From the outside, The Sir John looks a lot like any pub – specifically, like any pub your dad might go to on a Thursday night to watch the footie with a pint. But as soon as you step inside the front door, the candle-lit, cosy interior immediately feels a lot more luxe than your average local.
There’s a great mix of students, the after-work crowd and stereotypical bar-hoggers which gives the place a relaxed and welcoming feel, though there are still plenty of more private nooks to sit in if you’re feeling a little more solitary. Dotted around the walls there are bottles, books and interesting pictures (my personal fave being an immaculate calligraphy print of “whiskey makes me frisky”). And if you’re there with a crowd, it’s definitely worth going to the corner which has stacks of board games like Scrabble and Monopoly.
The bar is stocked with over 100 gins (with monthly gin tasting events), and many of its ales are brewed by the Lincoln Green company who own it. Interestingly, the man behind Lincoln Green is local to the city and trained at the University of Nottingham to understand the science behind brewing. So technically, going for a quick pint after uni is supporting your fellow alumni!
On Monday nights, there’s an offer for two pizzas for £10. As in, your pizza will cost you a fiver, so you have plenty of cash left over to spend on booze or dessert. Obviously, we had to see if it was too good to be true. We ordered a Bistecca (BBQ base, steak, blue cheese, and spring onions), and a Spagnolo (tomato base, chicken, chorizo, jalapeños, red onion and honey drizzle) to share between us because neither of us could decide between the two, and they arrived within 10 minutes.
For me, the Bistecca pizza was tasty but was in danger of having a little too much going on, but I could have eaten 5 entire Spagnolo pizzas in one sitting. Both pizzas were big, thin and crispy and had a generous amount of sauce and toppings (especially considering the bargain price we paid!), and would definitely encourage me to go back again.
There are veggie and vegan pizza options, and there’s a whole separate food menu full of pub classics if pizza isn’t your thing. But if I can teach you anything from my experience, it would be to never judge a pub by its exterior, and to always stick with your gut when ordering from a pizza menu.
Rating: 4.5/5