This is such a charming pub. Well worth the trek I had to…read morefind it. It looks fantastic, a real gem and had such friendly people on both sides of the bar. I've got a smile on my face just writing about it! The selection of ales was a relatively familiar one, with a tasty exception in Golden Pippen, delicious. They had 5 others, including a couple that have to be brought up from the cellar in a jug (a few places locally do this and boast of doing this..not quite sure why it is such a big deal). Was surprised and happy to see Dark Star Hophead so far from home too. Quite a bit of food choice, including a selection of pies. I braved the game pie as it contained venison and pheasant, neither of which I had previously sampled. This was nice too. The pub really can do no wrong! It was seriously difficult tearing myself away from the Hollybush, to try some other local pubs.

The Holly Bush Inn is a rustic traditional pub in Makeney/Milford/Belper that is one of the…read moremainstays of any pub crawl between Derby and Belper (Belper has an alarmingly high number of good and great pubs for such a small town). The fairly cluttered layout identifies it as a historic pub, there are several designated areas so it won't get *too* loud even when busy [which it mostly is in the evenings]. Good food, wide variety of real ales and ciders on tap (large rather than particularly distinguished on my visit), good atmosphere. It's a 10 minute walk from the nearest bus station in Milford, a little remote and easy to miss (God bless Google Maps!). Very popular with the locals. There are several good pubs within a short radius (this one, the Strutt-on-Arms & the King Williams IV). Get a zig-zag ticket on the Sixes buses from Derby so you can hop on and off at the various stops of your crawl.

I have to say first of all, the staff alone make me want to come back, lovely people who are so…read morefriendly and funny. They treat everyone so nice and like we was personal to them. It really added to the homely relaxed atmosphere of their gorgeous restaurant that is located in a beautiful setting. The food and drinks are reasonably priced - In fact it is great value for money! They do 2 for 1 meal deals and the meals are delicious. The meat isn't over cooked or dry and they offer a wide range menu for adults and children. They have an out door area for the summer over looking a river. The whole feel of the place is just homely and cosy and the jolly staff just fits perfect. So to summarise: Setting 5 stars Atmosphere 5 stars Customer service 5 stars Food quality 5 stars Price and deals 5 stars Decor 5 stars Facilities 5 stars Parking 5 stars Would I recommend: absolutely these are new owners from when I was last in there and they have made a difference.

This is a proper pub, a friendly and relaxing one at that. A…read morenumber of locals were around the bar discussing knowledgeably with the barmaid/landlady the ales on offer. 7 real ales were available, a CAMRA discount of 10p on the pint to sweeten the deal. A number of the beers I had not previously encountered, including Raw Edge Pale Ale which turned out to be quite delicious. Pool table.

We stopped into the Strutt Arms for Indian food at the Elephant & Peacock now located there and…read morewere very pleased with the quality of the food and welcoming staff. We would highly recommend stopping in to enjoy a meal there. We certainly did twice and we'll do so again when we are in the area.

Sadly this whole experience was very disappointing in terms of food and service…read more First the good: The outdoor seating is very nice and welcoming There is Plenty of parking Once you overcome the challenges of ordering anything (see below) they cook your burger or steak as you request The black peppercorn sauce was fairly good Then the disappointing: And I will start with the terrible - even though you are sitting at a table, steps from the entrance and with frequent staff walking back and forth delivering food and cleaning off tables - you must order (even a single drink) by logging in to get internet access, reading the QR code and then seeing the menu (more on this later) and then you can struggle to view what is available and then place your order and pay before anything happens. You have to wrestle with signaling how you want the steak or burger prepared. For steaks the options come up. For the burger you have to add in the "notes" section after all your selections (I was fearful it would come medium and Mrs G only eats well done - so I was nervous as hell until I saw the "notes" option right at the end. It is a joke and pain in the butt Mrs G has never met a pickle she did not like - she did yesterday (presumably old?) after taking one bite and spitting it out Her burger was dry and tasteless. 80% of the meal returned untouched (the staff never asked why) The steak was a 10oz sirloin but tough, chewy and seemed to have fat or gristle in every bite (even after doing the best surgery I could to remove it before putting in my mouth) Another major failing of the "menu" system is that you never get to see or read exactly what you are getting - nor can you ask a waiter any questions. So I ordered chips (fries) as a side (there are only 3-4 sides offered as I recall) to my steak for an additional £2.95 to my £18.95 sirloin steak. When it came I see for the first time that the steak comes with chips - so now I had a sea of chips!! I mentioned this to a server - who said - "oh yes, people complain about that all the time". A nice way to squeeze another £2.95 out of your customers - huh?! Will we ever go back, no.

This is a cosy place. I'd have preferred to see the back of the wide screen TV though (either…read moredefinition of the expression). Does a few ales, and was quite friendly too, offering to change my pint after he realised I'd had the last of the barrel. I probably should have taken him up on the offer because it was not great, but I didn't bother for reasons that I can only put down to a bizarre laziness where even having someone bring a new drink for you is too much effort.

Recently re-opened (18th Nov 2011) by the Derby Brewing Company, this is another jewel in DBC's…read moresteadily growing crown. Featuring the now legendary 'Rack of beer/lager/wine/whiskey' [delete as per your personal preference!], a contemporary shabby chic interior and delicious menu this pub is sure to be a success. The landlord/manager told us that they are packed through opening times pretty much every day which is a vast improvement of the pub's previous guise when 5 patrons represented a crowd! The food was great if not life changing, be sure to ask for the roast on Sundays if that is what you would like as the fact they are serving roast (turkey, beef & ham on the day we were there) there doesn't seem to be any indication that roast is for sale. Surely teething problems but they will get that sorted out. I would recommend it to anyone, give it a try!

Excellent pub,well kept beers,nice log fire in winter. Excellent food. Very friendly landlord and…read moreexisting regulars. Dog friendly.

We found the pub by accident because of all the road works…read more What a find , the atmosphere is lovely the menu is very good in deed and is easily matched by the quality of the food which is superb. You need to pay this pub a visit you will not be disappointed. Mike and Jackie Warwickshire

The Joiners is located just outside the city boundaries on the outskirts of the village of…read moreQuarndon. Probably not the most convenient of locations if you want to have a drink at this pub and don't live locally. If you decide not to drink or get nominated as the driver, then there are plenty of parking spaces available. The only other option would be to get a taxi. The pub itself is okay, but is nothing to shout about. The staff are friendly and polite, and the pub itself is of a decent size. There are also a couple of pool tables in the back room. The atmosphere is not bad, but given the pubs location, I wouldn't make a special effort to travel out there for a drink or two. It is probably on a par with most of the other smaller pubs in the local area.

This is a family place. Completely full of loud families…read more Not really a pub at all, I felt had! This is a family restaurant. Had my half and took it outside and sat on a wet bench at a wet table just so I could review the 'pub'

This is a olovely old pub that serves loads of different types of real ale, including guest ales…read moreevery week. Some of the ale even comes from jugs! It is a traditional style pub with a great atmosphere and it is very popular with local people and many also travel to drink here, so it's often busy and seating is limited. it is definatley worth a visit if you like real ale and a traditional place to drink it in.