There's great finds in Beeston too!

Today we ventured out of the city to the local town of Beeston. 

I've had so many lovely times in Beeston over the years. More recently we found Pot'n'kettle, for a cup of tea and a spot of pottery painting 

It was last weeks painting session that took us to Beeston today to pick up or fired plates 

I was so excited by the final product. Such a great idea for a day out, it costs around £10-12 but you can spend as long as you like being Van Gogh 

For a spot of lunch we went to Belle and Jerome wine bar. I had some lunch loyalty cards from a long time ago which mean one free lunch between us! Can't turn down a free lunch 

We had a chicken burger 

And a chicken salad 

Both were delicious but sadly they couldn't serve pudding with the lunch menu. They have a huge selection of sandwiches with gluten free bread options, jacket potatoes, 4 different salads and a selection of main meals. All very reasonably priced on the lunch menu. 

On a Friday night Belle and Jerome have live music. They're also doing a valentines menu for £30 on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th.

Definitely worth a visit. Especially after a hard mornings paint!

Pepper Rocks, half price cock(tail)s!

I'm extremely partial to a Margarita, nothing beats making your own,

But my absolute favourite spot for a Marg' in Nottingham is Pepper Rocks. 

Friends of mine had been going for a few years by the time I finally managed to fit in a visit. It's in a sneaky little place so had someone not told me about it, I'm sure I'd still be a Pepper Rocks virgin. 

From 7-10 they do 'House Cocktails' for £3.50 which has to be one of the cheapest deals in Lace Market.

During the day Pepper Rocks is a creperie, given my love for Aubrey's i'm sure this would be a fantastic spot for a bite to eat

Gorgeous chandeliers climb the walls of this little Lace Market building.

There's a fantastically relaxed atmosphere with luxurious red leather sofas, mix matched chairs and cheeky bar stools dotted around the cosy interior. 

I can thoroughly recommend the Margarita, my girlies speak highly of the French Martini and the Amaretto Sour. Pepper Rocks is definitely worth a visit, whether it be for a drink before going for dinner or a whole evening... we definitely got our 'sofa's worth' last night. 

Find your way to American Apparel and take a little walk/tumble down the hill to what looks like a warehouse

You'll find it nestled in on the left

Have a great cocktail!

Friday is Cocktail Day

After a Friday night of cocktails I realised we've developed accumulated quite a list of our favourite cocktail bars. 

Last Friday we visited a new favourite - Tilt 

Last Night was Pepper Rocks 

Another great place for a drink, if a little pricey, Saltwater at Cornerhouse

An old favourite, not an independent bar, drinks very sweet and mostly rum based, nevertheless a fab place for a fun evening; Turtle Bay

The Living Room, a great place for a quiet drink or a romantic evening, a nice one to take the parents too also.

A few other places worth a visit:

• Brass Monkey (student prices most evenings)
• Pitcher and Piano (gorgeous decor and nice food too)
• Dino in Hockley 
• Browns 
• Belle and Jerome (Beeston)
• Boiler Maker (such an exciting experience, will write about this soon)
• Coco Tang (more of a night out but a fab cocktail selection)
• Bad JuJu Tiki Bar (closed for refurbishment at the moment)

Will add more soon!

An oldie but a goodie..

3 Years ago 3 single friends and I were looking for a place to 'drown our sorrows' / probably have a nicer time than we usually would, on Valentines day. It seems like Valentines day is an excuse for restaurants and cafe's alike to hike up the prices to try and ensnare unsuspecting boyfriends/fiances/husbands who are all in a panic having left it too late and there's nothing left at their usual haunts.  

This meant our search spread further than the usual places we'd visit in town. We came across Fothergills, we'd never heard of it, and subsequently i've found out there aren't many people who have. But we booked ourselves in for the 3 course Valentines menu and had a truly lovely time. 

I've since been back a few times, once with the same girls for an impromptu dinner and once with my Dad for a more laid back lunch. 

Pork Belly, the girls said it was fantastic, I'm not a one for crackling but it doesn't look 'alf bad!

Dressed Crab Salad, the crab was fantastic, left me feeling a lot fuller than I expected, never a bad thing!

The strange thing I found about Fothergills is how different the atmosphere can be each time you visit. On going with my Dad it felt extremely laid back, there was a very 'pub-esq' feel to lunch which although was nice and appropriate for the occasion I think had I been going for a slightly nicer lunch out with family it may have been a bit disappointing. 

It's very quiet during the day though, and by quiet I don't mean empty, it's just quite a nice place to chat with not too much noise or hustle and bustle that you do sometimes get in another favourite of mine 'Brown's'. Perfect for my hard of hearing Dad it has to be said!

I can't remember the exact name of this dish, it looks like a 'Hunter's Chicken' the mushy peas a really nice touch

Here he is having his Chicken and Ham Hock pie. No complains from Dad camp 

I really love the exposed brick in the background here

 Tackling dessert of course!

Warm Chocolate Brownie for Dad

Quite a lot of attention to detail with the snazzy sugar structures

And ice cream for me. I think this particular day they had some fabulous flavours so I couldn't really say no. 

It has to be said, for a change of scenery Fothergills is somewhere you should try. It is a really nice place to go for Valentines day (cheeky reminder to the boys!) but sometimes feels a little less 'smart' than you expect during the day. 

Valentines evening table

It's in a really nice part of town, with really lovely architecture; right opposite the Robin Hood statue in the shadow of the castle and is very welcoming to those just looking for a pint or a cup of coffee.

At the moment they're doing a 2 course lunch for £10.90, it'd be a shame to miss out!

My, my, my Delilah

Another more recent amazing find has been Delilah Fine Foods, 

4 years ago when we all first moved to Nottingham, Delilah's was a small shop at the top of Low Pavement with a covered outside seating area, however to passers by, myself included, it appeared to be an interesting specialist food shop, but not an obvious cafe and not somewhere I thought of visiting.

In October 2012 Delilah's moved to Victoria Street, to the old HSBC bank, a gorgeous building which features a mezzanine level for eating in, a grade 2 listed ceiling complete with beautiful chandeliers and a fantastic array of foods from all around the world.

Delilah's has been voted Best Cafe/Deli in the Nottingham restaurant awards so it would be an obvious shame not to check it out! 

On my first outing to Delilah's we felt it necessary to sample the brunch after a big (although fairly infrequent) night out on a Friday night. 

Scrambled egg and bacon on a muffin, look at that latte!

The granola (which most people feel is a sad choice) was delicious, lots of nuts and seeds with a good helping of greek yoghurt on top

Sausage sandwich dusted with herbs and a latte served in a really exciting plastic latte cup (it didn't burn your hand!)

We waited a while before deciding it was obviously necessary to have cake after brunch!

Here's our 'cheesecake' 

Definitely not what we were expecting, a 'do it yourself' cheesecake really

Didn't stop us from enjoying every last mouthful!

Our second venture to Delilah's was a long time coming! We had seen the cheese fondue on the menu many moons ago, this was when the glorious day arrived!

We had our 'Swiss lady' with us so naturally went with the Swiss Cheese fondue

Much to my delight at Delilah they're so accomodating to gluten free diners, there was special home made bread on offer for the fondue which was so so moorish, I couldn't leave without telling the waitress how yummy it was!

Mmm, delicious meat and cold potato, one of my top favourites!

We've been again since (oops!) sampled both the French and the Swiss cheese fondues. The French has a stronger taste, I personally liked the Swiss but both really were fabulous, such great value for money and in a really picturesque setting. All the ingredients they use come from the Deli, you are able to spend ages choosing various cheese and meats to sample should you wish, they have a fantastic selection of wines and are extremely helpful when it comes to choosing which one would go best with your meal. 

The only downside is Delilah's shuts at 7pm, this makes for quite an early dinner if you were looking for an evening out. Perfect for pre-theatre dining though and a brilliant brunch and lunch destination. 

After a food filled Christmas it wouldn't be fair not to mention their hampers, a few of my family received one and are extremely impressed with the variety and quality of its contents. 

Definitely pop in if not just to browse the shelves and take in the atmosphere.

Bucket List...

In our fourth year as residents of Nottingham we've compiled quite a list of our favourite haunts. Alongside this list exists the great foodie 'bucket list' of places we'd love to/ need to go!

Our top 10 Cafe's (work in progress)

(Must add favourite cocktail hangouts!)

• Smythson's Deli Smythson's has since closed and been opened under new management. I have visited and been pretty disappointed with the quality of the food offered there. It's so disappointing that we've lost Jane and Janet. 
• Thea Caffea
• White Rabbit Teahouse 
• Aubrey's Traditional Creperie
• Delilah Fine Foods
• The Coffee House
• Toast

The Bucket List!

• World Service Restaurant Nottingham
• French Living 
• The Wollaton Pub and Kitchen
• La Rock (Sandiacre)
• Harts Nottingham, The Park
• Restaurant Sat Bains
• Iberico World Tapas
• Homemade
• Tarn Thai
• Petit Paris 
• Bistrot Pierre
• Warsaw Diner
• Toast
• Le Mistral
• Fothergill's 
• 4550 Miles from Delhi
• Walk Into Yesterday
• Mr Man's Restaurant
• The Larder on Goosegate
• The Hand and Hart
• Atlas Deli
• Bar de Nada
• Cafe Roya 
• Yamas 
• Kayal
• Habesha
• Lee Rosy's Tea
• Sinatras

It just wouldn't be fair not to mention....

Since it's opening in October 2011, my friends and I have been regular customers of Smythson's Deli, having visited on one of the very first days and had what we both described as the 'best hot chocolate ever' we never questioned where to go for a catch up and a cup of coffee. Gradually introducing all of our friends, it has now become a staple in many of our diets. 

So many 'after the last exam' lunches here

So many breaks from the library

Hangover breakfasts 

'Parents visiting' slices of cake. And even just for a quick chat with Jane or Janet

I was lucky enough to spend my 21st Birthday with some of my favourite people, in our favourite Cafe!

With prosecco flowing we were treated to all our favourites with the cafe all to ourselves

Even if there was a little bit too much!

I'm not sure what we'd all do without Smythson's in our lives, It is an absolutely lovely place to be, a fantastic atmosphere, the owners, Jane and Janet, so welcoming, and food which never disappoints (they even do Gluten free bread! and tasty it is too!)