Another highly anticipated new spot in Nottingham, Raymond’s, finally opened its doors in August. Our Food Co-Editor, Julia Head, took a stroll through Lace Market to check out the buzz and capture the first impressions of this vibrant addition to the local dining scene.
Located in the former Oscar & Rosie’s (RIP) premises on Stoney Street - also the site of our old LeftLion offices - the new neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar has undergone a complete refurbishment introducing a modern and sophisticated ambiance with a masculine edge. Long gone are the days of Oscar & Rosie’s infamous metre-long pizza (and late-night editorial meetings), the space now offers a refined small plates menu with an impressively curated wine list as long as your arm.
We’re thrilled that such an iconic space in Nottingham has been taken over by another local talent within the industry. Opened by Nottingham’s Marcus Lewsley (ex-Mesa in Hockley), Raymond’s is sweetly named in honour of Marcus’ grandfather. Marcus, better known as @Marcus_cooks_ on Instagram, is a self-taught chef who swapped his aviation career for the kitchen after attracting tens of thousands of followers on social media, thanks to his culinary inventions.
He’s joined by Head Chef Richard White, and they have carefully created the menu together. And what a menu it is. You can expect beef tartare on toast with smoked beef fat butter and mustard sauce; crispy fried chicken with garum caramel (more on that below), dressed herbs and lime; courgette flowers stuffed with creamy ricotta; sweet heritage tomatoes dressed with ricotta and salty anchovy; and one of my many favourite desserts: Basque cheesecake topped with blackberry compote.
The menu might be small, but it packs a punch with six standout plates and some tempting specials.
We managed to sample some of the plates at the soft launch, and can confidently give everything two thumbs up, a high five, and a chef’s kiss. The fried chicken, in particular, is a strong contender for the best we’ve had in Notts, and the addition of the garum caramel is an interesting one. What is garum? I’m glad you asked. Garum is a fermented fish sauce that was essentially used as the ketchup of the ancient world, mass produced in factories by the Romans and sprinkled on anything savoury.
The fall of the Roman empire meant the end of its mass production, but the art of the fish sauce was not lost in Italy and has now become a modern-day secret ingredient in dishes all over the world.
That’s about as deep as our history lessons and random facts go, but one other thing to note is that the prices are more than reasonable too, with the most expensive dish setting you back just £12.50.
Upstairs at Raymond’s is due to open in the autumn with exact plans to be announced, but there is talk of more small plates and also adding steaks and skewers to the menu. Raymond’s is set to be a popular spot; 150 covers were booked within half an hour of reservations going live, so our advice? Don’t wait around to book your table.
Find Raymond's at 8 Stoney St, Nottingham, NG1 1LP
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