BEAR Ashbourne in Derbyshire Dales

Our food was very tasty, but could have been hotter. I think this was due to the cool air in the cafe and exposed position of the food counter rather than the chef. The coffee was excellent. Both arrived quickly, but tables do need clearing sooner. The staff were very helpful when I requested gluten free bread. However we changed tables three times. The green benches facing the window were far too narrow; I didn’t wish to perch on my seat whilst eating. I then sat on a chair at table 18. When my coffee arrived I put my feet down to move closer to the table. It immediately tipped forward knocking my coffee over me. Table 6 was comfortable but I wouldn’t usually sit close to the toilets. So a mixed experience.

Painfully slow service, underwhelming. and expensive for what it was, I can think of better in Ashbourne, but had to give it at least one go !

Cosy atmosphere, friendly staff, efficient service, good food and a fab selection of drinks. My only criticism is that the menu could have more options. But otherwise a fab night in a fab restaurant. Definitely recommend.

Great vibe and relaxing time. Food was awesome and the variety of drinks was great. Would recommend the churos hot chocolate and the hot honey halloumi burger but all food is great.

Staff not very welcoming. Placed order and paid and then informed they didn’t have what I’d ordered. I then chose another dish that was less expensive. I was informed that I would have to have my whole order refunded and then I’d have to repay which sounded like a lot of faff so said just to leave it. One of our drinks arrived and after a few minutes my had’t so I had to ask for it. Food took a long time to arrive. My meal was left on the pass for a while and when it did arrive my poached eggs were hard and dry. So I ended up paying more for something that was my second choice and was of poor quality. Won’t be returning.

We were out in Ashbourne for dinner and we were really pleased to find room at Bear. Other pub restaurants had tables but would not serve our family. We have teenager children not little ones but others areas all refused us. Bear was warm welcoming, helpful, seated straight away, lovely service and great food. Warm, friendly with great music. One of our party didn’t read the menu and missed that her burger had cheese. She is lactose intolerant and it would have made her very ill. Our person serving us could not be more accommodating despite our error. This is a sign of great service. Thank you for making our Saturday night lovely and for your kindness. 👏👏👏

Two members of staff on all tables were dirty full of pots. The lady asked which table I was sitting at and I stated that none were clean and her reply was she was waiting for more staff to join !!!! I clear my own table! Totally avoidable.

Ordered a breakfast - egg overcooked , missing a sausage . Hash browns so over cooked no potato left . Offered more and sausage came out burnt . Very over priced for poor food

First time visitor, and I must say I’m very impressed! Very friendly staff upon arrival, and the place was very clean and tidy. Went for breakfast with my parents. I had the poached eggs on toast, with a hot chocolate. The presentation was very artistic, and both tasted amazing! Highly recommended if you’re in Ashbourne, you won’t be disappointed. 10/10

In spite of recent poor reviews, the cafe looked modern and appealing and we decided to give it a go. We were not disappointed- the staff were friendly and polite. The service prompt and we had a delicious breakfast - eggs on sourdough and great granola, berry fruit and Greek yoghurt bowl. Perfect spot to watch the world go by in the window seat. Don’t be put off by a temporary blip- get there early as it quickly filled up after 10.30 so still a popular place.

On holiday in this area, have been to Bear before and decided to go again. Not good. Next visit we will give it a miss. Slow service and mediocre, lukewarm coffee. Couldn't be bothered to complain on the day.

We visit regularly, love the Bear but just recently the standards have dropped, several mistakes when ordering, the cleanliness has dropped, the staff need educating to pick up plates when passing tables , lots of pots on tables and the staff not collecting when a quiet period and they are chatting behind the counter , employ a pot collector especially now schools are breaking up , not a good look for people visiting x

gave this place a try, not knowing what to expect on entering found it to be shabby chic ordering food a bit unreal... tapped card in ... WOW i'd left a £3 tip food was extremely tasty... wife raved about her poached eggs only downside was unable to get a traditional pot of tea.... flavoured not my pallet at 78 shall call again

I wouldn’t recommend this place. The portions are really small and the kids meals were pathetic. We ordered food and a drink and the quality was just average. The burgers are quite expensive so I would expect good quality and a generous portions. We left hungry and disappointed

Well firstly won't be going back again. Spent £30 for a couple of cold drinks. Ordered a chicken and chorizo burger with fries and a cheeseburger. Had to wait 48 mins foe food. Thought they had forgotten us as everyone else was getting food and cutlery but not ours. Partner had to run and put extra time on the car park as we still waited . The food eventually turned up... burgers on a tin tray with looked liked potatoes croquet? Had to ask for cutlery, then I had to go up and ask for sauces and napkins. Asked where our fries were and they said we ran out! You should have been told and you have hash browns instead. There was no telling us, asking if it was OK to havr an alternative either. No advising on waiting 45ins for food and never at any point do they ask us of we have allergies at all !! Place looked dirty, toilets were disgusting. Water to wash your hands wasn't working either. Food was horrible too. Soggy bioche nuns and definitely wasn't what we ordered or with it's money. No apologies for Messing up our order, waiting time or missing cutlery etc etc. Under trained staff with no personality either. Ideally a full refund would have been good

10/10 would recommend. Nice food, nice staff, the decor is nice and also play light jazz music. The selection of food was varied and was able to find a decent veggie option for my partner. Good vibes and great breakfast (joint review)

My visit to bear today made me a bit sad. Mediocre, over priced food, made by people who either don’t care, or are under trained. We ordered, and waited 15minutes for a tea, and some ‘from the fridge’ soft drinks. I counted SEVEN team members, a nice ratio of 4customers per team member. I paid £17 for the ‘house special’ Philly cheese steak wrap.. “sliced bavette steak, mixed with a cheese sauce, onions and peppers, served in a warm flatbread” The steak was cut in to cm thick slices (the whole point of Philly cheese steak is it thin, cooked quick) some were rare, some were well done, all were tough and unrested. My daughter made cheesy pasta with peppers and onions at middle school this week, her attempt was equally as bland, gloopy and inedible as what I was served to today. My ‘flatbread’ was an undercooked plain pizza, absolutely manhandled into a parcel, and inexplicably wrapped in brown greaseproof paper. My friend paid £14 for another ‘special’ the cauliflower bhajis with herbed yoghurt and cucumber salad, they received 3, small, mushy bhajis, cooked in old oil, with some visibility old salad. The ‘mint and coriander chutney’ drizzled over the top was grey, a bit vinegary and as a fan of condiments in general, made me a bit depressed. I’ve had a bigger portion from my local Indian, as a starter, for about £5, at least theirs had flavour, even if the bag of salad is questionable. Taking street food, making it taste worse, and charging twice as much isn’t a ‘edgy’ guys, be better. Reading previous replies, I can almost anticipate the response… We are sorry we didn’t quite meet our ‘usual’ high high standards, I’ll pass your feedback on to the relevant person (why doesn’t the relevant person check the reviews? 😂)

Could be so good but not now. Service is slow and poor, tables not cleared or wiped food waiting time sooo slow, staff young and untrained (or appear to be) lots of other places to go in Ashbourne needs to improve and fast.

The food was excellent and I highly recommend the chicken burgers. However, there are clearly some staff who need more training in the areas and my biggest pet peeve is when waitresses walk past and don't clear the empty plates with them. I was waiting 25 minutes for my plate to be cleared and this only happened when I asked. It wasn't a busy night, so Im unsure as to why it wasn't looked at? Again I think the place is lovely and great for a coffee if you have the time to wait 30 minutes for it. I think it is very clear who the hard-working members are and they are lovely and I can't fault them one bit.

Breakfast was Not the best about , staff didn’t seem to be bothered .More of a chain place now that doesn’t seem to care, was hoping for more .

A fabulous addition to Ashbourne, which cannot be said about the team working there. The manager seems too busy working on the barstools at the counter on a computer. The staff seemed poorly trained and the greeting is awful. Lack of intrusion on arrival on the system they are working. Find a table, note the number order at the counter . You work this out for yourself!!! If only we knew!!! The food is amazing but if you go after 3:30 you’re told they’ve stopped doing hot food shame! Again no awareness prior to standing at the counter after reading the menu boards on each table.

Booked a table of 12 for cocktails Seated in a great part of the cafe Cocktails arrived quickly and staff were lovely thankyou

Outstanding breakfast , vibe and service ! ! 10 out of 10 ! ! Salmon , avocado and eggs on sourdough toast . Passionfruit smoothie . All delicious ! !

Dreadful!! Second time in trying this establishment just for coffee this time. Was suppose to be dog friendly but most certainly wasn’t!! Staff were rude and unhelpful, waited 45 mins just for 2 coffees and no apologies for the delay. Will definitely be giving my custom and recommendations somewhere else!!

Stopped in for coffee, good selection of drinks on the menu , service was quick and friendly . Coffees were good quality and tasted great . Also had a dark chocolate flapjack which really hit the spot , would definitely recommend .

I’m sorry to say dinner was disappointing. We booked well in advance but got the high table by the door which was uncomfortable and cold. Staff were lovely and friendly but service wasn’t great, drinks took an age to get to the table. Coffee machine was cleaned down early so they couldn’t make any coffees after 9.15 which wasn’t great for my friend who was driving. I agree with other reviewers, the food is expensive, nothing special and very little in the way of healthy options. I won’t be rushing back there in the evenings. Sticking to brunch and coffee during the day!

We had a great experience on a Monday morning. The place was buzzing. Lovely food. Nice people and good service. We are fans. Worth the money.

Visited when passing through Ashbourne and fancied a spot of lunch! Noticed it was incredibly busy so thought we'd give it a try, with it being a Sunday most other cafes seemed to be shut. We sat down and the table still had previous crockery left on it, we asked it to be cleared up which it was however, the table wasn't wiped and had leftover food over it which made it feel dirty. I went to order the beef burger however, they had run out so I was recommended the chicken burger. When it came I couldn't fathom how it was £14. One measley bit of chicken, the sauce which I am not sure what it was, was so over powering you couldn't taste anything else due to the spice, there were 3 leaves in it as the garnish again, not what I would expect for the price and other places I have visited in similar cost areas. I ate it as I had a 2 hour drive home but if I wasn't about to do that journey I would have left it. The chips were good but similar to the burger, the seasoning wasn't for me - perhaps personal preference in this one. The coffee was nice though so I would if visiting get one of these to go.

Called in for breakfast with a friend. Food was excellent and so was the service. Highly recommend The Bear, will definitely return.

This is a newly opened facility in Ashbourne - spacious and with an ‘industrial’ feel to the decor. The property has been well and sympathetically equipped. On the occasion of our visit the Bear was very very busy- no doubt due to its ready access off the Main Street (prime location) and general facility with a helpful mix of table layouts. We found the staff excellent- understanding, communicative and prompt. Food was good. - prices generally are at the high end for this area. Our one critical comment is that whilst the cafe is dog friendly (no problem with that) no attempt by staff to intervene in a situation where one dog owner felt it acceptable for their dog to be in part of main circulation area. Difficult issue I know- but other dog owners were very considerate.

We like this place a lot and go often for a good coffee. But this time, we ordered eggs on sourdough toast and received regular white bread instead. We noticed that other diners also had this bread swap. We probably would have ordered the food regardless, had we known there was no sourdough that day but we definitely should have been told at the point of ordering. We’re not gluten intolerant, but had we been, it would have been even more annoying. The trouble is, once you have a bad experience like this, other things start to annoy you…..one of the young staff had a very grumpy demeanour.

Really disappointing, we met up with friends pre Christmas having booked our food in advance. Whilst the service was fine the food was over priced and the portions were poor. Our friends had the pizza fondue at £49 pounds for 2 adults and 2 young children. What came out was barely enough for 2. The only meat on the platter was a small amount of chorizo the rest was potato tots and pickles. How they could justify the price was unbelievable. Even more disappointing was that when our friends asked if they could order some extra sides they were told that they would take ages as they would be at the back of the queue. Needless to say our friends all went home hungry. Whilst our food was ok, the Mac and cheese was like kids portion and triple cheese burger was greasy. The waitress did inform her manager about our comments, no one came to our table. I hardly ever complain but on this occasion I felt that it was justified.

Excellent coffee in a central venue. Nice atmosphere and plenty of comfortable tables. London prices! £3.60 for a Latte!

Went to bear for dinner with friends, booked the table well in advance. Once we arrived, the table allocated to us had people sat on it so we had to wait a couple minutes for them to move, set the table, etc. Once we sat down, we were quite quick to getting drinks ordered but once they started to arrive, one was forgotten and it took 25 mins in total for it to arrive. In terms of food, it tasted great, i had a dirty burger with chips. However the was 3 sides like mac n cheese and chicken nuggets that were forgotten and we had pretty much finished our mains once they arrived. Not great considering we ordered food in advance.

Really tasty chicken flatbread with extra halloumi. Side of fries and a homemade spicy ketchup. Friendly staff and great decor.

Average…we had burgers and tacos. Didn’t have much choice for drinks and mold on the wall. Wouldn’t go back as too expensive for mediocrity.

Lovely place, nice staff, a bit of work needed on food presentation and serving it hot. The decor is lovely (am told it's just opened) Personally I think it's a bit pricey and you only get away with this if it is perfect.

We have visited 3 of the other Bears in the chain and usually get a lovely response - with good service. Todays visit to the Ashbourne shop was mediocre. The service could have been a lot better - no smiley faces and almost an effort....

I’ve eaten at all the Bear cafes and have been disappointed so many times that I decided not to go anymore. The latest one opened in my home town. We like to support businesses in the town and we’re impressed by the look of the...

An amazing place. The decor and feel to place is great. We came on a Saturday lunch time. Really busy but different seating options available. You may have to share a bench or sit at a poser table. I had the Lebanese flat bread. It...

First time visiting the Bear in Ashbourne for dinner with friends. Mediocre service from our waitress. Didn’t give the impression that she enjoys her job. No personality for such a customer service facing role. Absolutely no healthy choices on the menu so if you’re following...

Called in here as usual cafe used for 30 years, weekly, has closed do need to find a new venue for weekly breakfast and coffee and it was 8.50 am with few other options Very pleasant setting and good to see the old Bennetts Department...

We stopped by for coffee and cake, but one of us had a Lebanese flat bread for a late lunch. All absolutely delicious and staff were exceptional.

Visited today for breakfast with friends. Not usually one to make a review but would love to make this place a frequent place to visit but feel it needs to address a couple of things. Nice , stylish cafe with lovely atmosphere. We had reserved...

This new coffee house and eaterie has great decor and a warm vibe. Friendly staff and lovely coffee too. But... My "veggie house breakfast" for £13.20 was modest - well, let's be honest, minimal, and even on a small plate looked sparse - something not...

Loved the place, the atmosphere and the staff were outstanding but £3.90 for one slice of toast for my one year old grandson was somewhat over the top 😳😟

The nicest coffee I’ve ever had & the staff & decor were great. I will definitely be returning for food & cocktails.

Great addition to Ashbourne cafe scene. Great job done on the building much valued investment in what has been closed for years. Great coffee and atmosphere.

We had a table booked on Saturday for 8pm. On arrival we were greeted by a very friendly member of staff and shown to our table. We had a different waitress serving us and she was equally as friendly. We didn’t have to wait long...

Arrived had nice cocktails,ordered food had to wait ages for the food to arrive when it did arrive mine was stone cold sent it back waited ages ,my family had finished their meals. another meal eventually arrived and it was totally uneatable. asked for the bill and was charge £94 this is such a shame has Ashbourne is a lovely market town and Bear could do well here.

Outside appearance is smart and eye catching and in keeping with the age of the building and Ashbourne. Second day of opening so booked a table. Greeted on arrival and taken to our table by an extremely pleasant member of staff. Menu had plenty of choices as did the drinks menu. Order at the bar. We had avocado & pea smash with a poached egg, Lebanese flatbread with shawarma chicken plus a flat white coffee & oat latte. Service was quick, even though Bear was extremely busy and the food was presented well & delicious. Toilets were clean & tidy. All members of staff we spoke to & were served by were very pleasant & helpful. Keep up the excellent work.

Great experience! Day one of opening and offering (great quality) coffee at £1 😊 Hubby and I sat in window, had a bit of a wait (as expected on opening day) for lattes, but toast arrived hot and plenty. As there are two doors opening out onto the main street we found the one which was locked 🤦🏼‍♀️ with no sign asking to use the other door but had a sandwich board outside implying it was an entry door. Hubby and I discussed it whilst we sat, and was clearly quietly overheard by the chap next to us with a laptop, and within minutes the sandwich board was moved to the main door, and a sign appeared on the wrong door. Well done 👏 Bear, amazing prompt response 😅 Defo recommend and we’ll be back 🥰