My Norwich Favourites: Interview with Richard Bainbridge

From personal haunts to foodie gems, you can expect to discover some top recommendations and even more reasons to love our Fine City.

First up, is chef and restaurant owner Richard Bainbridge.

Richard Bainbridge and his wife Katja are the owners of Benedicts (Image: Benedicts) A Norwich boy through and through, Chef Bainbridge grew up in Hellesdon before leaving the city to work in some of the best Michelin-starred kitchens around the world. 

He returned to Norfolk to take up the head chef position at Morston Hall before opening his own critically acclaimed restaurant, Benedicts, in 2015, in the heart of Norwich Lanes.

The Steam Packet

Jacob Emerson and Ellie Grove in The Steam Packet's restaurant (Image: Denise Bradley) "The Steam Packet is lovely for a date night and a real hidden gem.

"It's recently been taken over by a young couple and I think they're cooking some of the best food in the city at the moment. 

"It's kind of off the beaten track. Downstairs it's like an old-fashioned kind of boozer and then you go up the stairs and there's a beautiful little restaurant that makes you feel like you're in the centre of Soho.

"It's really simple, beautiful food cooked from the heart. I had a chocolate mousse there recently that blew my mind - it was one of the best I've ever had."

Norwich Castle

Richard visited Norwich Castle every Saturday as a child (Image: Newsquest) "It's probably really cliché but I'm really into history and love that we have a castle in the centre of our city. The fact that it's nearly 1,000 years old blows my mind!

"I went there pretty much every Saturday as a child. My nanny and granddad would take me to the museum and there was nothing I loved more than walking through the keep and being transported into a different world. 

"I'm dyslexic so school was not a thing for me but history was something that I really connected with and the visual elements of the castle really captured my imagination." 

Norwich Market 

Richard loves visiting Norwich Market for lunch (Image: Newsquest) "Without fail, if me and my wife Katja get a chance to go for lunch we're always on the market. 

"There's so many different offerings, from Bodega to Fresh, the Orient Express to the pizza guys. You can get yourself a pint and it's just growing all the time.

"You can find some of the best fruit and veg in the city on Mike and Deb's stall and there's the beautiful flowers and all the cool vintage clothes at the back.

"The market is something Norwich should be incredibly proud of because it showcases all the variety, culture and independent businesses that we have within the city."

Theatre Royal

Theatre Royal has a really close place in Richard's heart (Image: Newsquest)

"The theatre is a real beacon in Norwich and brings a lot of people into the city.

"Growing up, I came from a single-parent family. We didn't have much money but you could get tickets right at the back of the theatre and it was cheaper than going to the cinema.

"I loved watching all the shows and musicals and now I take my own children a lot so it's got a really close place to my heart. 

"One thing we always look forward to as a family is going to the pantomime. That's how our Christmas starts and it's always amazing."

Norwich Arts Centre

Norwich Arts Centre (Image: Adam Maizey) "Norwich Arts Centre is a real joy to have at the end of my street. Sometimes I can finish work early enough to run down the road and see a gig when the last band comes on.

"It's an incredible venue, an old church that's been transformed into this beautiful kind of showcase for less well-known artists and folk singers that I'm really into.

"The people who run it are really passionate and they promote local artists and comedians too.  They also sell local beers which I love!"