Charles Cotton Hotel, Hartingtonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This was the worst and also the most expensive pub we tried during our day in the Peak District. Ales were Wychwood Hobgoblin, Jennings Cumberland Ale, Wincle Charlie Cotton & Derby Business As Usual. I opted for half a Hobgoblin and the better half had a spirit - £6.30 = London prices. Seeing the place was fairly quiet with a whole empty dining area, we enquired about having a meal, only to be told that they were fully booked. The barman informed us that it was about to become very busy soon. We left 20 minutes later to find the restaurant still empty. Poor customer service and far too pricey.
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Slightly strange feel to the place but a decent beer selection,including some local ales.
Worth checking out the local YHA if you're in Hartington though as it's at Hartington Hall and sells the local ale brewed on site.
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Nice enough pub and a decent range of beers which was visited at the end of a walk. Whilst staff were friendly enough, it was clear that they were more interested in the customers who were eating in the pub.
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I missed a bit of detail from my review in Feb 2011 regarding the service. After we were directed to the restaurant we were then told that "there's a large party coming in soon so you might have to wait quite a while for your meals to be prepared". Were they planning to wait 15mins until another dozen people arrived and then prioritise serving them? In the event sense prevailed and there wasn't any delay. Contrast the attitude though with the Devonshire Arms where we turned up on a Friday evening. The landlord told us that they had various tables reserved but by some judicious juggling, recognition of the likely tardy arrival of certain individuals and asking if we minded moving to another table later he could accommodate us.
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This hotel is clearly going upmarket, although I understand that they are maintaining food prices at a lower (but not that low) level for now to tempt back those who had deserted them in the past. The beers were a good, generally local selection and the food was well presented and of restaurant quality. My only complaint was a slight lack of organisation and quality of service which was generally lower than the level which they seem to be aiming for. For example, asking to order food at the bar I was directed back to my seat where someone would come to take the order. They did, but not very quickly, and then we were told we had to move into a restaurant area because our table was reserved. Use of a little sign to indicate this might have been in order. Not a big issue but if you're setting yourself up as a 'quality' establishment you should be getting these details right.
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Very little to add other than "all of the above".
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Probably experienced more as a restaurant by most daytrippers, but this is an absolutely SUPERB pub. Five ales, two of which are from the Whim brewery in the village (and last time I visited, the other three were all from nearby in Staffordshire and Derbyshire) and very good restaurant-quality food. The decor is a bit hotel-like and the only specific "bar" area is very small, but there's loads of outside space for sunny days. A real gem, and something worth supporting.
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