The Alexandra Hotel, Derby

Official site of The Alexandra Hotel - www.alexandrahotelderby.co.uk

Official site of The Alexandra Hotel - www.alexandrahotelderby.co.uk

This and the Brunswick were the only two pubs in Derby I had visited before apart from a Marston's pub near Friar Gate where I used to occasionally come to work many years ago. On my visit one of the bars was closed for a private function so it probably appeared a lot busier than it actually was. The bank of eight pumps had four Castle Rock beers priced at £2.70 to £2.90 and four guests, one of which I was surprised to see was Five Points Railway Porter which like me had come all the way from East London. The other three were Notebook Arctic Tern, Green Jack Orange Wheat and Burton Bridge Hooray Henley. I went for the Hooray Henley (£3.20) and immediately wished I had chosen something else as it was quite undistinguished especially compared to so many beers tried earlier in the day. I feel obliged to give it a 9 based on earlier visits but with one bar closed it would only have been 8. If you've got a train to catch missing out on here and the Brunswick is not a sensible option.