Friday Lunching at The Waterside Bar + Kitchen
Under new ownership of The Local Pub Company, who have brought us the likes of The Duck at Woolsthorpe and The White Horse at Ruddington to name a few, The Waterside Bar and Kitchen is the latest addition to their extensive and impressive portfolio, having recently launched a brand-new menu and so what better day than a sunny Friday lunchtime to go check it out…
It’s been a few years since I visited The Waterside Bar + Kitchen which is prime located on Trent Bridge, Nottingham overlooking the river and the accessible location and stunning views cannot be questioned.
It was just as I remembered, a rustic welcoming interior with ample choice of seating and cosy booths, as well as a large fully stocked bar and stage area for live singers and entertainment- something you will find as a regular occurrence at The Waterside Bar + Kitchen, alongside DJ sets and live sports, given they are positioned within the hub of Nottingham’s landmark sports stadiums, including the Nottingham Forest City Ground, Notts County Stadium and Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.
The first wonderful aspect of my visit was the warm welcome we received as we walked through the door, Dan and his team were just fantastic and clearly experienced in the world of hospitality. We were shown to our seat and offered the exciting new menu which featured a good selection of bar food, from small plates, chicken wings and pizza to salads, burgers and loaded fries, there was something for everyone, who like me loves simple food, done well.
We decided to go for a small plate each to start- The Hot honey Pork Cubes with Crispy Onions and I have a weakness for Halloumi Fries and when served with Hot Honey and Lemon Mayo, I just cannot say no- this was my best decision so far.
After scanning the menu, we also decided to give the Loaded Fries a whirl, especially given the creative toppings available including our choices of Truffle Mayonnaise, Parmesan and Crispy Onions, as well as another bowl topped with Onion Bhaji’s, Mint Yogurt, Mango Chutney and Pickled Red Chilli – both as delicious as each other and very generously sized.
Due to the unexpected but welcomed size of the small plates, in addition to the loaded fries, we were more than satisfied and didn’t really feel the need for a dessert, however Dan offered us a ten minute or so break to contemplate and contemplate we did…over the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was just as good a decision as the halloumi fries, which by the way were Jenga sized and were honestly the best I have ever eaten, but getting back to the pudding, this too was right up there as one of the most epic sticky toffees we had both ever had the pleasure of- again a very good size, made to perfection with the lightest sponge and served with vanilla ice cream.
All in all out visit was a hit, I very much enjoyed our Friday lunch experience at The Waterside Bar + Kitchen, the new unpretentious menu certainly delivers simple food done very well and I will most certainly be returning for those halloumi fries followed by the sticky toffee pudding!
Check out the new menu here- https://www.waterside.bar/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Waterside_menu_March.pdf
Check out the website here – https://www.waterside.bar/
The Sleepy Vegetarian
