Nightlife in Matlock

One of the nearest pubs to our Matlock hotel, The Tipsy Toad is highly recommended and not just for its walking distance proximity. With a cool wooden decor, leather sofas, plenty of high tables and chairs and a wide range of craft beers, cocktails, they also serve food daily from 11am to 7pm spanning breakfast, lunch and early dinner classics.

Heading further in towards the centre of Matlock you’ll find the double whammy of Moca Bar and Monk Bar next to each other on Dale Road. MoCa Bar is a stylish café/bar/pub that serves up seven real ales, a wide range of gin, whisky and cocktails, a more-than-decent lunch menu – the ploughmans gets the nod from us – and forthcoming gin and beer festivals.

Just next door is the Monk Bar, a two-level bar with a courtyard that serves up some of the best cocktails in Matlock. Grab a drink and watch the action from the street level or the sun-trap courtyard, or head downstairs to the cellar bar and make an evening of it.

Right next to MoCa is The Remarkable Hare – not only the best-named pub in Matlock, it’s a homely, comforting open-plan pub dedicated to real ales, craft beer and good food. And it’s the food that stands out, with every meal freshly cooked using locally sourced ingredients – their Sunday roasts are a thing of local legend.

Heading out of Matlock’s town centre, the Duke of Wellington on the eastern edge of Matlock is a 19th-century traditional inn with roaring open fires and a large beer garden overlooking the Derbyshire hills. The food is simple but excellent, with great attention to detail (the 28-day-aged Derbyshire beef is excellent) and they have a wide range of cask ales, cider, wine and gin.

Down in Matlock Bath, there are several pubs worth checking out. The Fishpond Freehouse brilliantly blurs the lines between café, bar and pub. With a wide selection of cask ales, craft beers, fine wines it’ll satisfy pub fans, while the in-house artisan bakery serve up freshly-baked bread, pastries and pizza from midday until 9pm Monday to Saturday. The real gem, however, is their outdoor space, The Crows Nest. Built in 2016, it is a beautiful terraced garden overlooking the pub complete with a natural waterfall, boules pitch and plenty of space for live music during the summer.

Equally impressive is the nearby Barley Mow. The 200-year old pub is a bohemian hotspot in the region, known for its multi-cultural events including poetry sessions, live music, jazz nights as well as its wide range of cask ales and ciders and cracking pub food menu (the onion ring burger is a winner, trust us).