Joiners Arms in Amber Valley

Me and my partner went for lunch and were very impressed with the excellent service and quality of food , our overall experience was amazing ……….

We have been to this chain many times over the years and always had a good experience but we came for my partners birthday and sat in the garden room. Firstly, we were absolutely freezing, so eventually asked to move tables but were equally as cold in the new position. Secondly, when seated nobody advised us that you now order through the app, we haven’t been for a while so not sure when this changed. So after sitting for a while we realised it mentioned it on the menu. I may have missed something on the app but then our yakatori stick starters and mains came out together! We were not asked when food came out if we wanted more drinks, my partner would have but it seemed too much effort to ordered 1 beer through the app and staff barely seemed to come by the table. The chocolate gelato had also sold out when we came to pudding which ruled a number of options out so again were quite disappointed with our experience this time. It was easier to pay up and go. The actual food was nice quality but unfortunately the whole experience wasn’t great.

My partner and I have visited this place many times but the same issues crops up which done may consider minor but is nonetheless annoying, Good points - lovely venue especially in the Garden Room, excellent staff friendly and attentive. We usually have Sirloin Steak with peppercorn sauce - very good quality and cooked to perfection. I drink Prosecco and the measures of this when provided differ wildly. Sometimes the glass is half full, sometimes much less than half full but never once when I have visited has the amount in the glass been consistent. Premium prices are charged so surely the glass could be at least three quarters full ( it isn’t served in a huge glass anyway) and why do different staff serve different amounts. I have watched them pour it out and it is very random guesswork and very poor value to the customer, I would be interested to hear your feedback on this ?

Always nice to eat at the Joiners ... recommend booking , staff really busy , maybe couple more staff needed ! can be a wait at the bar .

Great pub with decent sensibly priced food

Great atmosphere and enjoyable tasty food.

5th February was our 53rd Anniversary of meeting meal. We met between 19:30 and 20:00 in 1972, a day that changed our lives for ever and we wanted to have a romantic meal to celebrate that meeting. My wife booked a table for two under the wonderful pink blossom tree and we were gifted the wonderful Rose who looked after us so wonderfully and even made us a slate celebration dedication which we loved so much. Rose, you were amazing, thank YOU The main meal was excellent and our dessert was delicious too. We are back on the strength of this evening for a double birthday celebration (Son and Grandson) on Saturday afternoon and we look forward to enjoying a great atmosphere once again.

Food not nice for the price , two had very greasy fish and chips one had steak on a stick got 4 pieces .

Always love visiting here for a meal and their cocktails! Friendly attentive staff. Reasonably priced too, excellent quality of food!

Birthday meal for hubby. Absolutely spot on Thai chicken wow .update 08/0225 Grandaughters birthday treat. Absolutely fantastic meal and service. Ordered balloons before hand. Ready on table when we arrived. Then at the end she received a tray with happy birthday onit and chocolate ice cream then sweats .which we thought went above excellent service.

Food and atmosphere was lovely but service was poor. We had to ask for drinks and asked for refills throughout our time there. No check back on food when it was delivered and then the waitress tried to clear plates before everyone had finished eating.

Lovely food, great service, probably don't need the background music though.

Booked a table for 17:00 and was told that someone would take our order in 30 mins, when they start their shift. Food was ok, fish and chips served in a wooden box, very greasy but plenty to eat. Disappointing selection of draught beers, asked for a pale ale, but the bar person did not know what that was and gave me a dark beer.

Lovely atmosphere and great service but the good is just average and the menu never gets changed.nothing bad to say just wouldn't be going back in a hurry.

Busy but had no impact on the quality of the service or food. Very good value for money.

You need to book. Great place, amazing food but very busy, suggest you plan ahead and book otherwise you may struggle. There is a great selection of drinks and mocktails, an amazing selection of food and sharing dishes and it was all very tasty. The staff are friendly but as it is so busy the service is quite slow so do not expect a swift visit. Great for kids and families. Will be back next time visiting the area.

This has different areas. Good choice of beers and drinks. food is good value. The atmosphere is cosy.

Enjoyed all our meals, very nice place and great atmosphere. Would recommend

We always pick the garden lounge Amazing atmosphere, as always Amazing service and food . We have retured many times and will continue to do so

The food was absolutely on point, recommend the pizza

Had a meal made a Complaint about a burger being soar . Meat and smell was awful . Nothing said after no interaction from the staff . It’s shame has this used to be a good place . It seems staff are not bothered in customer satisfaction. I will certainly avoid this venue in the future . Shame on you

Awful choice for gluten-free diners who don't eat meat.

Garden tree room is incredible and service is 10/10. 100% recommend

Great atmosphere, lovely food, very good value and well looked after by Mike, many thanks

Can't complain about the food tasty hot well presented apart from the ridiculous amount of rocket on pizza please loose the rocket no need for it serves no purpose I am a ex chef it's just to much

Fabulous place for a Xmas meal out, lovely staff, plenty of parking. Looking forward to returning.

The place overall was nice and “aesthetic” especially the blossom tree area however the staff however seemed to have a problem with poc (people of colour) entering the place, as I sat with my family the staff seemed to have some chatter about us and would constantly give us weird stares besides two ladies that we spoke to there, and when it came to reservations they first were ok with us booking another table for two others however they made up an excuse as to why we had to give up our reservation. It just overall depressing as poc and the experience here..do better!

Good but not as good as past years

Simpliy beautiful. Everything is just done right.

This is a very special Pub/restaurant for different interesting food and ambience, but what sets this apart is the wonderful, friendly, professional staff who seem to genuinely like doing the best for the customers. It’s also my Mums favourite place too. She always gets looked after so well and thanks to everyone for your kindness for a very old lady 😊

Food and service was fantastic highly recommended 👌

We have been here many times and found the food and service to be very good. Unfortunately this was not the case on the 16th in the afternoon. Very poor service, had to clear our own table to make room for puddings. Asked for an old fashioned .... drink. Staff said No we do not do them as we don't have the ingrediencies ? Why ? Very popular drink ... why not?? Regarding the food, i ordered a turkey dinner. This was the most deconstructed meal i have had in my life. 10 , yes 10 bullet pigs in blankets, turkey dry, the stuffing looked like it came out of a plastic packet. No mash, rock hard roast potatoes and the black plastic flat plate that was sat within a proper plate was just silly to eat my food off. The best thing on the plate was the fresh cranberries ! Sorry this was not nice ! How can you get this simple hearty meal so wrong. Such a shame.

We went for our family Christmas get together on Saturday, there was a mix up with the table booking, but it was sorted and we got the table we booked. I just wanted to do a big shout out to Olivia, she looked after us amazingly, a real credit to the company! Thank you to the whole team we had a lovely time 🎄

We had a wonderful Christmas Turkey dinner yesterday at the Joiners Arms - the best we have ever had at a pub or restaurant. Really friendly staff too .. well done We will be back Steve & Jackie

Good food and atmosphere but can get quite busy on evenings even on a random weekdays. Good size portions of food. Suggest you pre-book in advance if having food.

Nice pub which is huge and cosy both at the same time. The food is great, though they did have several things from the menu that I wanted to order and was then told they weren't available/had run out.

Beautiful place - we were in the Garden Restaurant. The decorations were outstanding. The waitress was really attentive - took our drinks order and let us some time to study the menu. Although it was a Christmas outing it was lovely that there was a full menu to choose from, suiting all our party. Three of us had the Christmas Turkey - wow what a plate of food. Well cooked, well presented and delicious. The desserts were something special too - 2 of us had the Strawberry Stick - strawberries coated in chocolate, one person had the Christmas Pudding stick and the other had the ice cream sandwich. The whole meal was excellent. Will definitely be visiting again.

Absolutely loved this venue I would definitely recommend ...The staff are friendly and helpful good choices on the menue at a good price please visit you won't be disappointed

I can honestly say that this was my first visit and it was an outstanding dining experience! Everything exceeded excellence. The food, menu choice, portion size, staff, efficiency, prices and Christmas decorations were all fantastic... thank you! I will definitely be returning x

Can't fault the Joiners Arms. Always good food, always busy, always friendly staff. Sitting outside is lovely in the summer, and it's gorgeous inside in the winter. Ordering and paying on the app is great too, really convenient. Would always recommend.

Didn't get to eat here as the online booking system was not working, they didn't reply to live chat and phone number on TA is incorrect & couldn't find another number for them. Had a great meal at The Devonshire in Belper.

We go to joiners arms as a Christmas tradition with my friend and his family we have done it for the last 4years. Never had a bad meal in those 4 years we was there Saturday and was served by brad, I think his name was. He was a brilliant waiter. The food was lovely once again, and our kids were happy as they were given elves by the manager. See you again next year!

We visited here with our daughter who has visted here previously and I couldn't fault anything. The service was great, especially by Brad', and there was a lovely atmosphere and very attractive decorations. All the staff seemed pleasant and helpful; which isn't always the case in this type of restaurant. The food was superb and great value for money and our fish and chips was beautifully presented, as were all the meals. It's just a shame that we live so far away in East Devon as we'd be regular visitors otherwise. Well done.

Absolutely superb place. Visited by accident looking for somewhere else. Delighted that we did. The food was excellent as was the service and atmosphere. Will definitely return 👍

I made a specific journey (30 mile round trip) to The Joiners at 3pm in the afternoon (thinking it would be quieter) to purchase several gift vouchers. I was told only management could process these and only one manager was on site and would be about an hour to wait, as they were interviewing. To have ONE person in a busy pub on the run up to Xmas that is able to process gift vouchers - is just beyond me! I wrote an email expressing how inconvenient this was and asked if they’d be willing to post the vouchers out to me if I called and made payment over the phone. I received a response a day later which was so obviously an AI generated response, not offering any solution or answer to my query. Pretty pointless. Three days later I emailed asking if they were planning to come back to me. I was told they were still waiting for a management decision. WTAF?! Now almost a week later I have had no reply at all. Having now read all of the poor reviews, I’m certainly glad I’m not purchasing vouchers and putting anyone through such a poor dining / drinking experience with a place that clearly just cant be bothered. Won’t be visiting or recommending anytime in the near future

It was a vibrant atmosphere with a festive air. The food had generous portions. The staff were exceeding attentive and kind.

Went for a Birthday meal and throughly enjoyed our experience. Staff were friendly and attentive. Atmosphere is nice and the place is decorated wonderfully. Food was very good. Lot of choice, loads of different styles and flavours to choose from. Will definitely come back at some point soon

Great vibe, stunning dishes and superb service. Well recommended for families.

Excellent hidden gem out a bit in the countryside just a few miles from the A6. You could pass it without knowing what’s inside this white flat sided building. Small entrance to the car park with JA logo on the side of the building. Plenty of parking but the restaurant can accommodate a lot of tables with two key areas with their own bars. Large menu selection with pizzas, burgers, fish and chips, and Asian options plus a lot more. First place I have seen a good selection of over 100 beers which includes at least 6+ zero alcohol beers for the drivers. Portions are good with excellent fast friendly service. Challenge for this location is the size of the toilets and cleanliness. First time I can remember giving 5 stars for everything. Definitely recommend and a must if in the area but suggest booking at busy times.

Wonderful place. Staff all so friendly and nothing too much trouble

Been this evening for my birthday meal food and service was amazing and I had balloons and a plater saying happy birthday definitely coming back in the new year 5 out of 5x

Mongolian Beef was to die for!! Great little find, we will be returning soon.

We regularly come here, nice food service is good

Great food and lovely place. Trying to get a drink is very often a pretty long affair when busy. The bar seems to be an after thought, with the food service being priority. However, if you order on the app, that speeds things up. Had a few staff over time with little customer service skill too.

Lovely old pub, low beams so watch your head if you're on the tall side. Good food and large portion size. Good atmosphere, a bit tight near the bar areas though.

The food was AMAZINGLY big portions! After just our starters, we were pretty full! Loved the service here - qll the staff were super welcoming and friendly, and our server Brad was amazing. Their cocktails are amazingly priced and so inventive as well! They brought out a treat for us as it was our 5 year anniversary, and this was such a lovely treat! 100% would recommend everyone to go here!

we visited on a Wednesday and it was packed but still pleasant enough to eat (six of us and two dogs) the atmosphere was brilliant, the food cracking 👍

Well worth the visit and food was lovely, and book the garden room that was brill

Good food at reasonable prices. Staff friendly and nice atmosphere in the pub/ reastraunt.

This is undoubtedly among the finest dining establishments in Derby, possibly the best. The wood-fired pizzas were exquisite. Service was exceptional, especially with Freya, Rose, and Lily, who were particularly welcoming and accommodating to families with children. The atmosphere was vibrant and lively. The drink selection was satisfactory. It’s highly recommended to book online to ensure a reserved table at this popular spot. The main courses were decent. There’s also a spacious parking area available for guests. Great experience overall!

Stopped by for lunch around 3ish. Place was so busy but managed to find a seat. Greeted by Mica who was lovely! Even though it was busy and she was probably stressed she greeted with a smile and was helpful getting an alpaca for me 😊😊 Food was lush as expected for the Chilled Pubs! Lovely experience. Not too long a wait for food considering. Looking forward to coming back

Very nice atmosphere and food. We will be coming back.

A very good pub. Was there last Christmas, and they really made the place feel festive, utilising the tree for a display that felt like it took effort. Portions are huge and I found my food to be thoroughly flavoursome.

Food was lovely and service was amazing!

Nice place to visit. Very busy so preebook to make sure you have a table . Customer service on a top. The only issue ordering through the app. A few things from the order were missing a had to remind a few times. Food portions are great but taste cant tell that its a 5*. Steak was a bit burned, burgers a bit dry, burger buns cold, fries very oily, pizza the only meal that came out perfect. But another issue is that we were a company of 6 at the table and it was 3 pizzas, steak and burgers ordered. Pizzas came in 10 min and the rest came in about 30m. So half of a company were watching how another eating there pizzas . And then for the rest of the time first half were watching the rest as all pizzas finished. Would be nice for all meals served at the same time.

The service by Alysia was exceptional. The food lovely, but the loud music which you'd normally find in a nightclub was not good for the atmosphere, as it was packed, people were having to shout to each other to be heard over other people and then the misic, not background ambience at all, we did ask if it was possible to turn it down, which thankfully they did. All round a lovely evening.

Big sign greets you on entering telling you they only accept card payment, a modern trend that makes me wonder what would happen if the card machine fails. Well, today the machines failed. After our lovely meal for our party of 5, the bill was taking ages to come. Looking towards the bar, all the staff appeared to be in conference. Turned out the system was off line with only one of their card machines working and no record of what all the diners had had!. Our waiter Luke was very apologetic and a consumate professional, while I could hear exclamations of frustration from one of his colleagues. We were expected to sit and wait for the place to get it together for over 40 minutes. The annoying thing was that I had the cash in my pocket, but this pub has chosen to be cashless, causing me huge inconvenience on a Sunday afternoon when I could have paid up and left to get my son back to his uni residence before my long drive home. Another frustration was the food, while delicious, was served on inappropriate tableware. My fish and chips came in a wooden box and another's burger and chips on what looked like a small black, granite slab, causing food to drop off the edges. When I asked that my meal be transferred to a plate, I was told they don't have any and so they put it on a slab ontop of some kind of serving dish! Oh, and the music in the garden room was loud like a disco. Won't visit there again.

First visit,food excellent. Very busy but didn't have to wait long for food. Would recommend.

Great food . Great atmosphere. Great service. Good parking.

This is a very special place with an exciting and varied menu, great atmosphere and above all exemplary staff who know how to look after their guests. I would like to give a special shout out to our waitperson "Brad", who was highly professional and really added to our enjoyment by explaining the highlights on the menu and generally being attentive and helpful. The highlights for me were the tomato and garlic bread, with its fluffy woodfired base and also the real onion rings which came with the perfectly cooked steak. Guests get a little bad of sweets at the end of their meal, which is an awesome touch as was the totally unexpected high cream plate they presented as a celebration of my return to the UK. You won't leave the Joiners hungry, with large portions and beautifully presented food. I can see why people rave about this establishment as it is one of Derby's finest! I wish I could give it 6 out of 5!!!

Excellent food choice, great service and helpful staff.

What a wonderful experience we had this afternoon. The location is amazing the whole interior is just amazing and the food is out of the world

My only point of unhappiness is that this restaurant doesn't have any sister restaurants open near London. Great selection of quite unique looking choices, great service, and a lovely old building.

I have eaten here many times and had a good experience however last night we tried to eat with some friends one of whom has some allergies (sesame and mustard) they were told point blank that they weren’t prepared to serve her any food. Not what you expect in 2024 So a heads up to anyone who has the ordeal of explaining there allergies each time they want a meal out . Don’t go here So we left. We went to Lorentes the Spanish tapas place instead who were fine and had a fabulous time, I’ll be writing their review next

Amazing food, with an exciting menu, great for cocktails and delicious desserts. We went to celebrate a 50th birthday and the staff were so lovley and welcoming and helpful. They were attentive and nothing was too much for them. The restaurant has an amazing atmosphere. I highly recommend coming here.

Excellent food and staff amazing experience.

Not our kind of place. Loud and "bouji" vibes - not the place for a relaxing meal.

Fantastic food and cocktails/mocktails. Huge seating area. Excellent friendly service. Would definitely recommend.

Had an excellent lunchtime meal (Yakitori). Would definitely visit again if in the area.

Had a wonderful anniversary meal . The food was amazing, the atmosphere magic and our waiter was outstanding. Will definitely be back

This place came up after we visited Kedleston Hall. It was amazing, food portions were almost too much, it was excellent value for money. Fancy cocktails and great selection of drinks available. Finished off with a great atmosphere. Would be back to try the pizzas.

Nice Place with nice attentive staff, good menu and good food with plenty of choices and a bit different from the norm, ambience good and we will return.

Amazing friendly staff, great quality food and an all round very good experience. Would highly recommend this place value for money and pet friendly.

WOW! Last minute booking as not from the area and was getting late in the night, GUTTED we couldn’t get in the garden part! However the vibe in the bar/restaurant part was just as good. The best food, the best staff. Couldn’t fault. Me and my partner said we would both drive the 1 and half hours just to come back here for food! Exceptional 😍 also the cocktails are so cool and not even overpriced! Honestly thought the menu would have been more expensive than it was! 1000% will be recommending and coming again! We even told the host of our holiday cottage all about it to recommend to his guests in future! Thank-you!

I am sure the food is good however we just could not face the music. Far too loud and had to walk out. Felt more like a nightclub than a pub. Not for us sorry

Had an amazing experience at The Joiners Arms tonight. The food was absolutely excellent, but what really stood out was the fantastic service from our waitress, Myra. She was incredibly attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the evening. Myra went above and beyond to ensure our dining experience was perfect, and her warm personality made us feel right at home. Highly recommend visiting!

I have just been for an amazing meal at the joiners arms and I just want to say the waitress Sophie and the manger Connor were absolutely amazing as I have a allergy to onions which is a weird one. But they both went above and beyond for me and made sure I was happy. The service was incredible.

Gorgeous pub, great atmosphere, lovely staff and awesome food.

What a hidden Gem, walked in lovely interior cosy, music playing, enjoyed a lovely dinner Had yakitori, bao buns and main yakisoba delicious. A great drinks menu with awesome cocktails Great service fab food delicious. Dog friendly with a doggy bar where they take pictures of your pooch and put them up on their wall so lovely, and of course water bowls for them.

It's was my first time here. That tree looks gorgeous, and all place was cosy with old style. I had a great birthday with my family. The food was delicious and interestingly presented. I recommend this place.

Had the pizza was great. Massive and tasty

We had a lovely family meal.The food was beautiful. Freya who looked after us was great. Thank you so much. Ps the cherry cola float's a game changer.

Eaten here twice so far in the past few days for birthday meals, once with friends and the other with family. Both visits were fantastic. The food was great, lovely atmosphere, pretty decor and the staff (Bradley & Freya) were very polite, attentive and friendly.

Extremely nice meal. There were 3 of us and all had a different dish. Everyone was very pleased with their choice

Came here for my birthday and the staff went above and beyond to make it a special day for me! Great service and lovely food as always. Hands down best venue in Derby!

Visiting some friends up from London and they brought us here. This was the best dining experience we’ve ever had. Walking in, the pub is absolutely beautiful! The service to get us to our table was prompt and friendly. We were explained how the restaurant worked and the lovely Myra was over to take our drinks order really quickly! She took amazing care of us all evening. The food was absolutely incredible, most of us ordered the big yakatori sticks, which were huge and the meat was so tender! 10/10! Very reasonably priced for what you get and so many cocktail and mocktail options! Lemon sorbet was yum on them as well! When we’re up visiting again we’ll absolutely be calling back in!

Amazing,shall be calling in again very soon.

Another quirky pub, refurbished with recycled timber. Very varied and unusual menu. Good prices.

Took the grandchildren , loved the food , friendly staff , loved the atmosphere

I recently had a booking in the Blossom Tree Restaurant area of Joiners Arms. Whilst the Blossom Tree is lovely and all that, it’s way too bright in there, I was blinded by a light most of the time, they just need dimming a little. The restrooms are also hard to find if it’s your first time visiting and could probably have a clearer sign on, whilst keeping the rustic style. I found some of the staff to be knowledgeable, friendly and approachable and a couple of staff who it might’ve been their first shift. Staff also switching between seating diners in the restaurant areas and serving at the bar, resulting in long wait times at the bar, which is very small. Short staffed, maybe. They don’t accept Amex either, none of the Chilled Pubs do, which is annoying. Would probably choose Bulls Head over Joiners Arms overall.