please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
It was "SmithFest" last Saturday with 40 cask ales available (why not display the beer list on the walls rather than just at the bar?). Almost impossible to get a seat, a slightly rough around the edges clientele and a pint of Urban Chicken's Hyper Duck that wasn't to my taste meant it was a slightly disappointing visit.
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Hmm, just discovered this review on my PC, which I wrote back in March, but don''t seem to have uploaded ...
There has been a change of management / ownership here, and the place has been spruced up. There are now 7 or 8 beers on tap and, on the occasions I have been in, has included one or more dark beers. On one occasion it was Ashover Moscow – a 9.7% imperial stout ! [ This wasn’t included in the “Monday specials” – selected beers for £2.50 a pint, though ! ]
There is no more food, except for Sunday Lunch, and the large screen TV has gone as well. Not sure if it was always there, but there is definitely now a “classic rock” jukebox – but volume isn’t too loud.
Having said all this, on my last visit the first person I saw was the previous landlady – now on this side of the bar !
Incidentally CAMRA discount is available again as well.
Bumping this back up to a 7
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I’m afraid to say this place is definitely going downhill. The last few visits have seen the same four beers available, and the place is getting a down at heel appearance. Furthermore THEY HAVE STOPPED DOING CAMRA DISCOUNT in revenge for being left out of the latest GBG. Not sure what has replaced them, but they definitely weren’t the worst in the previous (2015) guide. [ See Rowditch ! ]
6/10 – they need a kick up the b**kside !
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A downbeat proper real ale pub with friendly staff and locals.
Muzzy - 13 Aug 2015 19:05 |
Not as good an ale range as the Brunswick or the Alexandra. But this was still a nice pub in a location next to the river Derwent and a bus garage. It was reasonably quiet. Locals were friendly. Some were partaking in meals. Ales were Enville Ginger, Derby The Smithy, Whim Arbor Light, Oakham Bishop's Farewell & Bass. Cider was Black Dragon. Worth a swift detour, if you can find it in what is a confusing network of roads and paths through parkland with the river to traverse somewhere in between!
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When I last went in here 5 or so years ago it had down at heel old world charm, in a scruffy sort of way. This time it is done up, music too loud and not even what I call proper music. I had Smithy from Derby brewing company and something from Whim Ales, I think Arbour light or something. Both we're very good. Only 610.
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The perfect pub for us bus enthusiasts ! It is immediately opposite the Trent Barton garage. Otherwise, rather secluded and not the easiest place to find the way to.
Had 8 handpumps, but 3 were not in use. I had Brown Ales "From Dusk Till Dawn2 (very nice) and Whim Arbor Light (a bit sharp for my taste).
Food is cheap but of the standard "pub grub" type. I had the scampi, which was excellent and arrived very quickly. Having said that, I didn't notice the specials board until after I'd finished eating !
Outdoor drinking area at back in idyllic setting by the river.
Certainly worth a detour - 7/10
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Still quiet when most places in Derby were heaving. Lost its friendliness since our last visit. Choice of 6 ales I think. Had Whim Arbor Ale which was fine.
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Indeed a friendly place. Black Sabbath playing on the jukebox and 5 ales on. Worryingly a bit quiet. Hope they don't get swamped out by the Exeter and Derby Royal Standard. Situated opposite the bus garage by the river weir.
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Good friendly pub with excellent real ales & food. Sister pub to the Pattern Makers Arms at Duffield. Both always make you feel welcome. Enter a stranger, leave as a friend.
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fantastic find , great beer and good value homemade food ,very friendly and very clean , will defo be back
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Nice to see a once derelict pub reopen for business. Called yesterday for lunch during the first day of the Derbyshire v Warwickshire cricket match. I had a ploughman's lunch and my 3 friends chose the roast. This comprised many slices of meat with all the trimmings accompanied by a bowl of vegetables that would not fit in each plate. The price - £4.00 - yes - four pounds. I am concerned for the viability of the pub charging such a low price for the quantity of food. I don't know how they do it for the money. On the beer front, the Draught Bass was first class.
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Not sure about the makeover it was a little bland for my tastes, and they seem to have lost their jukebox (apologies if I overlooked it). However the main points that the ale was in fine fettle with a decent choice, and that the service was also up to the mark means that I'm happy to report that despite my personal reservations you should safely include the Smithfield back into your Derby crawl again.
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Has reopened following a long closure and a refurb. Structurally the same but now clean and bright. Excellent beer though slightly less choice than previously, not that this matters as there's still plenty to go at. Staff know how to treat their customers and always serve with a smile. Highly recommended.
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Popped in this weekend - reopen and a fine pint served. New landlady charming, bar staff friendly, place neatly done up. Back on the crawl for future visits.
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REOPENING 14TH DEC AT 7PM ,
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due to open again in Dec, new toilets and a refurb so lm told , cant wait as the Team from the Pattenmakers will be in charge so great beer and food so things are on the up
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Shut, sadly. I fear the worst. :(
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Close down - as at 22nd Dec 2011...
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Decent eough pub with a good choice. Only drawback is that it is off the beaten track and hard to find if you have no knowledge of Derby. Near the Trent bus depot and Derby Telgraph HQ.
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With regards the comments of seafarer1966 (see below) all I can say is HOW SAD MUST ONE MAN BE?
Having taken the teime to read all the rants you posted over a period of a couple of days, mostly about ppubs which you apparently haven't frequented in years, I can only conclude that you must be a very lonely and unpopular individual.
Your homophobic, misogynistic and xenophobic spoutings do you no credit whatsoever.
On the bright side though, at least I needn't worry about bumping in to you down the Smithy!
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Hmmm, not sure what to make of the previous comment by perivalElvis regarding the "pale coloured rubbish that's ruining things fir real beer drinkers" (sic) ... perhaps he should still to Charlie Wells or Fullers establishments where he's guaranteed some overpriced generic malty muck if he's got some kind of issue with the golden, hoppy ales...?
Anyway, with regards the Smithy, yes it's a bit worn around the edges, and yes, it's a little way out of the centre and you need to know where you're going in order to get there, but it's certainly well worth a visit on any day out round here.
It was number six on our recent scooping mission round Derby, and i found the place much as it has been on previous occassions - a solid selection of Real Ales kept in very good condition and served with a smile by the firiendly bar man.
We chose to sit in the rear lounge with a few regulars, the licensee and a HUGE dog of unusual, Egyptian pedigree.
We were made to feel very welcome, and our only regret was that time and trains were against us, preventing us from staying longer.
Beers sampled on the day were Enville Ginger (4.6% and Whim Snow White (a 5.0% cloudy weisse bier).
Will definitely be returning, and currently eyeing up the third Smithfest in September having been thoroughly impressed by the selection at their previous bashes.
Worth popping in for the Blues & Booze weekenders which start in June too...
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The pub is ok and there was a wide range of ale. The trouble is that all the cask beer was the light coloured rubbish that is ruining things fir real beer drinkers. I won't go back.
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Scruffy hole. Can't see what all the fuss is about. 'Beer garden' like Steptoes Yard. Probably last painted when Clement Attlee was in parliament.
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I have been to Derby a couple of times but always missed this pub due to it's location. It's on the way back to the railway station more or less if you are walking back from Derby Tap.
Looks like it needs attention inside and out but once you are in they have a lot of handpulls. The beer was spot on as well when i was there (Arbor Light and Old Hooky). A beer festival is also held in September too. Smithfest. 3rd one this year promising 40 beers over 3 days.
Nice beer garden overlooking the river too. Worth a look.
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The Smithfield is a little bit out on a limb from the city centre, across Exeter bridge, but now the Derby Brewery Tap @ The Royal Standard is open which is on the way, hopefully more people will visit. Having said that it was pretty busy on Sunday afternoon when we called in. It�s rather tatty from the outside and it�s a little old and worn on the inside as well. It does however have a nice patio area at the back overlooking the Derwent which was very pleasant in the sunshine. The back bar is worth a look with its old furnishings and collection of football related coffee mugs. It�s the sister pub of the Flowerpot so you�re always going to get a good selection of beer on their eight handpumps. They usually have two or three on from Whim and one from Headless alongside a number of changing guests. It�s a decent pub that could do with having a few quid spent on it to brighten it up, well worth a visit when in Derby though.
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Seemingly slightly isolated pub on the riverside along from Exeter bridge close to the City Centre.
It's a rather basic and, externally particularly, scruffy looking pub with a separate games room and a lounge at either end of the main bar.
There's a pleasant outside drinking area overlooking the river.
There's an impressive range of micros on offer, which include Whim Arbor Light and Hartington IPA, also Headless Fruit Bloom on my recent Wednesday afternoon visit, when the pub was quite quiet.
I didn't find this pub quite as welcoming or as friendly as some of the others in Derby.
Beer pricing seemed a bit odd to me - Whim Arbor Light at 3.6% being � 2.60p per pint whereas Thornbridge Jaipur IPA at a much higher gravity of 5.9% being only 20p dearer at � 2.80p.
Not a must visit pub by any means, but worthy of consideration for any Derby crawl
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Massive range of very well kept ales in here. Could certainly do with a lick of paint and a very good spring clean however. Make the effort to visit this place on a Derby Ale Trail but try not to lean against the wall as you may well get covered in dust!
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Looks very tatty from the outside (with more of the signage having fallen off than shown on the current BITE photograph), to the extent that one wondered whether it was still open as you approached. A fine selection of real ales was on offer, including a very tasty Bramble Stout from the Burton Bridge Brewery. It's not often that I wish that somebody would spend some money 'doing up' such a traditional pub, but in this case the surroundings don't really do the excellent beer justice.
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Late review from October when we called in on our way back to the station. Enjoyed a Harviestoun guest. Love the outside area here overlooking the river.
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Pleasant friendly pub 10 mins from the city centre or railway station - handy for a pub crawl, taking in the Brunswick, Alex and Station Inn. The beers are all well kept but unfortunately - for me anyway - usually only pale beers on offer. Yesterday only Bass breached this rule. I'd love a few nice dark beers to mix it up a bit, especially in Winter. Guzzling all these light hoppy beers gives me heartburn.
chick - 13 Dec 2008 11:34 |
This pub has an excellent selection of real ales & a nice outdoor seating area overlooking the river, the pub could do with a lick of paint though & maybe a screen out the back to block out the view of the industrial estate.
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You wouldn�t stumble across this pub, it takes a bit of finding being tucked away on the edge of an industrial estate. The property looks a bit tired and I expect not a lot of money has been spent on it recently. But that�s part of the charm for those who like traditional old boozers. You do wonder how long it might last which seems a good excuse to search it out now. There are three rooms, the main bar, an Offilers room and a nice well-decorated snug. There is a small outside yard with a couple of tables that overlook the river. It has a good reputation for real ales and the CAMRA stalwarts will definitely have it on their itinerary for a Derby pub crawl
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Hard to find pub. The ale here has always been excellent. Oakham Ales and Whim still the regulars. Served in lined over-sized glasses. Bit of a strange atmosphere in here though. Not sure it's a place I'd visit on my own. Could do with a bit of clean too.
Slake - 27 Oct 2007 18:49 |
Enjoyed a Whim beer here from the good selection available. Seating area outside is overlooking the river.
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A smallish pub with a great choice of real ale and full of characters (both sides of the bar). On my visit, I was made most welcome and all thw regulars seem to have nicknames. I heard the names Mac, Cockney, Whinge, Ticker John, Girly Steve, Parky Pete and Ambulance Dave (I didn't dare ask). This is what makes a pub!
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Location is part of the attraction; a bit like the trek from Sheffield centre to their real-ale specialist pubs. Attracts the friendly types who like to try different beers; quality not quite as good as variety but lovely feel to the place.
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Nine ales on handpump, mostly from smaller Midlands breweries such as Oakham and Whim but also a couple from Durham; White Amarillo really hit the spot. A real old fashioned feel to the place, it probably hasn't changed much in the last 30-40 years, and none the worse for that.
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Good Oakham beers, huge sarnies, out of the way of the usual shoppers throng but still only five minutes from the market place, great place to escsape to for a decent pint.
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Good choice of beers, although our selection of Burton Bridge Bitter was poor on the day we visited.
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Excellent real ale pub with a decent selection of fine ales. Very quiet when I was there on an early Wednesday afternoon, but gets busier when Derby County play at home. Near the railway station and other fine pubs like "The Alex" (the Alexandra Hotel) and the Brunswick Inn.
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Excellent. 'Proper' pub with fabulous selection of real ales. No frills, but who needs them. Ideal for Pride Park games, for pre-match refreshments & post-match solace.
stabbogaz - 30 Aug 2004 07:12 |
This is a bit grimy inside but who cares!! - keep your poncy wallpaper - guzzle and quaff the 5-8 fantastic ales that are on offer.
Cobbo - 29 May 2004 10:11 |
Excellent real ale pub next to bus station. Normally serves about 6 excellent ales including Oakham and Enville. pub was bought by the owner of The Flowerpot, another Derby gem of a pub. The Smithfield is an old Offlers pub that backs onto the picturesque river Derwent and in summer you can sit in the beer garden and watch the river flow past the back door.
Pete - 27 Jan 2004 13:48 |
