please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Called in for a pint on a miserable, cold, wet day last week. Only two beers available, Bass and Thornbridge Jaipur. Much as I would have loved a pint of the latter, I was driving, so opted for the Bass. It was not a bad pint and it was served by a very friendly lady.
But oh dear, the smell of stale cooking oil was horrendous and destroyed the taste of the Bass. Several hours later, when I arrived home, my wife could still smell it on my clothes.
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I looked it up on its website and was expecting yet another restaurant dressed up as a pub and I'm naturally suspicious of places run purely as a profitable eating businesses rather than as a pubs.
I went in with hackles raised looking for something to criticise - you have to go in at the back as the front door is strangely closed off. Tiled and wooden floors, so they didn't object to my boots or a bit of mud it seemed. Then two dogs in the bar - another good sign. A walkers welcome sign. Quirkily jumbled rooms with ceiling beams, plain furniture.
I had a pint of dark beer specifically brewed for the pub. It was good stuff and no-one was pressuring me into buying food although they're obviously food orientated. After two pints I was warming to the place and despite it being a bit more expensive for food and drink I was really enjoying my visit. Sometimes a place has a good "feel" to it and this was one of those.
GeofB - 16 Aug 2013 20:28 |
Good selection of ales for a place aiming very obviously at the dining market.
The Black Sheep I had was however not very good, though no complaints from others in our party who made a different selection.
Nice interior and decor, but don't think I'll be making a special trip to revisit
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Very attractive, good Bass (and some surprising guests), quiet after food service times, but a long way from the village and Wirksworth so hardly a local. Try finding it without a map ! Worth a trip
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Called in close to 3pm on a beautifully sunny Sunday in November, to find the car-park very full and the rambling number of rooms all packed inside reflecting that. Most people were eating, but there is a small bar area where you can just sit/stand and have a drink. We managed to time our arrival with their November 5th weekend beer festival which meant 12 ales on tap, excellently kept from such breweries as Roosters and Brough. There is what appears be a recently refurbished (and huge) dining area at one end which houses the carvery and a small separate bar with a couple of the handpumps on there. Although very busy, the staff seemed to cope well with the crowds at both bars and the queue for the carvery. We didn't eat on this occasion, but will surely return soon to try it out. Stunning scenery and a real sense of isolation with no other buildings nearby.
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Sorry, got distracted before finishing my last post. As I was saying, the food was cold and tasteless and when I came to pay the bill, they tried to refuse my voucher, so I had to argue with them before they accepted it. My bill came to �46.50 and with the voucher it meant I paid �6.50. Even then I feel that I was overcharged for our truly appaling evening there. If ever a place is in need of the Gordon Ramsay touch, this is it.
ficam - 27 Mar 2010 11:40 |
Right, where do I start. We were given a voucher for �40 as a present for this place, but due to family problems it got mislaid and was only found when it was six months out of date. So we rang and confirmed that they would still honour the voucher, which they said they would, provided we used it within the next couple of weeks. We duly arrived and ordered our food. One of the starters was luke warm and tasteless(Haggis balls), the other(Salmon) was perfectly acceptable. We both ordered the same main course (Slow cooked lamb) which turned out to be that slow cooked that it was stone cold, as were the vegetables. We then ordered the cheese board and whilst the amount of cheese was adequate (but not generous), it was served with butter in catering packets and biscuits which were quite literally thrown onto the board. We chose the cheese selection as we thought that this was something that they couldn't hash (but they did)
ficam - 27 Mar 2010 00:25 |
Nice pub with plenty of separate drinking/seating areas. We visited in the snow yesterday and some of the lanes nearby were very icy. However the location is excellent and once there, the beer range is also good. In addtion to the Thornbridge Jaipur IPA, they also had a 7.7% Saint Petersburg stout as well as Derby Golden Moment, Whim Hartington Bitter, Bass, TT Landlord and Old Speckled Hen. Cider is Weston's Stowford Press. Whilst we didn't try the food, it certainly smelt good.
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Fantastic food. Great for a sunday trip out. Good range of ales.
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Way to go Feverman! I recently went their with my Boyfriend and some friends for an evening drink. The beer is gross - how does it get it's reputation? Didn't want to try the food, we left and went into Wirksworth.
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Im not sure if the person below this comment has visited the same pub as i have just returned from? The food was absolutely exquisite and as a regular commuter to London for business i can safely say i have eaten in many high end restaurants and hotels and know a good home cooked meal when i eat one! Also as a keen ale fanatic i thoroughly enjoyed the array of well-kept and tantalizing beers i tried...if only i didn't have a meeting in the morning i might have taken on a few more pints of the "Jaipur" (one of the most popular ones around at the minute).
I got chatting the barman (Josh) who informed me it is a family run business and the customer service speaks a thousand words...nothing was too much to ask. He also enjoyed telling me how the cows i could see out of the window were possibly next weeks fillet steak supply (strange i know) but showing how everything that is served is locally sourced.
The rooms were not huge but i have to say they were well furnished, comfortable and very clean.
I would definitely recommend this hotel to a friend!
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Anyone who visits the area should stop off here. The interior is excellent and the views outside are stunning.
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Eaten here a few times and been pleased with both the food and service, however, we visited recently and found it to be a little disappointing. The food didnt appear to be freshly prepaired (burnt potatoes etc.).
This was a sunday evening and could be due to a busy weekend. We have also been told the same thing by some friends who we had recommended to visit The bear .
Generally it has proven to be a great place to eat, give it a go!
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I have been to this pub many times for family birthdays, anniversaries etc over the last couple of years and have never been disappointed yet. Yes sometimes you have to wait a while for your food but if you wanted fast food you should go to McDonalds! The quality and taste of the food is super, easily as good as I make at home and I am a good cook. As for prices, yes it is a little pricey but as we only go for special occassions it is not too bad at all. we've spent more in a pretty standard Indian restaurant before. Wonderful warm and friendly atmosphere. Weekends are very busy so you should book in advance. Dont let others put you off, try it you wont be disappointed.
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My girlfriend and I called in at The Bear for a drink on a Sunday afternoon in February when the place was heaving. It is a lovely old traditional type of country pub which seems to be miles from anywhere, and there are some stunning views over the Derwent Valley from the garden. My girlfriend fell in love with the place and has been wanting me to take her back ever since, which we did last Friday afternoon (May 2).
For a pub in such a remote location to be not only open, but serving food all day is quite surprising � but it comes at a price !!! There is a selection of real ales, including some from local micros Whims of Hartington and Thornbridge. As I was driving, I opted for the lower gravity Black Sheep Bitter, which was only average and at �2.80 a pint, is somewhat OTT price-wise. Fortunately, I had had a snack earlier so I wasn�t too hungry, but my girlfriend was starving and opted for the Cottage Pie and Chips which at �9.95 is way OTT � and although there were less than a dozen other people in the pub, she had to wait for over half an hour before it was served. A couple who arrived just after us had to wait a similar time for their food.
That said, my girlfriend was well impressed with the quality and portion size of her meal when it eventually arrived, and the home-made chips that I pinched (when she wasn�t looking) were delicious.
If the food and drink prices were a bit more competitive, or the food service and the beer quality had been better, I would have been very tempted to give The Bear a higher rating, but based on this visit I cannot give it more than 7/10.
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We visited this pub on my partners birthday on the recommendation of a friend. We have to say we were a bit disapointed. Although it was a weekday lunchtime the place was full and the only two bar staff were having difficulty keeping up. The phone in the bar had a very irritating ring tone and was constantly ringing and not being answered by the staff who were too busy. We waited 35 mins for the first course to arrive but when we removed the cheesy mash? out of its very hot container we found it to be stone cold inside. We were told that the pub was too busy to just heat up the mash and that they would have to completely reorder the food. After protesting about that they did manage to re-heat the mash. The rest of the meal was what we would describe as just ok, but no better than you would expect for not much more than half the price. They did not charge us for drinks in compensation for the problems. Maybe its better in the evening but we don't think this one's for us in the future.
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i loved thre bear inn food was excellent the staff though fully booked managed to squeeze us in dog was welcome in bar area . the man in the corner was a really nice bloke dont know what other man was talking about they were locals in their local pub having a drink and were really freindly.the food was superb and well presented a vast menu as well . but you must book as tables are hard to come by.
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Can't agree at all with the previous post. Been several times and food has always been excellent - pricey, yes, but you get what you pay for. Atmosphere is good. Well worth a visit.
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Not that good - food nice but over priced - pudding was poor - best avoided as weird od man in corner eying up my wife. In a nutshell - shite !! Don't know whst the fuss is all about !! Stay away and spend good money elsewhere - unless you have more money than sense. The place was superb about a year ago but has down the nick. Last orders at 10 o'clock ! Don't believe the hype.....
anonymous - 18 May 2007 00:15 |
the pub was great very freindly booked a table was lucky to get one as phone never stopped ringing . the food was out of this world and staff were great , good service would definatley reccomend to anyone.
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We discovered The Bear about 6 months ago - it has quickly established itself as one of our "Top 5" of Derbyshire pubs.
Great atmosphere, great food, great staff ( nice beer selection too). Don't be put off by the slightly scruffy exterior and make sure you book for evenings or weekends. Take your map too - not that easy to find first time.
Fagin - 14 Jun 2005 12:52 |
First went in the Bear about 30 years ago and it has only changed for the better, food is excelent, not the cheapest but the quality justifies. Beer also cock on. Highly recomended.
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Good beer,great food,nice staff and clientele.
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My Family have been eating and drinking in the bear for 50 years (long before I was born) and the current owner have done a fantastic job. The Sunday lunch is the best in the country (to my knowledge) and the beer, well I shall leave you to discover this yourself.
Jolyon Wharton (Son of Derrick) - 30 Sep 2004 09:24 |
Had dinner in the Bear Inn last night with a friend. Fantastic menu, excellent food quality and presentation. Very cosy decor. Highly recommended for a relaxing evening.
Florence - 28 Sep 2004 12:58 |
Stayed here for my '40th'. Beautiful cosy 4-poster room, excellent dinner and breakfast. Will definitely return!
Karen - 16 Sep 2004 11:32 |
My wife and I were treated to an overnight stay at the Bear inn, great welcome, cosy small room, brilliant choice on the menu and Timothy Taylors Landlord straight from the wood, what more can you ask for.
Lee - 26 Jul 2004 07:12 |
doggie pubs
anonymous - 24 Apr 2004 22:24 |
