The Okeover Arms in Derbyshire Dales

Stopped here whilst on a van journey across the UK. We picked this place largely in hopes of staying the night in the carpark and the staff were very welcome and happy for us to do this. We also picked this pub in particular as we saw there was Indian style cuisine on the menu and what we had was delicious. The Indian fish and chips were lovely, as was the chicken tikka masala. As soon as we entered the pub, the staff were lovely. Matt (I think was his name!) greeted us, kept the drinks flowing, had great recommendations and was easy to chat with. To summarise, anything we needed was provided, and we were left very happy. As a bonus, we didn't know they opened for breakfast, so had a great breakfast meal before heading south on our journey. I would drive through this way again just for the pub, so thanks very much!

Very welcoming. Very tasty food well presented. Cheerful staff. Fish of the day with cheesy mash and buttery leeks was absolutely delicious. Well worth stopping off.

Lovely asian fusion menu. Dog friendly. Homely pub. Served by the courteous Olly. Would love to go back for the curry night

Fabulous food…. Fantastic staff…… dog friendly….. very reasonable prices Will definitely visit again when we are next in the area

Excellent experience all round! Lovely friendly staff, gorgeous food and comfy accommodation. I would definitely recommend and return in the future.

The curry menu looks amazing and tastes the part. Simply remarkable. If anything, service could be faster. The menu for dogs makes a difference for some of us.

Lovely food, great service and was really helpful and changed a sauce regarding allergy’s. A true home cooked meal. Would highly recommend

Beautiful surroundings inside and out, delicious food so fresh, homemade, not processed. Excellent friendly staff, and doggy friendly! Even have dog beds.. Great Food, service and beautiful ambience

First visit with our friends and we weren’t disappointed! Very friendly & helpful staff. Service was very good & the food was excellent. Def be back if we are in the area again

Lovely atmosphere, excellent food and great staff. Angela especially was very attentive and lovely! Super dog friendly, we were even given dog beds! Definitely recommend.

Lovely pub with great food. Best onion bhajis we have had for a long time, and the pies were delicious. Definitely will be coming back

The Sea Bass was cooked to perfection, as well as all the rest of the food we ordered. I would HIGHLY recommend for anyone who wants a quality meal in the Ashbourne area.

Spent a night here after walking in nearby Tissington. Exceptional place, friendly & professional staff, excellent food, both dinner & breakfast plus very comfortable room. Highly recommended & will return

My husband and I have just returned from a two night stay at the Okeover Arms, as we were attending a wedding in the area. We were made to feel very welcome from the time we stepped through the doors to the time we left. The room was clean and the bed was very comfortable. All the staff were friendly. We had an evening meal on the Friday and breakfast on the two days we were there, there was a bit of a wait for the meals, however the food was well worth the wait, it was all cooked to order and was outstanding and you got very generous portions. I have been in some so called posh restaurants that the food was not as good as it was in the Okeover Arms. We will definitely be returning, thank you to all the staff for a wonderful 2 days.

Excellent pub. Delicious food. Lovely man who served us. They were really good at understanding food allergy & what ingredients were in the dishes. And lovely place to take dogs. They provide water & dog bed & even a dog menu!

Amazing food, brilliant service and sooo dog friendly. We stayed at Callow Top and walked down for beer and food on a lovely Easter Sunday ..... We will be back lots 😁👍👍🥰

Fantastic food, lovely friendly staff who make you feel very welcome, great atmosphere, what more can I say, highly recommend this place 🫶😊

What a gem! My Family recommended The Okeover Arms when staying nearby for our wedding a year ago. Because we were planning to be in the area we booked for a late Sunday lunch with our Spaniel; this has become our new favourite pub in the Peak District! We were made to feel so genuinely welcome and our dog was given equal attention / fuss. The pub is in an idyllic spot with lambs frolicking in the background, nice modern decor, a log burner, friendly and attentive staff, and great selection of beers / wines and food. Our pooch even had a dog bed and water bowl prepared for his arrival. Oh and they even have a dog menu ! Such a fantastic idea and wish we had known beforehand (next time for sure though). My Husband had the beef roast which was beautifully pink in colour, I had the veggie roast which was divine, and we had sides of cauliflower cheese and stuffing balls - what a feast! (As you'll see from the photographs). Definitely great value for money and we cannot wait to return after a long Peak walk.

We only popped in for a pint after a lovely riverside walk from nearly Clifton village. But the menu looked that good we also had lunch - as well as a couple of pints and unlike many pubs nowadays staffed by cheap labour these people also know how to keep and pour ale. I’ve had 100s of curried dishes in my life up north in West Yorkshire but I’ve never had a better sauce than the Butter Chicken. It’s a milder dish than I’d normally have but I took a chance and it was phenomenal served with a delicately fragrances side salad, rice and chapati. So wish I’d taken a photo. My wife had a clicken tikka Kati roll which she also raved about especially the coriander chutney which was fantastic. Never had that before anywhere. Not overpriced and terrific quality. This was one of those chance visits that made the walk home all the more wonderful.

We went as a family to dovedale and ilam to do the walk there to Thorpe cloud and the stepping stones and booked this place to have something to eat and drink after. This is a hidden gem with breathtaking views. Great service and hospitality and we even managed to chat with the owner and indian chef who was really nice. The food selection and quality was loveky especially with the Indian twist and a great selection of beers and drinks too. Will definitely come back when we go and do the walks near there again.

Great meal last night at the Okeover. Excellent quality food, and a good selection of dishes to appeal to all tastes. Pleasant attentive staff and a very accommodating manager. Would certainly recommend Hope to go back for breakfast tomorrow!

Absolutely great experience - we stayed last night in our camper van in their car park. I emailed a couple of weeks ago to check it was ok to park overnight ( we are Brit stops members) I also booked a table for us including our dog, I received a lovely email acknowledging our requests and confirming booking - great start. We had a long wet walk in the morning and arrived around 3pm and parked up in their large flat car park, there is a lovely beer garden which would be lovely on a sunny day. The pub itself is modern and clean with a real fire which we managed to get a table next to in an attempt to try and dry ourselves and our wet dog, we asked if we could have that table for the duration if it wasn’t already booked - this was sorted for us straight away. The landlady was really nice and super dog friendly - she even gave us a lovely big soft dog bed for our tired wet mutt along with dog treats and a water bowl - these are the small things that make people come back over and over again. The food menu is very good, lots of traditional pub food but with the addition of some interesting Indian curries, the landlady’s son in law is the chef. We both had Lamb Nihari which came with fresh indian bread (2) rice and a fresh salad - absolutely delicious ( we did notice that the majority of other dinners also had this option) the lamb was so tasty and tender - I will be having this again when we go back!! The pub was pretty quiet but it was a wet wednesday evening in February so we didn’t expect it to be busy. After a few beers we retired to our van - lovely little grass area at the bottom of the car park perfect for a quick dog toilet visit before bed - there is a large field opposite the pub which is perfect for a longer dog walk it has 2 entrances both with dog poop bins. We all slept wonderfully - it’s on a very quiet road. There is B&B accommodation in the pub as well. My 1 very small niggle is the chairs throughout the pub are lovely solid wooden ones but are quiet hard on an old tired bum especially as we were there quite a few hours - like I say it really isn’t a criticism just an observation. The Okeover arms has now moved to the top of our Brit Stops pub list. Thank you

There have start a Indian takeaway menu me and my friend had tonight we both found food fantastic I think it is now my favourite Indian takeaway

First visit with the new menu and it was fantastic. I had visited previously with I think old owners which was still good but this new menu and our waiter was fantastic it’s great to see different kind of options in Derbyshire as it’s usually limiting but I can honestly say there is something for everyone the paneer sizzler was fantastic and there is a great selection of vegan options too. The atmosphere was lovely and very chilled, allergies with dealt with ease. I can’t wait to come back !!

Good points: friendly and welcoming staff; room nicely warmed on arrival and very good food and service. Criticism: dining room was very cold, especially at breakfast time, with only one of the two log burners lit and working. Something surreal about seeing guests eating breakfast , dressed in winter clothing and woolly hats. More specifically, room 2 was mostly very clean with a set of brand new towels. The bed linen and pillows looked even more tired than me. Items of furniture were damaged (coat hooks and drawer handles) and the grouting on the shower tiles was in need of a good cleaning or refresh. On the plus side, the wardrobe contained a complimentary pair of jeans and shirt, exactly in my size! These things might not matter to some guests, but they do to me. I’d much prefer good quality bed linen and pillows to a smart TV. More positively, dinner was very good and , without exception, diners were very complimentary about a range of choices. Breakfast, too, was very good with good quality ingredients (apart from cheap tea bags). Preparation preferences were taken on board willingly. A lovely and very imaginative choice of main courses, but no choice of cereals, fresh fruit or fruit juices. Sadly, the dining area was uncomfortably cold at breakfast time. I’d have preferred to discuss these criticisms, privately, with the owner, especially when so many businesses are struggling.He promised to call me at a time of his choosing, but, four days on, I’m still waiting. Would I choose to eat/stay there again? I’d happily sit down to a complimentary meal, if the owner wishes to apologise for not contacting me as agreed and wants to thank me for my detailed and, hopefully, constructive feedback. Stay again? NO, not until the same level of care and attention to detail are invested in the accommodation, as clearly they are in respect of the food service.

Ate here with my family at the weekend. Really friendly staff, great service and amazing food. I’d recommend the vegetarian thali- a wide selection of delicious curry tasters, samosa etc. Not greasy or mass-produced , just honest authentic home-cooked food. Really good value too. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We stayed in the village for several nights and ate here a couple of times. Oli always made us feel welcome and nothing was too much trouble for us or our pup who had a dog bed by the table. Curry night was fabulous on a Tuesday as was the fish and chips. The pub had a lovely warm feeling to it and even better, it was a 5 min walk from our AirBnB. Thanks for a lovely warm welcome

Stopped by without reservation on a Sunday between Christmas & NY, it was quieter than I expected but busy enough to have a nice atmosphere. The food (belly pork) was excellent a nice portion size (not too big) with bubble n squeak the seasonal vegetables were superbly cooked al dente bringing out all their flavour. A few real ales were available, but sadly no dark ale or porter. The place was attractive and had been well decorated in a seasonal theme it has a very good sized carpark. Service was efficient and friendly

Fantastic Christmas Day experience. Nothing was any trouble for the lovely and attentive friendly staff. It was a 7 course menu and the food was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed it from the very start to the finish and would highly recommend. Credit to the chef.

We stayed 2 nights in the carpark at the Okeover Arms and had a fabulous time. The staff were all really friendly. The food was amazing - I would strongly advise you to go and try it. Lovely place, after we'd been there for 2 nights it felt like home. Great walks in the area also.

Wir haben zwei Nächte hier verbracht als vierköpfige Familie. Das Zimmer war wunderbar. Die Kinder hatten jeweils ein eigenes Bett sogar in einem eigenem Zimmer. Durch das müsste man durch wenn man ist Bad wollte aber nicht schlimm.

Fantastic location for a walking weekend. We walked from Dove Dale to Wolfscote Dale - with the start only a 10 min drive from The Okeover Arms. Breakfast options were filling and room was comfortable. Dinner has lots of options and staff are pleasant. Would definitely stay here again!

Stayed here in Febuary with my husband and sister and her husband for my birthday . Sid and Jean and staff made us feel very welcome always polite smiling and friendly . Rooms were comfortable and clean . Food was excellent and cooked by Jean . Sid and Jean mingled with the customers and appeared to be well like .We would highly recommend this pub and would like to thank Sid and Jean for making our stay enjoyable . Hope to stay again soon .

I went as a birthday treat to myself and had fish and hcips and the portion was so huge! its clean staff are friendly and accommodating and there is nice play area outside. dogs are welcome

There is enough room on tables to move your arms while eating. The menu size is good but it isn't the most I've ever seen on a menu. Everything tasted fresh. I recommend the mixed grill! The staff were very good. The meal took maybe 40 minutes to be cooked (party of 6) so it wasn't too bad. Very good pub for great British food!

Nice and quiet place. I like this village a lot! And Okeover Arms is the only place where to sit, but it's very nice.

Great homely food with a warm welcome. I visit this pub when myself and my girlfriend visit Ashbourne and have never been disappointed. The food is always to a great standard, their service friendly, portions ample and prices resonable. We will be sure to make many trips back in years to come as long as the owners remain in charge of this place.

We visited this pub a couple of weeks ago at the end of a short walk from Thorpe - it's setting is classic country pub: striking white building, cute village, nestled in a valley, it's backdrop a green hillside full of sheep and the odd hill walker.We got a lovely warm greeting at the bar and were served our drinks quickly, impressively so given it was Sunday lunch and the place was buzzing with both diners and drinkers. We arrived too late for the Carvery, it was sold out (a testament to its popularity) but were still able to order a delicious lamb roast dinner and a burger which were both generous in portion size and beautifully cooked The Okeover Arms seems to have got it right where so many other pubs haven't:- they serve great food, cooked freshly to order- they welcome walkers, families, muddy boots- the place is clean and has a lovely family feel- excellent outside play area for the kids,- dogs are given a warm welcome in the bar area, ours even benefited from a few treats from the kitchen!We aren't often moved to write a post on trip advisor, this in only our second one in nearly a year....however The Okeover warrants it and we would highly recommend that you give it a go!!

I had heard quick a few negative experiences friends had experienced here since the new ownership, interspersed with the very occasional "the food was...alright" comments. Having been here previously when it was run by the previous landlords my experience was "OK to good". Whilst the food was perhaps and tad above average, the landlords were very hospitable and friendly. They came across as the type that would go out of their way to be accommodating and were certainly grateful for your custom...The new landlords are none of that. To be fair, the lady behind the bar did try and make some form of chit-chat but the guy who served the carvery...dear lord. To try and describe his demeanor - I would liken it to how I would act if I discovered vagrants in my kitchen asking for food - reluctantly giving in, but far from happy about it. The food was "OK to poor". The meats were acceptable and, to be honest, better than I expected. The roast potatoes however were horrendous. Whilst I cannot say with any degree of certainty they were from last week, re-fried to a near impenetrable level, they certainly tasted like it. My partner gave up even trying to eat them. Also, the portion control was strict. We were the only people in the pub but informed we could have "6 ounce of meat" - not something I feel I needed to be told.This could been isolated experience, the guy may have perhaps mistaken me for a homeless man begging for food, but from this experience, coupled with the experience shared by others I suspect this is the day-to-day service you should expect. Therefore if you like a venue lacking in atmosphere, lacklustre food and resentful service, I wholeheartedly recommend this place. If however, you like good food, great atmosphere and the feeling that your custom is valued, I would suggest you give the Okeover Arms a wide berth. I have little doubt the owners will retort to this with some form of excuse, but I am just giving an honest account of my experience and, needless to say, won't be returning anytime soon.