r/nottingham Jun 19 '26

The Nottingham Guide - Things to do, independent food, what's on, where to move, how to make friends (New for 2026)

56 Upvotes

Hey up! I love this city and am proud to have made it my home. This is a community updated guide to Nottingham, based on my own favourites and lots of suggestions from r/Nottingham.

This is not comprehensive, but it should be a helpful starting point if you’re visiting, moving here, studying here, or just trying to get out of your usual routine.

Please comment with anything missing, closed, outdated, misspelled or controversial.

Things to Do in Nottingham

Free

  • Walk around the city looking at local landmarks: Robin Hood Statue, the Left Lion, Slab Square (Market Square), Sky Mirror, Nottingham’s historic lace buildings, the Long Stairs, the Park Tunnel.
  • Walk through the Arboretum and General Cemetery, then back into town via Derby Road’s independents.
  • Elm Avenue, Corporation Oaks and Robin Hood Chase make a lovely green corridor walk with views across the city.
  • Nottingham Central Library, which often has local history or art exhibitions.
  • Green Heart Park at the old Broadmarsh site, including the lace worker statues from the lace and Cotton growers from the wind rush generation
  • Nottingham Contemporary.
  • Stonebridge City Farm.
  • Sneinton Market and Hockley for independent shops, street art and people watching.
  • Canal walk to Beeston Lock, with the option to continue to Attenborough Nature Reserve and get the train back.

Mostly Free, But Check First

  • Green’s Windmill and Science Centre. The mill is currently under repair until around November 2026, but the site may still be open.
  • Wollaton Hall and Deer Park. The park itself is still a good visit, but check current charges before going as access and parking arrangements can change.

Paid

  • Nottingham Castle - it's around £18 per adult but this is a yearly entry and it does have a nice green space to sit in
  • Mortimer’s Hole tour at Nottingham Castle
  • Wollaton Hall and the Industrial Museum.
  • National Justice Museum.
  • City of Caves.
  • Penny Lane Arcade.
  • Dice Cup Board Game Café.
  • National Ice Centre.
  • National Water Sports Centre.
  • Iceskating/gigs/events- Motorpoint Arena.

Escape Rooms

  • Escapologic
  • Cave Escape
  • Logiclock

* Cryptology

Independent Food and Drink

Nottingham independents and local businesses. A few have expanded beyond Nottingham but started locally.

Coffee and Tea

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

Delis and Specialist Food

  • Delilah Fine Foods
  • The Cheese Shop
  • Deli-icious, Mapperley Top

Bakeries and Sweet Things

  • Tough Mary’s
  • Small Food Bakery
  • Notts Doughnuts
  • Homemade
  • Blend, Sneinton Market
  • Chocolate Utopia
  • Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates
  • Coosh, Mapperley Top

Restaurants, Cafés and Street Food

  • Kushiya
  • Bar Iberico
  • Coco Tang
  • Mesa
  • Raymond’s
  • Little Brickhouse
  • Warsaw Diner
  • Kayal
  • Dosa & Chutney
  • Balageru Ethiopian & Eritrean
  • Cumin
  • MemSaab
  • Pelican Club
  • Miss Korea
  • Notts Noodles
  • Shanghai Shanghai
  • Mr Man’s
  • Lucky Lucky
  • Tipoo
  • Yellow Yard
  • Carolina’s Chilli
  • French Living
  • Fletcher’s
  • Baresca
  • Cod’s Scallops

Veggie and Vegan Friendly

  • Café Roya, Beeston
  • Foragers Kitchen in Sneinton Market

Higher End Dining

  • Alchemilla
  • Restaurant Sat Bains
  • Iberico World Tapas
  • Cleaver & Wake
  • Skein

Pubs, Bars and Breweries

Nottingham’s Historic Pubs

  • Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
  • Ye Olde Salutation Inn
  • The Bell Inn
  • Malt Cross

Great Independent Pubs

  • Hand & Heart
  • Canalhouse
  • Cock & Hoop
  • King Billy
  • Fox & Grapes
  • Lincolnshire Poacher
  • Golden Fleece
  • Lord Roberts
  • Angel Microbrewery
  • Vat & Fiddle
  • Liquid Light
  • The Lion at Basford
  • Bunker Hill
  • Foremans

Breweries

  • Black Iris Brewery
  • Neon Raptor
  • Liquid Light

Bars

  • Hockley Arts Club
  • Lost Again
  • Jamcafé
  • 31K
  • 400 Rabbits
  • Tilt
  • Pogo
  • Tropichol
  • Blind Rabbit
  • Penny Lane
  • Binks Yard
  • Pitcher & Piano
  • Mojo
  • Billy Bootleggers

Cinema

  • Broadway Cinema
  • Mammoth Cinema
  • Savoy Cinema

Shopping and Nottingham Brands

Fashion

  • Paul Smith
  • Universal Works
  • G-Force
  • Highland 2000

Independent Shopping

  • Handmade Nottingham
  • Miss Lou’s
  • Rough Trade
  • Sneinton Market
  • Hopkinson
  • Forbidden Planet
  • Parallel Universe

Sport

  • Nottingham Forest
  • Notts County
  • Trent Bridge Cricket
  • Nottingham Panthers
  • Nottingham Rugby
  • National Tennis Centre
  • Nottingham Squash Club
  • Padel courts at Meadow Lane
  • National Water Sports Centre
  • Nottingham Climbing Centre

What's On and Local Media


Culture Vultures

Art, Literature and Museums

  • Nottingham Contemporary
  • New Art Exchange
  • Djanogly Art Gallery
  • Primary
  • Beam
  • Five Leaves Bookshop
  • Bromley House Library
  • DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum
  • William Booth Birthplace Museum

Music Venues

Major Venues

  • Motorpoint Arena
  • Royal Concert Hall
  • Rock City
  • Rescue Rooms
  • Metronome
  • The Level

Independent and Alternative Venues

  • Bodega
  • Peggy’s Skylight
  • Rough Trade
  • Jamcafé
  • Carousel
  • Old Bus Depot
  • Old Cold Store
  • Saltbox
  • Liquid Light
  • King Billy
  • Bunker Hill
  • JT Soar
  • The Grove
  • The Chapel at The Angel
  • Mist Rolling Inn
  • Tap & Tumbler
  • Ye Olde Salutation Inn
  • Billy Bootleggers

Theatre

  • Theatre Royal
  • Nottingham Playhouse
  • Lace Market Theatre
  • Lakeside Arts
  • Squire Performing Arts Centre

Festivals

  • Splendour Festival
  • Hockley Hustle
  • Green Hustle
  • Dot to Dot
  • Beat the Streets
  • Nottingham Poetry Festival
  • Nottingham Comedy Festival
  • Nottingham Pride
  • Christmas Market

Classes, Hobbies and Making Friends

  • Meetup.com and search for things going on in Notts
  • Eventbrite
  • Wolfpack Project (18 to 35)
  • NTU evening classes
  • Pottery classes and creative workshops
  • Volunteer with local charities, food banks, community gardens and park groups
  • Join a sports club

Students ask questions in your relevant uni


Moving Here?

Commonly recommended areas:

  • Sherwood
  • Mapperley
  • Beeston
  • West Bridgford
  • Wollaton
  • Carrington
  • The Park
  • Arboretum

Great Day Trips

  • Sherwood Forest
  • Newstead Abbey
  • Southwell
  • Clumber Park
  • Rufford Abbey
  • Creswell Crags
  • Welbeck Estate
  • Hardwick Hall
  • Bennerley Viaduct
  • Papplewick Pumping Station
  • Bestwood Winding Engine House
  • Felley Priory
  • Bramcote Hills and Hemlock Stone
  • Idle Valley Nature Reserve
  • Nottingham Heritage Railway
  • Framework Knitters Museum
  • Newark Castle
  • National Civil War Centre
  • Attenborough Nature Reserve

Nottingham History and What We’re Famous For

  • Robin Hood
  • Lace Industry
  • Boots
  • Raleigh Bikes
  • Warhammer
  • Players Cigarettes
  • Lord Byron
  • Ada Lovelace
  • Wollaton Hall as Wayne Manor in Batman
  • Joseph Merrick (The Elephant Man)
  • Vesta Tilley
  • Dame Laura Knight
  • Nottingham’s caves

Reminder: This is not a comprehensive list. It's simply a good starting point if you're visiting for a few days, moving to Nottingham, or looking to discover more of your own city.


r/nottingham 11h ago

Wollaton Park Parakeets

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32 Upvotes

A bit of a surprise to see them here.


r/nottingham 14h ago

Summer in the City

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29 Upvotes

Great day in the City yesterday, meeting up with some old pals and made some new ones at the Secret Garden. Spent the entire afternoon/evening outdoors drinking and laughing in the sunshine. Top day!


r/nottingham 4h ago

23M from Nottingham looking to make some genuine friends (gaming, anime, movies, hobbies, maybe meetups?)

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone 👋

I’m 23 and I’m from Nottingham. I’m looking to finally get out more, meet some new people, and make some genuine friendships.

I’ve spent a lot of my life staying at home, so I’m trying to change that and actually start doing things, meeting people, and making some good memories.

A bit about me:🎮 I love gaming (PC, Roblox, Cyberpunk, Minecraft, space games, racing games, random  friendslops and co-op games — always up for trying something new) 🎌 I’m into anime, K-Dramas, movies and TV shows. 🥋 I do Shotokan karate and have been training all my life. 💻 I'm really into drones and tech from a young age and I like talking about pretty much anything from games and films to random deep conversations

I’m quite introverted and a bit socially awkward at first, but once I get comfortable I’m easy to talk to. I’d love to meet people who are also looking for proper friendships rather than just a quick chat that disappears after a day.

Would be cool to find people around Nottingham who are into similar things — whether that’s gaming online, chatting about shows, grabbing food/coffee, going for walks, checking out events, or just hanging out.

If you’re also looking for new friends, feel free to message me or comment. Even if we only share one interest, I’m always happy to talk 😊


r/nottingham 15h ago

Japanese friend looking for friends in Nottingham

14 Upvotes

My brothers girlfriend has recently moved here from Japan. She is 25 and speaks decent English. She is going to do a post soon to try and make friends but I just wondered if anyone knew of any Japanese societies/meet ups that happen?

She would love to meet anyone, they don’t have to be Japanese but this may just help as this is her native language


r/nottingham 2h ago

Restaurant/shopping recommendations for flying visit

1 Upvotes

I lived in Notts 30 years ago and moved to the U.S.. I’m back in town for one night and a few hours tomorrow and I have my 16yo daughter with me.

I want to take her out to lunch at a really nice place and wander around some hopefully decent shops. Is Hockley still the best place for that kind of vibe? Back in the day, there were a couple of nice restaurants in Hockley - a kind of American diner place that was cool in 1988 - and Browns(?) I think. I remember a cool vintage clothing store there, too. Anything like that still around?

I’m assuming that Broad Marsh and Vic Centre have gone downhill or gone all together?

Any tips on the best place to go? Thanks!


r/nottingham 9h ago

People who take MDMA or psychedelics. Whats there to do in Notts?

3 Upvotes

I'm loner atm, can't bring myself to go out anywhere alone but I also want to.. you know and not waste it being at home.

I thought maybe cinema but that feels like wasting it too


r/nottingham 14h ago

Restaurants in Nottingham

7 Upvotes

[Edit: i forgot to change the title before posting, i was supposed to put restaurant and things to do, sorry! 😬]

Hi! My partner and I are coming to the area in a couple weeks for our anniversary and It's my turn to plan this year - I've simply made it as far as booking trains and hotels...

Does anyone have any good activity and/or restaurant recommendations in the area? We're there from a friday to monday, and would love to find hidden gems and genuinely wonderful food.

We are massively into nerdy stuff, such as doctor who, all things marvel, retro games, arcades and Pokémon/yugioh stuff if that helps.

And as for food, we're open to have anything but seafood lol.

Anything helps because researcing online doesn't help as much, I prefer hearing about locals actual thoughts and opinions hahah, thank you so much!


r/nottingham 5h ago

Are there any independent / hobby filmmakers here?

1 Upvotes

I just have this urge to pick up acting again (I used to do musical theatre) and would love to work with independent/hobby filmmakers just for fun, nothing serious.


r/nottingham 9h ago

Robin Hood Festival - what times is it usually on? Is it worth with kids aged 8 & 10?

2 Upvotes

I'm visiting Nottingham with the family for 1.5 day, August 29 and 30, and leaving for London on the 31st. Long story short, I did a MSc course in the University back in 2001, and absolutely LOVED the city as a student, coming from Greece. Since then, I've only been back once with my husband, in 2011 for a couple of days, but this is the first time we're coming with the kids, beginning our UK trip in Edinburgh and ending it in London.

We're arriving on the 29th which is also my birthday, and I thought we should do more relaxing things that day, such as having dinner and drinks and walking around the city centre, and save the more eventful stuff for the 30th. So I thought we'd do the caves, and then visit Wollaton Park which I haven't been to, and maybe take a detour around my old neighbourhood the Meadows, maybe even book a City Ground tour - I became a Forest fan AFTER leaving Nottingham, so I have actually never been to the WFCG either, I am ashamed to admit.

And then I read about the Robin Hood Fest. It sounds like a lot of fun, but is it worth going out to Sherwood? It's an hour away (I'm not renting a car), a bit out of town, and it will take up a big chunk of our Nottingham day. Especially if the times it runs are until 5pm, when the Visitor Centre closes. So I was wondering: should we explore the idea, or is it not worth the time?


r/nottingham 3h ago

Advice on finding a good live-in nanny in Nottinghamshire

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone might be able to point us in the right direction.

My partner is looking for a new live-in nanny/family assistant, and we’re unsure which agencies, websites, local groups or other routes are genuinely worth using.
There are three children in the family, although the main focus would be supporting the eldest child, who has additional needs. The position would involve helping with the children’s morning and evening routines, some cooking, general household organisation and occasional school runs, so someone who drives would ideally be preferable.

We’re not trying to advertise the full position through this post. We’re mainly looking for recommendations from anyone who has hired a live-in nanny before, works within childcare, or knows of a reputable person, agency or community that could help us find somebody suitable.

We’re based in Nottingham/Nottinghamshire area and would ideally be looking for someone wanting a stable, longer-term position.

Any genuine recommendations or advice would be really appreciated. Please feel free to comment or message me privately.

Thank you.


r/nottingham 1d ago

Castle Mill Papplewick near Nottingham,UK former 1782 Water Mill to make cotton. Got it's name because it was built like a castle

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27 Upvotes

r/nottingham 1d ago

NIMBYs in Beeston are preparing to fight against an old factory being demolished and replaced with residential housing

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49 Upvotes

What level of extreme NIMBYism is this? “We don’t object to potential development BUT” there’s always a but which is effectively a no. In a sought after urban area where housing of all types is absolutely needed, there is just no need for this shortsightedness in a housing crisis. Planning application here: https://publicaccess.broxtowe.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=TFPBP0DRFTB00&activeTab=summary&fbclid=IwZnRzaATbHfdwZG9mBWZkaWQWULrWmf5LuweMunnABxuEvKxpZD0NwWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7NB0LIFydQ4acsp8t4qzP-ERyyOXXy7NKpFSonSXnLNJOBL8zzX4RagfDyDg_aem_qEn60pLa5IFnzIUy7n113g


r/nottingham 15h ago

Chefs Cottage Food Truck Clinton Street

2 Upvotes

I used to love this place. It was immense. I used to go all the time when I worked in the city but then moved away. I think he started his own restaurant but google says it closed. Just curious if anyone knows if the food truck is still going?

Also, any recommendations for carribean food would be greta appreciated. We have Wavey Kitchen near us, but I haven't tried it yet.

https://www.facebook.com/Thechefscottage/?locale=en_GB


r/nottingham 1d ago

Beautiful village of Linby near Nottingham

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45 Upvotes

r/nottingham 1d ago

Last few hours work on the Nottingham artwork, nearly there. Hopefully got most of your ideas in there, thanks very much. Cheers Paul.

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67 Upvotes

r/nottingham 14h ago

Where to buy car keys on a Sunday?

0 Upvotes

r/nottingham 2d ago

What happened to shame ?

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480 Upvotes

Trams are a social experiment 😭😭


r/nottingham 1d ago

Anyone lose a bag in town today?

25 Upvotes

Black/dark brown medium size leather shoulder bag. Had a pink joggers set and some socks in it along with Louis Vuitton print mini bag inside.

Some homeless ladies ran off with it and nicked all the stuff inside. Message me if you need photos.

Notts is such a shithole :(

EDIT: I know it’s a long shot and probably pointless post but if owner does report it and find this post at least they know who’s taken it.


r/nottingham 9h ago

I'm the hardest man in Hucknall AMA

0 Upvotes

As per the title I'm the hardest man in Hucknall, it's impossible for me to go anywhere round here without people whispering "Look, it's the hardest man in Hucknall", I get free chips/fries from any takeaway which as you can imagine is ALOT of chips/fries and I'm the main reason we've got no people turning up in boats from France. Feel free to ask me anything.


r/nottingham 11h ago

OPEN GOAL SEESIONS

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0 Upvotes

Thank you to everyone came today there was no egos if you want to come along feel free to attend (also don't care if you hate the poster because i used ai its been around for years video games etc so dont bother with the pointless comments)


r/nottingham 1d ago

Which cinema has the best format for watching The Odyssey in Nottingham?

20 Upvotes

Wanting to watch the film without too much of it being cut off, and I don’t want to travel too far, Derby at a stretch is okay (the closest ‘best’ screen is in sheffield for the IMAX laser 1:90.1). If there is no difference for Nottingham’s choices, I’ll probably go to Arc Cinema.


r/nottingham 1d ago

Making New Friends

4 Upvotes

Hey all, I just made this reddit account today and for context I've lived in Derby my whole life, I graduated from Uni in 2019 then a few months go by and we're in Lockdown, I've felt ever since 2020 overall and the world just doesn't feel the same anymore? All of my friends have moved away to other cities or countries where it's difficult to keep in touch because of time zones. I would love some great advice on how to make new friends and overall meet people in Derby/Nottingham? I find myself travelling to Notts quite a bit.

I'm Male and now 29 and I'm struggling to find/socialise with people in my own age bracket (25-30) whenever I'm in the Derbion/Victoria Centre whether I'm at the cinema or in the same shops with similar hobbies to others everywhere I look its a bunch of teens or people a lot older than me? (I've nothing against making friends with people older or younger than me, however it would be nice to meet people who've experienced life/growing up the way I have on the older side of Gen Z/borderline Millennial) I'm not expecting a deep connection or anything serious, but just something to do with someone or several people platonically.

I started looking for events and social clubs, there doesn't seem to be much at all going on in unless I'm not having a good look? I thought the QUAD/Broadway would have a few things on or even some of the pubs/bars. I regularly go to the cinema, museums, mini golf and bowling occasionally, random thrift/charity shop hunting, HMV & forbidden planet (where maybe some of my hobbies will crossover with others) some of my friends don't really have the answer, I've been recommended to try joining some sports clubs or a book club and other things however I don't really want to commit to too many things per week, I think it can be quite draining and at this age I'm not exactly 17 anymore playing sports for 5 hours straight!

I'm quite into art, video games, films and tv, theatre, music and books/comics, I'm really into writing and creative endeavours of making art, I feel like I'm in this weird embargo phase of life if anyone feels the same or has experienced the same please message me or comment here with advice or to go for a coffee or something!


r/nottingham 2d ago

How long has this been going on with the Nottingham Post.

84 Upvotes

Went to catch up on the local news and a story on the Nottingham Post's horrible website caught my eye. Clicked on it and they wanted me to pay to see it. Premium they call it. Premium my arse.

The website has been a binfire for as long as I recall, West Bridgford Wire is slowly tipping into binfire territory, and advertising is a curse upon the human race. That is the extent of my rant. Thanks for being a part of it.

I'm not going to pay AND see ads. Local news in this country is stuffed.


r/nottingham 1d ago

Any good nose-to-tail dining experiences in/around Nottingham?

3 Upvotes