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Location: Holly Bush Ln, Makeney, Belper DE56 0RX
Venue Type: Country Inn / Heritage / Traditional
Year of Inscription: 2022
Top 100 Bar in Europe 2024
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Description
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| EBG Rating: | 9.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ A range of beers that would shame some venues in cities, quite far beyond what is normally on offer in village venues. A range of classic and regional/local cask ales accompanied by craft keg and superior lagers and bottles. Limited cider options, and decent back bar for alternatives. |
| Style/ Décor | ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 17th century stone inn with low ceilings, stone walls, 3 fireplaces kept lit in winter. There is a small bar room a snug to the reverse of the bar, larger backroom and tasteful extension to the rear of the building albeit an overflow area, with a hatch to the bar. |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Supremely characterful ‘if these walls could talk’ venue that has a good range of customers even on slow November Monday afternoons, and can be heaving to oversubscribed at other times of day and year. Very social and extremely cosy, one of the most atmospheric venues in the country. |
| Amenities/ Events | ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Meals, light pub food, snacks, music nights, community events, rooms, books, outdoor seating. |
| Value For Money | ❤️❤️❤️ Fair for a village pub, certainly considering its fame. |
| Description | The ‘Moon Under Water’ idyll really does exist and it is here in the Amber Valley in Derbyshire. An atmosphere of warmth and contentment through its rhythm and ritual, warm natural fittings, social setup which naturally encourages conversation between strangers and neighbouring groups. A stone cottage set off from a country lane, quiet and in a scene that is almost farcically quintessentially English from the manicured village scenes right down to the cars blocking the view. Inside you’ll find exposed beams from low ceilings, a small bar room with bar facing a large fireplace and bench seating around the sides. To the rear of the bar is a tiny snug with an excellent fireplace and settles. Down the corridor is a larger pub room with a further fire that is in itself a very nice place to sit. An extension has been made to the rear of the building for further overflow which is tastefully done and in keeping with the overall pub. All 3 fires are roaring in the colder months even on quieter Mondays. The place is dry, warm and cosy. But there’s more to it still. Customer-focused food, not corporate profiteering, meaning you can get portions to suit your needs. Several main dishes are served as small portions, there are pub snacks like pies and rolls and they deal with any gradient of hunger. The food isn’t dominant as you typically find in rural pubs these days. Tables aren’t set, there is no background clutter of cutlery or catering smell. They aren’t religious about final orders at 2.30pm (even though it is best not to take the mickey). It keeps going. The ales for a rural pub are impressive. Typical classics complimented by several local and regional cask ales, craft keg with one or two raising an eyebrow – not craft beer bar standard but would shame many city pubs. Prices are all fair given the location and fame for the place. After all this it seems a pointless addendum to mention Dick Turpin, and the association of the highwayman to this place, but if you want to find out more, they’ll tell you. It is far from essential to enjoy a pub of this quality. One of the best in England. Visit at once. |
