One Night in Notts

Where to eat and drink in Nottingham, when you’re on a flying visit.

So you’ve heard Nottingham is a great place to spend the night, but you’re not sure where to go? Step away from that unreliable trip-review-advisor website — here’s the insider’s guide to the best bars in Nottingham city centre, along with our favourite eateries.

To make life easier for you, we’ve narrowed it down to a fairly small area between Hockley and the Lace Market, although they‘re so close together you could easily mix it up.

There are of course loads of other bars around town, but we’re guessing you don’t want to spend the night with your head in Google Maps.

Just follow the love hearts… ⬇

Hockley

1.Tilt

Formerly a tiny night club and one of the original cocktail bars in town. Weekends are busy, with live blues and well made cocktails.

2.Hockley Arts Club

If you find ApAlts, you’ve found Hockley Arts Club. Head upstairs for food and drinks in relaxed and quirky surroundings. The cocktail menu is currently housed on the back of a Bowie poster, which gets extra brownie points from us. On the top floor you’ll find the most Instagrammable bar in town.

3.Boilermaker

Finding it is half the fun. The other half is in the revised cocktail menu, serving up one or two novelty cocktails along side a selection of favourites. Great for a daiquiri or sidecar, or if you’re a medical person — a cocktail in a Sharps box.

4.Bar Iberico

The casual sister of Iberico World Tapas. Delicious food, a great little selection of cocktails and reliable wine list. Try the crispy cauliflower. Trust me.

Sadly bookings are only taken for parties of 6 and above, so you may need to wait for a table.

Vegan and GF catered for.

5.Shanghai Shanghai

Substance over style, serving up authentic Hong Kong and Cantonese food, largely to the city’s Chinese community. Everything from jellyfish to beancurd can be found on the menu, but meat-eaters go starry eyed for the twice-cooked pork.

Well worth a visit, although you may want to consider an elasticated waistband.

6.Jam Cafe

A nightcap at the Jam Cafe will perk up all but the dreariest of revellers. Live music at the weekend, a bohemian crowd, spirits and beers at the bar.

Lace Market

Several food options here — you’re spoilt for choice.

7.Junkyard / Herbert Kilpin

Tucked away beside Ibis (probably the best located bargain hotel in town) Junkyard serves craft beers, interesting cocktails and some great sharing food. Think American tapas washed down with beer and an indie/grunge/alt rock soundtrack. A firm favourite of ours.

Its next door neighbour the Herbert Kilpin shares a kitchen but has a somewhat more refined seating area upstairs. Either way, you’ll be just fine.

Vegan and GF catered for.

8.Baresca

There’s another casual sister in town! This time of the grown up tapas restaurant Escabeche. Brilliant food and lively atmosphere — although service can be a bit slow on the weekends. You can book a table here — a big plus if you don’t want to spend the night wandering around looking for food.

Vegan and GF catered for.

9.Pelican

Jazz bar and restaurant with live music and great cocktails. We especially like the album sleeve cocktail menus.

10.Oscar & Rosie’s

If pizzas are your thing, you’ll love it here. Scrap any preconceptions you have about pizzerias — this isn’t any of them. And it’s pretty much in the epicentre of the whole dizzying experience.

Vegan and GF catered for.

11.Last Chance Saloon

A speciality bourbon bar, hidden beneath the streets of the Lace Market. Bar staff in welders aprons, bacon infused bourbon, and a damn fine mint julep.

12.Brass Monkey

Make like the bartenders do and head to the the original and best cocktail bar. As the other bars close, this is where the city’s bar staff gather to be nursed back to life with a well crafted tipple.

Notable mentions

We can’t leave out our favourite watering hole, 400 Rabbits. A tequila and mezcaleria so tucked away you would never stumble upon it. It’s a little trek across the Market Square, but worth it if tequila’s your thang.

Annie’s Burger Shack is something of a Nottingham institution, offering every variation of burger you can think of (we’re quite partial to a Lemmy). Notoriously hard to book a table, but walk-ins are available.

Edin’s (on Broad Street) is great if you can get a seat at the table and watch Nottingham nightlife spill by. Food and drink in the cosiest of surroundings.

If you’re after a proper pub in the vicinity, you’ve got the Angel and Kean’s Head to wet your whistle.

If you’re up the Derby Road end of town we recommend the Footman’s Rest, A Room With A Brew and Alchemilla.

Hackney cabs are plentiful around town if you need a ride back to your bed.

• Disabled access* — owing to the historic nature of the buildings around Hockley and the Lace Market, many of the venues listed above have stairs / small doorways and, as is often the case with cocktail bars, are dimly lit. It’s worth contacting the venues in advance to discuss accessibility.

Have we missed your favourite venue out? Let us know in the comments below ⬇