A nice atmosphere, decent service and pleasant surroundings, let down a bit by the food…read more The starters were so so, the Gruyère soufflé was ok but the French onion soup was not the classic rich stock and uber cheesy topped dish we were expecting. The lamb and the pork belly main courses were ok but the bouillabaisse was very disappointing. The portion was huge but it was just tons of potatoes, carrots and tomato stock, the soup tasted like it had zero fish stock and overall it was more like a vegetarian goulash with some seafood dropped on top. The wine selection was nice and decently priced. The deserts were also ok. One of my dinning companions couldn't eat nuts and at the start of the meal when we enquired whether the pate starter contained nuts the waitress went to check and came back with the answer that "the packet says it may contain trace amounts of nuts". The same response was received when we enquired about another of the starters. Pate from a packet in a French restaurant? It's so easy to make. All in all it was an ok meal but I wouldn't think of returning. It's a shame the food didn't match the surroundings or the service.

Nice French restaurant in Matlock! Cool vibes and nice seating downstairs! Started with the French…read moreonion soup and ordered the veggie dish with mushrooms chestnut and mashed potatoes then requested to add chicken. Delicious dish and good place for lunch/dinner.

This hidden gem (it can be found at the back of a cute boutique) should not be missed. The coffee…read moreis delicious and the cakes are absolutely amazing. We stopped in Matlock en route to Chatsworth House and had a late breakfast / early lunch. It was so wonderful (the cakes especially) that we seriously considered going back for tea after our visit even though it was out of our way! Sadly it couldn't be done, but it will definitely be a top reason to head back to matlock soon!

Stumbled across this place completely by accident! Mrs G and I decided to take a nice drive through…read morethe beautiful Peak District on a gorgeous sunny December day. First stop was Matlock - cute little village, powerful river flowing though town, nice views all around. We wanted to have lunch but hadn't really seen anything and so we decided to head to Bakewell (about 20 minutes drive) when I noticed a classy, inviting, purple sign by the road "The Orangery". We quickly turned around and are so glad that we did! We had a really GREAT lunch and have already booked again for Christmas Eve when our daughter and new husband visit. It may sound odd but it used to be part of a very prestigious school for over a century - the most famous "Old Girl" was Richmal Crompton who wrote all the "William" books that I devoured as a kid. Now the whole complex is basically a old peoples home (Man are they lucky!!). So the lunchgoers were, on average, grey haired (but I am going that way too) - but it was fairly quiet in terms of lunchgoers and music (just the right volume - Christmas songs, Wham and many many more of the favorites. The restaurant drips class, the bistro also (full bar). A wide selection of offerings _ I seriously wanted the prawn curry but got lured into a Christmas special. Wonderful staff, great food, excellent service - and beautiful nooks for a quiet or romantic lunch. Try it you'll like it! Two big thumbs up Review #108 2019

Scarthin Books is a fine second-hand book shop in a lovely little village called Cromford, about…read morethirty miles outside of Manchester. The peak district is a great place for a long walk through the hills and little villages, and Cromford may be one of the places you can arrange to visit. Scarthin Books would make a lovely addition to any country visiting experience. Situated in a crowded, thin building with rickety stairs and five floors, Scarthin Books is an amorphous pile of literature which would feel like a building from a Kafka novel, only where there it is misery, here is it joy. The literature ranges from Greek Drama, to railway manuals, to modern day novels, travel books, philosophy, history, geography, psychology and childrens books. They really do have everything. Its organization is a mystery to me, but it all contributes to the quaint feel of this unique bookshop. Scarthin Books is famous amongst the locals as the best place to buy literature in the area. Also, on the third floor (I think, its pretty confusing in there!) is a quaint little tea and coffee shop selling homemade cakes and homemade soups. Staff are, as you would expect, delightful. My only criticism would be that a lot of the books are not second-hand but brand new. This means that they are full price and in many cases, more expensive than Amazon if not Waterstones. Even so, the range here is unbelievable. For any book lover this place is a really excellent book shop, and as an English Literature postgraduate I have a lot of experience of book shops. I really think that this is one of the better bookshops in the UK, and certainly it's the best (or second best, see The Art of Tea on Yelp) that I've seen anywhere near Manchester.

This place is a real gem. Nestled in the village of Cromford where Arkwright built his mills under…read morethe black rocks. There is a pond in the middle of the village and beside it, just up the street behind the pub, is Scathin Books. There is a sign outside that says "We value old books" which is certainly true. Step inside and you can hardly move for old books, floor to ceiling in every nook and cranny there are books everywhere. Even the cash desk seems to be hidden behind a barricade of books. If you can find it a stairwell leads upstairs to more books and, hidden behind a bookcase door, a lovely vegetarian cafe serving cakes, light snacks and a very nice cup of coffee. There is an abundance of coffee and tea shops around here. It is a very picturesque village. But if you want something a bit different, and you too value old books, this is the place for you.

Only on thing that I don't like in there but everything else is absolutely golden in the texture…read moreand taste with everything else

It's a shame the experience isn't as good as the bread!…read more I have just got back from 'The Loaf' Crich, on what I can only imagine was a bad day. The other times I have been, I have had a pleasurable experience, and have shared my recommendations with friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for today's shopping trip. Having made a special journey to get come bread, I was unable to spot it on the display, so opted for an alternative, on conveying my request I saw the bread I had gone for so said 'Oops sorry, could I change that for the caraway, I couldn't see that at first, but that's what I had come for.' my request, although met, was answered with a sigh. A sigh!! Now what kind of customer service was this?! All additional purchase ideas then went out of the window, and we just left with the bread, thus reducing your profit line, and potentially loosing a customer in the process. It seems a real shame, as I am an advocate of independent stores, although I wish your continued success, I will recommend with caution and think it will be a while before I visit again. Shame, because the bread is fab, and the egg and salmon breakfast was divine. I do believe that the owners are comitted to sharing their enjoyment of the product and this experience with customers, so hopefully this can be addressed in the future.

This place is such a quirky little place . I love it , honest. I've been a few times with the wife…read morefor a breakfast. The Derbyshire is definitely recommended. They have a great menu , loads of choice. Sometimes they have special events like a Greek event but it's pre booking only because demand is always high but it's such a small place . Highly Recommended.

Caudwells Country Parlour is a vegetarian cafe which is part of the Caudwell Mill complex, which…read moreincludes various craft units, a gallery and a mill, where they grind their own flour. As you enter Country Parlour you are greeted by rustic seating, which are probably church pews and a plethora of homemade cakes, which to most people will be impossible to resist. Having eaten the chocolate cake on numerous occasions I can heartily recommend it! All food at Country Parlour is fresh every day, like the fruit and vegetables, or cooked in the kitchen at the back. The smell of freshly baking soda rolls regularly pervades through the cafe. The menu is not static and is written on a chalk board above the counter. There are daily specials like homity pie, as well as staples like jacket potatoes, and warm and cold salads. Portions are very generous, so will not leave hungry! The food at Country Parlour is fantastic, tasting like only freshly made food can! The food is amply supplemented with fair trade hot drinks and smoothies. The staff are warm and friendly and you can eat your lunch looking over the fields of the Peak District. Country Parlour is a popular place, especially at lunch time with tourists and cyclists alike, so its probably best to avoid visiting at midday in the height of summer.