Whereâ€™s the party inâ€¦ Nottingham

words by Wersha Bharadwa

For laid-back drinking

With the renaissance of the Chapel Bar Quarter and Lace Market area, Nottingham has come up in the world. Among the upmarket bars is the unpretentious and laid-back Tonic. Bands play acoustic sets in the basement midweek and DJs play high octane house music at the weekend. For a similar vibe, check out Bluu in the Lace Market area: a retro bar dominates the top floor and the basement bar offers a dancefloor and funky soul beats.

Tonic Restaurant Bar and Deli 6 Chapel Quarter +44 (0)11 5941 4770, www.tonic-online.co.uk
Bluu 5 Broadway, Lace Market +44 (0)115 9505 3559

For clubbers

Lizard Lounge is by far the city’s top party hangout. Set over three floors, the club was redecorated last year and now boasts dramatic red and dark wood interiors and a champagne bar. Resident DJs pump out house music until 3am on weekends. The bar menu features an excellent drinks list including top Belgian beers.

Lizard Lounge 41-43 St Mary’s Gate, Lace Market +44 (0)11 5952 3264, www.lizardlounge.co.uk

For laid-back drinking

Cocktail connoisseurs favour the Saint Bar at The Lace Market Hotel, where you can down a smooth Mangotini (Finlandia mango vodka with mango purée) or The Bar at the Dakota Hotel. Both are housed in boutique hotels and provide an intimate, low-key setting for local professionals, with the odd celebrity thrown in for good measure. Although the Saint Bar has a set of public ‘rules’ (like asking gentlemen to ‘make way for ladies’) it’s definitely more funky watering hole than elitist snob-den. The same goes for the bar at Dakota, another seriously cool spot that’s part owned by Formula One driver David Coulthard. There’s an open fire and chic oversized leather sofas perfect for curling up on.

The Saint Bar at The Lace Market Hotel 31 High Pavement, +44 (0)11 5852 3211 www.saint-bar.co.uk
The Bar at Dakota Hotel, Lakeview Drive Sherwood Business Pk, +44 (0)870 442 2727 www.dakotanottingham.co.uk

For celeb spotting

When in Nottingham, celebrities tend to make a beeline for Chino Latino, a hip Pan-Asian restaurant with a heady Latin-themed bar. British rock hopes Razorlight, and US rappers Snoop and 50 Cent (who had an after-show party here) have all hung out within the fashionably under-lit grey, cream and crimson interiors. If you’re on a big night out, you won’t run out of delicious cocktails to sample. Try a Mushi A Gari (gin pepped up with fresh chillies, mango and apple juice), or a Chino Mojito with fresh coconut milk and lemongrass, as DJs spin salsa beats late into the night.