Doctor's Orders, Nottingham

Micro pub with one room and the bar at the rear. Hand service by the friendly barman. Five real ales and five ciders. Decent place worth a revisit.

Doctors orders was one of the first Micro pubs in Nottingham when it opened its doors several years ago. Located on the busy Mansfield road it is in a prime next to the main gateway into Nottingham from the North. This was originally set up as a project between three real ale enthusiast friends who all maintained day jobs. Unfortunately they underestimated the workload of having a pub even one with reduced working hours such as this one) and sold it to the Local magpie Brewery who have it as their second pub. I preferred this pub in its original guise under the ownership of the three friends as there was no bar and all orders were made of a chalk board which was then retrieved from the cask room that punters could peer into via an old counter that was glassed over which was a very unique touch. The magpie brewery has done away with this and has instead installed hand pulls in a back dispensing area that punters can now walk up to and order although table service is still routinely offered. The beer selection is always good and varied and always features a magpie beer. The beers available on my visit were Magpies Jay IPA, Flipside chocolate penny as well as three I failed to note. The chocolate penny was in a nice condition and an ok price at £3.20. Like most Micros the regulars are very chatty and always up for conversation and the bar man was very well informed and willing to hand out tasters until you found one that was just right. The refurb has been kind to the pub but I felt the stripped back feel suite fit slightly better but both are good. Located on a road that has many pubs within walking distance this is a welcome addition to the Mansfield roads crawl and a great place to stop off for a nice beer. Not the best micro pub in the world but certainly a good one.

Slightly strange but interesting place to go for a beer. I did feel a bit like a druggie getting my methadone fix!! 6 decent local beers on tap during our visit and a good crowd of young and old punters, all served by a single barman who really seemed to know his stuff. As others have said, not really my kind of place but a brave attempt at somthing different for the real ale drinker.

This is a micro-pub, with a few tables outside, housed in unit within a larger mock-Tudor styled row of shops. It is a former chemist, hence the name. The interior has a square seating area that is in white and brick, with laminate flooring. It is a little bare, with a few bottles, the odd photo and a chalkboard listing the drinks - but the increasing pump-clip collections seems to be filling the space. Seating is standard tables and chairs, with one bench (cushions included). A passage way leads off to the loos, en route to which there is a blocked brick fireplace and a white wall on which there are paintings for sale. There is no TV, music, pool or darts, although there are a few traditional board games available. The service was friendly - we had a good chat to the part-owner - indeed, he brings the drinks to your table. The clientele started-off as a single beer-ticker - but luckily a mixed group arrived to give a more rounded feel. Beer; 6/7 real ales, gravity poured, housed in the old pharmacy area - with a real cider and the odd wine. Beer is from local breweries; Nutbrook Blue Oytser, Welbeck Abbey's Henrietta, Burton Bridge stairway to Heaven, Axholme Gooseberry ale, Fluston's Slack Stuff and a decent Magpie's Raven stout. A different type of experience and one I am sure we will see more of. One for the real ale enthusiast and those that want to quietly read the paper. I would more than happily return.

There were also five ales on offer on our visit. I went for the Full Mash Seance and Acorn Yorkshire Pride. The ales were on top form and we were served them at our table from a waiter. The type of customers on our visit tended to stick to themselves and it was more like visiting a small restaurant rather than a pub.

Doctors Orders is Nottinghams first micro pub. The pub used to be a chemists,it is situated in a parade of shops on the busy mansfield road. Once inside there is a small square shaped room,there were 6 small tables and chairs and a small wooden bench,the flooring was of the laminate wood type. There is no bar in this room but a blackboard shows all of the drinks available,there is a wide corridor to the rear left which leads to the toilet,this passes a small room that has glass windows,this is where all of the beers are stored. There were five real ales ready and all of these were priced at £3.00,i had a drink of Flipside Rusty Penny,this was a very well kept beer and served at the right temperature,the other beers were Muirhouse Master Brewer,Saltair New World Red,Funfair Tunnel of Love and Pheasantry best bitter. There was one real cider and six different wines,no food here but crisps and nuts were for sale. There was a decent amount in on my dinnertime visit and all tables were taken,but there was no music or TVs so if you are on your own like i was there is not a lot to do but drink. The customers who were in here seemed happy enough,but i felt a bit uneasy drinking in a room with no bar. This is not really my sort of pub but if you are into real ale and with a gruop of friends you might well like this place. Pub visited 16/2/2013