Sawley, International Restaurant Guide

“What a stunner” – this “hidden gem in an old brick building on an unlikely side street” near the M1 serves “fabulous, beautifully composed” dishes in a “slightly playful style – a simple description defies the complexity of the cooking” – from chef-patron Nick Gillespie which “rivals and beats better-known names”. His very individual meals are complemented by an “extraordinary drinks list” and an interior which mixes untreated oak table tops with black granite.

2024 Review: “Always a real treat to visit” – this well-established local institution is to be found near the castle in the atmospheric surrounds of the seventeenth century Newdigate House (also home to networking haunt the Nottingham Club), and – especially in summer when its terrace comes into its own – provides “a calm escape from the city streets”. Its rather ambitious food has proved “consistently good” over many years (and even “fabulous” on a good night) and reports this year suggest that it has attained a more consistent standard of late.

A tapas veteran that has set a “consistently high standard for many years” in the Lace Market, with a “great variety of lovely dishes” (some with international influences) on its menu. It has a “special atmosphere under its vaulted ceiling” too, which it owes to its intriguing location inside a 15th-century gaol (‘Shire Hall’).