A greasy fry up. But who put that fruit on my plate!
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There's a good selection of cafes and breakfast bars in Nottingham.
The intrepid Nottm Trent Uni Platform team took up the arduous task of sampling vast amounts of bacon and eggs to find the perfect platter.
Venues sampled: | Breakers Breakfast | There’s a good selection of breakfast items at this little café. There’s all the usual. You’ve got a choice of six but unfortunately the tea or coffee has to be paid for separately.
Obviously this place gets rammed at peak times but what do you expect as it’s situated opposite the Boots library. It’s packed between 10.00 - 11.00am and is constantly busy thereafter.
It’s a decent size for what you pay but the breakfast does come on a tacky paper plate and is accompanied by equally tacky plastic cutlery. It’s quite annoying when the knife keeps breaking but I guess that’s to keep the overheads down.
The quality of the items is debatable. The eggs and bacon weren't cooked to our taste. One of the saving graces is the sausage; they’re actually really nice. As far as value goes the breakfast costs a little over £2 if you include your coffee.
It’s an okay option as far as a quick breakfast with your mates goes but there really is no space for a group bigger than four. Having said that at least you can have a fag when you’re done. | Greasiness
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| The Union Breakfast (City site) | The café at the Student Union down the stairs (not to be confused with the Glo Bar) is ideal for breakfasts.
You never have to queue long or sometimes not at all. After a lecture a good group of us will go down.
As there are plenty of large tables it never poses a problem. There are a good variety of items available, the usual suspects.
There’s even the option for veggie sausages so no one feels left out. You can seven items you can have here including your coffee all for the measly sum of £1.75.
You’re restricted to only two meat items but that’s standard practice really. However, it’s great value and the dinner ladies (if that’s what they’re called) are always friendly.
The general size of the breakfast is excellent as is the quality of the food although the sausages aren’t as nice as Breakers (Keith Chegwins) but everything else makes up for that.
This is really the only place for any self-respecting student to dine, as it’s cheap and a decent sized meal. | Greasiness
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| Sylvia’s refectory | £1.75 will get you a seven item breakfast at Sylvia’s the same as the dinner at city site, fantastic value and the perfect start to the day.
I know a large number of people plan their day around breakfast at Sylvia’s, it makes 9.00am starts far more bearable.
Last year saw the introduction of the two meat item rule, a shame and a focal talking point for regular dinners for some time. In fact a small sized rally took place soon after the new rule started, where staff and dinners were pelted with large plates of undercooked bacon and balls of gristle.
For the price you can’t complain.
Unfortunately, Sylvia’s loses out in the sausage stakes, known among Cliftoners as the ‘Keith Chegwin’, I will leave it to your imagination, they are small, pink and a little tasteless anyhow.
The seven items includes a drink which is real bonus. The eggs can vary from perfect to very average, but usually they hold their own. Hash browns are always a favourite and two counts as one item which excites the hungry.
Sylvia’s is probably the blue stripy breakfast, no frills but exceptional value. | Greasiness
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| The Southbank Bar | Not the most obvious destination for hungry, hung-over students on a quest for a fry-up, the Southbank Bar is a little sleeker than your average greasy spoon.
Situated on the bank of the River Trent, next to the Forest football ground, it is a little out of the way for most people (although it is on the main bus route).
The Southbank is mainly a sports bar where you can kick back and watch your favourite team on the big screen. A perfect reason to head down there for a big breakfast and stock up on energy in preparation for the big game.
Depending on just how much you had to drink last night and what state your body’s in you can choose between comfy sofas, chairs and barstools. If your stomach can take it, go for the Big Breakfast, a bargain at £3.
For this small sum you will get bacon, sausages, fried eggs, beans, tomato, mushrooms, black pudding (yuck!) and toast. All the essential ingredients for a successful fry-up I think you’ll agree.
If you are in need of some serious grease, there is always the Gut Buster. The name, I feel is self-explanatory, and at £5.50 this is not for the faint-hearted (and small stomached).
Of course, if you are feeling a little delicate, there is plenty of choice on the breakfast menu. You may choose anything from scrambled egg to a continental breakfast. There is also a veggie option at £2.95.
All superb value, fantastic portions, but disappointingly lacking in grease. The only complaint I would make is that everything looked a little anaemic, so if you prefer your breakfast more crispy than limp, this is not the place for you. | Greasiness
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| The Wax Bar (Broadway St.) | The Wax Bar was given the ultimate test - it was sampled with a big fat hangover, which was eased immensely thanks to a great breakfast, in cool comfy surroundings. It is open from 12 - 12 and the cafe/bar mix works well.
This is much, much nicer than your typical greasy spoon, which is reflected in the food and the menu.
It was a a higher class of breakfast than average, possibly due to the ingredients used, organic when possible, but even down to small details such as using herby Lincolnshire sausages.
Everything too was cooked just right, but it wasn’t in the slightest bit greasy. It is very accommodating with a wide selection of vegetarian dishes and also offering to make orders on request if you don’t fancy what is on the menu.
The breakfast menu isn’t extensive but they do loads of other snacks, baguettes, omelettes etc... It was reasonably priced, only £3.90 for full breakfast (same for veggie) with bacon, sausages, fried egg, tomato, sautéed potato, mushrooms and beans.
The decor is simplistic but innovative, what you would really expect in Hockley. As it is quite small and thanks to the staff there is a friendly atmosphere.
They also provide takeaway, which has 25%
off the menu price and you can have a complimentary coffee while you wait for it to be cooked.
The drinks selection is also excellent, if you’re not quite ready for a ‘proper’ drink there is a wide selection of coffees and soft drinks, why not try the Orange, Lemon and Carrot Pago (much nicer than it sounds).
Why not go in, have breakfast, and after a Pago or two, and a few coffees, start on another session. | Greasiness
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| Diner Mo. | A little way from the town centre, (near the Ropewalk) is this American style diner.
The boothed seating and general decor all add to the effect, the menu is largely a breakfast one, slightly different to the norm however, with quite a lot of pancakes, French toasts being served with the meal.
The portions are big and also quite rich so be prepared. They do various smoothies, which feel like a good detox if you’ve had a big night out, (okay we admit it - we were hungover when we tested out Diner Mo too!)
The smoothies such as apple and mango are made freshly as you order.
It does seem to lack an atmosphere, although it was quite quiet when we were in there. It is a little more expensive too than normal but as we said the the portions are big and the menu is very different, so is Diner Mo. | Greasiness
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After you've sampled all those delights we suggest you go on a grease-free diet until the next drinking binge. |
