Park Plaza Nottingham

You'd walk past this place a hundred times thinking it's just another soulless hotel bar, but step inside and you'll find something genuinely decent happening. The space feels more like a proper city bar that happens to be in a hotel rather than the other way around – dark wood, comfortable seating, and bartenders who know their way around a cocktail shaker. The drinks menu leans into classic cocktails done well, with a few contemporary twists that don't feel gimmicky. Sure, you're paying hotel prices, but the pours are generous and the atmosphere after work crowds from the nearby offices create a proper buzz. It's become a surprisingly solid option for drinks before dinner elsewhere, especially when everywhere else in the city centre is rammed.