You might have noticed the erratic cadence to my reviews over the last few years, you have Jericho to thank for this return to writing at the start of 2023. Wanting to share my experience at this new restaurant was the most compelling reason I’ve had to pick my keyboard back up. I won’t be telling you it was a perfect meal but anywhere that is thought-provoking, exciting and different merits my column inches more than most. Pre-meal snacks at Jericho — Jericho only opened in September but to little fanfare, at least I feel I’ve heard little about it in foodie circles. It is a touch off the bea ..read more

I’ve been a bit slow with getting to this one, particularly as somewhere that should be right up my street. The street in question its literally right up is Hurts Yard, something that old Nottinghamians might remember as much less classy than it now is. Shots at Cucumara anyone? Six Richmond House describe themselves as a “fine dining cocktail bar” and you can see a lot of thought, as well as money, has been lavished on it. There are a handful of tables in the front as an overflow to the main bar/dining space and it’s a really stylish place. A bit of the Great Gatsby with some of its deco touc ..read more

Don’t get too excited but I’ve got a few places to write about at the moment. Mostly because I’ve not been keeping up with the happenings as quickly as usual, as you may have noticed. The queue includes Six Richmond House and Jericho, having eaten at both during January. Mollis should probably require the least introduction of these names as its the brainchild of Alex Bond, the man behind Alchemilla. A delayed opening was the result of some construction/renovation challenges and resulted in a successful crowd funding campaign, followed by an updated December launch. Mollis Nottingham Mollis si ..read more

only the third post this year and we’re in November. Apologies. Not for lack of good food in Nottingham I must say but with limited time to eat out I have reverted to many favourites with Kushi-Ya and Mesa still at the top of my list. Of new venues I do remain most interested to try Cleaver and Wake (sister restaurant to Binks Yard) and Six Richmond House alongside places a little out of the city like Ottimo in Beeston. In the meantime I have finally found an opportunity to try Binks Yard since it opened a couple of months ago. Given its partly the brainchild of Sat Bains alumni, and Masterche ..read more

13th Element have been around a while, predominantly servicing the people of Nottingham through street food popups and deliveries. They’ve owned this site on Castle Boulevard for some months to service their delivery offering, recently opening it as a fully fledged restaurant. Interestingly its not really near any other bars or restaurants and a unit that’s struggled in other guises before. I have higher hopes for 13th Element, them already having established strong following from building up their brand over the last few years. The restaurant itself is set up with a somewhat sparse welcoming ..read more

Its been a while. Last year I wrote of a couple of gems to emerge, despite Covid. Quality over quantity. I would still urge you to check out Mesa and Everyday People if you have yet to sample their wares. It has been a even longer wait for those who have followed the progress of Tipu Sultan. Their site sits proudly at the start of Sherwood high-street, the building imposing as you journey down Mansfield Road. Over three years ago this location was last in action as Fat Cat and since then some serious money has been spent doing it up. At first glace its impressive with stylised booth seating, f ..read more

We haven’t had much to shout about in new openings since Covid but with Mesa, and now Everyday People, things are on the up. This new venture opened this week and is led by Pete Hewitt, creator of the Homeboys streetfood outfit. It has been the most anticipated restaurant probably since Kushi-Ya at the end of 2018. Byard Lane now really is a buzzing little street with this introduction alongside the likes of Barseca, Coco Tang and The Tap House. I enjoyed the styling of the modest space they have created, clean white tiling and neutral colours in what is a characterful old building. The kitche ..read more

– The first thing you read on Sans Patrie’s website is “Tucked away” and that’s certainly a fair assessment of this spot in no-mans-land between Alftreton and Ilkeston Road. Their strip of hospitality is stylishly appointed though and would feel more at home in Hockley. In fact its light minimalist style reminded me of Mesa, another of Nottingham’s new restaurants . One small issue on a warm July evening was opening the door to give some air is a good idea but the traffic from the very busy junction made it a noisy experience. Whilst I’m on the subject of high decibels Sans Patrie also positio ..read more

– Rejoice, for dining out has returned. I’ve spent most of the last few weeks revisiting some of my favourite spots that I missed most. I am pleased to report that Kushi-Ya, Iberico, Baresca, Cumin, Tamatanga and the Ruddington Arms have all been as good as I remembered. Perhaps understandably there have been less new openings than under normal circumstances but a few have still caught the eye. One of those I was most interested to try was Mesa. – Menu – My reviews usually list a cuisine alongside the title of the post, Mesa is already different. The offering ranges from small plates to larger ..read more

It’s a long time since putting finger to key here, the last year seeing just two posts amongst such challenging times for hospitality. I haven’t been doing any al fresco dining myself but its been uplifting to see the popularity of those places that are able to offer that experience. With a full reopening within our grasp I hope I can fill these pages once more with thoughts on the fantastic culinary scene we have in Nottingham. I interrupt this general broadcast though to bring news of a different kind. Coming to a small screen near you I will be filling your rooms with my food observations o ..read more