Like many, I've been upset by the news that one of Nottingham's longest-standing restaurants, World Service, is to close after 24 years. Along with Hart's, it was THE place to eat in the city centre in the early 2000s, delivering award-winning fine dining in the grandeur of the 17th-century Newdigate House. The announcement brought memories flooding back of delicious lunchtime visits and boozy dinners long before I became a food and drink writer.
It was the first posh restaurant we took our young daughter to. She was probably about six, not the usual age of clientele, but the staff spoilt her rotten and couldn't have made us feel more welcome. It was in one of the private dining rooms that I celebrated my 40th birthday with friends and a decade later I partied there when my former boss turned 50.
Get the latest What's On news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp I had to fit in a final visit and got in just in time as the restaurant is now fully booked up until the date of closing, August 3. The irony is that with trade like this, it might have been able to survive. I'm not criticising, as I am just as guilty.
The explosion of restaurants in Nottingham has diluted the pool - the overwhelming choice is great for us as diners but not so good for businesses competing for our custom. Walking through the iconic red archway in Castle Gate, I wondered what the atmosphere would be like. Would the staff be forlorn? Not at all.
From the off, there was a bright and cheerful .
