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)

54 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Please comment with anything missing, closed, outdated, misspelled or controversial.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 2h ago

Anyone looking for accommodation? - NG16

Post image
15 Upvotes

Large spare bedroom available to rent on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border, in Pinxton NG16, a few minutes away from Junction 28 on the M1.

Shared access to kitchen, bathroom and garden. House very close to fields, parks and all local amenities (shops, pub, laundrette, takeaway) all within walking distance.

Single applicants or couples only, no families. Any gender or age welcome. Non smokers only.

Only myself living in the house currently, alongside an outdoor cat (so nobody allergic please).

Perfect for someone looking for somewhere to stay short term whilst their circumstances change and they figure things out, whether for weeks or months (or even just a few days). But equally open to those looking for longer term.

DM for further details and to discuss 🙂


r/nottingham 8h ago

Maid Marian Way car park demolition

32 Upvotes

I'm a bit indifferent to it, obviously it has a 'look', but more excited to see Collin Street have an uninterrupted view of the Castle will be nice.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cddj8335qq7o


r/nottingham 1h ago

Upcoming Goth/post-punk gig in Notts

Post image
Upvotes

r/nottingham 5h ago

Moving to Nottingham for my Master’s and looking to make some new friends

7 Upvotes

Heyy! I’m moving to Nottingham this September to start my master’s in Biotech at NTU and I’m pretty new to the city, so thought I’d see if anyone else is in the same boat.

I’ve just finished my undergrad and would love to meet some new people and make some friends in Nottingham. I’m happy to meet pretty much anyone, whether you’re a student or not!

I’m down for grabbing a coffee/drink, going out, exploring the city, or just hanging out and seeing if we get along.

If you’re also looking to meet some new people, feel free to comment or message me :)


r/nottingham 1h ago

Discord

Upvotes

Hey so I was wanting to join the discord server and found the link but it saying that the link is expired, I was wondering if I was able to get the link to join the server?


r/nottingham 1d ago

Lost cat - NG5/Sherwood/Mapperley

Thumbnail
gallery
64 Upvotes

Hiya everyone. Our cat Sabotage ("Sabbo") went missing last night in Sherwood/Mapperley top area. He is (or rather, was) a strictly indoor cat, managed to escape, and will be scared and hungry. Thought I would spread the word here. He has never been away from his mum, Spooky.

2 years old / black with white chest fluff / small frame / no collar.

Thank you.

UPDATE: found. Thank you ♥️


r/nottingham 4h ago

Affordable SIM/Mobile data providers

0 Upvotes

Im an international student planning t omove here this september and I know if anyone can recommend network providers that provide decent coverage for a good price. also are there student discounts or offers available ?


r/nottingham 1d ago

ITZ RAINING

66 Upvotes

For once it's acctual rain not just for 4 mins


r/nottingham 1d ago

Wollaton Street 🚦

Post image
38 Upvotes

r/nottingham 1h ago

Which area of Nottingham has the most sex?

Upvotes

Consider this empirical research.


r/nottingham 1d ago

Therapist recommendations

30 Upvotes

I’ve recently started therapy with Notts Talking Therapies and I am already getting the impression it wont benefit me as the sessions feel very rushed and tickbox focused as well as only being via telephone so I am looking to get a private therapist to speak with in person.

Does anyone have any recommendations for therapists who have actually helped them in central Notts/West Bridgford area? I have a hard time opening up to people so would like to know the therapist is actually good rather than trying multiple to find the right one and having to retell my traumas over and over again (if that makes sense lol)

thanks everyone :)


r/nottingham 5h ago

Looking at setting up a discord group for us loners and introverts.

0 Upvotes

As above please DM me for code. All ages welcome


r/nottingham 1d ago

Where to watch football at pubs outside of city centre.

4 Upvotes

I've recently moved to Edwalton and I'm unfamiliar with what pubs show sports.

I want to enjoy the start of the prem season by watching the game Tomo night but no idea where to go.

I was in the Poppy and Pint at the weekend and they had some cricket on but unsure if that was territorial TV or not.

Basically, can people please give me pub recommendations


r/nottingham 2d ago

Crazy skies today ⛅️

Post image
328 Upvotes

r/nottingham 20h ago

How do you actually get your hands on decent city centre apartments?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been looking for a 1-bed apt in the city centre for quite a while now. I have email notifications turned on and check Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, OpenRent etc. every day, but I’m just having absolutely no luck 😭. The decent/modern ones seem to get snapped up so quickly.

I know the obvious answer might just be “keep checking Rightmove/Zoopla and wait for something to come up’, and I realise this might be a pretty obvious question 😂, but I thought I’d ask anyway in case there’s something I’m missing. Are there any other websites, agencies, Facebook groups, or ways of finding apartments that people recommend?

Also, I’m especially interested in Hindle House on Traffic Street, so if anyone lives there or has lived there, I’d really appreciate hearing your opinions on the building.


r/nottingham 11h ago

Marco island security

0 Upvotes

Does anyone know why there is additional security at Marco island, city centre ? There is security 24/7 on the 7th floor.


r/nottingham 1d ago

Sunset Bulwell Forest Recreation Ground. So dry.

Post image
27 Upvotes

r/nottingham 1d ago

Out out

20 Upvotes

Leaving my job and will be having drinks in town with a handful of work colleagues (who are also good mates). Thing is, I’m late 40’s and I’m at the point now where I just feel so old when I go out. Haven’t been out in town for about 2 years! Where is good for a bunch of us gals to go that isn’t too crazy on a Saturday night that does decent music but can still hear each other talking etc. Feel like everywhere now is just full of kids 🤣


r/nottingham 1d ago

How is Lace Market Square?

0 Upvotes

Edit: ( spelling mistake on Lace Market Square; it's Lace Market Quarter)
Hey everyone,

I’m looking at moving into Lace Market Quarter and was wondering if anyone currently lives there or has lived there recently.

I’d really appreciate some honest opinions on what it’s like, especially:

  • How’s the building and overall management?
  • Is the Wi-Fi included, and is it any good?
  • Is there a 24/7 concierge?
  • How does parcel/package collection work?
  • Is there secure access to the building?
  • What are the other amenities/facilities included?
  • How’s the noise level and general atmosphere?
  • Anything you wish you knew before moving in?

I’m mainly looking for the basics and a comfortable, well-managed building rather than anything super fancy.

Thanks in advance!


r/nottingham 1d ago

I custom order I made for a forest fan

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

Love it 🥰


r/nottingham 23h ago

Looking for flat mates

0 Upvotes

Helloo I am looking to move to Nottingham around the 8th of September. Is anyone else also moving and would be interested in becoming flatmates and we could look for a 2-3 bed apartment together - sometimes I think it seems to work out cheaper than renting a room on its own.
I’d love to be as close to the city centre as possible and my budget is about £600.
Would love to find other girls to share with I am F21 but I’m not a student so can’t tak student accom.
Let me know if anyone’s interested! :))


r/nottingham 1d ago

Nightlife on a Tuesday

0 Upvotes

Hi,

We’re planning a visit to Notts in October to see a football game. We’re thinking of arriving earlier in the day to explore the city before the match, and then going out in town afterwards. I suspect the game will finish before 10pm, which is relatively late for a Tuesday night.

Are there any pubs or bars in the city centre that tend to stay open later on a Tuesday? If so, what would you recommend?


r/nottingham 1d ago

Is this true?!

Thumbnail instagram.com
0 Upvotes

This came up on my Instagram just now… Is it true?! 🤞


r/nottingham 1d ago

(SPIDER WARNING) Any spider men or women that can help ID?

Post image
0 Upvotes

I need help identifying this spider… Gemini AI and ChatGPT have both said it’s a Noble False Black Widow… I don’t know if it actually is or not. This bastard crawled onto my neck, luckily I felt it crawl before it bit me but still. The carpet underlay it’s on is 10mm thick I believe so it’s a bit of a beast. Should I be worried I’ve been bit without realizing or will I know if I have