please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Large dining area to one side and a very smart lounge where people also eat. Not all food based, good selection of ales on too.
Bass Premium selected - in good nick.
Spoiled for choice in Derby.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2w1lOlC
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The Silk Mill Ale & Cider House was another Derby pub that exceeded our expectations. It appeared fairly small. But we didn't get much further than the bar itself. The ale selection was Stancill Porter, Salopian Darwin's Origin, Drop & Shropshire Gold, Bass, Salamander Super Salamander & Dancing Duck Ay Up. In addition, there were 3 real ciders - Orchard Pig Explorer & Navel Gazer & Lilleys Lemon and Lime. The latter was very refreshing indeed. Don't remember too much about this pub, as it was the 10th on our crawl and time was ticking on. But I wouldn't mind paying it another visit one day, as first impressions were good.
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Very uninspiring place. I agree the food is very expensive and the beer not the cheapest too. Ale quality is ok but somehow seems a bit odd to me. see for yourself.
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This pub is all right, but didn't inspire me. Came in for a meal, but the food was very expensive and didn't seem very exciting, so I went elsewhere. Ordered s pint, but barrel ran out about 3/4 way through pouring. Unlike most places they didn't give me that for the price of a half (but decanted into half-pint glass).
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Bit squeaky clean since its refurb. No complaints about the beer though. We had Dancing Duck~Dark Drake oatmeal stout and Leeds pale. Choice of 7 ales and 2 ciders
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Visited Sunday 8 December 3pm.
Nice interior following the recent refurb. Disappointing to see the beer range cut from 9 to 5 ales, making way for 4 ciders, but I suppose it is now the Ale and Cider house. I have a fear that food will dominate like it has in the Exeter Arms, run by the same owner. The back of the pub looks like a dining area already. How long before the reserved signs appear on the tables? Time will tell.
Beer quality was average on its 3rd day open. The youth behind the bar didn't know the brewery of one beer when I asked and made no effort to find out. Another customer asked the same question a few minutes later.
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Still closed but a hive of activity as builders carry out a make-over. One told me they are working "under the cosh" to get things ready for re-opening early in December as a satellite of the Exeter Arms. The Ex seems to be permanently rammed with diners these days - no doubt as a result of recently underlining its "award winning" status, so expansion is a sensible development. Martin Roper and his team seem to have cracked the formula but drinkers (as opposed to diners) will hope their custom is given a little more priority at the Silk Mill.
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Went past last night and all boarded up with a note on door saying refer any enquiries to Exeter Arms
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Just out the back of Ye Olde Dolphin, so very handy on our travels. The place was almost empty when we arrived, but was bustling when we left three quarters of an hour later. There was an extensive range of ales, including 2 from barrels behind the bar and another dozen or so mostly untapped at the end of the bar (must have been a beer festival pending), but those on offer were in good form and there was plenty of variety. I suppose the local branch of CAMRA has to give every good pub a chance, but on balance we considered the place worthy of its 2012 Derby Pub of the Year award. There are just too many good pubs in the city.
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Decent enough drinking shop with a wide range of beers. It is, as one other reviewer mentioned, a bit cavernous with the seating around the perimeter. When it's busy it fills up and you don't really notice this but when it's empty, as it was when I dropped in, one feels very exposed. This wasn't helped by the rather overbearing landlord who decided to tell me how my beer will cost me a small fortune in a year's time and how he was getting out of the business. As there was nobody else in the place I rapidly drank my Ossett Silver King and headed for the Exeter arms. I noticed on leaving that the pub was up for let.
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A recent local Pub of the year, this big open plan pub serves up to ten ales including, on my visit, Thornbridge Jaipur IPA on gravity. Tried this and Oakham White Dwarf and both were beautifully kept. friendly locals were happy to chat as well.
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Beer was fine but we found the main bar a bit of a barn (looked as though some tables and seats were missing as they only had them round the walls). Good range of ales and I suppose that's what you go there for!!
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A reasonable refurb although the outside of the pub has charhacter not reflected in the interior which is a pretty plain kind of set up. No food. only ales and decent ones at that. The Osset Voyager went down particularly well.
anonymous - 16 Jan 2012 16:13 |
A good pub with an impressive range on... and capacity for more racked up at the side (which was where the Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild was kept on our visit). Friendly bar staff. Roaring fire. Not much more to say! Recommended.
PhilR - 15 Dec 2011 18:29 |
Visited pub on recent crawl around derby, the beer Dancing Duck Dark Drake was excellent, friendly pub will definitely return when next in derby
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Plenty of choice for the ale drinker. Worth a visit if you are in the area. Can get a bit packed with "Suits" on a friday afternoon, but a general good mix of clientele.
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I found this place recently pretty much by accident but I'm glad I did, as I found the pub welcoming and cosy. The range of ales was good but so large that one wonders if there is enough throughput to maintain the quality. A nice touch was being offered a sample as I dithered in front of the pumps; the barmaid (landlady?) offered her own verbal tasting notes, which were spot on. I'll certainly return the next time I'm in Derby.
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This was our last port of call on a crawl around the city and it was midnight-ish admittedly, but we both found this place to be lacking in all kinds of things, especially atmosphere. Like I said, it was midnight and we were both half-cut and knackered, so it may well have been us.
Good selection of beers though and the Old Rosie and Sargeant Pepper Stout went down a treat as nightcap.
Will give it another go the next time we're in the city......
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Lovely pub, great location, good range of high quality beer, friendly staff, nice fire in winter, live music and tasty Huntsman's pies. Can't think of any negatives about the place.
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Good real ale pub with a decent selection of ales (eight on handpull, Bass and others on gravity). Nice open fires in the winter, can be a bit quiet at lunchtimes.
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A comfortable and friendly pub. Very much on the route of some of Derby's better pub crawls (between The Flowerpot and Ye Olde Dolphin) The beer is always decent quality and there is a nice range. Only problem comes from the inability to escape when you've just ordered a pint, the live music starts and it's just not your thing!
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Nice to see they'll order in a takeaway for you to eat there! Range was excellent, about 8 handpumps which increased to 13 or so on the weekend via the stillage. Had the Burton Bride Damson Porter and the Spire Twist & Stout but there was also the likes of Purity Pure UBU as well as some rarer beers. Also Bass straight from the barrel.
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Fifth on the itinerary for a recent Derby scooping crawl and the pub which is fast becoming my favourite in this neck of the woods.
The range of ales has increased since my last visit just under a year ago, with (I think) 9 handpumps on the main bar and a stillage area to the rear of the pub which dispenses an additional 4 ales and 2 trad ciders over the weekend.
By all accounts the live msuic and entertainment is gathering a following, and the pub itself has a quirky charm all of its own - I don't know how or why, it just does - maybe it's little touches like an old boy sitting with a pint in the lounge bar wearing leather shorts...!!!
It's particulaarly nice that an establishment which doesn't offer pub food is nonetheless more than happy for customers to eat their own food on site - by the time we arrived we were certainly ready to tuck in to our chicken tikka cobs!
The staff and punters are all very friendly, and the beer is kept in excellent condition - the range may not be the most exciting in Derby, but if you want your beer well kept and well dispensed then this is certainly the place to be.
On our visit we sampled Purity's Mad Goose (4.2%) and Cathedral Quarter (3.9%) from Blue Monkey, both in tip-top nick.
Highly recommended.
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Nice beer and nice atmosphere. Only a seven rating because my friends had a pointless tiff with the bar staff. My favourite in derby.
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We were making our way towards the Brewery Tap only to walk past this place - it wasn't on our route, but the signage claimed that this place was a "specialist real ale pub", so we decided to risk it. We were greeted by at least 12 ales, taking into account the handpumps and those available directly from the barrell at the seperate bar. Interior was fairly basic but the clientel very friendly. We only had time for a swift one so went for the Purity Pure Gold - it was OK, a bit dry for my liking, but will return here in future and sample a few more beers.
Sharp - 13 Mar 2010 12:07 |
My first visit since it reopened, and it is great. Lovely atmosphere and good beer too. Friendly staff and clientelle. Will certainly be on my list whenever I come to Derby. Enjoyed Wentworth Short and Stout, and Blue Monkey Cathedral Ale.
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what a great pub!
open mic night on tuesdays
local pop covers duo thursday nights
live jazz sunday afternoons
quiz sunday nights
8 hand pump real ales, one of which, Cathedral Quarter ale, is brewed only for the pub- brewed by blue monkey in ilkeston i believe. Also bass served straight from the barrel.
No food served however take your own food in and they'll provide plates, cutlery etc.
all the locals and staff very very friendly, well worth a visit!!
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this was a new one to me in derby and how!!...excellent beer on show good well behaved clientele..bring your own grub in and provide you with a knife fork and plate..good quiz nights too..well worth a visit betwen the flowerpot ad the dolphin
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Enjoyed my first visit to the Old Silk Mill. The choice and quality of the beer was excellent. Friendly service and locals made it a very pleasant visit all round.
Jim_G - 11 Oct 2009 08:36 |
We strongly recommend this pub if ever you are in Derby. The beer is always excellent - theres something for everyone and unlike before the pub doesn't stink of chips!
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Newly reopened and refurbished pub just across the road from Ye Olde Dolphin. There�s a huge mural on the outside which is difficult to miss. It has a fine old stone exterior along with some black and white timberwork. Once inside there are two rooms both with good fireplaces and nicely decorated with red settles and old photos of the pub around the walls. There�s a decent bit of tiling to the rear near the toilets and the room to the right of the door has parquet flooring. As previously mentioned there are 8 handpumps, all being used when we visited, plus Bass served from the jug. One of the beers Peregrine Pale Ale (PPA) is brewed for the pub by an undisclosed brewer (not local is as far as they�ll go when you ask). It�s to celebrate the fact that the peregrines nesting on the nearby cathedral have successfully produced chicks for the 4th year running. I had a pint of the Apollo from Black Hole which was good. They don�t do food but they will let you bring your own in and will also supply plates and cutlery. Add it to your ale trail in Derby.
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To update jarofporter�s review, the Old Silk Mill has 8 hand pump ales, all from independent brewers plus Bass straight from the barrel. The hand pumps currently include Purity Pure Gold and Mad Goose, Brewster�s Wicked Women and Thornbridge Jaipur.
I have called in twice this week but both times the pub was alarmingly quiet. As the previous reviewer says � Be sure to visit soon, you will be impressed.
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The Silk Mill reopened today after being closed for nearly a year. The new landlord used to run the Olde Dolphin across the road so he sure knows his stuff. I nipped in for a couple today and was very impressed. There are now 6 or 7 ales on handpump. The two I had were perfect. They don't serve food now but they will happily provide you with plates and cutlery for you to eat anything you bring in! Be sure to visit soon, you will be impressed.
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Now sadly closed & boarded up.
cobbo - 28 Apr 2009 13:31 |
Used to be a great place for food and drink until it changed hands. Lets hope a new landlord is found quickly and that s/he reinstates the gloriously gorgeous M�venpick ice cream!
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Seems to be closed during the day. I walk past most days.
Up for sale.
A shadow of its former self.
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This pub just keeps getting better and better. The beer is great and the entertainment they are putting on is fab. I am led to believe that the quiz on a monday is well worth a look too.
anonymous - 14 Aug 2007 12:52 |
Fantastic pub again now, the beer is on top form and the food is very reasonable priced. It's good to see the silk mill back from the doldrums. Keep up the good work.
anonymous - 23 Jul 2007 13:19 |
This is a nice looking pub with a large mural painted on one of the side walls. It is located opposite Ye Olde Dolphin and near the Old Silk Mill tourist attraction. The Flowerpot, another good real ale pub, is nearby so it�s ideal for a mini crawl. On my visit in mid May 07 I met the new management team, Phil, Louise and bar manager Pip who had only been there about a week. They seem committed to upholding the tradition of good real ale pubs in Derby and are currently trying to get Enterprise to agree that they can source their ales from SIBA members.
The Derby Triple Hop, a nice creamy caramel ale, was certainly on good form and from memory there were 6-8 hand pumps. The kitchen was closed for a refurb when I visited but should be operational now. Live music is likely to be a feature concentrating on local bands. This is a more genuine pub than Ye Olde Dolphin opposite which is where the tourists will go, the �beer tourists� should go to the Old Silk Mill.
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Called in while doing a crawl of Derby and met new landlord who has a keen interest in real ale, so this pub will be one to go back to. Enjoyed the beer served.
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landlord makes sure you get a decent pint if you dont he changes it ,beers good,landlady is worth a look at.
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Not bad as a local, but an example of a place that could be something a bit better, say when compared to Ye Old Dolphin round the corner. True it was being repainted when we went so maybe not at it's best.
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A good all-rounder of a pub - not too trendy, clean and tidy, interesting old photographs of local life on the walls, seven real ales including two from Derby Brewery Company which were excellent. Not GBG listed, but would be a worthy addition on evidence of the beer quality I experienced.
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The perfect pub for your hangover-destroying Sunday lunch whilst watchin the Sunday footy on the TV.
Great food.
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Cant miss this place, has the huge Mural on the wall. Its nice to see a non-chain pub which an ok selection of beers. Recommend this place for students and anyone wanting the worlds biggest dirtiest all-day breakfast!! ahhh yeah.
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Half-a-dozen decent beers, can get a bit loud with large screen TV, never had a problem with the food but haven't eaten there recently.
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I just had my first meal from this pub, and it was rather terrible. I ordered a fillet steak, and got a soggy lump of meat that tasted like the juice that comes off cheap mince when you fry it.
Maybe their normal pub food is better but it's not something I'll ever endeavour to find out.
There's a selection of ales on tap which is nice, and that is what salvages it a 2 on the rating.
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Good choice of beers. Our Black Cat Mild was excellent on the day of our visit. Friendly staff.
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Real ale pub serving food nearly all day every day.
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