Harden's survey result
Summary
Near the castle – and with a courtyard garden – this locally famous venue owes its “quite formal but elegant” premises to ‘The Nottingham Club’ which it partly inhabits (a private members’ club for men and women of the local professional and business community). The food has tended to split opinion in the past but this year was deemed “very inventive” to “exceptional” (albeit “quite expensive”).
Summary
“A stalwart of the Nottingham restaurant scene” near the castle, whose “clubby setting” owes much to the intriguing seventeenth century building and courtyard garden which it shares with The Nottingham Club. Its ambitious contemporary cuisine has always tended to divide opinion – exceptional to its fans but “somewhat overpriced and bland” to its foes (with the latter a bit more in evidence last year).
Summary
“A stalwart of the Nottingham restaurant scene” near the castle, whose “clubby setting” owes much to the intriguing seventeenth century building and courtyard garden which it shares with The Nottingham Club. Its ambitious contemporary cuisine has always tended to divide opinion – exceptional to its fans but “somewhat overpriced and bland” to its foes (with the latter a bit more in evidence this year).
Summary
This “quirky” venue (very popular locally), which shares a 17th-century townhouse and its courtyard garden with The Nottingham Club (and has something of an old-fashioned sports pavilion vibe), scores consistently well for its “fantastic food” – much of it inspired by Far Eastern flavours – “excellent cocktails and a varied wine list”.
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at World Service?
Restaurant details
World Service Restaurant Diner Reviews

"This restaurant has outlived its rivals. It can be noisy at times at weekends but the food remains of high quality"

"After a dip, back to its best."
Prices
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Wine per bottle | £24.00 |
Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
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Service | 12.50% |
Newdigate Hs, Castlegate, Nottingham, NG1 6AF
Opening hours
Monday | CLOSED |
Tuesday | CLOSED |
Wednesday | 6 pm‑9 pm |
Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
Sunday | 12 pm‑4 pm |
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