Playa Day Club & Restaurant is a pop up located in Nottingham’s Old Market Square.
Having an amazing meal created by Chef Laurence Henry (MasterChef Professional 2018) is a perfect treat before or after enjoying the facilities of the free Day Club.
The Venue
The Day Club includes Day beds, Pool pods, High-Class Music, Exquisite Drinks and Outstanding Food. The atmosphere is vibrant, especially with the Music. Expect an upbeat vibe paired with delicious food and drinks. Families are welcome until 5pm.
The restaurant adjoins the Day Club and has a more formal setting but still has that relaxed feel.
The Food
I was invited to the venue to sample the dishes on offer at the Restaraunt. The evening started with a glass of bubbles followed by some tapas outdoors.
Tapas
Nocellara olives, Padron peppers garnished with sea salt and chilli, Edamame Beans and Korean fried chicken bites with spicy bbq sauce.
The chicken was my favourite. It was coated in that perfect batter that was crisp and seasoned and was juicy on the inside. The Edamame Beans did not look too appetising and I didn’t try them.
We then went into the Restaurant to sample the main food. An array of dishes kept being brought out. I am sure I had a ten-course meal in the evening.
Starters
We started with the Smoked ham croquettes and Calamari. The Ham Croquettes were made to perfection and went well with the tomato jam. Crispy, warm, full of flavour and just delicious. The calamari was nice however I would have preferred the batter to be crispier. Some of the others on our table loved it so maybe I just ate a soggy one. It was served with a Sriracho mayo and spring onions.
Mains
Next, we moved onto Confit Chicken Thighs with a teriyaki glaze and jalapeño dressing. Like the first chicken dish, this was juicy and just so tasty. The Teriyaki glaze added a lot of good flavour to the chicken.
To go with a chicken came a Sweet Corn Salad with Pomegranate & fine herbs and Tomato Salad with Burrata & basil. No one can resist a good burrata right?
The salads were vibrant, had that crunch and well seasoned. The herbs in the sweetcorn one were just a bit too strong for me however I loved the idea of the pomegranate and sweetcorn together.
Our next course included Lamb Cutlets, Glazed Pork Belly and Smoked Hassleback potatoes.
The lamb was cooked pink just like it should e, succulent and went so well with the coriander chimichurri. It had a nice chargrilled flavour to it too.
I wouldn’t normally have pork belly but it was starring at me and I couldn’t resist. The smell when I cut a piece was amazing and I knew it was going to be delicious especially with the soy flavour. It was of course!
We had some potatoes to go with this course. They weren’t quite “hassleback” however they were so tasty. Cooked beautifully and served with spring onion and bacon they complimented the meats so well (Thanks Laura from Travels of Mrs B for posing with the lamb)
Dessert:
We were pretty full but there was that little pocket for dessert of course.
Strawberries & cream: Juicy strawberries in English sparkling wine & mint. The strawberries were served with a good serving of cream.
Chocolate Delice: Pieces of well-set chocolate served with almond brittle and cherries this was a favourite for many. The chocolate was not too sickly but nice and smooth and the brittle added a crunch to the dish.
Pine nut panna cotta: I am not a panda cotta fan but was intrigued by the pine nut and basil flavours. They clearly came through on the pannacotta. The only disappointing thing was it didn’t have the wobble. The watermelon is was served with balanced the creaminess of the dessert.
During the evening Chef Laurence came out to say hello and master chef fans were star struck. A truly humble person who knows how to blend together some amazing world flavours.
Playa Restaurant also offers a Set Menu for 25pp. This includes a snack (any of the tapas above plus more), a main, a side and a dessert.
You can book a restaurant online or email customerservices@mellorsgroup.com. Get booking because the Restaurant will not be there for much longer.
Playa Day Club & Restaurant, Old Market Square, Nottingham City Centre NG1 2LH
customerservices@mellorsgroup.com
Neha
x
My meal was complimentary however all photos and opinions are my own.
Simply Rasha says
So much delicious looking food, especially the salads! Sweetcorn and pomegranate does sound like a yummy combination…will have to try it at home in my salads!
Rachael @ Champagne on Arrival says
It’s been ages since I’ve been out in Nottingham, this sounds like something a bit different! Also, day beds and padron peppers…I’m there!
Bejal says
A lovely addition to Nottingham! Will have to check this out when i’m next there! Love teh clean fresh and colourful look of the food! x
thetravelsofmrsb says
The lamb was definitely my favourite!