Ye Olde Dolphin Inne in Derby

Had a great few hours in the Dolphin. Really nice historic and authentic pub. Nice beers and good service. Nice atmosphere

I love this pub and the history behind it. This pub, Derby oldest pub, has remained remarkably original, with 16th century beams, heavy stone flooring, wood panelling and etched leaded windows. This was an old coaching inn, it is said to have been a stopping-off point for highwaymen including Dick Turpin. Several ghosts reputedly haunt the pub, which is a regular calling place for ‘Ghost Walks’ organised by local celebrity Richard Felix, who stars in the TV series ‘Most Haunted’. The stories of the history of the pub are made real by the ghosts that haunt the pub. From the boy that sits on the stairs, the Grey Lady that haunts the steak bar that the landlord himself, Jim Harris has witnessed; or it’s the flying Scotsman that runs up and down the corridor that breaks up the two buildings of the pub. Finally there’s the scariest of them all, the girl that lives in the cellar. A doctor who lived on site would dissect humans who have passed away in order to gain insight into the human body. One cold evening in the middle of the night a presumed dead girl opened her eyes and came back to life as the doctor was practicing his dissection skills. Every now and then the horrified screams of the girl can be heard in the dead of night.

Come on guys get some more beers on Only one when I called in Hope this was a supply or other issue One of Derbys most historic pubs

Favourite place when in Derby excellent food portions at a good price.

The quizzes here are dead good fun. The staff is cheerful and welcoming. As the old pub in Derby, the place is steeped in history. I'm not a drinker but The Dolphin is a renowned real ale pub that also has a fine selection of other drinks.

An amazing old pub, but felt a little lackluster. Staff seemed disinterested, beer was ok but nothing special.

We've been to this pub many of times 3+ years ago before it was revamped recently. The head chef here Steve is a valuable asset to Ye Olde Dolphin inn, alert, catering to needs and food was amazing.

We popped in for Sunday Lunch on spec on Father’s Day. It was very quiet but we had an excellent Sunday roast and the choice of beer and wine was good.

Loved our time there. Josh gave us a tour of the building and filled us in with its history.

Nice pub, very quiet at the time of my visit, but has a great range of beers and different seating areas ranging from a lounge, snug, public bar to outside beer garden. And like its sister pub The Salutation in Nottingham, very dog friendly.👍

The oldest pub in the city of Derby, it has been around since 1530. It is located in the center of the city and is definitely worth a visit.

Great value lunch with a pint of Bass :-)

For the oldest bar in Derby the punters and bar staff don’t always match. Bar woman should probably have a think about her approach to talking to people.

Good town boozer bang in centre.

Very authentic pub with very sympathic people. Highlight is the music box and that there are dogs allowed

Shame they only do one roast on a Sunday so no menu as such, Nevertheless it was hot very nice and reasonably priced

Great old boozer with front and back bar. Good selection of ales on tap. Very traditional feel pub. The jukebox still needs attention and should be updated to an NSM digital.

Didn't eat so can't comment. But its a good old fashioned pub

Great pub and excellent atmosphere.

Very friendly pub, with a choice of bar, snug and outside areas. Good choice of real ales and nice friendly service. I only popped in for one......

We were recommended to go here. Most disappointing. The barmaid was nice but the food was poor.

Always liked this place but service poor today, disappointed.

Nice little pub! Very welcoming and reasonable prices.

Probably the best bar in derby even though it's the oldest. Staff are very friendly and helpful plus the beer /food is awesome.

Very nice pub oldest in derby live music great food everything you need

Lovely little pub on the edge of the city, had a walk with my dog Niko and the bar welcomed dogs many didnt. Some super rock music on the juke box as well

Formerly a decent pub selling real ale. Now the staff are ‘kids’ with no idea of keeping ale or customer service - watched them constantly on their phones while customers waited at the bar. Sad to see an old established hostelry go down the plug hole like this.

Probably the oldest pub in the city, 1530 I think. Gone down hill at the moment. Music played too loudly through very tinny speakers, screeching badly. Maybe new management??

We pre-booked a meal for 12.30 we walked into a freezing cold room at 12:15. Some meals didn’t come to us till 1.40 most of which were cold . Appalling service, appalling food. As we walked past the kitchen, we noticed a dirty mop bucket in the kitchen. Surely that’s not right. The waitress says well we’ve only got a small kitchen well you shouldn’t have took an order for 17 people. Probably the worst meal we’ve ever had anywhere. Do not recommend. Disgusting .

Guy at the bar asked if anyone needs servicing whilst putting his hands down his pants and up his top. Couldn’t bring myself to buy a drink. Shame because atmosphere and music was nice.

No sign proper sign on toilets so walked in to the men’s, further down it said women’s but men’s just said toilets!

Great little pub for starting off your evening

Oldest pub in derby. Good Ale, friendly atmosphere and open fires in the winter. Yard at back with seating and occasional beer festivals. Updated 20/12/23. Dropped to 2 ⭐. Food is nowhere near as good as it used to be and The Snug (previously the most popular room in the pub) has been decimated with an awful paint job and the fact that it is now apparently for staff only. "Beer Garden" is full of cigarette ends and the place could do with a good clean. Recently the gents toilet roof has collapsed.

So disappointed tonight. Young people behind the bar who could not care less. Scruffy and disinterested. They sat in the small bar area discussing whether or not they had been paid. As we were leaving they tackled us about our experience. They were quite unpleasant. Not the Dolphin that we used to know and love.

Reputation as the oldest pub in Derby and it looks like it. Very disappointing. No atmosphere, almost empty when we visited. No sign of food.

Young people behind the bar who could not care less. Scruffy and disinterested. They sat in the small bar area discussing whether or not they had been paid. As we were leaving they tackled us about our experience. They were quite unpleasant. Not the Dolphin that we used to know and love.

Didn't have food but a great pub

Vegetarian was quorn sausage in a wrap beer was ok

Lovely atmosphere in the oldest pub in town. Love it

Really great pub, steeped in history. Always a great vibe. Great city centre location with parking outside.

Great town centre pub with oodles of atmosphere. Good selection of cask ales. Didn't eat hence no stats for food.

Historic pub good selection of ales

Beer was good, a few off tap. The cider seemed watered down and the food was disappointing. The 'Mega Grilled Cheese' was done in a toastie machine with unmelted cheese in the middle, the lasagna looked and tasted like a readymade frozen one - which was dry and burnt. The Mini Fish and Chips seemed alright but was more chip than fish. The building is lovely but not well run.

Nice cosy, quirky old world ale house. Staff are polite and friendly and there is a decent selection of beers. Cosy interior but can get a bit warm. The bar can be a little crowded as it seems to be the original but adds to the experience atmosphere. There is a beer garden at the back which is quite spacious and relaxing. From time to time there is live music either indoors or out on the stage in the beer garden.

Absolutely amazing staff, brilliant pub. Can’t stress enough how absolutely lovely and caring the staff are. Every single one of them. 10/10 recomend for anything from a nice meal too a night out. 5 ⭐️

Decent real ale selection and service though sadly not the cosy welcoming atmosphere of 20 years ago.

Lovely friendly place, staff are brilliant

Nice friendly pub with good selection of beers

Oldest pub in Derby and rich with history. Love that they haven't changed much, because it's a Derby treasure! If you're looking for a quaint English pub, this one checks all the boxes!

I didn't have a meal they looked nice smelt great bar staff were good friendly

A bit pricey on drinks but good atmosphere and friendly staff

Historic pub with a good selection of beers and drinks. Friendly staff and fair prices. Strictly recommended.

Beers only visit, hence 3 stars for food. But for real ale this is a real gem, with a good selection of very well kept beers. It would be nice if there was a few more local, non-national choices, but it's well worth seeking out for a good honest pint.

Brilliant pub. Oldest in Derby. Great selection of ale 🍺

The food was horrendous, which I had to send back. I was offered a replacement meal which wasn't any better

Lovely historic building. Very nice staff.

Very old pub with a very distinct atmosphere, good service.

Always a good pedigree and the food is lovely and good value 👌🏼

Nice old traditional pub, very friendly service

Lovely pub great character the oldest pub in derby warm welcome

Derbys oldest pub, not THE best pub in my humble opinion but well worth visiting. Has an olde worlde feel. Good range of real ales in a choice of historic rooms. One minor niggle is the Gents are overdue an upgrade but don't let that put you off visiting.Enjoy. M

Great old pub, watch your head 😅

I wish we had eaten there but we will next time.

Love the place! Do wish the music for the jukebox was a bit louder and had more yeah yeah yeah and Interpol songs on it.

A cracking pub. Nice real ale and reasonably priced

The outside areas of this old pub look great after being given a repaint. This seemingly hasn't been done to the inside of the pub. The front bar could do with a complete overhaul. The back room bar isn't too bad. The main issue I have is that the middle snug room has been taken over by the grungy bar staff and their cronies and always has a convenient private party sign on the door! Lastly the music is too loud.

Decent pint. Very good size portions of food.

Great staff friendly atmosphere

Didn't enjoy being in there. In the bar they had this new jukebox with awful speakers that were ramped up and so loud you literally couldn't hear anything, plus they were screeching because there was no bass at all and it went straight through you. Awful! We had to go in the room around the back and judging on the fact that the bar was virtually empty and normally it's full I suspect very few people liked it. Everyone was either outside or in the back room.

Cracking tunes if you’re a metal head, nice wine as well (I’ve had better). Overall 11/10, will be back soon.

Me birds a right metal head and she’s had the night of her life in here! Top notch songs, the best place in Derby for a sing song, deffo going to come with the lads next weekend.

It's the oldest pub in derby is got a lot of character and it's got a lot of old features it is only a small put but we had a good time

Nice pint, friendly staff, fairly quiet for a lunchtime, which was nice.

Very poor . Went when there was quiz on . The person didn't have Mike so was shouting . Very noisey and unprofessional. Won't be rushing back .

A city centre pub that is full of character and stocks some decent beers. Unfortunately it was a bit full and loud when I visited and had to go to the outside area on a chilly evening.

Always a pleasure to have a drink in the Dolphin, it never changes and I hope it stays that way.

Excellent old pub,with great beers and atmosphere

Just visited the Dolphin to meet up with a friend. Unfortunately the music was so loud we had to leave early even though we asked them to turn the music down it was still too loud. When I told them why we were leaving I received a very unprofessional/aggressive reply. In respect of the beer the IPA was very poor, indicative of a lack of throughput of beer to sustain quality. I would ask whoever owns this pub to address the issues raised. There are plenty of good pubs within a stone's throw that have a better attitude to customers and serve better beer.

Great old pub in heart of city. Real fires! Lots of nooks and crannies.

Lovely friendly staff and great pub

One of Derby's oldest pubs, located near the Cathedral. Started visiting the Dolphin back in the late 70's and can honestly say it's kept the same character and not changed much at all. Brillant.

"Derby's oldest pub". It's had a lick of paint and some TLC since I last visited (before Covid). Looks fresh, but does still retain some of the character it's known for. Beer was good when I went. Had draught Bass. Plenty of pumps but little else on. It was early on a weekday evening, though.

Really old but homely pub on the outskirts of Derby City centre, a great selection of well-maintained beers & an acceptable food menu, as long as you're not too picky. Definatly one to experinece if you're in the vicinity

Fantastic old pub, perfect ales and beers 👍🏻

Lovely olde worlde pub, few cask beers and neck oil, cracking staff,incredible owner

Good beer, reasonable prices, open fires, what's not to like. 🍻

Nice place another pub with guest ales and great food, small place and cosy outdoor area is fairly big, highly recommend

Decent community pub in Derby whose mail claim to fame is the fact(!) that it's the town's oldest public house (c. 1520). I usually advise people against frequenting establishments whose name begins with "Ye Olde", as they are often tourist traps (the Nottingham Castle one is one particularly annoying example) or use their history to make up for other deficiencies. The cask ale selection is not too limited (around half a dozen handpumps) , but during my visit several of those weren't available, and the ones that were weren't terribly interesting. The seating is split into a number of smaller areas, so it's not a place for larger groups but it's a good thing if you wanna meet up with family or friends. But, given that Derby is a town of many more interesting pubs, beer-wise, I simply cannot recommend Ye Olde Dolphin except for grabbing a quick pint.

The oldest pub in Derby with an incredible history, a really interesting layout with different rooms to investigate. Unfortunately the choice of real ale does not inspire an early return. I would suggest that the management looks at what the Five Lamps serve.

Just an old pub really. Nice enough. Smells a bit hoppy, got plenty of bars and fairly quick and friendly service. Decent.

Pub is a nice old fashioned place, snug rooms and main bar. Seems to draw an alternative crowd with staff and music.

Friendly staff and a comfortable local

Popped in for quick pint. Outside now scaffolding free & looks great. Inside equally impressive, as would be expected of Derby's oldest pub (though that's not verified). Lots of small rooms & outside terrace. Decent pint (Castle Rock brewery). Food menu looked basic but good value.

Full of character , visited on a Saturday night , great mix of age range from 20's to 60's , and different walks of life , great pump selection and fast friendly staff .

Visited Saturday 21st January 2023 early evening. Derby's oldest (surviving) pub dating from the late 16th century with 18th century additions into what was a doctor's, the doctor in question allegedly performed autopsies on those hanged at Derby gaol. Architecturally and historically it's hugely significant, hence it's listed status. Unfortunately beer wise it's not particularly great, it's all a bit macro, brown and twiggy as far as cask beer goes with everything else being macro lager and spirits. It's internal layout is small (ish) rooms, this in combination with it's city centre location means it gets incredibly busy. Personally I'd visit around midday, have a beer and appreciate the history and architecture, I wouldn't necessarily visit any other time, or if I wanted a great beer selection.

Oldest Pub in Derby ... Nice place to have some local beer 🍻

Cold and no food... Derby sadly going downhill.

Nice place good choice of als, food cheap, jukebox, nice old boozer

Lovely pub , great staff , warm and cosy too . Loved it

OK place not changed much Could do with some traditional ciders