24 hours in Nottingham with chef Alex Bond
Alex Bond is the chef patron of the three AA Rosette-awarded Alchemilla, in Nottingham, which he opened in the city in 2017.
Originally from York, Alex now considers Nottingham his home. Here, you can find his insider guide of where to eat and drink in the city.
Take a look…
8am: Coffee at Outpost
I go to Outpost for a good coffee. I don’t really do breakfast but a strong exceptional coffee is vital to start my day. Outpost is also a roastery and we use their coffee in the restaurant too; I love their commitment to quality and their passion to make the best coffee in the city.
10am: Custard doughnuts at Small Food
I start to get a bit peckish mid-morning, so I head to Small Food for the best custard doughnuts – they are out of this world. Small Food is an artisan bakery, located in a former primary school, that’s open Thursdays to Saturdays. The bakery try to build a short food supply chain and, where possible, buy directly from farmers. Plus, they make everything at the bakery from scratch.
1pm: Lunch at Café Roya
When I’m not working a service, I love the simplicity of Café Roya in the Beeston area of the city. It’s a modern vegetarian restaurant that serves a fantastic lunch for a set price. They have a daily changing menu from a blackboard that consists of a hot dish, a collection of salads and pudding.
3pm: Cake at Wired
I would recommend Wired for cake and coffee. I used to do my supper clubs here when I was raising money to open Alchemilla; it’s a cosy café and has unique cakes and savoury dishes that are inspired by the owners’ travels around the world.
6pm: Pre-dinner drinks at Cottonmouth
For drinks, I love Cottonmouth Cocktail Bar. They take classic cocktails and put little twists on them to make them their own.
8pm: Dinner at Bar Iberico
Bar Iberico, is a must-visit Spanish tapas restaurant in Nottingham. Instead of a three-course meal, I prefer something like tapas that is more sociable when I go out with friends. I usually go for the vegetable options as they aren’t too filling and I can eat lots of them.
1am: Wind down at Hockley Arts Club
After a busy service, sometimes the other chefs and I go to the Hockley Arts Club, which is really hidden away you wouldn’t know it was there… but now you will! It has fantastic live bands and four different spaces over four floors – it’s huge. The cocktails are unique and they serve charcuterie boards which are perfect for that time of night.
To find out more about Alex and Alchemilla, click here.