Mesa in Nottingham

A stylish and welcoming restaurant in Nottingham’s Hockley area. Mesa offers a cosy, modern atmosphere perfect for enjoying shared plates. I thoroughly enjoyed the Jerusalem artichoke, which had a wonderful variety of textures and balanced flavours. The pan-fried cod was another standout, with a hint of wasabi that complemented the dish beautifully. My only critique would be the aubergine dish, where I found the cumin a bit overpowering. I look forward to returning on my next visit to Nottingham.

Great food, friendly service and lovely atmosphere. Good wine list too. Toilets need an upgrade, but it doesn't detract from how good it is overall

Delicious food and attentive service! I would recommend trying the picanha steak and the cheeseburger. Will definitely return :)

Came in for dinner with a table of 7 , couldn't find a single fault. All the food was delicious, especially the curried squash, we even ordered extra. The staff were lovely even though we needed to split the bill on different cards. Best meal out I've had for a long time

The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was incredibly friendly, making for a perfect dining experience. Highly recommend

I booked this place from reading all the great reviews. We had 12 small plates to share between 4 of us, which was plenty. All the dishes were well presented absolutely delicious. My particular favourites were the lamb, cod and courgette dish. We also shared two desserts, pistachio fudge and chocolate grenache. Both very tasty. Overall it was value for money for the quality of the meal, lovely atmosphere and great service.

The mains were incredible, I would definitely have the pork chop again right now if I could, the staff were so kind and helpful as well

Superb food, especially if you go with a group and order a variety of small plates to share. Service was with a smile too

One of the best small-plate eating experiences I've ever had. Options, portions, and flavours were all spot on. The steak was perhaps one of the best I've ever had and the leeks 100% get….. The only small thing I think could do with some TLC would be the bathrooms. But the food 12/10

Amazing food really top class - confit leeks highly recommended and the steak is divine. Lively relaxed atmosphere.

Brilliant.. expensive but the best food you ll taste

Lovely restaurant couldn’t recommend enough. Restaurant its self is nicely decorated and cosy, with friendly staff. The food was beautiful, there simply was not a bad dish, even the fries were done beautifully. My personal favorite was the cod dish, and the lamb. Altogether we got 5 dishes, 2 soft drinks, and one alcoholic and came to £63 in total, which in my opinion was reasonable for very good food, so was worth the penny. Would 100% recommend to other people.

The only thing better than the delicious food was the amazing service. The team could not be nicer and it was just the cherry on top of the wonderful food. It seems like the menu is updated regularly so never the same experience twice Well worth a visit

we went for a second time after a year and it delivered again! every plate we tried was cooked to perfection. creative use of seasonal ingredients and wide range of vegan options! great quality and reasonable prices. very friendly waiting staff!

Gorgeous selection of seasonal plates. Particularly enjoyed the surprisingly tasty carrot dish, never experienced anything like it before. I now need to go back and try everything

This is such a Nottingham jewel! A truly great place to eat with really unique takes on dishes. The Wood Fired Carrots I cannot recommend enough, who would think the humble carrot can be such a show stopper!! The Miso cabbage again was so delicious. Also worth trying is the pork collar and the mackerel as they were equally tasty. And of course not forgetting their divine steak. As soon as the food arrived the presentation makes you want to just dive in straight away, hence sadly no time for photos as we were too busy enjoying great food in an easy laid back environment. Honestly couldn’t recommend Mesa enough, you simply have to try it ..you will not be disappointed!

Simply excellent. Every single item was delicious! Can't wait to return.

Fantastic food, staff and atmosphere. Definitely the best restaurant in Notts

Gorgeous food and great hospitality!

The costumer service was 10/10 . Vegan options was amazing, well seasoned, fresh and tasty. I will definitely come back and recommend it. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful and shout out to the chefs.

I came here in November and was blown away by the food. The vegan options were fantastic and full of flavour! I returned last night to celebrate my birthday and the food was okay. Really disappointing when a place with such high standards loses its shine. I heard the head chef changed… who knows. E.g. In the past we went and had focaccia so good we reordered it! This time, there was no flavour to it, not even garlic. It was just bread with olive oil, which is fine, but can be so much nicer. The atmosphere was different as well. One of the waitresses was in a tracksuit and clearly didn’t want to be there. It was cold, the table next to us had their jackets on. Im hoping Mesa reviews the changes they’ve made and reconsider some of their choices.

I went here for dinner once, and then a few weeks later, my mate Chiv suggested I go there for lunch, even though he’d been at the earlier dinner. So now I’ve had both.

Great food and drinks, great friendly service and a lovely atmosphere

The best food I've had for some time. The menu isn't massive but because of this, Mesa makes all it's dishes very well, or at least the seven that we ordered on our viist. Service was prompt too, which seems to be the exception rather than the rule these days. I'll be going back there, for sure. P.S. The chips. Oh boy, the chips! I don't know what kind of wizardry is going on there but they really are on a totally different level. Apologies to the chef if it is insulting to be remembered for chips above all the more complicated dishes but it's your fault - you shouldn't make them so delicious.

The best steak I have ever had, love the sauce and just right for me medium rare and tender.

Food was amazing as always, unfortunately the service was not up to the standards. No checks on food, Kitty didn’t seem to want to be there, neither did she have much to say about the food; the other ones were interacting

Sarah is a queen. Best service in nottingham. Food and wine recommendations were top tier, make sure you ask for this waitress when you come in

Food was cooked incredibly well and the flavours were very different and creative! Overpriced compared to other tapas and small plate style restaurants in the city like Iberico and Bar Esca but really interesting food and flavours!

Excellent food and service. Decor is a personal choice, but don’t be put off!

Food was fine but tiny portions for the price. Supposed to be shared according to the waiter but everything came as one solid portion. You have to awkwardly to cut things up into tiny portions before sharing. I recommend only sharing with a partner, as no fresh utensils are given to dish the food up. One of the deserts is just four pieces of below average tasting stale fudge. Honestly you could get a bag of asdas own brand and it would have been nicer. Wine was really nice. Carrots were undercooked. Beef dishes were tasty. Staff are friendly. Service was slow but it was busy. We had to wait a few minutes and then go over to a member of staff before staff acknowledged us waiting even though multiple members had made eye contact with us already. A simple we will be over in a minute would have been better.

Superb small plates, packed with flavour and efficient service - a great place. If it’s on the menu…have the aubergine for certain!

Really nice small plates, well presented and super tasty!

£30 for a burrata, half aubergine and a desert. Limited choice of dishes, portions are tiny, taste is not nice

We were brought some vouchers to use at Mesa but this won't be our last visit. The restaurant is a small casual and relaxed place in hockley, nottingham. The food choices are based on seasonal and available produce and changes every few months. It's all freshly prepared and cooked on their in-house bbq/grill. The choices are small plates, so ordering 5-6 per couple. We thoroughly enjoyed every plate we had which was Octopus, Stonebass, Pork, carrots (not just any carrot, wow) and fries. The staff we really great too, friendly and knowledgeable about the food. Can't wait to try again.

Eaten here countless times and the food is always amazing, everyone I bring to try it raves about it afterwards

Best meal I've had in a long time! We were a group of 7, so we had 3 or 4 dishes each and could sample everything on the menu. Every dish was a delight, the flavours were superb and I loved the extra flavour of the open fire, which we were lucky enough to be able to see food being cooked on from our table at the back of the restaurant. Others in my party were raving about the duck, burger and the pork-which were delicious . But it was what Mesa do with vegetables that really wowed me:the hispi cabbage was so flavoursome; we were fighting over the tiny mushrooms that came with the fish; the aubergine was melt in the mouth perfection; the squash was beautifully warming and the carrots were divine layers of flavour. I'm honestly running out of superlatives for the food here, even the bread and the dip with the fries were memorable! We enjoyed the local craft beers too. The service was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. It worked out at £34 a head including a drink each and service charge-excellent value for a restaurant of this quality. You know you've been for an excellent meal when you're all still arguing about which was the best dish the next day!

Tried after a recommendation and was delighted with our choice. The octopus was so delicious we ordered a second one and this might be one of the most well-made burgers in Nottingham. Price appears a touch high, but the quality of the food justifies it. Cannot recommend enough.

Favourite restaurant in the city centre - amazing food everytime. We try to go everytime the menu changes seasonally

Came as a group of 4 for a graduation celebration meal. The food was absolutely incredible, we ordered pretty much every dish on the menu and were blown away by them all. Wonderful service from our lovely waiter Sam as well. Have tried many restaurants in Notts and this is definitely my new favourite.

Awesome food, relaxed atmosphere.

One of our favourite places to eat in Nottingham. Great food, great prices. Small sharing plates, really relaxed environment. Incredibly cooked steak. A different and fun dining experience. Having moved to Nottingham from London 8ish years ago, I always struggled with the food scene here. But, I can finally say that places like these rival the places I'm used to London.

Food and service was excellent. Four of us shared the first eight plates on the menu and a rendang sharer. We did order two portions of chip between four and we all went away with full bellies. Service was good. The only reason to lose a star were the state of the toilets and for us oldies it was a bit loud to have a good conversation.

Excellent menu with a good balance between vegetable based dishes and meat/fish. The flavour from the wood fired carrots and the burrata were outstanding.

Fantastic restaurant. An imaginative and comprehensive menu, the food is cooked really well by chefs who clearly know what they’re doing. A great place to with a really cool vibe.

We went here for a meal a few weeks ago. Id heard so many great things about it that i was really excited to try it. Unfortunately we just felt a bit deflated afterwards i guess. The service was hit and miss as we sort of got plonked down and left. The food was nice enough but didn’t warrant the price tag on some of them. It was nice food and a nice place but just felt like it was missing something. The atmosphere was quite clinical and didnt feel cosy or buzzing. We really really wanted to love the place, but unfortunately came away feeling like we probably wouldnt go back. But completely get that its each to their own and we just maybe didnt get it.

Me and my partner visited Mesa on Friday night having heard good things about it. We ordered 6 dishes between us which I think was the right amount of food and left us satisfied but not overstuffed! On the whole we enjoyed the meal and I would recommend it and would visit again. If I'm being completely honest, the dishes were a little hit and miss (although more hits than misses). The stonebass was superb and cooked perfectly, the pork croquettes were delicious, and the roasted carrots were fantastic - don't sleep on them! On the other hand, the octopus was a small portion (one tentacle) despite being the most expensive dish, and its delicate flavour was overpowered by the charred flavours and sweet sauce. Similarly, the burrata had its delicate creamy flavour overpowered by the beetroot which is very strong. Everything was cooked well though and the quality of ingredients is good, I think the menu/dishes just need a bit more balance. On the whole, the meal came to just under £80 for two of us, including a drink each (Neon Raptor beer - excellent choice), which I thought was fairly reasonable for a restaurant of this style.

Fantastic meal, very good experience with unique flavours and it caters well for vegetarians. The duck was the best I have ever tasted 😋

Fantastic restaurant serving what I guess is a kind of fusion tapas with charcoal grilled acrion in the mix. European dishes with Asian flavours over the bbq. The food was incredible, superb for a mid price restaurant. Wine and beer selection was not huge but more than sufficient. Service was good. Highly recommended.

What is going on in this place? 100% pretentious and overly hyped! We spent £150 on a meal for 2…Food was OTT, flavours were tacky and all over the place to the point it numbed my tastebuds…dishes did not compliment each other whatsoever. Drinks menu was ridiculous for a restaurant, bad choice really. Atmosphere was felt rammed and cramped, could clearly hear conversations next to us. Chefs did not cook meat the way we asked for and the waitress didn’t care about it when confronted. We wished we spent our money somewhere else instead, anywhere else would’ve been better value.

Second time I’ve visited and it hasn’t disappointed either time, great small plates. Octopus was a particular favourite. Staff are attentive and friendly. We’ll definitely visit again

Incredible food. Very creative, fusion cookery, well presented and truly delicious. Staff attentive and swift, kitchen efficient and very knowledgeable. We tried everything on the menu and every single dish was perfection. Ingredients well sourced. I really like this place and will be back

Our group of 5 were really excited to eat here after following their posts on instagram but unfortunately the experience did not live up to the hype for us on this occasion. We ordered almost every dish on the menu and we felt some of the dishes lacked seasoning or flavour and some were over powerful like the lamb sausage. If you go in thinking you’ll get food like Bar iberico or Kushi Ya you’ll be disappointed. The worst part was the hit and miss service and we only paid the service charge because of the lovely NI couple who made up for the poor service by our waitress.

Best tasting food I've ever had

We visited Mesa for our anniversary meal a few weeks ago, having not visited since soon after it opened, and unfortunately were really disappointed. A few things stood out — the fudge was good, and the fish croquettes were nice — but other dishes weren't great, and didn't justify the price. The pork, which is served rare, was borderline unpleasant; I understand this is fine to do but the texture was unbelievably chewy and didn't work at all for me. And the salad, which sounded zingy and interesting, just... wasn't. All in all the recent high praise really surprises me, and we won't go again — a shame, as we were so impressed when we first visited.

Perfect food and service. Great atmosphere. Tapas are really lovely and fresh.

Every dish crammed with flavour, salty, sweet, intense, generous portions, affordable (esp. compared to London and southeast), let down only by slim choices for the alcohol free and by not making any effort for a birthday dinner (despite pre-notification).

Great food and service. We tried all the dishes and they were all fab.

Fantastic independent venue. Every plate we had was fresh and perfectly balanced! A menu to suit everyone, curated to perfection! Just book here you will not be disappointed!

delicious food, fantastic vegan options - including real food, not just fake meat!, lovely attentive staff. A real find!

Wow!! Spotted this place when having a drink at 31k returned the following week without a reservation and wow i’m so happy we got in. The food is amazing! We have the steak sharing plate and 6 small plate’s between two ( the tomatoes and fish croquettes were my favourite) a bottle of Prosecco. I felt it was amazing value for the quality and taste. The place exceeded what I expected! Sensational food and i’m quite a foodie !! Have certainly recommended you and cannot wait to come back ! Well done guys amazing place

The food was incredible although the website does lead you to believe that it's all cooked on a open fire, which to say we had most things of the menu I didn't think was true! We had 8 small plates because well we can! And they were all delicious. My favourite was the hake! Didn't have a pudding! Great bear and wine selection also! Would go again!

Food was absolutely delicious. Will definitely go back again.

Absolutely terrific small dish/tapas style restaurant. Every dish we had was amazing and our waiter was really good too 👍👍

Family get together this evening,highly recommend the food,the wine and service We all throughly enjoyed Thank yoy

Visited for my 3rd time yesterday. Service and food was excellent. Best burger in the city by far, fish croquettes were amazing. Highly recommend and will be back very soon!

Absolutely outstanding food. We randomly went in and were really impressed with the menu and that everything delivered on taste! Vegan options were awesome. Will be back soon.

What a fantastic meal we had here as a group of 6. Really delicious options, great even for vegans. The cucumber dish was super fresh, the focaccia was thick, light and fluffy and the oyster mushroom skewers were hands down one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Truly amazing food.

I think this place is good for meat eaters but not so much for veggies/vegans (this menu at least.) We paid over £100 for a meal and if you don't like mushrooms, there are no hot dishes for vegetarians or vegans except chips and for that much I want something hot! I felt like I had a meal that consisted of what should have been side dishes to something more satisfying (tomato and cucumber dishes. I was looking forward to trying the leeks but these were no longer available and I assume these would have been hot.) I would also describe a lot of what we had as too salty. The focaccia was too salty, the chips were, the heritage tomatoes borderline too salty, the fudge for dessert also had salt crystals on and I found myself chopping the top off the fudge to avoid the whole salt crystals. I do season my food well at home so I don't think it's a palate thing. The mousse dessert also wasn't to our taste- we have a bit of a sweet tooth and this seemed to be balancing the bitter/tart flavours with sweetness as borderline as possible to not being sweet. We had something on our bill that we didn't order so had to dispute this which was a shame but not much of a problem to get it taken off. Also a 10% service charge with which I would expect really good service and the service wasn't bad but not exceptional. Americanisation and expected service charge knocks places down a few pegs for me. I always tip at least a couple of pounds irrespective of service quality but pay staff decent wages and have this be covered by the price of the food and if they provide good service I will tip well, not expect us to pay extra for basic service because then there is no incentive for them to really try. I might return if the menu looked better as the flavours were interesting and it was a nice setting, but absolutely would not rush back.

Such a fantastic place to eat, the food is delish! We tried everything, favourites have to be Fish croquette, the masala chicken, pork steak and the miso fudge. Been here 3 or 4 times now and will keep coming back for great food and service

I was a bit disappointed after seeing such nice dishes presented on the menu then the reality of eating them. Presentation was all beautiful but the lamb was so salty it was inedible. The chicken was barely cooked and felt almost like jelly in the mouth. The crispy fish croquets were actually very nice. The hake was ok. Tomato and feta salad was ok but that’s hard to mess up. Oyster mushroom skewers were alright. Burger was good but the fries were again incredibly salty. Overall not enough balance in flavour and there’s better quality food for the price in Nottingham. Service was good. Atmosphere was a bit sterile despite the ‘you know the vibe’ sign on the wall. I won’t be returning as for me the food was more style over substance - it simply wasn’t all great food despite the price point.

Delicious, fairly priced, great for gluten free / veggie etc

To celebrate our anniversary, my partner and I went to Mesa in Hockley, Nottingham. We didn't have a reservation, but they fit us in quickly. The staff were super friendly too. The food is tapas style and came out quickly. There is plenty of options and they change the menu every three months to keep it fresh. Highly recommended the miso white chocolate fudge. We enjoyed a bottle of wine, 5 dishes of food, and 1 dessert, all very affordable. However the highlight was the staff, super chatty, even when I smashed a glass of wine by accident. 🫣

Excellent dining experience with colleagues while attending a work event. Best chips I've had this year!

Such a beautiful meal. The service was great and incredible food. Credit to our server Sam, he was so friendly and made us feel welcome.

If there is a place that left me speechless, this one is. The food was so delicious that I actually left a tear, and I am not kidding. I have been to Michelin star restaurants, restaurants that were named best in countries, but this place has actually gave me goosebumps. The staff is so professional, every single dish I had was incredible, the atmosphere in the place is wonderful - fabulous for a date night but also when you wish to have a good time with friends. This is a place you do not wish to miss!!! the chefs truly cook with love and attention every piece of food they make.

This was one of the nicest meals we have had in a long time. All the dishes were beautifully cooked and full of amazing flavours. The staff were also extremely lovely. 100% recommend.

Wow! Came for dinner with some friends. Booked a table in advance as they do get pretty busy. Service was great, really attentive. Tables are nice and spacious. We had a bottle of wine, and we pretty much shared all the dishes, I’m pretty sure the menu is seasonal! We went for the Kimchi croquettes which were delicious, tender stem broccoli, which was also surprisingly really good. All dishes were really good, had nothing to complain about. We also shared the miso panna cotta which was also really nice. Overall, will definitely be back. It was all really delish! Update - Came again with family, menu changed, and once more everything was really yum! altho, the dessert menu was a slight miss for all of us unfortunately

Great small plates restaurant in Nottingham with a delicious selection of dishes including lots of veggie options. Good beer and wine selection.

Stunning lunch. Nearly passed by as the branding didn't appeal (gave 'wework' vibes) but the food cooked over fire was sensational and paired with good service and a nice minimal atmosphere and aesthetic. Lamb fat foccacia, ox cheek croquettes and fire grilled octopus were all incredible.

Great food, a number of small plates. Including a great burger. The atmosphere was lovely and the service was very fast. We went as a big group and they served us very fast.

A very flavourful menu with a bunch of Mediterranean and Asian influences. Impressive overall. Excellent value for money, extremely efficient and good wine selection. Will come back

Great place! The food was delicious, the staff were friendly and my celiac husband enjoyed everything as much as I did! My daughter could not resist herself and got 2 burger, she was so pleased with the amazing food!

When food makes you dance..... It's the best restaurant in and out of Nottingham. Humble chef who can box in the kitchen...

Just went in for a spot of lunch and the burger was incredible!

Such good food and love the atmosphere. Staff are lovely and all on point. Massive credit to the Mesa team. We will continue to keep coming back.

Excellent food, every dish was cooked perfectly and presented well.

Excellent food...the menu looks very uninspiring but hides a spectacular dining experience experience, simply the best cheeseburger I've ever tasted, very laid back atmosphere and seating which forces great conversation. I can't recommend MESA highly enough.

Hard to describe the cuisine style here but it's GREAT! Best described as plant based locally sourced British cooking with East Asian influences. 👌

Lovely restaurant. Staff welcoming and friendly. Decor rustic but still comfortable. Food was incredibly delicious, the braised lamb shoulder was particularly good. Great tapas-style eating. Will happily eat here again.

Omg! Just loved it!! Delicious 👌🏼♥️💪

Really really disappointed. Recommend by a work colleague for a special occasion. Limited menu, no steak that is shown. Food salty, did not enjoy my food at all and came home hungry. No mention of my husband’s special birthday. Over £100 for a small starter shared and several small plates. Extorate.

Flavour flavour flavour From snacks to small plates ideal either for sharing or full on exploration across the menu. Great range of dishes of meat,seafood, vegetarian or vegan. Gentle touches of spices and flavours and letting ingredients talk for themselves. Simply THANKYOU for making me happy

Favourite restaurant in nottingham. Food is always great with some super tasty options at a decent price. Can really tell the chef puts a lot of effort and love into the food. Fairly frequent menu changes keep things fresh and new.

The food is always outstanding here, there's a real focus on quality and bringing the best out of the fresh and seasonal ingredients. The tenderstem broccoli is a firm favourite of ours. Nothing bad I can really say about the place!

really lovely place. surprisingly good food especially with the duck leg, brand new flavor!! defo will come again !!

100% recommend! Every single dish we had was so so good and lived up to the hype. We arrived at 1pm when the restaurant opened and it was already packed! Food was delicious and innovative. I recommend their kimchi croquettes!

Nice meal. We ordered 6 dishes and had one dessert to share along with a bottle of wine. Total came to 96quid. It was good but to be honest I will not be rushing back, everything was nice though. They also had run out of one of their 2 deserts at 8 o'clock on a Saturday. Bit disappointed. The wine was very nice.

What a hidden gem. The food was a real fusion of styles and didn't disappoint. I will certainly be returning. The staff were spot on with their attentiveness. Very highly recommended.

If you go nottingham, you need to go mesa Easily my favourite restaurant in the uk, went for a very special birthday meal with my girlfriend recently but i’ve been a few times before and to be honest its one of my only reasons for visiting nottingham, Marcus is an amazing chef who really cares about his food, and you cannot fault the price, really incredible venue aswell, you cannot fault it.

My son recommended the restaurant to us I have to say it was amazing… Every mouthful was so delicious… Definitely coming back… well done to all staff 😘