A taste of Southern Spain in the heart of Nottingham

With more than 20 new openings in the last 12 months alone, Nottingham’s food scene is booming, and in particular we’re very lucky to have many fantastic independent bars, cafes and restaurants, which bring a range of flavours and styles to the city. In June 2015, Nottingham welcomed baresca on Byard Lane in the heart of the city, a sister restaurant to the already popular escabeche in West Bridgford. Inspired by the flavours of Barcelona, baresca is already proving popular, set over three floors it offers a mix of deli, bar and eatery, open for breakfast through to evening meals, and also offering live music on weekends for a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere. I recently had the pleasure of lunch at baresca – we had a journalist visiting Nottingham to write a city-break feature, and it seemed an ideal place for us to discuss his visit, and introduce him to the vibrancy of the local foodie scene. baresca’s menu del dia is fantastic value for lunch - £9.95 will get you flatbread and dips, two tapas dishes and a side. The selection of tapas and side dishes to choose from was impressive, and between the three of us we chose a range of meat, fish and vegetarian options – the beauty of this kind of shared eating is the diverse flavours you get to try in one sitting. The flatbreads were delicious – covered in lashings of herbs and rosemary – they were full of flavour yet fresh and light, perfectly paired with a carrot and cumin dip and a hommus dip topped with sesame seeds. The service was fantastic – all the waiting staff were really attentive, but not in an invasive way – and we were served very quickly, especially appreciated when trying to fit in a meeting and lunch into just one hour! All of the tapas dishes we tried were carefully prepared, and full of flavour. Particular highlights were the butternut squash, feta & raisin empanadillas, the baresca meatballs, the mackerel escabeche and the polenta ‘chips’ with red mojo dip. We were surrounded by tables of colleagues, friends and families, all enjoying the chance to catch-up over great food on a Friday lunchtime. We definitely felt transported to sunnier climes, thanks to the fresh flavours and relaxed, friendly feel of the place. Downstairs in Cellar 9, baresca offers free live music nights every Thursday and Friday, with a mix of local and visiting performers. Whether you’re looking for a brunch or lunch venue to catch-up with friends and family, an evening meal, a relaxed drink with bar snacks or a vibrant night out with live music, baresca ticks all the boxes and I’m already looking forward to my next meal there! Find out more and plan your visit at: http://www.baresca.co.uk/