Foresters bar & restaurant in Derbyshire Dales

We love this place the decor is amazing and so relaxing that matches the whole feel of darwin forest weve been here a few times it started in 2022 when we stayed after our wedding and the food was delicious a year later we stayed again and came a few times as everything is perfect its like eating at a michilin star restraunt the way the food tastes and is presented it amazing the staff are so friendly and helpful its always a massive treat coming here. We came again today for our 2 year wedding anniversary and was once again not disapointed it was the sunday roadt but they had every type of meat to make it your own sunday roast everything was cooked to perfection the starters were incredable it was like watching a proffesional cooking show the desserts were great too and everything had such big portions everything was like the other times weve come ....perfect thank you for another fantastic meal at foresters restaurant we look forward to eating here again foresters really adds to what makes darwin forest special for us All our thanks The whitehead family

Love the staff in this place, they are beyond friendly and helpful. Definitely it's best asset. We ate here twice during our stay, first meal from the brunch / lunch menu was great. The only comment would be that not everyone likes chibatta so it would be good to offer an alternative. Chicken burger is epic Second meal was a bit of a car crash, Sunday roast doesn't work if you don't get things like the accompanying vegetables right and this was definitely the case. It's not exactly cheap either so you kinda need the food to reflect that. I'm sure the ingredients were good quality but the cook was not... Decent range of soft drinks, beers and wines. Atmosphere is a tad dry. Finally worth noting that the bar is dog friendly so if you are allergic book for the main restaurant.

I was a bit worried because I had read mixed reviews, however I was plsrantly surprised the food was good quality, hot and presented nicely. We were a group of 24 and the staff worked hard to make it a memorable occasion. We used the conservatory area and was able to decorate it in advance. We had a table for the children also well as several for the adults. A great atmosphere and the staff were great.

Best bit of lamb I’d had in years. Really friendly, attentive staff. Went back the next night and had the same meal as it was so good.

A highly underrated restaurant, absolutely brilliant food the past few times I have visited here. Many other restaurants in Derbyshire could learn a thing or two from the staff who work there. Good stuff Foresters bar & restaurant!

Had a take out and dined in during a recent stay in the park. The take away pizza was fairly poor, no one finished theirs, too much tomato sauce and oily. Dine in was adequate. On arrival immediately informed us 40min wait for food. Good they let us know, but don't understand how they're not prepared. The occupancy of the park is well known, so they should be able to cater for the demand. Food was ok, nothing special, and didn't chance a dessert. Would only recommend if you're stuck for a meal, otherwise they're plenty of great alternatives in Matlock and Chesterfield. Would come to the park again, just would skip the restaurant.

We were staying on-site and went on the first night. Food was excellent. So good we decided to visit again two days later and the food was equally as good. From my experience, on-site food in places like this can be very hit-and-miss, but Foresters was very different. Special mention to Tom as well who went above and beyond with his customer service. Would happily recommend to anyone staying at Darwin.

Food excellent at a good price. Have already booked a return visit.

did not take drinks order got wine when I finished starter one starter missing had to ask for it food not brilliant

Accommodated us last min with no booking as we got to the resort late so 5 stars for the service . Food again fabulous- Pizza is lovely . Friendly helpful staff.Well stocked Bar .The warm welcome made us come back 3 times in the 3 days we stayed thank you.Family of 4 with a dog .

Very tasty reasonably priced food ,staff very friendly and helpful .

Great food and great value for money.

We had a 80th birthday with family. Excellent

Absolutely delighted all round 🥰

Went for the fireworks , can't complain as the burger was free, it does seem expensive though when you pay over £4 for a bowl of chips, it's off the beaten track so I would say primary audience are those that stay in the accommodation.

Friendly and helpful and a super location

Great menu, and quality of food. The staff are really friendly and welcoming. Nice relaxing atmosphere, the waiting time between courses is spot on, and the staff are excellent at spotting when the customer needs them, without "hovering around". My wife and myself really enjoyed eating here during our stay in Darwin Forest, and the restaurant/bar really fits in well with the quality of the site, and relaxed feel. Highly recommended 👌

Very polite and helpful staff food was good and very reasonable would go there again, booking recommend.

Lovely food and great service, highly recommend. Unusually good food for a caravan/holiday park restaurant. We will be going back.

Great choice of beverages, the quality of the food was very very good and the staff were all brilliant very attentive and Friendly we very much enjoyed our time spent in here 😀

Lovely meal. We weren't staying on the park but visited on recommendation & weren't disappointed. Great service & overall good dining experience

Has the pork medallions on bubble and squeak with tenderstem broccoli and rice pudding, the whole meal was beautiful. Very enjoyable, I will definitely be visiting again.

Food really good and reasonable prices. Staff friendly

Was really pleased with the food and service.

Nice food, conveniently on site for Darwin lodges so no driving involved, friendly staff and dogs allowed.

Excellent holiday park and facilities great .good food and friendly staff. Had a wonderful long weekend and will definately return later in the year.

Great facility for families and friends lovely Sunday lunch

We had a fab 4 night stay at Darwin Forest and ate in the restaurant every nite food was amazing and staff so very nice. Look forward to returning.

Great food and lovely staff. Dog friendly too

Lovely food in nice surroundings and dog friendly even if eating in the bar

Myself, husband and daughter dined here twice during our 4 night stay at Darwin forest. Once on the 14th of march and again on the 16th. On the 14th we had a lovely evening, we were seated in the main resteraunt on arrival, it wasn't busy but there were a few other families seated around us, there was nice atmosphere, we had our order taken at the table, the food came out quickly and was delicious hot and fresh. We were looking forward to our next reservation here a couple days later however we did not have a good experience the second time. We arrived at 4.45 ( our reservation was for 5pm) , as we were alittle early we took a seat in the bar area and went to the bar to get drinks. We did notice the door to the main resteraunt was closed. The bar lady asked that we bare with her as she was alone for the next 10 minutes ( fair enough) . We got our drinks and sat and enjoyed them. It got close to 5pm so I approached the bar and asked if we could be seated at our table as we had a reservation.. we were told that as it wasn't busy they weren't seating people in the main resteraunt and that I could order food to the table we were already sat at - next to the door - on a sofa - low table. I told the lady this wouldn't be suitable as we needed a table suitable for a highchair for our daughter. She then went into the seating area of the bar and found us a table. I don't believe this table was reserved for us it just happened to be empty ( so I'm unsure what would have happened if the tables were all taken) . This dining room adjacent to the bar was full of tables all packed together quite tightly and all tables were taken with families with children - it was very loud and overbearing in there. We were also seated next to a dogs water bowl which personally given the choice I'd rather not dine for an evening meal where dogs are allowed during the day. We were asked to place orders at the bar which we did and the food came out quickly and the only saving grace was that the food again was hot fresh and tasty. My complaint really is that why would the resteraunt pack all their diners into one small bar dining area when they have a whole lovely resteraunt they could use. I made reservations for the resteraunt not for a bar. I've never had 2 such different experiences in the same resteraunt in such a short space of time! May I also add that none of this of course was the bar ladies fault and she did the best she could on her own. I can only guess that they couldn't open the resteraunt side because they didn't have enough staff to run it.

Lovely place and lovely food. We had to ask for the waitress to come take our order mind. Not sue they saw us in the conservatory. Son had the steak, hubby had gammon and DIL had a lovely vegan pie which she really enjoyed. We would go again. Staff very friendly

Really lovely, independent, restaurant and bar. Great choice of beer and food. Staff are all great, an asset to the country park. Evening meals and Sunday roasts were delicious, and the service was excellent. Well done to the team.

Wetherspoons food, being generous.

Empty restaurant wouldn't serve us without a reservation and nearly 3 hours before closing. Passed an hour later and still just as empty. Shouldn't advertise it as a facility at the park if you don't want our money. I've only just read the the response to this review and what absolute nonsense. We drove past multiple times throughout the evening and the restaurant was virtually empty every time. To make it sound like I was trying to get a table in a fully booked restaurant just before xmas is a gross misrepresentation of the situation. Landal needs to sort this out as they have lazy/incompetent staff turning away business and then lying in review responses to try and cover themselves.

I would certainly dine outside the park given our experience , however if you want to drink & not drive then your stuck with this place !!!

Not a great food choice. Monday 3 mains meals not available 😥 quite expensive for wot it is.

Friendly and efficient service and good quality food

Excellent food, at a very reasonable price.

First thought was that the prices were a little high for what looks like simple grub But wow. Portion sizes were more than enough (I couldn't finish,,,), however more importantly, the food was delicious. One of our party exclaimed that the chips were the best he had had! Children's meals were fine for up to teens. Service was good too. I definitely recommend you eat on-site at least once during your stay. We were to full to try desserts, but they sounded good. PS. Bonus points for using Stokes ketchup.

What a shame. Perfect example of untrained staff. Service was appalling, nothing cleared away and food delivered on top of each other. Really spoiled the experience. And check your bill. They seem unable to add up and mysterious unordered drinks turn up in your bill. Let's the whole Park down badly

Went for food but was told to pre book. Nobody told us this before hand. The staff were all young school leavers with no smile or knowledge between them. One member of staff gave me none alcohlic cider without even asking if i wanted none alcoholic but fair dues to the manager, she replaced it with a free one. My partner asked for a bitter and the staff member had no idea what that was.

Soft drinks cola etc. were very expensive £3.65 per glass. Over the top!!! That's the most have I havehad to pay anywhere.

Staying at Darwin Forest, so thought we would try this place out. Food is certainly not of restaurant quality but you still pay restaurant prices. I had the Foresters burger meal, which consists of a slice of cheese, burger, slice of tomato and some dry salad leaves set inside a brioche bun. It was very dry, chewy and lacked taste, could barely eat half of it. At the side there was chunky chips which were okay, and again some salad leafs with the odd cherry tomato, (no salad dressing) very unappetising. My glass that I was given for my drink also had a foul smell to it, so couldn't drink that either. The waitresses were nice and generally the place has a nice feel to it, but the food let's this place down. As someone else said, this place would not last long if it were in town with nearby competition. A regrettable experience to say the least, which is ashame as the every other part of our stay at Darwin has been really good.

They didn't know what they were doing or what was expected of them

We had two excellent meals and the afternoon tea was the best we've had. It was great they allowed dogs in too. Wish it was closer to home because we'd definitely pop in. Staff were brilliant too.

Pleasantly surprised! We had a mixture of baguettes and main meals such as ham egg and chips. All were great value, especially the baguettes which were huge with amazing salads. The bar also had local ales at reasonable prices.

Good meal, starters were really good. Large portions on mains. Decent drinks selection.

Lovely interior and atmosphere. Really sweet and accommodating also. The pizzas were lovely and as were the chips.

Excellent service!! excellent food!! Highly recommended!!

Great staff, an interesting menu, it would be nice to have a few more traditional pub grub items, but something for everyone

Very pleasant staff. Food is very reasonable.

Friendly, good service, with a good choice of food and drink.

Friendly helpful staff, lovely food but not much choice on the evening menu

Staying for xmas .Having a great time but the foresters isnt the same as it used to be .Didnt open xmas day not even for drinks the first time in my memory .

Food was tasty, staff were friendly, beer was cold.... what more do you want?

The waiters and waitresses are very friendly in their work, I give them a 10 rating. Perfect.

Most of the staff are very nice, some not so. Just my experience . Reception staff are worse than Reception staff at the doctors 🙄. Bar staff all good 👍 👏

We where the only people in there having a drink when we visited. But at the price they charged I can see why!

Friendly Bar and Restaurant. Good portions

Menu limited at the moment due to staff shortage but very clean helpful staff....Sunday dinner was beautiful

Lovely restaurant, food was nice and service good.

Have been lots of times before this is the last,we know we had to book for restaurant but we were not told that even though bar was empty they were not serving food due to covid and short staffed,some birthday this has turned out to be. The prices are higher the services is terrible,they have more bar staff now compared to before covid but no food at the bar.

Good pub, great staff, good few beers and had excellent cocktail

Gorgeous pub grub, attentive staff, only down point was no walk in food tables permitted due to low staff numbers

Clean, modern with good food and service nice place too.

My family and I ate here twice during a stay at Darwin Forest. The staff were friendly, the food was good value and the service good, especially given the challenging circumstances of Covid. The fish finger sandwich special is definitely recommended.

Very helpful staff, thoroughly enjoyed the meal

Had a Sunday lunch there, very good, staff helpful and friendly x

Great selection of beers,staff very pleasant

When we went it was after the first lock down and they didn't have much on the menu. But very pleasant staff

Lovely place, nice and friendly staff. The only problem was the burgers. Completely dry and overcooked, with no sauce at all. The chips and crab salad was good and the steak was a tiny bit overcooked, but ok.

Had a nice cool beer after a long dog walk Friendly staff

We had our Sunday dinner here and I have to say we all enjoyed the food clean restaurant staff were excellent

Food is ok not a great choice on the menu and drinks are a little pricey

Nice pub but the Ales needed pulling through. Hadn't been done so beer wasn't great. Meal was excellent

Food average but Covid measures not great as sit guests together less than a metre apart on tables when restaurant is empty and other options 6 metres plus apart are available

The food was average but it's ideally located to enjoy a few drinks. The staff are also nice and helpful.

Staff are always friendly and attentive. Only ate here once and the food was average. Recently you can't get to eat with out pre booking.

The staff was great, but the food was a bit dry.

Waited an hour for our Sunday lunch, even though the restaurant was not full. Diners arriving after us had their meals before us. With 2 young children in our party, who were getting hungry we would not recommend eating here. The meal arrived, after we complained about the excessive wait. The childrens meals were dire looked like they had been thrown onto the very hot plates. Why the waiting staff failed to notice we had been sat at the table without our food for over an hour is beyond me. The supervisor did apologise but I would suggest staff training is required.

Friendly Staff, good service.. Great beer..

Ordered a takeaway from here - was disappointed by price, quality, choice and temperature. Pie of the day sounds good but we got Pukka pies that were almost impossible to break into but were cold once we did. Ordered peas (the only veg on offer) but received mushy peas -not the same. Have since eaten out in the area and had take always from town, all much better and cheaper. Not recommended for take away option.

We came here on our first day staying at Landal, the food is over priced for what it is, very salty and over fried some of it. The staff are friendly though.

Beautiful setting, there is a nice gazebo to sit in out the sun around the side of the restaurant. Had a small issue but swiftly resolved by the team.

Very nicely presented and friendly staff. The food is a bit lacking on quality though and the pizza was very strange. This is a big shame as the restaurant has a lot of potential!

Very nice inside service as expected due to c o v I d

Great! Goos quality homely food.

Lovely friendly welcome, great staff and lovely food.

Really disappointed, big chunk of the food inedible, very little consideration for our comments... We will avoid it now, and so should you

Nice building, good simple food however the service was very poor

Always consistent. Shane there is currently no draft bitter.

Great food, friendly staff. Easily catered for a group of 15. Would definitely recommend 🙂

Waste of time having a restaurant on site if they are unable to serve food when the place is almost empty..... Came in on Saturday, the restaurant was almost empty, got told that they were fully booked. got sent into to bar to order, the menu only has a few options on it, so picked one, the bar staff said that the chef can not take any more orders. Had to leave site and eat at nearby hotel. The restaurant also smells awful, no functioning ventilation.

Friendly staff food good in bar. Not much choice but they will allow you to alter yr food menu. Dog friendly and staff make a point of welcoming you and your pet .

Good food everytime ' ive noticed a price increase since last time

Nice food staff are lovely & helpful

Beautiful place. Wish there was one near where I live

Staff are friendly, polite and can't do enough to help you. Food was excellent.

Almost 5 stars, the first meal we had the friday was excellent, generous portion sizes and very enjoyable. The sunday beef roast however was lacking, both dishes were served with some poor cuts of beef unfortunately. But the gravy was very tasty as well as the veg. Great service and the staff are always on hand to help. The Gin here is a must, it's some of the finest I've tasted.