The Robin Hood and Little John, Arnold Reopens- A Review from Opening Night

Thursday 21st August 2014 Saw the Reopening of The Robin Hood and Little John Public House in Arnold by the Lincoln Green Pub Co.

The Robin Hood and Little John, Arnold, Nottingham

Arnold has felt in a bit of a time warp for a long time as the recession kicked in and we have been treated to more and more charity shop, whilst less new ventures have hit the area so the arrival of a new pub was always going to be a welcome addition to the town centre.

The Robin Hood and Little John Pub dates all the way back to 1765 which makes it one of Nottingham's oldest pubs. Having been taken over and tastefully renovated by Lincoln Green of Hucknall it looks to have great long term potential for lovers of good ales and ciders.

Pulling a Pint of Welbeck Brewery Henrietta

Bill's Nottingham Review- Worth a Visit?

Taste Testing Bill's Restaurant, Nottingham- A Review

Bill's Restaurant Nottingham on Queen Street

 There's a buzz about Bill's restaurant arrival in Nottingham although I have to admit I only knew of it's existence a few days ago when asked if I fancied meeting up in town for a drink and some food. Since then it seems everyone I know has wanted to ask me if I'd visited there yet.

Nottingham's had a few new additions Restaurant-wise lately. With a very nice looking Korean restaurant opening on Chapel Bar and Wildwood on King Street where Johnathon James' shoe shop used to be. Another new addition on Queen Street is Bill's.

I'm always up for something new and therefore the chance to visit Bill's new establishment in Nottingham and review it for the blog seemed like a great opportunity to catch up with a friend.

Out of a panic I rang the restaurant the morning we were due to visit and was told that unfortunately there were no tables available until after 9PM that evening. On the off-chance that there would be the possibility of a table we rolled up at 7 PM and were advised that there would be a short 15 minute wait if we were happy with that which we were. This was a little frustrating compared to the information given on the phone and almost cost the restaurant our trade that evening.

Making Eggs Florentine the Bill's way (Note the awful lighting tracks)

Inside- The Decor

Inside Bill's is pretty unique compared to many of Nottingham's eateries. It seems a mix of shabby chic with an industrial edge. With such an impressive building exterior I expected more than the hideous attempt at lighting in what should be a pretty prestigious property.

Hideous attempts at industrial lighting at Bill's Nottingham

The Menu at Bill's

Decisions, decisions. The Menu at Bill's Nottingham

 Review- Dinner at Bill's

The menu looked fantastically varied with a host of seasonal ingredients. We plumped for the Chicken Skewers (£9.95) which came we a small selection of salad, couscous, with pitta bread and the Chipotle, Lime and Coriander Marinated Chicken (£12.95) which came with sweetcorn and a serving of sweet potato chips. 

Bill's Chicken Skewers

The Chicken Skewers came out with lovely presentation with the ingredients tasting exceptionally fresh as one would expect. The downside was that the chicken wasn't as moist and succulent as one would expect and in honesty tasted slightly on the dry side. Whilst being a lovely meal the portion size appeared to be more towards a light lunch than a meal for a shrinking former chef and a sportsperson with a hefty appetite.

Chipotle, Lime and Coriander Marinated Chicken 

The Chipotle, Lime and Coriander Chicken came out looking fantastically appetising. For supposedly half a chicken I definitely felt a little let down by it's size but in terms of taste it was a fantastic meal. The subtle flavour of the marinated chicken worked well, however when I saw chipotle on the menu I was expecting a little more oomph as this sounded like a chicken dish for a real man.

Dessert- Bill's Lemon Drizzle Cake

I love lemon and a good slice of cake is always high on the list of needs for me so a slice of lemon drizzle cake sounded like a great way to end the meal as after my main meal I certainly had plenty of room left for dessert. 

We both ordered a slice of the lemon drizzle cake which came out topped with a dollop of mascarpone and some grated lemon. Personally I felt the lemon drizzle cake was a real let down, it was more like a Madeira cake with a bit of lemon grated on top as an afterthought. When it comes to citrus I love big zesty flavours and this was nowhere close to offering what I want in a dessert.

Lemon Drizzle Cake at Bill's Nottingham

Lemon Drizzle Cake with Mascarpone and Grated Lemon

Review of Bill's Nottingham Restaurant

From the outside Bill's looks a lovely restaurant but for me the food was somewhat lacking the big flavours I love and certainly the portion sizes felt a little more for the 'golden years' menu.

I'm not sure I would go back but we'll see in future. 

Moroccan and Lebanese Food In Nottingham- Marrakesh Restaurant Review

Experiencing Moroccan Delights Without the Long Flight- 

Marrakesh Restaurant Nottingham Review.

Marrakesh Restaurant Nottingham

Having previously fallen in love with Moroccan on a couple of previous visits to Marrakesh and into the High Atlas Mountains, one of the things I really loved on my trip was the food. Moroccan food often involves plenty of spice without the heat of Indian food which creates aromatic and delicately flavoured food.

With a great location in the foodie area of Chapel Bar, Marrakesh is always going to see plenty of people walking past but is a Moroccan  Restaurant worth a visit?

There aren't a lot of options if you're looking for Lebanese or Moroccan food in Nottingham and therefore Marrakesh Restaurant finds itself in a very good position in having no direct competition locally. Nottingham has very few other restaurants which cater for North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. Debsh which specialises in Persian food must be their real competition but with so many other options available in Nottingham and more opening all the time it takes something special or unique to create a successful restaurant in the long term in Nottingham.

The first time the OH and I went to Marrakesh we believe she was the only person in the Restaurant without a headscarf on. It seemed that the people eating were all of Arabic descent to us. We've been plenty of places where we've been the minority but that generally gives us the impression that we're eating where people from the region would eat and therefore they wouldn't visit if the food wasn't up to scratch. 

If I go somewhere different I always want to drink something respective of the restaurant so went for a bottle of Almaza Lebanese beer to start off. It was a lovely easy drinking pilsener beer that is very reminiscent of what you'd drink in a hot country. Very light and delicately flavoured. I'd definitely have another in future although at £3.95 a bottle it would be an expensive way to get drunk!

A bottle of Almaza Lebanese Beer

The Three Crowns Nottingham Review

A Food and Drink Review of Nottingham's Newest Pub- The Three Crowns

The Three Crowns Pub on Upper Parliament Street Nottingham

When I first started heading into Nottingham drinking it was Edwards, then it re-launched as the hideous Flares before a brief change to revival and prior to that it was the Tavern in the Town.  The site at 51 Upper Parliament Street was originally The Three Crowns and now, having been taken over by Sizzling Pubs- it’s been revamped with a nod towards it’s original status as a good old fashion city centre pub.

With the 'Other Half' working in retail in the City we'll often head out for food or a few drinks after she's finished on a Saturday or Sunday so a new pub in Nottingham claiming to be bringing back the spirit of a traditional city centre pub for all it seemed a good opportunity to see what the Three Crowns has to offer.

Having been deeply put off when walking into Flares and later Revival which had a lurid, dark artificial feel in the past it was refreshing to walk into somewhere light and airy just as the old Edwards had felt. The place felt welcoming. There was a buzz about the place with shoppers relaxing after a busy day at the sales, and city centre workers grabbing a relaxing pint on the way home from work.

We love a nice real ale and therefore it was nice to see a selection at the bar from a few breweries I don't believe we've tried before. The friendly staff gave us a small taste of the interesting sounding Sambrook's Brewery Lavender Hill which definitely had a hint of lavender to it's flavours although as someone who likes my ale on the darker side I plumped for a pint of the Woodeforde's Norfolk Hawker and the missus went for a Hogs Back Brewery England's Glory which I'd think the company named in some over-enthusiastic optimism for the Brazil World Cup.

The Norfolk Hawker was a lovely pint. It was a nice ruby ale with elements of spice. Definitely a good ale to have with a steak or burger. Whereas the England's Glory had a slightly citrus taste with overriding malty elements making it a far better drink than the World Cup performance.

Woodeforde's Norfolk Hawker Ale on tap at the Three Crowns

The next question was- "What shall we have to eat?"

Time for Food- with added sizzle! 

What Beer Do They Drink In Sardinia?

Having just returned from an awesome week of sun, sea, fantastic food and nice beer in Sardinia a friend inspired this post by asking me. "What beer do they drink in Sardinia?"

Sardinia's people are known to drink the most beer when compared to mainland Italy despite the island producing some very impressive wines which you'll often not find outside Sardinia.

Prior to travelling we'd thought that we may be treated to glasses of Peroni or Birra Moretti but in reality in Sardinia the main beer that everyone seems to be drinking is Ichnusa. Ichnusa is named after the ancient Latin name for Sardinia, Hyknusa. It's brewed in Assemini, near Cagliari.

Savouring an Ichnusa Sardinian Beer Overlooking Lu Bagnu, Castelsardo, Sardinia

How To Make Your Own Green Pesto

A guide to making your own green pesto with recipes and serving suggestions. 

Make your own pesto at home

Pesto from a jar is great- it's quick and convenient however there's nothing quite like freshly made Pesto sauce when you go to an Italian restaurant. The fresh ingredients from restaurant Italian Pesto give a better flavour.

Would you like to make your own Pesto at home? It's very easy to make, only requires a few ingredients and can be made relatively inexpensively. 

Below are a few of my personal favourite homemade green Pesto recipes.

Traditional Pesto sauce originates from the Genoa region of Northern Italy generally comprising basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmegiano Regiano (Parmesan) hard cheese and salt.

Below are 3 simple recipes for homemade Pesto to try at home.

Homemade basil pesto with chorizo

1. Basil and Walnut Pesto
2. Basil and Lemon Thyme Pesto
3. Traditional Genovese Green Pesto

Han Dynasty- Chinese Hot Pot Food In Nottingham

Chinese Hot Pot Food At The Han Dynasty

A friend recently fancied trying something new food wise. She'd heard of Han Dynasty on Mansfield Road, Nottingham through the grapevine and thought it might be an opportunity to try something different to the usual 'all you can eat' Chinese restaurant.

Unfortunately the web address isn't the most inspiring. Handynasty.co.uk sounds more like a website where some bizarre sexual acts take place but visitors need not worry.