Stuck for plans this weekend or in need of a mid-week pick-me-up? Nottingham city centre has some offbeat and lesser-known places to pass your free hours. From a go-to alternative to Topshop, mouth-watering lunch spots, and a secret bar, get to know a couple of your city’s hidden gems courtesy of Her Campus Nottingham.
1. White Rabbit Teahouse
Everyone loves a good afternoon tea, and this one does it just right. The White Rabbit offers a delicious and reasonable afternoon tea for two: an extensive list of fruit-infused teas; oozing paninis and all day breakfasts. Delicious food is complemented by a vintage mismatched design – plenty of florals, quaint teacups etc – and attentive, friendly service. (They even have a project where locals can donate their vintage china to take on a new lease of life at the White Rabbit).
To find it you’ll have to find and follow a hidden passageway… and with its mounds of cake, minute spoons, rows of teapots awaiting, it’ll almost be like you’re Alice having fallen down the rabbit hole.
White Rabbit Teahouse, 12 Hounds Gate, Nottingham, NG1 7AB
http://whiterabbitteahouse.com/
2. Surface Gallery
Opened in 1999, the Surface Gallery is an independent, volunteer run, contemporary art gallery, which showcases accessible and varied exhibitions all year round.
This alternative art space is a great lesser-known spot where you can get your art fix and dose of culture from an exciting and upcoming artist, sometimes local, sometimes international.
Coming up is a photography exhibition by Colombian artist Nelson Guzmán Avellaneda, entitled Deadline at Dusk. Think dark, mysterious landscape shots, well worth checking out when it opens on 13th November.
Surface Gallery, 16 Southwell Road, Nottingham, NG1 1DL.
http://www.surfacegallery.org/
3. Cow Vintage
How about an alternative to the samey and often-uninspiring retail outlets that line Nottingham’s Victoria Centre? Cow Vintage houses a carefully edited selection of vintage and second-hand delights – dresses, jumpers, bags, you name it. A recent change of location to the fab Hockley (spend an afternoon there to check out a hoard of other cool shops) has provided the Cow team with more space to showcase wearable and unique vintage clothes.
Already a firm favourite of those in the know, Cow also has an on-site seamstress and the new store is made of 90% recycled fixtures and fittings.
PS – they also have an extensive online shop and an awesome and regularly updated blog if you’re in need of a bit of style inspiration.
Cow can be found at 3 Carlton Street, Hockley, NG1 1NL.
4. Aubrey’s Traditional Creperie
Fancy taking a quick trip to Brittany in between lectures? This traditional French creperie will make you feel (almost) like you just have. They specialise in creating delicious, regionally authentic crepes and galettes.
Start your visit with a cider, or cidre now we’re in France and all, followed by a savoury gallete. They have traditional fillings (ham, emmental, egg) as well as more adventurous offerings (salami with chilli relish, melted raclette, rocket). Then top it off by a sugary crepe and gourmet coffee. You’re welcome.
This creperie can also make gluten or wheat-free and vegan crepes if you have a special dietary requirements.
14-16 West End Arcade, Long Row, Nottingham. NG1 6JP
http://www.aubreystraditionalcreperie.com/
5. Boilermaker
Our final hidden gem of Nottingham is Boilermaker: a Hockley-based bar. This bar is original, tongue-in-cheek, and a bit of a secret. Oh and has a cracking menu of drinks.
An unassuming shop front style door conceals the laidback bar, a welcome change from the often stuffy, soulless bars you can often find yourself in a rut of drinking in.
From their service (“We sacrifice service charge and only pay our staff in kinder eggs, origami lessons & the occasional high five in order to bring you the best product at the cheapest price”) to the cocktails (“A drink created by someone with more talent than us, modified and included here because we love it so much”) and the wine (“Lovely lingering mouth feel, like french kissing Vanessa Paradis on the riverbank of the Seine, but quite a few years after she sang Jo Le Taxi”), the masterminds behind this bar are fun (and want you to have just that) and certainly don’t take themselves too seriously.
Boilermaker, 36b Carlton Street, Hockley, Nottingham, NG1 1NN.
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Edited by Caroline Chan.