The Charleston, Bakewell

Blackthorn _ left this review about The Charleston

An imposing stone built building in the centre of Bakewell, this has only very recently opened having being converted from a former RBS Bank, and in fact the word BANK can still be seen carved in to the stonework at the top of the building. The name presumably refers to the dance, and whilst this is not a dance venue, it does feature live piano music with something of a jazz theme most evenings. There was also a courtyard garden alongside which looked to be a pleasant spot, and it has clearly had some considerable investment.

Internally it consists of single, open plan L-shape room, although the front part of the L and the left part do have a slightly different feel to them, with the left hand part perhaps more intended for dining, or table service anyway, with a “Please wait to be seated” lectern. It’s all very elegantly done, with sanded wooden boards on the floor, some quite elaborate art deco style light fittings and large drape curtains on all the windows. It felt very plush and upmarket, and the serving staff in bow ties did nothing to dispel this. Whether it’s a house pianist or a different one each night I’m not sure, but the one playing on our visit was very good, performing many well known chart hits but reinterpreted in much more of a swing style.

Surprisingly perhaps for an establishment such as this, there were a couple of local cask ales on the bar, namely Thornbridge Longbow and Peak Ales Bakewell Best. I guess it’s early days though, and whether they remain will depend on how much they sell. They also had Jaipur on keg, and Aspall’s cider. This struck me as more of a cocktail venue though, so I opted for the Bakewell Belle which consisted of vanilla vodka, Disaronno, lemon, almond, cherry and shortbread. The shortbread was crumbled and stuck to the rim of the glass like the salt in a Margarita. It was very good indeed, much better than the Cherry Bakewell cocktail that the lounge bars do, but then again, I guess it should be as we’re in Bakewell. In fact I enjoyed it so much, I went for another, this time the Biscoff which was spiced rum, speculoos syrup, milk and cream. Overall, I really enjoyed it here and if we’d had more time in Bakewell I would certainly have popped in again. On the other hand, if you’re after something a bit more “pubby”, it may not be for you.

On 24^th July 2026 - rating: 8
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