The Shoulder at Hardstoft in Bolsover

Best gastro pub, great food, amazing cocktails, large carpark and friendly staff

The food was out of this world. The lamb shank melted off the bone. Local cider was a huge hit too

Nice pub, good food, lovely atmosphere!! I really recommend.

Friendly welcoming efficient enjoyable. We also used their accommodation, which was fine. Exactly what we needed to take two days enjoying Hardwick Hall.

Very good, great time at the George Michael tribute night ...

Lovely pub always make you feel welcome busy bonfire night but had a good night they always try their best and more 🙂

Bonfire night, queues, asked for a refund (they didn't tell me that there is another queue for collecting food), and refused a refund... Stayed 30 min in a queue, missed the fireworks, because it started earlier at 19:45 instead of 20:00 as promised. Don't recommend.

Absolutely lovely place to stay, drink and eat. I've stayed twice now,. Once by pure chance stumbled across it on booking.com had a lovely stay but was only one night, and we wasn't eating,. Just drinking. That night. The food looked that good and the place was just so welcoming we had to book again., so we did for two nights, and I could t wait to try the food, which was as expected absolutely beautiful. I would absolutely recommend the shoulder as a perfect place to stay it ticks all the boxes, I couldn't find anything I didn't like, apart from having to go. Though I definitely will be going again.. 👌. If also recommend the steak it was bang on, not many chefs manage to cook a steak medium rare, but here it comes how you ask for it... 👍

Very poor, was there 27th in a large party. The food was shocking, not even warm nevermind hot, fish had a very strong taste really odd, batter was undercooked, and mushy peas like cannonball. My "thai green curry" tasteless and cold.

Sunday lunch later in the afternoon AF about 3.30pm Staff nice and friendly, food lovely and prices reasonable. I had roast lamb and my wife had the roast beef. We had the extra side dish of cauliflower cheese, and you get extra gravy, greens and little pots of your choice of condiment. Already on each plate is your meat with roasted vegetables and mash, yorkshire puddings and gravy. The food is nice and hot and a good size portion, the meat is plenty and not full of gristle. We had puddings which were both very nice. The beer is good and they have a reasonable selection. All in all, very enjoyable experience.

Great pint of Guinness and nice steak

Wedding reception. Nice, clean venue. Outstanding food on buffet. Bar service very poor - slow service and staff didn't appear to know what the drinks were we were asking for or where in the building they were.

Amazing place and great customer service. Will definitely come back!

Excellent service and food was fantastic been 4 times now and both service and food remain excellent.

Very nice pub. Nice and clean and very welcoming. The Halloween theme is absolutely amazing. Decent beer and cider and reasonable prices.

An enjoyable evening after booking it a week ago. Live music in the other room from the main bar that got people involved, singing along and clapping. Pleasant staff that were attentive and accommodating. Note to management/owners... great that The Shoulder is dog friendly, which is great.. but please don't allow pets to sit on your furniture... patrons wouldn't/shouldn't allow their pets to sit on furniture in anyone else's household... why in your lovely establishment? Food was enjoyable and portion size substantial... thank you for a lovely evening.

Very nice hotel, clean and comfortable room but you can hear the pub underneath quite a bit. We still had a very good night.

My first visit, definitely won't be my last. Service and food second to none with staff so friendly and professional. Can't recommend highly enough.

A very friendly and generous host. Found via Britstops. There was ample room for a long wheel base Crafter. Arrived at 9pm and stayed until 1130am. Easily accessed, just off the main road and I slept really well. Forgot to ask about filling up the water tank, but would definitely park there again.

Had my 60 th birthday meal on the 28/09/2024 what a beautiful place lovely and clean staff very welcoming they had set the room so everybody could speak to each other the service was excellent the food was absolutely amazing if wanting to have a party or a meal this is the place to go will be going again thankyou so much Janet

Great Homemade food, dog friendly, live music and they sell Hawkstone!! Great place. We stayed for 1 night rooms are basic but more than comfortable. And a great location.

Was made welcome on arrival. Drinks were delivered promptly. We were disappointed with the menu as we'd already looked on line and decided what dishes we wanted but to be given a small limited different menu as a new chef had taken over day before and was still in process of sorting menu. The food was ok but not what we would've liked.

Beautiful food and friendly staff

Class act this pub. Great atmosphere, clean and very well maintained, staff very friendly and helpful and the food!!!! Really really delicious and presented beautifully. Will always go here. Never disappointed. Consistently excellent quality everything 😀

Great place, happy staff, really good food, clean and welcoming

Really nice place staff are very welcoming food was great would recommend

There were 20 of us and only 3 never complained, they had the pie or fish . The other 17 were extremely disappointed with the chicken that was really dry and the rest said the beef or lamb was tough ,I thought another 2 hours in the oven would help cheap cut of beef .don't normally complain but we booked a lodge for 24 and the dinner at the local was disappointing .

It is a lovely venue. Staff are very friendly. Would recommend it for a meal or just a drink.

Food was amazing. Had a really nice meal and was reasonably priced. Would recommend.

Great atmosphere during the Hardwick 10k

Really lovely pu . Excellent food and reasonably priced. Staff very welcoming.

Driven by quite a few times but stopped in at the weekend. Staff were pleasant and welcoming and the venue was large but felt intimate. We had our own space in the library,which was perfect for a couple and kept us away from the larger parties. Food brought about some unexpected surprises, particularly the black burger bun. Made no difference to the taste but was a little extra fun.

We visited the shoulder at hardstoff on the 23/06/24 for a sunday lunch. We was just driving past and it grabbed our attention with it looking really nice from the outside so we decided to nip in and see if we could eat without a booking. On walking in the inside match the outside and was really nice with an amazing atmosphere, we was welcomed with a smile and really nice pleasant staff. We ordered 2 adults beef Sunday dinners a child pork dinner and a child chicken and chips. The food was absolutely amazing, my daughter was surprised how big the Yorkshire pudding was lol. The hospitality are amazing spend time talking to everyone, not just asking if everything was ok but getting to know their customers. Highly recommend, we will definitely be going back with family and friends.

Stayed here for a night superb couldn't of asked for more lovely food and staff they looked after me would deffo go again

We visited here for the craft fair and enjoyed a relaxing drink outside in the sunshine. It's in a lovely location which always helps.

We have been for foot a few times now different times and different day but we have to say Jack the chef is amazing last night 9 of us went and all starters then mains we perfect. My partner said it was the best leek and potato soup he'd ever had.

Great friendly staff the food was very nice...

Had a lovely lunch. Not too expensive, staff were friendly and the place was very stylish.

Our first trip to The Shoulder, and most likely our last. We ordered beef roast dinners, the yorkshire puddings were badly burnt and barely edible. When we lifted up the yorkshire pudding, or dinner was a small amount of mashed potato, one piece of carrot, one piece of parsnip and one roast potato. I had 2 courses, my Husband had 3. When we went to pay, we were told that we would have to pay for 2 three course meals, as that is how they work the bill out. I clearly was'nt going to pay for a course that I had'nt ordered or eaten. I'm afraid we won't be returning.

Went on good Friday for a family meal. Pub was empty, half the menu wasn't available including steaks. Took over 30 minutes for meal to be served, waiters don't know how to serve customers as serving in front of customers. Food was diabolical, burger buns stale and burgers solid, chips were horrible, for the money they charge you expect more. Even took pepsi back as too sweet and flat. Never ever going back.

Lovely Sunday lunch.booked for 7. All the food served together and all food was delicious. 3 courses was for the quality and price really good value. The staff were lovely and polite. Really enjoyed our meal and will definitely be back. Thank you for a lovely meal.

It is a very nice place, with great service. It is dog and child friendly. I’m definitely coming again.

Nice place to have a relaxing drink staff great food very good.

A great local, especially Wednesday quiz night!!

Ace pub great food friendly locals staff are amazing we stayed with our dog who is a very friendly German Shepard and they were so kind to him thank you

Found this gem of a pub yesterday, food was amazing, such a refreshing change to eat a meal out that is actually excellent and worth the money. Service friendly. Would highly recommend. Well done and thank you.

We had a lovely welcome when we arrived. Our dog had an even friendlier welcome. The staff were great. The menu was mainly Sunday roasts, which was just what we wanted. The food came incredibly quickly, but tasted good, sad there was plenty of it

Need more stars for atmosphere not tried the food.,Really good tribute act

I was Treated (terribly) by one of the staff here if I could rate no stars I would, very disappointing as this place used to be lovely

Very good food was really nice staff very friendly and professional I've been twice now and my family really like it here to . We will be visiting again this year definitely

The food was good, a nice atmosphere and if your lucky to get a seat near fireplace 🙂 well worth a visit.

Amazing experience stayed for 2 nights in the family room couldn’t of asked for a better host and was all made to feel so welcome the accommodation was clean fresh and exactly as described the food was amazing best lasagne I have ever had highly recommended

The chicken curry was amazing. Friendly staff and two very nice the owners. 👍

Amazing food,great staff,dogs friendly a lot of entertainment such as a quiz nights,life music,bingo, tributes.... highly recommended!!!

Absolute hidden gem ! Loved the unplanned stay ..gorgeous room and gorgeous pub and delightful fresh food

We had a great night last night, the atmosphere,food and service was all fantastic ,we will all definitely return soon

A treat this lunchtime for our walking group. Made welcome and served very quickly. Everyone's food arrived promptly and was delicious. Pub clean and airy. Big car park. Everything great, perhaps the beer could be a little nicer.

Nice and friendly very nice pud did not eat there but definitely next time thanks

A properly run country pub. Extremely friendly staff, great food, great atmosphere - Exactly how a pub should be run. Keep it up guys!

Great food, atmosphere and service. Great local pub.

Superb. Went to the Hardwick Inn after visiting the house. It was fully booked and this was the next nearest pub. Stroke of luck! This place is a class act. Great service and food is amazing. We had four different dishes between us (burger, lasagne, ribs and tagliatelle) and all were complete winners. Definitely coming back here

Lovely calm atmosphere next to the log fire. Excellent service and delicious food...be aware the helpings are generous. Will be going back in the new year 🎊

staff very nice, room very clean

Went on a dinner time. Lovely food and a warm welcome

Modest bar but a couple of decent ales Weird layout, feels impersonal, disappointed, fake ambience and reminds me of Alan Partridge's Travelodge

We went for a late Sunday lunch. There was only a limited menu, but that's no problem when there's a great Sunday lunch on offer. A generous Yorky, succulent meat and really good gravy with all the other stuff you'd expect. We paid a bit more for a side of cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets, which other places may include in the price, but overall we were impressed. The staff were very polite and friendly too. Thanks.

We had our Engagement Party at The Shoulder in the function room. The staff were so helpful and made our night perfect. The room was warm, clean and looked great for the party. We had around 100 guests and everyone said how lovely and friendly The Shoulder pub is. Fantastic buffet and the chef was attentive making sure that we had enough food. Would definitely book here again for any future functions. 10/10 for all the staff here! Thank you so much!

Lovely pub! Dog friendly too. 4 stars because pasta was not al dente. Lovely staff.

Came in for a drink on a cold night and had a very warm welcome. Fantastic Halloween decorations too!

Nice place nice food friendly staff

Very nice meal, reasonably priced.

I had lamb Sunday roast for lunch it’s a kids size it was tasty and perfect size for me enjoy it 👍

Lovely delicious food. And excellent service Would definitely recommend

Little treasure this place, deceptively big inside! Great beer!

Attended a surprise leaving do and it was lovely.

Very nice food, well catered for us, with 2 dogs and a push chair. Lovely place to eat.

We enjoyed our overnight stay here. The room was very nice and clean. Food was excellent and great entertainment in the evening. Would definitely stay again.

Our new favourite local! Amazing food, Sunday roasts are delicious. Steak night on a Thurs. They also take taste card Mon-Thurs 👍 a must try

Went for a birthday party in side room. Not as much choice of drinks as in the main bar but it's not too far to walk.

Had a lovely Birthday meal, staff very friendly and helpful will definitely go again 👍

Lovely place, very friendly staff ,fantastic food ,definitely recommend

Well. We happened to be in the area, seeking a good meal and pint and a stopover for the night. We settled on a Google search result. This. One of 4 venues within 10miles turned out to be a little gem. Close to Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle, our intended visits . The Shoulder at Hard soft has a lovely atmosphere. Good selection of light and dark ales. Very well kept and beautifull presentation throughout. Busy with a venue on one side. It was kept engeniously separate from the bar and restaurant areas, we was barely aware of the other function to be fair. Great local lad singing on the Saturday Night in the bar area. I felt this pub was well organised and atmospheric, I truly felt at home here. Dinner was lovely and promptly served at a very good standard (nice steak pie of the day I had, scampi for the lady) The staff and managers where great and friendly. I will definitely come here again if in the area, which is likely. We was also welcome to park over night as we'd had a small camper. Only if we booked dinner in advance and had a few of those nice ales I mentioned lol. 10/10 from me for sure. Dog friendly also 🐕😉

Went for Sunday lunch today with a friend , place very clean and lovely esthetics, service was very good with friendly waitress. And food was exceptional all freshly cooked , good selection of veg , massive Yorkshire pudding and tasty gravy. If you want a Sunday roast they don't come much better !

This was a birthday lunch so don't know how much was spent.

A lovely atmosphere and the food is fantastic. Service wonderful. Highly recommend.

Only popped in by accident. Got our order in before a coach load turned up unexpectedly. The staff tried their best to cope.

Good Sunday roast and excellent service

Very comfortable, staff friendly and food good. Only a pity they don't serve breakfast.

Not the best place in the world fit barmaid tho haha

It was ok meal was average you didn't get a lot for your money menu. Wasn't great so I don't think we will be going back

Beautifull place to visit, rooms are really comfy and well refurbished. We booked a table for 5 of us and food was outstanding, service as well (Real Ales to die for!) Place was really busy and you can tell it is very popular...Highly recommended!

We had lovely food and a lovely service. The staff would do anything to satisfy your taste buds. The only down side was there was a live rock event happening from 7pm and it was so loud you couldn't hear yourself or the staff. It was a pity. I suggest make people aware of events or stop food menu service before live events or change the menu to allow a more socially based live event range. I enjoyed the meal and food but would have enjoyed it in a more pub based atmosphere rather than a loud live rock event happening.

Great location, pretty busy, atmosphere a bit flat.

Didn't eat there so can't comment on the food. Went to watch a gig...queen. Excellent space....well-organised friendly staff. Bar service was quick and efficient. Plenty of outdoor space and huge umbrellas which came in handed during the storm!

Stopped overnight on Friday in our Motorhome. Great food and wine, excellent ambience with Andrew Warner playing and a birthday party- really good singer and great fun.

Lovely place. Very relaxing. Food is amazing.

Went to watch the Queen Tribute. And it was excellent. It's was very entertaining.

Stayed here for the night lovely food nice room staff we amazing great customer service.

Great food lovely beautiful setting and lovely staff

We have often said how nice and inviting The Shoulder looks, as we've passed. Last evening, we went to The Shoulder, and found it lived up to its promise. And then some. The atmosphere was most welcoming, we were given a cosy table, menus brought and drinks served. Once ordered, our meals were served swiftly, and were absolutely superb. As were the puddings! Service was excellent and attentive throughout. After our meal, we stayed for another drink as there was an excellent live band playing. All-in-all, thank you to everyone at The Shoulder for a wonderful evening out. We'll be back soon!