Ockbrook Restaurant Guide

“What a stunner” – this “hidden gem in an old brick building on an unlikely side street” near the M1 serves “fabulous, beautifully composed” dishes in a “slightly playful style – a simple description defies the complexity of the cooking” – from chef-patron Nick Gillespie which “rivals and beats better-known names”. His very individual meals are complemented by an “extraordinary drinks list” and an interior which mixes untreated oak table tops with black granite.

“Worth a visit” for its “high-quality food from the Indian subcontinent” – Naveed Khaliq’s 21-year-old flagship occupies a grand former picture palace whose plush decor and lavishly uniformed staff bring a sense of occasion to the meal. There are spinoffs in Nottingham and Burton.

“Absolutely spectacular sushi” (sashimi, tempura and more) is the pay-off at this “no-frills, hole-in-the-wall” venue, in a “nondescript ’burb of Derby”. What can explain this “peerless” and “spot-on” example of “authentic Japanese cooking” in the unlikeliest of settings? There’s a Toyota car factory just up the road, whose expat staff need a taste of home!