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.

The Cape is in a great position at the junction of two roads at the top of the trendy hockley area. Once inside here there is one large room with lots of tables and chairs the bar faces you as you go in,the pub has got a curved front with lots of clear glass windows so if you are in here its ideal for people watching but passers by can also look at you having a drink or meal here. This is quite a trendy pub but there are two real ales on the bar i had a drink of Marstons Pedigree which was a decent drink the other beer was Bombadier. I think this bar is a lot better than some of the others in this area.