Piccalilli's Dan Coles is relishing bringing familiar yet different flavours to Nottingham
We chat with the man behind the city centre restaurant specialising in British and European small plates...
Nottingham’s food scene has got a little bit bigger, thanks to the addition of Piccalilli — a British and European small plates restaurant in Cannon Court.
I spoke with chef and owner Dan Coles about bringing his previous experiences to his own restaurant, crafting a menu that’s familiar yet different, and why you should pay his cosy place a visit. I also went down and tried it for myself, and — spoiler alert — I had the best ‘toast’ I’ve ever had.
For those who want to dine out in Nottingham and are looking for a place where you can truly unwind, Piccalilli is a beautiful option. You can also watch our TikTok video to see more from our visit. Plus, subscribe to The Notts Edit for free to receive our features in your inbox.
Flavoursome and wholesome — Piccalilli is proving that small plates can be comfort food
By Eve Smallman
Photos by Dan Coles
When the evenings are dark, the air is cold, and you need something comforting, where can you go in Nottingham? Around Old Market Square there are so many shop and restaurant signs that line the streets, trying to tempt you. But if you head a little further up, on the way to Derby Road, you’ll spot a rectangular sign with a flower on and the words ‘Piccalilli’.
Go down the alleyway, open the door, brush against the dried flowers, and walk up the stairs. Here, you’ll find a cosy dining area with exposed bricks, emerald green and black seats, and wooden tables. Take off your coat, sit down, and, finally, relax.
The first time I climbed the steps, to speak with Dan, it wasn’t quite this picturesque. It was a couple of weeks before opening, and the restaurant was being transformed from the old style of Japanese restaurant Kushi-ya. The second time, it was transformed to a more chilled-out, warm interior, to complement the food being served.
“We’re going for a familiar yet different kind of vibe — the sort of place you can go on a date or for a special meal, but you can also come at lunchtime and enjoy a set dish, too,” says Dan Coles, owner of Piccalilli.
This is what strikes me straight away when I sit down. I see a chalkboard for a workers' lunch, with Alfreton-based Owen Taylor sausages, mash, and onion jam for £12. You can also add a drink (half a pint of beer, a small house wine, or a soft drink) for £3 extra. It’s like a little out-of-town pub, with rustic charm and delicious local produce, but you don’t have to drive super far for the experience.
Dan has worked at a variety of pubs and restaurants around Nottinghamshire, including Larwood & Voce (he worked there when it won Best British Roast Dinner in 2015) and Iberico World Tapas. He’s combined his love for British flavours and characterful small plates into his menu for his own place.
“Piccalilli is an old-fashioned, British condiment that’s very traditional and uses the traditional way of preserving seasonal produce,” Dan explains. “But, it’s also influenced by other sources, like Indian spices, which makes it even better.”
The restaurant is all about celebrating the beautiful food that’s right on its doorstep. “We’ve been infusing gins and cordials with elderberries, blackberries, and sloes, so really preserving banging seasonal produce,” Dan says. “We also get our sourdough from Tough Mary’s Bakehouse.”
I love a slice of toast in the morning and I’ve been known to have one in the evening, too. When I’m there, there are warm sourdough slices and Marmite butter topped with sea salt on the menu. It’s the first thing that comes out and it takes me by surprise. Such a simple concept, but absolutely delicious.
I’m still munching on a slice when the other dishes come out, and I instinctively dab it in the sauce that comes with the hash brown. It’s that relaxed there that I feel like I can do that, which I normally wouldn’t in a regular small plate restaurant.
Yes, you read that right — I had a hash brown. Topped with apple and paired with a cheesy sauce, it was the most bougie one I’ve ever had, but it was truly delicious. I’m veggie so I did have the other vegetable plates as well, but there are meat and fish dishes too, such as cold roast beef with gherkin ketchup and fries, pork belly with sauerkraut and cider mustard, and cured salmon with salad cream and egg (see more of the Piccalilli menu).
These are all foods and flavours that are really British, but each one has a little twist on the norm but in a thoughtful way. “I think every chef goes through a phase of making dishes where they keep putting things on and adding to it. But it’s what you don't put on that makes the dish,” Dan says.
I’m a fan of the steady pace of the service, too. This is something Dan was keen to ensure, after visiting a restaurant in Nottingham where the small plates came all at once, which he found overwhelming. “We want to make sure there’s structure to the service, so we send out cold dishes first, and then the hot ones, so an Alan Clarke kind of thing,” explains Dan.
He continues, “We also have just a set menu as well. I was inspired to do this when I went to a restaurant in Stockholm, had a set menu and then ended up sharing a couple of dishes too,” he adds. You really choose how you want to play it at Piccalilli, depending on what kind of occasion you’re going for or even just the kind of person you are. Whether you like just having food to yourself, sharing a couple of things, or divvying up, there is no pressure.
There also isn’t the feeling of being rushed out once you’re done, like you get in a lot of other restaurants. The couple behind where I’m sitting just keep ordering glass after glass of wine once they’re done — the wine menu is lovely and varied, which makes this easy to do.
Plus, there is also a great beer and cider menu packed with local ales, such as Thornbridge from Bakewell and Neon Raptor from Sneinton. You could absolutely go, have a pint and a couple of snack plates, and leave happy.
Thinking about heading down? Just like the condiment it’s named after, the restaurant has its own bite and colour that makes it stand out against the other options out there. “Nottingham is a small city, and you can walk for 20 minutes and find quirky restaurants with their own vibes and niches, like Spanish and Japanese,” Dan tells me. “We’re different because we have a British influence that’s recognisable, but it has a little more polish.”
I can’t finish speaking to Dan without asking him what his favourite way to have Piccalilli is.
He smiles, “I like having it on a sandwich or with toast, perhaps with some pâté… or even just having it with ketchup.”
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