The sleepy vegetarian

Motorpoint Arena’s previously known Platinum Suite situated on level 4, has recently undergone an exciting transformation, taking itself from a generic conference suite to a vibrant and stylish bar/restaurant aptly named ‘Spotlight’, open for all events, Nottingham Panther’s games and also available for private hire…

The huge space houses an impressive fully stocked bar upon entry, with covers for 130 diners to the rear made up of 60 tables.  The restaurant offers floor to ceiling views of the city’s skyline and the brand-new state of the art kitchen delivers both a-la-carte and bistro menus, according to the shows on offer.

My first impression of the venue was that of a warm and welcome feel- I visit many bars and restaurants in my line of work and it’s the ones that have that cosy home from home feel about them that resonate with me most.   The kind of place you end up staying (often unintentionally!) for way longer than planned, purely because they are so comfortable, offering that relaxed atmosphere and soft ambience.  

The lighting certainly contributes to this feeling of warmth due to the hundreds of varying ceiling lights from rose gold, to cream coloured to grey spotlights, hanging lights at different heights, all contemporary in style creating a beautiful effect and atmosphere over the bar and tables as you eat.  The decor is soft blush with a fantastic area to the entrance housing artwork featuring some of the arenas past performers surrounding a neon sign stating’ All the Worlds’ a Stage’. 

The bar offers a selection of brands, as well as large jars of nuts pretzels and other bar snacks.  The furnishings are plush and comfortable within the bar area with a few bar stools and the tables both surround the edge of the restaurant, some within booths and others to the centre.

The menu is accessible to all, offering a tasty selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. As a vegetarian I was pleased to see a classic Vegetable Strudel served with warm baked goats’ cheese and a tangy tomato-based sauce- very satisfying and in fact the envy of my neighbour at the next table who stated she was toying with the idea of going for it, but in the end went for the chicken.

My dining partner went for the Pan Fried Supreme of Chicken served with veg and we finished the set two course dinner with dessert- attempting to be moderately healthy by ordering one fruit salad with deliciously refreshing mango sorbet and one lemon meringue, shared between us, washed down with a glass of Prosecco.

Other options on this particular menu included Fillet of Cod and the Beyond Meat Mediterranean Burger which is a beetroot based vegan burger and very popular I hear.  I noticed the Chocolate Torte was also a popular choice on other tables, however the menu will differ depending upon the shows they are packaged with, which are suitably named; ‘The Spotlight Experience’, to include a 2-course pre-event meal, drinks and seats in close proximity to the stage.

The Timings will differ per show, but to give an example we arrived for dinner and drinks at around 6.15pm ready for the show start time of 7.45pm, however once again you will be notified of this at the time of booking.  Some shows that are child friendly will also offer a more child friendly or themed menu, so always best to check ahead what is on offer when making your booking.  Our chosen show was the Lets Rock! The Retro Winter Tour which celebrated everything great about music in the 80’s (or as much as could be packed into a 2.5-hour live concert which actually overran to almost 4 hours- but we didn’t mind!

The show reminded us of some of the classics we all know and love from Doctor and the Medics, who kicked the show-off to a great start, to the sounds of Boney M who still have the moves, to Toyah, Sonia and Altered Images.  Highlights for me were not only Boney M but the evenings headliners, Nik Kershaw Jimmy Somerville and of course who doesn’t love a bit of Gold – Tony Hadley.  Marc Almond, Tony and Jimmy received the most raucous applause from the audience with clearly a huge fan base present.  

As we were based in a VIP suite or ‘box’ as often referred to, you will have the pleasure of waiter service, so there is never a need to queue at the bar and miss any snippets from the shows.  The toilets are never too far away from the suites, but should you be so inclined you do also have a bar nearby serving all evening, as well as snacks and a hot food menu of burgers/hot dogs/nachos which can also be ordered from the comfort of your suite and bought to you during the show.  The view was impressive from the box, overlooking the entire arena and the atmosphere is quite something with no viewing obstructions and plenty of room to sit comfortably or dance the night away accordingly.

Having attended several shows at Motorpoint Arena many; of which many have been from a suite I can’t recommend the venue enough for entertaining – whether it be with friends and family or as part of a corporate /business package and now with the welcomed addition of the beautifully executed Spotlight bar/restaurant, there really isn’t a need to venture anywhere else for a great night of entertainment in Nottingham.

The Spotlight Experience can be booked online here: https://www.motorpointarenanottingham.com/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=hospitalityseating&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=&utm_source=premierhospitality_button&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=premierhospitality_button

Upcoming shows on sale for Spotlight packages include:
• Kaiser Chiefs – 17 January 2020 from £89.50
• James Blunt – 20 Feb 2020 from £148.50
• …and many more.

More information can be found on: www.motorpointarenanottingham.com

The Sleepy Vegetarian.