COFFEE SHOP CRASH COURSE

Nottingham’s Top Caffeine Hideouts

Drinks of the alcoholic persuasion may be on the mind of more students, but for those who crave a little cosiness in their lives, there are always quaint little coffee shops open in the AM for the early birds. Hosting a hefty array of delectable drinking quarters for you to enjoy alone or with family and friends, there are numerous spots worth the trek beyond the borders of University Park.

If you’re looking for comfort with extra pizazz then look no further than the new kid in town, Dispatch Coffee, nestled within the heart of Hockley. Like a Wes Anderson movie, Dispatch Coffee blooms with bold colours and divine decor, with plenty of space inside to fit a large group. Not only that, but the coffee is a treat and the baked goods go down a storm! Another recent addition to Nottingham is Punch Coffee - a family-run café packing a real punch, situated a little further out from the city centre on Mansfield Road. It offers a small-town atmosphere, where the lovely couple, Ben and Kellie, greet and get to know you whilst their lovely children brighten up the place, running laps around the counter.

For those who are in need of a banging brunch to fill their bellies, there are also a plethora of places to choose from. In Lenton, the tried and tested Avocafé nurses the hangovers of the previous night’s partygoers with a nutritious menu, free wifi, smoothies and 200º Coffee on the espresso. If one is in need of a Beeston brunch, Cartwheel Coffee offers the most elegant eatables, so it can be a bit on the pricey side. The beauty of this spot is that, not only does it arguably have some of the best coffee in Nottingham’s arsenal (which is even roasted here!) and also has a sister shop in the city centre.

The final honourable mention for a beasty brunch is Blend. This coffee shop can be found across the city in a couple of spots; my favourite of which lies within Sneinton Market. Toasties have never tasted so good, and this immaculate emporium has an extensive menu full of them, with vegan and gluten-free options galore. Comfortably cosied up in the cracks and crevices of Sneinton Market, it bursts with bright colours and a counter stocked with enough sweet treats to make any 20 going on 12 year old happy.

Concluding this catalogue of coffeeshops are three reserved for the fellow coffee snobs out there. To begin with, another one for the harcore Hockley fans, Kigali - serving Notting- ham-roasted beans from Outpost Coffee and guest roasters, with numerous options for the caffeine puritans, sweet tooths, and sandwich-lovers. Next is another city-based café called Effy, which helped me feel at home in the first few weeks of university here. Nowadays, they tend to have Manhattan Coffee on the machine. This is all the way from the Netherlands, but they also bring in highbrow roasters from across the world and homebake their goods - it is probably the closest thing akin to a London coffee shop on this list, with impressive insides and a lovely team of baristas. Lastly, for the Beeston-based students, Greenhood. Although it has an almost blindingly white interior, there is a fabulous array of filter coffees and drinks for all. It also quite handily sits next door to Doughnotts, for those craving a sugar rush!

With that, there is more than enough to begin a coffee venture through the city. Hopefully this intensive coffeeshop guide has inspired you in some manner, for whatever your caffeine-deprived heart may desire.

Jacob Edwards