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The Midland, Matlock

1 North Parade
Matlock Bath
Postal town: Matlock
DE4 3NS
Phone: 01629582630

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


ROB Camra left this review about The Midland

Ignore what WhatPub says and other assorted social media giving their opening times, they're all wrong.

Tried to call in on Monday to find it closed and a sign up saying.

Sunday 12 -6
Closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Given the recent reviews on Tripadvisor and some people we met in Matlock who were very unhappy about the rude barmaid I guess we weren't missing anything.

On 29th March 2023 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Midland

This is a good sized pub right next to Matlock Bath station and the River Derwent, that was doing a roaring trade on a very busy, sunny Bank Holiday afternoon. You enter into the main bar area with the servery directly in front of you and seating around three sides of it. The room is carpeted throughout and is fitted out with comfy looking upholstered banquettes with floral pattern upholstery around the perimeter, supported by a few regular chairs. The walls have been decorated with old brewery mirrors, a few traditional paintings and other such standard pub décor, whilst the whole room has been painted in a pleasant, if somewhat typical-gastropub, colour scheme. The servery has a broad, angular bar counter that juts out into the room in an awkward fashion, perhaps the result of the room being opened out from what was presumably once a two bar layout. To the rear left, there is a small conservatory space with room for four basic tables with comfy padded chairs and views out to the river. These tables were set aside for diners and were fully occupied when we arrived. The conservatory doors open out to a surprisingly large riverside terrace that was also a real suntrap on our lunchtime visit. We managed to bag a table right next to the river and the railings here run a long way back, so there are plenty of spots where you can get a good view. The pub was understaffed for a baking hot Bank Holiday afternoon, but those who were in certainly didn’t help themselves, asking customers to queue inside the pub for a table on the terrace, only to then fail to keep tabs on leavers, resulting in a long queue and lots of free tables outside. Similarly, they could’ve saved multiple trips back and forth to the garden had they given everyone in the queue a menu, but hey, what do I know…?
On the bar, just the two ales to pick from – Black Sheep Bitter and Kaiser Pale. I’d never heard of the latter, so ordered a pint from the flustered waitress half expecting something sub-par but was pleased to be served a well-kept, refreshing ale that flew down in the afternoon sun. We also decided to have a bite to eat, having waited so long for a table, and thought the food was reasonable without being worth going out of your way for.
This is a decent enough pub which gets bonus points for well-kept beer and a lovely location but slips up with inefficient service and large summer crowds. For a pub in a tourist hot-spot, it’s an acceptable place to divert for a quick drink and bite to eat but needs to tighten things up a bit to attract repeat customers.

On 23rd June 2021 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about The Midland

The pre-season spring optimism of Ray's review was sadly missing when I paid an autumnal visit this week. Only three beers on and no cider, and I really didn't feel in the mood for either of the local beers that were on at the time of my visit (a "coffee chocolate stout" from Dukeries and a "light bodied, pale, crisp and refreshingly citrus summer ale" from Howard Town), so ended up with a half of Sharps Doom Bar before catching my train. The pub was very quiet mid-afternoon, though there were a few people enjoying the sun in the garden beside the river. This former multi-roomed pub has been opened up, necessitating a pair of hefty pillars holding it all together just inside the door. The long bar is centrally placed and, pillars aside, this has the ambience of a traditional pub, just without the walls. My beer was well kept, but there's no disguising what an unambitious beer it is in terms of taste.

On 8th September 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Midland

A respectable well kept pub, with a jolly and welcoming barman. This is a traditional style pub with the bar facing you as you enter. The pub has some coffeted ceilings near the front entrance and the large Georgian sash windows let in plenty of light. The pub is also carpeted throughout and has a pot shelf above the bar. Five pumps including a Rosie's Cider. I went for the Blue Monkey BG Sips, which was in great shape. Other beers on were one from Black Hole Brewery, Doombore, and Dunkeries. I was disappointed not to see one from Peak Ales, as it is supposed to be a regular.
The outside bench seating was a plus, enjoyed watching the trout jumping under the bridge, close to where we were sitting.

On 28th April 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Midland

Well-located Enterprise Inn in the middle of Matlock Bath, with a comfortable 'U'-shaped bar, conservatory dining room and riverside terrace overlooking the Derwent. Pool table. Four real ales (including Derby Penny's Porter at £3.40) and a cider available from the five handpumps. Remains worth a visit if in the area; but, if anything, I thought the place was more welcoming than my previous visit five years earlier.

On 6th September 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about The Midland

The Midland is a square shaped pub that is stone built.
This pub used to be an Home Ales tied house when i first went in it.
Once inside there was one room that was wrapped around the bar,there was a pool table to the right and the pub was carpeted throughout and had comfortable bench seating and normal tables and chairs,there is a seperate dining area to the left which is in a new extension added to the pub a few years ago.
For warm weather like yesterday there is an outside seating area which has picnic tables this overlooks the river Derwent.
There were three real ales on the bar on our first visit we had a drink of Bradfield Farmers Blonde and this was a nice refreshing drink,on our second visit we had a drink of Peak Ales Swift Nick and this was also a very nice drink the untried beer was GK London Glory.
The pub was very busy and a bit too stuffy inside so we had a drink outside which was quite nice.

Pub visited 1/10/2011

On 1st October 2011 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]