste even worse!
Our food orders also seemed to cause confusion despite being very simple, and they managed to screw up beans on toast, which i had honestly thought impossible. It was served with packs of butter that had been left out in the heat, and had liquefied. I had to deal with the smell on my fingers for much of the rest of the afternoon!
Really not a great experience: please sort it out guys.

Pros: Fantastic selection of beers and wines, beautiful riverside location, right next to the train station, always get a seat, friendly atmosphere any night of the week.
Cons: A little expensive.
A friendly Norwich pub that has a fabulous atmosphere any night of the week. A bit expensive, but you’re paying for quality and choice.

Just a stone’s throw from the train station you’ll find this pub.
If you’re out at the weekend it’s a great alternative to the usual Riverside overcrowded queues mean it takes forever to get served.
They’re a downstairs area that’s bookable if you want a great party.
It makes a nice change to the usual pub brands that dominate.
There’s a pretty walk to be had by the river after a pint. They have outdoor tables for dining if you are lucky enough to catch a spell of good weather.
Their food is tasty and I could highly recommend saving room for a fondant centered dessert.

This is the nearest pub to Norwich railway station and a must for any lovers of excellent real ales, superb food and just good pubs. It has a wonderful terrace overlooking the river where, on a good day, you can enjoy your meal and a pint of well-​kept ale while watching the boats go by.