Whether you’ve been in Nottingham three weeks or three years, there always comes a point when the typical student hang outs become old. When you’ve been to Crisis for six weeks in a row or the sound of the Baywatch theme makes you want to tear your hair out in frustration, you need to find somewhere new. Luckily for you, Her Campus Nottingham has put together a comprehensive list of 5 great places to visit in Nottingham that you may not have heard of… yet!
1. Boiler Maker
Hidden away in the depths of the hipster Lace Market area, the Boiler Maker takes ‘secret’ to a new level. Actually finding Nottingham’s notorious hidden cocktail bar is an experience I would liken to searching for Narnia as a child – exciting and slightly doubt ridden. However, instead of finding your dreams crushed against the resolutely solid back wall of your wardrobe, Boiler Maker offers up a range of hidden alcoholic delights and does not disappoint! Do not be fooled by the plain grim exterior; once you are led into the equally ordinary ‘staff room’, a secret wall is opened and you are taken through to the cavernous fairy lit bar. Basically, if the Chamber of Secrets was a cocktail bar – this would be it. Perfect for dates or any special occasion, Boiler Maker offers a wide range of incredibly inventive and crazy cocktails (fancy drinking out of a sharps bin anyone?) and is certainly one bar that should be sought out.
2. Tilt
Another cocktail bar that’s tricky to find, Tilt is a small blues cocktail bar tucked away smack bang in the city centre. Not that you would know it though – once you find the small sign floating on the wall, you then have to wind your way up a small staircase to find it, though trust me, you will not be disappointed. A fairly small and intimate venue, Tilt is home to some of the best cocktails I have ever had, with a wide ranging menu that covers all the spirit bases and then some. If this isn’t good enough, happy hour is from 5pm-7pm where you can get 2 for 1! For the fanciest pre-drinks of your life or if you simply have that post lecture Friday feeling, this is the perfect place to be, plus with live blues music to soothe your inner hipster, what could be better?
3. White Rabbit Tea Room
Moving away from cocktails for the moment, this is a place that should be visited at least once during your time in Nottingham (possibly to soothe your cocktail fuelled hangover). I don’t say this lightly when I tell you that White Rabbit Tea Room is quite possibly the cutest place on Earth. Seriously. Feeling slightly like you’ve stepped back into a classic British novel, your tea is presented to you in the prettiest mismatching crockery I’ve ever seen, prompting bizarre feelings of teacup envy. The cakes are also delicious, and aside from having to smother the urge to slip a teapot into my bag, this was a perfect way to spend a lecture free afternoon. As the tea room is slightly overpriced, however, a savvy way to manage the cost is to wait until family come to visit and to persuade them into taking you. After all, the only thing better than tea and cake is free tea and cake.
4. Pepper Rocks
That’s right – we’re now back on the cocktails. Pepper Rocks is another bar located near the hipster haven that is Lace Market, and is spread over two floors. Entering into Pepper Rocks, you feel as if you have stepped into a large retro gentleman’s club; the mass quantities of low leather sofas and grandiose armchairs certainly put the typical bar stool to shame. However, despite the interior being gorgeous, it isn’t the best part of this bar. No, the best part, for my fellow cocktail appreciators, is the glorious happy hour where cocktails are a mere £3.50 from 5pm-10pm. A warning though – after visiting here, never again will you be able to buy a £5 Coco Tang cocktail without a slight pang of stingy resentment.
5. The Pudding Pantry
The home of all things decadent and delightful, I cannot rave enough about The Pudding Pantry. A light airy café that somehow gives off a beachy vibe even in the depths of winter, The Pudding Pantry plays host to a range of cakes, coffees, smoothies and milkshakes that will satisfy the sweetest of teeth. Also, with a great savoury menu on offer, this place is brunch heaven. After visiting here, you will never be quite as satisfied by your Costa as you were before.
For more information on these hidden gems, visit:
http://www.whiterabbitteahouse.com/
http://www.thepuddingpantry.co.uk/
All images author’s own
Edited by Georgina Varley