Bon Appetit

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• Lee Rosy's Tea read more ›
  (17 Broad Street, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 959 8890)
  This strangely old-fashioned, non-alcoholic café in Nottingham's Lace Market mixes the old and new, serving up WiFi with dozens varieties of loose-leaf tea.
• Ye Old Nags Head read more ›
  (Cross Street, Castleton, Hope Valley, Derbyshire. Tel. 01433 620 248)
  Cosy traditional pub in the heart of Derbyshire walking country. It sells cask ales and wholesome food, including a giant all-day breakfast.
• Delilah read more ›
  (15 Middle Pavement, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 948 4461)
  Award-winning café/deli that's worth braving the crush for gourmet hot snacks like halloumi and roast veg sandwich.
• Alley Café Bar read more ›
  (1A Cannon Court, Long Row West. Tel. 0115 955 1013)
  Licensed, laid-back, vegetarian café that attracts a green-leaning in-crowd with its Happy Hemp Burgers and similar.
• Ashmore's read more ›
  (1 Bingham Road, Radcliffe on Trent. Tel. 0115 933 2001)
  Choose from a selection of coffees, croissants, muffins and pastries. Ashmore's also serves afternoon tea with traditional scones and gateaux.
• The Dragon read more ›
  (67 Long Row, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 941 7080 )
  A proper pub: nothing too fancy or flashy, just somewhere relaxed to enjoy a drink with some above-average food.

• Petit Paris read more ›
  (2 Kings Walk, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 947 3767)
  An informal restaurant, up a steep staircase, that dishes up consistently great food. It's the first choice for lovers of French cuisine in the city centre.
• Larwood & Voce read more ›
  (Fox Road, Trent Bridge. Tel. 0115 981 9960)
  This refurbished pub restaurant next to the international cricket ground serves decent dishes, including a daily roast.
• Druid Inn read more ›
  (Main Street, Birchover, Derbyshire. Tel. 01629 650 302)
  This gastropub retains pub cosyness while maintaining a solid reputation for above-average dining. Dishes like braised puy lentils with Yorkshire pudding certainly won't disappoint.
• Las Iguanas read more ›
  (4 Chapel Quarter, Chapel Bar. Tel. 0115 959 6390)
  This Latin American-themed chain is good for a business lunch or splash-out dinner. Gourmet fajitas.
• Rancliffe Arms read more ›
  (139 Loughborough Road, Bunny, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 984 4727)
  This fascinating listed historic building (check out the dovecote: an architectural rarity) also does great meals, including the legendary Sunday carvery.
• Saracen's Head read more ›
  (Southwell, Nottingham . Tel. 01636 812 701)
  A traditional coaching inn in a traditional market town-somewhere for lunch doesn't come much better than this.

• Paul's Restaurant read more ›
  (1 Market Street, Bottesford, Nottingham. Tel. 01949 842 375)
  Serves fine modern British cuisine and also provides an informal wine lounge - although the prices on the 'mesmerising' wine list shouldn't scare anybody off. Try the roast pavé of venison on creamy wild mushroom and smoked bacon casserole.
• Perkins Restaurant read more ›
  (Station Road, Plumtree, near Keyworth. Tel. 0115 937 3695)
  Rural award-winner with an informal atmosphere in a converted railway station. The fine French and English cuisine attracts local diners and business people alike.
• Hart's read more ›
  (1 Standard Court, Park Row, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 988 1900)
  A byword for unfussy up-market dining, Hart's does 'modern British' cuisine par excellence. The black olive gnocchi is a truly stand-out dish.
• The Peacock Inn read more ›
  (Church Corner, Main Street, Redmile. Tel. 01949 842 554)
  Smart rural restaurant/pub, just down the road from historic Belvoir Castle. Try the succulent fillet steak.
• The Fox read more ›
  (North End, Hallaton, Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Tel. 0871 917 0007)
  This popular pub is a cut above the rest, serving beautifully cooked, traditional British food. A good choice of real ales, too.
• Cockliffe read more ›
  (Burnstump Park, Arnold, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 968 0179)
  This beautiful 17th-century country house offers a fabulous setting for a superior evening out, with an extensive seasonal menu using ingredients that are all locally sourced.

• Fischer's Baslow Hall read more ›
  (Calver Road, Baslow. Tel. 01246 583 259)
  This ivy-fronted Edwardian pile, near the Chatsworth Estate, doesn't disappoint as a classic country-house hotel retreat. The Michelin-starred restaurant, with Rupert Rowley at the helm, provides a six-course tasting menu at £63 per head.
• Sat Bains read more ›
  (Lenton Lane, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 986 6566)
  Hard to find, but worth the trip. Local boy Sat Bains - regional winner in the BBC's Great British Menu series - gave Nottingham its first Michelin-starred restaurant and quickly earned a reputation for his complex combinations. Try the 10-course tasting menu.
• Langar Hall read more ›
  (Langar Village, Vale of Belvoir. Tel. 01949 860 559)
  Imogen Skirving's quiet, intimate and nicely eccentric country house hotel/restaurant is an elegant setting for lunch and dinner, and with its own lovely gardens. Don't miss out on the haunch of young venison.
• Hambleton Hall read more ›
  (Oakham, Rutland . Tel. 01572 756 991)
  This country-house hotel is a byword for opulent dining. Michelin-starred chef Aaron Patterson sources local ingredients for set dinners and the à la carte menu. Service is correct and never obtrusive.
• Ye Olde Bell read more ›
  (Barnby Moor, Retford, Nottinghamshire . Tel. 01777 705 121)
  This ancient coaching inn has new owners and once is again it is one of the places to wine and dine in the East Midlands. The seared calf's liver with bacon and bubble-and-squeak is a real winner.
• 1877 read more ›
  (Canning Circus, Derby Road, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 958 8008 )
  Recently opened in what was Ben Bowers, this sets its stall out to be top-quality eating-and, so far, the prospects are good. Give it a try!

After Dark

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• Stratford Haven read more ›
  (2 Stratford Road, West Bridgford. Tel. 0115 982 5981)
  A plastic music-free, real-ale haven, the 'Strat' serves well-kept beer and good food within spitting distance of Trent Bridge cricket ground and two football stadiums.
• Windmill Inn read more ›
  (4 Main Street, Red Mile, Leicestershire. Tel. 01949 842 281)
  Classy rural pub that also serves as a restaurant in the quiet Vale of Belvoir. Good ales (including Spitfire and Adnams) and an intelligent wine list.
• Iguanas read more ›
  (13-15 Belvoir Street, Leicester . Tel. 0116 285 9180)
  There is no doubt the Latin beat is feisty and in charge at this joint, with food from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, plus cocktails to match.
• Old Nags Head read more ›
  (Grindsbrook Booth, Edale, Derbyshire. Tel. 01433 670 291)
  If walking in Derbyshire, you will inevitably down a pint of real ale in this welcoming 16th-century pub, located at the start/finish of the Pennine Way.
• Brunswick Inn and Brewery read more ›
  (Railway Terrace, Derby. Tel. 01332 290 677)
  This traditional pub with a brewery on site is set in a restored Victorian railwaymen's hostelry.
• Farndon Boathouse read more ›
  (Riverside, Farndon, Newark. Tel. 01636 676 578)
  Easy-going pub/bar that does good food and has a great atmosphere. Recently revamped and well worth a look.

• Malt Cross Music Hall read more ›
  (St James Street, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 941 1048)
  This restored Victorian music hall in the city centre does do live gigs - but you're just as likely to see exhibitions and multimedia 'art experiences'.
• Rock City read more ›
  (8 Talbot Street. Tel. 0871 3100 000)
  Sweaty, sticky, awash with beer and one of the nation's best-loved live alternative music venues. This month's highlights include De La Soul (8 June), Jarvis Cocker (14) and Kasabian (24).
• The Bodega Social Club read more ›
  (23 Pelham Street, Nottingham. Tel. 08713 100 000)
  Small venue renowned as proving ground for bands on the way up (Coldplay among them). Highlights include the cutting-edge Dot-to-Dot festival (24 May).
• The Rescue Rooms read more ›
  (Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street. Tel. 08713 100 000)
  Everyone knows that The Rescue Rooms is among the region's best small venues. April's roster includes …And You Shall Know Us By the Trail of Dead (15 April) and Dr Feelgood (30).
• read more ›
  
  Acoustics, blues and jazz every night-it doesn't get much better than this. Not the most salubrious area, but so worth it when you get inside.
• Maze read more ›
  (270 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham . Tel. 0115 947 5650)
  One of Nottingham's best underground venues hosts some of the city's hottest up-and-coming bands. The bar is loaded with cask ales, European beers and excellent wines.

• Blu Bambu read more ›
  (27 Colyear Street, Derby. Tel. 01332 332 565)
  A frothy, full-on club experience with dancers, stage shows, drink promos, the usual. It hosted the Miss Derby beauty contest… you get the idea. Open from 10am-3pm.
• Mosh read more ›
  (110 Friar Lane, Derby. Tel. 01332 292 340)
  If indie and alternative music is your scene, Mosh is the place. DJs get the crowd jumping three nights a week, on Monday, Friday and Saturday, 11pm-3am. Mosh also has a venue in Leicester (37 St Nicholas Place. Tel. 0116 248 9241).
• nono 8 Bar and Restaurant read more ›
  (19-23 Wardwick, Derby. Tel. 01332 224 210 )
  Watch out for live saxophonist joining the DJ at this stylish and newish late bar. Open until 1am Monday-Thursday and 2am on the weekend, dress smart casual.
• The Fan Club read more ›
  (40 Abbey Street. Tel. 0116 242 5765)
  With three dance floors, The Fan Club caters for a young/student set with a liking for indie and retro. Open from 10pm-3am Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
• Quilted Llama read more ›
  (High Pavement, The Lace Market, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 950 6888)
  After 11pm you get dice with your drink, roll them right and you're on your way to free drinks. It's all good fun and, who knows, you might just get lucky!
• Bodega Social Club read more ›
  (23 Pelham Street, Nottingham. Tel. 0115 950 5078 )
  A great venue for live music, clubbing and drinking. Bands that have played here include the Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party.

This month...

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Tips

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