The best of al fresco

Can I hear the sounds of the nation rejoicing at the fact that indoor dining is finally back? Yes, I think I can (even from out here in the sticks). And although I'm super glad that the weather app will hopefully no longer be my most visited, it has been nice exploring some different places while the al fresco rules have applied. So I thought I'd do a round-up of everywhere I've been dining and give you guys a little run-down.

First up is The Circle Eatery in Beeston, where I went for mid-week carbs and catch ups with Laura. The first thing I'll say is that their outdoor area leaves a lot to be desired; you're essentially just sat in the middle of the high street. But, it's a good spot for a quick bite and they had some lovely dishes even on their reduced menu. I went with a carbonara and although it was a little on the saucy side, it was really nice. 

I joke about living out in the sticks now, but one benefit of being further away is that we're now pretty much exactly halfway between Nottingham and Derby. So it means that both are equally as easy to get to and I can start to explore some new places! The first on that list was a steakhouse called The Forge in Derby, where they serve all their steaks on a hot lava stone at your table so you can cook your steak to your own liking! Although me and Ollie had a spot of bother actually finding the place, it's well worth hunting down. The food was incredible; steak served like that means it's not only perfectly cooked but also stays hot until the last mouthful. They're also generous with the sides and sauces, and do offer chicken and seafood and some other bits if steak isn't your thing. The outdoor terrace was also really nice and atmospheric with covered seating, heaters and a healthy sprinkling of fairy lights.

Me and the girls did a day drinking session at the end of April (you know, that one day that was actually hot and sunny) and so I thought I'd just include the places we got food at. We started with lunch at the corn mill which was lovely, and their gins were especially good. The outdoor area is also nice, with big gazebos put up to make it feel a little less like you're dining in the car park. They've definitely made the most of the situation!

Still on the same day and after a sunny pimms pit-stop at a pub in between, we headed to the Berliner. They have a great outdoor space with large wooden decking, heaters and a big covered gazebo too. The best part is that it's out the back so you're not sat in the street or the car park (it does kind of mean you have to know it's there though). Their drinks are amazing and all their cocktails are on a happy hour deal until 9pm - as you can see, we made the most of it. We also gave their pizzas a whirl and they were really nice, from the basic to the slightly more creative. I 100% wouldn't recommend the nachos though - no salsa, no cheese, no jalapenos, just a shit load of dried chilli flakes? It's a no from me. But their service is really good so we'll let them off.

Rather than a date night, me and Ollie headed into town for a date day with this one. Bottomless brunch is a quite a girly activity but when I saw that Bella Italia had started a bottomless pizza brunch, I thought that might be better suited to both of us. The brunch title is surely just a formality; there's nothing brunchy about it. It's basically their 2 course set menu (pizza, pasta etc) accompanied by bottomless prosecco. Ollie and I always share our dishes (if I get my way) so we had garlic dough balls and meatballs to start and then a margarita pizza and chicken pasta dish for main. The food was nice if a little safe; I prefer Italian dishes that I rarely see on any other menu. But the bottomless was spot on. They were super fast on the service, often bringing more prosecco without us even having to ask. They also weren't precious about the glass being totally empty before putting in your order for another. We managed to get through 14 glasses so they did us very well!

By bank holiday weekend, it was time for another day of drinking with the girls! We started at Slug and Lettuce in the market square and we couldn't have ended up with a better table. I'll give their outdoor space downstairs a 4/10 (essentially just sat on the pavement) but their upstairs balcony? A solid 9/10. So we got super lucky, as it was not only a sun trap but also a bit quieter and easier to chat. The drinks are on non-stop happy hour which is always good and the food was pretty nice, although I had to change my initial order quite a lot as they seemed to have run out of everything I wanted. Luckily I'm not a picky eater!

The Magic Garden was where we were ending up that night and I'd been excited to try it for ages. I once hosted a work party at Jamie's Italian (formerly at that site) and they had never made the most of the massive garden so I was glad someone finally had. The food didn't disappoint; the pizzas were super hot and super thin and really tasty and I'd definitely recommend the halloumi fries. The disappointing part was the service. The decor was fab, the cocktails were fab, but when we got sat down it almost came with a long list of rules and moans and things we should and shouldn't do. It was a bit of a weird experience to be honest (as is the fact that their ordering app charges you in Australian dollars). I'm hoping they were just having an off day but we'll have to wait and see!

Me and Laura went for dinner on a Friday night and I was kind of nervous as we planned to go to Bar Iberico who are walk-in only, so we had no booking. We expected we might not get in; we didn't expect that it would be closed! So we had to go back to the drawing board and have a wander. Everywhere obviously had big queues, but we managed to get straight in at The Pelican Club. It's a little off the beaten track and doesn't usually have an outdoor area; they'd managed to set up a cute little piazza by borrowing some space at the back. Something I love about the Pelican Club is that it's an independent and all their pasta and stuff is homemade. We shared a charcuterie board which was amazing and then 2 pastas for mains; one beetroot filled pasta in a cheese sauce and one ragu with spaghetti. Honestly, they weren't even close to the best pasta dishes I've ever had, but they were nice. I think the main problem was that they weren't what I'd usually choose but the menu was super limited (they were both of the two pastas available). On the other hand though, their cocktails may have been some of the best I've ever had. She Might be in Tangine jumped out to me straight away; apricot gin (not one I've seen or tried before), cinnamon liqueur, lemon and egg white. May actually have rocketed to the top spot on my favourite cocktail list.

I was craving Japanese food but couldn't think of a single place that had outdoor seating. Thank god I had a quick Google though, as I always completely overlook West Bridgford as an option. After drooling over the Uchi menu, I wasn't disappointed by the time our booking rolled around. With a good mix of sushi, small plates, noodle dishes and hot stone options, I feel like there's something for everyone, even if you're new to Japanese food or aren't a sushi lover. We went with a bit of a mix of everything; tempura prawn sushi rolls, crispy salmon skin sushi rolls, duck gyozas, scallop skewers, katsu pork, chicken karaage, and tempura soft shell crab. It sounded like absolutely loads when we reeled off our order to the waitress but actually it was probably about the perfect amount. I'd say the dishes were slightly smaller than most tapas/small plate places so 3-4 (rather than 2-3) was about right per person. The outdoor space itself was nothing special (just seats out at the front of the restaurant) but the cocktail menu was fabulous and had some pretty different things on there! We also gave the sake a go but immediately regretted it; I'll stick to wine made from grapes I think.

Another new find on my google search of outdoor places, House of Darwin is a gastro pub just outside of Derby and looked like a fab mid-week date night option. I was obviously right (as per). They have a massive (semi-covered) deck decorated with plants and fairy lights and their cocktails were lovely. They were offering a pretty small menu during the outdoor-only rules and while I really enjoyed the burger (very very good), I'm already excited to return for their full range of options! Bottomless afternoon tea has my name written all over it.

For the last of my outdoor dining expedition, I was back at Bella Italia again - my mum's choice as we were there for her birthday lunch! This time, we went with the a la carte menu rather than the set one and so I was a little more impressed by the food. I started with seafood arancini (not much seafood in sight but tasted yummy) and then chose the duck ragu for main which was lovely - the quirky pasta shape was especially nice. Obviously we accompanied our meal with Aperol Spritz'; what kind of ladies who lunch would we be otherwise?