Little Chester Ale House, Little Chester, Derby

Reasonable little micro-pub in a former shop at the north end of Chester Green. There is a limited amount of seating around the compact bar, with another table to the rear, and decor largely comprising pump clips and a few pictures. Three real ales from the nearby Hartshorns micro-brewery on handpump plus XT6 (£2.60) from Buckinghamshire.

This is Derby's first foray into the new trend for 'micro-pubs', having been converted from a former dry cleaning business in late 2012. The interior is quite a bit bigger than other micro-pubs I've experienced, but it's still a very small premises and I can imagine it fills up pretty quickly. You enter into the stone floored main room with modern, frosted glass front windows and a red and white colour scheme. A couple of benches run along each wall and there are a good few comfy looking chairs around the best part of half a dozen tables. The décor is typical pub tat such as brewery mirrors, old photos of the local area and a few maps, whilst I noticed some shelves displaying a collection of mugs and tankards in the front corner. There is a small serving hatch on the back wall with enough room for four handpulls, and a door to the right of this leads you into a second room, much narrower than the first, with a single banquette serving a couple more tables and a slightly longer bar counter. From here you can, rather remarkably, move through to a third area - a tiny space with room for one table and a small barrel surrounded by low stools. The pub was busy, but not uncomfortably so and the staff milled around between the customers, stopping for a chat where possible. The handpulls were offering three ales from the local Wentwell Brewery - Derby Pale Ale, Judge's Verdict and Justice for Gingers - as well as something called Lazy Landlord Test Brew Bitter, seemingly from a newly formed brewery. Two draught ciders were listed on a board and the staff brought these up directly from the cellar, whilst wine by the glass was also being advertised. Food is available in the form of traditional bar snacks and I noticed posters for upcoming 'cheese nights' on Mondays. I think I like the concept of micro pubs more than I like actually visiting them, although that's not to say that I didn't enjoy this particular visit. This is a friendly enough place and a good spot to while away a bit of time over a well kept pint, but I'm not sure I'd want to stay for an extended session. Worth the short walk from the city centre, if only for the novelty value.