Nottingham Food Lovers
The gastro-adventures of a hungry cyclist and a former chef both with a love of food, If it's in Nottingham, Mansfield, the East Midlands or further afield we've either tried it or are planning to and will review it!
What's on the menu?

Sunday, 22 January 2023
Everyday People Nottingham- Ramen and More Review
Tuesday, 10 January 2023
An Evening at Donington Manor Hotel
The COVID Pandemic has been tough across the hospitality industry. We've lost a lot of businesses which been burdened by the circumstances or struggled to adapt amid adjustments to consumer habits. We recently received an invite to visit Donington Manor Hotel after an extended search for a new head chef to help them drive forwards.
The Donington Manor Hotel will have head chef Craig Riley to spearhead their restaurant from 11th January 2023 with bookings available Wednesday- Saturday 6.30pm- 8.30pm as well as Sunday's Midday- 2.30pm. The menu will encompass modern British food.
We visited for a Canape Evening including a selection of classics as photographed-including
- Duck Liver Parfait with Onion Jam
- Goats Cheese Mouse with Truffled Honey (In beautiful variations of pastry including Spinach and Beetroot)
- Pear and Blue Cheese
- Cured Salmon with Horseradish and Cucumber
- Bruschetta
- Beef Tartare
- Welsh Rarebit
- Truffle Arancini with Mushroom Ketchup
- Ham Hock with Burnt Apple
- Croque Monsieur
- Crab with Avocado
- Cheddar Goujere
- Glazed Pork Belly
Pear and Blue Cheese in a beautiful pastry.
Croque Monsieur pictured left.
Our favorites were the Beef Tartare which packed a punch, the Croque Monsieur was a lovely take on a mini cheese toasty and was devoured by our table very quickly. The Truffle Arancini was an interesting take on a Sicilian Classic with a fantastic Mushroom Ketchup and the Glazed Pork Belly was Moorish with a fantastic crunch.
- Mini Lemon Tarts
- Chocolate Brownie
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Baileys Profiteroles
- Hazelnut Sponge with White Chocolate Curd
We really loved the Hazelnut Sponge with White Chocolate Curd and Bailey's Profiteroles from the dessert section.
And all this was washed down with a generous amount of Prosecco.
We'll definitely be heading back to Donington Manor Hotel and are very tempted by their Mother's Day Menu with 3 courses for £35.
For More information please visit
https://doningtonmanorhotel.co.uk/
Donington Manor Hotel
High Street
Castle Donington
DE74 2PP
Monday, 29 October 2018
Visiting the Orangery at St Elphin's Park
Derbyshire Food at it's Finest on the Edge of the Peak District
Having cycled up and down the A6 between Matlock and Darley Dale many times over the years I've witnessed the development of Audley St Elphin's Park. A former Grammar School that's been transformed into a very impressive looking retirement village. The development looks fantastic, the kind of place I'd consider living myself even as a 35 year old.
When you think of a retirement village you wouldn't think that there would be a fantastic restaurant and leisure facilities open to the general public unless you really were in the know and that's where in some ways our visit falls in. We were invited to sample the menu and take in the impressive surroundings to make up our own mind and were very impressed.
The team pride themselves on offering a very seasonal menu with high standards of presentation and service. We were also rather impressed by the pricing with main courses priced around what you'd expect locally for pub food making this a very viable option if you're not looking to overindulge your wallet
The Orangery Bar and Restaurant at St Elphin's Park near Matlock |
We opted to try the Orangery's Tasting Menu which is £40 each. Certainly not the realm of a light lunch however if you're looking for an alternative for Date Night or a celebration it would work very well indeed. On the night we attended there were couples dining and a large group celebrating a 90th birthday party had not long left- the settings actually worked well for both situations.
The Orangery's Homemade Soda Bread with Truffle Butter |
Tuesday, 8 May 2018
Carly Visits Chef Karl Tylers Pop Up Supper Club
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Around the World with Chef Karl Tyler |
Whilst it would be great for us to attend every invite we receive it's not always possible. Sometimes on those occasions the invites we get are too good to miss so when we received an offer to visit the first of Chef Karl Tyler's Pop Up Supper Club's in Nottingham-we offered the opportunity to close friend Carly to visit in our absence.
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Part of the dining room within Cobden Chambers |
Saturday, 10 February 2018
Taste Testing Las Iguanas New Menu
We opted for a Huana Party (£9.75 on 2for1) and Espresso Martini (£10.75 on 2for1)
Fancy a Huana Party? |
The Huana Party came in a standard hi-ball glass and looked a little disappointing compared to those others were receiving in some pretty fancy glasses around us. The menu said it contained Beefeater Gin, Huana Guanabana Rum Liquor, Funkin Passionfuit, Bottlegreen Elderflower and Apple though all we really got was the passionfruit flavour. Adding in the elderflower was drowned out by the overpowering passionfruit mix.
Friday, 5 January 2018
Jemma visits Kayal Indian restaurant
Jemma visits Kayal Indian restaurant
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Kayal Nottingham |
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Poori Bread is a little different to Naan |
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Ammachi Pidiyum Kozhiyum |
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The Kayal Fish Curry |
Saturday, 30 December 2017
There's a Pizzastorm in Nottingham
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Your Pizza Your Way at Pizzastorm |
Originally Inferno Pizza, now Pizzastorm on Milton Street aims to offer Pizza, however you want it. We previously popped in when Inferno first came to town and have to admit we were slightly baffled for the need to change to Pizzastorm- the product was good and the system worked.
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Open, spacious dining area |
Just before Christmas we popped in to the newly refurbished and rebranded Pizzastorm for a look and decided to pop in and sample some very reasonably priced pizzas. At £6.00 for a signature pizza it sounded exceptional value for money.
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The Dirty Mighty Meaty Pizza |
We opted for a Dirty Mighty Meaty and an All Day Breakfast Pizza with a side of Mac N Cheese with Bacon. £15.50 for two pizzas and a side sounds pretty good and will no doubt appeal to families whilst out shopping or off to the cinema.
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The All Day Breakfast Pizza |
The Dirty Mighty Meaty featured plenty of meat. Lots of pepperoni, spicy beef and piri piri checken alongside juicy red jalapeno chillis with plenty of flavour. In terms of toppings I'd like to think it was just right. Any more meat and I'd have expected the pizza to be on the oily side.
The All Day Breakfast was ordered with a soft egg and that's what we got- a SOFT egg. Too often have we requested that in the past with very differing results. I'm not sure where in the world meatballs are eaten for breakfast but they worked well with the bacon sausage, mushrooms and baked beans.
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Cool booths with room for 2 |
Our only slight disappointment in some ways was the Mac N Cheese. At £3.50 it's a pretty much standard 'side' price but in comparison to value shown in the pizza's it somehow felt a bit of a let down. We'd have liked to have either seen either a bigger portion or something lower priced in line with the exceptionally good value of the pizzas.
For £15.50 for two well stocked pizza's and a side we were more than happy with Pizzastorm. The pizzas themselves were of a good size and pretty much a full meal in itself.
We will happily return at some point in future.