Quite a nice place! Very pleasant atmosphere with breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. They have a full bar as well as a batista. The staff is very pleasant and the food tasted great! They also have a selection of local goods on display at the counter and in the fridge! I would reccomend taking a swing by and checking it out! They have their own parking lot but be forewarned it is a but tight when it gets packed so anything over a car may have issues getting in/out. There is also other parking nearby tho so keep an eye out!
Deb R.
My 6 year old daughter & I love Cafe Otis! The atmosphere is wonderful, the servers are warm & friendly & the food is outstanding! We especially enjoy the Sunday brunch. Our favorites are the French toast & The Humdinger! They are both vegetarian & vegan friendly! If you are ever in the Norwich area , I highly recommend a visit to Cafe Otis!
Dave P.
Absolutely love Cafe Otis. The food... the atmosphere... everything was beautiful. This is a hidden gem in Norwich
Mark Mathew B.
At long last, nine years after all-vegetarian Kong Foo closed in 2011, Norwich has a café that puts the sleepy city back on the map for vegetarians and vegans alike. Upon the closure of all remnants of its shipbuilding and industrial heritage, Norwich has been suspended in a forgotten time. All the stately mansions and majestic churches that line Broadway and Washington St attest to its past glory, as does the palatial building that now houses Café Otis. A former public library when libraries were solemn temples of learning, its spacious interior heightened with gold leaf and Greek Revival ornamentation is alone worth your visit. Even the varnish-encrusted gloomy old portrait paintings contrasted with colorful Pop art prints are worth viewing. As we value café's more for the eating than just the sightseeing, it's the food that will keep you coming back for more. The five meal menus are in constant flux, so will probably have changed by the time you read this. Of the five menus, Lunch offers vegans the most variety, and without having to endure the smell of all the meats served for Dinner when the knives come out, literally, because the plastic cutlery for Breakfast and Lunch are replaced by heavy silverware needed to slice up meat. Lunch is served cafeteria-style, for which the server speaks fluent vegan with assurances that butter does not taint the vegetables. All but one or two of the Sides is vegan, all delicately flavored and though pan-fried not too greasy. Best of all are the Brussels sprouts. If you've been to all-vegan 21 Oak, you know Brussels sprouts as its signature veggie, but Otis' are even better! Given the choice of two vegan Proteins for the Hot Bowl, because I shun deep-fried foods I passed on the falafel, and settled for the oversized cubes of tasteless tofu. Blah! Otis really needs to dump from its menu that unadorned tofu. For a nutritional boost, skip the Hot Bowl that comes with only 3 Sides. Instead go for the Salad that comes with 6. Choose the salad greens other than kale. It is not baby kale, not massaged, and not marinated. Both the Salad and the Hot Bowl lunch options are underpriced. A note about handicap accessibility: The side entrance near its private parking lot has a metal stairway that is more akin to a fire escape. Like many buildings in Norwich, this one is built on a steep hillside. You can also enter at the street-level front entrance. The incline on the sidewalks alongside it is very steep, so best to park across the street, on either side of gorgeous City Hall.
Amy LaBossiere
It was my first time at Cafe Otis and I wanted to love it. I heard good things. It’s a small local business and I want to support hard-working folks. The decor was absolutely beautiful and the menu interesting. There were some issues with our dinner visit though. The service was slow and spotty. It’s good we went with friends and had catching up to do. We waited at least fifteen minutes before anyone came to our table. The server asked if we were ready to order. Umm, could we have menus first? How about some water? When I asked about the meat in one if the sandwiches, the server said she didn’t know except that they use whatever is left over from lunch that day. I get it but it doesn’t sound good for a pricey sandwich. We had to ask for utensils and napkins, brought after they delivered our food to the table. Had to ask for more water. The fries were cold by the time we got our food. My $18 sandwich was not worth it. Once the server started with us she returned a couple of times to check on us. We still left a good tip because service work is hard and that's the right thing to do. While I’m not going back for dinner, our friend suggested we try it for lunch, that it has counter service, delicious and affordable. For now, I’d say it’s right on the edge of being really good.
Sunny B
The service and ambience was fantastic, really a beautiful place to grab a bite... that being said their coffee and food was disappointing. Coffee tasted bitter and my eggs were cold by the time it arrived to my table. Beautiful place, would consider going again if they worked on their coffee skills.
Paloma K.
Wonderful place! So happy to have something like this in Norwich! Great options, nice staff!
Jorge Velez
Excellent! I had the pulled pork, sweet potato with pecan, butternut squash and collard greens. Great tasting bowl for lunch. I hope everyone from the area makes some time to check it out. Loved the decor and open space. Ample parking in the lot on the side of the building.
P Mackey
Unimpressed. We made reservations for 10 people and they neglected to say at the time of the reservation that the place was already booked for an event. We walked in the main room and got looked at like we had 6 heads for interrupting a party. No one helped us, we eventually figured out they had a table reserved for us in the back room that was essentially laid out like a city deli. The food was over priced for the bodega style atmosphere we were seated in. Took a very long time for the waitress to take our drink orders, and even longer time until we actually got our drinks. We were celebrating a birthday and planned on having a few drinks but we all sat with empty glasses until we decide to leave for a bar we would actually get served at.
Bonnie P.
Spacious eclectic feel. Limited menu with fresh items. Reasonably priced food and okay service.
My wife and I are staying in Norwich for the MLK Holiday Weekend. On our first night in town we had reservations at Cafe Otis. The restaurant is located in historic downtown Norwich right across the street from the beautiful City Hall. The cafe is housed inside a historic building that was once the Otis Library. The tap handles at the bar even looked like books. We loved the decor; it was very cozy. We started off by sharing a plate of their fried brussel sprouts. They were amazing! For our entrees, my wife had Bobby's Gnocchi and I had the Portuguese Clams & Chorizo. We were not disappointed! Very flavorful dishes! They also had an excellent selection of local craft beer on tap. For dessert, we each had a vegan pumpkin cheesecake. Delicious!! We loved our stay at Cafe Otis and we highly recommend it!
Kristy L.
I couldn't believe the portion size! The super cute and chic atmosphere is so refreshing to have in Norwich. Highly recommended and prices are great!
Ellin Grenger
Consistently yummy! Our first time for brunch, my teenage son enjoyed his omelet so much he ordered a second one, and the waffles / french toast looked divine!
Chris Wood
A fun and relaxing place to enjoy really good food and of course company. We dined this evening for a post Christmas farewell. My sister who never thought of Norwich as a dining mecca was impressed with the cafe. It would be nice to see more patrons as it truly is a gem in the city.
Robert Mathewson
Greeter wasn't very friendly, actually rude. Chef was friendly and ready to serve. Good food, cooked well.
Quite a nice place! Very pleasant atmosphere with breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. They have a full bar as well as a batista. The staff is very pleasant and the food tasted great! They also have a selection of local goods on display at the counter and in the fridge! I would reccomend taking a swing by and checking it out! They have their own parking lot but be forewarned it is a but tight when it gets packed so anything over a car may have issues getting in/out. There is also other parking nearby tho so keep an eye out!
My 6 year old daughter & I love Cafe Otis! The atmosphere is wonderful, the servers are warm & friendly & the food is outstanding! We especially enjoy the Sunday brunch. Our favorites are the French toast & The Humdinger! They are both vegetarian & vegan friendly! If you are ever in the Norwich area , I highly recommend a visit to Cafe Otis!
Absolutely love Cafe Otis. The food... the atmosphere... everything was beautiful. This is a hidden gem in Norwich
At long last, nine years after all-vegetarian Kong Foo closed in 2011, Norwich has a café that puts the sleepy city back on the map for vegetarians and vegans alike. Upon the closure of all remnants of its shipbuilding and industrial heritage, Norwich has been suspended in a forgotten time. All the stately mansions and majestic churches that line Broadway and Washington St attest to its past glory, as does the palatial building that now houses Café Otis. A former public library when libraries were solemn temples of learning, its spacious interior heightened with gold leaf and Greek Revival ornamentation is alone worth your visit. Even the varnish-encrusted gloomy old portrait paintings contrasted with colorful Pop art prints are worth viewing. As we value café's more for the eating than just the sightseeing, it's the food that will keep you coming back for more. The five meal menus are in constant flux, so will probably have changed by the time you read this. Of the five menus, Lunch offers vegans the most variety, and without having to endure the smell of all the meats served for Dinner when the knives come out, literally, because the plastic cutlery for Breakfast and Lunch are replaced by heavy silverware needed to slice up meat. Lunch is served cafeteria-style, for which the server speaks fluent vegan with assurances that butter does not taint the vegetables. All but one or two of the Sides is vegan, all delicately flavored and though pan-fried not too greasy. Best of all are the Brussels sprouts. If you've been to all-vegan 21 Oak, you know Brussels sprouts as its signature veggie, but Otis' are even better! Given the choice of two vegan Proteins for the Hot Bowl, because I shun deep-fried foods I passed on the falafel, and settled for the oversized cubes of tasteless tofu. Blah! Otis really needs to dump from its menu that unadorned tofu. For a nutritional boost, skip the Hot Bowl that comes with only 3 Sides. Instead go for the Salad that comes with 6. Choose the salad greens other than kale. It is not baby kale, not massaged, and not marinated. Both the Salad and the Hot Bowl lunch options are underpriced. A note about handicap accessibility: The side entrance near its private parking lot has a metal stairway that is more akin to a fire escape. Like many buildings in Norwich, this one is built on a steep hillside. You can also enter at the street-level front entrance. The incline on the sidewalks alongside it is very steep, so best to park across the street, on either side of gorgeous City Hall.
It was my first time at Cafe Otis and I wanted to love it. I heard good things. It’s a small local business and I want to support hard-working folks. The decor was absolutely beautiful and the menu interesting. There were some issues with our dinner visit though. The service was slow and spotty. It’s good we went with friends and had catching up to do. We waited at least fifteen minutes before anyone came to our table. The server asked if we were ready to order. Umm, could we have menus first? How about some water? When I asked about the meat in one if the sandwiches, the server said she didn’t know except that they use whatever is left over from lunch that day. I get it but it doesn’t sound good for a pricey sandwich. We had to ask for utensils and napkins, brought after they delivered our food to the table. Had to ask for more water. The fries were cold by the time we got our food. My $18 sandwich was not worth it. Once the server started with us she returned a couple of times to check on us. We still left a good tip because service work is hard and that's the right thing to do. While I’m not going back for dinner, our friend suggested we try it for lunch, that it has counter service, delicious and affordable. For now, I’d say it’s right on the edge of being really good.
The service and ambience was fantastic, really a beautiful place to grab a bite... that being said their coffee and food was disappointing. Coffee tasted bitter and my eggs were cold by the time it arrived to my table. Beautiful place, would consider going again if they worked on their coffee skills.
Wonderful place! So happy to have something like this in Norwich! Great options, nice staff!
Excellent! I had the pulled pork, sweet potato with pecan, butternut squash and collard greens. Great tasting bowl for lunch. I hope everyone from the area makes some time to check it out. Loved the decor and open space. Ample parking in the lot on the side of the building.
Unimpressed. We made reservations for 10 people and they neglected to say at the time of the reservation that the place was already booked for an event. We walked in the main room and got looked at like we had 6 heads for interrupting a party. No one helped us, we eventually figured out they had a table reserved for us in the back room that was essentially laid out like a city deli. The food was over priced for the bodega style atmosphere we were seated in. Took a very long time for the waitress to take our drink orders, and even longer time until we actually got our drinks. We were celebrating a birthday and planned on having a few drinks but we all sat with empty glasses until we decide to leave for a bar we would actually get served at.
Spacious eclectic feel. Limited menu with fresh items. Reasonably priced food and okay service.
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I are staying in Norwich for the MLK Holiday Weekend. On our first night in town we had reservations at Cafe Otis. The restaurant is located in historic downtown Norwich right across the street from the beautiful City Hall. The cafe is housed inside a historic building that was once the Otis Library. The tap handles at the bar even looked like books. We loved the decor; it was very cozy. We started off by sharing a plate of their fried brussel sprouts. They were amazing! For our entrees, my wife had Bobby's Gnocchi and I had the Portuguese Clams & Chorizo. We were not disappointed! Very flavorful dishes! They also had an excellent selection of local craft beer on tap. For dessert, we each had a vegan pumpkin cheesecake. Delicious!! We loved our stay at Cafe Otis and we highly recommend it!
I couldn't believe the portion size! The super cute and chic atmosphere is so refreshing to have in Norwich. Highly recommended and prices are great!
Consistently yummy! Our first time for brunch, my teenage son enjoyed his omelet so much he ordered a second one, and the waffles / french toast looked divine!
A fun and relaxing place to enjoy really good food and of course company. We dined this evening for a post Christmas farewell. My sister who never thought of Norwich as a dining mecca was impressed with the cafe. It would be nice to see more patrons as it truly is a gem in the city.
Greeter wasn't very friendly, actually rude. Chef was friendly and ready to serve. Good food, cooked well.