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18 of the best independent places to eat in Nottingham on a Monday

Mondays in the city can be a bit of a culinary minefield. After a busy weekend, plenty of independent restaurants and cafés take the day off – and quite rightly so. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a sad meal deal when the Monday hunger starts calling. Whether you’re starting the week with a catch-up over coffee, looking for a proper lunch, or fancy treating yourself to dinner, our Food Co-editor and Nottingham Food Guide founder Julia has rounded up eighteen of the best places to eat in Nottingham on a Monday.

Undercover artist: Iulia Matei celebrates creative pastimes with our September 2026 cover

This month’s cover artist Iulia Matei talks comics, creativity and letting things figure themselves out.

Make your mark: ten creative opportunities coming up in Nottingham

Nowadays, it’s not always easy to be creative in the UK, especially if you don’t have the money or family connections for the strongest possible head start. Luckily, our city’s ‘do-it-yourself’ culture has given rise to various creative opportunities, competitions, training projects, and free showcases. Here’s ten of the best in Nottingham, which if you're a creative person might be just what you were looking for…

Pick six: Notts folk artist Daudi Matsiko

For this month's Pick Six we feature Notts folk artist Daudi Matsiko who plays at Sneinton Market's By Our Hands We Make Our Way in 19 September.

Breaking Ground: how Nottingham Forest Women are scaling up their ambitions

As Nottingham Forest Women prepare for a new Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2) campaign, Head of Women's and Girls’ Football Amber Wildgust tells us about their new manager Tom Mallinson, recruitment strategy, a landmark pre-season tour to Canada, and why they want to become the destination club for emerging talent.

Gig review: Antony Szmierek at Rough Trade

By now, there's a good chance you will have heard of Antony Szmierek - the Mancunian poet who has gained a massive following with his mix of electronic beats and spoken word verses. His debut album Service Station at the End of the Universe stood out among all the great music that graced last year. Now, supporting his follow-up offering Decoding Birdsong, Antony has gone on a record store tour giving new and established fans an increasingly rare chance to see him in intimate venues...

Safe hands: the vital work of Nottinghamshire Hospice and how to keep it going

Nottinghamshire Hospice is one of the most important charities in our county, providing palliative and end of life care and support for the loved ones of those who need it. Sadly, there’s a lot of financial adversity facing organisations like them, but they’ve also got a hardworking fundraising department to help them. Frances Danylec finds out more about the work that they do, and how people around Notts can support it in diverse and often enjoyable ways. 

Nottingham Book Festival 2026 is coming to Broadway Cinema

For the first time in ten years, Nottingham is celebrating all things books. The Nottingham Book Festival will call Broadway Cinema home this year. LeftLion turns the page and delves into the small print…

Out of time: Nottingham's history of opium

Content warning, substances and the historical passing of children

Although it’s hard to believe today, in early to mid-Victorian Britain, it was possible to walk into a chemist’s and pick up a bottle of laudanum (opium) or cocaine, with or without a prescription. Even stranger than that, you might do so with the intention of giving it to your baby. You might even send your oldest child to go and pick it up for you. 

Gig review: Mystery Jets at Rough Trade

Following a six-year studio album hiatus - which could be seen in dog years in recording terms - indie-rock Londoners Mystery Jets are about to put their collective heads above the parapet once more with their seventh offering, A Hole To See The Sky Through. Rough Trade played host to the band for the Nottingham date of their promo tour...

Preview: Our Story at Nottingham's Libraries.

Our Story is a creative heritage project currently touring our local libraries that celebrates the lives of the county's trans and gender diverse people. Rosalie Spring the Project Producer and Director Jo Tyabji talk Left Lion through the event...

Undercover artist: Lucy Holt on music industry design and her August 2026 cover for LeftLion

Our August cover artist Lucy Holt talks about projection art, previous projects and inspiration…

The wondrous world of Ruby D’Woo: meeting Nottingham’s own burlesque and cabaret star

From workshop classes in Haus of Ruby D’Woo, to hosting top-notch live burlesque and cabaret shows across the county, Ruby D’Woo is Nottingham's award-winning burlesque and cabaret artist. Ahead of the Cosy Cabaret coming up next month, she tells us what brought her to the burlesque stage, how she crafts performances, and why burlesque has become a journey of self-expression, confidence, and empowerment for so many…

Gig review: Man/Woman/Chainsaw at Rough Trade

It was a baking hot Tuesday in mid-August, the nation was awaiting an eclipse, and Man/Woman/Chainsaw were in the mood for dancing. Rough Trade Nottingham provided the venue...

Theatre Review: Anybody For Murder at Theatre Royal Nottingham

Murder, mayhem and mistaken identities are all tangled together in a cynical comedy from two of British TV’s finest writers, as part of this year's Classic Thriller Season...

Locating Lawrence: August 1926

Grouse shooting is ‘an event for those that shoot, and a still bigger one for those that get shot’... Here's what DH Lawrence was up to 100 years ago this month.

Gig review: Kid Spirit at The Grove

Kid Spirit took to the stage last Saturday night at The Grove for an intimate gig showcasing songs from their debut EP, Morning Star...

Gig review: Keyside at Rough Trade

How Kino Koło Notts Is Bringing the Stories of Eastern Europe to Nottingham

From the Baltics to the Balkans, Eastern Europe is a region rich with diverse cultures, histories and creative voices. Kino Koło Notts is helping Nottingham audiences discover the stories behind the stereotypes, bringing together film screenings, workshops, food and conversations that celebrate the people and traditions of the region. We spoke with the team about community cinema, challenging perceptions and their vision for a more connected cultural landscape in Nottingham.

Nottingham City of Literature's Big City Reads: meeting four authors involved

The Big City Reads campaign continues until 12 August to provide free books to young people across the city. With a mix of very different stories covering this year’s theme of identity, we asked four young writers to interview some of the selected authors about their work...

Left Brian: The 2026 Season Preview

The Classic Thriller Season Returns to Theatre Royal Nottingham

The Classic Thriller Season is a long-running annual summer repertory tradition at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, featuring live stage performances of comedy murder mysteries and psychological thrillers. It's back this month with three plays that will offer your annual quota of puzzles and adrenalin rushes...

Nadia on… Nottingham’s maternity services

Nottingham East's Labour MP Nadia Whittome discusses Nottingham's maternity services.

Content warning: baby loss, death.

Nottingham's first citywide Citizens' Assembly creates bold plan for environment

Nottingham’s aim to reach Carbon Neutrality by 2028 (CN28) sounds like a tall order, but a new manifesto from the Nottingham Environment & Climate Assembly (NCA) might just bring it closer by connecting the public, the City Council, and local businesses.