Places To Eat in Nottingham A Bit On The Quirky Side

Are you a sucker for the unconventional? Like to eat your pizza with flamenco’s and leafy palms? Want your chicken balls delivered on roller skates? Fear not. Amongst the throngs of great Nottingham restaurants, we’re not short of a few quirky eateries and the standard of food in the coolest venues is definitely worth shedding your well-earned cash for.

The Nottingham food scene is thriving right now and we’re here to tell you about all the best places to eat in Nottingham with that quirky, alternative feel or just some added extra va va voom. Keep reading!

Mowgli

Some people in Nottingham like to eat their dinner on a chair, while others prefer a swing. A swing forces your core to engage and in turn helps you digest your food better – I just made that up, a swing just looks swanky on instagram!

If you’re cool with being gawked at by people in the street (darn full-length windows) who are simply just jealous of your swaying behaviour, then you’re in for a clean eating version of Britain’s signature dish – the curry.

WHAT : Healthy homecooked Indian food without the ladles of ghee.

WHERE : Stoney Street, Hockley

WHEN : Perfect for brunch or a light lunch

Zaap

Zaap – what happens to your senses when you walk in to Nottingham’s funkiest Thai restaurant. The open kitchen and brightly decorated seating area give you plenty to feast your eyes on until your food arrives. Seating in railway carriages and Tuk Tuks with neon galore, it’s obvious why this place is a favourite with families – all the fun and all the flavour too. A Bangkok street market would struggle to produce more hustle and bustle.

WHAT : Noodles, dim-sum, basically any type of Thai street food.

WHERE : Bromley Place, just off Maid Marian Way

WHEN : Anytime you feel like holing up in a tuk-tuk with family & friends!

The Hockley Arts Club

Vintage old-school glamour is the name of the game at the Hockley Arts Club. It’s a hidden bar but Nottingham’s worst-kept secret – beauty like this was never going to remain underground! These were the old managerial offices of Nottingham’s Lace Industry and never has a potted palm looked more at home. 

Table service is standard in the Blue Rooms, even if you’re just nipping in for a cheeky mid-week cocktail, making you feel luxurious from head to toe. Not resting on their cocktail laurels though, their seasonal menu has been spread all over instagram – especially their epic Sunday Dinners.

WHAT : Fresh local grub presented beautifully in enchanting surroundings. The 3 course Prix-Fixe for £14.95 is a masterpiece.

WHERE : Carlton Street, Hockley

WHEN : Tues-Thurs 5-10pm, all day Friday & Weekends.

Das Kino

Maybe Das Kino means ‘to cancel out’ in German? I like to think having a game of ping-pong after a big phat pizza goes some way to offset the calorie count, therefore Das Kino is a guilt-free zone. A great excuse to skip the gym.

Neon signs and flaky paint are the backdrop to your excellent sourdough base, with fun and games as your soundtrack. Casual and quirky with a large dollop of cool. (Das Kino does in fact mean cinema in German)

WHAT : Sourdough pizza  – try the Slumdog Millionaire for something a bit different.

WHERE : 22 Fletcher Gate.

WHEN : When only a pizza will do (it IS one of Nottingham’s finest pizza joints). 2-4-1 Tuesdays on pizza, gin and cocktails.

Alchemila

Quirky for its menu but on this list mostly for the va va voom. Understated decor offsets the fabulous, if slightly bizarre, menu and you get to dine at one of the best restaurants in Nottingham. Toasted hay and burnt sugar may not sound like the most appetising course but trust me – whatever the menu reads, just say yes! Fermented turnip, hen of the woods and blackened garlic have never tasted so good. This is Nottingham’s finest version of dining, the end.

WHAT : Michelin style plates of passion and flavour that you’ll remember for a very long time.

WHERE : 192 Derby Road, a 5 minute walk outta town.

WHEN : For that special occasion, or if a 7 course taster menu is your standard lunch.

Mollis

If toasted hay and fermented turnip aren’t what’s tickling your fancy today, but you did still have a hankering for some twisty flavour combo’s that started life in the same brain as Alchemila’s top chef Alex Bond, then head next door to Mollis.

The menu might be limited to one ingredient – fried chicken – but the flavours know no bounds.

‘Expect lots of Koji, fermenting and flavours you’ve never dreamed of’ says Alex. But I say expect the best fried chicken you’ve ever had in your life, with a side helping of loud hip-hop, extremely loud graffiti and quietly confident soft-scoop icecream that even the Italians would trade in their moma for.

WHAT : Buttermilk chicken with crazy toppings and sauce combo’s

WHERE : 198 Derby Road, next door to Alchemila

WHEN : Wednesday and Thursday evenings, lunch and dinner Friday and Saturdays.

Peggy’s Skylight

Imagine a Jazz Club married a cinema and they made a baby. A really cool little venue in the heart of Hockley with the quirkiest of seating arrangements. 

Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and other ‘Jazz Greats’ toured the Middle East in the 1960’s and if biographies ever came in restaurant form then Peggy’s Skylight has nailed this era! A guess at Mr Armstrong’s daily lunches puts dishes like slow-cooked lamb and pomegranates on the menu along with eastern spiced cakes and traditional flat breads. And, definitely one of the best places to eat in Nottingham if you like a soundtrack with your sauce.

Check out their website for future acts and events.

WHAT : Eastern flavours of the finest ingredients set to live music.

WHERE : 3 George Street, Hockley.

WHEN : Saturday afternoon tea with a helping of Jazz piano. Open Wednesday to Sunday, midday to midnight (5pm Sunday).

Six At Trent Bridge

One of the best places to eat in Nottingham with a vista, Six dishes up more than just posh nosh. You get dinner and a show from the most elevated dining table in the city!

Whilst world-class cricket plays out 6 floors below you, you can eat your gin-cured salmon with sunset views over half of Nottingham. And the decor is sleek, I think possibly they used Tony Stark’s interior designer. Cocktails are compulsory and must be sipped on the viewing deck!

Check ahead of time for the match schedule.

WHAT : Modern British dishes, but when there are only six to choose from you just know they’ve been perfected to the hilt!

WHERE : The best cricket ground in the world

WHEN : Those days you feel on top of the world and you want a table to give you that. 

More Quirky Cool Bars In Nottingham

So you’re not hungry but still want some cool bars to hang out in? Here’s our list of quirky or just uber-cool places…

• Pitcher and Piano – set in a grand church. You can’t not be impressed.
• The Alchemist – plenty of stuffed animals to keep you company and a good amount of cocktails that look like science experiments.
• Lost Property – another hidden bar but this time in some of Nottingham’s infamous caves. (See hotel recommendation below)
• Pepper Rocks – like you’re in a forest but there’s a bar!

Nottingham is a definite foodie city with plenty on offer for the palate and the eye’s – go on, give some of our funky venue’s a try, and do let us know what you think!

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Incidentally, if you’re looking for a great boutique hotel in Nottingham check out the Nottingham Mercure website for a contemporary room in the perfect central location with its very own quirky bar deep in the underground caves – a rumour has it Robin Hood drank there too. Prices are very reasonable with a free breakfast, the location is great and the hotel has an undisputed history being the oldest in Nottingham and entertaining a number of famous guests like Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Taylor.

Click here for the best deals at the Mercure, Nottingham.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out my other posts about Nottingham for more local tips.

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