Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Serve the food you really want to eat by signing up for our tips and recipes and never be bored by your cooking again Something went wrong, please try again later. Serve the food you really want to eat by signing up for our tips and recipes and never be bored by your cooking again When your stomach starts to growl, are you reaching for your homemade packed lunch or heading to Tesco for a meal deal? Not that there's anything wrong with a piece of ham slapped between two slices of white bread - sometimes simplicity is all you need. But if you're fed up of humdrum sarnies and looking for a more exciting way to spend your lunchtime, there's plenty of adventurous sandwich options. When it comes to freshly baked bread and interesting fillings, the world is your oyster on the streets of Nottingham. Cobs, baguettes, ciabatta, bagels, whatever your bread preference you are guaranteed to find it and more besides. After scoping out sandwich shops across the city, these discoveries had my taste buds jumping with joy. Rotari Bakes For me this wasn't an obvious port of call because I remember it opening as a cake shop in Carrington Street, but Rotari Cakes has rebranded to Rotari Bakes to reflect the savoury options that it now sells. I went for cake and ended up with a sandwich - and a very good sandwich it was too. If you like the Italian bread focaccia, you're in for a treat. Two chunky slices, crusty on the outside, pillowy on the inside, are filled with either chicken, mortadella, porchetta or veggies. The best seller is chicken ciabatta, which can be toasted, but my personal favourite is the porchetta, filled with cold thin slices of soft and seasoned slices of roast pork and salad for £5.80. Boulangerie de Saigon One of the biggest, satisfying sandwiches you'll find is bánh mì at a tiny Vietnamese cafe run by two sisters in Low Pavement. The freshly baked Saigon-style sub is so loaded that the fillings spill out. It's not the cheapest lunch but it's one of the tastiest and most filling. I'd recommend 'The Works' priced at £12.50. For that you get a meat feast mountain of pork belly, mortadella and pork pate, with pickled carrot, cucumber, crispy onions, a sassy kick from fresh red chilli and a salty soy sauce dip. And if that's not enough there's a fried egg too. Ugly Bread Bakery It's 10 years since Ugly Bread Bakery first opened in Nottingham, making it the mother of gourmet sandwich shops. The bread is made by hand and contains sourdough. Expect a counter stacked with folded mezzaluna, ciabattas, baguettes and focaccia. Flavours change daily. The day I visited the shop/cafe in Carlton Street, Hockley, the choice included salami with cream cheese, olives and spinach; chorizo with Cheddar cheese and tomatoes; Brie with roasted peppers, and cream cheese with sweet pickle and garlic mushroom. I picked pepperoni, chilli, garlic mushroom, mozzarella and spinach in ciabatta. No doubt it was good cold, but the tasty truth is that toasted it's even more delicious, thanks to the gooey melting cheese. Well worth £6.50. The Bagel Project The Bagel Project has been making waves since it first opened in Carlton Street, Hockley in May 2023, adding a mouth-watering alternative to usual humble sarnie. Since then the tally of shops has risen to three, with branches in Sherwood and most recently Carrington Street in the city centre. The list of house bagels includes smoked salmon and cream cheese, all day breakfast, and the pastrami/Swiss cheese combo known as the Rueben. Then there's specials that change from time to time. The salt beef is a staple that takes some beating, with thick slices of salty, tender meat, horseradish cream cheese, rocket, gherkins, red onion and a finishing touch of chimichurri drizzle for £7.80. For even more of a punchy flavour, go for the classic New York everything bagel, seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme, onion granules and sesame seeds. You might have to queue at peak times but it's worth the wait.