As the jet introduced travellers to exotic places like Majorca and Benidorm, a new tram line now means it’s just a short hop to the equally sunny climes of Clifton and Beeston, with its wealth of great pubs and cafes.
One new arrival to the scene is Rye, a classy cafe and bar offering coffees, cocktails, craft beer, and lots of lovely snap. The menu is pleasingly small, and we opted for a couple of ‘bar snacks’ to begin. These went a bit further than scampi fries and dry roasted, though – my generous whitebait, dusted with paprika and served with mayo and lime (£5), and warm honey chorizo with bread to mop up the sweet sausage-y juices (£4.50), could easily be shared over a couple of beers, or even do as a light bite.
Rye’s main menu is a nice mix of traditional British pub fare, done with a contemporary twist – brisket and ale pie (£9), beer battered cod (£11) etc – but I went for something a little lighter – or so I thought. Salmon marinated in orange and bourbon (£11) was done to perfection, and came on a huge heap of homemade potato salad with capers, and a watercress garnish.
My companion opted for the house cheeseburger (£9) with fries and coleslaw. In a time when every pub offers some form of gussied up meat sandwich, this was a revelation Juicy beef flecked with fresh thyme leaves made for a perfect patty, accompanied by a burger’s best buds: cheese, fried onions, pickles and zingy club sauce, all cradled in sweet, soft brioche. Burger brilliance.
Proud men, we weren’t going to be beaten by two courses, but needed a sweet pick-me-up. A boozy affogato (£5) and two spoons seemed sensible – vanilla ice cream, complemented by shots of Baileys and espresso (a heady house blend from Notts roasters 200 Degrees) to pour over.
Luckily, Rye is the kind of chilled out establishment where you can loll back in a Chesterfield-style booth to digest. We were done, helped along in no small part by the impressive draught and bottled beer menu (Harvest Pale, Shippos, Founders and Flying Dog among them), including Camden Hells craft lager (£4.60) and the beautifully floral Adnams Mosaic pale ale (£4). With beer tastings, midweek deals and live acoustic music, I’ll be heading back to Rye soon. Beestonians may have had a torrid time of it with tram works, but hopefully this gem is some recompense. Shariff Ibrahim
66 High Road, Beeston NG9 2LF. 0115 967 7779
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