The Causeway

A small but smart looking drinkers pub in Sherwood. Been through a series of name and management changes the latest landlady has been here 3 weeks and is leaving in two. Not a happy tenure. Blighted by drug dealing the place needs and had had a rebirth but making it profitable might prove tough. Although Sherwood enjoys 5 pubs so perhaps the right tenant can make it work. No real ale but good super chilled Heineken.

Fat Cat

The newly opened Fat Cat in Sherwood. Formerly The Chestnut Tree. This is a very welcoming venue with smart decor, great looking food and cracking real ale. In the words of the management they've 'sold a lot of ale this week'. Somewhere you'd take the wife or girlfriend and also has great beer.

UPDATE MARCH 2019 : CLOSED AND REOPENING AS A PAKISTANI RESTAURANT

Bentinck Hotel

A genuine surprise. I thought that this old dirty football pub / "hotel" had finally closed to become a Starbucks. And it had. But what I didn't know was that the hotel and bar had been refurbished and continued to welcome drinkers and travellers upstairs. Including a real ale bar overlooking the new Nottingham station. Smart and apparently not a bad hotel either. A good little find that sort of made my day.

Robin Hood and Little John

A rare and exciting story in the world of the English pub. Arnold's oldest pub has been bought and re-opened on 21st August 2014 as a classic pub specialising in real ale and real cider. The building has been restored to its former glory and the welcome, decor and ale is world class. Home Ales memorabilia is all around the pub including a timeline of previous landlords. In an age of 30 pubs closing a week this is a wonderful success story and of the 10 real ales I saw the 'Marion' pale ale was amazing. Congrats to Mark and Lorraine and all the best for the future.

The Old Green Dragon

My new favourite pub.

This is the perfect blend of a traditional village pub with loads of history and character that has been modernised without losing its charm. It's still very much a locals' pub in the village of Oxton but is welcoming to outsiders and combines great real ale with fantastic food. But without becoming a dining pub. You can still just enjoy a drink here. And the landlord and staff are among the most welcoming I've met. Oh, and the beer named after the place, Oxton Gold, is actually Castle Rock's Elsie Mo. My favourite beer.

Gladstone

A return to an old favourite in the summer.

The Lambley

Just reopened after a long time closed. New owners. New concept. A quality village pub with excellent food and stunning interior. Really well done. Everything seems top end. More of a foody place than a drinkers' pub but still great real ale. Harvest Pale was excellent.

The Old Volunteer, Carlton

Now reopened as the brewery tap for Flipside Brewery The Old Volunteer is a really smart real ale pub. Great staff and really well decorated.

Crafty Crow

The new brewery tap for the Magpie Brewery is open. The former BZR is now a smart corner pub facing Nottingham Castle and has a smart contemporary and airy feeling. The service was OK - maybe more staff needed. But the beer was very good.

Starting Gate, Colwick

Something of a surprise. I'd never been but always assumed it was a bit of a neglected estate pub hidden away in Colwick. But we were pleasantly surprised by how smart this Barras pub was, how busy and how welcome we were made. Never judge a book by its cover. The beer was good too. Football on all screens as it was the last day of the Premier League 2014 but there was a good atmosphere.

It's Inn The Bank, Netherfield

Obviously a former bank, this corner pub in Netherfield was lively on a Sunday afternoon in May. Football and lager sums it up. Good to see it doing well. Not for real ale drinkers though.

Willowbrook

Castle Rock's latest pub. Been open just a few weeks and still smells of fresh paint. A former members only club in Gedling. Great to see a quality local brewery opening a new pub. Beer is great, of course. Typical Castle Rock pub with wide open spaces inside but in this case a screen showing football. Not my type of pub ambience but good beer in a busy new pub that has certainly cornered the market in Gedling. Long may it thrive.

The Ropewalk

Smart, modern "Scream" pub with awesome ale. And decent food. A chain pub but at the better end of the spectrum.

UPDATE MARCH 2019 : CLOSED

Mechanics Arms

So pleased to find this place has finally reopened. I was convinced that this place would be sold as flats. Welcoming, good fun staff and regulars. And decent real ale. I had Bishop's Farewell. And the food appears to be awesome too. A great, old fashioned, unspoilt traditional city pub. Will be back very soon!

UPDATE MARCH 2019 : CLOSED

UPDATE DECEMBER 2020 : FLATTENED

Newshouse

It was time to revisit a quality old pub. Now a Castle Rock pub it was revamped in 2002. And I'm pleased to say it still offers a classic, traditional pub welcome complete with nostalgic decoration from the past celebrating beer and pubs and especially Nottingham and the history of this pub. Such things as Nottingham Evening Post historic headlines. The ale was excellent and the landlord was friendly and welcoming giving me a detailed background to the pub and other pubs of the same name across the city. Will be back.

Gooseberry Bush

A typical Wetherspoon's pub but at the better end of the spectrum of pubs. Good food, friendly service, the Ruddles Bitter was good and the ambience was decent. Full of students for a Saturday breakfast and popular with the football crowd by lunchtime but this is a pub I enjoyed spending an hour in.