Sobar, Nottingham

Sobar is quite a new bar that has opened on Friar Lane, near Market Square in Notts city centre. The name comes from the fact that there is no alcohol served in this bar at all! Although that may be off putting to some, I think it is an ideal place to go for a light lunch as there is a vast range of smoothies, juices, cordials and other soft drinks to tickle your fancy! Not only is this a bar, but they frequently have themed nights held there, such as comedy nights and poetry! It's just something a little different!

Mario and myself like different, so we decided to give Sobar a go at lunchtime! The atmosphere of the bar is lovely. It's so light and airy, full of bright colours! Each table has some upcycled flowers on them, made from drinks cans.

Photo taken from Sobar Facebook Page

I decided to go for a Fentimans fizzy orange drink, which tasted like a delicious version of Orangina! For food, I opted for a BLT - they are the king of all sandwiches after all! There are several bread options to have this on and I chose to have mine served on a baguette. The sandwiches all come with salad and tortilla chips on the side. I also chose to have some chips on the side with my baguette.

The baguette itself was delicious. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp and the bacon was cooked to perfection. The tortilla chips on the side were also tasty, although nothing to write home about. I wasn't a huge fan of the dressing that the salad was drenched in. It was quite an oily texture, that really wasn't that lovely! The chips, although they had been forgotten about initially, were a disappointment. Because they'd not come out with the meal, I feel like they were slightly undercooked and not crispy at all.

Mario had the ploughman's platter, which came with ham hock, pate, stilton, cheddar and a pork pie. This was served with a variety of chutneys and bread. 

Mario was disappointed with his choice, that was clear to me! There was very little in the way of green. We both feel that the platter could have benefitted from some celery or tomato. The chutneys were delicious, as was the cheese, but we just felt as though something was missing! The drink he chose to accompany this was a liquorice cordial, which he loved! It was a little too strange for me to get my head around, so I wasn't so taken with it. To me, liquorice shouldn't be liquid!

Something that I observed that there weren't enough waiting staff working on that day and the manager had to chip in to help the two other waitresses. Having worked in several cafés before, I know how stressful it can be! I also know that you can't appear stressed in front of your customers and this staff really were. There were several people serving randomly and there was no system. It wasn't even particularly busy when we went!

I would definitely recommend this bar to anyone. The burgers and pizzas look amazing, and part of me wishes that I'd have had that instead! The food isn't expensive at all compared to a lot of other places in Notts city centre.

Pan Asian BBQ, Nottingham

It’s been a long time coming but finally I’m taking the pressure off Hannah and writing a blog entry myself.

Fairly recently, a new restaurant opened up on Upper Parliament Street under the name of Pan Asian BBQ. As soon as I saw the name, I knew this was somewhere I wanted to eat. It took us a while to get round to it, but we eventually went.

You walk in Pan Asia and are greeted by welcoming staff who sit you down quickly. The décor is extremely fitting for the theme of the restaurant but doesn’t feel cheap or tacky. Each table has a circular metal disk in the centre which houses the BBQ (sadly this was not on during the time we went).

Shortly after entering you are handed a menu. At first look, the menu can seem daunting, especially if you are unaccustomed to East Asian food. Staff are friendly and can offer excellent suggestions for those who are struggling.

We quickly ordered our drinks, both choosing iced tea, and continued to look at the menu. We finally settled on our choices and placed our order.

To start with we went for Japanese Starter Selection; this was meant for two and consisted of 2 tempura prawns, 4 satay chicken skewers, a cup of miso soup, 4 samosas, 4 vegetable spring rolls and 2 gyozas. There was very little I could fault about the platter and a lot I could praise. The satay sauce is one the best satays I have had and is something that I would definitely go back for. Gyozas were tasty and exactly what I was expecting. I would recommend this starter, especially for those who are a little nervous when looking at the menu.

I had then chosen the Korean Kimchi Beef Hotpot. This came with a side of rice and was absolutely delicious. Within the pot were strips of beef, tofu, mushrooms and kimchi cabbage – this was then topped with a fried egg. All of this was surrounded by a delicious soup that took a lot of its flavouring from the kimchi. I found this spot on, not too hot but a really nice heat running through the entire meal. Subsequently to our first visit, we took some friends to Pan Asia, two of whom chose the Kimchi Beef Hotpot on my recommendation and both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hannah chose a vegetarian option from the menu. This was from the Big Bowl Noodle Soup section of the menu and consisted of large udon noodles and sweet tofu submerged in miso soup broth. This sweet tofu was delicious and we could have only wanted more. The stock used for the soup was overly salty, especially for the amount that had been given. This dish was definitely missing something. If this was to be ordered again I would recommend an accompanying dish to be ordered simply to give a change in texture and flavour.

As I’ve said throughout this review, I was really happy with Pan Asian BBQ and went with some other friends shortly after our first visit, we were all delighted with our choices once again. It is definitely a restaurant that has joined our ‘go to’ list when we are struggling to decide! It is a refreshing change to go to an Asian restaurant that isn’t an all you can eat.

The Orange Tree, Nottingham

I went out for dinner on Saturday to The Orange Tree on Shakespeare Street, which we'd had drinks at before. Unfortunately they stop serving food at 7pm on a Saturday, so there was a bit of a panic and some people were unable to eat there.

Luckily, my friend was able to order for me! I decided to go for southern fried chicken, which came with chips and was meant to come with smoky beans too but they'd run out of them. My meal came with coleslaw instead, which was also tasty.

So when the meal came out, I originally thought that there didn't look like much food. I was very much mistaken! The chicken was absolutely delicious. Not too spicy and gorgeously crunchy, the chicken itself wasn't dry at all and very enjoyable to eat. I love the chips at TOT! They're hand-cut and wonderfully chunky. Definitely recommend going there for the chips alone! The coleslaw that came with my meal was also delicious and tasted as though it was homemade. It had quite a strong taste of onion and it was all I could taste once I'd finished my meal!

The southern fried chicken was only £8.50, and that was one of the more-expensive meals! I don't think The Orange Tree is too expensive at all. It also serves a wide range of drinks and food. There will be something for everyone there! Delicious pub food :)

For more information about The Orange Tree, please visit http://www.orangetree.co.uk/nottingham/ or call 0115 9473239.

Navigation Inn Burger Bar - Nottingham

I thought it only fitting to recommence the A Taste Of Nottingham blog with this post! So the last post was from September, (even if it was only posted the other day)! As you may know, Annie has made the very-clever decision to move her burger shack to the Lace Market area of Nottingham, which means that The Navigation Inn doesn't have Annie's burgers in any more. It was one of my friends' birthday a couple of weeks ago, and she was hoping to get a table at Annie's new burger shack! Unfortunately, this restaurant is extremely popular and is always fully booked! Because there were so many of us, we'd have to book a table.

Long story short, we ended up booking a table at the Nav instead. I think they're making the most of the fame they'd found by hosting Annie's, so are serving some burgers too in their Burger Bar. Some of them are suspiciously similar to Annie's too...

When we went, they had a temporary menu and, usefully, the burger that I had isn't on the new, permanent menu! The Navigation Inn still offers vegan, veggie and meaty burgers, with some chicken and fish options too. We'd booked a table for the 10+ of us, and we preordered our food. We didn't have to wait long at all for the burgers to be brought out! I decided to go for an Italian style burger, called "The Soprano Burger". It was a beef burger topped with pasata, spinach, pancetta and mozzarella cheese. Yum! I opted for curly fries on the side. The burger also came with a gherkin and coleslaw. Delicious!

So this burger wasn't the beastliest of burgers, but I was definitely full by the time I'd finished it! The pasata gave the burger a delicious texture, not that the burger was dry at all. The recipe for the burger isn't as good as Annie's, but I may be slightly biased! My burger was only £8.50, which is a significant price difference to Annie's. I like that you have the choice of sides with your burger and the addition of coleslaw was a nice touch. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone, and the owner was nice enough to give us 10% off vouchers for the next time we go in!

For more information about The Navigation Inn, please go to http://www.thenavinn.com/ You can also call  0115 8371930 or email info@thenavinn.com

Annie's Burger Shack, Nottingham

**Please note that this review is from September!! Written but not posted... Oops!**

When my friends came to Nottingham to visit me on the weekend after my birthday, I knew the perfect place to take them before we went on a night out! Annie's Burger Shack is located in the Navigation Inn on Wilford Street. It's out of the centre of town but, after a bit of googling, it's not too difficult to find.

We went on a Saturday and it was very busy! It also got quite loud, but we were able to move tables. There are also tables outside, by the canal, which would be lovely in the summer. I would also recommend booking a table if you're planning to go to ABS at the weekend.

There are so many burgers to choose from on the menu. The first time I went here, my friend and I perused the menu at home so we had an idea what we wanted before we turned up at the restaurant.

I chose to have the Boston Nibbler, although I didn't brave two burgers and just had the one (£10.90).

This is how the Boston Nibbler is described on the menu:

"Double the burgers, swiss and cheddar cheese, two slices of bacon, two onion rings, topped with American style burger sauce, grilled pineapple and garnish on top, along with lettuce, tomato and mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Comes with curly fries, skinny fries or homemade wedges. Choose meaty, veggie or vegan."

Quite intimidating! I was so glad that I asked to have just one burger as I definitely would have exploded. The burgers themselves are homemade and have a lovely red colour due to tomatoes that they use in the patties. The bun was nicely toasted and went well with the burger. This was definitely a K'n'F job as I don't think it's possible to pick it up! It's a very tasty burger, and the curly fries were also delicious. The sweetness of the pineapple complimented the rest of the burger nicely and the "American-style" burger sauce was very tasty!

The Soulville Steakhouse, Nottingham

We've been slacking on posts lately, sorry! Time to catch up :)

As a birthday treat, Mario took me to The Soulville Steakhouse, which is located on Queen Street, very close to Market Square. We'd seen the menu before and had tried to go but it had always been full! We made sure to book a table as we definitely wanted to go for my birthday!

The décor to the restaurant is amazing! Full of photos and portaits of Motown and Soul singers with a functioning jukebox in the corner so you can select your favourite tracks!

The menu does have more to offer than steak, but we decided we couldn't go to a steakhouse and not have steak! There was a handy info-sheet explaining the different cuts of meat etc.

Mario decided to have a 14oz T-Bone steak with mashed potato (£19.95) and Jack Daniels sauce (£1.95) on the side.

The steak was huge, as you can see, and it came with a mountain of mashed potato! He asked for his steak to be cooked medium-rare and it was cooked perfectly. It was still pink in the middle and the meat was very tender. The steak came with an onion ring, mushrooms and a side salad. The mashed potato was very smooth with a lovely and rich, buttery taste. For me, the potato was too rich, but Mario didn't have any complaints!

I chose the 6oz fillet steak with chips (£16.95) and a red wine gravy with caramelised red onion and smoked bacon (£1.95).

My steak doesn't look as impressive as Mario's but believe me, it was just as delicious! I also asked to have mine cooked medium-rare and my steak was a gorgeous pink colour inside. The meat was so tender and absolutely delicious! Words cannot describe how good it was. The chips were very tasty, but they weren't as delicious as Mario's mashed potato! The gravy was the most delicious part of the meal I think. It complimented my steak perfectly and also went really well with the chips.

We were too full to have a dessert each, but after perusing the dessert menu, we decided we couldn't go without trying the toffee crunch pie! It is a chocolate flavoured pastry with a sticky white chocolate fudge filling, topped with crunchy dime bar pieces, and it's served with fresh cream, although I asked it to be served with vanilla ice cream. (£3.95)

Look at how pretty it is!! The presentation was very impressive, drizzled with chocolate sauce and toffee sauce. The pie itself was very tasty and very sweet! It's definitely not the dessert for you unless you have a sweet tooth. I felt like the ice cream went well with the sweetness of the pie as it didn't add to it at all, even with all the sauce.

We would definitely recommend this restaurant to meat eaters, although there are vegetarian options available. I would advise you to book a table though to save disappointment. Call 0115 941 2014 for a table or visit the website at http://www.thesoulvillesteakhouse.com/ for more information :)

Spanky Van Dykes, Nottingham

Yeah we went back... We enjoyed it so much the first time we went (see the review here), that we went back when my sister visited! Of course we didn't get the same thing again so it is a different review! We went to Spanky's on a Thursday this time so no 2-4-1 offer :( Please see our other review if you'd like more information on the restaurant itself and its staff!

My sister, Charlotte, chose to have "The Hippy" burger (£4.95), which is a spicy spinach and lentil burger with hummus.

This burger was very tasty but it wasn't as spicy as Charlotte thought it would be. She also says that it was impossible to pick up, a definitely knife 'n' fork job, due to the fact that the burger just fell apart. The hummus was a lovely addition to the burger and the chips were tasty, just a little too greasy.

Mario and I decided to have a sandwich this time as, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life! All of the sandwiches are served with Spanky's handmade chips. Mario chose to have a NY Deli sandwich (£5.50), which was filled with pastrami, sauerkraut, emmental cheese and "dressing".

This sandwich was delicious and had a tangy tomato relish.  The variety of meats were delicious and were truly enhanced by the sauerkraut. An addition of American mustard really made this sandwich that bit tastier.

I decided to go for the American Swiss sandwich (£5.50) which was a BLT with added CC (chicken and cheese), and how can you go wrong with a BLTCC?!

So the BLT is my favourite sandwich and this was no disappointment. The bacon was smoked beautifully and the chicken was delicious, not dry at all. The emmental cheese added a creamy element. The tomato was a lovely flavour and the lettuce added a gorgeous crunch. With a little mayonnaise, this sandwich soared! I was disappointed with this chips this time. They weren't as crispy as I remembered them to be and were even soggy, but that may have just been my poor memory!

Once again, this restaurant is a great place to eat!! We would definitely recommend it. See our other blog post for more information about this great place :)

Marrakesh, Nottingham

Our flatmate had gone to Marrakesh and had told us of the great feast he'd had there, so Mario and I naturally had to try it out! We decided to go at lunchtime, as we were ravenous! We weren't quite prepared for how much food there was going to be!

Marrakesh is a restaurant located just off of Market Square on Chapel Bar, opposite Las Iguanas. It is easy to get to by foot, tram and bus and is a great location. The restaurant, as you may have guessed, specialises in Lebanese Moroccan food. The restaurant is decorated to suit the style of the food that is served. It is dark and has an exotic feel to it. Moroccan-style music plays in the background as you enjoy the food.

There is both a main menu and a lunchtime menu. The "platter" we'd been told about was on the evening menu and was £15.50 per person. The price really isn't bad for the amount of food you have!!

Mario opted to have a green tea. We were both disappointed when we received the tea. £3.50 for a teabag in a cup of water. If you're paying that price, you should at least have loose leaf and a teapot. I had a mint tea, which did come in a small teapot and had fresh mint leaves in. The tea was lovely and refresh and cost £2.50.

I'll do my best not to waffle on too much about the individual dishes that we had because there were so many! I'll try to give an overall summary of each photo. When we looked at the menu, we thought we'd get maybe a platter with a small selection of each of the mentioned dishes on, we were very wrong!! The dishes we received with the mezze were slightly different to what the menu states, but it was still delicious!

The first things we were brought out were the cold mezze. On the left are vine leaves stuffed with rice, lemon juice and olive oil. In the centre, at the bottom, is hummus, which is chick peas blended with tahina, lemon juice and an olive oil dressing. The dish to the right is Tabbouleh which is freshly chopped parsley, cracked wheat, fresh mint, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, red sweet peppers with a lemon and olive oil dressing  The dish at the back is Baba Gannough, which is roughly chopped, grilled aubergine, mixed with tahina, garlic, fresh lemon juice, olive oil and topped with pomegranate seeds. These dishes were served with a basket of pitta breads.

  

These dishes were all amazing. The vine leaves were delicious and the hummus was very rich. The tabbouleh was very flavourful and the herb taste was very refreshing. My favourite out of the four was the Baba Gannough. I could have eaten that all day! The pomegranate added such a sweet and light taste to the aubergine and it complimented it perfectly. The pitta breads were also delicious and warm.

We next received two plates with a selection of warm mezze. These pieces were not explained to us, as the dishes above were, so one of them I can't name, sorry!! These plates had falafel, which is fried broad beans and chickpeas with a selection of herbs, cheese samboussek which is feta cheese and spinach in a fried pastry. There was also lamb samboussek, which was the same pastry as the cheese one, but with lamb and herbs instead. The other, which is on the bottom left of the plate, is the one I can't name! It was minced lamb with herbs and had a strong nutmeg flavour to it.  

This plate was very tasty. The falafel was nice, but it's not the best falafel that Mario and I have had. I loved the cheese samboussek! It tasted divine and reminded me of a cheese and spinach pie that I'd had in Corfu a few years ago. The lamb samboussek was also very tasty. The lamb was nicely seasoned and the herbs didn't overpower the intense flavour of the lamb, and the pastry was lovely and crisp. The "unknown" lamb was also tasty but I feel that the nutmeg flavour overpowered the taste of the lamb a little bit.

Next came out three plates of more warm mezze! I was so surprised that we were getting so much food - the table definitely wasn't big enough and we were sat on a table for four! At the top of the picture are chicken wings that were marinated in fresh ginger, herbs and lemon. The middle plate is Arayes, which is minced lamb with parsley on Lebanese bread. The bottom plate is Batata Harrah, which are sautéed cubes of potato with red and green peppers, coriander, garlic, chilli and olive oil.

The chicken wings were really tasty and well marinated. The lemon really complimented the ginger, which added a slight kick to the chicken wings. The arayes, we thought, weren't anything special. I would explain them to be like a Moroccan quesadilla but it was a little... plain tasting! The top Arayes was crisp, but the others were a little soggy as they cooled. The potatoes were delicious! They were slightly spicy but not too overpowering. They were a lovely texture to the potatoes and they were wonderfully seasoned.

Just when we thought the meal was over, the plates were cleared and we were discussing payment, yet another plate was brought out!! Pudding! YAY! Pudding consisted on 5 pieces of baklava, or 5 different variations of it. Once again, it isn't on the menu so I can't tell you exactly what's what!

One of the bite-sized mouthfuls was chocolate, but the others tasted of really delicious baklava. The giant mound of cream in the middle was a little overwhelming but I think it was more for decoration.

We would definitely recommend this restaurant if you fancy something a little different. The food was really delicious and the mezze was a good idea if you're not sure what food to choose! I also liked it because I've not eaten a lot of Moroccan or Lebanese food before so I got to have a taster of a lot of different dishes.  

Turtle Bay, Nottingham

Turtle Bay is a Caribbean restaurant which is located in Corner House, close to Victoria Centre and Nottingham city centre.

Their website describes themselves as being "perfect for a big night-out, a quiet dinner for two, lunch with work-mates, somewhere to dump all those shopping bags or just somewhere to break the journey home" and I would agree with them! Turtle Bay offers "Happy Hour" everyday from 127pm and then another one from 10pm-close, so it's a great place to go if you fancy a night out.

Mario and I went to Turtle Bay for lunch a couple of weeks ago (I know, I'm so behind on writing on here!) We'd been before and loved it so had to go back.

We love the drinks here! They're a little pricey at £3.45 a go, but the "Caribbean softs" are all made on site, so it's kind of a novelty! Mario opted to have a ginger beer.

 The menu says that this ginger beer is homemade, like I've already stated, and it's made with spiced pepper, cloves and fresh lime. You get a huge bottle of the drink! The problem is that it's difficult to mix the drink in the bottle, as it's fizzy, so it gets more concentrated as you get through the bottle. Towards the end, Mario said that it was a little too hot (spice-wise) for him and had to dilute it with some tap water, that we'd also ordered.

I decided to have the Passion Fruit Cooler (also £3.45) which contains fresh passion fruit and orange.

This drink was delicious and I love that the passion fruit seeds were still in the drink as it added a nice crunch as you drank it. I think the drinks are a little over priced for what they are, but it's nice to treat yourself to one with your meal and we always ask for a jug of tap-water too so our expensive drinks last longer!

Onto the food! Our food arrived so quickly after we ordered it! The menu does offer a lunchtime offer which are "perfect for lunch or early supper" and these are priced at £6.45 per plate. Mario and I were hungry so decided to go the whole shebang! Mario had the jerk ribs (£9.85).

These ribs are grilled pork ribs, marinated in a honey BBQ glaze with a sour orange chutney. These are served with Turtle Bay's Caribbean 'slaw and either sweet potato fries or rice 'n' peas. As you can see, Mario opted for the rice instead of the fries. When the waiter brought the plate over, the said that this was the biggest plate of ribs he'd seen all day! It was large! The ribs were delicious but we did feel that they were a little drier than we're used to. We think a dry spice mix was used to flavour the ribs instead of a sauce. I think that some sauce  would have been nice, especially with the rice 'n' peas, which were delicious! The spice mix wasn't too spicy at all and on the table there is a selection of sauces for you to use. The coleslaw was also very tasty and had a strong taste of parsley, which was very refreshing.

I went for the Sunny Burger (£9.60), as I do love a good burger!

The sunny burger is a seasoned beef burger with cheese, jerk glaze, salad and pineapple in a toasted bun. This burger is served with their Caribbean 'slaw and sweet potato fries. The burger was very well seasoned and had a great taste to it. The pineapple added a pleasant sweetness to the burger and I was surprised to discover that it wasn't too spicy at all. The burger was enhanced with the addition of some jerk BBQ sauce but was also very tasty by itself. The chips are literally the best thing ever. They are so delicious and because they're sweet potato, it means they're healthy ;) (just kidding!) They are light and crisp and perfectly seasoned. I could eat them all day!! I've already described the slaw above :)

Overall, Mario and I would definitely recommend this place! The staff are friendly and there is a definite relaxed atmosphere to the restaurant. The food is delicious, as are the drinks. We've never tried the alcoholic cocktails, but they look very impressive! During Happy Hour, they're 2-4-1 as well (if they're the same type of cocktail, served together) and there's a selection of 20 cocktails to choose from!

If you wish to book a table, which is recommended if you're going in the evening, call 0115 9475600 or visit http://www.turtlebay.co.uk/booking :)

Las Iguanas, Nottingham

Las Iguanas is a lovely restaurant which can be found close to Fat Cats, near Market Square but also easily reached from Upper Parliament Street. This restaurant serves a wonderful mix of Latin American cuisine and has a great atmosphere! Lively Latino music plays in the background and gets you in a festival mood while the friendly serving staff make you feel comfortable and at ease. It's the perfect place to go after a busy week at work.

Mario ordered a mojito (£6.70) which is white rum over crushed ice, mint, sugar, fresh lime juice and soda. This was a lovely, refreshing-tasting drink which didn't have an overpowering rum-taste although Mario felt as though there wasn't enough mint in the drink.

I chose to drink a glass of the white wine punch (£3.90) which was a little like a sangria. White wine and gin with passion fruit syrup, peach, and apple juice. I loved this drink and thought it tasted quite like grapefruit. I was worried that it would be too sweet so I was pleasantly surprised.

For the starter, I opted to have calamares (£5.40) which, for those of you who don't know, are whole baby squids. 

These were served with a deliciously creamy aioli. These squid were amazing. Beautifully seasoned, these squid were crisp and not rubbery at all. These are not for the squeamish as there were quite a few sets of tentacles! I thought they were a little greasy but the aioli was a lovely accompaniment. 

Mario had the "spectacular" fish taco (5.60). 

The battered fish pieces were placed on soft tortillas and were topped with corn and sweet chilli salsa. These too were delicious. The fish wasn't too greasy, was well seasoned and didn't have too much batter on. The fish itself was flavourful and cooked to flaky perfection. The salsa added just enough spice to the taco but it wasn't too overpowering. Mario wishes that he had had this as a main as he thought it was amazing!

For my main course choice, I decided to be brave and choose the apparent "proud national dish of Brazil", named Feijoada de Puerco (£12.50).

This dish is a stew of braised beef, smoked pork chorizo, pork shoulder, red pepper and black beans in red wine. This delicious stew is served with spring onion, garlic and coriander rice, seasonal greens, orange wedges and a sprinkle of coconut. Oh my goodness, I want to marry this meal. The stew is so full of flavour and is complimented by the lightly flavoured rice. The sauce is quite rich and it became a little too much towards the end of the meal. The coconut on the stew went surprisingly well with the stew. The greens were cooked so there was still a little bite to them.

Mario chose to have the Churrasco Fiasco from the "barbacoa", which are essentially kebabs. He decided to have the steak, red onion and peppers churrasco, in a paprika and cumin marinade (£13.90) although there is an option to have chicken instead.

These kebabs are flame-grilled and served with a honey peri-peri sauce, salad and cassava fries. These kebabs are made up of rump steak which has been glazed in honey. The kebabs themselves were very tasty although Mario felt as though they were a little over-cooked. The meat was a bit dry and chewy, which took away from the tasty glaze. The salad was lightly dressed and was a very tasty side. The chips, however, were absolutely amazing and it's a shame this dish only came with a couple of them, although any more would have been too much to eat! 

This meal was lovely and enjoyable. Our experienced was enhanced by the friendly and attentive staff and also by the lively, carnival-feel that the background music gave. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys food from Latin America! To book a table, call 0115 9596390 or online at http://www.iguanas.co.uk/book-now/nottingham 

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!

Fat Cat Café Bar, Nottingham

On Thursday, which has become "date night" for Mario and myself, we decided to go to Fat Cat Café Bar, which is also a chain found in many cities in the UK. Located in the Chapel quarter of Nottingham, Fat Cat's is easily accessed by both bus, as it is close to Upper Parliament Street, and foot as is very close to Market Square.

Thursday is Ladies' Night in Fat Cat's whereby you can have two courses and a cocktail all for £11.95, not too shabby at all! Sunday to Thursday every week brings an offer os two courses for £12.45 from the standard menu. Outside was full once again due to the hot weather, so Mario and myself decided to sit inside, which was dimly lit for "ambience", one may assume.

We ordered a bottle of the house white, well one of the bottles as there was a selection of four. We opted for the Santo Isidro (£15.95) was was quite pleasant tasting and not too dry. Mario chose from the "Ladies' Night" menu therefore got a cocktail of his choice, which was an Amaretto Sours.

Mario is a big fan of Amaretto Sours ever since trying them in Coco Lounge a couple of years ago. He says that the Fat Cat's version wasn't the best he's ever had, but still a lot better than some of the attempts. He felt that this cocktail wasn't sour enough and didn't taste fresh enough for him.

The Ladies' Night menu has a different selection of meals from the normal menu, and he chose to have a Greek salad (£4.50) for his starter.

The salad was delicious and was exactly what it said on the tin. The addition of spinach to the salad was pleasant and the whole salad had a lovely fresh taste thanks to the mint that was in the salad dressing. The olives were delectable (although not as good as Jamie's Italians!) and the feta was wonderfully light and crumbly.

From the standard menu, I chose to do the two courses for £12.45. This meant that all items that have a star next to them on the menu are included in this offer. For my starter, I chose to have whitebait (£4.50).

I love that the fish was served in "newspaper" and I think that it added a nice touch to the presentation. I was surprised by the amount of fish you receive with this starter; I didn't think it was ever going to end! The whitebait was served with a garlic and lime mayonnaise, which was a lovely accompaniment to the crisp fish and fresh-tasting salad.

For his main course, Mario chose to have the steak burger (£7.45), which came with Cajun fries.

This course was very disappointing for a number of reasons. Firstly, the chips were a little too much like McDonald's chips, although the seasoning was very tasty. Secondly, the burger had been over-seasoned. Rosemary had been used in the burger, which is usually a delicious herb to use, but it was overpowering in this burger and we couldn't taste the actual meat at all. The actual burger was horribly dry and the bun was also chewy and tasted defrosted. One redeeming factor was the coleslaw, which was very tasty and full of flavour.

I decided to have fish and chips (£7.95) for my main course, which is served with chunky chips, mushy peas and homemade tartare sauce.

Once again, my fish was served in "newspaper", which was a lovely way to present the food. Contrary to the disappointing burger, my fish and chips were wonderful! The chips were perfectly cooked: crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The mushy peas were a little dry for me, although Mario claims they were fine (I'm from the south therefore mushy peas are still a new "thing" to me!) but there was a minty taste to the peas which was lovely. The fish was lovely and flaky and the batter was so crisp. One thing I did like about it is that there wasn't too much batter on the fish and it wasn't too greasy. 

The meal came to £40.35 which was reasonable for the amount of food we received and we left feeling very full! Although there were some negative aspects to the meal, the staff were very engaging and friendly and the atmosphere was good.

To book a table, call 0115 947 5044 or book online

Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian is a restaurant owned by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and has several locations all over the country. It is also where we chose to write our first review on the new blog! The Nottingham restaurant is located near the Broadmarsh shopping centre on Low Pavement so it is in the city centre. The restaurant is in a great location and can easily be accessed by tram and bus, parking is available nearby, and it also isn't far from Nottingham station.

I Love NC

When we went to Jamie's Italian, it was a beautiful summer's Thursday evening. We were told that we could be seated immediately inside or if we wished to sit outside, we would have a 20-minute wait. We opted for inside and we were soon perusing the menu in the comfortable surroundings.

Andy Thornton

The staff were very friendly and the restaurant doesn't have a formal air about it. The waiters are quite chatty and willing to serve as we were offered some water and we ordered a bottle of the house white wine (£16.90). The specials were quickly listed to us and it was difficult to remember what each of them were, but they were written on blackboards located around the restaurant.

The menu explains that Jamie's Italian wine is made from Sicilian grapes, is shipped in eco-friendly Tetra-Pak cartons and it is then decanted into a carafe which can hold up to 1 litre. The white wine is very nice and refreshing, especially in the summer months, with notes of peach and floral tones. This is not a dry white wine and it's not too sweet either.

We ordered some "World's Best Olives on Ice" (£3.75) and the Italian bread selection (£3.75). It was a long wait before we received these items but it was worth the wait. 

The olives were served on ice, as suggested in the menu, along with some olive tapenade and "music bread". These were some of the best olives we'd ever tasted and asked the waiter about them, who was extremely knowledgeable about the food he was serving us. These delicious, bright green olives are called mammoth olives grown in a town called Castelvetrano in Sicily, Italy. Wikipedia claims they are this bright green colour as they are picked "at the right time". Unlike many olives, these olives were not bitter at all and tasted extremely fresh. These olives were truly delicious and we wouldn't pay a visit to Jamie's without ordering them again. 

The Italian bread selection consisted of rosemary focaccia, sourdough bread, crispy "music bread", ciabatta and tortano which were all made in their bakery. These breads were served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Although the breads were very tasty and the variety of breads means that you may try some bread that you hadn't previously tried, it wasn't anything new or life-changing.

For mains, Mario ordered one of the specials: sirloin steak marinated in garlic, chilli, parsley and some lemon zest served with chunky chips and coleslaw made with yoghurt (£15.95). 

Mario selected the option of having the steak cooked "chef's choice", which turned out to be rare. The steak was deliciously juicy and he thoroughly enjoyed the garlicky-taste on the steak, which was consistent throughout. He didn't feel the need to season his meal at all. The chips were really crispy and tasty and he says they were "fried to perfection". The coleslaw was nothing special but was a lovely refreshing side to the meat. Along with his steak, Mario ordered a glass of the house red (£4.70). This wine has strong fruity flavours and was a lovely accompaniment to the meat. 

I ordered one of the specials as well, which was described as an "amazing homemade meatball on a bed of oozy polenta with flash greens". (£11.95)

The beef meatball was very tasty and not dry at all. The meat wasn't too finely ground so it wasn't mushy like some meatballs are. The meatball was in a tomato sauce which was sweet with a bit of a chilli-kick, although that could have been from the vegetables. The vegetables consisted on cabbage and courgette interspersed with some chilli for added flavour. The chilli wasn't too hot or overpowering and the veggies were cooked well and still had bite to them. I was worried after I ordered this meal as I'd not had positive experiences with polenta in the past. I was pleasantly surprised as this polenta was very tasty! It was well seasoned and went very well with the rest of the meal. I can't say I was pleased that it was described as "oozy" on the specials board and if I'd have known that before ordering, I may not have ordered it! That could just be because I hate the word though...

Next came dessert and although we were both full, we still managed to find a bit of space for pudding.

Mario ordered the raspberry frangipane (£4.95) which was served with crème fraîche ice cream and a thin berry coulis.

The dessert was a light, crispy shortcrust pastry base with a delicious almondy-frangipane filling dotted with caramelised raspberries over the top. It had a strong taste of almonds which was complimented by the raspberries. The crème fraîche ice cream was a refreshing change from the standard vanilla and it was a nice-sized dessert to finish off the meal.

I ordered the ice creams which consisted of 3 scoops of whichever flavours you choose from the variety they have available on the day topped by a choice of 4 toppings. (£4.95) There was a diverse mix of flavours to choose from and I selected vanilla, panettone and honeycomb topped by crushed honeycomb and butterscotch sauce.

Usually when I have ice cream for dessert, I select vanilla. Not only is it my favourite flavour but you can usually tell the standard of ice cream by how good the vanilla is, and I was not disappointed. Although it wasn't dotted with vanilla seeds, the flavour of the ice cream was very tasty and powerful. It was difficult to taste the honeycomb ice cream due to the toppings I had selected but the crunchy crumbled honeycomb had a lovely level of bite and wasn't too sticky. The panettone ice cream was extremely delicious. As Mario said: it tasted exactly like cake. There was glacé cherries and raisins in the ice cream which added to the authenticity of the flavour.

The meal came to £66.90 which we felt was a reasonable price that reflected the quality of food that we had enjoyed. Service charge is not included in the total unless there is more than 6 in your party, then a 10% tip will be added to the bill.

To book a table, call 0115 822 1421 or book online at http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/nottingham .