Joiners Arms in Amber Valley

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 👍

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

Birthday meal for hubby. Absolutely spot on Thai chicken wow .

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.

Had the pizza was great. Massive and tasty

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.

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.

We had delicious pizza today for lunch. Many varieties made more difficult to choose the best. But Katie (staff) helped us and proposed to have two different varieties per person. That was made us to have the best. Will visit again soon. The staff were very friendly specifically Katie ❤️

Brilliant service today from Katie for my Mums birthday. There was a small issue with our food (not the servers fault) but she sorted it for us straight away with no issues, and was lovely and pleasant to talk to❤️

Absolutely the nicest place I've ever been everything was first class

My favourite restaurant always my go to when in Derbyshire

As one of my favourite gastro pubs, the Joiners is a very slick operation, catering for families who may want a pizza in the covered outdoor area, a light sunny day bite in the garden, traditional pub area or a good buzz and atmosphere in the “blossom room”. Food caters for everyone. I love the Beef Yakisoba and Korean chicken bao bun, Louise had the Cornflake chicken + Siricha and Tempura prawn starters, followed by Mongolian Beef. Good selection of beers (Asahi, Estrella, Peroni) and wines. One of my favourite places in Derbyshire.

We visited today as a family of 8 for my daughters 30th birthday, whilst the restaurant was very pretty, the food was disgusting, only one of our party ate, all meals were tepid at best, the club sandwich was so dry, my daughter struggled to swallow it, had a bite and left it all, the onion rings were swimming in grease cold and inedible, it was dire, service was good, but if they spent as much detail on the food as aesthetic of the decor it would be brilliant, we all left hungry, I would have been better spending my £150, in McDonald's at least everyone would have been fed, I would have complained at the time but didn't want to spoil her birthday any more than needed, very underwhelming, I certainly would not recommend

We visited today 25,08,24 for my daughters 30th birthday a party of 8, the restaurant is very pretty, it's a shame however that the food was tepid, dry, and greasy, only one of our party ate, we all left hungry, if such attention to detail was made to the food, as to the aesthetics, it would be beautiful, I felt I may as well have thrown away the £150, it cost, admittedly it was very cheap for 8 people, but I would rather pay more for quality, I was bitterly disappointed, I would have complained but I didn't want to spoil my daughters day,

Excellent! Visited many times and never been disappointed...

Wow, great menu, good food, mad puddings and a great cocktail selection … amazing service, you won’t be disappointed!!

I love coming here the food is always amazing. A fantastic atmosphere and I love the blossoms tree.

Go for a romantic meal. No kind of service at all. Didn’t even sit down and was put off straight away

Food always consistently good. Parking can be a hassle at peak times

What a beautiful establishment!!! Friendly staff, quick service and the food was amazing.

Good pub, good food and not badly priced

Really nice atmosphere and setting but the food was average at best e.g. my main was cold and the waiters were attentive but run off their feet so ordering and receiving drinks took a while. Has so much potential to be a great place to eat.

This place has gone massively downhill! It used to be one of my very places to eat but the past couple of times have been horrendous! The whole table has issues with they're food... Extremely burnt pizza, undercooked kebabs, overcooked burnt fish and chips. The restaurant is a lovely setting but the waiters/waitresses are so young and didn't really know how to respond to or deal with our feedback. New chefs are needed as quality checks clearly are not done as I wouldn't of sent food out of my kitchen looking the way it did. It is such a shame as this used to be a gem of a place.

This restaurant was a recommendation from my niece. I came with my mum and we both had a wonderful time. The ambiance was lovely in the blossom restaurant and all the other restaurant areas looked lovely as well. My niece had recommended the Gyoza and Yakitori skewers. We had chicken and prawn gyoza and then shared a big Korean steak stick with halloumi fries and Japanese coleslaw which was all so tasty and delicious. The service from Bradley was fabulous, he had such a lovely manner and nothing was too much trouble. It is lovely to be served by someone who enjoys their job as it makes the service so much better. I should mention how lovely the cocktails were and to be send home with sweets is just a lovely touch! I would highly recommend this restaurant and when I am back in the area I will definitely come again.

Had pizza. You get plenty but it's not that nice. Not sure why people rave about this pub. It's not bad but Swan is better. Thjs 3 stars

Food was great but service left a lot to be desired.

Updating a previous review where I’d tried the vegan burger and it was just average. I went back and tried the pizza and it was 10/10. Really great quality and enough for two meals! I got the Paris but removed the dairy cheese and added the vegan cheese. There doesn’t seem to be lots for vegans at first glance but they are happy to customise it to suit. Would go again. But definitely prefer sitting outside over inside as it’s too cramped, noisy and warm.

A wonderful evening and amazing food. Booked to come here with my partner for his birthday and it was just spot on! A special thank you to Olivia our waitress for the great service. Will definitely be coming back again to try other dishes from the menu 😁

Brilliant Birthday Lunch 26th July 2024. Pizza and cocktails spot on. Great value for money. 5 star

Outdoor seating area was very nice and cool on a hot summers day. Staff were friendly and attentive. Service was quick, ordering through the app. The menu had a great variety. Only thing that let it down was the cremated food. I think someone needs to turn down the heat on the grill. The place seems to lack enough toilets for the capacity of the indoor and outdoor areas. Other than that would visit again.

Visited this place, advertising food all day, including coffee and tea. I was turned away, they didn't even have the courtesy to provide a cup of tea, while the kitchen was fully operational and people were eating in the restaurant. False advertising? There are many 1 star reviews so would not recommend this place at all. My mistake for walking I guess.

Starter: I enjoyed the shrimp/prawn tempura. The pork belly is tender but the pork cracking pieces with it are so hard. The halloumi is okay. Mains Steak: it was good and it already comes with chips and mushroom for 25 pounds. Beef stroganoff: It was okay but I think it lacks taste. I think the taste should be amplified a little because when paired with the safron rice, it neutralises the taste and comes out bland. We also tried the dangling skewer, I forgot the name, and it was alright but most of it was burnt on the edges and top and they put a whole or half the onion into the skewer, if I remembered it correctly. Fish and chips was nice according to one of my companions. Sides we tried Mac and cheese before and it was alright. Onion rings are good. So crispy. Chips is so well fried but if you order other flavours, they just pat tons of seasoning on top of the fries after they put it on the pot and you'll end up having, for example, tons of chili flakes on top of your chips like one of us got. Dessert: the pudding with bailey's is alright. I don't know if I'm just not into alcoholic drinks but it has this little bottle of bailey's on top of it and you'll pull it and it will pour onto the pudding. For some reason, it didn't click that the bailey's on the name is the drink. The rest on the name sounds amazing so that's what I ordered. The bailey's turned the pudding a little too bitter for me but yeah, that's on me. Some of us ordered the wac hoo something and our jaws dropped when it was given to our table. It was massive! It looked so yummy, though. The brownie one with a skewer looked so good but it is disappointing because it was burnt and rock hard on the bottom of it. Pizza: The pizza was okay but due to peak hours when we went there, the edge were burnt and the server was kind enough to ask if the person who ordered would have wanted a new one that isn't overcooked. That was awesome but they end up forgetting about it. The entire table was done eating and the pizza haven't given yet. All is good, the server apologised, treated the kid to a monster drink, took it off the tab, I think but not sure, and the pizza was taken home. Other pizzas that was ordered on separate occasions was nice and they'll give you a giant to go box if you don't finish it and want to take it home. Drinks: There's an abundance of choices, served in tall glasses. Cider: the cherry and Berry was nice. Special cocktail: we also tried the one with a bathtub and a duck and it was good and so aesthetic. Mad scientist: pyrex flask with like a tube dropper for its syrup. It has a sweet alcoholic taste. Not really so good. The drink that has a mint on it, I forgot the name, was a little too minty. It overpowers the taste of it. Mocha is nice but coffee-ee. It looks so good, tho. Parking: there are plenty of parking space but incase, make sure to come early. It will be jam packed if you get there on peak hours. Other days, we didn't have a problem when we went, though. Facilities: They are clean and there's always tons of tissue inside the cubicles and to dry your hands after you wash on the sink. The hand moisturiser is also a bonus being that I don't like the feeling of dry hands after washing or sanitising so it's a classy plus. Ambience: If you want a nice ambience for your dining experience, it is the place. Your gonna be welcomed to a cool rustic bar. Then the pink tree will catch your eyes but it'll feel like you're in another place if you get to dine inside the pixie lights garden theme which is my favourite. There's also some tables where you can seat outside when you just want a drink but it can also be a smoking area because there are ashtray pots there so consider that. Ooh, and there are plenty of dogs at the bar section. Servers were enthusiastic and nice on multiple occasions that we were there. I will still go back even with the hiccups that was experienced on the last time that we've been. It's just sad because it was the first time for some of us but yeah, it is a nice place.

Fabulous dinning experience from start to finish we will definitely be back 👌

Our server Katie was absolutely lovely and very attentive, will definitely come back again x

Lovely place with soft lushes pizza 🍕. Didn't try the yokitori even though it looked delicious and everyone seems to order it. I recommend the Chilli honey chips .

Such a perfect pub. Great food and amazing interior. Staff very cool and friendly.

The food arrived cold and the quality is very low. Let’s not mention the actual flavour of the food… disgusting! The waiters seemed to have completely forgotten us and to eat a burger and some ice cream we spent 3 hours there! Extremely disappointing.

Amazing food service atmosphere free birthday treat desert and sweets when paid bill and the app to pay the bill so clever made splitting the bill so much easier highly recommended

Had lunch yesterday after graduation at Derby uni and it was a fantastic venue in ever respect. Our waiter Mike was awesome too. We loved it, thank you.

Lovely young lady called Grace looked after us and did above and beyond. It was my 60th birthday and She picked up the that my mother in law's birthday was the next day. She used Common sense which is slowly dying away in this world. And the kitchen free of charge gave her a pudding on the house and wrote happy 87th birthday on a board of strawberry juice. It really touch her deeply. I gave Grace a £5 tip hope you don't mind. I have heard how you look after your staff, bless you for a great crew you have Thankyou again one and all.xxxxx Look

I had a disappointing experience at the pub. Despite our friends receiving their food promptly, my order was completely forgotten. By the time they brought our food, our friends were nearly finished with theirs, making it pointless for us to eat. The service was unorganized and unprofessional. And they didn’t even say sorry I hope they can improve their service in the future.

A lovely pub for a family meal out, or just a drink. Dogs welcome.

Tasteless cold food. Yakitori stick was burnt. Complained and was offered a 'Birthday Board' rather than sorting the issue. Won't be coming again.

Such a lovely place with a nice atmosphere, lots of choice of food and friendly staff that went above and beyond with their service!

Brilliant gastro pub. The food and service were excellent. We popped in for a lunch time meal. Great veggie options and a fantastic menu overall.