The Fishpond Freehouse in Derbyshire Dales

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Great value and very quick service on the food.

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.

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

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 off 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.

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.

We loved the food here. Great pub.

Brilliant, nice food and polite staff.

Excellent meal and fair priced beer. Burger and chips was excellent. Cheesy chips were also excellent.

Lovely place, very busy, been here a few times over the years but this time for a carvery. There is a good selection of veggies and they give a good portion of the meats that are available. Good beer selection too. Your best to book for the carvery.

Amazing food. Friendly . Good service . Highly recommend. We had the asian bowl and the Buddha bowl. Can’t wait to come back

Dreadful service! Waited so long at the bar to be served (10 minutes) before walking away with multiple other people served before us... 😠 Asked to speak to manager and told they are busy. Avoid the pub if it is at all busy 👎 We ended up walking down to the midland other end of the town - it was much quicker and engaging staff! 👏

Fantastic food, great staff even on busy days.

We had the carvery last Sunday at the Fishpond and the food was really lovely! There was plenty of meat and lots of veg to choose from. The Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes were quite stale so they let the side down a bit. We were a bit confused when we arrived. We had pre-booked luckily but we didn't know what to do when we arrived. There was no one directing people so it took us a while to figure out that we had to pay at the bar beforehand and then take the ticket upstairs to the carvery. Also note, even if you're sat downstairs you have to go upstairs to collect your food. This was difficult for me as I have a disability that makes walking upstairs hard so to walk down the uneven stairs with a full plate was a little difficult. I would also say some of the staff were rude. Bartenders were really lovely, the chefs were lovely but the waitresses we had were quite rude which was a shame.

Went for Sunday lunch as we were staying in Matlock and The Fishpond had been recommended by a family member. We were seated upstairs in the main dining room which was bright and welcoming and had music playing in the background. Warm welcome from staff and carvery process explained. We went to get our meals and what an awesome experience.the chef carving the meats greeted each and every customer explained what was available and how many meats you could have and the variety of vegetables was just wonderful. All fresh and well presented and the 2 staff running the carvery were constantly topping up and keeping the area clean and tidy. I can honestly say it was one of the best carvery's I have ever had and it was reasonable on price. One of our party had the vegetarian option and that did not disappoint either. Well done to the whole team especially the chef. Great experience and we all left very satisfied with our meals.

Had a nice meal here. Great selection of beers. Good food. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Reasonably priced.

Great pub! Good variety of beer,good service and great atmosphere.

Honestly the best carvery I have ever had. Everything was so fresh and so much choice.

Excellent food, friendly staff, huge seating choices on several levels, both in and outdoors, food was good quality, tasty, reasonably priced, usually a queue at opening time on a sunday, would recommend going up to the top outdoor level near the small spring water outlet and looking down into the fishpond, beautiful carp

Chunky chips were basically baked potato chopped in quarters, not very nice 😒.

Service at the bar wasn't great. I was stood and ignored for a good 5+ minutes while other locals were served-not even any eye contact or acknowledgement. The menu is limited with just a few pub favourites. Very much a locals pub in a tourist town.

Didn't have food so cannot rate but this is an amazing pub with plenty of areas to sit, staff are friendly and service great x

Great pub restaurant. Good location. Next to the river and shops.

Catered for gf, and food was good.

Food was delicious! We popped in for a quick meal before setting off to see the Matlock illuminations and did not regret it! Pizza was yummy, and the 'proper chips' were proper tasty! Staff serving food were really friendly and quite attentive of the tables despite us being tucked away. Atmosphere was a bit rowdy and loud but understandable for a Saturday night - good vibe overall, especially as there is seating tucked away from the noisy bar. Would recommend for those vacationing in the area like ourselves.

Good food, great atmosphere and not too expensive would recommend,

A nice pub to visit. All clean and service was quick. A nice big menu and specials board too. Very nice interior and we enjoyed our visit

Visited here after seeing all of the good reviews. Cannot fault the food but the service was abysmal. It was quiet enough that the girl behind the bar brought out drinks over for us, my boyfriend ordering a Guinness 0 and bring given normal guinness. Not good enough really. The server was wearing crocs which i thought to be extremely unprofessional. Not a single smile out of her (i work hospitality we all have our bad days but a smile goes a long way!) Worst latte I’ve ever had in my life (americano with some hot milk). Just the small little things really added up. Would return for the food but definitely not the service we received

Really good food, definitely recommend the beer battered fish here over a few of the chippies, and the Fishpond burger was also a great choice.

We had the carvery which is served in the ball room. There was an excellent choice of meat, including rare and well-done options, excellent Yorkshire puddings, and so many side dishes and vegetables to choose from. All served in the very grand ballroom. A lovely place for a lovely lunch.

No gammon or stuffing with no prior notice before paying to get the raffle ticket. Cauliflower cheese dry, cabbage chewy, roast potatoes not crispy or fluffy. Service very slow, only could have carvery upstairs which wasn't very clear when booking a table. Lamb was tasty and moist and the turkey was moist. Didn't like the view of the mould on the ceiling and I mean a lot of black mould. Pricey for a carvery so was expecting a better quality than a bog standard chain carvery but this was definitely not the case. Would not recommend

Very nice pub to enjoy a few beers and a brilliant outside areas to sit in the sunshine especially around the back upper terrace, definitely worth a visit 👍

Fantastic service & food 3rd time visitor pop in when am in the area 😋

Visited for the first time today, it was so good we came back twice in one day! Service was attentive and great. I tried a porter for the first time, and too lovely we'd had 3 by hometime. Great to find somewhere with a dazzling real drinks selection (we can't find at home) Chips are to die for! The garden at the back is beautiful, daughter loved your big fish (she named them) such a wonderful time. Will be back every time we come now, favourite place!

Friendly staff, lush food, quick to be served. Incredible playlist! Perfect for lunch and a relaxing sit down whilst in Matlock Bath. I really appreciated the roomy set-up with lots of space inbetween tables so our pushchair could fit easily.

Great spot. Was very busy but still fit us in for carvery, was out first carvery here but definitely be back, everything fresh and tasteful.

Excellent sharers plate of nachos with pulled meat on top washed down with 1 guiness and Pepsi max. Service very pleasant and friendly

Friendly staff. Great location.

Absolutely amazing food cooked perfectly super fast service and lovely staff also lovely and clean little pub

Great variety of wonderful ales. Food was delicious. Chips are genuine deep fried chipshop chips. Great ambiance!. Staff were very friendly. The staff make sure that people who are vegetarian or vegan are also catered for.

What a magical place, great outdoor seating round the back and it's like a tardis inside. Friendly staff and great choice of drinks

Visited as staying in Matlock Bath. Extremely good menu choice and the food was cooked superbly. My Daughter 14, had the Margarita Pizza and said it was the best Pizza she’s ever had. My partner and I had The Pithouse Burger which came with fries. Our son had the kids Fish and Chips (real cooked fish) All dishes were fantastic and very fulfilling. The staff are very polite, helpful with plenty of smiles. It’s as if they cared about the consumers spending their hard earned money whilst on holiday. Highly recommended indeed and will be going back within the next few days. Spot on! Thanks.

Wow. Just wow..... ordered the nachos sharing plate and loaded fries. Absolutely delicious 😋. Will be visiting this place again when I'm next in Matlock bath. Really reasonable prices also

Excellent cider selection with fifteen on the drinks menu! Plenty of seating outside and very dog friendly. Pizza oven out the back... menu looks good & at a fair price.

Didn't have food this time been before .always go to top garden as we have a dog.gets crowded on the front .Already reviewed fishpond ...

We went there for the carvery and we weren’t disappointed, great range of food and sauces and the veg was lovely, the stuffing balls were a bit hard, same with the roast potatoes. It was pretty busy but that was because it was Sunday so overall it was a very nice place to have lunch.

Ate here yesterday and the food was excellent!

Had a couple of meals off the specials, chicken tikka wrap and chicken chow-mein, both really tasty. 60 pounds for 5 of us with drinks, good value.

Great food after saving our holiday! We had a very bad experience in a hotel up the road and didn't want to eat at their 'restaurant' again. We booked in here and had such a lovey time. The food was amazing and staff lovely and the pub is worth a visit just for the carp in the pond outside! Don't worry they aren't on the menu though! Couldn't recommend this place anymore!

Visited during a busy bank holiday. Table service was relatively quick considering, but bar service was slow. Food was acceptable but nothing special, fish was a bit greasy but flatbread was nice and chips were ok. Had a nice gluten free beer on hand pull and a wide choice of ciders. Dog friendly.

Visited on a busy Saturday late afternoon. There was a wait for food but it was more than worth the wait. Very impressed with the quality of the food - so tasty. Will definitely visit again. Enjoyed the atmosphere of the pub. Friendly staff too.

Called in for a quick pint but ended up staying for food when I saw how nice it all looked while being brought out to other patrons, we sat round the back so we could see the fish swimming in the carp pond, was really nice and relaxing. Had a good range of IPA's on tap which I love, we wanted to stay longer but couldn't so decided on the spot to book a hotel for the following month and visit again. I only took a picture of the pizza menu but they had plenty of other options to choose from.

Really tasty food! More than just pub grub. Big selection of Beers too.

Amazing food & great staff, friendly and smiling. We had some fantastic food, the chips were very large, but the taste was fantastic, I was happy I did not put tomato sauce on, the haddock was really fresh & the batter light & crispy, a slice of lemon, tartare sauce & mushy peas. My wife had the mezze plate & she said it was really good, with plenty of different items on it. Our son had the rice bowl peanut satay, it was full of flavours & plenty of it, with chicken added at extra cost. Definitely quality food at reasonable prices, & portion sizes. A good selection of drinks at the bar. We felt we had been looked after as customers & we were happy with the food we had for the cost. Nothing was greasy, everything tasted & looked fresh & hot food Well done Fishpond, we would definitely come back. Some tables were reserved, so to avoid disappointment, it might be worth ringing if you want to eat here.

A fantastic experience. The staff at the fish pond made us very welcome, very friendly and attentive. A good selection of food on the menu, the prices were average for most pubs The food was delicious and the portions a good size, everything freshly cooked & hot. As a family of 3, we had the mezze, haddock and chips, & the satay rice bowl with chicken added to it at extra cost. We all agreed that we had enjoyed everything & the quality was amazing, for the price paid. Some tables were reserved, but there is a eating area at the rear outside. It might be best to ring ahead to reserve a table, if you want to eat. The pub has a good selection of beers and ciders. It is nice how the pub has been opened up inside as it feels spacious & it still has character. Highly recommended & we would definitely return. Thank you to the staff & the kitchen staff

Lovely food, had the special nasi goreng, amazing. The fries were chip chips which normally would be ok but the person who ordered the burger particularly chose it for the fries! And the beer wasn’t top tier . But all in all a very good menu with very tasty food, that surpasses a lot of the fare in Matlock Bath

Attended Wedding 10/08/24. The day was brilliant, food was outstanding and plentiful, service was first class. Anyone coming to Matlock Bath, the Fishpond has to be a must.

Attended a friend's wedding which was held at The Fishpond. It was fabulous from the wedding ceremony to the reception and the evening do. The food at the reception was absolutely outstanding. The staff were friendly and so helpful.

What a lovely little pub! The food is in amazing portions and tastes lovely, the staff are nice, and I loved the koi pond. I have come here every year for the past 8 years despite living in Nottingham, I love it here a lot!

Great outdoor terraces, good selection of drinks. Staff are polite and prompt.

Only called in for a quick drink but nice atmosphere, loads of places to sit inside and out and a good selection of beer. The homemade pizzas looked good. Will have to visit again to comment further.

Friendly staff, good atmosphere with live music on certain nights / events. The food is amazing fresh oven baked pizzas and proper chips !

Great Sunday carvery Great service

The food is beautifully prepared and presented. Onion rings are huge and delicious. It was warm and we sat outside in the court yard. It was very busy but we didn't wait long for our food.

Good selection of meat and vegetables at the carvery service was good atmosphere was a bit on the loud side due to the live band

Impressed with this pub. Good selection of draft beer. And the food is very good - I thoroughly enjoyed my pork gyros and the pizzas are much better and authentic than one might expect.

Two pints of Madri for a tenner. Quite reasonable considering the location. Bar service excellent and very friendly staff.

Lovely food , we all really enjoyed what we ordered, would recommend trying the pit house burger

A very popular bar, with loud music and great for younger people! However, as a trio of 70+ folks it wasn't so good noise wise! We sat out in the beer garden at the back and enjoyed our conversation while watching the fish!