The Bear Inn, Alderwasley

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.

4 May 2008 04:26

The Horse and Groom, Linby

Called in at lunchtime today with my girlfriend and we were very impressed. The Horse & Groom is a lovely unspoilt pub in a very pretty village. The staff were friendly and helpful, the food was very good and reasonably priced and there is a choice of well kept real ales.

21 Aug 2007 01:13