The Playhouse Bar

Great place to hang out at various times of the day, you meet some very interesting characters there. Run by a group of relatively young people, most of them artists of one kind or another, visual arts, musicians and poets, there is a connection to STEW (artist group studio space&gallery) down the road and the art college up the road.
Great sandwiches that come around noon freshly made in a basket and you better grab one you like as they don’t last long.
Tea, Coffee and, of course, all sorts of alcoholic beverages.
Seating inside, there is an aquarium with fish who all have names, and outside by the river. Events like life concerts, flea market, shows, charity events, all sorts, again connection to the arts makes it all possible. Almost forgot to mention that the Playhouse theatre, hence the name, is actually next door to the right (guess I was hanging out more often in the bar after all…)
Small playground out front, so if you have small children that would be a good place for the family, as you can lure your kids that they get to go on the swing…
Alternative, youthful, very British, very relaxed. Great place, great people and very affordable. Go there with a friend or make some there.

This place is great. I can see it from my bedroom window, and it is very lit up and colourful at night. It has sort of a San Francisco coffee house feel to it, but it’s a pub too and I believe they serve food M — F. There is a decent amount of outdoor seating at picnic tables, which is covered. They also have live music, at least on the weekend evenings, but it seems like weekend daytime is more for families, as a lot of parent bring their children here to see plays.

I met some friends here and only ended up having one drink, so I wasn’t there for too long. We ended up in the outdoor garden, which had a great atmosphere… high energy, but not so loud you can’t have a conversation. There also seemed to be a bunch of other side rooms and other places to sit with music in some parts. I definitely intend to return and explore it a little further in the future.

Norwich Playhouse has been host to a large number of acts over the years, from up and coming comedians to established stand-​ups.
The bar area is nice, although can be a little tricky to get a seat, complete with an outdoor area that is lovely to sit out in during the summer.
Now the smoking ban is in place they rent out warm clothes such as jumpers to smokers nipping outside in the evenings.

I love the feel of this place, its so busy decoration wise and so much to look at. Always funny quips on the board behind the bar. Great range on offer and good set prices. There is a smoking area outside by the river. Good selection of plays on all year round. I say Lucy Porter last year — not bad! Go in just for an evening drink, very good ambience.

When I was in art school, I used to frequent this hangout quite a lot.
The place is a nice bar, with a great outdoors area through the back, alongside a theatre. Its a great place to meet friends and has a good atmosphere on most nights.
You can grab a bite to eat on a Saturday lunchtime, though it is very busy.

Norwich Playhouse is a fine old Norwich institution, tucked away down cobbled lanes by the river, right near the art school. As a theatre venue it puts on the more arty plays that don’t fit so well in the main theatre royal, but you can also catch plenty of comedy events down there. It’s also a nice place to hang out. They have a bar, they have a beer garden, so it’s perfect for summertime drinks. It’s only a short hop back into the city centre too, so it makes a good place to start off the night before heading up into the bright lights of central Norwich. Ahem.

A great place for a drink, especially in summertime. Great atmosphere, easy to find and get to. Drinks aren’t too pricey either. The outside area is lovely too.

Norwich Playhouse is a great place for summertime drinking and relaxing, situated near to the city centre. Although the bar is rather small, the staff provide excellent service and there is a wide range of local ales, ciders and continental lagers. It also has a large beer garden overlooking the picturesque river that runs through Norwich.
There is a small theatre inside which mainly attracts dance acts, ballet and drama groups, also hosting up and coming comedians as well as bands from less commercial musical backgrounds such as Jazz and Classical.
You can often find DJ’s or local solo artists performing in the bar, with music being broadcast over the speakers into the beer garden.
Norwich Playhouse offers something a little different from the large pub chains such as Weatherspoons. It is definitely a place for a quiet sociable drink with good surroundings and a friendly atmosphere.