The Malt Cross Cafe/Bar: My Favourite Place in Nottingham
But my favourite place in Nottingham – by a leap – is the place I am sat in as I write this.
A pleasant caf�©/bar, on a side street just off the Old Market Square, the Malt Cross is well known amongst all who know me as my second home.
It was the first place I ever came to in Nottingham, when I visited the Goose Fair in 2004. Only a few weeks later I moved into town.
Then, it was the place I regularly met some friends for a peaceful drink once a week.
In time, though, it became my favourite place to write, and I can happily spend all day, tucked away ay my corner table up on the balcony, scribbling away over a pint of apple juice and perhaps a basket of curly fries. If it’s possible for an entire building to be a muse – the Malt Cross is mine.
The building was built in 1877 as a music hall and has quite a history to it. The architecture is great to walk inside and see, and the curved glass-paned roof is something of a wonder as nobody is entirely sure how the architect built it! This does bring in the light quite well, although it can be a little dreary on a dull day and the windows really could do with a proper clean. The booths are comfortable and spacious, as are the armchairs and sofas, and there are some nice small tables dotted around.
Music during the day is chosen by the bar staff and it is quite a varied mix, though when you spend as much time there as I do you do occasionally want to buy them some new cds after hearing the same song for the 10th time in a week. But it’s very easy to forgive them for that; what with them being the friendliest (and best looking) bar staff this side of the cosmos.
The toilet facilities are a little confusing to some, with the men’s being downstairs and the ladies’ upstairs you can usually spot the women who have never been there before by the confused expression as they try to figure out which door to go through – usually winding up first in the art gallery. Which is no bad thing, as the displays there are always worth a look!
The food menu is larger and more varied than you might expect, and very tasty if a little pricey to those of us with slimline wallets. The wait can be a little much, if you’ve popped in for your dinner break, but is always worth it when the food is delivered to your table, fresh and ready to eat.
Being a cafÃ?©/bar means a bit of a mix when it comes to drinks. Don’t expect alcopops or anything too fancy, but the beers, spirits and wines are more than adequate for most. Add to that a selection of fruit juices – which, if you ask nicely, can be mixed into all sorts of flavours, and your usual soft drinks, to which you can add a shot of cherry or vanilla flavour, and there’s little to complain about. The pots of tea are excellent, you can choose your own, they’re made with real tea leaves which I still think is great, and both tea and coffee come with a little jug of milk and a bowl of brown and white sugar cubes – or, if you really must, you can also pick one of the herbal teas on offer. And the hot chocolate, topped with stacks of cream, chocolate sprinkles, and crushed maltesers, makes my sweet tooth hurt (but in such a good way) just thinking about it!
As an added bonus, check out the tasty cakes on the bar in sealed jars. Also available are usually peanuts, mini cheddars and some fancy-flavoured crisps.
The atmosphere in the pub is perfect for writing, having a quiet drink, or relaxing, and even when it gets busy at weekends makes a good place for starting out because you can still have some elbow room!
So, that’s The Malt Cross, St James St – my absolute favourite
