Piccalilli
City Centre, Nottingham
Restaurant in Nottingham, United Kingdom
Book with PearlThe Read
Alleyway Small Plates
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Piccalilli is a strong Nottingham pick when value matters as much as polish: a Michelin Bib Gourmand gives it a clearer reason to book than many casual city-centre options. Lunch is the smarter first move for an efficient, lower-commitment meal; dinner suits dates and small celebrations where the reservation is the main plan.
About Piccalilli
Piccalilli is a Nottingham restaurant with a confirmed Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026 Bib Gourmand. For planning purposes, the details are direct: it opens Thursday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, opens Sunday for lunch, is closed Monday to Wednesday.
The clearest reason to put Piccalilli on a Nottingham shortlist is that Bib Gourmand recognition. The guide recognition makes it a useful option for diners who want a researched restaurant choice in the city, while the published opening pattern helps decide whether lunch or dinner is realistic for the day you have in mind.
Lunch is the broader first booking; dinner suits a slower plan
Lunch is available Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 12–3 PM. Dinner is available Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 5–9 PM. That makes lunch the more broadly available sitting across the week, while dinner is limited to three evenings.
Without a confirmed menu format or price, the practical advice is to choose based on timing rather than chasing a specific deal. If the meal is part of a wider Nottingham day, lunch gives the wider set of days. If the restaurant is the point of the evening, dinner is possible from Thursday to Saturday.
Choose it for confirmed guide recognition and a smart-casual plan
Piccalilli's dress code is smart casual, so it works best as a planned restaurant visit rather than an ultra-formal occasion. The confirmed Bib Gourmand is the key public recognition to rely on when deciding whether to prioritise it.
For alternatives to compare with Piccalilli, Harts, Delilah Fine Foods, Kottaram Restaurant, Kushi-Ya, Kokoro are other options to consider depending on the kind of meal your group wants.
Because Piccalilli is closed Monday to Wednesday and has dinner only Thursday to Saturday, the main planning constraint is the weekly service pattern. Sunday is lunch only, while Thursday, Friday, Saturday offer both lunch and dinner.
Quick reference: Piccalilli is a smart-casual Nottingham restaurant with a confirmed Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026 Bib Gourmand; plan around lunch Thursday to Sunday or dinner Thursday to Saturday.
Planning details
- Location
- 1a Cannon Ct, Long Row W, Nottingham NG1 6JE, United Kingdom
- Website
- piccalillinottingham.co.uk
- Phone
- +44 115 648 6498
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Piccalilli is a quietly assured neighbourhood restaurant that rewards the curious. Tucked up a flight of stairs off a narrow alley, the dining room is defined by exposed brick, aged timber and dried flowers that hang from the ceiling — a period interior that genuinely feels inherited. The space leans into a restrained, rustic charm rather than theatrical design, and its compact scale fosters an easy, warm intimacy. The overall effect is historic and unostentatious: a mid‑city room that prizes flavour and company over showy fit‑out tricks.
Best For
This is a small‑plates destination that works best for evening meals where sharing and conversation are central. Piccalilli sits between casual, shareable formats and formal tasting menus, so it suits couples on date night, small celebratory gatherings and groups of friends who enjoy composing a meal from several dishes. The British flavour vocabulary and considered room make it a good choice for a relaxed special occasion or an elevated night out in the city centre rather than a rushed lunch or takeaway‑style visit.
Ordering Tips
The menu is built around plurality: the restaurant suggests three to four dishes per person to bring the meal into focus. Pace your meal and mix textures and flavours across the small plates — for example, balance richer items like treacle baked ham or Welsh rarebit croquettes with shellfish such as scallops or a brighter fish course like cod with hollandaise. Treat dishes as shareable components and let the table combine them; this approach mirrors the kitchen’s intent and yields the most satisfying experience.
Venue details
Ambiance
Candlelit intimate dining room with exposed brick, old beams, and a quietly buzzy atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Intimate
Signature Dishes
- Welsh rarebit croquettes
- treacle baked ham
- ratte potatoes
- scallops
- cod with hollandaise
Planning details
Location
1a Cannon Ct, Long Row W, Nottingham NG1 6JE, United Kingdom · Directions
Also consider
If you cannot get a table
Try Harts if the meal is a special occasion and the group wants a more formal Nottingham restaurant. Try Kushi-Ya if a focused Japanese meal at a ££ level is a better match than a broader city-centre restaurant booking.
Restaurant context
How it compares in Nottingham
Piccalilli is the value-led choice in this set because the Michelin Bib Gourmand gives it a clear quality signal without pushing it into full special-occasion territory. Harts is the better fit if the brief is more formal or traditional, while Piccalilli is stronger for diners who want a researched city-centre booking that does not feel overbuilt.
If the group wants a defined cuisine, Kushi-Ya is easier to understand upfront: Japanese, ££, and more specific in format. Kottaram Restaurant and Kokoro are better when the cuisine decision is already made; Piccalilli is better when the priority is overall restaurant quality and guide-backed value.
For a lower-pressure alternative, Delilah Fine Foods makes more sense for a casual daytime stop. Piccalilli is the one to choose when the meal needs to feel like a proper booking, but not a heavy commitment.
Explore Nottingham
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Piccalilli guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Piccalilli
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piccalilli | Nottingham | ; | 2025 Good Food Guide 100 Best Local Restaurants · 2026Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262026 Michelin Plate | ; |
| Kottaram Restaurant | Nottingham | No published awards | ; | ; |
| Kokoro | Nottingham | 2026 Mena's 50 Best Restaurants · #15 | ; | ; |
| Harts | Nottingham | No published awards | ; | ; |
| Delilah Fine Foods | Nottingham | No published awards | ; | ; |
| Kushi-Ya | Nottingham | Japanese | Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026The Good Food Guide 20252025 Michelin Bib Gourmand2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand | ££ |
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How Piccalilli Nottingham compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Piccalilli good for a special occasion?
Piccalilli can suit a planned meal in Nottingham if you want a smart-casual restaurant with confirmed Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recognition. The dress code is smart casual.
What are alternatives to Piccalilli?
Other options to compare include Kushi-Ya, Delilah Fine Foods, Harts, Kottaram Restaurant, Kokoro. Choose based on the date, timing, the kind of meal your group wants.
Is lunch or dinner better at Piccalilli?
Lunch is available Thursday to Sunday from 12–3 PM. Dinner is available Thursday to Saturday from 5–9 PM. Choose lunch if Sunday is your only option, choose dinner if you are planning for Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evening.
