Latest reviews from Derby

“I've never had the time to pop over to this pub before, but I thought I would put that right as I had heard good thing about it. Setting off from the Smithfield once you are through the major roundabout it's not too bad a walk and you soon come across the pub, white-washed frontage. Inside it is very much a community pub with families throughout the building. The bar and hand pulls are ahead of you as you enter, looked to have all 8 in operation. There was a decent range of beers but nothing on the Furnace Brewery front that I could see, not sure if it is a brew-pub any more. There is a good, friendly vibe in there and worth the effort in getting there.“

imdownthepub 82 days ago

“Visited February 2016.“

fonefan 93 days ago

“Visited in the past with great friends...“

Brugmansia 93 days ago

“Dead opposite the Railway Station with a very early opening time, perfect for us early starters. It's very traditional in style and as Martin points out, has been recently refurbished. It is friendly and welcoming. There are 6 beers on hand pump, all well kept plus a key keg font with a local offering. Well worth popping in.“

imdownthepub 300 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Bar-Hotel polo que era moi conveninte durmir nesta localización. O problema foi que cheguei bastante tarde e só me deu tempo a tomar unha cervexa. Servida en boa condición e un ambiente bastante bo. Next one please!“

Taboada 429 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Parada rápida en Derby de camiño ao hotel. Creo lembrar que tiñan cervexas en boa condición e con bastante información nas etiquetas. Next one please!“

Taboada 429 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Ao lado da estación de tren coas súas propias cervexas. Preparan tercios. Servizo bastante agradable por parte da camareira. Un sitio ideal para facer ticks relaxadamente Next one please!“

Taboada 429 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Sitio enorme cun hall bastante bonito e cheo de ambiente, xa dende o almorzo. Cervexas servidas en boa condición e algunha xoia local. Next one please!“

Taboada 430 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Despois dun día bebendo Cask tradicional foi unha boa cousa atoparse cun garito coma este. Ambiente xove, música heavy e algunhas cervexas interesantes. Foi unha mágoa que só tivesen 3 grifos operativos na miña visita, porque se houbese máis opcións de seguro que pasaría neste lugar moito máis tempo. Next one please!“

Taboada 430 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Bastante ambiente nun venres noite, en canto a variedade de cervexas non é o mellor xa que dos barrís que teñen un porcentaxe elevado son de sospechosos habituais. De tódolos xeitos, para min foi un sitio adecuado para probar un par de cervexas de Dancing Duck. Next one please!“

Taboada 435 days ago

“Visited February 2023. Un sitio un tanto extraña no que se refire a decoración e ambiente. A calidade das cervexas tamén é un pouco variable, tirando bastante por estilos clásicos e cask. A atención da camareira foi boa. Menú degustación en forma de thirds. Next one please!“

Taboada 435 days ago

“Largely non descript boozer off the centre, five cask ales on, beer was fine quality wise. Seems like a pub that's seen better days, a couple of lairy characters were present when I ventured in. By all means give it a try if you're in the neighbourhood, but not an essential stop on a pub crawl round Derby.“

Beermenace 596 days ago

“Gloomy, tatty boozer stuffed to the hilt with bric a brac, very empty on my visit. One reviewer mentioned that this place is trying too hard to be quirky, I don't quite agree but I take his point. Beer was reasonable and the atmosphere relaxed. I must visit when it's busier to get a better idea of this pub.“

Beermenace 596 days ago

“Dining oriented venue just across the road from the Old Dolphin. It’s most most dramatic feature is the mural painted on the side featuring the “Silk Mill Lockout” from the 19th century. From the street entrance you hit the bar almost immediately. To the left is a small drinking area and there’s another one to the right. There’s another area with plush seats further back, but this is for diners only. This is usually empty whilst elsewhere is full ! There is also a raised outside drinking area which has a grand view of the mural. This is quite secluded despite being bang next to a main road. Beer range has gone downhill somewhat. There used to be seven or eight real ales available, but on my last visit there were only four, and those were somewhat mundane. [ Luckily the Shipstones Original was a tick !] Also beer prices are rather high to say the least – even with 10% CAMRA discount it was still more expensive that just about everywhere else in town. Beer quality was pretty poor as well – my half took a lot of warming up ! As I said before, this place is mainly focussed on dining. Unfortunately I have never been able to afford to eat here ! Unfortunately the “comedy snippets” in the gents have been removed. To be honest I wouldn’t bother with this place unless there’s a tick you’re desperate for. “

Martinsh 619 days ago

“BRIEF UPDATE (MAY 24) : just to say that the number of cask beers here has now increased. There are now a total of 9 handpumps with normally 6 or 7 in use at any time. Beer quality still not brilliant though. ORIGINAL REVIEW (SEPT 22) : Recently reopened venue that I’ve added mainly because of the rarity of the beers available there. It’s directly across the road from Derby station (main entrance). Don’t be tempted by the Merry Widows or Waterfall – they aren’t worth visiting ! It’s an old fashioned boozer that’s been given a lcik of paint. From the entrance there are rooms to the left and right. The bar can be accessed straight ahead, but it mainly faces onto the right hand room. Furnishing is spartan, with dark blue and white walls. A few chairs and tables, but lots of empty space. Beyond the bar (and round a corner) there is a function room with a stage. This used to be a regular venue for live music, and gigs are still held here on an occasional basis. Beerwise the reason you are here is because it is a rare regular outlet for Leatherbritches beers. There are usually 3 of them on tap, and a guest on the fourth handpump (Wantsum Black Pig on my last visit). Unfortunately, beer quality is none too good, particularly being served too cold. There is a discount on cask beers on Mondays. One small TV by the bar showing (on my last visit) cricket. Unless you are a top rater for Leatherbritches there is probably a tick for you here, so grab it and move on to somewhere better…“

Martinsh 619 days ago

“Nearest outlet to the city centre for Derby Brewery beers. Cross the river on the bridge by the Market Palce, and it’s the first building you come to. {NB nearer to the bridge than shown on the RB map ] It’s a strange flat-iron shape, and the main entrance is midway down the left=hnad side. You are immediately present with a choice – the main part of the bar is to the left. The room is spacious – with wooden floors and bare brick walls. The bar is semi-circular to the right – with plenty of standing room around it. Seating is mainly around the periphery, and includes high stools and beer barrels as well as more normal tables and chairs. The room to the right from the entrance is similar, but of a different shape (bar is straight). Beyond the main bar is a small beer garden. I believe there is also an upstairs room and a rooftop garden – but I’ve never been to investigate. The main bar has six handpumps plus a clutch of macro keg taps. Smaller bar is similar but with four handpumps. However, on my last visit there were only a total of 5 cask ales available – all from Derby Brewery. I am certain there used to be more, and a couple of guests. There are some craft taps in the wall behind the bar, offering the likes of Deya and Burning Sky. Again, I seem to remember these being more plentiful. Other reviewers have mentioned the bottleds / cans. I seem to remember these being either listed on a board, or in a beer menu – but no sign of either on my last visit. Food is available. I have eaten here in the past – but not for a long time. I seem to remember prices being reasonable, but portions being rather small. This place seems to be on a downward slope. It used to often be packed, with standing room only, but last time I was there it was virtually empty. If you’re on your way to visit the Exter Arms and Smithfield (as you should be), then it’s worth popping in to see what’s available. “

Martinsh 769 days ago

“Hipster craft beer bar, at the city end of Friargate. Just on from where it becomes Wardwick. There is some connection with Neon Raptor – I believe the story is the proprietors bought the brewery, but I could be wrong. Been here a number of times, including last weekend. But that was the first time for a couple of years, as they were very slow to reopen after Covid. [ And the previous time I visited, about a month ago the place was locked shut when it should have been open. Spoke to bloke trying to deliver a parcel, and he said it happened regularly ] Entrance is on the left, into a reasonable sized room. The bar is over to the right, and most of the floor space is taken up by two large tables, with only other seating a few stools around the edges. Behind the bar is a board showing the 8 beers they have on tap. This used to show the price for each size of container, but now only give one price, with a little squiggle to indicate the size. Very easy to get tricked if you are the worse for wear. The beers come from a range of craft breweries (including Scandinavian ones sometimes) with Neon Raptor being a constant. The style of beers is pretty limited however, with usually more than half being capable of described as “hazy / opaque pale”, and the others being things like pastry sours and imperial bacon stouts ! There are a couple of fridges with a large range of cans, and about 3 bottles. Most of them being hipster designed ones where you have trouble finding the name of the beer or brewery. Noticed that they now do toasted sandwiches – the place doesn’t seem big enough to offer food ? Finally, the toilets are to be avoided if possible. The staff are friendly enough, but this really isn’t my type of place at all. “

Martinsh 800 days ago

“One of two Derby Brewing Co pubs in the city (the other is the Tap). This one is a bit more food orientated. At the outer end of Friargate, on the left heading out of town. This place has a bit of a strange layout. There is a door to the left of the building which is obviously meant to be the main entrance This takes you into a plushly seated area with the semi-circular bar ahead on the right. A very short corridor (and down a couple of steps) takes you to the other half of the bar. This area is more functional and laid out for dining, with bare brick walls. To the right and beyond is the outdoor area, partly covered, partly completely open, plus an upstairs “smokers lounge”. You then find that there is a passage from here straight back out onto the main street ! In terms of beer there are 8 handpumps, split between the two sections of the bar. Normally these are split 5/6 from Derby themselves, and 2/3 from other small breweries. However, on my last visit each half had the same 4 Derby beers (no guests). There are also about half a hozen craft keg taps – again featuring Derby BC. The main emphasis here is on food. The menu features bar snacks, big plates, filthy fries, burgers and sandwiches (plus a Sunday roast). I have eaten here in the past and it was fine, but I tend to eat elsewhere nowadays as the prices are mouthwatering ! A decent enough place – but lacking a bit in terms of atmosphere. “

Martinsh 800 days ago

“Massive Wetherspoons, the room is absolutely huge. Nice historic building too. My visit coincided with a Derby County home game so whilst the fans had left for the match the place was in a bit of a state with about a million plates & pint glasses stacked waiting to be washed. Quite a good range of cask beer available, and those I sampled were in reasonable condition.“

Cheeseboard 809 days ago

“Multi roomed pub serving a good variety of cask. All sampled were in great condition“

Cheeseboard 809 days ago

“Roomy pub offering mainly Derby Brewery beers. The quality of beer served was a bit variable to be honest.“

Cheeseboard 809 days ago

“Cosy multi room pub serving mostly Dancing Duck beers. Everything I sampled was in great condition“

Cheeseboard 809 days ago

“Trad pub with a railway theme. Close to the Brunswick Inn and Derby station. Solid selection of cask available on my visit recently“

Cheeseboard 809 days ago

“Multi roomed pub close to Derby railway station. 16 cask including a smattering of on site brewed Brunswick beers. Nice atmosphere. Nice pub!“

Cheeseboard 812 days ago

“Spacious pub a short walk from the city centre over the River Derwent. As you would expect, the cask offerings are mainly Derby Brewing beers, which can be hit and miss. There are usually a couple of guest ales too alongside a small selection of keg beers (Thornbridge when I visited). The small fridge behind the bar actually has a very respectable selection of craft cans but these are not advertised, you have to ask the bar staff.“

dnelson 924 days ago

“Traditional multi-room local a short walk from the railway station. As well as the usual Castle Rock offerings there is always a decent selection of local and regional beers on both cask and keg. Very reasonable prices and cheerful service. Avoid on matchdays (unless you're into that sort of thing).“

dnelson 924 days ago

“Cosy bar/bottle shop in the centre of town. Around 6-8 beers on tap, mixture of local (Neon Raptor etc), national (Verdant) and US beers when I visited. A couple of fridges again stocking a range of UK and US beers. Cans/bottles in the fridges have no prices on which was a little off putting and there is a surcharge for drinking them in the pub. Draught beers seemed fairly reasonably priced. A nice change from the traditional cask ales the rest of the city offers.“

dnelson 924 days ago

“Used them for online orders, usually for some interesting American beers. Can be a little pricey in that respect. Selection more limited than some other online stores.“

Stuu666 989 days ago

“Derby has some decent boozers, but this is a great stop if you're North of the centre. Its a decent little micropub with a few tables inside and outside. The cask ales are mostly from the Hartshorn brewery (all 3 on my visit) plus some decent keg (Budvar and Beavertown) and a couple of ciders. Hartshorn beers are decent but maybe a bit same-y, so perhaps some guests wouldn't go amiss.“

jjsint 1069 days ago

“The Old Bell Hotel looks very nice and olde-world on the outside, on the inside they are renovated without losing the overall feel. Spacious and a bit too formal for my liking, and the beer list does little to excite on an early Saturday afternoon. (I'm assuming that in non-COVID times, more than 3 of the 8 cask taps would be operational, but I can only work with what's in front of me.) Bass, Dancing Duck and Tollgate on cask, with Liefmans and Beavertown on keg as the best of what's on offer. It's a decent enough stop but not a must in Derby.“

jjsint 1069 days ago

“What a place, what a find. Derby is a great drinking town, but it tends to be 86% traditional cask beer. Suds & Soda is a great place to redress that balance. It is small, with room for about 25 without social distancing. Eight taps, six of which were operational on my visit. Three were dedicated to the Montana brewery Mountains Walking, with Omnipollo, Adroit Theory and Pentrich making up the numbers. Two big fridges with lots of UK and US craft. They've got an online shop which operates as a different business, so the beers they sell online don't necessarily match the ones in shop. You won't go thirsty though, that's for sure. Just proof that you don't need 40 taps to be a top craft beer bar.“

jjsint 1069 days ago

“Have visited this place many, many times over at least 20 years. However, I’ve refrained from reviewing it here because I don’t see eye to eye with the current landlord. And have tended to avoid it recently, though I did visit yesterday. Turn right out the main entrance to Derby station and you can’t miss this place. In fact that’s one of my main beef’s about it. Too many people DON’T miss it, and never get beyond to see what else Derby can offer. A historic railway pub with a strange “wedge of cheese” shape. Entrance is halfway down the side. Inside you turn a corner that leads to the bar on the right. Elsewhere there are a number of separate rooms (4 or 5), all pretty similar decked out in dark brown and burgundy with railway memorabilia on the walls. Interconnecting doors bewteen all the rooms (including two to the disabled loo) make it a real rabbit warren. At the “fat end” of the building is their own Brunswick brewery = usually with a sign saying which beer is in production. There is a function room upstairs as well, but I’ve never been there. The pub is actually owned by Everards but, apart from Tiger on the bar, you would never guess. They advertise 16 real ales, but in these post-covid times it’s usually more like 11 or 12. They have 6 or 7 Brunswick beers – normally the full core range plus a special or two. Apart from that guest beers can come from anywhere, though there is usually a Timothy Taylor beer. Beer quality is usually good, but there is a tendency to serve them too cold. Also, half-pints did tend to get serve in tired, scratched glasses that had obviously been through the dishwasher too many times. However, on my latest visit two out of three glasses with new clean ones. Food is currently available, and I have eaten there in the past. However, I can’t really remember details, nor can I find any information on line. I seem to recall “pub grub” though that may be doing it a disservice. I woukld recommend this place for a quick visit if you are changing trains in Derby. However, it can get very busy and the staff be overwhelmed leading to long waits for service. [ Note there is no beer list, so assist the staff by looking at what is on the bar before they come to take your order ! ] So, to summarise. Definitely worth a visit – but not at the expense of the rest of Derby ! “

Martinsh 1082 days ago

“This was the final stop off on the RateBeer tour of Derby, and I bit of a flying visit for 2 topside beers. Certainly a place I'd like to go back to. It was only a short brisk walk back to the train station. Again a big outdoor seating area.“

Mr_Pink_152 1082 days ago

“Visited on the rate beer tour round Derby. They had a big selection of cask and a few keg beers. Cask available in thirds which helped. A couple of the beers seemed past their best but they were strong dark beers in the summer just after lockdown. I would certainly go back. Nice large outdoor covered seating area and helpful staff.“

Mr_Pink_152 1082 days ago

“Tried during the rate beer trip round derby. The only place on my visit that didn't have any new beers for me. The place appeared to have a number of rooms but difficult to explore with the restrictions. mainly Dancing Duck beers which I guess is why you'd go there.“

Mr_Pink_152 1082 days ago

“3rd stop off of the rate beer Derby pub crawl. We went straight out to a reasonable sized out door area so didn't see much of the pub until we left, which is when I realised just how big the rooms were. The beer selection was ok, and had a couple of brand new beers that needed to be added to RB“

Mr_Pink_152 1082 days ago

“Stop off 2 on the Rate Beer Derby trip. Another pub in a mainly residential area, in fact blink and you might miss the door. 2 large rooms one with the bar and seating the other with seating. only led into a large garage and then a n ice beer garden. Again a selection of local beers I had both new beers and breweries. Certainly a great addition and nice place to stop off outside the city centre.“

Mr_Pink_152 1082 days ago

“Reviewed during Covid release phase 2, indoors allowed with social distancing. Visited with Martin, John and Chris on a Ratebeer tour of Derby. Pub no.2. This place is such a surprise, it's the end house of a pretty normal terrace, happily on the Allestree bus route. The left hand side reception room has been converted into a bar whilst the Right hand is a type of Snug. The garage is a passageway to the very relaxing garden area. It is family run and very welcoming, the proprietor very happy to talk about his pub and beer and such like. The beers are an interesting and well chosen range and also well kept. Where it is it's going to be more of a locals pub but if you have the time it's well worth a trip out to this excellent place.“

imdownthepub 1082 days ago

“What an interesting pub! Its west of the city in residential area, but certainly walkable (although we took the bus that stops nearby). The landlords have covered the front part of their home into a pub, and result is brilliant. As Martinsh has said, it's a larger micropub, with plenty of seating and considerable space outside. The beer list is small but worthy: four casks from micros like Alter Ego and Peakstone Rock with a couple of widely available keg beers such as Brooklyn Defender. You're likely to get ticks here - I'm not sure I'd had any of the four casks - and the surroundings couldn't be more pleasant.“

jjsint 1083 days ago

“A bit off the beaten track this place, so it tends to get overlooked on my “never ending pub crawl” of Derby. Which is a shame because it’s decent. Anyway, read on… The best access route is probably to start at the Old Silk Mill. Go down the road by the side, under the very low bridge, then where the road turns right to cross the river, carry straight on. It’s a couple of hundred yards on the right hand side.. You can also reach it from the Five Lamps (downhill through back streets) or the Little Chester Ale House (via old railway bridge across river). The wooden fronted bar is immediately ahead of the main entrance from the street. The rest of the place has a rather drab appearance. Gray carpet and seating (mainly stool around tables), pretty bare white walls and ceiling, and dark blue beams. There is an outdoor seating area at the back (head left to access). Currently this has a marquee. There are currently seven or eight cask ales, 3 or 4 of which are from Shiny as this place vis their former brewery tap. Ten to 12 craft keg beers, again featuring Shiny prominently, but also people like Kernel, Verdant, Cloudwater, Vibrant Forest. I think they also have a range of cans and bottles, but I’ve never investigated that side. As mentioned above Shiny used to brew here. When they moved out a few years ago, the old brewery was left and became the Furnace brewery. However, it is currently dormant as it is actually run by the people from Shiny who have enough on their plate at the main brewery. The actual brewery is a small shed out the back, which serves as an extra bar during beer festivals. There is a limited range of food. Cobs, pork pies and enormous pizzas. I think the pizzas were meant ot be shared, but I did manage to eat a whole one once ! So to summarise – an excellent venue for beer, but rather average for ambience. “

Martinsh 1089 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited february 2015.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited a couple of times.“

fonefan 1093 days ago

“Visited a couple of times.“

fonefan 1093 days ago