Birley, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

The Tickled Trout pub is proudly independent... owned by Chris Mapp and nestled in the idyllic Derbyshire village of Barlow. Chris couldn't believe his luck when his old local came up for sale, and has worked tirelessly to transform this run-down country drinking hole into a s...

The future of this well-known Edwardian manor house seemed in doubt when it went onto the market in mid-2023, but instead longtime guardians Max & Susan Fischer (latterly handing the reins to son Neil) have leased two of their pubs – the Prince of Wales in Baslow, and Bulls Head at Foolow – to Nick & Jemma Beagrie of the Bakewell bakery, and refocused their interest on Fischer’s, so far kept afloat thanks to lucrative new deals with the likes of luxury giants LVMH, who will oversee a new summer champagne bar (part of their wider expansion plans). Given such exciting events, there was the odd blip this year, but the general tenor of reports was still upbeat (“never had a bad meal here”; “best meal of the year”).

“High-end dining without pretension” is the promise at the Gallery restaurant, whose ‘10-mile’ menu features many ingredients grown on the Chatsworth estate, of which the hotel – “beautifully refurbished” at a reported cost of £3.5 million in summer 2024 – is part. The more casual Garden Room with a “beautiful newly extended terrace” also offers “lovely food”, while a proper afternoon tea is served on “delightful Georgian-style china”.

“A traditional-looking pub serving non-traditional food” – this Peak District inn with rooms continues to inspire nothing but positive feedback for its ambitious modern cuisine. “We had the signature tasting menu and it was superb!” – six courses are £89 per person: “ingredients are top-quality, all perfectly cooked, set in imaginative dishes and beautifully presented. Head chef, Mark Aisthorpe, was present in the kitchen and made the Yorkshire rhubarb dish by the table using liquid nitrogen. It was pure theatre and lots of fun!”. (There is also a range of cheaper menu options).