Darleys - Restaurant & Terrace in Derby

Getting to this place is a nightmare, the ONLY way currently due to a bridge closure is through an enterprise (business) park which has a sign up stating that there is a £1 toll charge which is odd as it also states NO public access! Getting to the opposite side of the river was near impossible too as Derby council have not thought about adding any bridges to walk over! Derby council have also not thought about making the river a better tourist attraction too which could have riverside picnic areas, parks, pubs and other restaurants. In the end we left Derby with the feeling it was a bit of a dump so unlikely to return.

Really nice meal here. We went for the 7 course tasting with a flight of wines, and it was delicious. They were kind enough to let us have a half-size flight for the wines (including charging half price) because we didn't want to overdo the alcohol. The food was well presented and we had plenty to eat. Salmon dish was really good, and we particularly enjoyed the lamb too.

Disappointing Sunday lunch for partner's birthday. Although staff were pleasant and attentive,once our food was served they never came over to ask if everything was alright, until plates cleared away! Starter was fine ,well presented and meat cooked well but some of the food seemed like it had been prepared hours ago ,for example the roast potatoes were dry and chewy and my Yorkshire pudding tasted burnt on one side .Maybe this was because we were one of the last covers , however I do not expect this from a restaurant of this calibre. When this was mentioned to waiting staff ,there was no response! 😕

Absolutely lovely, all dishes were absolutely beautiful, so tasty, service was exceptional. I enjoyed it so much have already re-booked to take my mother for her birthday. This as always been my most favourite restaurant, and it never disappoints, would highly recommend, if you want beautiful food, exceptional service and a lovely atmosphere

I sent this email after our visit to give an opportunity to respond but have had no response at all. On a positive the food was excellent however the service was very poor. We were seated and given the menu and the sommelier introduced himself and took our drinks order quite quickly, then we were left. The menu was a reduced Sunday lunch one, which we knew and were happy with, so it was not going to take long to make choices. However we were left for a significant amount of time and, as you are aware, the restaurant was not busy There were 5 adults in our booking all of whom tried to make eye contact with anyone to take our order and eventually we managed and asked or someone to take our order. They then asked the server to come to us The food did take some time to come and our drinks had nearly been drunk but we weren't asked if we wanted anymore. We weren't asked if we wanted any condiments and again it took some time to get eye contact with anyone to ask but eventually we did and asked for mint sauce for the lamb. Once we finished our order we sat for at least 20 minutes without the plates being cleared or being asked if we wanted more drinks. Eventually the plates were cleared with no communication from the server who then returned to place menus on the table but by this time we had had enough so just said we didn't want desserts and asked for the bill When the bill arrived and the machine was bought to pay we said we would pay for the food but not the service charge and this wasn't questioned. I would have expected the server to say "oh I'm sorry was the service not ok?", then we could have explained our reasons but it was as though no one actually cared It is such a disappointment that you are advertised as a fine dining restaurant but don't seem to realise that the service is a major part of the experience As well as this being Easter Sunday our reason for attending was the birthdays of 2 of the party so was even more of a disappointment I would appreciate your comments about our experience

9 course tasting Menu absolutely top notch in every respect. Incredible taste at every course. Courses were nicely spaced Did an incredible job on catering for my wife's Dairy and Gluten intolerances. As usual Staff were extremely pleasant and attentive. Has to be the Best restaurant in Derby

Absolutely ruined Mothers day, vegetarians beware,not only do not know ,or pretend to know the difference between onions and bacon but Absolutely argue with a +50 yrs vegetarian, before finally admitting their mistake ,50 % off the course discount? All fur coat and no knickers Darleys, disgusting service, good luck, again!!

Went for mothers day,all family members. Nothing special service wise and then the issues,. Main guest is vegetarian, served and eaten meat!! Complained ,argued before admitting was meat and not onions!! ? Offered 50% discount on the ove serving, incredible behaviour . Vegetarian not touched meat for over 50 years. Never ever again and will gladly give reviews on this place.

To start the month of March, the month of our diamond wedding anniversary we enjoyed an excellent 3-course lunch at Darley's, with a view of the in-flood River Derwent.

I came for a solo lunch whilst visiting Derby and opted for the 7 course tasting menu. Each course was delicious, generous in portion size and full of interesting flavours. The highlights for me were the snacks, salmon and the coronation chicken. The service was extremely attentive and polite which enhanced my overall experience.

This was our first timing visiting whilst I'm Derby seeing family. I'm heavily pregnant and we wanted to enjoy the 9 course tasting menu before the next baby comes along and causes chaos. :-) The staff were so friendly, helpful and couldn't do enough for us. (Including helping with parking so we didn't get a ticket). The food was plentiful and delicious. We enjoyed every single course. Difficult to choose a favourite. It was a shame I couldn't enjoy the wine with each course, however the helpful and knowledgeable staff helped my husband choose a couple of lovely glasses of wine to go with the food. I enjoyed a mocktail which, whilst never the same, was delicious too! Will absolutely be back in the summer. Thank you to all staff for a lovely evening!

We have been visiting the restaurant for special occasions such as birthdays and our anniversary since the stylish refurbishment a few years ago and have always had a fantastic dining experience. However this wasn’t to be the case on our most recent visit. We arrived at the restaurant at lunchtime to be greeted by staff smoking outside and empty delivery crates the entrance, not the best start to the experience in the slightest. After being seated by a rather rude and abrupt waitress (who smelled of cigarette smoke) we had to wait 20 minutes before we were seen again after my partner summoning a member of staff to our table. After another substantial wait our starters came out to us and to say we were underwhelmed is an understatement ! A tiny portion of luke warm carrot was served to myself and I’m not even too sure what my partner received but for an establishment that claims to be in the Michelin guide the standard was absolutely shocking. We had both ordered beef for our main course in the hope that they could redeem themselves as we had always enjoyed beautifully prepared high end steaks at darleys in years gone by but this wasn’t the case. We were served TINY, dry, overcooked, under seasoned pieces of meat that I wouldn’t feed to my Alsatian ! The desserts (that were average at best) were probably the highlight of what turned out to be a really disappointing experience at Darleys. On previous occasions we have received hand written birthday/anniversary cards, canapés and hand made chocolates after our desserts, sadly none of these seem to be included anymore. Ironically we ordered from the “added value” menu yet the standard of presentation and portion sizes were abysmal compared to other high end restaurants in the local area that happened to be much more affordable. We will not be returning

Came here for valentine’s diner, their tasting menu was absolutely perfect! Had a great evening and highly recommend this to anyone looking for a special diner out

Cannot recommend enough, truly stunning food and service. Not cheap by any means but worth it! We ordered off the a la carte and with it we got a few free snacks. An aged Parmesan and truffle broth, wow genuinely one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten! And some delicious warm sourdough and lovely salty butter. For starters we had the leek and potato, and the sand carrot. The menu doesn’t give much away so it’s like a little surprise when the food arrives. For mains we both had the beef, which was delicious but i do think that for a main course it should be a bit bigger. I assume it was the same size as on the tasting menu. Service was friendly and attentive and the restaurant ambience was so relaxing. Stunning, you should go.

So dissapointing. Came for a Sunday lunch yesterday. Firstly noticed the waiters and chef at the front having a smoke although nothing wrong with this it doesn’t really set the tone for what your about to eat and expect, we were then cramped in for a few minutes while there was nobody front of house to deal with table sitting. Next the food. It was served luke warm, the beef we had was fatty and tough maybe that was just an unlucky slice. The red cabbage you could taste the cider or red wine it was cooked in. I’m no chef but I’m pretty certain the Alcohol should be reduced so you can’t taste it. Then came the potatoes. I cannot believe a Michelin star restaurant could serve them up. They had t been par boiled. I’m pretty sure they had the skin still on and they were dry and hard, stale and tasteless. So so poor. To top it off a black hair was found in my partners dinner so this was the final straw, to the credit of the waiter he was very apologetic and dealt with it really well. The waiters and waitresses were really great people to deal with but it just seemed a bit of a mess allover there was no control or organisation. Tables were left untidy while people were waiting to get sat down and nobody dealing with them appreciate this was a busy time but it was more fawlty towers than Michelin and I’m not being harsh at that. Positives- they did deal with the complaint really well. The desserts were ok did enjoy. Thats about it but all the best in the future hopefully they can get back to being derbys number 1 restaurant as it’s a shame to see the standard drop

Firstly, there was no front house manager so had to queue and wait to be seated. Requested on the booking to be sat by the river and in the bar area. The waitress and waiter were really friendly however it seemed very short staffed, not very presentable and every man and his dog doing all sorts of roles. The food was atrocious, tasted like aunt Bessie’s roasties, beef was so tough, vegetables were tasteless, the best bit was the cauliflower cheese. The deserts were nice but still not Michelin standard. Always spoke so highly about Darleys as the last Sunday dinner was incredible, unfortunately I will not be returning for Sunday dinner. It needs to get a lot better before I would consider going for even breakfast, such a shame.

Absolutely fantastic service with a clean but cosy atmosphere and lovely views over the river. Yummy leek and potato starter we both could of licked our bowls, mains beetroot wellington and roast chicken were also nice however portion size was scary for myself ( roast chicken) that I could only manage 1/3 of my plate. Think I could of feed 3 people with the amount I had.

Despite pre ordering our lunch from the limited Sunday lunch menu we still waited over an hour for the starters to arrive and over an hour and half for our mains! No communication, barely saw a waiter and when the mains did finally arrive they were Luke warm. I’m not too sure how it’s classed as Michelin star. The potatoes tasted like Aunt Bessie’s.

Saturday night, so tasting menu only (which I hadn't spotted in advance). Unlike some tasting menus there was, in total, enough to add up to a meal, although very little starch or vegetables -- each course was basically a lump of protein with accompaniments. Everything looked good, nothing was bad, and the taste combinations were fine, although none was inspired -- no "wow" factor. The best of them was probably the lamb, beautifully cooked -- but a bit heavy and unbalanced, with two kinds of lamb but less than a mouthful in total of everything else. More of a problem was that three of the dishes were *very* salty -- one wouldn't really matter, but three is a bit much for the palate. On the basis of the food I'm a bit surprised that they made it into the Michelin guide -- this food had nothing like the quality, consistency or imagination of the Michelin-starred restaurants we go to in our home area. The main negative was the table -- one of a little row of three tables for two right by the door, so close together that you're basically part of each other's conversations. Service OK but not great -- they asked how it was after each course, but didn't really listen to the answers but instead responded with a bland "perfect", "fabulous" or similar. Yeah, overall, well, OK, but at £155 for two (including 10% service) it really needed to be genuinely, if not "perfect", then maybe "fabulous". If there'd been a continuous scale I'd have said maybe 3.2 stars. My wife, who's normally more positive than me, said 2.8.

Warm, nice and cozy restaurant/hotel. But get ready for the weather, now is sunny, now is raining, and now is snowing:))) The staff are very polite, and I had a really good coffee made it by Elena. Thanks Elena and Christina for your professional service . Thumb 👍

This is one of those place s you don't want to mention to too many people for fear you won't be able to make a reservation. Not for the first time our visit was top notch, superb food served with no rush but no long waits either, just right all the staff are friendly and efficient, all in calming surroundings. It was just perfect on every way.

So, just to explain the 4… I’m not a vegetarian but two of our group are and the choices were very limited. Also, we had to ask for drinks. Small thing however. The service overall was fabulous. Staff weren’t overbearing, knew all of the dishes and could explain the ingredients etc. We skipped starters. I had the beef - asked for it rare and it was cooked to total perfection. The flavours of the accompaniments were excellent and the sides didn’t disappoint either. They even did us mashed potatoes (which wasn’t on the menu) . Green beans with aged Parmesan and truffle were an absolute delight. Everything was cooked just right, no lost flavours and presented beautifully. We opted for cheese boards and tried all three desserts that were on offer. There wasn’t one cheese I didn’t like. The great thing about the desserts was the one I’d have least likely picked - turned out to be the most fabulous. Mont Blanc. Try it. You won’t be disappointed! I’m already looking at booking again and trying a different menu next time. If you want excellent food and a relaxed but elegant environment - this is the place to go. No rushing. Just relaxing. Plenty of time between courses but not too long. They’ve really worked it well. I loved it. Can’t wait to go back. It would’ve been a 5 but my veggie friends struggled with the lack choice. That’s all.

Friendly greeting and great service from Karlof (ably assisted by Julia). Wonderful food, my pate was delicious and my pork main was superb. A very rich toffee tart to finish which was so good! Excellent wine, a great atmosphere and lovely view while we ate. Perfect!

First time visit for Sunday lunch, very impressed by the quality and presentation of the food, great service and atmosphere a cut above other venues, many thanks.

Amazing experience! Everything it's perfect!

We came for Sunday lunch and the whole experience was absolutely incredible. The food was superb , the roast beef was absolutely perfectly cooked and delicious. The staff could not have been nicer and the whole service was fantastic. Definitely a place to return to.

Without doubt, the best roast beef I have ever had, superbly cooked. The whole lunch was fantastic and the service was absolutely brilliant.

Lovely food and impeccable service. Really nice birthday treat courtesy of my brother. Will definitely visit again.

Very disappointing breakfast. Very poor quality food badly cooked. So bad in fact that it was largely inedible. Cheap white bread, slimy congealed scrambled eggs, fatty soggy hash browns mediocre sausages and bacon. Not what you would expect from a fine dining establishment more like what you’d expect from a cheap transport cafe. Do yourself a favour and give it a miss. Service was slow and the restaurant was chilly. Great views but that was the only positive.

We had intended to visit since it opened but hadn’t, in part because I was unsure of parking, but I shouldn’t have worried, it couldn’t be simpler. You can park anywhere on evenings an weekends, or if just park on the Rugby Club car park which is allowed for visitors to Darleys, which is easiest of all. We went for breakfast and we were the first to arrive at 0900 on a Saturday morning between Christmas and the New Year. Rob greeted us at the door and showed us to the table, and gave us excellent service - professional, warm and friendly, a superb host who is rightly proud of his business. Breakfast was excellent in all respects. High quality ingredients on the cooked breakfast and other courses, all nicely presented, lovely large carafes of orange juice, and great coffee too. The surroundings, food and service simply can’t be faulted - the view out of the river is great too. When booking you’re asked whether it’s for a special occasion, and I responded with Birthday. A lovely surprise was a birthday card on the table with a long personalised message. I’ve only ever known this in very nice hotels, and never in a restaurant, a lovely touch. Highly recommended. This restaurant deserves it’s excellent reputation! Well done Rob & team.

Fabulous taster menu on Christmas Eve, food was absolutely divine with excellent service from Freya who was very knowledgeable about each course and was very attentive throughout our meal, thank you.

Had reservations as I'd read poor reviews about the quantity of food and service. WOW, the service was exceptional, we had to ask the waiter, to allow us time in between courses. The food was great quality, with excellent flavours. We stayed a little longer for cocktails as the ambience was lovely.

Arrived for a booked meal with friends to be presented with two menus and instructions that all four of us had to order from the same menu. The ‘traditional’ menu main courses was limited to either a venison, fish or a vegetarian main course. The ‘other’ menu was their Christmas option, at almost twice the price, which you could only consider to be Christmas because it included turkey and a Christmas pud. We left the resturant without ordering and walked to a nearby, fantastic, tapas restaurant that really knows how to cater for customers. We used to enjoy Darleys, but the current set up is a woefully inflexible and provides an underwhelming experience. We won’t be back!

Great food friendly efficient staff

I was looking forward to trying the food here but was actually quite disappointed by a few things. We ate off the set menu and found the beef main course underwhelming with not what I would call triple cooked chips. For dessert I opted for the cheese and biscuits but was told the goats cheese was sold out so I would only receive 4 cheeses. When it came out there were only 3 tiny squares of cheese with no explanation of the side accompaniments. A very basic cheese board with no chutney and no grapes etc. The service was only average too with very little attentiveness throughout the whole meal. Glad we tried it but probably won’t return.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary here with dinner as a treat from our daughter. We didn’t know about the restaurant previously, it was superb. The welcome and service were all very professional and friendly, it has a lovely ambience with nice views over the river. We ate from the a la carte menu but could easily have been tempted to try the taster (saved for next visit). The food was a delight, superbly presented and all courses were delicious. Good selection of drink and wine choices to accompany. We have eaten at very well known high end restaurants previously, the Darleys compares very favourably. Finally, the team that looked after us couldn’t have done more to ensure everything went well, the anniversary card was a nice touch.

We hadn’t been to Darleys since before lockdown and the new owners taking over. Having read some reviews we were a little anxious but we needn’t have worried. We decided to book and sample the Sunday lunch menu. We received a warm welcome on what was a miserable rainy and cool Sunday. We were shown to our table which had a view over the fast flowing river and were impressed with the restaurants makeover with modern contemporary design and ambience. The restaurant had a nice busy vibe and yet stayed relaxed. We were served by very friendly and professional staff who explained any queries. Drinks arrived quickly (a lovely bottle of English white wine, highly recommend) and then food order taken once we had decided. We opted for 3 courses (£35 pp) and each was delicious, served hot (when appropriate) and well presented. There was a pleasant gap between courses; no rushing to turn the tables that you get in some restaurants . Have to say that the roasts were the best we have had in a good while. We were celebrating our anniversary and the plate with the sweets on was a lovely touch. So the big question, would we go again. Most definitely yes. We would like to try the evening menu sometime so we will be back.

To be honest I was expecting small portions with a lot of taste when we booked for Sunday lunch. What we actually got was large portions with amazing taste. Well done Darleys on serving up an amazing meal with amazing flavours and the best mash potato I've ever had. The only slight issue I had and this is just personal preference, I would have preferred my beef cooking a little bit more, I could of asked for it to be cooked more but it is good to try something out of your comfort zone now and again. We will be returning

Just enjoyed a superb meal at Darleys. Trying their new Classic Menu and it was delightful with lots of really subtle flavours. Limited choice, as it is their lower cost option, but standards still excellent. Also quite busy, for an early Wednesday evening, so others have discovered!!

Very average Sunday lunch for the price point. £28 for two courses. Duck parfait was lovely, no complaints. However the Mains were lack lustre, everyone’s meat was on the tough side. Veg was more than al dente. Tenderstem side was uncooked in the thicker ends. Service and the restaurant itself were lovely. 10% service fee on 3 covers was a bit much. Skipped dessert and coffees. £6 for an americano…

Oh dear oh dear! First and last time. The worst breakfast I’ve had in a long time. Cold under cooked bacon. Cold mushroom slush. Why people would want fennel in there toast I do not not know. This is nowhere near 5 star food

My daughter wanted the ‘Darleys’ experience for her 17th birthday. Little things missing from the last time we went such as no bread with the meal, no hors d’ouevres, no sorbet in between meals to cleanse the pallet, no one brushing the crumbs off the table. These are all little things that add to the experience. I asked for a serving of broccoli with my main which turned up when I’d almost finished. The chocolate dessert was supposed to be warm was cold. There was only a few people in and no atmosphere. Just didn’t feel like the attention was there. Has got worse each time I have visited over the last three years.

Whenever we go to Darleys we say it can't get better - but it does. Delicious English sparkling wine to start. An amazing tasting menu that leaves you wanting more and marveling at the skills of the kitchen team - pretty plates with mind-blowing flavours and textures. Karlof, our waiter, looked after us really well and explained each dish as it arrived. Adding to the experience was sommelier, Patrice. He provided perfectly matched wines for each course and took the time to explain about the grapes and regions of each delicious glass. Was really impressed by his personal touch and incredible memory! Where else would one be treated to a personalised tasting? A fantastic night that was more than just food - it was an education too! Can't praise the whole team highly enough - we're definitely going back!

Outstanding. We had the 9 course tasting menu. A compatible wine suggestion from Patrice and we embarked on what I'd regard as a taste sensation, with generous measures throughout, beautifully presented with friendly service. There is a cheeseboard option at the end but we were full by then! Very highly recommended.

Came for lunch, lovely menu, good food, good value , staff were very attentive, good wine list. Wide range of creative dishes to choose from. Would love to come back and try the tasting menu!

Great value lunch with a 3 course set menu for 40gbp.

New kitchen staff brought in and it shows, the food that they now produce is simply divine, presentation and taste is absolutely wonderful. Also good to see some old faces returned to the waiting staff and again it shows in the professionalism that they show in going about their work, well done Lee and the rest of the team.

Unfortunately, the food and service let this place down greatly. The service was poor and the food was surprisingly terrible. We visited for sparkling breakfast, food was cold, some of it dry and difficult to cut - when it shouldn’t be! I had a piece of fish hidden in a meal that wasn’t meant to be there, when I mentioned this to the waiter he was at first apologetic, then when he returned with my replacement meal he said it was only a small amount of fish anyway! Luckily I am only vegetarian and haven’t got a server allergy as I ate the larger part of it! Very let down and won’t be returning.

We had a fabulous late lunch at Darley’s today. It’s a guaranteed favourite for us, having been 3 or 4 times now, we absolutely love the combination of food and service. I could let anyone choose my meals from the menu for me because it’s all sublime. Today I tried the Cornish crab which was rich and succulent meat with a sweetly steamed bun, beautiful! This followed by the stuffed chicken which was just a voyage of tastes and texture. We did miss the outstanding Sommelier from our last visit (Patrice) but the excellent wine list will keep you busy regardless. If you’re a foodie and you haven’t tried it yet; you’re missing out!

A birthday lunch for my daughter. The food was exquisite and the service was really top notch. I hope we get another opportunity to visit.

Beautiful place, with stunning scenery and amazing food. Visiting family in Derby and what a fabulous way to end our weekend.

3 course Sunday lunch was exceptional. The main course, three meats with roasted vegetables was the best I've ever had. Nice staff & locally brewed ales.

Lunch. Beautiful waterfront location in Derby. We've not been here since their makeover. They do a set lunch menu. Two course £32 three course £40. Before starters, you are served a Chefs House snack. Followed by warm caraway & rye sourdough with cultured butter. Starters Chalk Stream Trout Kalamansi, crab bisque, melon. English Peas Chanterelle, housemade smoked ricotta, redcurrant. Mains Pan-fried Cornish Cod Kohlrabi, mussel velouté, coastal herbs, confit ratte potato. Rump of Beef Pomme anna, kimchi ketchup, ox cheek, roscoff. £4 supplement. We didn't have desserts as the courses were filling enough. The restaurant looks very smart and modern. Staff were lovely, and the chefs even served some of the dishes at the table.

Excellent food and service , particularly enjoyed the English red wine ! Easily the best restaurant in derby ⭐️

Excellent food and wine. Good value for money for the quality of the food and portion sizes just right. Lovely view over the weir and nicely decorated inside. Would definitely visit again.

For the prices charged one would expect an experienced restaurant manager overseeing and advising the staff on correct protocol, food was very nice but not value for money and drinks very overpriced too, and sadly all the construction around the building was a big eye sore. We won’t be returning I’m afraid.

Wow. First visit since old darleys so a little apprehensive but got to say I think it was better. The food was fabulous, the sort of food you discuss at the end to decide what the flavours were. Great wine and personal service.... Loved it.

Disappointed with the overall experience. We have dined at Darleys a couple of times and both times left underwhelmed by the whole experience. Visited last night, sat on the terrace and had a drink which was lovely. Then we decided to have the ‘table d’hote’. The snack came out burnt and didn’t taste of a great deal. The potato and truffle veloute was delicious but it was missing the potato crisp. We mentioned this to the server but didn’t get an answer. The beef was disappointing, just lacked anything particularly special on the plate. The dessert was very tasty. We had a glass of wine with the main and mine was full of sediment at the bottom (even still had a grape stalk in it!). This obviously came from the dregs of the bottle and left a sour taste from an otherwise nice glass of wine. Surely this should be being checked considering the prices of wine??? Summarising…lovely decor, lovely staff (maybe some more knowledge on the dishes being served would be good), food has good and bad elements.

Wonderful lunch with my girl friends, Fantastic service from all staff especially Julia who really looked after us and has a great sense of humour! She had to have to cope with our party :) Can’t wait to return Susi B x

Lovely meal and location. Julia service and attention was excellent .

Lovely restaurant in the old part of Derby. Next to the weir at Darleys old mill. Food was superb, all dishes just right and the staff are all very attentive without being over bearing

Totally ruined this place! Only had a drink and left, didn't want to eat there. Not the same anymore.

Quite simply incredible, an absolute must if you like fine dining. Thank you for a great experience everytime.

Not the place I remember, dining area like a canteen, taster menu or nothing else! Won't be going back. Follow up review today as I feel vindicated looking at other reviews where it looks like the restaurant has spoilt customers events. We went a year ago and I felt then the pretentious changes wouldn't last. £70 taster menu or nothing was the choice given to my wife and I, we left before we spent any money, with the nagging anxiety that they would deduct money from our credit card details they took when we booked, thoroughly spoilt our evening. Readers of this might feel I have an axe to grind...I have. This company seems to have forgotten how to treat paying customers.

⭐️ We ate at Darley’s last night and what a wonderful experience it was! The food was phenomenal, the staff were polite, friendly and attentive and the setting, despite the torrential rain, was incredible. Would highly recommend for a special occasion or for culinary adventurers looking for new things to try! Thank you for a lovely evening, we will be back ⭐️

I wouldn't exactly say it was "fine dining" like it claims to be. Yes the setting is gorgeous and the decor is really nice, but the food was lacking in seasoning and was a touch on the cold side. The service, whilst attentive, felt robotic without the warmth one would expect from such an establishment. The waitresses huddled around the kitchen door chatting most of the time which felt unprofessional. It was quite expencive, £150 for 3 (small) courses, wine and bread. Darleys should take note from Stones in Matlock, or Cleaver and Wake in Nottingham. Didn't live up to the hype I'm afraid.

Under new ownership which have really delivered

Stunning location for a fabulous restaurant.

I really want to like this restaurant but once again it was a big disappointment. Went there with family for a big celebration and it was rather embarrassing. The service was awful, mainly due to the lack of staff and training. Had to wait a long time for menus, drinks and eventually food. The food was 'OK' but the fish came with no sauce. The waitress went get it but by the time it arrived the meal was cold. The potatoes were bullet hard and inedible. The kitchen seemed to be in chaos. Couldn't wait to leave and won't return,

Called in for a coffee. We asked to sit outside overlooking the river. Lovely view. However we left waiting for waiter to come back to take our oder. So I went in to ask for 2 coffees and 2. cakes. Was told there were only 2 choices of cake! So we decided on one of each. Coffee was bought to us a good 10mins after order cakes filled 5 mins after. There was no urgencies in bringing this to us. I feel its because we didn't stay for lunch. This was early doors abt 11ish. The board outside clearly stated coffee and cake. Not been back since.

Nice food and a reasonable priced lunch but the marketing could be better. Advertised as a 5 course lunch for £30 which seems OK. 10% is added automatically so you would have to have a good reason to only pay £30. Then the menu they give you say two courses are complimentary! So isn't that a 3 course meal for £33 with complimentary bread and butter and soup? I would rather they just didn't say that two were complimentary personally.

What a setting. Located on the banks of the beautiful river derwent. We loved the scenery and atmosphere. The food was a little pricey and my starter looked like a crayfish caught from the river but tasted exquisite. Beautiful decor and I'm sure I spotted a salmon leaping down the weir.......how exciting!

A nice place with lovely surroundings. Food was gorgeous, great welcoming and service. Only hassle is parking. Will definitely be returning.

Four stars for the food, three for the service. The service seemed a bit disjointed and not on par to a “fine dining restaurant” standard bearing in mind the restaurant was not full either. More care and attention needed in the service but all together a nice evening out

Had a girls lunch the celebrate my special birthday and I could not be happier with everything. Thanks so much 👍👍

I have severe allergies so dining out is often a stressful experience, the staff were great with ensuring everything was allergy-safe (and very patient with my repeatedly asking if food was ok). Much appreciated, thank you!

Having previously visited and was very impressed with the champagne breakfast, a return visit was a must! Today we went back as a group of friends and was highly disappointed. We all had a cooked breakfast which was as very underwhelming. Black pudding was missing, strange lump of mashed potato, 1 tomato 1 sausage, 1 small price of bacon, part cooked mushroom, teaspoon of beans and a small quarter of hard bread. This roughly worked out at £2 per item! I asked where the back pudding was, it was missing due to the kitchen 'having a bad day". Front of house mentioned we had extra items to make up for it but we didn't The gentleman taking the orders was very apologetic, polite and professional in dealing with out complaints. He took 25% off the mains. Sorry Darlys today you produced a naff breakfast, over priced and not upto your acclaimed standards. Theres way better out there so this group of 6 will not return. Thank you to the gentleman server he did his best to right things

Nice place with pre meal drinks on the outside decking over looking the river. Very nice. Inside was nice although very cold as had air con on too high. Food was just OK and portion sizes very small so was disappointed. Ordered desert but hadn't arrived for over half an hour so cancelled. Was really wanting to enjoy the place but left a bit disappointed

Excellent food, great service and lovely ambience, looking over the river. Highly recommend.

Amazing food, not cheap but definitely quality

It is a beautiful place on the bank of the river derwent at the wier.

Perfection in catering, they made our day superb

Having been several times before we had high hopes but unfortunately had a terrible experience. Drinks and sommelier were great but food and service was shockingly bad. Raw veg on most courses. Cold dishes. Parts of dishes missing. Courses missed (bread). Long time to be served anything. Poor attitude from some staff when we complained. Completely ruined an anniversary meal and stunned that this is in the michelin guide based on this experience.

Excellent meal, excellent service, very pleasant staff

A memorable experience having the taster menu and paired wines. Patrice the sommelier, in particular, was very attentive and happy to discuss the wines being served in detail. The food was fabulous. Pricing means that its only for a very special occasion for most people, but as foodies my wife and i found it a wonderful experience.

Managed to fit us in even though we hadn't booked, the staff were very kind.....I had a glass of Chardonnay which I was not quite sure about (I'm not a wine expert and I never like to make a fuss) when I questioned it they immediately changed it for me and didn't mind changing it. They asked us if we would like to sit and have a drink on the terrace before we ate and it was lovely, I felt like I was on holiday, I would definitely go again. Just remembered....I had the cheese board and when I ran out of cheese biscuits they kindly got some more for me

Excellent. Beautiful views over the river. Made the coffee and cake even more enjoyable.

April 2023 Food and wine 4 star; service (and follow up) 1 star. The text below "We were impressed..." was provided after my wife, daughter and son-in-law and friends booked a table and visited on 22 April 2023. I wrote to the co-owner Mr Ellis, personally hand delivering the letter to Darleys on Fri 28 April, had to follow up on 14 May by email asking if I could expect a response. I received a reply by email on 18 May addressing points raised, thanking us for our feedback and "...and hope you do decide to give us a chance to prove that we can indeed get it right...". Sorry Mr Ellis, I think it unlikely I will be visiting Darleys again. Very disappointing. We were impressed with the food and the English wine though were extremely disappointed with the service received. There appeared many staff on the floor (most of whom appeared quite junior) and we waited some time for our drinks and food order to be taken. When we did receive our starters, mine had an item missing, was returned to the kitchen and had the black pudding placed on the plate I had started eating. We felt ignored by the sommelier, though the older gentleman who brought the second bottle of wine was much more approachable as was the young gentleman who delivered and topped up water. The waitress whilst not unfriendly did not develop a rapport with our table and many aspects of the evening felt very “transactional”. We appreciate catering for the public can be difficult and understand the difficulties sourcing staff who wish to pursue a career in hospitality were disappointed with the service offered, particularly for this establishment and at these prices. The following day we went to a farm shop near Duffield and the service from equally young people was excellent (to the extent that I commented on this).

I will be writing to Management about my dining experience today. Suffice to say, I have several issues...I genuinely don't want to trash their business.

Excellent food fare. Well presented

What an incredible experience, the food was outstanding the wine recommendations were next level. We have a wonderful time. Thank you

Lovely breakfast there with a friend. Impeccable service and the food was delicious. Beautiful views over the River.

The first time I visited Darley's Restaurant & Terrace was for dinner. It was a bit of a messy experience, however, it was kind of expected with the restaurant only just reopening after their refurbishment, so an instant review was excused. My second visit was for an evening meal. It was a mediocre experience, with the food being up to par, but I just didn't feel the service was what you would expect from an establishment of this manner. My third & most recent visit was for lunch & our occasion was faultless. The food was very well presented, with a vast amount of creativity put into each dish, with a generous proportion sizes & the finer details duly noted. As for the service received this time round, it really was impeccable. I felt my third experience at Darley's warranted its feature on the Michelin Guide & it's double AA Rosette award. In conclusion; Darley's offers a great view out over the river & the weir. It is a stylish place with eye-catching décor; & if you can, try for a table on the narrow terrace or beside the window on the upper level for the perfect views. If I had had my third experience twice over, this place would be a 5/5 star, however, due to my previous experience, I will have to give this a 4/5 star, however, if my fourth visit is as the third, I will change my rating to a 5/5 star.

Mwah...lacks finesse and quality, in food as well as service. Great location not living up to its potential, hope they improve!

Beautiful my first time here .Went with my Daughter & Son in law for Mothers Day .Really enjoyed the meal staff were very caring

Incredible fine dining - everything was delicious but very rich which was great for me however my wife would have preferred a plainer set of sides to pallete cleanse. Highly recommended

Lovely sparking breakfast. Very well looked after by the staff who go out of their way to make you feel special.

Celebrating my birthday this evening with my husband. Staff were helpful and welcoming. The food was sublime and the wine delicious. Loved the extra touches , birthday card and little chocs that we took home .

Excellent food. lovely staff. Pretty location. Small portions though and rather expensive ( budget £80 a head and expect to need a snack later ).

No parking. Cold near door. Food at best average. Sorry