Those of you who keep up with new Nottingham food spots may have heard of the new café located in the city centre called ‘public and plants,’ or like me you stumbled across it through a plethora of TikTok videos. I know that when I was introduced to it by a TikTok I was instantly intrigued by the stunning interior of café. For those who haven’t been to it seen images of the café, I would describe it as a modern/contemporary interior, with an unrelenting number of plants (in every corner). The space is full of character and of course, is extremely instagrammable.
As soon as I walked in I was taken back by the architecture, in particular the high ceilings. The café’s
interior is described as ‘Japan meets Copenhagen’, and it is definitely reflected in the décor. The design of
the café, from the seating to the wall art pays homage to the danish, e.g the colourful accents, the light
Nordic tables, clashing prints etc. It would be a great place to just take pictures! Alas, I will fill you in on
everything food.
In terms of my order, I ordered a non-exciting, iced vanilla latte, to go along with the homemade pesto, beef tomato and mozzarella sandwich. As far as iced lattes go, it wasn’t one of the worst I’ve had, but also not one of the best. My search for Nottingham’s best iced latte persists, sorry to disappoint coffee lovers! Also, the drinks size is rather small so if you need a midday pick me up, you may want to consider asking for an extra shot of caffeine- just to be safe. I visited the café around mid- afternoon, which I believe explained the excessive capacity. I did have to briefly wait for a table, no more than 10 minutes, but still had to camp out and patiently wait for a table to free up. This meant, by time it came to eating I was more than ready and hungry. In terms of portion size, the sandwich was more than enough for me and considering my famine after a 3-hour lecture at 9am, the meal proved substantial. The white tin bread was perfectly toasted, which made the mozzarella the perfect texture. There was a generous amount of each filling, the combination of the fresh bread, plentiful amount of mozzarella, equally spread homemade pesto and partially roasted tomatoes made for a delicious bite. I would definitely recommend the sandwich if you are looking for a savoury lunch option.
It would only be right to order one of the many baked goods the café has to offer. Not only are they
aesthetically pleasing, but they are also delectable. I ordered the almond croissant, as croissants appeared to be a specialty. There is also a wide range of other baked foods, from cakes to pastries to flapjacks. You are actually able to see them being made in front of you, which I found interesting as well as original- they really are freshly made! The croissant definitely proved this point. It was perfectly tender as well as crunchy. The filling was the main event for me, the almond filling made for a pleasant surprise, making the croissant more unique than any other I’ve previously tried. Again, there is a wide range of other beautiful croissants to try- raspberry, cookie, matcha etc. I would recommend you try any of them, I will certainly be returning to try the rest.
In terms of how accommodating the café is to students, I’d say its quite varying. The time of day I went
(midday) was especially busy, meaning it may be quite a distracting place to study if you’re trying to
focus. However, this busyness obviously should subside throughout the day and in this case, I believe it
would be a great environment to study in. Again, the minimalist meets maximalist, plant filled interior
makes it a serene, inviting place to be. I could see myself feeling motivated and comfortable enough to get a lot of work done there. The prices however are less student friendly. The price ranges from I’d say 7-12 pounds if you’re looking for a brunch AND coffee. However, if you’re in for a brief stay between classes, and need a quick pick me up- one of the many baked goods would be a great option to quench that need for a sweet treat.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at the ‘Public and Plants’ café and will definitely be returning soon.
Whether you’re a student or not I would definitely recommend attending the café, its location in the the
centre of the city makes it convenient and easily accessible, you could even just go to browse the selection of plants and prints for sale and to see the stunning interiors for yourself! Happy eating!