Date night with the wife and the Mr

 I can't believe I've never written about this place before. After a long ago valentines date, a house meal out, a birthday date with the Mr and a girlie night out with P, I'm finally sitting down to write about the place where I ate the best meal of my life!

It sounds like a gross exaggeration. But when I think about it. I don't think I've had so many different tastes, textures and flavours in one meal that worked oh so well together 

The incredible underground haven is 'Iberico World Tapas' having its pride of place underneath the crime and punishment museum in lace market. This place is far from a punishment but could definitely be likened to a crime. 

The idea is they've taken the normal Spanish tapas restaurant and added some foods of the world. Food from England, food inspired by the Far East, American style chicken wings and green inspired lamb. 

You're in the basement, in a small alcove. A delicious wine menu is offered and a little advise with regards to the menu. Definitely ask for some help as they just want you to enjoy all it has to offer

The recommendation is that you have a ham platter and a cheese platter. Either the 'world ham or the Spanish ham' likewise with the cheese. I've tried both. They're both fantastic. 

Then it's choosing from the huge variety of dishes. The 'inside out chicken wings' are a must. The beef kebabs also a fantastic recommendation. Most recently I indulged in the mussels and I'd say if you're a fan of mussels give them a try. You'll never want plain mussels again! 

We tried the mushroom carpaccio. Served in a cool wooden platter 

Here are the infamous chicken wings 

When I went with P we tried the express dinner menu. It's just 14.95 and you get Catalan bread (like bruschetta - I had olives) two tapas dishes and a pudding

The pudding was definitely worth it even if we were a little full. I had a strawberry parfait 

P had a cotton cake! Exciting !  She said it was incredibly smooth 

The 'Express menu' really is fantastic value for money, with the bread as a starter and the two tapas dishes with pudding, you get world class food for such a bargain. Definitely give it a go, or wait for a special occasion and the whole menu can be your oyster :) 

Better than my pantry, A PUDDING PANTRY!?

Hello!!

So I've been off the radar for AGES, I had exams, I had holidays, I was shipped out of Nottinghamshire for 3 months. But whilst i'm doing my studying in Boston, Lincolnshire I'm still back in Nottingham on the weekends. 

I haven't stopped exploring the culinary joys of Notts in this time tho! There's been some great additions recently and whilst journeying through town today I saw some exciting new developments yet to be opened as well!. 

So a few months ago saw the opening of 'The Pudding Pantry', when people ask me where this is I find it a tricky one to describe as it popped up in a place where there wasn't anything before. The best I can do is that it's in trinity square, just down from Harvester and GBK. Theres a white picket fence in the middle of the path, a nice outside seating area reminiscent of when it was warm and sunny outside.

F and I went for a much needed catch up and a very satisfying soup and salad. We sat in the window and prepared ourselves for great chat and some good old people watching!

The salad was delicious; puy lentils and butternut squash (I added ham), i felt sad as it was quite a bit more expensive than F's soup (butter bean, parmesan and italian herbs) but the lentils and ham was a fantastic combination and I was definitely not disappointed. 

F got some gorgeous sourdough bread with her soup and we both indulged in some fancy ginger beer and rose lemonade to accompany our meals!

I was frustratingly left a little unsatisfied but the puddings were so tempting we needed an excuse. This was the honeycomb parfait with hazelnuts, popcorn and chocolate sauce, and all gluten free too! and it was absolutely incredible. 

If you've not been already I definitely recommend a trip to the 'Pudding Pantry', i've heard (and seen) fantastic things about their breakfasts and particularly the milkshakes. Let me know what y'all think! 

My favourite sort of Saturday morning...Crepes and tea

I've wanted to write about Aubrey's for so long now, but I was lacking good photos, I would not be able to do the incredible crepes at Aubrey's justice without photographic evidence so it has taken me a while 

Last weekend I arranged with a good friend, C, to have a breakfast date (this subsequently ended up being a shopping trip and afternoon coffee but we weren't to know!). Not knowing whether we wanted savoury or sweet, formal dining or a cafe esq morning we agreed to go for a crepe at a place we've both visited before .

Aubrey's Traditional Creperie is a small quaint little cafe, up a small arcade opposite Las Iguanas on Long Row. I wouldn't have found this place had I not been told about it four years ago when someone took the time to give me detailed instructions on how to find it! The scavanger hunt I think adds to the joy when you find the wooden table and chairs with gorgeous tartan blankets draped over outside the window.

Aubrey's provides gluten free and dairy free crepes, this is one of the major factors that brings me back again and again. You honestly cannot tell there's a gluten free option, my friends often have a bite of mine (usually because I make great decisions!) and they say there's barely any difference in the taste or texture of the crepe. 

Available is a vast choice of savoury galettes and sweet crepes, I try to limit the number of times I visit and this often means that every time I go they've got a new addition to the menu. This being said the lovely lady behind the counter did recognise me and remember my gluten free order this time so maybe my budget related plan hasn't been so successful. 

I had flaked almonds with vanilla ice cream, poached pears and chocolate sauce (£4.95) It was TERRIFIC, I find it's always quite a big portion but given that Aubrey's doesn't open until 10am it's usually just right and I definitely wouldn't have it any other way. C had caramelised apples, creme fraiche, cinnamon and honey which looked fabulous. We also shared a pot of tea, loose leaf english breakfast of course. 

The lovely thing about Aubrey's is you can just sit and chat with no pressure to leave, they're incredibly welcoming, table service and fantastic food. 

I have to mention the savoury galettes, we didn't indulge this time but I can say they're absolutely marvellous. This time they're all gluten free as they use a different sort of batter and have many vegetarian options. 

The only negative I can possibly find is that having sat there for an hour/an hour and a half you do have a lingering smell of oil on your clothes and in your hair. This is obviously unavoidable as it's such a small little cafe with limited ventilation, I've seen it mentioned on tripadvisor and friends have commented but for me, it's worth smelling a little bit like a frying pan for the joy that is a trip to Aubreys!

Definitely a must try! 

The Coffee House, but for Tea!

I'd heard great things about 'The Coffee House' it had remained off my radar as it's so sneakily hidden!

'It's on the same alley as Cucamaras' I had been told, this was not helpful as I think the only time i've visited Cucamaras I was decidedly worse for wear. 

We found the little alley after being accosted by a scary looking pitbull terrier and subsequently apologised to by a lovely but very pierced and tatooed gent! It felt like being in the lanes in Brighton, or the backstreets of Brussels, a far cry from Nottingham's usual roads and side streets. 

The place looked as cute as the pictures on it's website, with blackboards outside I knew this was somewhere I was going to like. 

We sat down, with only 3 tables downstairs there was a whimsical little sign saying we might have to make new friends as our table seated 4 (annoyed I didn't take a little photo!)

We were served quickly by a very friendly man. He offered only two types of normal cake and two types of gluten free but these both sounded like excellent choices. I wondered whether this was because it was a Thursday and they were running out, all the more reason to return I say!

I had a fabulous gluten free chocolate cake. I know I always like my cake, but this was exceptional! It had little chocolate chips in and I definitely could barely tell it was gluten free

P had a caramel cake which she said was delicious, and it sure was a generous serving too. 

We shared a pot of tea, just english breakfast. The tea selection was vast and all was loose leaf. So many different types of coffees from all around the world as well. It was a shame not to be able to try them all! Maybe next time

Definitely give this one a try, just be warned it's very cosy and hopefully is quite busy on the weekend. It deserves to be. 

Toastily Confused

So Han and I took a trip to Toast, just up the road at Canning Circus. Following the disappointment of the management change at Smythson's we were looking for a new hangout

I had been told that Toast was one of a kind, that you wen't in, there were loaves upon loaves of different breads, different condiments and your very own toaster to operate. 

Whilst extremely quaint and very much 'up our street', there didn't appear to be any of these exciting novelties. The toasters were on some tables but sadly not ours, and there didn't seem to be any DIY bread that day.

I'm not sure whether we just picked a bad day or maybe they've stopped serving in this way. Many friends have been and have LOVED the quirky nature of toasting your own bread! (it's the little things) 

This all being said our food was delicious, there's a fabulous selection of independent, gourmet drinks on offer alongside a huge number of sandwich options. There were tons of little cakes on the counter and a friendly face serving. 

Han and I sat down with A cloudy lemonade and a sparkling strawberry and rhubarb and gossiped the world away. 

I was chuffed to have a gluten free sandwich on what was incredibly nice bread, I ordered 'Pastrami, Mozarella and rocket' whilst Hannah had a ciabatta with smoked salmon and cream cheese. We thoroughly enjoyed our sandwiches, felt it was lacking a bit on the garnish. We missed the Smythson's cheeky couple of crisps and a side salad. But overall were extremely happy with our choices. 

I couldn't resist a pudding, Hannah indulged in a vanilla latte whilst I went for the famous 'Almondie' a gluten free almond biscuit shaped like a croissant. It was great!

We'll definitely visit Toast again, if not just to see if this DIY toast phenomenon exists. 

A lovely place to spend a morning though! 

Sinatra's (but not as we knew it)

The end of my exams this week brought with it the excitement of a surprise dinner date.

Much to my delight this surprise was at Sinatra's, the restaurant I and I'm sure many others have walked past and noticed the pictures on the walls and the hum of jazz and swing on your ears for years now.

I've wanted to dine here for a long time, luckily a certain person must take note of my food related requests, i'm a lucky lady! Sinatra's did however close down last year after a 42 year reign over Chapel Bar but was subsequently taken over by the owner of Fat Cat (opposite) and director of the 'Moleface Pub Company' which runs The Wollaton (one of my top favourite Sunday lunch spots). After the recent disappointment of Smythson's being under new management, it had a lot of great reviews to uphold. 

On arriving it didn't sound the same. On entering it didn't look the same. We were taken to our seats underneath lightbulbs with glowing filaments swinging from the ceiling. I looked for the library of photo frames on the walls but they'd been replaced by black and white images, much fewer in number. 

We were offered some table water whilst we looked at our menus which is always a nice touch. 

We weren't given any sort of drinks menu (much to my despair). There was a bar area at the entrance of the restaurant and it felt like perhaps a drinks menu shouldn't have been necessary. We did ask for one though and were offered both a wine and a cocktail menu (the latter without prices - scary student moment!) which satisfied my needs and a cool glass of Pinot was soon in my hand!

The decor is very different to the past and feels very quirky and modern. 

I am a big fan of the hanging light bulbs

We had a starter of warm salt beef with a rocket, stilton and mustard salad to share. It was absolutely delicious and just enough to kick start the taste buds in preparation for our main courses. 

The restaurant does a brilliant pre-theatre deal before 7pm (for future reference) 2 courses for 9.95 and 3 for 12.95 (I think!)

Mmmm poached egg on salmon, my absolute ideal meal. This was the Salmon Niçoise and was absolutely delicious. None of that posh restaurant small portion business either

And Moules Marinaire, with chips and chunky bread. I obviously pinched a few chips, and they were definitely delicious. 

We couldn't stomach a pudding, decided on liquid dessert instead and headed to 'Saltwater' for cocktails. 

Overall I had a lovely time, I think it's fair to say they're still in the early days of new management at Sinatra's but with the brilliant pre-theatre deal and it's close proximity to the Theatre Royal and Concert Hall it's definitely worth a visit, especially if the rest of the menu was as fabulous as my salmon

Spa Day Sunday

My friend Penny and I took a well earned break last weekend

We felt cheeky but also that there was nothing wrong with visiting the local Q Hotels spa, even if just for a spot of research!

Sunday afternoon took us to the Nottingham Belfry Hotel for their pamper break. At £99 it felt like a huge spend, maybe not one to be taking in the middle of our University term but it has to be said it was definitely worth the money. 

We arrived shortly after lunchtime and wandered over to the restaurant for our buffet lunch. There were all manner of different dishes to try, roast chicken with peppers.  Chorizo pasta, a wealth of different salad ingredients. With the 'and finally' being all the little puddings to try

All were quite delicious, it was tricky weighing up how much to eat given we were eagerly waiting to get into the pool!

Waiting for our room to be ready we were treated to our complimentary 'detox' cocktail, for which the bar were apparently missing the 'detox' ingredient. So it was just a juice mocktail

Tasted pretty nice to me!

We had an afternoon in the pool leisurely doggy paddling up and down. Sat in the jacuzzi avoiding the usual awkward jacuzzi chat you often get in the local swimming baths. After a quick stint in the sauna we headed up to the spa reception to wait for our hour long massage and facial. 

To our surprise Penny and I were ushered into the 'couples' treatment room, whilst we enjoyed the fact we had each others company whilst wedging our faces into the massage couch we did find it a little strange and unexpected

The massage was fantastic, worth every penny. We wandered, dazed, with terrible scare crow greasy hair back to our room for a shower and a drink before heading down for our dinner

Our room was lovely, the duvet looks a little lumpy here but just imagine how fluffy that meant it was when rolling around in there!

The best thing about spas? The free slippers and bathrobes!

Little bit of Dancing on Ice time before dinner while Penny did her hair

We surprised ourselves with our cheekiness and requested an ice bucket, some glasses and a toothbrush through room service. The Cava was just begging us to be popped open 

For dinner in the restaurant we had a £26 allowance which was more than enough to have 3 courses. Our only expense of the weekend was our glass of Pinot which was incredibly nice and worth a mention

For starter I had Ham Hock terrine, which they kindly served with gluten free bread and a fennel and mustard slaw. 

Penny's pork belly with caramelised red onion and potato dauphinois 

My Sea Bream with an incredibly creamy and rich risotto

Gluten free bread roll, as expected a little dry, but I was very pleasantly surprised they had this to offer

Creme Brûlée for pudding, in a deliciously large rammekin, the bigger the better!

Served with chocolate ice cream and on Penny's plate a short bread for dipping!

The next morning we ambled down to the restaurant for our buffet breakfast, there was a good selection of cooked and cold breakfast items. To our excitement there was also a 'do it yourself' hot chocolate stand complete with whipped cream and marshmallows. Brilliant!

Overall we had a lovely break away. Although £99 feels like a lot, with a buffet lunch, a detox cocktail, an hour treatment at the spa, dinner, breakfast and a comfy nights stay it was definitely worth every Penny (with a Penny!)

If you're in need of a break, check it out!