I had a meal at the Nottingham restaurant that Vicky McClure loves - she’s certainly got good taste
Vicky told NottinghamWorld that it was one of her favourite places in the city to grab a bite
When it comes to food and drink, we’re putting it out there that Nottingham is one of the best cities in the UK.
From exclusive Michelin Star restaurants to rough and ready greasy spoons, Nottingham really does have something for everyone.
But sometimes it can be difficult to know where to try, particularly if you’re new to the city.
For this very reason, word of mouth is king when it comes to finding out which restaurants are attracting attention.
When it comes to trustworthy Nottingham locals, they don’t come much better than our very own Vicky McClure.
The Wollaton-born actress, best known for roles in This Is England and Line of Duty, is always flying the flag for Nottingham wherever she goes.
A few months ago we at NottinghamWorld had the pleasure of asking Vicky a few questions about her home city, such as her favourite restaurants and pubs.
During our interview, Vicky said: “Bar Iberico, if you want somewhere to rock up quickly and enjoy, and La Rock restaurant if you want somewhere posh.”
I decided to try out Vicky’s recommendation for myself and spent an afternoon dining at Bar Iberico in Hockley.
An afternoon of tapas in Bar Iberico
Having never tried tapas before, I was quite excited ahead of my first experience.
My visit to Bar Iberico fell at around 12pm on a Monday lunchtime, but I’d say at least half of the restaurant’s tables were occupied.
I was shown to my table and given a menu, which presented a bit of a challenge considering this was my first time trying tapas.
Unsure of what to have, I decided to go for the ‘Menu Rapido’ - a discounted lunch menu which allows you to choose three dishes for £16.95.
My dishes of choice were Sourdough with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, Crispy Chicken with Spicy Jerez Sauce and Cured Sea Bass with Burnt Cucumber Mint Oil and Dill.
I didn’t have to wait too long for my food to arrive and I could even see it being prepared in the kitchen from my table, which was quite cool.
As I’ve already admitted, I’m by no means an expert when it comes to tapas, but it was easy to tell that all three dishes were made using high quality ingredients.
The spicy chicken in particular was packed with flavour and was definitely my favourite of the three.
Likewise, the cured sea bass might have looked like something from a Bushtucker Trial, but boy did it taste good!
In my opinion, £16.95 for all three dishes represented excellent value for such tasty food.
I’ll definitely be returning to Bar Iberico for a quick snack when I’m next in the city centre.
We’ll be sure to listen to Vicky when it comes to other recommendations!