Mrs Potts Cafe and Bistro - Aylsham, Norfolk

- Now Closed -

50 Red Lion Street

Aylsham

NR11 6ER

Norfolk

Opening hours

Monday to Friday - 9.30am till 2.30am

Saturdays - 9.30am till 3.00pm

Breakfast served all day

Mrs Potts Cafe and Bistro can be found on Red Lion Street in Aylsham.

The counter is located in the front of the cafe.

Additional seating can be found in the back room.

Breakfasts are served all day and include a hot drink.

Quirky little teapot shaped dishes for your used teabags.  

Great filter coffee and sugar lumps, nice!

A fantastic plateful of treats was placed before me, lets take a closer look.

Chunky and tasty mushrooms, crisp hash brown and good fried eggs.

 Mrs Potts wins the crown for best fried bread ever!

Crusts removed and fried till golden with a perfect crunch.

Juicy tomatoes and locally sourced butchers sausages.

A trip to Aylsham to see if there was anything decent in the auctions was the perfect excuse for a fry up inspection. I did my research and discovered Mrs Potts was the place I would be visiting, as it was nearly midday I was hoping an all day breakfast would be available...

Upon entering - There is a counter ahead as you walk in and a selection of nicely spaced out tables to choose from, some in the window. Another dining room towards the rear has further seating and just off that is the kitchen. The cafe has a traditional feel to it and looks out onto the stunning Red Lion Street. Each table has a menu nestled between salt and pepper pots and a teapot shaped dish to pop your used teabag onto. Your order is taken at your table though I think you can also place your order at the counter if you prefer. Everything is brought to your table when it is ready including sauces in pots and you simply pay at the counter as you leave. I found it quite tricky to take photos whilst there but for a good reason, the other customers inside the cafe where all really friendly striking up conversation with us straight away! Between conversations I popped to the bathroom taking some sneaky photos of the cafe on the way. The friendliness experienced here made a nice change and made you feel really welcome.  8/10

Service - The lady serving was really friendly and came over to take our order shortly after arriving. Our drinks arrived first followed by the food, she asked if we would like any sauces and they were bought over in pots, we requested more (as my wife always puts loads on everything!) and it was not a problem at all. 8/10

Contents - 2 butchers sausages, 2 rashers of bacon, 2 fried eggs, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread and a hot drink. (I ordered black pudding and hash brown as extra's) 9/10

Presentation - I was grinning like a cheshire cat when it arrived, vibrant colours and laid out nicely on the oval plate with the most amazing looking fried bread sat proudly on top.  8/10

The food - The bacon and sausages used are good quality and come from a local butchers, both were cooked nicely and tasted great. A pair of very circular fried eggs with a deep yellow yolk complemented the best fried bread I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The crusts had been removed and the bread fried till golden crisp but not saturated in oil creating the perfect crunch as you cut into it. The black pudding was good as was the crispy hash brown, both tasted great. A tomato full of flavour, a generous serving of delicious mushrooms and the sea of beans completed this highly enjoyable breakfast. 9/10

Value for money - The full english breakfast cost £6.50 and included a hot drink and a choice of toast, bread & butter or fried bread. I paid an extra £1 for black pudding and a hash brown. A good price and well worth the money! 8/10

Veggie option - Yes, the full vegetarian for £6.50 or the light vegetarian for £5. The meat is substituted with vegetarian sausages and hash browns.

Overall - A great little cafe serving fantastic breakfasts using high quality meats and a great selection of items. Having eaten at three places in Aylsham this is the best so far. The staff are friendly, prices are reasonable and the fried bread is the best ever! 8.5/10