Marks & Spencer

You know that feeling when you pop into a department store café expecting mediocrity and actually get something decent? That's exactly what happens here on the upper floor of M&S's Albert Street store. The coffee's properly made, not the burnt offering you'd expect, and their pastries actually taste like someone cares about them. The space feels more like a proper café than a retail afterthought, with decent seating that doesn't make you feel rushed. You'll find yourself lingering over a flat white longer than planned, watching the Market Square bustle below through the windows. It's become the kind of place where Nottingham's office workers actually choose to meet, rather than just ending up there by accident.