Laura Ross Russell
The qualified foodie Laura Ross Russell is back with an instalment of ‘Tried and Tested’, helping us better know our city and its tasty food scene. Having already shown the city’s fancier evening offerings, this time, she takes us through the relatively new ‘Public’ café, bakery and plant shop to discover if it’s worth the hype …
First things first – where are we?
Today we are trying Public, one of the latest bakery-cafés to open in Nottingham whilst we were all away for the summer. With two branches in Loughborough already, it’s no real surprise that Public has quickly become one of Nottingham’s most popular cafés just a few months after opening.
What were your initial impressions?
Public is seriously Instagrammable: they’ve clearly got a top-notch marketing team on the job, as their social media is impeccably curated and seems to have popped up on every student’s feed since returning to university. Housed in a Grade II listed former bank, the café implements a fresh, modern look to the space, taking advantage of its beautifully high ceilings and the abundance of natural light from the large windows. Houseplants on sale from The Flower Plant and a selection of Ohh Deer greeting cards add a unique touch whilst also adding to the décor of this space.
Housed in a Grade II listed former bank, the café implements a fresh, modern look to the space
What’s on the drinks menu?
All of your usual coffee shop classics, plus a few seasonal specials, including a cinnamon bun cappuccino, a lotus maple latte and an iced white chocolate matcha. I personally wasn’t that keen on the coffee blend, so next time, I will stick to the baked goods – which is clearly what they do best.
Let’s talk food – what’s good here?
It’s always a good sign when you can see bakers and pastry chefs at work in an open kitchen, and you’d be a fool to visit Public without trying a croissant or two. I had the tiramisu croissant, which was fantastic, though it’s unfortunately no longer on the menu, having been swapped out for more autumnal flavours. I’m yet to try their a la carte brunch offering, but it appears to get rave reviews online.
What’s the clientele like? Are we talking about fellow students, locals, or a mixed crowd?
When we visited Public there was a mixed crowd inside – lots of students but also older locals checking out this new spot. It does seem important to note that it is quite noisy in here, owing to the tall ceilings and lots of hard surfaces – so perhaps not the best place if you’re looking for a café where you can knuckle down and get some work or reading done.
How was the service?
Public offers a mix of counter and table service: you order at the counter and are then given a table number, and your food is brought to you. Whilst all the staff we encountered were lovely, the service was slowed down by the fact that the waitstaff seems to have a bit of a tough time actually finding you, and often have to do a few laps of the restaurant before you get your food.
This is a great spot to treat yourself to brunch when you’ve got a morning with no lectures and fancy a mooch around town.
What’s the price range? Is this affordable for students, or one to save for when mum and dad come to visit?
Prices are pretty typical for a trendy café like this. Brunch plates go for £10 (£12.50 for an improved weekend version), sandwiches are around £7.50 and most croissants are about £3.50. This is a great spot to treat yourself to brunch when you’ve got a morning with no lectures and fancy a mooch around town.
So – what’s the verdict? Will you be coming back?
Public seems a great addition to the city centre and has plenty of space for coffee drinkers, croissant lovers and hungry brunch-goers. I’m keen to try their brunch menu so will definitely be back for more – and perhaps will leave with a houseplant next time!
Laura Ross Russell
Featured image courtesy of Mae Mu via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
All in-article images courtesy of the author, Laura Ross Russell.
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