Faradays, Nottingham

This is a Smith & Jones pub in a decent location close to the Lace Market tram stop. I spent about half an hour in here before I realised that it is supposed to be a South African themed bar, which sums up how flimsy the theme is. The interior is reminiscent of just about any student targeted bar I've ever been to - bland decor and furnishing with a few pictures on the walls, large ceiling fans and some nice adjustable slats on the windows. There was what appeared to be a restaurant section in a room to the rear and from where I was sat, it looked like that may have been furnished a little more interestingly, but I lacked the motivation to explore properly. There is also a function room upstairs available for private hire. The bar area was quite nice, with a large wine display, but even this was spoiled by the Costa Coffee machine and advertisements. A small triangle of pavement outside was fenced off to allow some al fresco drinking/dining and this area was full with a stag party group when we arrived. Our visit here was to take advantage of a cheap deal they were offering on pizzas, and I have to say that my pizza was very big and good value for money. There were only two beers on handpull - Pedigree and Bombardier. My Pedigree was a bit tired, but I was surprised to see flyers on the bar advertising an upcoming beer festival. The staff were probably the pub's strongest asset - a very friendly and helpful young team. I'm sure this place is doing the right thing in the eyes of a lot of Nottingham's student population and will attract plenty of custom thanks to their location and prices, but I wasn't too keen on the place myself and despite the fact that it served its purpose for our visit, I don't see myself returning.