The Fishpond Freehouse in Derbyshire Dales

Good food, efficient welcome, fair prices.

A very clean pub with hardworking and very pleasant members of staff. Great selection of food , lived this place and will definitely visit again

We ate here earlier today, and we couldn't fault the food or the service. My husband had the fish and chips, I had the gammon steak. Both meals were delicious, and the portions were enormous. The fish was fresh and flaky, and the gammon was very tender 👌. It's definitely worth a visit 😋

Lovely place for a long lunch, good beer and good food.👍😋🍻

Might be the best burger and chips I’ve ever had 100% 5 starts

Been coming for years as live in next village It’s been pretty decent throughout until today Ordered the ploughman’s and it was diabolical Hardly anything on it really looked pathetic Apple missing Ham was slimy Meant to come with bread and butter but didn’t and when asked given sliced shop white Sent back Ended up with side dish of chips for dinner Refunded without any issues but that doesn’t help when dinner ruined

Proper lovely food, with a welcoming staff and friendly atmosphere. It’s worth stepping in for a quick bite or a full meal. On the pricier side but it’s definitely worth it with the huge portion size. Donburi was quite unique and was a surprise to the taste buds.

Proper lovely food, it's worth a stop if your in Matlock! Donburi & chill beef so flavoursome if that's your type of food.

Great place for Sunday carvery! We booked late Saturday because we were looking for somewhere offering late roasts - carvery is open 12 till 5. We managed to change our booking despite it being Easter Sunday. We went for mainly carvery and one children's meal, though they do offer children's carvery. Plenty of meat on warm plates, great selection of veg and condiments, delicious gravy. Good range of drinks. All in all very good experience!

Banging food after our long walk over the hills, very much needed! Aesthetically a nice spot with lots of different outside levels so it doesn’t feel crowded. Staff are prompt and polite and seem genuinely happy to be there. Would definitely recommend the Korean beef bulgogi burger and the Satay Asian curry.

We had lunch and a couple of pints and weren't disappointed. The bar staff were all friendly and gave us a warm welcome. We didn't have long to wait for our food, the nachos and pizza were awesome and I had to leave half of my side of chips - the portions are hearty so wear your stretchy pants! The pub had a nice atmosphere and the customers in the bar were friendly and made a fuss of our dogs, and bar staff gave our dogs their own bowl of water which was appreciated. We'll definitely return, thanks guys!

Best burger I've had in a LONG time! Highly recommend!

Visited here for Friday lunch after previously visiting about a year ago which was very good. Afraid this time we were slightly disappointed. We had the fish and chips and burger meal’s and found the homemade chips a little undercooked and the burger lukewarm, rest of the food was okay, we put it down to being early and possibly the first customers for lunch but it shouldn’t make any difference. Staff were friendly and the place itself clean and we will visit again later in the day perhaps.

I went on the recommendation of my son who said he had the best loaded fries here. It was a sunny Sunday so I knew it would be busy, so we booked a table online. Despite the place being absolutely rammed, we were served quickly and the staff were all friendly. The food was really good. Actually better than I was expecting. The loaded fries were indeed great and I had the chilli beef which was lovely. We ended up asking for takeaway boxes because we had a lot left. Prices were reasonable for where we were and what we got.

If you’re veggie, don’t come for Sunday Roast. They have a nut roast, but it’s tasteless. All veggies are either stone hard or overcooked sadly.

Great place, beautiful Derbyshire scenery, well worth a visit.

Held a joint 21st birthday party here, was a great atmosphere with a wonderful venue and friendly staff to help organize. The bar was great value, room nicely decorated and everyone who attended enjoyed themselves, would definitely recommend! Thank you to the fishpond for a great event.

Very busy, good to see. Great atmosphere, nice staff, highly recommended and excellent food for thirteen people. Book in advance.

Allways good service and food. Plenty of outdoor seating in the summer.

Really lovely pub and very tasty pizza

Elmer and his team served up an amazing Sunday lunch with a smile. There was a queue but it was worth the wait, and the food was delicious including the vegan option. Thank you!

Big place and friendly, prices good and food looks great,Sunday carvery looks the business and very competitive price wise.

Great food, just a shame the place was a tip (empty tables covered in empty glasses and dirty crockery) on a quiet afternoon while the guy behind the bar fiddled with his laptop. No word of welcome or thanks when we left either. Shame to see a nice pub so unloved.

I have been before a while back always love the food but today decided to have a pizza was delicious,service excellent, well done all xx

Excellent food, brilliant atmosphere next to the coi pond in the sun, definitely will return for the Sunday carvery

Best pub in Matlock Bath , great beer selection, good food, lovely staff

Delightful staff, great menu and the food was delicious!

Very friendly lady at the bar this afternoon. Smiles all round, and no requests were a bother. I will be back!

Top night. Had a live band on for New Year Eve. Great atmosphere

If you want a fantastic carvery in a beautiful location then this is the place to be. The staff at the Fishpond are most welcoming, friendly and the establishment is ran like a well-oiled machine. There is a very relaxed ambience and it's such a nice place to be in My wife and I went for a lunchtime carvery and were blown away by how amazing the food was. I cannot recommend it enough You do have to queue up the staircase to get to the restaurant where they serve the Carvery and if your sat downstairs then u have to carry a tray with your plate on so if your elderly or disabled then you may need assistance from staff but the staff are very approachable and cannot do enough for you. They are amazing There is a lovely selection of meats, plenty of different vegetables, the roast potatoes are to die for and the mashed potato was some of the best we have had. Plenty of sauces available such as Apple Sauce for example. The room we were sat in near the bar was very quaint and quiet which made the experience even better Thankyou Fishpond Hotel for having us and we will definitely be back

Visited on numerous occasions and often stay most of the evening. Food excellent with a wide variety of choice. Burgers to Asian speciality cuisine. Beer - Neckoil is a favourite here. Bar and waiting staff are friendly and efficient, and they make sure that there’s not much waiting at the bar. Only downside was this Friday (Feb 21st) the rock band (Freeway) was just too dang loud! I could forgive the singers *dubious* vocals at times because he was fun to watch, but I despair when essentially a good rock band thinks everyone wants to be deafened. We’ve been in when there’s been a covers band, Irish folk, and rock and it’s been pleasant, but we had to move on Friday and eventually left early.

Excellent in every respect. With three grandkids and a dog we felt very welcome and custom appreciated. We had a nice table by the fire so were very comfortable. We just seem to beat the rush and our food order was met very quickly. The food was great. We had two pizzas and houloumi bites for the three kids and a chicken burger between the two adults. All food well cooked and presented. Two puddings between the five of us. Quite sufficient food unlike some establishments. Would highly recommend. Will be back. Thanks to all the staff for making this a nice experience for us all.

Had steak dinner on valentine's day Both steaks cooked perfectly, the proper chips were really good. Got sides of garlic prawns and garlic mushrooms, both cooked well and actually tasted of garlic 😋

Had a thoroughly good evening here , some very good service and food was impressive. Had the dirty onion burger, and it was gorgeous, really high quality meat cooked with the slightest blush of pink, sauces and onions all complemented and enhanced the burger. Chips were proper chips one of the best burgers I've had in a long time.

Went here over the weekend with my friends and the food looked and tasted phenomenal. There was a live band playing. Great atmosphere.

Beer is good, food is excellent, and the real log fire on a cold January day just made it perfect. Dogs welcome as well

Come here quite often for the carvery and I must say it's outstanding and definitely value for money. Plenty of meat and a great fresh vegetable selection. The carvery always looks appetising, well stocked and plentiful. The meat is always melt in the mouth and I like the fact you can pick how you'd like your meat cooked. Wether it be done well, medium etc. As with other carveries the meat isn't cut wafer thin. I've always found the staff to be pleasant and helpful and that the ball room is dog free. I'm sorry but I don't like eating round them. If I was to pick fault I'd say some weeks the vegetables are cooked better than others and I find the stuffing balls very heavy and stodgy. That is my personal preference but saying that I have never come away not thoroughly enjoying it and plenty of other things to pick. Myself and my husband rave about it to everyone. Lastly the crackling is spot on and if you snooze you lose out on that. Sometimes toy with the idea of trying other places but when you find somewhere that ticks all your boxes it's not happening

Fantastic portions and quality of food

Was my local many years ago. Me and one of my best friends use to meet here alot. Since she passed away I've found it hard coming here but managed to get over my fear. My reward? Great food and drink

Popped in today Friday for a drink. I must say the young lady serving behind the bar is a credit to the business. A great friendly personality who was great engaging with the customers. A good mix of people in the bar area and dog friendly 👌

Sunday Carvery was amazing. Great choice of meats and veg. Would highly recommend

Very nice spot in Matlock Baths with excellent seafood

Booked in for the carvery and wow the best Sunday meal I’ve ever had fantastic food and excellent choice of meat fantastic staff thank you

Excellent carvery with lots of choice and all of great quality! Reasonably priced too, would recommend!

I had a good time, the food was good the pub was very cosy and warm with a real fire 🔥 staff could be a little bit more attentive, good selection of food and drink on offer.

We really enjoyed our meal here. Food is reasonably priced and portion sizes are really generous. The only downside for us was the queue for the carvery. My partner ordered a carvery and the rest of us ordered from the menu. By the time my partner returned to the table with his carvery meal, we had all been served and had finished eating! There was only one person serving at the extremely busy carvery, on a Sunday afternoon. The location is lovely and the pub is dog friendly.

The best carvery I've had in a long time! The meat was so well seasoned and the veg perfectly cooked.

No complaints. They made a small mistake with the order and fixed it really quickly, staff were super helpful and friendly. Fish and chips were pretty fab

what a great way to spend New year , well done to all at the Fishpond , we had a great night.

Really great food, nice generous portions too. Especially the desserts. Good selection of veggie food and non alcoholic beers which really suited me today! 2 adults and 2 kids and all enjoyed ourselves. Staff were super friendly and helpful

Amazing food n service. Has good Vegan options. I highly recommend a visit.

Looking for something to eat in Matlock Bath that wasn't Fish and Chips for 9 of us. They were incredibly busy and seemed quite stressed but welcomed us in along with a warning it could be a long wait and the menu had been hammered. With little other choice we stayed and it was well worth it. Took a while to get served but she was brilliant and even then brought our drinks to the table. The wait for food was not as bad as they thought and it was well worth it. Only 1 person had to pick something else. For the adults we had a burger, sausage & mash, pie & mash and then the BBQ Pork Belly which everyone agreed looked like the best and I can confirm as it was mine it was so good. I normally get food envy looking at other options but this time I was the winner. That being said everyone enjoyed their meals and every plate was clear including the kids. Prices were alright and I would recommend to anyone.

We went out in Matlock Bath to see if there were any decent food places for dinner, not expecting anything sensational, but we are so glad we stumbled upon this place. Everyone said the food was absolutely amazing. They warned us of a 45 minute wait for food, but it arrived considerably quicker. We are so pleased and couldn't have expected something this good. Highly recommend this!

Excellent gluten free options! It was pretty packed when we arrived but we managed to get a table. Promising aromas of seafood filled the room, so we plumped for fish and chips. Pleasantly surprised that they had gluten free versions of this and other dishes. It was a fresh, light and crispy delight!

A nice warm and cosy pub, reasonable selection of food and drink on offer, we both chose the afternoon menu meals and upon ordering we were told that they were not available even though they were listed on the menu, the pub itself is pleasantly nice inside with a warm feeling however the bar staff could be a little more enthusiastic whilst going about their jobs.

First class food is perfect Sunday carvery, chest is very polite , nice pub highly recommended

Lovely pint of Hartington bitter

Great food, great service and a lovely gem of a place….

Food was good, drinks were good. Service was great and it went further than 'how are you, what do you want to eat'. It was busy on a wintery Saturday during a storm, which says a lot. Would definitely go back again

Food average , overpriced for what you get. Staff tried their best, weren't very informative, just didn't seem to be any atmosphere.

Lovely reasonable priced food with friendly service.

We came to the fishpond as we do frequently Usually we’re so happy with the service and atmosphere along with the quality of the food We placed our order at the bar Waitresses were chatting away not fully listening We ordered the bbq pork belly and satay Asian rice bowl off the mains menu However when the meal came we received the char Sui belly pork starter instead of the main meal We stayed the order had come incorrect The waitress came across very sharp and snappy she offered no apology We offered to pay the difference as mistakes happen despite the attitude of the rude server Waitress accepted payment and placed the correct order then came back around 5 minutes later stating it would be a further 25 minutes wait for the correct meal She then asked if we would like the starter with “some rice” instead At this point we had paid for proper meal this response was unsatisfactory offering us a starter with “some rice” at a full mains price We asked for a refund as one of us already had a meal so we ended up splitting the Asian rice bowl Which was delicious but unfortunately not filling Again waitress was rude returning the money and still offered no apology for her mistake Which would have been avoided if she was doing her job correctly Overall as usual lovely atmosphere the food we received was brilliant however reluctant to return due to the rude waitress and unsatisfactory rectification to her mistake

We popped in on Thursday late lunch time, the fire was lovely, had two pints of great tasting beer (real ale). Order two lunchtime specials, WOW! Enough food for another two people, and nice tasting as well not your usual bland food! Will be popping in again very soon. 5 star *****

Great service, really nice interesting, veggie food, we've already booked to go back

Really like this place, always has a good vibe and great choice of drinks! The food does seem to have decreased a little in quality and taste which was a shame. Hopefully, just a one off as intended to visit again. Staff are always very friendly.

My wife and I called here on a rainy Sunday afternoon, as the place where we had in mind was closed. We were greeted with a friendly welcome when we arrived and directed to a seating area. We both had the Sunday Carvery and weren't disappointed at all. There was a good selection of locally sourced meats, and as a nice touch, we could choose if we wanted the meat, rare, medium or well done. A good selection of hot fresh vegetables and the red cabbage was to die for. We both left with full bellies. On a separate note, there was also a good selection of hand pulled beers, for the beer lovers. Would I recommend and return. Definitely. I would. If you like my honest review and find it helpful, please follow me as I review on a regular basis.

Nicely tucked away, I scored the atmosphere as 3, I’m a dog owner but I find people that feed dogs from there plate objectionable I’m afraid, otherwise staff and service was friendly.

A must place to visit and eat at.10/10.

Busy pub but service is on point, friendly staff and great atmosphere. Always clean and tidy

Best pub in town , friendly warm good beer and food really nice staff top place

Came here for a Sunday dinner with friends. Was about £33 for two carveries so not bad. Was really impressed with the carvery in that there was 8 meat options, including how you wanted your meat. You could have rare beef, medium beef, gammon, turkey, medium lamb, well done lamb and a couple of others. You could also have a nut roast too. Love the variety of meats to suit everyone. The mash was also very good. Everything else was standard. The parsnips and carrots were not peeled, and they were plain boiled parsnips not honey roasted. The peas were on the crunchier side and I prefer my veg soft. They had cheesy leeks and cauliflower cheese. It is not very good for labelling as I knew not all the veg was vegetarian. The red cabbage was picked and not stated that was not nice. The roast potatoes were crunchy but a little dry. The Yorkshire was big but not my favourite. Was worth the try for the meat

Had pizza and it was great. Best pizza I have had for a while

Went last night for food. We had no prior booking. Was met by a barman who said choose a table with no settings or menu, which we did. Only then to be asked to move by the female bar tender on the basis of the table being reserved. Very poor customer service and experience. Felt like we were not priority.

We pre booked food, as a large group of friends. Really easy booking experience, food and drinks were really good. Nice atmosphere. Busy but not too loud. Would recommend.

Accommodated our large group (18 people) easily. Good food, good beer, good place to be! Will look forward to coming back soon

Went last night for food. We had no prior booking. Was met by a barman who said choose a table with no settings or menu, which we did. Only then to be asked to move by the female bar tender on the basis of the table being reserved. Very poor customer service and experience. Felt like we were not priority. Following the response from Fishpond - given the difficulties, we should not have been the ones to ask to move. This could have been avoided.

We pre booked food as a party of 14. The service was great, with all food coming out together. Friendly staff, lovely atmosphere and good choice of drinks. The food was really good, from burgers to Asian dishes and great pizza.

First time dining here. Great Sunday dinner with lots of vegetable options. The queue for the roast dinner was a tad long, but with the quality of food I'm not surprised! The roasts are served in the Ballroom upstairs. So it can be a safety risk if you lose your footing when carrying hot food. That was my only concern. The staff are friendly and it was cozy warm and inviting. A great dining experience.

I had steamed fish. Mashed potato & mushy peas. We met my aunt & uncle in Matlock Baths, l would go again

Whenever I'm in Matlock I always stop here for a few drinks yesterday I took my friend here for a few drinks and for food and OMFG the food was so amazing. I will be eating here again the burger was well worth the money

Fantastic venue to see live bands Bar staff have always been amazing and they are dog friendly too!! I love it here!!

This was a really popular spot for a Sunday afternoon, and as such it was hard to find a seat and service was understandably slow. But the food was delicious and a great atmosphere! I'll definitely be popping back next time we are in the area! Super dog friendly too which is a massive bonus. The beer garden at the back is mostly covered with heat lamps so it's a comfortable place for some of the poorer weather.

Really good fish and chips, all washed down with a local pint.

Fabulous food... Fabulous staff and a lovely atmosphere 😀

Best pub in matlock amazing pizza 🍕 served in the function room ,great selection of ipas and beers 🍻

Very busy pub good atmosphere, carvery very good,lots of choice on all roast meats,also a extra menu non roasts.Music on regularly.

Excellent food and great service

Busy Saturday with fireworks and boats across the road and despite it being mega busy everywhere the service and food was fabulous

Didn't eat, but the food looked and smelled delicious, The entertainment that they provide is excellent ,various nights and styles,which is truly keeping music alive in a modern and comfortable environment..Honestly I wish we lived closer to here, our 4th visit and each time never fails...if I'm honest the reason we go to Matlock bath is because of the entertainment that the fishpond offers..plus the beer is well kept and served with a smile...what more could you want? The efforts the management go to are well recognised and received.

Amazing South East Asian dishes - best we've had in this country.Kids portions were massive.Cracking value for money.Finshed the Thai Pork Belly and had could have ordered another one.

Great food in nice surroundings

Food was ok, but we expected better and with better service. Our table was reserved for 10 guests for a birthday dinner. There was no cutlery on the table or any sauces. Once the food arrived, We assumed they would bring the cutlery, but they didn't. I had to get up once the food was on the table and go to the bar to get the cutlery for all ten guests! Plus no serviettes, we ordered pizza's as well. They brought pizza down without a pizza cutter until the next lot of food came down. Utter shambles. I won't be going there again or recommending anyone to go there.

We was coming into matlock for the illuminations so thought we'd book a table to have a meal before going, we'd been before a few years ago and had a nice meal so thought we'd come here again when we arrived it was exceptionally busy our table wasn't cleaned ready for us we did have to wait around 15mins for the table to be sorted we was seated by the door for the beer garden it was a bit annoying having to keep getting up to shut the door because everyone that walked through kept leaving it open letting in the cold when everyone's trying to eat in that area. The food took a long time to come out and it was ok I think because it was so busy It did effect everything else so I'd probably come back in the future and ask not to be seated by the beer garden door

Lovely place in a great location in Matlock. Been for a couple of meals before which have always been nice, but never got around to trying the famous carvery until today. So glad we came, the food was amazing, and so much variety.Everything was hot and well cooked. Staff were really friendly and everything was well organised. It was very busy and because there was 2 of us with a dog we had to queue separately which would have meant we’d probably be eating at different times, but after I’d got mine I was told to send my wife to the front of the queue so we could dine together, I thought that was very thoughtful and a nice touch. I must say Thankyou (and sorry) to the bar lady who cleared our plates and was really friendly, my clumsy wife managed to spill half a pint of lager not only on the floor but managed to decorate half the wall too. Thanks again for your assistance, I’ll be leaving the wife at home next time.

Great value and very quick service on the food.

This place was very busy, it's Malock illuminations and there was a wedding on too! Saying that there was plenty of staff on and we got served quickly. I would recommend the Eyam Brewery's Cappuccino Stout called "Bring out your dead." Very nice. This place is very popular and is both kid and dog friendly, as long as they are well-behaved!

I've been in the UK for 7 weeks and to be honest the food is rubbish...unless you have the Asian rice bowl at the Fish Pond... Absolutely delicious

Never had a bad meal here ❤️ I had sausage and mash off the main menu, and he had gammon steak, we had a side of onion rings, which we always have, they are so good

Try the Fish and Chips. The taste of the batter and frying of the chips is high on the scale. The fish is also rich in taste!!

I visited with my family for an occasion with high expectations. We were seated upstairs which we were told is solely for the carvery and were told that their regular menu food couldn’t be served upstairs, however, they would make an exception for us, as if it was our fault we asked for regular food. This made me a little frustrated as when I originally made the booking, I did not specify that any of our party wanted a carvery nor was I asked by the gentleman who took the booking over the phone, I simply said I wanted to book a table for food. The table was dirty and the queue for the bar was about 10 people long - we were told we couldn’t sit down and had to queue at the bar to be seated. In my opinion, the upstairs section did not have enough staff, one person behind the bar and one person occasionally checking the upstairs floor, whereas downstairs had lots of staff on the floor and behind the bar. Two of our party had a carvery and two had regular menu food. The regular menu food was initially served to an empty table on the other side of the room, the waitress even left the food on the empty table and walked off without looking for us. Thankfully, the woman behind the bar realised and asked the waitress to get the food and serve it to the correct table. There was no cutlery available so we had to cut the carvery queue and get cutlery ourselves. There were also no sauces available upstairs (when sitting downstairs there are sauces and cutlery on the table already). Also, the queue for the carvery itself is down a flight of stairs which seemed like a hazard as staff and customers were moving around the queue on the stairs carrying food and drinks - seemed a bizarre way to have the carvery set up. My dad let an elderly gentleman go ahead of him in the queue as he couldn’t face queuing on the stairs. The food was nice, a little overpriced but was very tasty. The only thing I would point out is that when ordering the Margherita pizza, you have to ask for it to be vegetarian as they put parmesan on it (the menu does say that it’s only vegetarian to order) which I found a little unusual as it’s a standard almost-always vegetarian pizza, but if that’s how they do it then so be it. My partner and I were in agreement that we would not visit again given our experience and the prices, but we did have a nice time.