14 February is a Thursday-or-whenever that restaurants price accordingly. You do not have to play.
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Wollaton Hall and the deer park cost nothing. Nottingham Contemporary is free. The castle grounds are a short walk from the market square. If the weather is bad, Broadway is the cinema that does student prices.
If you do want a table, book it. The centre fills, and walking in at 7pm is how you end up eating chips. A night in a studio, with food you cooked, is a reasonable third option and the cheapest.