A French Affaire

Some of my oldest friends from medical school and I had a much needed reunion last week. Our longstanding seminar group leader picked one of his favourites (one of my favourites too) Petit Paris. It was as good as I'd remembered, if not better. 

The decor is quaint, all the waiters we were served by seemed to have just stepped out of France themselves with strong French accents, the East Midlands twang seems to have not affected them thus far! Whilst it has been said to feel a little stuffy and outdated it can't be denied that it has such a feeling of authenticity this could be overlooked. 

One thing to note is the wine list; all fantastic French wines, we sampled both the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Grigio. (the Pinot definitely my favourite and one of the nicest wines I've had In a while) 

They do a fantastic value pre theatre menu with 2 courses for £10.95 and 3 for £13.95! We all tucked in some indulging in the chicken liver parfait to start, D had the bouillabaisse and T the Moules marinière. I didn't manage to take any photos as I was too busy indulging in wine and olives!

For my main course I had a pan fried Hake with Atlantic prawns and a white wine sauce. It was delicious! The fish was so meaty and perfectly cooked

Poached salmon with a red wine sauce and crushed peas

The service was always with a smile with a new glass for each wine we tried and bread for the table!

Lamb shank. Mmmm 

Tagliatelle Jean Louis. 

Then came my favourite bit. The wonderful array of puddings 

My cappuccino parfait 

J's poached pear

Frangipane tarte

And finally some gorgeous coffees to top off a lovely evening. After 5 years of med school we still have so much to talk about and catch up on and fantastically still manage to find some of the nicest food in Nottingham. I can't wait for the next reunion, they just keep getting better!  

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 :) 

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!