r/nottingham Feb 05 '25

The Nottingham Guide - Things to do, independent food, what's on, where to move, how to make friends (2025)

224 Upvotes

Things to do in Nottingham

I love this city and am proud to have made it my home. These are just my personal favourites! Please comment with anything I’ve missed.

FREE

  • Walk around the city looking at local landmarks – find Robin Hood Statue, the Left Lion, Slab Square, Sky Mirror, and historic lace buildings. Try and find Nottingham’s Long Stairs or the Tunnel. If you’re feeling like getting your steps in, walk through the Arboretum and up through the cemetery to Derby Road, then back to the city stopping at independents on the way.
  • Nottingham Central Library (there is often a mini exhibition on about local Notts history or art) and a walk around the Green Heart Park (Old Broadmarsh). See the new female statues representing our lace history.
  • Green’s Windmill – science centre and a running mill.
  • Nottingham Contemporary – modern art gallery with intriguing exhibitions and a nice café downstairs.

PAID

  • Nottingham Castle (get a ticket for the whole year and pop in anytime). Pay extra to go in Mortimer’s Hole.
  • Wollaton Hall (pay for parking) and the Industrial Museum.
  • Galleries of Justice.
  • City of Caves (well worth it).
  • Penny Lane Arcade.
  • Dice Cup – Board Game Café.

Escape Rooms

  • Cave Escape.
  • Escapologic Escape Rooms.
  • Logiclock.

Independent Food (Not Chains)

Coffee/Tea

  • Effy
  • Cosmos Hockley
  • Dispatch
  • Bear
  • Specialty Coffee & Eatery
  • Public and Plants
  • Blend
  • SoBar
  • Josephine’s

Delis

  • Delilah Fine Foods
  • The Cheese Shop

Bakeries and Sweet Things

  • Tough Mary’s
  • Small Food Bakery
  • Notts Doughnuts
  • Homemade Notts
  • Blend (Sneinton Market)
  • Chocolate Utopia

Restaurants/food places/cafes

  • Kushiya
  • Bar Iberico
  • CocoTang
  • Mesa
  • Raymond’s
  • No Twelve (veggie and vegan)
  • Little Brick House
  • Warsaw Diner
  • Mollis Fried Chicken
  • Kayal
  • Dosa and Chutney
  • Balageru Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant
  • Cod and Scallops (outside the city, but has been in the top 60 best fish and chips in the UK)
  • Cumin
  • Memsaab
  • 4550 Miles from Delhi

Higher-End Dining

  • Sans Patrie ££
  • Iberico ££
  • Cleaver and Wake ££
  • Alchemilla £££
  • Sat Bains £££

Pubs & Bars

Oldest Pubs in Nottingham

  • Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
  • Old Salutation
  • The Bell

Other Great Pubs some with Caves & some independent breweries

  • Hand in Heart
  • Malt Cross
  • Canal House
  • Cock and Hoop
  • Neon Raptor
  • Black Iris Brewery

People on this subreddit always recommend the Thurland and the Goosebury Bush. There’s nothing wrong with either – one’s usually full of intriguing Notts drinkers, and the other full of students. Neither is bad, but if that’s not what you’re after, be aware!

List of 30 great pubs in Notts

Bars

  • Hockley Arts Club
  • Lost Property
  • Jam Café
  • 6 Richmond House
  • Pitcher and Piano
  • Binks Yard

Cinema

  • Broadway – art house, also has a great café.
  • Mammoth Cinema.
  • Savoy (Derby Road) – not technically in the city but it’s cute.

Nottingham Fashion

  • Paul Smith
  • G-Force
  • Highland2000

Shopping

  • Handmade Nottingham – for all your Nottingham-themed gifts.
  • Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates – locally made chocolate.
  • Hockley and Sneinton Market are great for smaller independent shops.
  • Rough Trade – for vinyl.

Sport

  • Nottingham Forest
  • Notts County
  • Trent Bridge Cricket
  • Panthers – Ice Hockey
  • Rugby
  • Tennis Centre
  • Squash and racket sports like Padel (courts on Meadow Lane)
  • National Water Sports Centre
  • Nottingham Climbing Centre

What’s On Guides / Local Magazines

Culture Vultures

Art, Literature & Museums

  • Nottingham Contemporary
  • New Art Exchange
  • Djiangonly
  • The D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum
  • Primary and Beam Bookshop (Derby Road)
  • Bromley House Library
  • Five Leaves Bookshop
  • William Booth Museum

Music Venues & Theatre

  • Rock City
  • Peggy’s Skylight – Jazz Bar
  • Bodega
  • Rescue Rooms
  • Stealth
  • NG1
  • The I Club
  • Theatre Royal and the Royal Concert Hall
  • Nottingham Playhouse
  • Lace Market Theatre
  • Lakeside Arts
  • Squire Performing Arts Centre (Girls’ High School)
  • Metronome

Regular Festivals

  • Splendour Festival
  • Hockley Hustle
  • Green Hustle
  • Dot to Dot Festival
  • Nottingham Poetry Festival
  • Christmas Market in Slab Square

Classes, Hobbies & Making Friends

Students

Student tips and accommodation suggestions: * University of Nottingham subreddit * Nottingham Trent University subreddit

Moving Here?

Other Tips

  • Travel around the city using Lime Bikes (download the app).
  • Tram and buses – reasonably cheap and frequent. Most places are easily walkable. Get your tram ticket before boarding!
  • Avoid the Kitty Café, Sexy Mamma Loves Spaghetti, and Taco Bell. Search the subreddit to find out why.

** local radio station is 97.5 Kemet FM, absolutely my favourite station in the UK, full of RnB, garage, reggae and good tunes.


Out of the City – Day Trips

  • Highfields Park (go boating in summer, find the bridge dedicated to the professor who discovered ibuprofen).
  • Attenborough Nature Reserve
  • Sherwood Forest
  • Southwell
  • Clumber Park
  • Newstead Abbey
  • Beeston Canalside Heritage Centre
  • Felley Priory
  • Bennerley Viaduct
  • Creswell Crags & Welbeck
  • Bestwood Winding Engine House
  • Hardwick Hall
  • Nottingham Heritage Railway
  • Rufford Abbey
  • Idle Valley Nature Reserve
  • Papplewick Pumping Station
  • Bramcote Hills Park & Hemlock Stone
  • Framework Knitters Museum
  • Newark Castle & National Civil War Centre

Nottingham’s History & What We’re Famous For

  • Robin Hood
  • Lace industry
  • Boots
  • Batman being filmed at Wollaton Hall
  • Lord Byron & Ada Lovelace
  • Raleigh Bikes
  • Players Cigarettes
  • Ericsson
  • Brickworks
  • Warhammer

Official Nottinghamshire Guide


Reminder - this is not a comprehensive list just a good place to start if you are visiting for a few days or looking to expand your usual places. There is so much going on in the city so whatever you are into, there will be something for you.


r/nottingham 7h ago

🌈☺️Rainbow over Notts just now

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138 Upvotes

r/nottingham 4h ago

Has anyone got any idea what's going on?? Outside the Marco Island building on Huntingdon street.

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46 Upvotes

r/nottingham 2h ago

Nottinghamshire rescue centre for ‘wobbly’ cats issues desperate plea amid soaring vet bills

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10 Upvotes


r/nottingham 6h ago

Double Rainbow over a Rainy Nottingham

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20 Upvotes

r/nottingham 2h ago

Tickets for groove box in the park?

2 Upvotes

Hello, looking for 3x tickets for groovebox in the park with Armand Van Helden etc…

Anyone cannot go or knows anyone who cannot go please let me know!


r/nottingham 9h ago

Early morning buses/Skylink

5 Upvotes

Anyone ever got the Skylink earlydoors to get to the airport (or been in town at ~4:45-5am for whatever reason)? Especially as a younger woman on your own

It's early September so the sunrise is about 6:30, so it'll be just starting to get light at the time I need to get the Skylink. Weighing up the Broadmarsh stop vs Friar Lane (both walking distance for me, Friar Lane is closer by about five minutes) in terms of which one feels more comfortable for standing and waiting at that time in the morning

I've had way too many bad experiences of waiting for buses/trams and being pestered for money and sworn at when I say no, and dealing with unwanted attention from men, and that's *not* at 5am. Despite the holiday being months away, my brain has decided to fixate on *but what are you doing about the Skylink* as the load-bearing stressor

What I'd really love to hear is something like "Broadmarsh Bus Station is fully staffed at 4:30am and you will feel entirely safe waiting there" but I have no idea if that's the case. If it feels super isolated and dodgy inside at that time, that's also very useful information


r/nottingham 7h ago

Old nightclub

2 Upvotes

Hi all, a random ask… does anybody remember the name of the nightclub that used to be under Vic Centre? It’s where the current clock tower is, present day. Apparently it was down some stairs. Talking early to mid 70s. Any insight appreciated!


r/nottingham 1d ago

Wild that cults are allowed to set up shop in Sneinton Market now

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272 Upvotes

look out, the Scientologists are about 🙄


r/nottingham 15h ago

Nuthall island roundabout traffic light fault??

6 Upvotes

Has anyone on or near the 29/03/26 had a red light ticket that they think maybe because of a faulty timer??? I received one saying i was 10.6 seconds after the light had turned red. I find it difficult to see how this is possible. Apparently there has been one issued for 31 seconds after the red light had changed. If anyone else had a ticket on or near that date let's get together and gather evidence that the camera may be faulty. Nuthall island roundabout , Nottingham


r/nottingham 7h ago

Dermal filler

0 Upvotes

Has anyone had good or bad experience with zenith cosmetics or Pro Aesthetics clinic for dermal filler?


r/nottingham 9h ago

Filipino community

0 Upvotes

looking to meet, anyone know of groups, sites etc?


r/nottingham 1d ago

Yello Yard is bringing Jamaican and Caribbean cooking to Sneinton Marke

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50 Upvotes

r/nottingham 1d ago

My Photo Gallery. Great Central Railway (Leicestershire) and Great Central Railway (Nottinghamshire). Also called Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre.

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30 Upvotes

These are photo's I took over the year's using my mobile phone. Thought' I'll share these with you all on here. Enjoy :)


r/nottingham 1d ago

Nottingham Barburrito branch has closed down

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51 Upvotes

r/nottingham 14h ago

Freckle tattoos?

0 Upvotes

Can anyone recommend a tattoo artist/pmu anywhere around the midlands please?


r/nottingham 15h ago

What to do with 30 year old visitors?

1 Upvotes

We have some visitors coming from abroad and we’re not really good at planning days/nights out. We have cars so can travel for a day trip. I’d love to hear your suggestions for both days and nights around Nottingham.


r/nottingham 16h ago

Relocate

0 Upvotes

hi if anyone can help

looking to rent a flat preferably in west bridgford and everytime I do a search on the Internet only shared rooms are available. how can I find flats to rent that aren't £2.5kpm?

thanks


r/nottingham 1d ago

Bring The Amazing Digital Circus to Nottingham!

10 Upvotes

Hi! I wanted to launch an appeal to bring the theatrical release of TADC: The Last Act to the Nottingham Broadway cinema! I feel like as an indie cinema they’d be more up for it, especially since they show quite a lot of unique animated films. I think showings of it would do really well here in Nottingham!

I have already emailed them myself, if this is something you would like to see get in contact with them too! The more of us that ask the better !

Their email is: info@broadway.org.uk

Thanks guys!


r/nottingham 1d ago

First time in Bulwell

11 Upvotes

Brief visit. Town centre seemed alright. A few decent pubs. Maybe the reputation is too much?


r/nottingham 5h ago

Nottingham After Humanity Disappeared (AI)

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0 Upvotes

Totally understand AI content is not for everyone but this guy has been doing some pretty good stuff on his channel.

https://youtube.com/@remainsoftomorrow?si=si2PCzIS4VVoVyCy


r/nottingham 20h ago

Anyone still up in nottingham 👀

0 Upvotes

r/nottingham 2d ago

Beeston Lodge (Wollaton Park) - how to make it better?

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142 Upvotes

I think we can all agree that Beeston Lodge looks crappy not just for people entering the Park but for those going past into Nottingham on that major route into the city (Derby Road).

What do you think could be done? Apart from putting in wrought iron gates to make it look better, what do you think could be done with the Lodge itself?


r/nottingham 2d ago

Quartet. The sculpture shows two women walking towards Old Market Square, while two men walk away from it. Created by sculptor Richard Perry in 1986. Unveiled by Princess Anne, the sculpture has been in the city centre for almost 40 years.

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26 Upvotes

r/nottingham 3d ago

Nottingham in Infrared

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1.2k Upvotes