Zhug – Mediterranean & Middle Eastern – Nottingham

Only my third review of the year feels a scandalous dereliction of duties. In my defence interesting new openings have been few and far between. When I heard though that Zhug was opening a site in the city centre my attention was grabbed. I hadn’t been able to get to their original location in Wollaton but had always heard good things. The new space is on the ever bustling Broad Street and next to the excellent Pici. I liked what they had done with the place; exposed brick walls and some potted olive trees bringing the Mediterranean vibes. Those surfaces do make for a fairly loud atmosphere so be warned you may need to raise your voice to place your order. The menu is what you might expect, a mix of mezze and larger pitas and meal bowls along with a short drinks list.

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Salad, Falafel & Loaded Fries – Zhug – Nottingham

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Food arrived in a timely manner and all together despite quite a mix of things. Hummus and falafel (£9.95) didn’t feel an especially generous portion; perhaps a pita on the side would have balanced the ratios and the value proposition. The hummus was light and well whipped but lacked the luxurious texture and deeper flavour of the best examples. The falafel were nicely packed with herbs if a little dry in texture. A Greek salad (£9.95) is always a good benchmark and Zhug’s example was nearly spot on. The addition of pomegranate molasses give it a nice zing and was there plenty of feta to go around. Sadly the whole thing was fridge cold which not only served as a odd note against the warm food but muted the flavours, particularly the tomatoes. The cucumber was also in large chunks which made it more difficult to eat than it needed to be. Loaded cauliflower fires (£9.95) were something of an ordering error. My lack of attention to a comma meant I though we were getting fries made of cauliflower. (Which would have been preferable because the roasted florets here were one of the best bits of the meal!) The chips we did get were perfectly decent but unremarkable. The final item was their halloumi pita (£12) and it was a baffling experience. Surely it is clear to the kitchen that the pita is too small and the ratios are all wrong? The bread itself was light and fluffy and stuffed mostly with salad whilst the majority of the halloumi sat perched on top. It was nice enough to eat on its own but then left a dull slog through the rest. I really don’t know what they were thinking.

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Halloumi Pita – Zhug – Nottingham

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Service was mixed. One of the team seemed distracted and lacking knowledge of the menu but not to the extent I really held it against a young and enthusiastic brigade. Overall an underwhelming experience and I couldn’t really see where Zhug fits in amongst the competition. At Yamas you get this style of food as well as a wider array of interesting dishes with a more enjoyable dining experience. If you want a quick meal and good value then Falafel’s offering is far superior: a massive pita with better falafel is only £7.50 and somewhere I often go. My experience was a touch too expensive and a touch lacking on execution but its fine margins in this world.