Nottingham will never disappoint when it comes to enjoying a big night out on the town.
Other cities may be more famous for their bright lights and after dark scene, but the East Midland’s biggest, busiest and most bustling city is a fantastic place to dress up, let your hair down and hit the town for a night to remember. Whether you’re looking for the perfect cocktail bar for date night with someone special, a comedy club that will get you rolling in the aisles or a nightclub where you and your friends can dance the night away until the small hours, Nottingham nightlife provides a real treasure trove of after dark delights for all tastes and budgets. The only problem is deciding where to try first.
Comedy Clubs
Located in the famous British Waterways building, The Glee is a real Nottingham landmark both outside and in. Primarily a comedy club, it also hosts special events and music gigs, and with comedy king Michael McIntyre and indie icon Jake Bugg both being past performers here, it can boast a real pedigree of the best the UK can offer. Drinks flow freely and you can even order tasty pub grub to enjoy as you giggle along, so Glee has your whole evening covered. Alternatively Just the Tonic Comedy Club is another popular venue to see comedy circuit favourites like Milton Jones alongside the up-and-coming names that are sure to be on all the TV panel shows this time next year.
Out of Town
For a Nottingham night out with a difference, it’s worth taking the short cab ride to the upmarket city suburb of West Bridgeford. The well-heeled residents here are so spoiled for choice with excellent restaurants and bars that they never need to venture into the centre unless they want to. Larwood and Voce has a reputation as one of the best gastropubs in the country, and Poppy and Pint is another excellent place to start the evening with a plate of delicious food and pint of craft beer or glass of wine. Fire and Ice is one of the best established venues on the West Bridgeford scene with cocktails and champagne a house speciality, meaning the night is sure to kick off with a bang.
Open Late
It’s not a proper big night out unless it ends with a boogie somewhere loud and open late. Pryzm is Nottingham’s latest and loudest venue for dedicated party people, and with a capacity of over 2,500 revellers, it’s always buzzing. The building has been dedicated to dance ever since it first opened as the Palais de Dance in 1925, so it’s a real Nottingham institution and attracts a great calibre of DJs. The city-centre based Forum is also a long-established and popular choice for weekly theme nights and live music for a down-to-earth party crowd. Stealth is the place to go if your tastes in late night music veer more towards ground breaking new music rather than party tunes from the past.
Cocktail Hour
Pubs are all very well, but it’s not a night out unless you visit a lowly lit cocktail bar to sip on something delicious. Tilt is the classic choice for well-made cocktails in a candlelit setting to the accompaniment of nightly live blues music, and forget beer gardens, this place has a gin garden! The Boilermaker may have an unpromising name and even more unpromising façade, but this cool, quirky ‘secret’ bar takes its cocktail making very seriously indeed. The late-opening Coco Tang is another favourite city centre haunt for a tipple or two in elegant surroundings. The menu is constantly evolving here and who could resist trying a Tiramisu cocktail? Finally, if the weather’s nice, head to Rocket at Saltwater for alfresco drinks on the terrace.
