The Hollybrook in Derby

I have waited a few days to write this review as I didn't want to rush into something without considering what I have just experienced at The Hollybrook. This was the first time we have been here, so didn't know what to expect. We booked a table online beforehand, which was a relatively painless process and our table was waiting for us when we arrived. The Holybrook serves food and it is one of those pubs where you find a table, pick your food and order at the bar. Simple enough, my wife and I both chose and I went to the bar to order food and drinks. Sadly, both of our first choices for meals was not available, or so we were told. So back to the table to choose again and then back to the bar. This time we ordered our food, paid and settled down to wait. Unfortunately, we were seated next to a door out of the building which stuck open when people left or entered. So rather than keep getting up we moved to another table and I told the waitress of our move and new table number. "No problem", she said. Happy days! Later, when we saw a different waitress walking around with 2 plates of food looking lost, we quickly caught her attention and confirmed it was our order. She left the plates on our table and left. The food on both plates was truly, the WORST meal we have been served in a pub, EVER! Some of the smallest portions I have ever seen and my Chicked Snitzel had been grilled to within an inch of it's life, burnt and so dry that the BBQ sauce and cheese on the top were desiccated. The chips were cold and the side salad was so small and lifeless as to be considered an afterthought. My wife had the scampi and chips with garden peas - 10 very small scampi pieces, cold chips and 27 peas! To add injury to this miserable experience, the couple next to us had their food delivered just as we were leaving! The lady also had a Chicken Snitzel with so much BBQ sauce and cheese it was almost swimming in it and the gentleman was served the dish I told was off!!...and it looked amazing!! Sadly, we will not be returning as the food was a complete disappointment and the staff member who cleared our plates didn't seem bothered even after we mentioned it! Clearly, there is no pride in the kitchen in what they serve their paying guests.

Nice set lunch menu, reasonably priced, great creme brule

Only had one drink not much options on draught

Very enjoyable Sunday lunch. Friendly service , comfortable. Atmosphere food was good and reasonably priced.

Great cost place, excellent food and lovely staff. Taff's quiz nights are fantastic, he is a real character and makes a quiz night into a great quiz night

Good food, good service and friendly staff 👍😊 27/2/25 as good as ever

The staff are all friendly. Becka is great we have never had a bad experience there.

Lovely pub to just have some down time,dog friendly kids friendly lovely staff, they make you feel very comfortable atmosphere is always good Down side music is a tad to loud but other than that it’s a 10 out of 10 pub/restraunt

Amazing service received by Simon and the team as usual. Top landlord from the Markeaton to the Hollybrook

Lovely place been coming here for 20 years. Great place

Becca and Paige always go above and beyond..really pleasant

Amazing food. Great atmosphere. Very friendly staff. Will definitely be returning 😀⭐️

Stayed all night drinking after arriving at around 2 and watching Chris and Simon run about doing a great job during the day

Lovely visit, thanks for looking after us for our Christmas Team Party!

Staff party held here. Amazing service and fantastic food

We have visited this pub several times recently. The choice of real ales and excellent menu keeps pulling us back. There has always been a good atmosphere and as someone with mobility issues I particularly appreciate the same level toilet facilities.

Very beautiful place with nice people. Little bit expensive. £4.50 for a carling pint. We will come back soon.

Review posted to Google at the request of Ember Inns. It’s nice to be able to order to your table. However, it would be nice to be greeted when something comes over, rather than just saying ‘Pepsi max’. The meals we ordered were lukewarm at best. The sticky toffee pudding is by far the worst I’ve ever tried. Two spoonfuls was more than enough! Tasteless and bland comes to mind. Unfortunately, these stayed on the table until we left so I didn’t pass my comments on to the waitress. A smile wouldn’t go a miss from the gentleman behind the bar but was polite enough when we first arrived. Overall a bit mediocre. The Hollybrook used to be such an enjoyable evening, but tonight’s left a lot to be desired. Sorry :(

Gets busy Friday good for lunch as quite

Came with my friend and her son , paid 6.99 for a children’s meal age over 6 ( price is extra ) and this is what arrived after a lengthy wait and then had to ask for the drink that never arrived , and no one came to ask how the food was as I’m sure even the waitress embarrassed . This pub disappoints every time sadly . Not impressed would have raised it in house but didn’t have a spare decade to wait .

The worst meal I've had this decade. Steak was a charcoal mess. Will never eat there again

Lovely food, lovely service would definitely recommend

The service was really great, the staff were really helpful as one of our party has Alzheimer's and needs a bit of extra help and understanding. The food was very tasty and nice and hot. We will definitely be going there again.

lovely pub 👌 dont really usually like pubs but this one very quiet peaceful Brought my mum and sister to have a dinner and deserts great service from staff thank you very much for the great meal and service lovely fireplace sat nect to cristmas tree whitch was so nice because we didnt get to celibate Christmas together so this was our christmas thanks again

Service a bit slow but very comfortable place to meet friends and catch up.

Beautiful ember inns pub with such friendly staff the young lad on the bar was very friendly and cheeky ☺️

Thank you for a lovely breakfast. Quick and efficient service from Becky and Paige. Well done to all the team for catering to our large group

We came here as a group booking the food was lovely and hot, the staff were quick and organised. It's a credit to all of you that you can turn out 40 breakfasts in that amount of time.

Lovely food and fantastic service from Becky, Paige and Paul (get the drinks in now Paul!)

Great food, great staff, excellent service. Many thanks.

Great service for breakfast from Becka & Paige

Absolutely beautiful food fantastic service thank you !!

Becca served with a smile, welcoming and very polite. Food was served and lovely

Always a great place to come for a drink or a family meal, great, friendly staff, and welcoming atmosphere! Definitely worth a visit!

Really enjoyed it has improved since the last time we where there

Service was quick and efficient, bar staff very welcoming and friendly. Will definitely come back again!

We had the 3 course meal which was lovely personally I would have liked a few more options on this menu.... as would love to be a regular then.

Excellent environment, friendly service and great menu choices!

The food was lovely as always and saw some familiar faces such as the fantastic server Courtney.

I had the hunters chicken schnitzel it was to die for, fast service by the sweetest server courtney

came for a meal my hunters schnitzel was great and my server courtney was exceptional very good.

The atmosphere of The Hollybrook is amazing and all the wait staff are so nice, especially Courtney. Would definitely recommend to those who want a lovely evening out with the family

Ordered the rump steak and peppercorn sauce. It was delicious, so tasty and tender. Had sticky toffee pudding and ice cream to follow, which was great. The price was so reasonable off the "2 courses for £13.29" menu (supplement for steak and the sauce). Would definitely have it again. We were looked after very well by Paige and Becka, who were friendly and professional.

Unfortunately this place has gone downhill considerably over the past year or two. I took my family here for a roast dinner on Sunday. The pub wasn’t busy but it took over 45 minutes to our food to arrive - we weren’t told of any delays when placing the order. The food itself was dire. The meat was of the reconstituted type, the roast potatoes were tinned potatoes (yes, you read that right) which had been roasted - they tasted about as good as you’d imagine. I’m not sure how they’d cooked the carrots or cabbage but both were tasteless and very rubbery. We ordered sausage, mash and beans for my daughter. The sausages were the smallest chipolatas I’ve seen, the beans were watery and the mash was Smash (maybe there was a potato shortage?). All of this a not-particularly-cheap prices. Needless to say we didn’t stick around for dessert. A shame as the food and service here used to be decent

Came for food with my family and we was very impressed. The atmosphere was relaxing and extremely cosy, staff were all helpful and very friendly. The food was also very enjoyable and good value for money. We would definitely return and recommend this establishment. Brilliant service all round.

Lovely cosey welcoming pub nice food

Lovely little pub in the centre of Littleover, nice atmosphere, decent food, and cold drinks.

Great pub, Always a friendly smile when you arrive and food is spot on. Definitely becoming a favourite 😊

Service was fantastic, chefs food was nice. Paige and Tara were lovely tonight. Would definitely come back!!

Nice atmosphere, nice food and which were drinks were served promptly with a smile and the glasses were cleaner than I've ever seen!

Would've been 5 stars if there were extra staff on that day. The food quality is nice, I love the gammon, nice, thick and juicy. The price wasn't too bad but the timing was too long to wait. I'd go back again and hope to see some improvement then I will post another review. Review #2 Drink is somewhat a little over price. Asked for juicy burger but still dry. Review #3 Drink still expensive, cheaper to get from local shop for half of that. Gammon's ok but little chewy. Plenty staff it seems. I've increased atmospher from 3 to 4.

Lovely place, great food, friendly staff, the open fire makes for the perfect atmosphere now the autumnal weather's here

Sorry,mistake I was want give 5 stars

Enjoyed a lovely Felafel wrap for lunch. Very friendly service and food came quickly. Would highly recommend

First time visiting Hollybrook, and I must say it's a lovely pub, service with a smile, staff very helpful and pleasant, food was delicious and served in a reasonable time, piping hot, great tasting and decent portions. All in all, it was a very pleasant stop off on the way home after a long day out.

Good food and at a reasonable price. Interior is showing signs of wear but clean.

Toilets were clean but it smelt like it had been cleaned with a dirty fusty mop

We come every week for food, drinks and to take part in the quiz. The staff are so lovely and always make you feel so welcome. Never leave feeling disappointed

Called in today at around 4pm. I had the chicken tikka and my friend had sausage and mash. My chicken tikka was covered in red and green jalapeños which I instantly had to take off as I cannot stand them and this was not advertised on the menu and I wouldn't have chosen if it had said that, I chose chicken Tikka as i only like a mild curry, the menu did say two naan breads which turned out to be two very small rock hard inedible things. My friends sausage and mash was purely two sausages on a bed of powdery instant mash, not even a spoonful of peas and that was £8.95. Nobody came to ask how the meals were and there was no one in sight as we left . I often visit the broadway and the markeaton and have never had cause for complaint at either of those. UPDATE & RESPONSE TO OWNERS REPLY:- I did not say I had ordered the Tikka at the Markeaton or the Broadway. The jalapeños, in my humble opinion should not be put on if they are not mentioned in the menu. Just a typical defensive response to my honest review of what was a poor dining experience of sloppy served up cheaply made pair of dishes, with teeth-breaking rock hard tiny little whatever they were. (pictured)

Always come here after a few hours of shopping. Always pleasant and nice service

Tara was fantastic. Lovely customer service and great food. will be back x

Waitress courtney is a lovely girl making my experience so welcoming

Came Saturday with the family who was visiting. The all really enjoyed the evening. Becky anthem staff were so he and was very friendly. Must admit haven't once felt unwelcome thanks for the night.

Sensational pub and service. Becky and Phil couldnt be more accommodating. Just like to thank the team for a great experience

So much better than my recent visit with the sparse salad. Today was a fantastic visit with elderly friends. The set menu gave sufficient choice to cater for an egg allergy and a vegetarian! Attentive and timely service of well prepared and tasty food. The staff have fully restored my confidence in future enjoyable visits.

Called today family of 4 we had burger meal was OK a mixed grill again was OK. 2 slow cooked rib of beef paid sat down then was told only had 1 beef OK so I had a mixed grill. All food came out however there were no root vegetables on the cooked rib of beef just a large serving of peas and cabbage and not only that the mixed grill was slightly cheaper meal we never received the difference. For these reasons would not go again. You should be told there is not enough of one item before you pay.

Great family environment, good food, and great for a social get-together. They have an area for dogs and lots of outdoor seating.

Stopped here to break up a long drive home from the airport. Both of us had the mix grill. Huge and delicious. Nice pub. Good beer garden. There drinks are a bit pricey but maybe that's me getting old and mean.

Have been here before and will defo come back. The staff are lovely and the food is delicious 😋

Very disappointed on last visit. The avocado salad sounded good. However the avocado salad was missing 4 of the ingredients. Giant couscous, cranberries, dressing, oh and avocado. No explanation, no apology. . Not good service, or business!

Great little friendly place to have a drink with friends. Comfortable, dog friendly, lovely open fires in winter.

First time going here since moving into the area. Great pub with very friendly staff. Their allergen setup is the best I've experienced, very flexible and they have a really smart menu setup on an ipad that allows you to filter allergens specifically such as gluten and milk. Will definitely be going again soon.

We had a brilliant night here, the staff were very welcoming, service was very quick, reasonably priced but very nice food, I would definitely recommend a visit

5 out of 5 for food, drinks and quality service!

Had three great meals here in the last month. Lovely friendly atmosphere and very clean. Thanks to Chris, Becca, Emily, Sasha, Brandon and Ryan.

Been 5 days in a row at lunchtime, food is good staff are great, good value

Tasty food and friendly service

Excellent atmosphere, quality of service and management team x I will be back x

Excellent food, quality service

I visit every week. Always lovely

Good food. Reasonable prices. Big garden. Lovely local pub.

Great food, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Great mid week deals

No food ordered just wine and perroni imbibed.

Couldn't fault it. Lovely afternoon with friends. Drinks & food both excellent. Service was great. Staff are friendly & great fun.

Been here a few times just for a pint. Seems decent, plenty of outside seating.

This place used to be my favorite spot to meet up with friends and family, and to grab some food and drinks. However, that is no longer the case. The salad is unwashed, full of sand and dirt, and who knows what else. I will never eat here again!

Food is very good and the prices are quite reasonable

Great pub in the embers inns chain. Used to be my local a few years ago, dropped in today and still good. Real ale great and food lovely, good size beer garden to the side, with wooden shelters to sit inside if it rains, nice outside sitting area at front

Much improved under new management - lovely grilled Sea Bass.

Came for a working lunch, food was great, service is always really good!

Came here for lunch as weather beautiful Ordered on app asking for all to come together my salt & pepper calamari, side salad and hubby's open steak sandwich. My calamari came and we waited, hubby went to bar and returned calamari, and we waited, hubby went again to bar only to be told the calamari had been put back in to re heat but had overcooked so had to do a new batch. When served hubby steak sandwich was over cooked should have been med. OK we ate it my calamari was lovely hubby not so happy with his as over cooked. Should have been more easily rectifi

We booked a table for dinner,and today we were really welcomed,,ordered our meal and drinks and wasn't disappointed.lovely meal,staff Becca,Phil and the chefs,Jim,Ryan and Ashley were amazing.Lovely place to eat,and drink.Try it

Emily and kortne they have been amazing with the service they provided, always with a smile, and always ready to help from Raj Johal

Good service and food would go again.

Food wasn't the best but staff were very helpful

Ordered via Uber app (priority), I ordered a large portion of hot and fiery wings and 2 portions of chips. The chips were lovely, good chunky chips. The wings were nice, a good size but they definitely were not hot or fiery, I had to put hot sauce on them. You do get plenty of wings in the large portion. The container it arrived in is poor as the lid does not shut.

Great Staff consistently friendly and polite, relaxing atmosphere.

The service at the Hollybrook is always amazing. The staff are friendly and always approachable; Becca, Paige & Emily always go that extra mile to ensure you are happy with your meal & check everything is OK. Couldn’t recommend the Hollybrook enough.

The food is fab ,lovely pub …I come here for my lunch always ! Emily ,Becca,Mark and Phil are fantastic …excellent team work and they are very efficient 🙌 5 stars ✨

Pretty nice atmosphere. Foods nice and the staff are anything but horrid. They did an amazing job 👌🏿