Culture in Norwich: Yalm

Culture in Norwich: Yalm

It’s no secret that Norwich is home to a delectable array of worldwide flavours. One of the best spots to savour them is Yalm.  

You’ll find this thriving food hall in our Art Nouveau Royal Arcade. Here, there are 8 kitchens to choose from (as well as 3 bars and a pop-up if you time it right), where delicious menus from local eateries are at your fingertips. If you want to try a bit of everything or you’re a group of friends with different tastes, this is the place to eat. 

And with buzzing events throughout the year- from DJs to comedy to calligraphy workshops, it’s easy to see why visitors and locals alike flock to Yalm. 

Here, Operations Manager Dan Searle tells us why Yalm is the food spot to know!

With dishes from across the world, Yalm’s 8 menus are full of mouthwatering choices

Firstly, where does the name Yalm come from? 

We did a fair amount of head scratching when it came to naming Yalm. Then we stumbled across an old Norfolk word. ‘Yalm’ means ‘to eat hungrily’, which we thought was perfect for our plans!

What would you say is your unique selling point? 

Variety and independence.  

We have curated a collection of local independent businesses that are all incredibly passionate about what they do. This means that with 8 food menus and 3 bar menus there is a huge amount of choice and something for everyone.

When you’re not sure what to have, Yalm is the place. Just order at each kitchen or via the QR code

It’s my first visit- how does it work and what should I order? 

When first visiting Yalm, it is worth noting that we have plenty of space, so there is no need to book. We recommend getting a drink on your way in from the ground floor bar and taking your time to peruse the menus on the first floor.  

All the kitchens have blackboards on their frontage to help you get a feel for their food. Once you’ve decided, head to Yalm’s website using the QR codes on the table and place your order- you can place one single order from multiple independent kitchens at the same time.  

Then sit back, relax and we will bring the food to you!

Every 3 months or so, a new local kitchen has a pop up in the food hall. How do you choose who joins Yalm? 

We have kept one of our kitchens as a POPUP space where we can work with new businesses or invite established businesses in for a short run. We are approached (and actively encourage approaches) from new business all the time and if there’s the right combination of great tasting food, marketing, and solid business plan, then we absolutely love working with start-ups. 

Equally, we are always talking with existing food businesses that we love about doing guest spots with us!  

The crucial part is the food- if the quality and consistency is good then that is where we start.

At Yalm, enjoy Thai, Italian, North African grill, Mexican and more- yum!

It’s always buzzing- in part thanks to your many exciting events! What events do you host? 

We always wanted Yalm to be ‘more than just a restaurant’ and with a city centre space of this size it has allowed us to host everything from live music to Drag Bingo. 

We regularly have smaller workshops like calligraphy and ukelele lessons in our private dining room, and there are always family friendly events during the school holidays too. 

We are also doing more and more comedy on Monday nights in collaboration with Hooma comedy club. And we have some great bookings coming throughout autumn and winter, including Joe Thomas from the Inbetweeners (sold out), with many more to come!

Can you tell us about any upcoming events we should have on our radar? 

One of our upcoming events is Oktoberfest. It’s launching at the same time as the festival in Germany (confusingly in September!). We have imported tonnes of festival beer and will be running various event from September 19th to 28th. You can also book VIP tables that get you access to a special food offer, free merchandise, and litre steins of beer! 

We are also hosting the launch party of Norwich Cocktail Week in September which is very exciting and something that we’re looking forward too. And keep an eye out for some exciting plans for live music in 2026!

Yalm’s wonderful list of events really makes the most of it’s beautiful Royal Arcade location

You’re lucky enough to be situated in the beauty of our Royal Arcade- your upstairs food hall offers a new perspective on this lovely building, while your outdoor seating is at the heart of it all. What makes the Royal Arcade the ideal location for Yalm? 

We are so humbled to be in such a prestigious and beautiful space. The city centre location and size of the place means that we can have lots going on at the same time, which is key.  

The arcade itself it stunning and what better way to enjoy a quick lunch or celebration dinner than looking at some of the most exciting architecture in the city! 

Yalm is open Tuesday – Sunday. Check out their socials and website for upcoming events, pop-ups and more!