please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Railway fans heaven - right down to a train engine parked in the car park.
Single long bar - 8 real ales - good music. Burton Bridge in great condition.
No reason to be late - with the huge station digital clock ticking off the minutes.
Good pub - photos at my blog - http://bit.ly/2w1lOlC
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An excellent pub with loads of railway memorabilia and a very good choice of well kept cask ales. 2 minutes'' walk from the station. Well worth a visit.
alexw - 10 Sep 2017 19:43 |
LOL at Derby Boys comment. Actually there's always a bit of a whiff in the Alex. Ive always put it down to the damp anoraks from all the trainspotters! Handy for a good pint on match days though.
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Yes, excellent pub with excellent beers, no tv, sky sports etc. A shrine for rail enthusiasts which is also a bit of of a down fall as it can be a bit unwelcoming if you're not a railway buff. Was also a bit put off by a bloke stood at the bar breaking wind. Judging by the reaction of the staff and regulars it's a common occurence.
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Another excellent pub within easy walking distance of the station. The pub has a selection of Castle Rock ales - Harvest Pale, Preservation, Skylarks Reserve & Little Bitch. The latter was 10% and very tasty indeed. There are also guests - Ossett Mill End Mild, Charnwood Blossom, Oakham Scarlet Macaw, Ramsbury Silver Pig Stout & Amber Dambuster, in addition to 2 real ciders - Old Rosie & Happy Daze. The interior is full of railway memorabilia, of which the still functioning digital clock is the centrepiece. Locals seemed a friendly bunch and there was a good mix of people. Those in our party who tried the Scotch Eggs were happy. A haggis one served by a Scottish lady was sampled. Well worth combining with the Brunswick just around the corner. Both pubs offer a CAMRA discount and I believe both accept the Wetherspoons vouchers.
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Good atmosphere and good beer. 9/10
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One of my favourite pubs, just pleasantly ordinary, no music or TV. Over a couple of years I have only has good beer there.
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Not a lot has changed here since my last visit, but just thought I'd mention that as well as discount for CAMRA members, they also let you use your Wetherspoons vouchers fror 50p off a pint of any Castle Rock beer. Having said that I actually had the Windswept Blonde - which was excellent.
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Went here after The Brunswick. Seems like a nice pub though prefer The Brunswick. Less choice of Ale here than next door too. The ales are in good condition though.
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Pretty amazing pub. Starting off with the beer, there were about 8 on tap, 4 from Castle Rock (I had the Presentation), and 4 guests (including Titanic Mild). Also a range of bottles behinf the bar - usefully sorted by type - though I couldn't see any comprehensive list.
Food appears to be limited to large cobs and scotch eggs (yuck !), but I didn't eat here.
Huge range of railway memorabilia mostly on the walls, but with an enormous digital clock hanging from the ceiling (actually working). Small drinking / smoking area out the back complete with cab of class 37 diesel locomotive !
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Seems to be back to its best again. Plenty of ale choice, beer very well kept, extended choice of continenental and other foreign beers available, good atmosphere and welcome. With the Brunswick next door, and also currently on good form, there can be few more rewarding 5-minute walks from any railway station.
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Returned for a longer visit this time. Great atmosphere with lots of choice of beers. We needed some food to mop up and the barman despite being busy knocked us up some massive cheese rolls. Thanks kind sir. I had Castle Rock Vanilla Porter and Sue Pollard both in very good form
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Visited the pub yesterday prior to the Derby v Chelsea FA Cup Match - I'm a Chelsea fan. A great pub with a tremendous atmosphere and an excellent selection of beer. Good banter between Chelsea and Derby fans. Will visit again when next in Derby.
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Came here for a change from the Brunswick and was impressed. Great atmosphere and 8 real beers and 2 ciders. I had Piddle Porter which was superb. Sadly had to leave then to get a train back south.
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Visited here after close of play yesterday after watching the Derbyshire v Warwickshire. Wonderful place if you are a real ale fan and railway enthusiast - which often go together. Beer was excellent and railwayana and breweriana that adorn the walls is fascinating not to mention the Class 37 cab at the back of the pub. Well worth a visit if near the railway station.
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I always visit the Alex when in Derby and it never fails to please. Great range of beers with Castle Rock Brewery ever present. Friendly staff who went out of their way to make some baps for my friends train journey home (even though it was late evening). They now have a cab from a class 37 diesel loco in the car park.
You can claim a free pint if you do the "One of the Eight" card. Any pub which offers great beer; a freindly welcome; baps; railwayana and is football friendly gets a 10/10 from me. Super place.
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Top pub. Beer quality top notch as usual. Best beer sampled Dark Star Six Hop which at 6.5% sounds strong but very tasty without being overpowering. Always a warm welcome and a wide selection here.
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Another excellent visit last Saturday, usual selection of ales all of those we tried being in top condition and friendly service from knowledgeable staff. Also a good range of European bottled beers which I never get round to drinking these days but most of which I have tried at some point in the past. The Bavarian smoked beer is highly recommended, as an earlier comment mentions.
It seems the reason the second counter on the platform clock is inoperative is that a loud click every second would drive everyone barmy, especially the staff.
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If this is truly a hotel I may well sell the house and move in. Went in on Sunday after discovering the Brunswick is virtually the only pub on the planet that does food every day of the week except Sunday. The Alex does not do hot food on a Sunday either but its rolls - OK, "cobs" in local dialect - were excellent quality and good value while one of my companions, who could eat a horse of Trojan proportions, said the cold pie he had was the best cold pie he had ever tasted.
Nothing wrong with the beer selection, either, with the Castle Rock brews supplemented by some other local brews (e.g. Burton Bridge). Coming from London I was naturally pleasantly surprised at the prices. The pub actually does take-aways in milk-carton style containers or you can buy bottles of Castle Rock ale.
The pub also does a dynamite - as in "blow your head off" - range of chocolate, including Scorpion death chili flavour.
The public bar has a lot of railway memorabilia, including an intrusive and vaguely disconcerting giant platform clock (you know the sort: red frame, yellow digital numbers). The saloon bar has a rabbit. A live rabbit in a rabbit run. I presume it lives in the beer garden in the summer.
A real find. I will be back, but sadly only once a year on my annual visit to Derby.
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Best pub I've been in in years: Castle Rock and Guest Beers, choice of superb cold Pork and Chicken & Pork pies, railway memorabilia from a wide period (check out the pub clock), rabbit, very friendly barmaid, CAMRA discount. Overwhelmingly more fun than The Brunswick.
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Now returned to the very good pub it has been in the past, with friendly service, a good range of decent ales served in fine condition and a warm atmosphere created by the mix of customers. Now a must visit together with its close neighbour.
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Paid a visit to this Pub for the first time in over six years last week and can honestly say that it was the best I visited in Derby. six beers served including Castle Rock Harvest Pale, and other offerings from Itchen Valley and Hard Knot breweries. no food apart from large filled 'Cobs' or rolls. The bar man, Murray was cheerful and helpful and made sure that everyone was served promptly and with a smile. A must do in Derby
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Superb pub with a great of range of Castle Rock and guest beers;rolls and snacks;railway pictures and newspapers!! They also do the Castle Rock 1 over the 8 promotion and there is a large discount for card-carrying CAMRA members. B&B is also available. Enjoyed Anber Ales Dambuster as well as Harvest Pale and House Sparrow from Castle Rock. Only thing that spoilt the evening was some local (who looked as though he was "ticking the beers") who kept scratching himself at the bar - really offputting!! Still it is an excellent pub and one we always use before after the football.
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We all very much enjoyed our brief stop off here and resolved to come back again. Harvest Pale in good nick, among several other options, brisk and civil service and a laid back crowd. The ambience is very traditional, it's priority set at sociable, no nonsense drinking. Rough round the edges and basic it may be, but that's how we like it. Will definitely revisit.
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Legendary Derby pub stuffed with plenty of railway pictures, locomotive nameplates and other memorabilia. Bit surprised with some of the recent negative comments, we found no problem on our visit. Beer quality was good, and they had darks to choose from.
PhilR - 15 Dec 2011 18:32 |
The landlord has rejuvenated this place. Effort has been made to source rarer beers from the Castle Rock list. The quality and condition of the beers is top notch. Well done Ralf.
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nice little pub near Derby station. Worth a visit despite the last two comments. Never had a problem with a pint there before. Usually 6 or 7 ales on.
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Sadly after a recent visit I have to echo mattyd's comments.
I went in a couple of Saturdays ago and the St Austell Tribute (one of my favourite beers) tasted like piss and was cloudy. Prior to ordering it - I asked the landlord Ralph, if he had any on as I'd spotted a pump clip - he rudely said "that's why we have it on the board if it's on".
I've encountered the landlord Ralph a few times and he is extremely rude, smug, arrogant and completely disinterested in the running the place. His other half, Anna is the exact opposite however and is very welcoming.
The pub was once one of Derby's crown jewels but is now suited to only the sock and sandle brigade of the infamous Derby CAMRA group (known all negatively all over the UK for their insolence and arrogance which explains Ralph's attitude and oversized mullet).
The three pints I had wear all piss poor.
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This was the second pub in our Derby pub crawl and the reviews on here , I believed this would be a good pub.
How wrong we were , two of the three pints we ordered were off and tasted of vinegar but the young barman refused to change them saying they were ok !
We are all long standing real ale drinkers and know a bad pint when we taste one.
We just left the pints and left the pub and will not recommend this pub to any other beer tourists - a very unpleasant experience indeed.
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Butter my breeches these ales were divine last weekend. Often prefer drinking halves so as to sample/savour twice as much flavour and plumped for the happy union of Nott's Castle Rock & Wildlife Trust's latest monthly 'Meadow' which had bags of creamy chocolate malt without being too smooth or rich making this one of the finest stouts I've tried in some time. They also have quality local pork or huntsman's pies which go down extra well with a Bamberg Rauchbier i.e. Smoked Dark Bavarian Beer (resulting in smoked pork - though i'd be lying in claiming that I was the first to ever appreciate this knockout combo). The Bamberg tastes quite literally like the essence of barbacue near a pagan bonfire under a crimson flamed moon (Jeez where do i get this stuff from? Might cut down on the similes for the time being). This UNESCO world heritage sited beer is bottom-fermented using just the holy trinity of the finest bavarian hops, pure water and smoked malt (no yeast in the least?) which is 'kilned over a fire of beechwood logs'. So more or less exactly as i tasted then - minus the animal sacrifice before i got carried away
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Great to see this pub open again with a new landlord who I'm told runs the local CAMRA winter ales festival, so the beers at The Alex should be good - and they were when I visited recently. It's had a coat of paint - outside and inside - and was offering Castle Rock Brewery beers plus a range of guest ales. They also provide good quality rolls and not surprisingly the pub is a favourite with Derby County FC fans (and well-behaved away supporters are made very welcome). Handy for the railway station and The Brunswick is almost next door so both pubs compliment each other. The Alex is always worth a visit. Good luck to the new team there.
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I'm informed the Alex is open Friday and Saturday nights, plus match days, with a limited beer range, and apparently they're still looking for a new landlord.
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Came here after the game yesterday, and was a little disappointed - in view of some of the reviews this place has had, and my experience earlier in the day at The Brunswick.
I guess the place is still "in transition", which would explain the odour, appearance and limited range of ale on. Hope they sort it out soon, as I'm sure there is good reason for the high ratings this place was getting a few months ago.
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I've liked this pub since I used to drink Shippos there in the mid 80's.
Popped in briefly yesterday between trains. Sign on the blackboard says that it is "in a changeover period". I assume that this referes to the landlord. All of the pictures etc have been removed from the wall - perhaps it is due to be redecorated? Only 3 beers on offer, all from Castle Rock, and a very limited range of fizz and shorts. The Harvest Pale and �2.30 was, as usual, excellent.
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One of my favourite Derby pubs, handy for the station. Oddly closed when I called one evening last week, so I called at the busy Brunswick instead, which was hardly a hardship.
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Those that criticise the Alexandra as being threadbare and worn are, I believe, missing the point of this wonderful pub. An idiosyncratic favourite of mine in Derby, up there with The Brunswick. Their pub snacks are great, as is their beer.
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Lovely old school pub, great range of British & continental beer. The Scheider Weisse on a warm summer's evening really hits the spot
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Has become what is quite typical of Tynemill pubs; run-down, filthy, threadbare upholstery, but it it serves Castle Rock beers. Tynemill need to get their act together and smarten this place up.
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Seventh and final destination on a recent scooping tour of Derby, the Alex is a fine example of what a good Tynemill pub should be.
We spent our visit in the Public Bar, chatting with a couple of regulars who I know fairly well and the gaffer (a charming chap with an easy manner and quick to laugh).
The feel of the place is fairly basic, but I rather like that in a pub - honest and unpretentious.
Beer selection was reasonable, and condition very good ... only managed to pick up one tick in the form of Arkell's 3B at 4.0% but found this and the Castle Rock Harvest Pale (3.9%) to both be in top-notch condition.
Not the busiest pub of the day by any means, but then again it never seems to be.
Certainly well worth a visit, especially as they sell McCoys Mexican Chilli crisps (a personal favourite) and, on this occasion, two boxes of mini Belgian chocolates for (if I remeber correctly) �1.20!
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It is gods waiting room but atmosphere is actually quite convivial. Beer is good too.
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Good quality ales to select from & taste. The Castle Rock Harvest Pale & Thornbridge Kipling were in very good order.
Seemed away fan friendly.
Friendly staff & customers.
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Good friendly boozer, locals were most welcoming, good beer and a nice real fire going on a cold winter night. Will be visiting again on next excursion to Derby.
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FANTASTIC REAL ALE PIE SHOP, GO AND SAMPLE NOW I ORDER U!!
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For wheatbeer lovers this place has Leffe on tap, delicious
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Tends to attract duffel bag carrying, bearded train spotters (who most likely live with their mums).
Good selection of ales and foreign beers on offer. Nice bar staff.
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A proper old fashioned pub with a public bar, a lounge and decent beer. An ever increasing rarity these days. Handy for the station but then so is the Brunswick and the Station.... how spoilt for choice we are in Derby.
anonymous - 9 Jul 2009 18:21 |
Friendly, traditional 2 bar pub close to the station - you can see the pub from when you're sitting on the train.
It's a Tynemill pub, although it's much less noticeably badged as such than the New Barrack Tavern in Sheffield where I went recently.
As well as the Castle Rock beers, there were also beers on from Millstone and Oldershaw and Titanic on my recent visit.
I made the mistake of trying a half of Saltaire's Raspberry Blonde, a drink that might best be described as a "beer for drinkers who don't like beer" if you see where I'm coming from. Thankfully the Castle Rock beers were much more to my taste.
The pub is decorated in traditional style and the railway photographs will please the trainspotters amongst us ( not that I come in that category, I hasten to add ) .
You should try and do this one if at all possible - particularly if you're travelling by train, given the close proximity of the station
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The Birthplace of Derby CAMRA. Very close to The Brunswick so be sure to visit both of them. Very friendly staff, most of them are part of the same family I think. Huge range of perfectly served ales. I often wonder why there aren't more people in. In a word, one of the very best pubs I've ever been to.
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Although I stayed here overnight, I only managed to get one pint in (an inappropriately named 'Idle Sod') at the end of a very busy day. Very quiet when I got there from the railway station, but a good crowd had arrived to liven things up later on. Must go back to try a few more from a big selection of Castle Rock and other beers.
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The last of the pubs on my recent mini-crawl of Derby and I wasn't disappointed. Friendly barman, warm public bar (saloon was chilly but soon warmed up once people arrived for the quiz which I didn't stay for) and the beer was in good nick.
I'd certainly come here again.
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Late review from October when I called in on my way back to the station. The Hambleton beer was great and there was a friendly atmosphere with the few locals in front of the welcoming fire.
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Great little pub owned by Castle Rock(Tynemill). Has a good range of their beers plus 5/6 guests. Always a great pint in here. Has a real fire which was very welcome on Friday night when it was freezing. Has 3 (It think) letting rooms as well. No music, conversation only, which can be very enteraining given the characters they get in here.
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An excellent array of real ales, and a really pleasant, friendly pub to visit. I think next time I will visit here first to do it justice, rather than leave it to the pub crawl's tail end. Highly recommended.
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Excellent pub. Went on a day trip (pub crawl) in Derby last week and this was probably the best pub we visited. Excellent ale and a nice, warm atmosphere. There was a few in there drinking, was early on a Saturday evening so I would have expected it to have got busier later.
Barman was very friendly and the locals all seemed friendly enough. Would definately go back into this pub should I be in Derby again.
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Lovely pub - 9 beers on handpump yesterday. It was so empty though - I don't know how they stay open. The Brunswick, 2 mins away, is often bristling with punters so it can't be that it's too far away from town.
chick - 13 Dec 2008 11:38 |
Built in 1871, this hotel was primarily built to accommodate travelers arriving at the nearby Midland Railway Station. The emphasis has now shifted from beds to beers as this is one of the great Derby Ale trail pubs. Being way down the list on a quite hefty pub crawl, fine details such as the number of hand pumps or the contents are lost in a haze of drunken thoughts and a mass of unreadable scrawls on the reverse of beermats, suffice to say there is a terrific selection and the beers were probably in better condition than I was. The building itself lacked any real character although rail enthusiasts will be undoubtedly creaming themselves over the railway artifacts, old photos and locomotive plates. There is a small beer garden but with minimal seating (but then it was getting pretty chilly at night). For a Friday night it was woefully empty meaning a fairly laid back, relaxed if rather subdued ambience. Despite the number of ales, I�m not sure I could spend a whole night here, especially given the other pubs in the vicinity but it nevertheless is one of the major players with the Derby Beer Tourists and is worth seeking out.
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Since the recent landlord came in there has been a distinct improvement in the feel of the place. The pub looks spruce and the beers are varied and well conditioned. As others have commented, it's a shame it seems so empty. It was well attended at the recentish beer festival so hopefully that will raise it's profile and encourage revisits.
chick - 30 Sep 2008 10:27 |
This is a good pub with a good seletion of real ales, it's a shame when i went it was completely dead, with only one other customer...USE it or LOSE it.
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I agree with the previous reviews, this is a great pub.
The Landlord is as eccentric as they come, but passionate about ales and certainly knows his stuff. Always a generous range of real ale, 6 to 8 hand pumps always on the go.
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As everyone else says... great beer, great pub. If it was more centrally located it would be packed all the time.
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Ale 10/10, Food n/a, Atmosphere 8/10, Overall 9/10.
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Very nice pint of Titanic beer. Place was completely dead on a Friday night, but there were plenty of good beers available and staff very friendly.
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Always a superb range of beers on, including several foreign beers. Very friendly welcome from staff and punters, especially to the away football fan on matchdays. Heaven if you're a trainspotter-ish drinker, lots of of railway stuff on the walls. One of the most convivial pubs in the whole city...and only 100 yards from the Brunswick, too.
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A really good pub here. All the recommedations are very accurate!!
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Great pub. Landlord has great energy when it comes to this place. First Class.
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Great pub. Eclectic choice of ales. Enthusiastic landlord. Unspoilt. Great if you're fresh off the train.
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Wow! I went in there on Saturday & it had 3 milds -Batemans, Elgoods & Castle Rock -all of which were excellent. Add in the friendliness & the ambience & it is a truly excellent pub.
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A new and rather boring looking fa�ade leads to a nice two roomed pub concentrating on real ales and continental beers. There is a friendly, enthusiastic and, some might say, eccentric landlord who certainly knows his beers. The sort of place where you are bound to get into conversation if you are on your own. Try the large filled rolls to soak up some of the beer. Handily placed quite close to the train station and just up the road from the Brunswick Inn.
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Called on my way back to the station, and what a grand selection of well kept ales. A couple of milds enjoyed while eating a whopper of a cheese and onion bap. Great pub to visit when in Derby.
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Payed a flying visit after the Derby Beer festival on way back to railway station. With its range of beers it was like a mini beer festival. The beers I tried were excellent and staff friendly. A pub to go back to.
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Good beer choice & well kept; service could be better though
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Excellent two room pub with a good range of real ales, (up to six), all kept in tip top condition. There is also a wide range of continental bottled beer. Reasonably priced, basic but good food is available as are four twin bedded rooms in case one should require an overnight stop. Worth noting though, it does get very busy on Saturday lunchtimes when Derby county are at home.
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A three story detached Victorian building on a main road near Derby station. The bar is smartly done out in a no frills and slightly austere fashion with some nice railway memorabilia on the walls. Six handpumps, I had a York seasonal beer which was excellent.
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Teething problems may have been sorted - went in there on a quiet sunday night andfound landlord friendly, fire on and good choice of beer, though only had time to try one - which was excellent. Probably pick of the pubs near the station, though run close by Brunswick and Station.
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Well, the Alex has been refurbed - or at least they have painted it and removed some pictures and posters. It's still freezing in Winter despite them opening up the fire, and the new landlord's black look when he overheard us mentioning the cold was enough to chill the marrow. Not a happy chappy. The beer choice isn't as extensive as it was and the bar staff seem to need some training - don't know how to pour or serve a full pint. Teething problems one hopes. However, the beer was kept well and it's busier in there than of late.
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This pub has not been refurbished since man invented beer, the only thing to look at is a few pictures of nerdy trains. I think my shoes disolved on the carpet and the tar is the only thing keeping the paper on the wall. on the plus side they do do a good buffet and the beers not bad. The dress code is a bit harsh, beard and sandals.
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Definately worth a trip, some great pump ales, and also some good German and Belgian beers. Slight annorak feel with all the train pictures tho, but friendly, cosy and welcomming, everything you could want for a quiet pint.
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Took in the Alex as part of our Derby crawl earlier this month. Excellent choice of beer. Friendly staff and terrific railway memorabelia.
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Like haddonsman (whom I had the pleasure of meeting) says: A good, honest real ale pub! Interior is nothing special, but the selection of cask ales is great, they also have some decent bottled beers, and the staff is very friendly. They also have accommodation (not all English pubs called "hotel" do, you know - many of them seem to have been real hotels in the 19th century or something). The 4 twin bedded rooms are basic, but reasonably priced. I stayed 1 night only, wish I could have stayed more - I had to leave some of their beers unrated! Other fine pubs in the vicinity too. Close to the railway station and walking distance from Pride Park.
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Good, honest Tynemill pub, at least eight real ales on tap, busy on match days but an ale haven on quiet midweek evenings.
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a no frills proper beer drinkers pub with a no smoking and a fantastic choice of beers
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