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)

66 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Please comment with anything missing, closed, outdated, misspelled or controversial.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 • • 5h ago

Some pics of the new City Transport electric double deckers

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134 Upvotes

We went for a look at the new double deckers at a low key launch event in Sneinton market. They look nice but it’s doing my head in that they didn’t get a registration ending A for 901 then B for 902 etc 😀


r/nottingham • • 3h ago

Harry and Meghan make first joint appearance since returning to U.K., visiting charities in Nottingham

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26 Upvotes

r/nottingham • • 5h ago

Street Art, Nottingham.

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20 Upvotes

Street Art, next to African & Caribbean Food Shop. 43 Mansfield Road. Still there as I type. When street art is by consent and skilled, like this, I don't mind it.


r/nottingham • • 2h ago

Alt/Metal Guide for Notts - Looking for Suggestions!

7 Upvotes

I've always wanted to write a guide for the alternative shops/pubs/go-to's in Nottingham

Still, I feel after many years I might be missing some places. Any suggestions or contributions?

I've got:

  • Old Sal, Tap, Pit
  • Jumpship, Decode, Billy Bootleggers (they've got like nu metal nights)
  • Void, Dmg Society, Blue Banana, British Heart Foundation (they have a small alt section haha), Ice Nine
  • Gothic fairs they run sometimes

r/nottingham • • 16h ago

Top Valley social club in flames

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54 Upvotes

Approx 19:30 14th Oct Top valley social club went up in flames.


r/nottingham • • 1h ago

Meet new people

• Upvotes

20F, Music lover
Hey I currently moved to Nottingham city and studying in NTU. I’m hoping to make some genuine friendships with people I really vibe with, rather than just casual acquaintances.
I love chill, easygoing, down-to-earth people who I can be myself around, have deep conversations with, laugh about random things and just enjoy each other’s company! I’m bit introverted at first, but I’m actually really chatty and open up a lot once I feel comfortable XD
I’d love to find some friends to hang out when we sound like to get along haha


r/nottingham • • 1h ago

Has anyone used Regent Street Clinic in Nottingham for travel vaccines?

• Upvotes

The title really.

I'm currently looking for somewhere private in Nottingham to get travel vaccines and some decent travel health advice before an upcoming trip.

While researching clinics, I came across an article about Regent Street Clinic that made me a bit cautious, with some of the reviews absolutely gutting the place. The 1* Google and Trustpilot reviews hasn't exactly filled me with confidence Lead nurse at private Nottingham clinic suspended, pending investigation

I'm not looking to start a pile-on or make assumptions based on an article or online reviews alone, which is why I'd be interested to hear from people who have actually used them (recently) and who they saw in their appt.

Has anyone here had experience with Regent Street Clinic for travel vaccines or travel health consultations? What was the service like?

Alternatively, can anyone recommend a good private travel vaccination clinic in Nottingham city centre? Ideally somewhere that has good reviews, reasonable pricing, and solid travel health advice.

FWIW I'm going to India at the end of November. Thanks!


r/nottingham • • 17h ago

Wollaton Hall

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26 Upvotes

Was in Beeston today, laying my grandmother to rest, and captured a few pictures of Wollaton Hall from the cemetery.


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Hockley, Nottingham. Oil painting.

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70 Upvotes

I still think of Hockley and the Lace Market areas of Nottingham as the "arty" part of the city. The Midland Group art gallery was once situated there on Carlton street, the Art College on Stoney Street, whilst alternative "Goth Shops" like Ice Nine did good business (and probably still do). I made this oil painting a few years ago, experimenting with a limited palette.


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

The Slice and AI art

138 Upvotes

I walk past The Slice on Middle Pavement fairly often when I am in Notts, going from the train station to the shops. I'm sure its nice but every time I consider going in I see the AI art advertising in the window and it puts me off. Like you have product in there, you presumably have a smartphone with a camera, you have a big glass front with natural light pouring in - you could do some basic product photography. Using AI image gen just makes me think you really don't care much at all.

Am I the only one put off by this? Am I missing out on something really nice by having this hang-up? Or is the Slice mid and can I therefore smugly claim in retrospect to have been proven right somehow in my AI art prejudice? Please let me know!


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Putting up the Christmas market and blocking the tram 🫣😂🤦‍♀️

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64 Upvotes

Just wondering if they’ll put the usual Christmas trees upside down again 😂 I yelled out to the builders and to be fair they sorted it within five minutes, but I did have to stop the tram


r/nottingham • • 22h ago

PSA : Gedling BC "Enforcement officers" following smokers

28 Upvotes

Just been clobbered by the above-mentioned lovely gentlemen for "disposing" of a cigarette butt down a public drain.

Genuinely didn't know this was an offence (I deliberately didn't throw it on the floor!)

Not here to debate the legitimacy of it, as research shows i was in the wrong, fault accepted and FPN paid

But please be aware that if you ARE caught (2 guys in a blue Skoda in Netherfield!), there is a £100 fixed penalty notice (if paid in 7 days, £150 if later). They actually followed me down the road and then parked up waiting for me to dispose of butt. Caught me fair and square.

Before anyone lectures, I have already ordered 2x "butt boxes" so it wont happen again!

But please be aware that throwing down the drain is also an offence.

The most annoying thing is that a) They work for a private company at "no cost" to the council, so assume they are keeping the majority of the £££ and b) they didnt see me doing anything wrong, but sat and waited for me to make an honest mistake.


r/nottingham • • 20h ago

I see a million friend searching posts a day

15 Upvotes

We’re all obviously slightly lonely cos we’re all looking for friends, me included. I don’t think for me it would work to ask people on the internet to meet up irl, so I’m looking for cheapish hobbies, I’m a girl, 28. I think even having a hobby to do once a week just being around people would help, any suggestions? I was thinking yoga but I doubt people talk or make friends from it


r/nottingham • • 21h ago

One More Game? Hobby & Gaming Market – East Leake, Sunday 25 October 🎲

10 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

We’re launching our first One More Game? Hobby & Gaming Market at East Leake Village Hall on Sunday 25 October, and we wanted to share it with the local gaming community!

The idea behind One More Game? is to bring together gamers, collectors, hobbyists and traders in one welcoming place. Whether you're into tabletop gaming, board games, trading cards, miniatures or just enjoy discovering something new, we'd love to see you there.

🎲 What can you expect?

  • Trading cards and gaming accessories
  • Tabletop gaming and miniatures
  • Board games and hobby products
  • Independent makers and specialist vendors
  • Live tabletop roleplaying and social deduction sessions with Pen & Board

Pen & Board will be running sessions on the hall stage. Watching is free, and you can sign up on the day to play for £5 per session. Spaces to play are limited.

📍 East Leake Village Hall, LE12 6PF
📅 Sunday 25 October 2026
⏰ 9:30am–2:30pm
🎟️ Entry: £1 per person

The best bit? All entry proceeds will go towards supporting East Leake Village Hall.

This is the first of what we hope will be many markets, and we're excited to build something for the local gaming community.

We'll be announcing more of our vendors over the coming weeks.

If you're local and interested in tabletop gaming, board games, trading cards or miniatures, come along and say hello!

One More Game? — Gather • Play • Connect.


r/nottingham • • 20h ago

Food waste

8 Upvotes

Hi all,new to Nottingham and a bit shocked at how there is no food waste collections in most of the city.

Apart from messaging the council to request that this is rolled out asap does anyone know of any schemes/ allotments that would take food waste? I am currently not able to create my own compost.

Any ideas would be much appreciated as it is paining me to put scraps in the general waste-thanks!


r/nottingham • • 16h ago

Anyone know of a good hairdressers I can get my hair layered?

1 Upvotes

Not too pricy ofc and one that’s trustworthy enough and knows what they’re doing


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Took some photos around Wollaton Hall

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144 Upvotes

r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Any DnB lovers?

5 Upvotes

Can't wait to see Chase & Status in December!!


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Apartments to rent in the centre

5 Upvotes

I am looking for an apartment to rent in Nottingham City Centre, please can anyone recommend any apartment blocks they like, or have had a positive experience at? Also any areas that are nice, may be not so noisy although I know can be hard to avoid in a centre! I am someone in my late 20s who works in the centre. Thank you :)


r/nottingham • • 10h ago

rock city outfit advice??

0 Upvotes

i booked tickets for rock city next friday since there's a halloween warm-up event on but idk what to wear for it,,, esp because i've never been clubbing before. do people get dressed up for that sort of thing or no?


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Queens Drive Park & Ride

2 Upvotes

Hi folks, I’m from Nottingham but been living away for a few years. Planning to meet a few friends who are also coming from out of town - if we meet at Queens Drive Park & Ride, and travel onwards in one car, are they likely to fine the people who leave their cars there?

We’ll be 2-3 hours max. I know that they fine people at Forest P&R who don’t have a valid tram ticket so just wondered if anyone knew about this one?


r/nottingham • • 21h ago

Looking for friends

1 Upvotes

Hiya seen a few of these posts so thought I’d give it a go! I’m 28m and moved to Nottingham at the start of the year for work and hoping to expand my social circle!

I love bouldering/gym but currently injured :(
I love games(mainly league atm but play a variety), music, fashion (thrifting is my therapy) reading, nature and the outdoors! 🍃friendly :) I used to play dnd also and would love to get back into it. Not a big drinker but don’t mind a pub every so often. Down to try new things as well!

Serious resting bitchface and neurodivergence can make it hard to break through with me but I promise it’s worth it haha

Links to discords welcome!


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

Free theatre tickets for tonight

7 Upvotes

Hi All, I’ve got 2 tickets to see The curious incident of a dog in the nighttime today at half 7 at the Theatre Royale tonight. I can no longer make it due to having a cold but don’t want to see the tickets go to waste. Does anyone want these? Drop me a message and I can send them over


r/nottingham • • 1d ago

OVO employee looking for insight on E.ON’s company culture / WFH setup?

4 Upvotes

Hey folks,

I’m currently an OVO employee based down in Bristol. With the news of E.ON acquiring OVO, I'm trying to gather some honest expectations for when the transition happens.

Since E.ON has a massive presence in Nottingham, I was hoping to hear from anyone who currently works there (or has recently). What is the culture like overall? Is it predominantly work-from-home, hybrid, or office-based? Is it a workplace you’d genuinely recommend to friends or family?

Any insights, pros, or cons would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance.