The School House Restaurant in Bolsover

Table of six...the service was outstanding. Food was perfection. Was so nice to be served hot food and all at the same time. Puddings were beautiful and did not disappoint. Overall a lovely evening and would highly recommend. Well done to all staff, especially the chef!

Saw great things on Facebook and thought we would try for Sunday dinner. The building is cold even with two mini fires, one either end. The bar service isn’t great no bottled drinks apart from J2O so everything else is on draft. Not all drinks show on the menu Took about 40 minutes after sitting down before someone took our order, we’d waited so long we skipped the starter and went straight to the main. The food was just about ok. Awful purple cabbage on the plate with the roasted tasted pickled and spoiled everything else on the plate. When the food was bought out it came in dribs n drabs and the sauces took another ten minutes. Glasses wasn’t removed or drinks reordered without asking every single time. Stuffing is an extra we ordered and tasted awful. On the upside the meat from the roast tasted good and was nice cut. Large Yorkshire puddings homemade. Service was quite poor and we wouldn’t choose to go back there. Is a real shame as the building is nice!

This is one of our favorite places to Dine. Its local to us and the food is always great. So much so that we decided to have my latest Birthday party here. They did not dissapoint. The food was amazing (As usual) The staff were hardworking ,Polite and attentive. My friends and family had a great time. I would like to Thank the Schoolhouse for making my Birthday so special.

Excellent sunday lunch, staff were really friendly and food was really good and there was plenty of it. Highly recommended.

We had the most amazing meal at the School House for my Sons 30th birthday, there were 24 of us in the party and all the food was served together and was absolutely beautiful. The staff were all extremely friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We had a brilliant night and will definitely recommend and be back ourselves. Thank you to Scott and all the team

Amazing food local,cooked perfect and staff first rate with a comfy atmosphere. Love this place and will be back. Allergy to rosemary but was handled with care and compassion which is rare. It is the best steak I’ve had in a long while. I love finding a local business that is so much more than you expect. Support local small business as they care way more than big conglomerates.

Walked from local Premier Inn to find this place which had such good reviews. Had phoned to book twice but no answer. Received call back when we were 100 yards from restaurant to be told they were closed for a week! You have a website and good feedback in an area devoid of good food - so why would you not just put a notice on your site to say you were closed? Polite nice man, but too late for apologies. Thankful we don’t live in this food wasteland!!

Have been to the school house in South Normanton a couple of times for meals and the food has always been outstanding. I decided to book a surprise lunch for my partner and some of her friends. They did an amazing buffet. The staff was superb and the whole day was perfect.

Saw the Facebook page for The School House on Saturday and noticed they still had tables for Sunday lunch so picked up the phone and booked for two. There was a choice of times and they were able to accommodate us at the time we wanted. We added another person to the original booking on Sunday morning and again they were very helpful accommodating us. We were originally placed at a table in the bar area but we knew a party of six ladies lunching in the main dining room and the staff happily moved us to a table adjacent to our friends. Choices of both starters and main courses were appetising, well presented and of good size, with plenty of vegetables. We all chose different main courses roast pork, roast beef and steak and Stilton pie, and each commented on how good the food was. I had the roast pork which came with Yorkshire pudding, crackling and roast and mashed potatoes and lots of gravy and a large bowl of mixed green vegetables. We ordered an additional portion of cauliflower cheese and stuffing and had more than enough food to leave us very well fed and satisfied. The staff were attentive and made sure we had the appropriate accompaniments such as horseradish sauce and apple sauce. Good range of beers and wines available at the bar. We were full and so didn’t even look at the deserts but had coffee instead. A great dining experience in a rather quirky setting full of splendid displayed artwork and interesting mismatching furniture. Lovely ambience and the most recent owners have done much to ensure that the experience is a great one. The chef deserves mention as all the food was excellent.

Another brilliant meal....the Schoolhouse never disappoints. Great food and atmosphere and nothing too much trouble for the staff. Highly recommend

Really enjoyable meal at The School House, this evening. We had booked in to celebrate a birthday within our family and have not personally been for a number of months/years since the new owners have taken over. The previous owners food was very hit and miss. Well tonight I feel like The School House is back to the excellence of what I remember from years ago! Reasonably priced, food piping hot, great customer service from the waitresses! Will 100% be returning, Well Done The School House 👏🏽👏🏽 Would recommend to anyone visiting locally or staying locally from country wide!

The wood burner created a homely atmosphere, the cocktails to start were delicious. We will return to enjoy the special unique place soon and try more of the other great menu choices. Highly recommend, staff so friendly and nothing too much trouble. Great place very chilled, excellent chefs. Great to have this restaurant in South Normanton. Local resident.

Absolutely amazing Christmas celebration lunch with my work colleagues. The food was superb, the service excellent and the ambience just perfect for the occasion. I’ve never had a bad experience here so thank you!

I wanted to say a huge thank you for a delicious breakfast on Saturday 23 December 2023. A perfect relaxed breakfast to kick off Christmas, not easy as a party of 12 but you smashed it and everyone loved it, thank you ☺️ xx

What a wonderful meal on Xmas day at the Schoolhouse, great atmosphere, food first class from the bucks-fizz on arrival to puddings which I had to take home with me due to being very full, we went straight to cheeseboard after dinner, very rarely have I had a meal where everything was cooked perfect, a big thankyou to all of you, great service too.

Heard great things about the School House , so we booked for Sunday Lunch . It was so delicious..Lots of choice , we both had starters , lamb Kofta Scotch Egg & smoked Salmon & avocado , both super, the roast beef & pork were so good cooked perfectly as were the vegetables, service perfect too .not rushed..staff check on your food & make sure you have everything. So glad we went it was perfect. Dog Friendly in the bar too .

Lovely family run restaurant, delicious food, awesome roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, really delicious crème brûlée ! Sunday roast loaded with veg, all round very impressive food and lovely experience :)

We’re so lucky to have this amazing restaurant so close by! The food, service and value for money is outstanding. The chef needs to take a bow every now and then to be thanked by all that appreciate The School House’s quality, well presented hot food! All topped off by wonderful service too!!! 👏😁

We came to school house on 1st October. The food and service was outstanding. Thankyou very much . Keep up the good work. Will definitely be returning again soon .

We went for dinner at The Schoolhouse to mark our wedding anniversary on a Thursday evening. Between us, we had the crab linguine, which was very generously portioned and very tasty, and the brisket burger. I have to say the burger was extremely good, in fact, one of the best burgers I've had. For dessert, we both opted for the baked Eton Mess cheesecake, which was, again, extremely nice. The staff were very nice and I was surprised with the final bill which was lower than I've been charged in other places for food that's nor been anywhere near as good. All in all, it was a lovely night out, and I'd recommend The Schoolhouse as being a great restaurant.

Travelling up north it was a great stop for tea! Clean, smart. Very accomodating, pleasant staff and tasty food. What more could anyone want 😄.

As always, we had a really tasty, good value two course Sunday lunch. Lovely venue (with some great new decor) with friendly and efficient service.

Came with friends following looking at trip advisor, we were not disappointed the meal was exceptional! We had one who was gluten free and didn't struggle to choose. The resturant is small and diners were staggered the service was first class and the food was piping hot, if back in the area would certainly return. Thank you

We held my daughters 21st birthday party here last night, I cant recommend this place enough, nothing was too much trouble from start to finish. The sit down meal was amazing and the grazing platters were out of this world, these guys work so hard...

Had a lovely meal here last week while on business in the area. Nice restaurant with excellent personable service all round. Mexican scotch egg starter, Turkey main and roasted pecan cheesecake all absolutely delicious. Highly recommended.

Fantastic food and brilliant service. Your restaurant is always worth a visit. Your inventive menus and well cooked food are always first class. A true hidden gem.

This was my second visit, the first being in the summer and I was a little disappointed this time. The food was great and no issues at all with that, it was just the environment. It was really cold in the restaurant - I appreciate...

A group of 20 of us went for an evening meal after a meeting and everyone said that this was the best food that they’d ever had on a work do! The Schoolhouse is quirky and cosy venue and the food is varied and absolutely...

Two couples had a pleasant drinks and dinner. Would return if in the area as this is a comfortable walk from the Holiday Inn

I just wanted say a big thank you to everyone at the school house for a great Saturday brunch All our food was terrific but my wife thought the bubble and squeak was better than hers and breakfast pizza,who knew Will definitely be back to...

Brilliant food menu, good beers and friendly staff. We walked over from nearby Holiday Inn. Reasonably priced and good portions

Just got back from Sunday Lunch. Outstanding food, both the beef and the pork were spot on, never had a bigger or lighter Yorkshire pudding, plenty of veg, piping hot and the gravy was out of this world!. Will not go anywhere else in future....

We had a platter and soup for starters followed by.... lamb... steak and Brisket mains. Finally cheesecake. Service was spot on and the food cooked to perfection. Portions were just right. The lamb was our favourite but all were just right. I would happily recommend...

Booked for an evening mid-week meal, I chose from the specials board, delicious and fantastic value for money. Good service, tasty food and a good pint for less than you'd expect to pay, very happy, will definitely return to sample something different soon

Always a amazing experience when we dine here . For me , the best sunday lunch in the area , always top class food and service. My first port of call for a meal . Credit to all the team

We received lost my father in law Ken and was looking for a nice place we could get together after to share memories and drink his health The school houses was perfect the couple that run the restaurant were also fellow allotment’s with Ken The...

Lovely Sunday lunch and great service. Went by chance as I remembered drinking in the White Hart. Good choices available and very good value. Nice atmosphere and lovely outdoor area. Will definitely return.

South Normanton is not necessarily known for its culinary delights and highlights but this smart, atmospheric, schoolroom conversion is a significant exception to the rule. A warm welcome, a really well chosen selection of beer and wine and a small menu of exceptionally well presented,...

We always enjoy our visits here. Interesting and well thought through would apply to everything here - the indoor ambiance, outdoor eating and most definitely the food. The menu is of their own creation. Where the menu refers to old favourites, they are served with...

We booked a table for my birthday for six. We duly paid the deposit. We were then asked for our meal choices including deserts. On arrival there were specials a board which was disappointing but we were celebrating my birthday so no big deal. My...

It was our first time eating out on this restaurant. We came with two young kids and although they don’t have kids menu to show you they have plenty of options. Food was delicious and service was great 👌 Even our 5 year old loved...

Went to the school house for Sunday lunch as it was my parents wedding anniversary all I can say Is amazing and will definitely be back. The best Sunday lunch I've had in a long time. Will look at going in the week to try...

We went as a group of six, food was delicious and service excellent, they even let us stay after they closed when our taxi was running late, will definitely be back ☺️

After researching somewhere to eat we whilst in the area we had narrowed it down to two options. We had actually chosen a pub further along the road but as we walked past this place decided it may be a better option. The three of...

Booked for Sunday lunch 2 courses for £18. I decided not to have the dessert course, but was still charged the full price of £18 for a mediocre Sunday roast. The roast beef was absolutely terrible (I call it catering beef slimy and tough) To...

Good place, good staff, good food, reasonably priced. The sharing platter starter was great. My wife thought the chicken kyiv was too big!

Went for Sunday lunch the food was really nice beef was a little hard to cut we just had main meals 2 adults 1 child when we got the bill we was charged £18 each for adult Sunday lunch although we only had 1 course...

Excellent food and service Martin and the girls were very good. It's very local to us and a lovely place. The food was lovely so was atmosphere

‘Came Here With Two Friends. An overall enjoyable time. Pleasant atmosphere. Clean, open and bright surroundings. Staff friendly, patient and helpful. Drinks prices reasonable. Some food prices a tad too high (Soup was overpriced for the small portion given) Yet Burger/Fries was very generous and...

Visited with the in-laws for Christmas Eve brunch. The food was out of this world and amazingly presented - those sausages were unreal!!! Will defo be back for more!...

Fantastic people, wonderful service, delicious food and brilliant atmosphere. The staff pulled it out of the bag to host my surprise 40th birthday. Thank you so very much!

Came here with work, pre booked and pre ordered. Staff were friendly, room was fine - as there was a large group of us we had an entire area to ourselves. Food was lovely - just needed to be bigger portions for the price we...

The place had a lovely atmosphere. staff were friendly and accomodating. We had sunday dinner and I must say it's one of the best meals we've had. Would definitely recommend and come back again

100% an amazing place. Ordered all of the starters and a selection of mains! Everyone great. How they made that Tomato and Pesto Soup blows my mind. The Greek Fries 😍 I cannot describe the genius here! Recommended!

Saturday night is Covid treat take out night and this week we chose The School House. I had the focaccia chicken burger with skin on fries and hubby had pressed burger in a brioche bun with pork and bbq sauce with skin on fries. Safe collection with social distancing adhered too. The food was a good sized portion and really tasty. Really nice treat for staying in. Thank you and hope to see you again soon

As a lifetime resident of the village, South Normanton has never been somewhere noted for its culinary prowess when it comes to dining. I feel that The School House has put the village on the map as a place to visit for fine dining and culinary excellence. My partner and I have eaten here many times and we have yet to be disappointed. We are always greeted with a smile from the friendly staff and the owners, Sophie and Martin can’t do enough to accommodate any needs you may have. The food speaks for itself; locally sourced (some homegrown) and of very high quality. We have always left feeling satisfied and we look forward to exploring each new seasonal menu. The decor is classy, yet quirky which definitely adds to the overall experience. Definitely worth making a trip to the village of South Normanton for.

Such a wonderful evening here tonight, first time and will definitely be back. Delicious food, great service and such a beautiful restaurant and garden area, so cosy and inviting! Can’t wait to return! :)

It’s great to be able to visit here for a meal again. The takeaways have always been excellent so it’s great to be able to sit down again in the restaurant. All of the covid precautions are in place but you still get the same warm welcome as before. Great food, lovely atmosphere and the garden is looking superb. The mackerel starters were really fresh and the steaks were cooked to perfection as always.

Me and the missus had wanted to try the schoolhouse but then lockdown happened, we had kept an eye on the social media for when they were opening and as soon as they did we booked for Sunday lunch, we had a fantastic time! I had vegetable soup for a starter which was great very tasty, for the main I had beef with sides of cauliflower cheese, stuffing, pigs in blankets and veg with mash potato. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. For a pudding I had a toffee apple tart which was light and tasty not to much for after the meal.The portion sizes were perfect I left very full and satisfied. There was social distancing measures in place which included spaced out tables, hand sanitiser when you walk in and on every table, a one way system and the staff all wore masks, we felt very safe.Overall we were very happy and would definitely go again and most certainly recommend!

This restaurant is fantastic. High quality food and lovely people. We have had Sunday lunch takeaway from here a couple of times during lockdown. Great portion size and really fresh well cooked veg. The nut roast is gorgeous too

Cant speak highly enough of this place. The food is such good quality and the staff are amazing. V professional but also friendly! Weve been ordering from their takeaway menu during lockdown and it couldn't have been any better! A real gem in south Normanton. Thank you x

Well what can I say fantastic. Had lamb on Friday and lamb Sunday lunch. Can’t wait for next week. Book now so you are not disappointed. Locked takeaway 5 stars. (Sunday lunch does come with veg, I am not a fan).

Dined in quite a few times for different occasions always good.1st Sunday Lunch Roast takeaway today after having Sat eve ones..Absolutely lovely food.Decent portions, hot, great quality & cooked just right (no overdone soggy veg) Had room for 1 pudding between us, Still got one to share later Social distancing, 1 in at selected time allocated.Thank you Martin & Sophie see you soon

Went for a quiet meal, steak cooked to perfection, was that good should of had two, all staff friendly, they work hard as there always on the move, nice selection of beer and wines and spirits 👌

We love this quirky restaurant the food is very good. Since lock down we have been using the takeaway service. The fish and chips taste great however the portions are too small. Please take note as This is not just my opinion.

I've eaten at this restaurant many times and am now lucky enough to be enjoying takeaways during the lockdown. I've never had a meal that disappointed. In regular times their themed evenings are especially brilliant and their Sunday lunches a particular bargain. Currently their takeaways are varied and delicious.

Had a takeaway Sunday dinner to celebrate my daughter’s Birthday. Having eaten at the restaurant many times we hoped that the food would be as delicious as ever - the takeaway did not disappoint. The food was absolutely delicious and there were clean plates all round. Collection was extremely easy and efficient. Thank you so much for enabling the close knit community of South Normanton to continue to experience the Schoolhouse Fayre whilst this surreal lockdown is in place.

As a lockdown birthday treat the family had a Sunday lunch £15 - starter and beef dinner.Prawn cocktail best of starters. The salad had made the pie and cracker of the plough mans soggy. Likewise the bread stick in the continental meat platter. The dinner was barely edible and frankly looked a mess.Yorky dried out and potatoes not palatable. Probably better if you are there in normal times

Tried this for the first and was aghast at how small portions were. Don’t get me wrong the food was first class. However £20 for two child size portions, you feel like you have had your pants pulled down.Won’t be repeating the same mistake.

Took advantage of their take away menu and will be doing so again this week. Still the same great quality of food and cooking. The burger and the lamb were excellent.

Expensive for South Normanton and very small portions,. Rump steak is £16, another £2.95 if you want a sauce, another £2.95 if you want salad or veg (came with chips - not many - a cherry tomato and a mushroom!

We held our sons christening reception here. Nothing was too much for Sophie and Martin, they are excellent hosts. We chose the grazing table, not only does it look fabulous but it tasted amazing. It was a focal point for our reception and everyone commented how lovely the food was. We are really happy with the service we have received and will be returning for future celebrations. South Normanton has a gem in The School House. Thank you.

What an amazing experience, beautiful venue and the staff were amazing! I would 100% be returning next time I'm up on training!

Whenever I'm in the area for work, I always book a table.

Visited tonight with a friend for an evening meal, beautiful restaurant, lovely friendly and relaxed staff greeted us and made us feel welcome, followed by a delicious 2 course meal and some great wine. Cannot fault the service or food quality, I will definately return, thankyou to all the staff for making our evening so special and enjoyable!

A real hidden gem that needs to be discovered! Such quality and care in the menu choices and execution.

Was talking to a friend about going away for the weekend. This place came up so had to create an account. Great place. Still remembered 3 years on. Strongly recommend

Amazing food at a great price. I had the pizza which was made from fresh dough and stone baked (the correct way) and even accomadated putting me a few chillis on that didn't come on the original recipie. The RMs had the lamb shank whcih she gave me a bit of to try and it literally fell of the bone. The owner said it was braised and slow for 8 hours! YUMMY.

We have visited The school house a number of times now and never been disappointed. The Sunday Dinners are exceptionally and such great value for money.

We visit the School House regularly for evening meals and Sunday lunch. Great food with excellent service from Martin and his team. Nothing is ever too much trouble. Food choice is excellent and reasonably priced, especially the daily specials. Many more visits to come.

Visited on a Saturday evening. Very small portions. Additional cost for sides and lack of atmosphere. Will not be visiting again. Far better value from other restaurants in the local area

Had our Christmas party at the School House. There were other parties of people in the room at the same time, so sometimes it got a little noisy with everyone speaking at the same time.

Came for the second year for our Christmas Day family meal. The service and food were exceptional Would recommend this restaurant to all. Well done and thank you for a lovely meal

We are all different in tastes portion sizes and budget .

Had a double date and we had 3 beef and one turkey of the Xmas menu.

WOW what a great find this was! An amazing restaurant with a great selection of tasty dishes including daily specials and also very tempting deserts in a cosy atmosphere. The old School House itself is also an amazing building with lots of character and original fixtures and fittings and beautiful artwork. The staff are very pleasant and helpful and provide great service.

Having been here before I decided to choose The School House as the place to propose to my girlfriend.

The School House is fab, the Sunday dinner is amazing and only £8.99! I’ve also been to one of the theme nights, the street food was amazing and 11 dishes for £20 was great quality for money. Can’t fault this place, the food or the staff :-) A suggestion would be a mid week quiz night!

Very poor portions very expensive and a complete lack of atmosphere. Had to pay extra for any side vegetables with main course

We ate here on Sunday, and enjoyed it so much, we had an evening meal last night. The food is well cooked , the vegetables were perfect. A very good selection of different vegetables, not over done. I had lamb rack and my husband had a chicken breast. The lamb was tender and tasty, served pink. The chicken breast was moist and juicy.

This restaurant provides a comfortable and relaxing setting in which to dine. Ingredients are very fresh and combinations are excellent. My leek and smoked chicken terrine had very well flavoured chunks of chicken, which did not overpower the leeks. Crisp chicory leaves, flaked almonds and a delicious pickled pear accompanied the terrine and made for a superb starter. My husband's Shropshire Blue croquette had a wonderful texture and was equally flavoursome, although the cheese was less obvious in the croquette than expected. Both racks of lamb were beautifully cooked and accompanying vegetables, although small portions were really tasty. Finally, desserts were a tour de force - a silky smooth pear tarte tatin and chocolate cheesecake. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and also thought the Rioja was very good value for money. Reading a previous review, I would agree that portions are small, but disagree that the food was average. Each course was prepared with flair and attention to detail in my opinion.

A warm welcome, efficient service and delicious food. Perfect. We were only passing through the area, but would hesitate to return if the opportunity arose. Well done to all concerned.

We had a great time here. Food was delicious, decor inventive, quirky, imaginative, original and cosy. There is nothing we disliked, a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Visited here for a meal, nice place, the staff were fine, overall it all seemed acceptable except the food was so disappointing. E.G. we ordered some menu advertised 'home made bread' and received one piece of bread roll the size of two small boiled eggs which it turned out was not home made, and main meals which were the size of a decent starter elsewhere and nothing special in taste. You need to order lots of extras to get a decent sized meal. Small portions of stunning food are what you expect at a quality restaurant but not small portions when the food is only average. The school house needs to decide either to retain the small portions but raise the quality or keep the current food standard but increase the quantity in our opinion. Its often the cheapest food items that are the easiest to give you more of? You go abroad and get a basket of bread free, but here £2.95 for 20p worth of roll which turned out not to be home made will never impress anyone!

We arrived and were greeted with very polite staff. Unfortunately the food failed to deliver. The amuse bouche was very nice but from there it went down hill. My father ordered squid, the dish came out and it had only 2 extremely small pieces in the bowl. This was £6.65 - very expensive

A little gem of a place. The staff are the best ever. Nothing is too much trouble they are so friendly and helpful. The food is not mass produced but cooked to perfection. Absolutely Everything was lovely. We last came here on Christmas Day which was spot on and intend booking for Christmas again. Thank you

Booked relatively last minute and were asked for a deposit - which we had no problems with and duly paid. We then went for a meal but one of our party of 7 was ill so only 6 coud make it. We had a very good meal, food excellent, service good and thoroughly enkjoyed the experience. However when we came to pay the bill I mentioned the deposit, and they said that as only 6 peole had arrived they would not refund the £5 deposit for the 7th. person. I pointed out that the bill was well over £300 and felt a deposit was to protect the restaurant against "no-shows", not against one person being ill. However they refused to refund the £5, which was very short sighted as we duly reflected this in the tip. It was a shame because the food and service were very good, and it did seem a pity to devalue the experience by being petty and and a little churlish.

We booked last minute on a Saturday night they accommodated us even though it was very busy the service was spot on and the food was even better! Lovely food, good value and a friendly service.

Poor food after an inordinately long wait,yet still charged full price! would neither recommend nor return.

Having booked this restaurant purely from looking at the menu on line we were a little disappointed when we found it as the area was not what we might have expected - but - "never judge a book by its cover" is an old saying which was never so true.