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Bars | Restaurants | Live music | Nature | Miscellaneous extras
Nottingham is one of those cities that has so much to offer, it’s easy to visit and not even scratch the surface. From bars and music venues to nature reserves and cycle paths, read about some of the cheap and lesser-known options that Nottingham has to offer.
Nottingham bars
Filthy’s
A dark bar with live music on the ground floor and a gypsy-themed club on the above floors, this place usually has a buzz about it. Drinks are cheap and staff are friendly. Google Maps seriously struggles with its location though so be prepared to hunt a little bit.
Hand and Heart
This might initially seem like a fairly normal (albeit quaint) pub, but head around the back and see that the restaurant area is in fact a cave. These caves are common in Nottingham but are not easy to see without paying a tourist fee so why not pay the price of a mango cider?! (I actually wouldn’t recommend the mango cider though – it was a bit weird.)
Jam Café
The Jam Café is a very small bar in the independent area of Nottingham city centre called Hockley. Here you’ll find great music, interesting beers and friendly staff. With open mics and various other music events, it’s always a good bet for a spontaneous evening out. It’s also open during the day so sip on a Weissbier as Lou Reed gently serenades you and you watch the Nottingham folk pass by.
Pepper Rocks
Free popcorn, a hot dog bar, cheap cocktails and a killer playlist. Need I say more? Chilled vibes with sofas to lounge in and an ambiance reminiscent of your cool hippy mate’s mum’s sitting room, this is a great place to chill out and catch up. Open mic night on a Tuesday is usually pretty good as well.
Sir John Borlase Warren
Bridging the gap between the student area of Lenton and the town centre, this pub has an incredibly welcoming atmosphere with a mix of locals and students. This pub has the widest choice of gins offered in Nottingham and a pretty good selection of everything else – AND everything is priced at a very friendly level. Curl up in a corner for a tête-à-tête or head outside to the newly refurbed terrace for drinks with friends, the friendly owners and their dog will make you feel right at home.
Where to eat in Nottingham
Edin’s
Edin’s has grown into two different establishments now. Either one is a great lunchtime venue for a set menu with a glass of wine. In a small, fairly dark (in a cool European kind of way) restaurant (or in the seating outside), you’ll find tuna fillets, quiches and falafel on the menu. And you’re likely to leave feeling like you should have paid more.
Le Mistral
(Seemingly) authentically French. Step into the Alpes and order a cheese-heavy croque-madame or a cooked-to-perfection burger. The onion soup is particularly good. Prices are cheap and the restaurant is cosy and French-feeling. This is a good option if you want to come across as generously treating someone but not break the bank!
Warsaw Diner
Super cheap and super delicious breakfasts is all you need to know really… just don’t go there thinking you can be healthy.
U Canteen
Family-run canteen-style U Canteen offers authentic Chinese food for a low price in the heart of Nottingham’s independent area. Perfect for a friendly get together and a bit of food sharing, you’ll spend the whole evening with a smile on your face.
Yamas
GREEK! Friendly, cheap and delicious. I feel like I don’t need to say much more… just remember to book at the weekend.
Live music in Nottingham
Bodega
Bodega usually has a live act early in the evening and a club night later on. There’s a pretty good range of not-mainstream-but-not-unheard-of acts and the club nights tend to be fairly original as well. Just be prepared to get quite hot.
Rescue Rooms
Rescue Rooms is a pretty big name in Nottingham as it is linked with the huge venues of Stealth and Rock City. You therefore get a pretty mixed bag here: it might link up with the others and turn into an enormous event or it might be the one bar room where you’ll see acoustic acts and open mics.
Rough Trade Nottingham
Edgy kraft beer from London, chipboard tables and a record shop downstairs, Rough Trade couldn’t be more hip if it tried. However, you can’t deny that its music events are killer. Keep an eye on the website for free gigs, workshops, intimate paid gigs and signings. But beware that you might leave with a moustache and a man bun.
Spanky’s
Famous for its Thursday burger deal and being slightly grimy but in a cool way, Spanky’s caters to the more heavy side of the Nottingham music scene. Find gigs and band nights with some dancing later in the evening.
Filthy’s and Jam Café
These two are mentioned in the drinks section but both offer a great music scene.
Nature activities in Nottingham
Attenborough Nature Reserve
A short drive out of the centre, Attenborough Nature Reserve has beautiful lakes and fields with pathways around. You can reach it by cycling along the River Trent as well. If you walk for long enough, you will reach the quaint village of Attenborough. The only problem is that there are no pubs of note around there – that would have made it the perfect day out.
Clifton Woods
You can also reach this by cycling along the river. Follow a path and get lost in nature and perhaps stumble across the small village with a farm house tea room. I can’t tell you the name of this village because my whole experience of this area was completely by accident – but it was completely lovely.
River Trent
The Trent has some lovely areas so just take a stroll and see where you end up. You might end up at West Bridgford in fact, which is a fairly nice part of town.
Sherwood Forest
This has been commercialised to a very sad level. I don’t recommend going but understand if you think you’d like to see the Major Oak. Just be ready for kids, dogs and an entrance fee. Robin Hood would be outraged.
Wollaton Park
A gorgeous Richmond-esque park with deer, a lake and Wayne Manor. Wayne Manor (once named Willoughby Hall) is now a natural history museum, but if taxidermy is not your thing, it’s cool to see an old Victorian house with all its servants’ bells etc. You’ll find joggers, dog walkers and families here. It’s just a shame that No Tomorrow festival no longer happens there.
Miscellaneous
Hockley Arts Club
This place is not cheap as it does fairly high-end cocktails. Its location is fairly hidden so you feel like you’re entering a speakeasy. The ground floor is always a bit tragic, the first floor is table service so you usually need to book but the top floor is often a themed area – at the moment it is a Japanese garden and is very beautiful. Worth taking someone you want to impress.
The Navigation
While this isn’t quite special enough to make it to the drinks section, it is lovely to walk along the canal and have a beer here. It usually plays fairly good music, with live music frequently. You can sit outside and watch the canal boats struggle with the locks. It is a good alternative to the overpriced Canal House, just a bit further up the canal.
Time Out Cafe
A Thai/Japanese-themed coffee house and restaurant. Get Asian teas, incredible Asian dishes or just your bog-standard coffees. Cheap song covers play in the background and you can play ping pong or Playstation. Something about this place is very inviting when you have a hangover.
