The Excavator in Amber Valley

I came here with a group of friends for a Sunday dinner and it was unreal. The options of meat and vegetables felt endless which is differently what you want for a carvery! The fact the Yorkshire puddings were homemade made this even more delish! We were that happy we stayed for desert. We will definitely be returning!!!

Absolutely world class, service from start to finish was absolutely amazing, brilliant and very polite and well mannered staff, big Thankyou to you all , really enjoyed our visit once again, if you like the meaty dish I recommend the mixed grill!!!!!! Thankyou guys

Went for the Sunday carvery after it was recommended to us. It was incredible, certainly lived up to the hype! Meat was tender and delicious, cooked to perfection. A great variety or vegetables and accompaniments. Staff were helpful and friendly and the restaurant was very clean. 10 out of 10!

The Carvery as gone down hill rapidly and the price for what you get a selection of is not great The price has once again increased so there are better options elsewhere I believe going forward. The staff on the Carvery are very friendly on a positive note At the end of the day the Carvery is nothing special and the portion size of meat is now very minimal so don’t think we will be returning anytime soonwhich is such a shame from past experiences

Were to start, 9 of us went for a meal which we was welcomed quite nicely by the guy in a peaky blinders hat, we sat down and ordered drinks and food but from there on all went down hill, portion of chips had a fly on (cooked onto the chip aswell) sent back and 10seconds later a "fresh" portion was bought out (wish i could cook fresh chips that quick), well done steak which could have had cpr and gone back to the farm, lamb shank just fat shank, burgers cold in the middle but very crispy on the outside, starter of garlic bread (well the end peice and 1 slice)... we didnt stay for dessert as tbh we just wanted to get out and be gone, place used to be lovely yrs ago but now it should be buried with a excavator... when mentioned it to staff about the issues all we got was smiles and ok... Will be advising people to avoid and probs stick to kfc....

Popped in for a quick lunch on our way back from a camping trip. Good service and great food! Would definitely visit again

We have been for Sunday carvery today It was very busy but no waiting around for food Service excellent and food was first class One of the best carvery’s in the area with a great selection of meats and vegetables in a really nice location Will be back soon

Disappointing visit, real shame as we visit quite often usually Arrrived at 5pm and ordered starters and mains- second choice for my main as flatbreads not available At 5:45 was told no prawn cocktail left! 45 minutes after ordering? Calamari came with tartare sauce not garlic mayo and rocket instead of pea shoots Steak for main was ordered medium- blood literally dripping from it when it arrived, no English mustard to go with steak Customers were being turned away at 6:30 due to 45 minute wait for food, despite the place not being busy and lots of waiting on staff Not sure what was going on, never had an experience like this here before Shame as we come here as a family quite often

Stopped by on Wednesday for the lunch. As we walked in the lovely staff greeted us at the door with a smile and showed us to our table. We was offered a lunch menu which had things like chicken tenders and fish goijons. I had the tenders and the chicken was very delicious. We finished off with dessert and only paid £14.50 for 2 courses, very good value for money, will be back!!

Excellent service and amazing food. We came in on Wednesday for pie and a pint and had amazing service from all the young staff, all offers and special menus were offered to us. Our young server was lovely and was very efficient. Overall all staff really nice and the food is amazing. Would come back

Quick stop on route to somewhere else but nice food, quick and friendly service. Plenty of outdoor seating.

A superb pub. We highly recommend it. Good food, great staff and a lovely atmosphere

Food poor for price. Not microwaved properly. Young staff very welcoming

We’ve just been turned away after walking 2 miles as you claim there’s nowhere to seat us with dogs (pub is totally empty) If that the case you should state that dog walkers should pre book Utterly disgusting attitude from staff as we walked in in a rainy day and now we have to walk back again Don’t waste your time here

Excellent Sunday Carvery great service with a smile

Lovely staff. Di and John always give us a warm welcome. We’ve had other carveries but by far this is the best n we go nearly every Sunday 10/10 highly recommended. Keep up the good work guys !! Xx

Not much to say except great food, great service and ample parking even if it's on a bit of a busy road.

Great staff warm welcome, A good atmosphere and food is well priced and has a good wide range to choose from. Food has always been fantastic and the presentation is excellent, The pub itself has beautiful surroundings and a country feel.First came here few years back for a birthday celebration and always came back since

The best place I have ever been too for the food. Had a Sunday roast and the best I have had the meat was amazing. The staff ere all very friendly and the atmosphere was good. Thankyou so much for an amazing lunchtime

We had our first date with you on Sunday afternoon I'm 62 and she is 58 thank you very much for a great time we will be back 🙃🙃😍😍😎😎🤓🤓🥰🥰

Really friendly welcome, the refurbishment looks great. Staff really helpful and friendly. Food was really good and

Came in on Wednesday and had the hunters chicken and the cheese and bacon burger, was amazing we will definitely be back

Everyone served on our table at once but we had to wait 10+minutes for my 9year old to be served, we reminded them after the long wait that he hadn’t had his food and they were rude and unapologetic. We asked for a bill to settle our costs and they told us to pay at the bar instead of offering us a bill first or checking if we were okay/how we were wanting to pay. We had to ask a second employee twice about the missing food aswell as a receipt for our meals as the first shrugged us off both times. Disappointed, learn some respect. Not professional at all.

Came in on Tuesday, was quite inside but busy outside, we had the signature burger and the buttermilk chicken burger it was amazing would definitely recommend!!

We are always welcomed and the food menu is good. Real ales maybe not so but that has to be driven by demand of course. I tried an IPA and couldn’t drink it as it was a horrible colour and very fizzy. More like a rubbish lager. I’ve never seen that before. IPA is always a draft beer and smooth like real ales. Anyway, our food is always well cooked and comes out cooked hot. Very good. Meal portions are fair and not small. Prices have gone up but this is understandable. People have to make a living and costs are rising all the time. Overall we are very happy with the team there and the food. We will keep going back. Thanks.

Went today for fathers day, really nice carvery meat was beautiful 😍. I was a little put out the main menu wasn't available but understand it would be alot to do the full main menu plus carvery. The main reason for my review was the staff, today was the first time ever I was walking with mine and my son's carvery when a waitress came over and asked if I'd like help. She took my son's plate put gravy on it checking the amount was ok. Then took my son back to the table ( where his grandad was) so I could sort my own plate out. Thank you so much you don't understand how much this helped me I wish more restaurants went above and beyond as this waitress did for me today.

I hope this message finds you well and that you're in the mood for a good chuckle (with just a dash of constructive criticism). My wife, children, and I have driven past your establishment countless times, always admiring it from afar and eagerly anticipating our visit. We finally decided to give it a try, expecting a delightful dining experience. However, we were in for a bit of a surprise. From the moment we sat down, we felt as if we were in a speed-dining competition. The staff's enthusiasm was, well, a tad overwhelming, with them almost breathing down our necks and hovering over us throughout the meal. It's safe to say that our dining experience was more "rush hour" than "leisurely lunch." Now, let's talk about the food. We were quite taken aback by the bill, which totalled nearly £80, with a single glass of wine priced at almost £9. We had to double-check to see if the wine came with a vineyard. Alas, it did not. Our high hopes were met with a bitter disappointment and a rather sour taste in our mouths, figuratively speaking. We wanted to share our experience with you in the hopes that future diners might enjoy a more relaxed and reasonably priced meal. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we hope to see some positive changes in the future. Best regards, Tom

We came here as we'd never been and really wanted to. Quite surprised at how quiet it was for a Saturday evening on father's day weekend. Young girl serving got our drinks order wrong. My boyfriend asked for pure orange juice. She bought weak dilute orange squash. When we said it was the wrong drink and told the manager she had fetched, he went away, came back and asked if it was orange and lemonade we ordered. We yet again said no it was pure orange juice. He seemed to be rolling his eyes at us. The food came very quickly but possibly was this because it was microwaved? I used to work in foodservice so I know the products rather well! All in all, average quality for a couple going out for tea. Not the best date night food for the price.

The carvery was piping hot and the beef was excellent.

If you just want to meet up with your mates for a quick drink, just hope it is a nice day because there is nowhere inside to sit and have a chat. All the indoor seats are set up for food, and if it starts to rain, you are getting wet or standing in the entrance to wait for it to pass

very nice place and serve excellent food, defo worth a visit

Amazing place, great carvery and staff very friendly

A great team with tasty food. Delicious carvery, very accommodating for a group of 10

Hello Just had the wake for my late wife Debbie at the excavator in nice room tea coffee on arrival cobs with cooked fresh joint meat roast potatoes stuffing chips sweet and normal good sided plate full they seem able to cope well the pub was busy on arrival nice food cooked well plenty of it all hot . Dogs welcome to which is bonus Can highly recommend staff and pub for a function Steve+ poppy coates

An absolute amazing place the food is the best I've ever eaten great value and exceptional service have not one single gripe from the whole evening 100 stars if I could

We visited as a couple and had a choice of tables when we arrived which was nice. Since our last visit the interior had been updated and there was a new menu. We had the vegetarian macaroni cheese and the chicken and mushroom pie which was on the daily specials menu. It was a bonus that on Wednesdays (when we visited) a pie main course came with a free drink. Both main courses were delicious. For dessert we opted for a Black Forest sponge with ice cream and a raspberry trifle cheesecake and both were really good. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and we were made really welcome by the servers. I definitely recommend a visit to The Excavator.

New menu is banging. Get involved in the chorizo and truffle Mac and cheese. My fella had the chicken kebab and would not stop playing lightsabers with the skewer. Thank you team! ❤️

Great food, pleasant staff. Quick service. Sat outside in the sun with the pooch. Nice quiet afternoon meal n drink.

Had a fabulous Turkey baguette with chips lovely staff will be back

So we have always loved this pub, my son chose this for his birthday meal but tonight we was left disappointed the food wasn’t all that my steak and ale pie had been microwaved ribeye steak wasn’t the best and for the price that was paid would of expected better to be honest. The staff looked miserable and the general feeling of the pub wasn’t nice I feel sad that a pub we really liked has gone down hill even with a new menu. We won’t be returning any time soon. And as for the cheeky member of staff who took the payment asking if we wanted our change, we would have left a tip if you hadn’t of asked and assumed we was giving you the change and I don’t mean 50p he asked if we wanted our £9 change the service wasn’t good either.

Fantastic Carvery, with small alternative menu options on Sunday. All the food was delicious, would highly recommend. Very helpful n friendly staff too. Will definitely be returning.

Wonderfull food good beer. Nice atmosphere

Didn't try the food but the atmosphere was nice just limited light in the middle of the day and part of the pub is in total darkness and looks so dingy.

Food was hot and good and we didnt have to wait to long. Good service all round. Friendly. Overall very good.

We had booked a table for 2 and we were seated next to a window which was a bonus. We were served very quickly and didn't have to wait long in the queue for the carvery. The food was hot and delicious with a good variety of ingredients. It was very good value for money and we will certainly visit again.

Just had a very nice meal here, during the day, with friendly staff in a great atmosphere, I do feel it could get rather busy at certain times. The meals are typical pub meals at reasonable prices but the place is clean and tidy with free WiFi, and newly furbished. You can sit outside in the summer and dog friendly which is a bonus for some. If you are driving, it can be difficult exiting the car park onto the main road, be careful

Enjoyed a lovely meal on Saturday afternoon. Been here before and would go again. My husbands steak wasn't the best but was eatable. Mt macaroni cheese with piri spirits chicken was yummy 😋

Service and food was excellent, a little quiet around lunchtime though. Clean and looked lovely inside. First time there and I will definitely be visiting again. Chips were amazing, fluffy and crispy on the outside.

Great value for money, good food at sensible prices, Staff are fairly young yet polite and enthusiastic. Main menus varies a lot depending on the time of day. Food nicely presented and looked appetising. Two large car parks with reasonable access.

Went for Sunday dinner yesterday and have emailed the pub and given feedback to the over all company since as their allergy information online is wrong - quite a serious issue. I have had no response as of yet (almost 24 hours later) and the allergy information is still wrong. For info the mash potato says it is vegan. However when I asked for clarity for milk allergies I was told that it wasn’t vegan from two different staff members (one being the carvery server). I asked to see their allergy information on site and no one could provide me with anything and I was told to look online. Which I told them I had but that if what they were telling me about the potato’s was right the online information is wrong. I made two staff members aware that the allergy information online was incorrect but it continues to be unchanged. So just beware if you are either vegan or have allergies as if we hadn’t checked my two children would be ill right now. I have put a review on in the absence of a response from the pub.

Staff were efficient and friendly but the sirloin steak was tough and chewy. I didn't eat it and commented to the waitress who was very apologetic. We were offered a free pudding. Not the best of responses since I couldn't eat my meal.

Me and my wife called in for a carvery on our way home to sheffield having been to matlock bath on the off chance of getting a table and our luck was in .sometimes when you call to a pub for food on a busy Sunday the chances are no. But the lady managed to squeeze us in (table 23) and we where grateful. I must say it was probably one of the best carvery we have had with a fantastic choice of veg and 4 very tasty meats to choose from.the portions we're really generous and to be honest I don't understand why some customers have left criticism on their reviews Also the young staff were very obliging and professional. Thank you for accommodating us and next time we visit matlock we will definitely pay another visit

It's been a couple of years since I visited here and it will probably be a couple more until I return. I can already sense the manager getting ready to leave one of her defensive, sometimes sarcastic replies to the review. Anyway, we booked a table on the off chance it was busy, but it wasn't. We were told to pick any 4 seater table. Unlike other pubs I've visited recently this one seemed to have an overload of staff and we dealt with at least 5 different staff members during our visit. The main menu offers your standard pub classics, burgers and grills, all fairly priced. As well as this we were given a clipboard of vegan and veggie options and seasonal specials. You really were spoilt for choice, but their shopping list must be massive! We ordered the goats cheese lasagne and hake off the specials menu. We wanted a side of sweet potato fries, but they had run out, so we ordered halloumi fries instead. The food came out in good time. The hake wasn't what I was expecting though, as the menu states it comes with a tomato and basil sauce and I was told this was a seafood sauce. Time to update your clipboards I think. The portion size was pretty small. I definitely felt like I'd made the wrong choice. Part of the hake was very hard and rubbery and I couldn't even get the knife through. My friend said the lasagne was really nice, but was not a fan of the side salad as she said it had a bucket load of dressing thrown over and the lettuce was swimming and soggy. Also, the garlic bread was hard. Not too impressed with the mains, we were hoping for redemption with the desserts. Again, the amount of choices was crazy! We both ordered the salted caramel cookie brownie. However, we were told there was only one left! The girl who came to break this news to us was the best of the staff members we dealt with and if I saw her again I would have asked for her name to give her a mention. She was really nice. Anyway, I ordered the Clementine tart with chocolate orange ice cream instead. Again, service was quick, but the desserts were just ok. They sounded nicer than they tasted. A few other points to round off the review. . .one of the glasses had lipstick marks on and when I asked for another water I was asked if I wanted ice and then 30 seconds later was brought a drink without ice by someone else. If you're going to have so many staff members working on one table there needs to be better communication between everyone. The clipboard also states that desserts are all £5.99 and came up as £5.95 on the receipt, so something else to update!!! So, a really nice pub, extensive choices to suit most taste buds and dietary requirements, but I just felt like I made the wrong choices on this visit. And before the manager responds with her popular 'thank goodness the other x amount of people enjoyed their meals' just remember this is an honest review based on our own personal experience and obviously the other x amount of people don't all leave reviews.

Busy pub. Bit chaotic. Went for Sunday Lunch but disappointed with food. Yorkshire puds tough, skin on roast pots tough, cauliflower cheese tasteless. Food barely warm. 😩

Husband took me here for a late bday treat....Staff friendly, very polite and welcoming. Husband's food look amazing he was absolutely shocked at the state of it once he started to eat it (and he will eat anything.) My meal wasn't to bad I have had worse. We where given free puddings as my husband complained about his meal which he didn't touch after the second mouthful. Only for me to get home and throw up from then on till late that night! Really hate leaving bad reviews but this pub looks lovely and we would have been regulars had the food been better abd not made me poorly. Can't fault the serving staff though

Lovely food and very generous with it. Nice family atmosphere for a Sunday roast. Friendly staff.

Beautiful food. No long wait. The young lady who served us was a new member of staff. She was very lovely.

Terrible service and atmosphere. Staff all miserable. Drinks order wrong twice. Seemed a problem staff to do anything for you .establishment chooses to be table service. But no one around when u wanted anything Kids plates red hot when come out .kids wouldn't eat anything for a good 10 minutes. All surrounding tables dirty . Went to bar to order food n was rudley told to sit down as it was table service even though there was people at the bar ordering food. Won't be back

Burgers are great wish I’d had that instead of the mixed grill, asked for rare steak and it was overdone, chicken was anaemic and tasteless, rest was ok though.

Found this place on the way back to our hotel, Very nice food reasonably priced and friendly staff. Wide selection on the menu service quick and food was lovely.

We didn't think the food was value for money at all. We were shoved in a room at the back because there was'a funeral coming in, which hadn't arrived by the time we left. The room had too many tables in it and everyone was squeezing past chairs including the servers. There was a leak in the ceiling and the water was being caught in a bowl on the table next to us. Marston's ought to do better. I suspect being able to eat at the front of the pub would've been a more pleasurable experience. The young man serving us was clearly nervous, but did his best and was helpful. Another family near us that we knew also said how disappointed they were . Maybe it was an off day?

Friendly service. Lovely food. Great environment.

Came on 31st March at 1.30, 2 adults one teenager and sat at table 4. Very welcoming bar and waiting staff and equally friendly chef. All three of us had the regular carvery, very good portions of meat and all the joints were excellent plus a superb range of fresh vegetables that are obviously very swiftly replenished to keep fresh. Very highly recommended and we will definitely return before too long!

The food was very nice, came out quickly. Staff were friendly and looked after us well . Good value for money.

Very nice place for a drink & food . There were four of us who visited for a get-together drinks and meals two had the hunter's chicken one scampi and myself cod chips peas followed by various sweats all very nice service and staff excellent will definitely visit again.

Not been to the excavator for about a year so decided to call in on the off chance. The staff where very pleasant and accommodating finding us a table, we ordered a starter from the main menu and main course from the special menu. The food was fantastic and we really enjoyed it. The staff where superb and excellent in making us feel welcomed. Highly recommend

Beautiful food, friendly staff would definitely recommend

The steak could've been a better cut of meat. And the pasta was maybe a little dry but but all in all it was really nice.

The food was amazing we went on the saturday night before mothers day and there was 5 of us...the food was amazing and the staff were delightful...deffo coming back xx

Great, spacious pub! The choice of food was decent too (actually making the selection of something tricky!). When it arrived, it was well presented. If I were to criticise something, it would be probably that the tastes could have been stronger. Staff were extremely attentive too.

First time visiting after a recommended visit from friends and it’s a lovely place to eat will be going again really friendly staff couldn’t do enough for you had rump steak it was cooked to perfection

Seated in back room as front area was reserved for large party who had still not arrived when we left. Windows adjacent to table were dirty. View through window was under mouldy external canopy. Asked to move and were moved to a better table. Food was adequate but would not describe it as good.

Food cooked to perfection, apart from roast potatoes, these was deep fried instead of oven roasted . Meat portion was very small , having paid for 2 meats I would expect bigger portion size .

Brilliant meal friendly service love the carvery

Excellent service and food staff always plesent me and son go regularly most likely go next weekend

Excellent service, fantastic food, great value. Booking definitely recommended - it's busy for a very good reason 👍

Went for tea last night I had chicken & mushroom pie, chips & peas, the pie had been heated up in the microwave so was rubbery & not great, seemed to be rushed by the staff to eat up & go, as soon as I finished my food they was asking about desserts to be ordered, give me 5 mins & I will order, i ordered the apple crumble & the apples was hard so picked them all out, why rush you, the young lad who took our order was lovely & very polite a credit to your business but unfortunately we will not be going back.

Didn't enjoy my hunters chicken at all, my wife cheddar leek potatoe pie said it was lovely

Staff were friendly and service was fabulous. The carvery was amazing and the one serving the meat made us laugh. Thank you

There were 9 of us in total who ordered a variety of different foods, which all came out at the same time and piping hot. That is the sign of an organized kitchen and the waiting staff we're excellent. 10/10.

The most horrible welcome , staff were very unwelcoming would never stop here again

Nice Food, smiling staff, Menu for everyone, not expensive,

Very welcoming friendly staff , food was excellent, pub was clean warm and tidy.We came with my 90 year old mother in law and the uneven car park was slightly worrying but it was dry and cold so she just took her time and she was fine.

Excellent Service and food Particularly like the dog friendly section

good food, reasonably priced but the standout was the service. Young staff but very attentive and polite, we felt very welcome and very looked after

Often pass by but never called ,but after reading some good reviews we decided to give it a try! Very extensive menu , most tastes and diets catered for. Prices are reasonable, its quite amazing how prices everywhere have taken a hike. Our lunch was excellent and the service was attentive and staff were extremely polite. Well worth a visit, good value and we are putting the Excavator on our list!

Lovely family celebration. The food was cooked well and well portioned and the service was attentive without being over intense. Great night this place is a hidden gem, well worth a visit.

Very good meal was very hot and all the time service not too bad one of the young girls got our meal wrong but the other girl who I think was sisters soon sorted it out

First time visit and we were not disappointed. Lovely place and the food (Sunday Carvery) was absolutely delicious. Great selection of meats and veg to choose from too. Staff were super friendly and made sure we were ok during our meal. Will definitely be back, best Sunday roast we’ve had in a very long time. Thank you

Polite staff and excellent food we will be back though might not have to eat for a week before hand to do it justice

Excellent food and service the new menu just right steak just a little undercooked but not a problem as it was just taken back n re cooked a little more brilliant all round thank you

The food here is always great and the carvery is very popular. That is probably why Sunday carvery is limited to an hour and half, which is quite restrictive. On this particular day, the weather was quite mild and so inside the pub / restaurant was so hot we were melting. We finished our food and went to sit outside, not having any dessert. But of course it was too cold to sit outside and so we just ended up going home. It all felt a bit rushed and unwelcome.

Really good carvery on a Sunday good selection of meat and ready nice fresh veg highly recommended good service and lovely puddings

Nice food ..price is OK. But had to ask 4 times for a second drink .the others drinks came ok ..asked when they cleared plates and pudding etc ..it came when we was ready to leave.

Very nice Carvery But book to make sure you get in.

Nice pub great food and friendly staff. We recommend the carvery, lots meat choice. Lunch menu too much choice. Nice atmosphere and good parking.

Food overpriced. All frozen as told we couldn’t eat because pudding was still frozen. Appauling service. Pudding all out at different times. Bill was wrong and charged us for too many of most things. One word appauling. Staff sticking fingers in ice cream and eating it out the container infront of us Should have gone to a chip shop. Will never return.

We called here for some tea and was very disappointed, the service was very slow staff did not appear interested, the chips were over cooked and very crispy and the curry was like water. The staff did not seem interested when we told them.

Booked for 15 adults a toddler and our dog. Service was excellent as was the carvery

Warm friendly atmospheres prompt service and varied menu. Prices are reasonable and food is served attractively and well cooked. Overall good experience