There’s been a rise in coffee shops springing up around the city over the last 12 months, but which is the best to help you get through your daily grind. 

It doesn’t matter where you go in Notts, there’s at least one cool new coffee haven right around the corner.

Some of these are undoubtedly jumping in on the hipster coffee trend, and not very successfully. However, some of them are offering some fantastic ways to get your much needed caffeine influx.

Another one opened this morning on Sneinton Market, in one of the repurposed gentrified market buildings. 

We’ve come a long way as a nation of coffee drinkers since ultra frothy cappuccinos and heavily syrup’d flavoured lattes first sprang up in the Costa’s and Starbuck’s of the UK. 

Whether you’re drinking an old favourite, or one of the increasingly popular styles that have come with the new independent roasters. Blend is one of those independents.

To be fair, they’re doing a pretty good job (you know as far as you can tell from the first morning); they’ve done it out nicely, it’s clean and comfortable, and perfect for people watching. The service was friendly, the food was tasty, and, most importantly, the coffee was good.

They’re using Stewarts Coffees an artisanal coffee roasters based in Trent Bridge, and doing a good job of taking those beans and making something infinitely drinkable.

The problem is, as good as Blend is, it’s still not quite the best coffee in the city. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s doing nothing wrong – in fact it’s doing most things right – and I would still put it above places like 200degrees or Outpost. It’s more of a case of good, better, best.

Outpost is perfectly good, and Blend is better, but the best coffee in Nottingham surely has to be Cartwheel on middle pavement (down the road from Jamies Italian and Paul Smith).

A couple of weeks ago I sat in the sun and drank a hand pressed Colombian blend coffee from Cartwheel, and I honestly don’t think I’ve had a better coffee anywhere. It was incredible.

Take my advice, try it and see – and if you’d still rather drink Strawberry Mocha frappucinos from Starbucks, then really, I can’t help you.