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History of the Reat Ale Twa*ts. with Komakino
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Graham Coombs
Submitted on Sunday, 16th November 2025
With picture contributions to 5781 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (8 more images)
Detail Pages
Rabona, Matlock
Matlock
DE4 3LT
Served areas
Reviews of Rabona (Average Rating: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about Rabona
After yet another change this is now a downmarket sports bar in a bank conversion with three levels and numerous TV screens and pool tables. The decor is industrial, strewn with football scarves and other detritus. A solitary handpump proved to be dispensing the fake "Brewery Conditioned" Hobgoblin nonsense and, to add insult to injury, the chillers had failed so that and even the lagers were genuinely warm. I shall not be returning to see if they fixed them
On 15th November 2025
- rating: 2
[User has posted 3846 recommendations about 3778 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Pointing Dogs
I quite liked it here, though I'm going to find fault with the pub anyway. I received a friendly welcome and very good service, including use of a socket to charge my phone. But the tables, on the ground floor at least, are all high, which means clambering onto the chairs for me, as my legs are not noted for their length. There were four Derby Brewing Co beers on the bar (hand pumps, I mean - there may have been some of their keg beers among the 12 I could see but I didn't look at them closely). I tried two of them: Mercia IPA and Business As Usual. Both were served too cold, which is a bit of a bugbear for me, and very often I'll give them NBSS 2.5, but I stretched a point and made them both 3, as they were flavoursome enough despite the temperature, and in the half hour I was in the pub they didn't reveal any faults that might have been intentionally hidden.
There's a mezzanine floor up some metal stairs, and the external shot from Matlock Bridge shows a rather fancy spiral staircase leading down to the riverside. I quite like the way they've used wood - the bar counter, the floor, tables and doors are all attractive - but I keep coming back to the high tables and chairs: just take 10 or 15 centimetres off every leg and I'll be back, I promise.
On 4th July 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4531 recommendations about 4152 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Pointing Dogs
A bit of a strange one this. Apparently it used to be a steakhouse, which may explain the slightly strange layout. The bar is downstairs, but there's loads of seating upstairs. It's only opened recently and is now Derby brewery's 7th pub. We tried to visit on Sunday, but the doors were already closed at ten past sexen. We called in on the Monday, early afternoon and found 4 handpumps on the bar all serving Derby beers. A friendly, blonde barmaid was working behind the bar with whom we had a bit of a chat. We quite liked it in here, so tried to call in again that evening at 9:50, only to be told by the same barmaid that they were already closed AGAIN!
It's a pleasant enough place, but I can't see it lasting that long if they're going to be randomly closed.
On 15th May 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3323 recommendations about 3233 pubs]
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Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 15 November 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Car Park : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 22 June 2023 by Will Larter
- Darts : Yes last updated 15 November 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 22 June 2023 by Will Larter
- Function Room : Yes - Venue hire mentioned on website - last updated 22 June 2023 by Will Larter
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 22 June 2023 by Will Larter
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 15 November 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Micropub : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Pinball : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Pool Table : Yes last updated 15 November 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Real Ale : No last updated 15 November 2025 by Graham Coombs
- Real Cider : No last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 04 July 2023 by Will Larter
- WiFi : Yes last updated 15 May 2023 by ROB Camra
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