Fisherman's Rest, Belperback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Forget everything you've read or heard about this place. The Fish has been through the mill in recent years but It is now under new ownership and has just been voted joint first with the Hollybush at Makeney in a "Best Pubs" competition in the local rag.
There could be no higher praise in my view so I popped in and was not disappointed. It will have to go some to match the 'Bush's reputation long-term but it is already a far cry from what went before on this scenic spot just outside Belper.
The new owners clearly know what they are about, the welcome is friendly without being cloying and there is no longer - praise be - any pretension to cutting edge gastronomy; just good pub grub at decent prices.
Free of Marston's yoke, they are now able to offer a pleasing and imaginative choice of beers and have had an enthusiastic response. A mate who called last Friday night said the place was "absolutely rammed."
Belper has regained another "proper pub." Bravo.
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Bit mystified by this place. The beer is always in good nick, the food is a class better than what you will find elsewhere in the area, especially now the menu has come down market a bit, and the decked area outside is the perfect place on a summer's evening. So why is it so sparsely populated whenever I call in? Perhaps people don't feel comfortable this close to to a cemetery. Or is that with the exception of one cheerful young lass, the people behind the bar seem a bit dour and uncommunicative.
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I live a few miles from this pub, in Matlock. I heard it had been taken over last year and called in. This week was my third visit to The Fisherman's Rest in Belper. The choice of ales was good on my first visit but disappointing this time. The same affable barman assured me that this was a temporary hitch with orders but that full-service would be resumed a.s.a.p.
The food however has also lost something. First time it was very tasty and obviously had a lot of care taken with it......this time my food was bland. Lacked seasoning in cooking. The fresh peas tasted pickled and the fresh fish tasted like water. My partner was also not impressed with the chicken dish. The sauce was SO salty. We got the impression that half a dozen different people prepared it. Good pub-grub but definitely not restaurant quality and it wasn't quite pub-grub prices. The new owners of this place don't know whether it's a pub or a bistro.
All in all, if it wasn't for the ale.....I might skip it next time.
Good Points - the service staff are very welcoming and the barman is attentive and knows his ales....which is why I go to a pub, after all.
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We used to visit here regularly for meals, but prices have shot up since it was refurbished, so it just depends how much you have to spend.
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This is a delightful little pub a few yards off the A6 just north of Belper. It seems to have recently been refurbished to a very high standard, including the toilets, which must be amongst the best, if not the very best, not only in Derbyshire, but in the whole of the UK.
But I guess that commenting about the toilets first is maybe putting the cart before the horse. Hand pulled Pedigree and Ringwood Seventy Eight were available when we visited recently. I did not try the Pedigree, but the 78 was excellent. Although the food initially seemed to be a tad expensive, in reality it is pretty good value for money. Our meals were freshly cooked and very nicely presented and I could not fault either the quantity or the quality. I could not fault the staff either, they were great.
There is a really nice ambiance in this pub and it certainly deserves a much better rating than its current 6.0/10. In my opinion my rating of 9/10 is much nearer the mark, and it is definitely high on the list of pubs that we will be visiting again.
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We use the caravan site up the road from this friendly local, and I was suprised to be recognised by the barman 12 months after my previous visit. The food and real ale was excellent on this visit on 18.1.08.
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