Marden Cocktail Lounge in High Peak

Great food, great staff, will be back , especially for the full English.

It seems this is a popular cafe with locals but I probably wouldn't go back. There were a lot of (young?) staff behind the till who seemed knowledgeable, but no-one at all in the customer area. As a result tables went uncleared for a long time, tables weren't wiped down at all and the floor was unchecked. I saw a customers dog come in and eat all the droppings from the previous child before the owner could stop him. Considering the high number of staff, service was also very slow as others have mentioned, even for simple or straightforward items; we saw several customers ask who were still waiting. Our lunch was fine when we got it and the food seemed okay, and to be fair it had no shortage of people coming in. What put me off most was that the whole customer area needed a really proper clean, not just tables but wall decor, seating, floors, front window areas. I realise not everyone sees this but for me this is an important first impression as well as necessary hygiene in a food establishment.

We loved our lunch here, and the service was excellent! It was a big contrast with another place we tried earlier, where they halted service for 10 minutes in order to "catch up" - how ridiculous! We were made to feel welcome at Stars, despite it being busy, and couldn't fault our delicious food, at a good price too 😋. They're missing a trick by not having Buxton pudding on the menu though - surely we're not the only people who like to sample local specialities when visiting a place for the first time?

A great choice of snacks and cakes with good service by very pleasant and very helpful staff. Would recommend!

Promising from the exterior, canteen style interior