The Bell Inn is a lovely historic pub in downtown Nottingham, right next to the Market Square. It…read moregoes back centuries, and has been lovingly restored, but the Greene King label might turn some people off. It shouldn't. Sure, you'll get the usual array of GK ales, only a few of which can actually be recommended. However, there are usually many guest ales available on tap, too - plus, they're running their own beer festivals. The location itself is just splendid: The pub is subdivided into several discrete sections, with a larger room to the back. So, if you want it quiet, choose one of the two smaller "compartments" to the front of the pub. Beautiful old wood for décor, a bar each in the three areas - a small outside seating area, generally nice staff - What's not to like? If you can overcome your prejudices against "Greedy King", by all means drop by while in Nottingham.

The Bell Inn is in the centre of Nottingham just off the Old Market Square dates back to at least…read more1437 and is one of the oldest in the county. It is a pub full of interesting,wood panelled, atmospheric rooms each with their own story to tell. Keeps a good range of real ales and food. Recently refurbished. Well worth a visit. A group of Carmelite Friars arrived in Nottingham in 1276 and readily obtained lands and property. They established a Friary (on what is now Friar Lane) and their lands extended to include the site of what is now The Bell Inn. By the accurate dating of the building, it's identification as a hostelry with stables, and it's location, it is reliably considered that the building was the guesthouse of the Friary. The Bell originally served as a refectory of the Carmelite monastery then sited on Beast market Hill, just below St James Street Junction. Henry VIII closed small monasteries in 1539 in an effort to tap a valuable source of income, and then it became a secular alehouse, taking it's name from the Angelus bell (Latin word meaning 'the noon-day bell') that hung outside the monks' refectory, which explains how The Bell got its name. Dendrochronology dating evidence from timbers in the Bell Inn gives a date for the building of c.1420. Hardys & Hansons, Greene King IPA 3.6% abv and Abbot Ale 5% abv, plus a wide selection of quality guest ales from an ever-changing selection.

New pub with some great beers on tap. A negative is the…read moreservice and slow staff, waiting times to get served at the weekends can be appalling.

Mapperley Top was definitely crying out for a decent modern pub up there and so along came this…read moreplace a few years ago (recently joined by a Wetherspoon nextdoor). Now it is pitched at the older crowd as it offers many choices for bitters and out of the ordinary lagers can also be had. It also has that olb pub feel to it, or at least tries to create that feel and that is where I think it struggles. There is a mis match of what is in there. Rough wooden floors and beer barrel tables give out one signal, but then a smart little conservatory added on give it another. I can never decide whether it is a temporary building or a proper pub. It has that kind of cross between a local and having a drink in the Scout Hut. Despite my reservations on whether or not the feel is right inside, it is very popular and as with any pub as long as the people in there are having a good time then it makes it a good place to be. People seem to like it and I can be persuaded.

Excellent real ale pub on Friar Gate: Fine selection of non-standard hand pumped ales, all well…read morekept. Recommended: Dashingly Dark from the Derby Brewing Company. Friendly staff, great community atmosphere, not too loud. Quite comfy, too. Kept in great shape. Definitely worth a look for a Derby pub crawl, even if it's a short walk from the city centre.

One person is really not enough to serve a Sunday evening…read morecrowd, especially when that person has no concept of who is next and serves people who arrived more than 5 minutes after you! Only when there was no-one else she could possibly find to serve did we finally get our hands on a beverage and it was a good one, Hop till you drop. A second beer was acquired much quicker but was the not quite so good Triple Hop. I know I prefer their other pub, though this one is quite nice so maybe the dreadful service has just irked me too much.

Coopers' Tavern is a basic, unpretentious little boozer in Burton, but one with a more than decent…read moreselection of real ales on hand pumps. A good place for a quick pint, but not necessarily a place to linger. Decor is very basic, too. Staff are friendly indeed, and they have their own little beer festivals on occasion. Your friendly neighborhood pub.

Very good selection of real ale, with something to satisfy the light, medium or dark ale drinkers…read moreout there. There are all manner of flavoured wines and GREAT barsnacks like Jalapeno Pretzel Pieces and Mary Berry Chocolates. The staff are always lovely and helpful, suggesting what I should drink when I'm in and steering me away from the one that made me talk the local MP half to death (Sarah Hughes if you're wondering. The drink that is) the only thing that lets this place down is the soft drinks - someone has to have them but if you do they are tiny and warm.

Great place to try fish and chips! Drinks and food were delicious. The outdoor space is super cute.read more

The Standing Order is the classiest of several J.D. Wetherspoon pubs in Derby (another one, The…read moreThomas Leaper, is right next door - which is kind of peculiar), housed in a former bank - indeed several Spoons called The Standing Order are in former bank buildings, like the one in Edinburgh). The décor is more stylish than the one you will find in other Spoons, though still easily recognizable. The food of course is the same that you will find in other JDW pubs, with very minor variations (e.g. the selection of small plates is smaller here than e.g at The Babington Arms, also in Derby). The drinks selection is huge and the prices competitive (try and find a real ale from UKP 2,75 at any pub that isn't a Spoon!), and that of course attracts a certain clientèle, especially on weekend nights. If you can accept that, it's a highly recommendable place for inexpensive drinks and (usually reliable) food.

A seriously lovely looking place (oldest pub in Derby I…read morethink) that does good beer and some interesting food. Had a Navigation pale ale and a vegetable balti. Both were delicious. I was surprised to receive chips on top mind you (on top of the curry obviously, not the pint).

Lovely traditional pub in the Cathedral quarter. Nice atmosphere, real fires and cosy little rooms…read more The food served is traditional pub grub but the prices are very reasonable. Large beer garden/smoking area at the back. Makes a welcome change from all the chain/theme pubs!

We went in here at around 10.30pm on a Saturday night and it was packed out. The music was loud and…read morethumping although I did just about manage to have a conversation. The service was pretty fast at the bar so you don't have to wait long although the drinks are quite expensive. There was no spare seats or tables at the front of the bar and it was pretty busy with lots of people standing around, we did find a table to sit at the back near the stairs that lead down to the toilets. One thing I did like was that there was a wide age range of clientèle not just young uns out on the razz, Oh and the doors are very wide which means it is accessible for wheelchairs to get in and out.

Despite its being a chain and in the gun crime capital of the UK (poor old Nottingham), the Ha Ha…read moreBar didn't fail to please when I went here for a Christmas do. The decor is really welcoming, lots of nice dark wood, lovely ceilings and fantastic lighting. The ambience is very couth, very growns up. The wine list is very nice, and includes some nice surprising varieties, including a very nice Sauvignon with pear and apricot flavours. Yum yum. The service at the bar is efficient but casual, no over-keen "hey guys!" bartenders here. There is always a pretty great crowd here, lots going on, mostly an in-city working crowd after work for a drink or some food with friends. Once we were seated and given menus, we found a nice selection of dependable food without anything flashy or worrying. When the seabass and chicken mains arrived, they were well cooked, with flaky tender fish and non-stringy, moist chicken. The sides and starters were also nice. We skipped dessert as we were stuffed full, and opted for more wine, both bottles of which suited everyone's tastes and were respectively mellow and crisp. The kitchen service was fast, but not worryingly so, and the manager, who brought our food over, was a very friendly and chatty fellow. Definitely an easy choice if you're not looking for a bespoke dining experience, but a welcoming, low-key place in Nottingham

Well, it seems that there are a lot of pubs that are attempting to claim the title to being the…read moreoldest pub in England, and this is one of them (but of course a pub will try to claim as being the oldest, as it is a lot of marketting). Mind you, the interesting thing was that a number of bikies rocked up when I was here, so yeah, it seems to be a very English thing that one of the oldest pubs ends up being a bikie bar. Still, it is pretty cool pub.

I hate des it so not happy. Too much maths books and apple juice. The teachers no naise.read more