Derbyshire Restaurant Guide

This “old manor house” handy for Chatsworth (and “not to be confused with the Peacock Inn in nearby Bakewell”), may “feel old-fashioned”, but its “great food and interesting menu” (from tasting menus to more “relaxed” options, both taken in the “fine dining room”) make it “a pleasure” by all accounts. Local ingredients (beef and lamb, say) are sourced from the Haddon Estate on which it sits.

“Great-value French cuisine” has drawn guests for more than 25 years to this family-run venture from Eric & Christiana Piedaniel – both career chefs. It makes a “lovely quiet environment for lunch” just 10 minutes’ drive from historic Chatsworth House.

This swish country house hotel, in one of the Peak District’s most picturesque villages, is transforming before visitors’ eyes as part of an ongoing, £1.1 million makeover. As we went to press, the more casual ‘Garden Room’ had already been reborn, with chef Adam Harper (ex-of the acclaimed nearby Fischer’s) overseeing a new menu with impeccable local sourcing such as Chatsworth beef; this, the more formal fine diner, will follow suit, but meanwhile won praise this year – well “on its way to a Michelin star” by some accounts. All reports acclaim the “brilliant food and ambience in all areas” and it’s also tipped for afternoon tea.

This well-known Peak District property has been run by Max & Susan Fischer since 1988 and is currently managed by their son Neil, who is credited in reports with keeping standards at least as high under his parents. Watch this space as there are plans to open a champagne bar on the terrace this summer.

“Continuing to provide high-quality Japanese food, if a bit limited in range, for very reasonable prices in something resembling a Tokyo cafe but in the middle of the north Midlands ... Why? It’s just down the road from the Toyota factory!”

“Great food served by very helpful staff” has attracted a busy crowd for more than 20 years to Naveed Khaliq’s flagship, a stylishly converted former picture palace with a gilded vaulted ceiling. A well-known name for good-quality Indian cuisine in the north Midlands, it now has offshoots in Nottingham and Burton.

“Tucked away in a leafy suburb in the posh west of the city”, this comfortably appointed 26-seat venue from Tom Lawson & Alastair Myers has a dedicated local fan club. It’s “now entirely focused on set menus, from 4 courses for £65 to the ‘Kitchen Bench’ for £120 – highly priced for round here” but scoring decent ratings or better in all reports.

Opened in 2006 in an elegant townhouse on a cobbled street in the city centre, this well-known family-run venue “will not disappoint”, with Naples-born Ester’s “real Italian food” and her partner Saverio’s “excellent Italian wine list” (with some truly notable vintages) winning high praise.

“Blessed to have this in Sheffield… it is bold and surprising!” – Luke & Stacey Sherwood “go from strength to strength” at this linchpin of the city’s dining scene “set in a shipping container” and which opened in 2016. “When it comes to consistent, flavourful, creative food that’s technically clever without being pretentious, it’s hard to beat” and a number of reporters feel “it’s a mystery as to why it hasn’t got a Michelin star”. “A new, larger venue might help with the slight feeling of overcrowding” (“hopefully the restaurant will move to a larger location where the timings do not have to be so rigid”). Top Menu Tip – “their soft drinks pairings are the work of alchemy: matching dishes with unique skill”.