Olive's Norwich: The best cheap breakfast in the city

We arrived early to our reservation but were welcomed in and seated quickly at one of the back tables. It gave me a perfect view of the floor and a peak out of the large window looking onto the end of Elm Hill. 

The inside of the cafe is beautiful furnished (Image: Maja Anushka)

Our drinks, orange juice for Ed (£4.50) and a soy latte for me (£3.50), came quickly, and when I later ordered an orange juice for myself, it was delivered promptly. We were left to look over the menu for a moment before our food orders were taken.

We decided to try one of the newer menu items, the Philly Gorilla toastie (£8.50). We were warned that it was quite large but fortunately we were able to take the rest of it home in a doggy bag. It was as gooey, cheesey, and crunchy as you'd want from a toastie and came with a portion of hash brown fries which were dangerously good.

The Gorilla toastie with hash brown fries (Image: Maja Anushka)

Ed got the Full Fruit Pig (fried eggs, sausages, streaky smoked bacon, bubble and squeak, baked beans, white pudding, black pudding, toast, fried bread, £15.50) while I went for the Veggie (fried eggs, veggie sausages, halloumi, bubble and squeak, vegan black pudding, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, fried bread, £12.50).

I asked sheepishly if I could swap the veggie sausages for meat ones, but it was no problem at all as the wait staff are all truly lovely.

@norwicheveningnews Is this the best breakfast in Norwich?? 🤔 #norwich #foodlover #placestovisit #ukstaycation #hiddengems ♬ La Dolce Vita - Fausto Papetti

For the sheer amount of grub that arrived for us, it took no time at all. Olive's makes waiting comfortable with attentive staff and walls adorned with beautiful vintage posters.

The food arrived piping hot and beautifully presented. The colours and freshness set Olive's apart from others. Everything is flavourful, it's not overly greasy or salty, and though I couldn't finish the whole plate, it was not for lack of quality.

Ed wanted me to include that he was very happy to be served proper streaky bacon, which he rarely sees on menus and is often a gripe.

Setting

Olive's is ideally situated for people-watching. It sits on the cobbled corner of where Elm Hill and Wensum Street meet, opposite the Glass House. The sun streams in through the windows and warms the room. It's dog-friendly, vegan-friendly, and all-round friendly.

Value

I would venture to call Olive's the best place for a good value breakfast. For between £8.50 and £15.50, you can get a small to large full English brekkie with most to all of the trimmings. If a huge meal isn't your ideal way to start the day, there are lots of smaller, cheaper dishes, with plenty of choices for vegans and veggies.

One of Olive's many whopping breakfast offerings (Image: Fry-Up Inspector)

Drinks

I'm the furthest thing from a coffee aficionado you could get, but I love the coffee at Olive's! Their freshly squeezed orange juice is also a must-have as it cuts through the salty, fatty deliciousness on the plate.

Toilets

Nice and spacious, clean and tidy.

Accessibility

Everything is step-free on the bottom floor including a large toilet. I would recommend calling ahead to chat with the very nice staff if accessibility is a concern.

Olives sits in the sunshine on the corner of Elm Hill and Wensum Street (Image: Olives Norwich)

Service

Every member of staff was friendly, helpful, and charming. They are definitely a part of what makes Olive's a special place.

Highlight

The vegan black pudding. There's just something about it.

In summary

With something delicious for everyone, Olive's is a must-try destination. Once you do, you won't want to get breakfast anywhere else. The only warning I would give is to always book in advance or turn up early, especially on weekends. Tables fill up extremely quickly and because of limited space, the staff often have to turn people away once it gets past 10am. I have managed to walk in once by turning up early, but it's never guaranteed.