Nottingham foodie guide: where to eat and drink
Check out our guide to the best independent coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries and bars to eat and drink in Nottingham. From comforting Italian food to artisan coffee, Nottingham has an upcoming independent food scene
Looking for Nottingham restaurants? Read our expert foodie guide to the best places to eat in Nottingham, including restaurants in Nottingham city centre.
Nottingham’s independent food scene has blossomed over the past few years, with artisan coffee roasteries, tapas bars and sourdough bakeries opening. From high-end restaurants (including Nottingham’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Sat Bains) to homely cafes, this creative city has it all. Check out our top places to eat and drink in Nottingham…
For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks.
Best restaurants in Nottingham
No. 12
A family-run restaurant in the heart of Nottingham city centre, No.Twelve offers an elevated approach to plant-based cuisine, earning them accolades including the ‘best vegan restaurant in the UK 2020’. Situated in a stunning converted red brick mill in the iconic Eldon Chambers, the cosy restaurant gives you the sense of stumbling upon a hidden gem just barely tucked away from the busy city streets.
Menus are designed to be shared by the whole table, with a series of sharing plates, snacks and desserts on offer. The dishes, designed by head chef Ritchie Stainsby feel very luxurious, with items like the faux baked camembert, meat plate and parmentier potatoes not to be missed. Tasting menus can be booked in advance, offering seven courses of hand-crafted, original vegan recipes which can be wonderfully paired with a liquid partner of wine, beer, cocktails or liqueur – an experience not to be missed.
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Kushi-ya
Tucked away down an unassuming alleyway, Kushi-ya rustle up Nottingham's most original Japanese grilled dishes. Stylish kimonos, bottles of sake and delicate teapots act as minimalist decoration, leaving the small plates and skewers to do the talking. Turn up between 6 and 7pm to make the most of the early bird set menu, where a snack, two skewers, a pot of rice and pint of Asahi comes for £15, or pick three dishes each from the longer list.
Must-orders include on-trend chicken katsu sandos, edamame beans spiked with soy and chilli, and juicy chicken meatball skewers with a glossy egg yolk on the side. Unique desserts put a far-east twist on classics, with tiramisu pepped up with miso and black sugar parfait garnished with savoury sesame crisps. Sip on Japanese single-malt whiskies, or prosecco livened up with sweet plum wine.
Restaurant Sat Bains
Masterful technique, intense flavours and much-replicated style have top billing at Sat Bains’ eponymous (and two-Michelin-starred) Nottingham restaurant. But, Sat’s laudable and continued commitment to sustainability also pricked our interest at olive, gaining him a spot on our inaugural olive Chef Awards shortlist in 2018.
The location might surprise those visiting for the first time – it sits in a quiet spot on the city outskirts, in the shadow of the A52 flyover – but inside the decor sticks to script. This is a destination restaurant of the highest order, more than “worth a detour” that Michelin decrees for two stars. It’s moody and serious with its dark woods, starched tablecloths and stone floors.
The restaurant’s been open the best part of two decades and Sat and his team have developed a formula that works. There’s no à la carte – this is all about Sat’s interpretation of the perfect balance of salt, sweet, sour, bitter and umami – so buckle up and get set for seven or ten seasonal courses of Sat’s choosing. Each plate tells a story, tells of years of refinement, and has a complete sense of place.
The first arrives in a wooden bowl, with a nook for its own little wooden spoon. It’s an introduction to the restaurant, with everything sourced from the garden or foraged from the surrounds – a delicate dance between horseradish and nasturtium via ice cream, crumbs, tuile biscuits and a vibrant herb oil.
Sat can also show (relative) restraint, too. Course number three arrives – it’s a fat jersey royal (poached with kombu, roasted in embers) split and topped with shallot butter and caviar, sat on a bed of soured cream and chives and chive oil. Such purity of flavours – it’s one of the most memorable dishes we’ve ever had.
Read our full review of Restaurant Sat Bains here
Alchemilla
Hidden in the middle of Nottingham’s Derby Road is Alchemilla. An ambiguous door, covered in foliage, leads you under street level into a light and airy space with an open kitchen. The modern space has rustic charm – think exposed bricks, stone floors and lush living walls. Dark wooden mid-century-style tables and chairs are spaced comfortably apart from each other under brick arches while large ceiling windows provide warm natural light.
The menu at Alchemilla changes almost daily, depending on the produce the kitchen can source. We recommend going for the seven-course tasting menu. We tried silky salmon topped with slithers of fresh, vinegary cucumber and salty oysters. Chef Alex Bond’s signature dish is a must - al dente roast cauliflower served with a sweet almond brittle was light and had a lovely balance of sweet and savoury flavours.
We loved 'Hen of the woods, bread ‘n’ gravy, lardo'. This was a bowl of sweet, sticky bread soaked in a rich gravy and served with earthy pan-fried mushrooms, and silky ribbons of lardo which melted with the heat.
On our visit the coffee dessert stood out. Quenelles of thick, creamy coffee mousse were joined by sweet-sharp raspberries and dots of pungent black garlic purée – it sounds odd but the bitter flavours complemented the sweet fruit making this dessert a must try.
Read our full review of Alchemilla here
Sexy Mamma Loves Spaghetti
If the name of this Nottingham restaurant doesn’t intrigue you, the lack of an online presence will. Stumble across Sexy Mamma Loves Spaghetti down a cobbled side street in Hockley and you’ll be met with a cosy Italian restaurant (think paper table cloths, flamboyant staff and an ever-changing menu).
The counter is filled with Frangelico bottles and groundnut cakes (cooked by Mamma herself) while an Italian radio station plays loudly in the background. The daily changing menu is hand-written on a blackboard (if you can’t read it, pick up a pair of glasses hanging on the wall ready for close-up menu inspection). Expect simple yet hearty dishes, the beef ragu is a must – rich, juicy and tender. Finish with a serving of tiramisu – dense and creamy with a strong hit of coffee.
Coco Tang
Café, bakery and restaurant by day, cocktail bar by night, Coco Tang (on Bridlesmith Gate, near the Lace Market) is the place to go for home-roasted Vietnamese coffees made with condensed milk, bowls of pickled salads, rice noodles and soft-shell crab, and fragrant pork patties with fish sauce dip. There are cakes, too – choose a slice of Japanese roll decorated with hand-painted strawberries, or a crispy Hong Kong egg bubble waffle.
It’s a colourful, vibrantly Vietnamese space. Reclaimed, pastel-hued tiles from 1950s Ho Chi Minh City line the floor, and walls are decorated with graffiti by artist Matetwo (his thought-provoking art looks at the lives of underprivileged children in Vietnam). Sip your cold brew from hand-thrown speckled cups that, though inspired by Malaysian pottery, are made using local Nottingham clay (all the crockery is available to buy in-store.) In the summer months, laze in a wicker chair on the roof garden, or seek shade under tropical trees.
Iberico World Tapas
If you want small tapas sharing plates with a fine-dining vibe, visit Iberico World Tapas in Nottingham’s Lace Market. Tucked underground next to the Galleries of Justice, the mosaic tiled restaurant feels intimate and airy at the same time.
Start with punchy padron peppers coated generously in sea salt alongside creamy crisp ham croquettes. Share small plates of spicy miso salmon, stems of al dente chargrilled asparagus with nutty manchego and earthy truffle honey as well as salty chunks of chorizo with smoked aubergine and yogurt.
Save room for crisp, light-as-air churros with a rich hot chocolate sauce for dessert before finishing off with a tipple of of Pedro Ximenez.
Baresca
Over the past couple of years, Baresca has become the go-to tapas bar in Nottingham, whether you fancy Catalan bread and eggs for breakfast or sharing bowls of mushroom risoni with friends over dinner. The décor feels fresh yet rustic, with patterned mosaic tiles on the floor and low-hanging bulbs highlighting chefs at work in the open kitchen.
We recommend going for the menu of the day (flatbreads, a dip, two tapas and a side for £10.95). The crisp, stone-baked flatbreads are served with a sweet carrot and cumin dip. The mushroom risoni is a must-order – rich, creamy and earthy. It’s very filling so consider ordering one to share between two. Get a side of salty padrón peppers to nibble on the side before finishing with a plate of churros served with a rich, thick chocolate sauce.
On a Friday and Saturday evenings, the cellar bar opens with DJs and Mowtown bands playing while you sip on goblets of gin garnished with orange and rosemary.
Kayal
Something of a Nottingham institution, Kayal has been serving some of the best Indian food in Nottingham since 2005. Book ahead for a table in the evening and settle down for a Keralan feast of chilli paneer, masala dosas and seafood curries.
The Kayal fish curry is a must. Tender chunks of flaky king fish swim in a sweet, slightly spiced coconut sauce which is best mopped up with pieces of rich, flaky paratha (cooked over the griddle).
For a little taster of each dish, go for the Kayal ‘Sadya’ where bowls of curries, side dishes, bread and rice are bought to the table on a large platter.
Best bakeries in Nottingham
Tough Mary’s Bakehouse
For some of the best baked goods in Nottingham, head to Tough Mary’s Bakehouse. You won’t miss it, with its sunshine yellow paintwork standing out against the otherwise grey Derby Road. Inside the sunny colour scheme continues – there are a couple of tables you can perch on while waiting for your order, or just stand and admire the well-stocked counter and watch loaves of sourdough rising behind it.
Sourdough is the speciality here, after owner Kate O’Shea took a three-day course at the School of Artisan Food, but croissants, doughnuts, babka and cinnamon buns are also worth trying. The light, fluffy doughnuts are filled with everything from chocolate and cherry to peaches and cream, but only two can be fried at a time, so be prepared to queue at busy times.
If you don't want to wait, head to Outpost coffee or Diallingin to grab a babka (Kate supplies lots of local Nottingham businesses throughout the week.) And the name? A combination of Kate’s middle name and the Etta James song, which was also the inspiration behind the paint colour.
Small Food Bakery
Based in Nottingham’s creative Primary Studios space, Small Food Bakery focuses on small batch production of sourdough loaves and pastries. Pop by on a Friday or Saturday to pick up freshly baked croissants, rye sourdough crisp breads and an ever-changing selection of cakes and cinnamon buns.
The bakery also works in conjunction with Nottingham Food Assembly. Between 5pm and 8pm on a Thursday, the bakery (next door to the collection point) puts on a supper for eating in or taking away. Each week the menu focuses on local, seasonal produce including rhubarb meringue pie and pancakes filled with Yorkshire Dama fresh ricotta.
Best delis, cafes and coffee shops in Nottingham
The Pudding Pantry
Rounds of, for example, buttermilk fried chicken sliders, chicken and chorizo crostini with sriracha aïoli or, for the meat-free, barbecued jackfruit rolls, imbue the Pantry’s afternoon tea with a fashionable sense of fun. Its Sherwood and Beeston venues boast private rooms, popular for baby showers, where happy throngs savour red velvet macarons, roasted hazelnut florentines and passion fruit bellini cupcakes.
Outpost
For the best cup of coffee in Nottingham, get to Outpost early in the morning to grab a seat on the long wooden bench and chat to the baristas before the queues start growing (even then, Greg and the gang will chat to everyone who walks through the door). Plants fill the shelves while cacti and water glasses pepper the tables, and there's a rack of independent magazines to help yourself to. If it’s full inside, grab a blanket and snuggle up on the bench outside.
The team at Outpost want to help everyone enjoy their coffee as much as possible so will happily give advice on everything from the brew ratio to the best method (check out our expert coffee guide here). They’ve even started giving bottles of water out for customers to take away, so they can compare the way the coffee tastes using tap vs filtered.
Sustainable supply chains is another focus; all the coffee is bought direct from Brazil, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Colombia. Baristas go out to these countries to meet the farmers, visit washing stations and try the coffee directly. All the coffees are roasted by hand just down the road from the shop before being sent across the country to many other UK restaurants and cafes.
Delilah Fine Foods
Delilah’s started off in 2005 as a small independent Nottingham deli stocking fine cheeses, charcuterie and olives sourced locally and from further afield. Twelve years on, it’s now in a much grander building but maintains the same ethos.
Downstairs is a large deli area where fridges are filled with cheeses, whole counters are dedicated to charcuterie and freshly baked bread is on offer every day. You can also stock up on honeys, jams, chocolates and tricky-to-find ingredients such as edible rose petals. Don’t miss the bakery section towards the back, where you can pick up a selection of made-in-house cakes to take home with you. The chocolate and stout version uses local Amber Ales stout and is Delilah’s take on the classic chocolate and Guinness cake.
Above this is an all-day cafe serving everything from avocado on toast with poached eggs and dukkah to antipasti platters topped with tapenade, grilled artichokes, hummus, mixed olives and sweet garlic.
Chocolate Utopia, Nottingham
Since 2004, Helen and Chris Forster have been hand-making chocolates to sell in their cosy Nottingham shop. Pop in for a box of amaretto truffles and you won’t be disappointed. For a more leisurely approach, take a seat in the shop’s chocolate lounge and relax over one of their three hot chocolates. The house hot chocolate is a must, made with 60% dark melted chocolate and blended with steamed milk before being topped with cream, but the white version is popular among those with a sweeter tooth. What’s more, each drink order comes with a chocolate on the side, so browse the impressive selection at the counter before you sit down.
Best bars in Nottingham
Junkyard
Tucked down one of Nottingham’s cobbled alleys, the Junkyard comes alive at 10am and stays that way until the early hours of the following morning. In a space decorated with simple wooden tables and stools, there are 15 beers on tap and over 20 bottles to pick from the fridge; choose between Gamma Ray (an American pale ale) or a Crananchan Killer (a raspberry, honey and oat fruit beer).
The vibe is lively (the café-bar is as popular with couples as it is among groups of friends and families). If you want to get a seat in the evening get there early, or prepare to jostle for standing room around the bar.
Don’t get so distracted by the beer that you miss the food menus, printed on brown paper. Burgers here are of a superior nature (beef patties with streaky bacon, house ketchup and proper cheese slices) and indulgent sides like black pudding scotch eggs and mac ‘n’ cheese balls are great to nibble on with a pint.
Best cookery schools in Nottingham
School of Artisan Food
Based in Sherwood Forest just outside Nottingham, the School of Artisan Food is a vibrant hub for food and drink, offering everything from one-day make your own mozzarella workshops to advanced patisserie and Viennoiserie classes lasting a week. There are courses for all abilities, whether you’re a cider-making novice, or fancy signing up for the year-long advanced diploma.
We loved the home dairy class where, guided by enthusiastic tutor Katy Fenwick, you get the chance to make yogurt, paneer, butter and Colwick cheese (a local speciality), in a working dairy. Throughout the day you'll learn about types of milk, the role that cultures play, the differences between hard and set cheeses, and the chance to sample a few. This course is aimed at those with an interest in dairy and you'll leave with the recipes and confidence to make them in your kitchen at home.
It's also possible just to visit for a morning or afternoon. Wander around the historic Welbeck estate then pop into the farm shop. Welbeck's Holstein cows are milked every day and you can buy the creamy, unpasteurised milk from the dairy’s vending machine. If you’re looking for something cheesy, stock up on Stichelton - a raw milk blue cheese made by hand each day and sold when it’s around four months old.
Don’t miss the Ottar chocolate counter at the back of the shop for rich caramel spreads, individual chocolates and giant marshmallow teacakes all made on site. The small batch producer takes weeks over its chocolate making process, from sorting and roasting the beans to grinding them, tempering them and, finally, wrapping the bars; flavours include coffee, cardamom and toasted almond. Earlier this year the team started the process of making their own honey by housing 250,000 worker bees on the estate (where they can feast on blackberry flowers and lime). Six months later you can now buy the fruits of the first harvest, which has a light and slightly fruity taste.
Words | Ellie Edwards, Mark Taylor, Laura Rowe
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