Spanky Van Dykes, Nottingham

Spanky Van Dykes, situated by the Royal Concert Hall on Goldsmith Street, describes itself as an "eatery" and a "funhouse". The décor inside is very intriguing and random and it is clear that it was designed with students in mind. The quirky pub hosts several events throughout the year and is a hotspot for students to hang out as it is complete with comfortable sofas and even offers student discount.

Mario and I decided to make the most of its Tuesday offer: 2-for-1 on burgers. We'd visited before for drinks but had never been when food was still being served (food is served until 9pm) so we decided to go for a late lunch.

The pub wasn't too busy and it was dimly lit. In fact, it was a shock that it was still daylight when we left after we'd finished! The staff were informal and friendly, which went with the relaxed atmosphere of the place perfectly.

The menu boasts that all of the burgers are handmade with British beef and are served in a "glazed bun with tomato, lettuce, red onion and homemade fries".

Mario opted to try the Ruby Jean's fried chicken with corn salsa "burger".

I say "burger", because it was more like a fried chicken sandwich. Mario was in heaven. The chicken was succulent and wonderfully crispy. It was perfectly seasoned too. The corn salsa was a lovely accompaniment and Mario was grateful that it wasn't put in side the burger, but came on the side, as he could choose when and how much he wanted to use. The salsa was a little too spicy for me, but Mario loves his spice, so he thoroughly enjoyed it.

The chips are amazing! The skins of the potatoes is left on, which adds to the crunch and we all love a nice crisp chip! Although they were delicious unseasoned, Mario and I added salt and pepper, which then boosted them to the next level.

I chose to have a beef burger topped with halloumi cheese and chorizo sausage.

I was a little hesitant to order this burger as I wasn't sure how well the cheese and the chorizo would go together, but I was glad I chose this. The cheese was lightly grilled and was deliciously creamy-tasting, which was great with the slightly-spicy chorizo. The chorizo sausage was fresh, cut along the middle and grilled to perfection. The burger was lovely and moist and not over-seasoned at all. The beef itself was delicious and cooked to excellence.

We will definitely be going back to Spanky's at some point in the future to sample some of their other dishes as the menu looks amazing! We would definitely recommend this pub for you if you are looking for a chilled-out and relaxed meal with some good (although sometimes strange) background music and interesting decorations!