Not so long ago the food and drink offering at Nottingham's intu Victoria Centre wasn't exactly a roaring success when a succession of sit-down restaurants closed their doors.
It appeared shoppers didn't want to spend their time over a leisurely meal in the mall when there was money to be spent in the likes of Urban Outfitters and Next.
Five chain restaurants closed, amongst them Coast to Coast, Joe's Kitchen and Thaikhun, leading to an overhaul of the Clocktower dining area with the introduction of more grab-and-go and cheaper options.
A year on, has the shopping centre got it right?
The Nottinghamshire Live team visited all the cafes, kiosks, juice bars, bakeries and restaurants (with the exception of the market which isn't part of intu) with a £7 budget per head.
Here's the A-Z lowdown, ranking each outlet on menu choice, taste, service, cleanliness, price and likelihood of a return visit.
Auntie Anne's
I always help myself to the free tasters outside Auntie Anne’s when passing through but this is my first time as a paying customer. And I'm not disappointed.
The service is quick, just as you would expect from a kiosk in the middle of a shopping centre. I'm worried that my pretzel will be cold as it looks like it has been sitting there a while, but it isn't - although it could have tasted fresher.
The biggest drawback is that there is no seating at the kiosk for people to enjoy their pretzel and drink. Mine is very messy and I would have been much more comfortable eating at a table, instead of on a public sofa with sugar ending up all over my trousers.
The Nutella dip is delicious but I don’t see why I can't have it spread on my pretzel, instead of in a tub.
The total bill is quite expensive at £5. Perhaps a pound or so less would give more value for money, but the quality is undeniable
The menu is quite varied too and next time I visit, I’ll be trying one of the savoury pretzels instead.
Score: 3.5/5
Gurjeet Nanrah
Birds
Consistency is the key at Birds, the Derby-based bakery which has shops all over Notts. Not all have a cafe area but since relocating from upstairs to the ground floor last year there's now space to eat in at Viccy Centre.
Maybe it's not the coolest or most fashionable place to go but do you know what? I really don't care because it means we can get a table.
The assistant is a proper salt of the earth type, calling us "darlin'" as she takes the order.
Service is swift and barely a minute passes before our lunch arrives.
There's something about Birds' bread. Unlike some shop-bought sarnies, with fillings of measly proportions, there's no scrimping on the thickly-cut ham or salad inside the freshly baked roll, served with ready salted crisps and a side salad, Normally there's coleslaw but they'd run out. It's not a bad price at £4.35.
The coffee is supplied by 200 Degrees - say no more, it's quality stuff and at £2.45 for an Americano it's cheaper than those hipster-style coffee shops.
As there are two sharing the food, we blow the budget and splash out £2 on a jumbo sausage roll. It's better than that of a high street rival, with delicious warm flaky pastry and meaty filling with a good herby tang.
We're proper stuffed but can't leave without buying some of those deep-filled jam and curd tarts for later. Good honest food, good honest service.
Score: 4.5/5
Lynette Pinchess
Boost Juice Bar
Whether you're looking for a refreshing juice or protein packed shake, Boost Juice Bar has a good selection of drinks on offer.
It's situated half way along the first floor of the shopping centre. The menu is helpfully divided into juices, blended drinks smoothies and crushed drinks. You'll also find the calorie content of each drink on its website, as well as the sugar and carb contents.
The open layout of the drinks bar means you can watch staff making your drink. After selecting the Caribbean Green blended drink, fresh spinach, bananas and frozen fruit are blended with ice.
I would give them bonus points for offering to let me taste the drink before buying. "We can make you another one if you don't like it," the woman serving me says. It is both delicious and refreshing.
The venue looks clean and the staff member who serves me is friendly and attentive but at £5.65 it is pricey.
Score 4.5/5
Gemma Toulson
Cafe Zest (House of Fraser)
Cafe Zest is hidden in a corner, on the second floor of House Of Fraser store. The menu is slightly limited - sandwiches, paninis, jackets and fish and chips - and the prices aren't cheap.
But the place is bright, friendly, relaxed and welcoming. It's also very, very easy to find a table. Even at lunchtime on a Friday. A problem for its owners, I suspect. It may just have been a quiet day. But House of Fraser's issues are well documented.
When I visit, there are precious few customers. Which is a shame, because the food and service are good. I have a tasty tomato and basil soup served, piping hot, in a nice deep pottery bowl (Dudson of Stoke-on-Trent. England's finest.)
The seeded bun comes as part of the package - together with as many croutons as I could shovel on top. My pot of tea is served with a pre-packed wedge of Angel Cake, decorated with a thick layer of sugar sprinkles, so brightly-coloured that they may well glow in the dark. I enjoyed my lunch at Cafe Zest. I just hope it's able to attract a few more guests
The final bill - just shy of £9 - is slightly more than anticipated.
Score: 3/5
Mike Sassi
Caffè Rizzoli
Well, it’s a decent spot for people watching but not so much if you want a peaceful lunch. The authentic Italian (via Yorkshire) Rizzoli - aka 'that prosecco bar' - is for sociable dining, embedded on the second floor by Emett's rehomed clock fountain with streams of shoppers either side.
“It’s like having lunch in the middle of bleddy Clumber Street,” says my imaginary friend.
Quiet it ain’t. Italian it is.
But £8 to £10 for lunch - and that's without a drink - is steep. To keep within the £7 budget I go without fluid.
As for the food the quality is there, judging from 'cheapest thing on the menu, duck - I'm not made of money' Tostati Melt. It is Italian sausage with arrabbiata. £5.95. Basically a toasted sausage and tomato sandwich on thick cheese-topped white bread. It's filling. The side salad I can do without.
The cafe, flanked by a noisy Disney Store and accessories shop Claire's, who is up to some sort of piercing according a display of balloons, is only the second outlet for the family-run business, which launched at Meadowhall in Sheffield.
Its pitch is prosecco but as (a) it’s lunchtime and (b) I’m not a woman, I ignore that. In fact, none of the 20 or so diners have a glass of fizz, just lunches and coffees.
There'd been gripes on TripAdvisor about slow service. Nothing of the kind. It is swift and smiley.
Score: 4/5
Simon Wilson
Chopstix
Yes, it may not look that appetising, but I can assure you that my noodles and rice, with double vegetable curry, is very enjoyable.
The vegetables are perfectly cooked - not too soft and not too hard and the curry sauce is packed with flavour. Even the broccoli (which I can be picky on) is delicious. I'm glad I don't have to make a difficult decision by choosing between rice and noodles as I'm offered a bit of both in my portion. This sums up the good service I receive in Chopstix.
I had intended to order the larger size for £7 but there isn't enough left. You would think that ample portions would be prepared at 5pm - when lots of people are passing by after work - but sadly this isn't the case.
I'm served a hefty portion for £6 - on the verge of pouring out of box - so it is a balancing act moving from the counter to a table without a spillage.
I also pick up five spring rolls for a pound as part of my meal, but these are a bit disappointing. They're squashed, a few are stuck together, and the lack of filling leaves a lot to be desired.
I would definitely go back and try more things on the diverse menu. Just not the spring rolls.
Score: 4/5
Gurjeet Nanrah
Clean Cut Kitchen
I'm a little bit worried that lunch at Clean Cut Kitchen would involve things like scoops of protein and kale as far as the eye can see. But I needn't be - because there is plenty of delicious choice on the menu (including actual burgers!).
I opt for a spiced halloumi wholemeal wrap, which comes in at £5.25. Generous chunks of halloumi are sandwiched between soft avocado and crispy lettuce. It's just the right amount of spicy, enough to lift the flavour but not burn your mouth off.
Clean Cut Kitchen loses perhaps half a mark for not making it clear where you have to pick your order up from, but this is quickly cleared up when I enquire.
Special mention also has to go to the sweet potato fries I have as a side, taking me slightly over my £7 budget. These are crispy and fluffy in all the right places and need no seasoning at all.
I'll definitely be back!
Score: 4.5/5
Natalie Fahy
Costa
What I love about Costa in the Vic Centre is the design of the store itself. Large glass windows by which you can plonk yourself down and watch the world go by.
It is a haven for those who love to people-watch while getting a hit of caffeine to fuel yourself for when you rejoin the chaos of the shopping centre.
I grab a flat white. "Boring," you may interject.
But this is a new 'smooth roast' flat white, with "soft notes of salted caramel" as the chirpy barista explains, and the extra you pay goes towards the Costa Foundation charity.
So you get a smooth coffee with a sweet hit while also helping a child in need too. Fab.
However, the brownie I have with it is a little dry. I've spent a total of £4.45 and the price of everything on the menu leaves you feeling like you've trundled through the Bronx waving your wallet around.
Score: 4/5
Joseph Locker
Ed's Easy Diner
The 1950s revival of the mid-80s still lingers with my generation. Well, some of us. Turned up Levi's, red Doc shoes, a minor quiffage with sideburns (and an Elvis tattoo, if you must know)... so a retro American diner, complete with deep red seating and checkerboard floor should be my kind of nostalgia.
The menu isn't. One may look like burgers, dogs, milkshakes and waffles are gorged on quite regularly but in truth this fiftysomething rarely indulges in calorific fast food.
There isn't a lot to go at to keep me the right side of morbidly obese and nothing within the £7 budget that qualifies as lunch. Burgers are £8-£12. The Classic foot long hot dog (£7.49) looks the most reasonable.
It comes with gherkin, crispy shallots, diced onion, ketchup and French mustard. Standard. Nothing special. They should get their buns from Birds Bakery downstairs.
Having never seen James Dean eat a dog with a knife and fork, I ditch the cutlery and tackle it with both hands, ending up in a mess only a towel could sort. More napkins please, Ed.
And what's the deal with the service? You have to wait to be seated but then order at the counter. Bit weird.
The "World Famous Shake" I go for is the 'straight-up' chocolate (£4.25) but it has no chocolate in it and tastes only of sugar and cream. And the cream was 50p extra.
Score: 3/5
Simon Wilson
Filmore and Union
The wellbeing cafe, specialising in feel good food and drinks on the first floor of John Lewis, brings something different to the shopping centre.
It won't be to everyone's taste, especially those wanting to drool over a dirty burger. Instead, there's a decent selection of boxed salads, rolls and wraps as well as 'healthy' cakes.
Infuriatingly the small print on the tuna crunch roll I've set my sights on reveals it contains my biggest bugbear, fresh coriander which to me (and ten per cent of the population) tastes revolting. Instead I plump for a turmeric scone, dotted with red goji berries.
Scanning the overhead display menu at the counter, I'm in a quandary over which drink to order. Fortunately there's no one else in the queue and the staff are patient. A smoothie, juice or something hot? A turmeric latte appeals but I don't want to to OD on the warming spice so I settle on a matcha latte, a healthy green milky drink that tastes exactly as it should - although it's worth pointing out, it is an acquired taste.
The warm scone, served with butter, is definitely an alternative I'd pick if wanting a change from the usual lavish jam and clotted cream affair. I feel well-fuelled and virtuous. However, costing £6.85 healthy options clearly come at a price.
My only criticism is I'd prefer menus on the table so customers like me don't have to faff at the counter.
Score: 3.5/5
Lynette Pinchess
Greggs
One cannot simply enter Greggs and leave without a steak bake - unless of course you're a vegan (and then you can have a 'sausage' roll).
It is the holy grail of pastries, and once in your hands you cannot go wrong. In fact, I once went for an interview at what is the largest bakery chain in the UK, where I was asked: "What do you look for when you come into Greggs?" To which I replied: "A steak bake."
I got the job.
I also opt, for the review's sake, for a Mexican chicken oval bite, a caramel custard doughnut and an orange juice.
The chap serving me is rather unenthusiastic, but he gets the job done.
The doughnut is sweet and sickly and the oval bite, while the chicken is succulent and the sandwich fresh, is excessively saccharine due to the chipotle chilli sauce and mayo. I wouldn't go for that combo again.
We all know you get a long of bang for your buck so this lot comes to £5.15 thanks to the discount on a sandwich and drink deal.
The shop is lean, fully stocked and good value for money, but the service was sadly lacking enthusiasm.
Score: 3/5
Joseph Locker
Krispy Kreme
If you don't fancy heading to our very own Doughnotts for a treat, then American giant Krispy Kreme isn't a bad substitute.
The gleaming store attracts the eye and so does the wide selection of doughnuts. After spending a minute or two perusing the 'menu', I plump for something very chocolate-y - a Chocolate Dreamcake. I must admit the chocolate sprinkles ring doughnut is tempting, as is the salted caramel cheesecake and nutty chocolatta.
The two girls behind the counter are friendly and chatty, and provide service with a smile. The doughnut itself is exactly what you'd expect from Krispy Kreme - sweet, sticky and delicious.
It's a bit out of shape which doesn't make it look super appetising, but it has chocolate oozing from the middle so I'll let it off. At £1.90 a pop it's certainly not the cheapest doughnut, but it is definitely one of the best on the market.
Score: 4/5
Jon Pritchard
McDonald's
The pigeons are a problem. I've chosen to use the outside seating. The pigeons choose to target my table.
Another issue is the sticky seats. Or, to be more precise, the sticky sap from the leaves of overhanging lime trees dropping onto the seats. Luckily, I'm not wearing Paul Smith.
However... I've chosen the table service and my meal arrives a very respectable two minutes and 47 seconds after my order was placed via a touch screen. "I didn't know whether you were a barbecue sauce or a ketchup man," says the helpful waitress. "So I brought you both!"
The food is exactly what you'd expect from a Maccy D cheeseburger with hot, crisp fries; followed by a raspberry Flake McFlurry; washed down with a cup of traditional Typhoo.
In all the excitement, I don't realise that my fat fingers have ordered double helpings. But I'm still not going to share them with the pigeons.
Score: 3/5
Mike Sassi
Millie's Cookies
The menu is as you might have guessed... cookies. There's a huge variety from white chocolate and milk chocolate to a Kinder Bueno and Oreo flavour. The choice is overwhelming but the price is disappointing.
One cookie costs £1.49 and two comes to £2.29. The more cookies you buy the cheaper the individual price becomes. Twelve cookies are £7.99 but I don't want that many.
The cookie itself is delicious but it is gone in around five bites. Maybe I should have bought 12 after all. All in all, the service is great and the woman behind the counter is really helpful but I can't help feeling I would get better value for money elsewhere.
Score: 3/5
Hannah Mitchell
Muffin Break
Going for a grab-and-go lunch at 12.30pm on a weekday is always a good test for any outlet. The service at Muffin Break doesn't disappoint and there is plenty to choose from in terms of drinks and food.
Having limited time takeout is the only option on this occasion and the staff are happy to accommodate. Opting for chicken, chorizo and mozzarella panini to start is a classic choice and there's no complaint about the amount of filling you get but it is a little on the dry side, as is the bread itself.
Putting paper napkins on top of a hot cheesy panini is a misstep and time is spent picking it out before eating. You cannot go to Muffin Break without coming away with a muffin and although the orange and choc chip version is not the prettiest it sure tastes good and the orange is not overpowering.
The muffin is a pricey £2.20 but it is on the large side. The panini is £4.50.
Score: 3/5
Dan Russell
Nottingham Coffee Club
As a coffee lover, I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of Nottingham Coffee Club on my first visit. The barista is a breath of fresh air with a friendly hello and warm smile as they make a fresh latte that hits the spot.
For £2.50 for a smallish cup, there are cheaper coffees out there, but the quality makes it worth the extra spend. The coffee is supplied by homegrown roasters 200 Degrees and it does not disappoint.
I complement the latte with a very generous slice of Victoria sponge. The sponge itself is light and fresh and there's a fair portion of jam and cream for that much-needed afternoon pick-me-up, and the two go together very well.
There is a good choice of hot and cold drinks as well as various food options to take your fancy in the coffee club.
Score: 4/5
Ben Reid
Nottingham Street Food Club
The indoor street food club has a cult following of people looking for good food in a relaxed atmosphere. And what it does, it does well.
There are four independent traders, as well as a well stocked bar, offering a variety of flavours from around the world.
On this visit Mexican street food specialists Smoqued is cooking up four different mains as well as their "street fries" as a side.
The buttermilk fried chicken box is first on the menu and after eating you can tell why it's given top billing.
The two buttermilk chicken strips are perfectly cooked and have a spicy warmth through them which builds up over time.
The main attraction of the dish is backed up by dressed leaves, pink pickles, a lightly toasted flatbread, garlic mayo and skin-on-fries. You get a generous portion which justifies the £9 price tag - which is the most expensive dish on the menu.
You can't help wonder what else they could do in their own restaurant.
Score: 5/5
Dan Russell
Pokéwaves
The takeaway on the upper floor of the shopping centre strives to serve a layered Hawaiian-style bowl that is "authentic, fresh and fun." Service at the counter is efficient, quick and friendly, with staff sorting my bowl of teriyaki chicken in record time.
I'm offered the choice of sushi or brown rice, but other than that my dish comes exactly as described on the (illustrated) menu. Sticky rice sits on the bottom of the deep bowl, covered with pickled cucumber, spring onion, a generous amount of mango chunks, several long strips of succulent chicken and a sprinkling of coconut flakes.
All of this is drizzled with just the right amount of sweet teriyaki sauce. Overall I'm impressed with the quantity of food and the taste.
The ingredients worked well together, mixing sweet and meaty with the right amount of crunch. However, it's not the cheapest lunch option at £7.35.
Score: 4/5
Natalie Fahy
Subway
There's a reason you see a Subway in pretty much every town or city you visit. They do what they say on the tin. You know how they work, they're familiar. The Vic Centre branch is no different. It's clean, fresh and modern (kitted out with electronic menu screens) and provides plenty of spaces to sit.
It's particularly busy during the lunch rush hour. My go-to order of a meaty six-inch Italian BMT (toasted with cheese) and salad goes down a treat.
Throw crisps and a drink in for a fiver and you really can't go wrong. There are plenty of options to choose from on the menu and the service is friendly enough. The downside is the speed. It takes 15 minutes from joining the queue to paying, with one customer making that known to the till operator.
Overall Subway delivers a perfectly acceptable, if forgettable, Wednesday lunch.
Score: 3/5
Ben Reid
The Place to Eat (John Lewis restaurant)
Ahead of visiting John Lewis’ The Place To Eat I had a quick nose on Tripadvisor (as you do) and was quickly convinced I’d lose years of my life, possibly die, while waiting to be served at the top-floor restaurant.
The complaints also included rude staff a dated interior and poor menu. Great, I thought.
Friday morning’s visit throws up something quite different however.
Yes, the decor is not the most modern but it is charming in its own way and no one can quibble about the views at the back of the restaurant. Mine looks directly onto the dome of Nottingham’s Council House.
So what about the wait? Well after ordering avocado, poached eggs and tomatoes on toast at the counter (the server, bless her, had to ‘check it was on’) it is a pretty reasonable 12 minutes until it arrive at the table. Yes, it’s not fast food speeds but this isn’t McDonald’s.
The yolks are perfectly poppable, there are still lumps in the avo (massive plus) and the tomatoes are fine but nothing to rave about, best of all, order it and you’ll get change from a fiver.
Spending just £4.95 on food, a medium black Americano priced £2.45 takes me slightly over budget.
My only quibble is they could do will a few more cutlery and sauce stands dotted about. I forget mine in my 'avo excitement' and have to quickly jog down the other side of the room to pick them up.
But at least the old dears get a giggle.
Score 4.5/5
Rachel Gorman
The Shake Lab
Cool, fun and youthful (using words like peng in the branding), the takeaway serves milkshakes, ice cream, crepes and waffle stix.
Discounting the chocolate classics with Maltesers and Galaxy and cereal-based ones with Weetabix and Sugar Puffs, I indulge in a strawberry cheesecake shake.
Freshly blended while you wait, it's a combo of strawberries, Digestive biscuits, milk and ice cream. Living life on the edge, I opt for a squirty cream topping for an extra 50p bringing the total price to £4.75.
I've ordered, paid, and walking off with my 'no bull shake' in hand in less than five minutes. It's thick, deliciously creamy and refreshing on a warm day. Flavourwise, the Digestive wins in the biscuit-strawberry ratio, making it more malty than fruity but it's not unpleasant.
Rather than slurping on the go, I take a pew at the communal seating area on upper floor next to Nottingham Street Food Club, where I get the impression that not a lot of people know about it given the amount of empty chairs. It's a nice spot - and worth the extra steps to escape the hustle and bustle.
Score: 4/5
Lynette Pinchess
Triple Two Coffee
Triple Two Coffee is not a leisurely people watching stop off. The coffee shop is flanked with views of a 'soon to be opened' chip shop, Krispy Kreme and Subway, hardly Instagrammable views.
The pit stop's high stalls, paper cups and absence of plates for sweet treats don't really lend themselves to being an inviting place to catch up over a cup of Joe either.
But then that's not really what this eatery is about, its USP is more grab-and-go than chill-and-chinwag.
Visiting at 9am on a Thursday there's no queue, bonus! The coffee (a black Americano £2.35) is served quickly but the food on offer is a tad disappointing as it is limited to cakes and muffins loaded with sugar. In for a penny in for a pound I go for the calorific Rocky Chunk for £1.95. Dished up in a paper bag I have to ask for a napkin as it almost immediately starts to melt.
Service is what you'd expect for a young chap serving takeaway coffee on a midweek morning, bless him he seems to almost blush when I wish him a good day. Though I do get one back. Good lad.
Score: 2/5
Rachel Gorman
Tortilla
Tortilla must be doing well in Nottingham. It has a sister shop on Clumber Gate too. My first experience of the Subway-style Mexican eatery a few years ago wasn't the greatest, but fortunately, it turns out second-time lucky.
I wander along counter looking through the glass at the fairly unappetising looking mixture of ingredients I can choose from. Thankfully they taste better than they look, and are wrapped up in a lovely soft white tortilla.
I plump for the burrito over the tacos, and fill it with tomato rice over coriander rice, pinto beans over black beans, and chicken over pork or beef. The medium salsa is watery, green slop, but adds a nice tang to the burrito. It tastes, well, like a chicken burrito, unlovingly slapped together in 30 seconds.
Not bad, but not great. Staff are friendly, the place is clean and the menu gives you plenty of options should you fancy a change, but at £6.80 for a large burrito it isn't particularly cheap.
Score: 3/5
Jon Pritchard
