Pesto at The Peacock in Amber Valley

As a regular of Pesto at the Peacock, I was delighted to see they had added afternoon tea to their menus. I prebooked (required) for myself and a friend. The glorious weather meant the restaurant was busy, despite it being a weekday. Twice we were given menus despite my saying we were booked for afternoon tea, no information regarding what was included etc was given. Nor were we advised it included unlimited tea or coffee. The waiter just asked if he could get us drinks from the bar… The afternoon tea was eventually presented , no description or explanation of what anything was or contained. It comprised a total of 8 small bruschettas/topped breads, the topping of which were smoked salmon, Parma ham with tomato, goats cheese with tomato and… tomato. As neither of us ate smoked salmon (not Pestos fault) we were left with the variations on the tomato theme. We had to request further plates, as the topped breads deconstructed whilst trying to eat them, and so required a knife and fork to eat them in polite company. So as the next plate contained a small square of chocolate brownie and a lemon cheesecake, we preferred not to eat them from the same plates. The heat had rendered the brownie somewhat goopy but the cheesecake had totally melted! When try to transfer it from the stand to my plate it simply flowed around the cutlery into a puddle. When this was shown to a waiter, he was extremely apologetic and was quick to arrange fresh replacements. The final tier comprised tiny espresso cups filled with tiramisu (4 teaspoons max) and a plain scone each, which was served with what appeared to be chocolate sauce and cream with what looked to be chocolate powder on top. When we enquired the waiter advised us it was chocolate sauce and coffee cream… which we declined. When a different waiter cleared away, he asked if we had not wanted the scones… when we said that chocolate sauce and coffee cream was not a combination we wanted to try, he told us we should have received jam and that we had clotted cream, not coffee cream! But by then we were past it. At this point we ordered tea and coffee and offered to move to the patio, the waiter advised he would bring us the bill and send our hot drinks out to the patio after we had paid. It was only on receiving the receipt we noted that unlimited refills of tea and coffee were included in the price. I like Pestos, the food is usually tasty and good value and the staff are friendly and helpful. However this was frankly an unmitigated disaster! I’ve never been served an afternoon tea that melted. The components seemed a very strange jumble of British and Italian, which didn’t really work and was uninspiring. I appreciate it’s a new offering, but the staff really should be familiar with what they are serving, recognise when items are missing and offering customers the full range of elements the meal comprises (tea/coffee and refills). Certainly won’t be trying this again. Back to the regular menu for me.

Absolutely amazing all round! The staff were super and really helpful! Although special shout out to Adam who gave us a fantastic service! We noticed there was a difficult table behind us that clearly didn't see how busy they were unnecessary rude. The food was some of the best we have all experienced, considering we all work in hospitality - incredible flavours and beautifully prepared- left speechless and can't all stop talking about our experience! 10/10 would highly recommend!

Excellent service and the food as ever was perfect, so much to choose on the menu and wonderful taste. Highly recommend

Walked in for a table of 3 the guy that came was rude. we was shown to a table. asked him if we could be moved near to the open door way as we had a our autistic child with us and the area that he wanted us to sit was a small cramped corner and there was about 10 people in there. And was very loud. he said there was no space next to the door with out waiting 20 mins then stormed off slammed the menus down on the side. so we went back through the resturant. and all the tables near to the open door was all empty and not a single person sat on them. so we walked out very disaspointed and will not be going back there again

Quite disappointing, here for my daughters 16th birthday, we arrived 10 minutes early for our table only to be told it’s they’ve only booked us for 6 people not 7! We were asked to go to the bar for a drink ‘while they tried to sort something out’ We all went to the bar, ordered drinks but weren’t allowed to put it on a table because we hadn’t got a table yet to be able to put it on! We stood around for a good 15 minutes and were then led to our table….the same table we’d booked but with an extra chair and place setting on one side of it! Here’s the positive, the food was here quickly and was top quality, back to the negative which didn’t take long…halfway through our meals we asked one of the waiters if we could order some more drinks, he awkwardly answered ‘ I’ll fetch someone’ half an hour later we are still sat here, finished our meals and still haven’t been able to put a drinks order in, disappointingly my daughter won’t be having a dessert on her birthday as we aren’t prepared to stay here any longer to endure poor service.

Food was delicious and good value for money. Only nag was rhe allergen menu was a bit of a pain Would be loads easier with a digital tablet, like other places use. Other then thay all.was great, amd will be back!

Fantastic food the taste is unbelievable we had the special selection of three meals all delicious just enough to get the taste but not be too full

Excellent food and service.special mention to Dan P who served us table 15 18th April 2025. Very professional, made us feel very welcome.

Great find. Small plates, lots of flavour. Rapid friendly service. Lively atmosphere, comfortably able to chat over dinner. Just super. If I lived locally, I'd visit often. Thank you.

Been here 3 times in the last month, food is always excellent and staff are great. Special mention to Kirsty Hall whos always brilliant

Such lovely food and atmosphere.

Went here for a cheeky drink whilst the weather was being kind was a lovely day

Chose to come here for my Birthday celebration but felt very let down by the poor service - we waited 45 minutes before our order was taken & to be fair the food did come out quite quickly & was delicious - we were asked if we wanted desserts (which we did) but gave up after waiting ages again for the server to come back to take our order (asked for the bill instead)

Perfect Large team get together Great food lovely service Value for money

First time going the food was excellent and the service second to none we will be going again.

My favourite restaurant ever!! Amazing food, friendly staff… always my first choice to come 🥰

Lovely food, good staff, highly recommended!

Lovely venue, amazing food and lots of choices. Friendly staff and good drinks menu too.I'll be back.

Highly recommended, been here a couple times already and always happy with all aspects

Birthday treat from my daughters

Nice restaurant with a great vibe. The 3 plates option is great, you can select 3 plates from the menu and have a proper Italian feast! Plenty of options to choose from and all at a decent price.

Lovely food, Great choice, had lunch menu - Price good 👍 will definitely be back really enjoyed our afternoon 😉

I'm not telling anyone about this place shhhhh I'm keeping it too myself it's that 👍

Last minute booking - fast and efficient service. Food lovely as usual

Lovey place great staff and a speedy service it’s a thumbs 👍 from me .

Booked at 430 Ordered food by 6pm still no food the waitress asked us if we had our food which we had not to which the kitchen staff came to our table to then say our order was missing placed no apology or anything avoid this place At all cost

Booked a table for 4:30 by 5:50 the waitress came over and ask if we had ordered food told her yes it was ordered at 4:30 she walked off to find out what was happening with the food we ordered. at 6pm kitchen staff came to table and said they had lost the order.service shit atmosphere ok food can't say as we didn't receive any. if you want a decent Italian meal don't come her try venezia Italian and seafood restaurant far better staff are great atmosphere is awesome and the food is great

Always fabulous food. Hot fresh and very tasty

Excellent service from Hollie today. This is a great place to eat.

We had a really nice waiter called Lucy. was very helpful with understanding what we was trying to say and food was great!

Excellent food. Our third visit and always good and reasonably priced. Fully booked as always!

I’m staying in the area for work and wanted to find somewhere with good food, that was affordable, for dinner on my own. This place was great. I was sat on an unreserved table by the bar and had 3 dishes (tomato and mozzarella, prosciutto pizza, chicken and spinach penne), they were large tapas dishes and were absolutely delicious. All for £16.95! 3 dishes was more than enough. I would definitely recommend it and come back again when I’m in the area

The food here never disappoints. All the food is super tasty and comes out super quick ! Great food and affordable prices.

David served our family birthday outing and everything surpassed our expectations. All absolutely wonderful.

Well this is my second visit here in 3 years (kids live up here). firstly service, I must thank Hollie for her excellent service, nothing was too much trouble, even with 2 under 5's, one deciding it was tantrum time. We had 9 tapas dishes, plus kids dishes plus drinks plus excellent desserts that came to £27.80 each so excellent value too. Please keep hold of Hollie, an asset to the business (And good servers do NOT grow on trees). Cant wait for my next visit. Thanks to all the staff and the Chef's. Did I mention it was excellent?

I tell you what pal, just had a delightful experience at the old peacock with all the local alfretonians, ripleodians and belperites! I'll be honest with ya I didn't really know alot about this place but upon arrival realised it was an Italian tapas kinda pub/restaurant joint. I went with the 3 item menu at £11.95 a head I thought this was outstanding value for money 💰 I went with the lasagna, chicken wings and these rice ball things and I tell you what pal when it arrived it looked delicious. If you like your garlic or stinky food then this is the joint for you pal, 1st bite of the chicken wings and my god I turned into a beetroot talk about spicy or what pal I nearly had to down my pint of coca cola! The food overall was very scrumptious and I will definitely return even though I now smell like what can only be described as bad stinky breath or like a dog that hasnt brushed its teeth for 4 years.....you know the type your old school teacher used to have but that was bad coffee breath! Toilets were in good knick and a decent free car park, keep up the goodwork cocker at pesto my son! 🦚

It was ok, it wasn’t my favourite experience the waitress that initially served us was so moody and unapproachable, she came across blunt and I felt like she was rushing us to make an order, when I asked for a few more minutes I hadn’t even finished my sentence before she had walked off, which made us feel uncomfortable because we had never been before so felt pressured reading the menu as it was. Due to the time that the table was booked we had the option of the lunch and dinner menu, so two menus to make sense of and order from. The initial waitress didn’t really remember you to order drinks so my partner was going up to the bar himself, it was just a bit of let down. we had looked forward to going so much and we left feeling deflated. Some of the plates we had was lovely, but the experience was not the best. Again, I have never been before but tapas/small plates I feel like there should be a check in from the staff to make sure you don’t want to order any more and that the food is ok, all of which didn’t happen. We left hungry, maybe our fault but we went on the recommendation of the initial waitress. Thankfully the initial waitress must have finished her shift and we did get a new waitress who was friendly and asked about drinks etc… I feel like she managed to save some of the experience as she was so attentive and polite.

Beautiful food. Very quick service. Lovely staff. Very nice place indeed.

Really nice restaurant, staff were very kind and quick to take orders. Food was really good, reccomend getting 3 dishes each and sharing. All had good taste and portion sizes together weren’t too bad! Would recommend the meatballs! Would definitely come back 👍🏼

If I could rate 6 stars I would!!! Great From start to finish with lovely friendly staff. Really good food at a reasonable price , my hubbys new favourite food spot! We’re already so excited to come back and eat some more lovely Italian tapas

Was served by a young gent called Adam, very polite and attentive. Food was of good quality and arrived promptly, all of good quality.

To be honest like an Italian I can't say it's Italian food. It's decent if you like everything that tastes like garlic. It's food but not something I'll eat again and spend that much. Service is pretty absent and your dishes are already prepared and maybe keep in a warmer.

Fantastic service food and all round 10/10. Highly recommended.

My family and I visited Pesto for my 50th birthday, and both the service and the food were impeccable. I highly recommend this Italian style tapas restaurant 😋 👌. It's also open on a Monday evening, unlike other italian restaurants in the area. Nice one, guys. Lovely place. I would highly recommend it and will most certainly be eating here again.

Lovely!! Went with the Mrs to celebrate our anniversary and couldn't have asked for a better night. David our server was polite and nice to chat too. The food was delicious and not over priced. Will definitely be going here again and highly recommend it to anyone who likes food.

Always loved going here and enjoyed many lovely meals here. Went last week and a few things made me think it’s lost its way a little. A pint of lager in the wrong glass is a pet hate,especially when it means it’s flat within 2 mins. And the set menus now seem to have been reduced to dishes that are basically full of pasta and not much else. Gone are the beef stew,cod in birra moretti batter and the fish cakes from the set menus,to name a few. Disappointing.

Tapas style food was excellent. large variety of choices. Excellent service. Just be aware that you only have a table for 2 hours max, which sounds alot, but time flies when you're having fun.

Great little terrace to take the dogs to. Food tapas style was perfect. The young lady who attended to us was lovely.

Fabulous lunch. Food was lovely as were the staff

Beautiful food and lots of choice

Lovely Italian Tapas 😋 unfortunately no garlic bread when we went at 4.30pm 😢

I’ve been going to pestos for years & always had a superb meal, unfortunately on this occasion I can’t say the same, the food was bland & dry. The chicken & ham was very dry with not taste & the lasagne was the same unfortunately. Very disappointing for our engagement meal.

Absolutely incredible food. First time here and I will be coming back. 5* service also. Been wanting to come here for ages and so glad I did

Pesto is amazing. We love the food here. Food choice is amazing, incredible food, fantastic for families. My girls love it here. Great prices and fantastic service

Did a superb takeaway for me 5 mins before kitchen closed on a Sunday night, delicious pasta, pizza and tiramisu - thank you

Food was absolutely delicious, easily the nicest place we’ve ever eaten. Not badly priced for the standard. The only thing I’d say with here is the service isn’t what it could be, it’s rather slow, we weren’t given a proper explanation of the portion sizes (and thus to order more than 1 thing) so it would’ve been nice to have that first.

Nice food, small plates of Italian tsoas/dishes, with set prices for three dishes. Filled me up, does what it says.

If I could star higher, I would! Lovely food and staff who can't help enough. A great night out.

Four of us had a great variety of Italian dishes at lunchtime today. Thoroughly enjoyable. Staff polite and knowledgeable too. We'll be back again for sure!

Great restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. The tapas style twist on dining makes it an enjoyable experience and the menu is so varied that you'll be coming back to try the rest.

Another excellent meal at this beautiful restaurant. Food was fresh and tasty with excellent choices available. Staff all friendly and helpful.

Another lovely meal at Pesto At The Peacock Thank you to Adam our server for looking after us during our meal he was attentive courteous polite and extremely hard working The food as usual was delicious and served piping hot with lots of new items to choose from Value for money excellent Would thoroughly recommend a visit

Lovely restaurant, friendly staff, great food , great choice, highly recommend

Amazing food, service and drinks. A great experience all round for our party of 8 people. The service was excellent, food and drinks delivered to our table at an exceptionally fast pace!

Called on off chance with a friend early teatime. Wonderful selection of dishes on the menu, ranging from 3 different set prices. Totally spoilt for choice! Food was served fairly quickly, looked appetising and nicely cooked. Great ambience even though not too busy at the time we went. Staff were appropriately attentive. Prices very reasonable and good value. Would definitely visit again.

We came here last night for my daughters bday! Wow... place.. atmosphere ..service...and ofcourse the food was absolutely 💯 We will definitely be returning!

I've been here a few times now and it doesn't disappoint. The food is the best quality and there's such variety in the menu. It's really good value and the service was second to none. The staff are so polite, friendly and helpful. I am really looking forward to my next visit!

Came in a bit blind as I had never had Italian tapas but I will definitely be trying it again. The service was impeccable 'Hollie' took the time to explain to us the process of ordering and how many plates was recommended. Polite, helpful and a joy to speak to. Every plate that we had was perfectly cooked and there was just so much flavour. Portion sizes were decent considering each plate averaged at £5. My personal favourite was the rigatoni with ndjuja. I was stuffed and satisfied by the end of the evening put it that way and it all came to less than £50 (that's including a peroni and a coke). The restaurant was really busy but everything was flowing all the staff created a comfortable and calm environment. The decor and festive charm to this Italian den of flavour was a perfect place to take your partner on a date or the kids for a family meal. All in all was amazing well done. You just need to open one near me in Hemel Hempstead.

Lovely night celebrating birthdays.

Came as a table of two to celebrate my birthday. The drinks were amazing and the food was to die for, the only disappointment was the service, young lady didn’t seem happy to be there and was quite rude regarding walking away while still talking to us.

A great restaurant, great choice of food, all amazing in taste, service is super. Nod to Jonny who looked after us on our latest visit. Couldn't do enough for us. Try the ribs, and an absolutely amazing feast !

Really love going to Pesto as it's always consistent. We never opt for the value menu, as we like to select our favourites from the main menu which has a great choice of dishes for all tastes. The building is a very special place for me and it's lovely to go and see how alive it is again. The staff are always great and will try to accommodate our seating choice whenever they are able. Pesto is excellent value for money and the ambiance always warm, whether in a group or just a couple of people. We've been visiting constantly since Pesto opened, so thought it was about time I wrote a review. Thank you guys - we love it!

Really nice place to eat, the menu has something for everyone. Will be going back to try more.

Great place to eat out with the family. the food was great like the last time we visited 😋, welldone to all the team

Such a beautiful place , lovely decor and atmosphere all situated in a charming rustic coach house . Regards to the chef's as they truly care about the quality an could not fault the professional manner of all the front staff , amazing an truly worth 5 stars ✨

Lovely Italian Tapas, some food is a bit "samey" but there's plenty of choice and variation if you choose well. Desserts need improving, there's not been any added or changed for a while although the Tiramisu is popular (just not my choice) and chocolate brownie, chocolate orange torte, panna cotta or lemon tart are the other main choices.The Ice cream and sorbet is on the expensive side for what you get in the bowl. Drinks menu is varied and prices average for a restaurant.

lovely restaurant - fantastic service from David :) the food is a little hit and miss.

Dropped in with no booking in a busy lunchtime. Made welcome. Food great and service excellent. Italian tapas style is not just a concept. It’s done really well

Wow! So much choice! A tapas style Italian restaurant which we were adversed to choose 3-4 each. The portions were large so next time (and there will be a next time) I would go for 3. Each was delicious. Staff were friendly and service prompt.

Love everything I tried there!!

The food was top class and so was the service. The young man who looked after us (Adam) was superb. I love the idea of an Italian tapas style menu, although if I have one criticism, it is that the charging of the dishes is quite complicated. Irrespective of this, we will definitely go again

Lunchtime treat - we live locally to Pesto and haven’t been totally overwhelmed by it over the years. Today, visited for lunch and everything was amazing . Hot food, great taste and value for money

This place is amazing staff amazing well seasoned food and excellent service this is not our first visit and we have been hooked it's a little gem great value for money can't wait to visit again

Fabulous food in a festive atmosphere. Brilliant staff and service

Excellent food, staff were polite and helpful. Not rushed. Lovely experience

Our 1st visit to this beautiful resteraunt absolutely beautiful food David our waiter was so friendly and nothing was too much trouble the whole experience was nothing short of 5 🌟 will definatly be returning x

Had lunch here, we had excellent Italian "tapas" - if that makes sense! Small plates of lovely food. My wife and I chose 6 plates between us and enjoyed all the flavours of each. If I lived in this area I would eat regularly here!

This is a really lovely place to eat, whether it's just friends or family..it's a great atmosphere and the views are pretty good too! So this is Italian tapas (larger than your typical tappas dish)...done very well. The menu is vast, and there is a lot of choice for even the fussiest of eaters. Despite the extensive menu, the quality and taste are soooo good ! I highly recommend this place, and the prices are incredibly reasonable. Now throw in the excellent customer service, and you have the makings of a wonderful day/evening out all round! Pesto at the Peacock I will be back for SURE!! Oh, and I strongly advise you to book ahead!!

Great place to visit ~ the special "3 meals for a set price" allow you to enjoy a taste of everything! Couldn't eat it all thou so the portions are brilliant 😋

Absolutely delicious food and helpful staff.

Got a gift voucher from daughter , went there 1st time , they had a power cut , it was out of their hands not a problem we rebooked, went there second time , got to tills , 4 members of staff talking amongst them selves totally ignored us , do you wait at the door to be seated for your booked table or do you go to the bar ??? Or nice for a member of staff to say " can i help sir ? " & not ignore you ,

A Pesto Paradise: A 5-Star Review of Pesto at The Peacock If you're seeking an Italian culinary experience that transcends expectations, look no further than Pesto at The Peacock. From the moment I stepped through the door, I was enveloped in a warm, inviting atmosphere that perfectly complemented the delectable dishes that awaited. The menu at Pesto at The Peacock offers a wide range of Italian delicacies to satisfy every palate. The pizzas were perfectly cooked, with a crisp crust and a generous topping of high-quality ingredients. The fish dishes were equally impressive, the meatballs are to die for, the beef stew was amazing. And let's not forget the deserts the trio of deserts and the tiramisu were amazing. The service at Pesto at The Peacock was impeccable. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and eager to provide recommendations. They created a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, making me feel like a valued guest. The attention to detail was evident in every aspect of the dining experience, from the presentation of the dishes to the timely service. In conclusion, Pesto at The Peacock is a must-visit for anyone seeking authentic Italian cuisine. The menu is impressive. The welcoming atmosphere and impeccable service make it a truly memorable dining experience. If you're looking for a place to savour delicious food and create lasting memories, Pesto at The Peacock is the perfect choice.

Some of the best food I have had in an Italian restaurant. Amazing choice on the menu, very good value for money as well.

Great food, good staff and value for money.

Great meal as always, lovely staff and atmosphere 😍

Nice Italian dishes. Served promptly with attentive staff. Definitely will return

Went here tonight for the first time the food and service were great! Will come back again.

Came with family for my sons birthday meal,great service and food as usual.

Fabulous place. Food was exceptionally good. Service very quick. Very polite and caring staff. 100% recommend

We visited Pesto for the first time and were presently surprised by the food, service and atmosphere. We had the lunch option which meant that we could pick from a number of parts which were grouped into three price brackets. We had three plates each (6 total), shared them between us and they were the perfect amount to satisfy both of us. I would recommend visiting Pesto as I think it is one of the better examples of a small chain.