This is a gem of a pub. It's a bit hidden away, but in my opinion has the best beer garden in Derby - right on the river! The selection of real ales is impressive, and you can get nice cobs and pub snacks during the week, whereas on Sunday the Sunday roast (beef, chicken, lamb or quorn) is fantastic and very cheap! Live music is often on and the landlady and rest of the staff are always nice. Highly recommended!
Great selection of beers, great live music, right by the river, friendly welcoming staff, this is indeed a hidden gem of a pub. The young landlady Emily does a fantastic job. Well worth seeking out.
Not been in here for years , but it’s one of my friends fav , got to say it’s a lovely warm and friendly pub .... not a real ale drinker but the great ciders they have are excellent ... would recommend anyone to pop in and have a pint or two �����
Brilliant pub in Derby
This is one of the best pubs in Derby, Friendly staff and always feel welcome. Has several different real ales which change frequently, Monday is cheap beer day, and Thursday night is cheese night. Sunday is Sunday roast dinner
A great pub with great staff and beer would recommend to anyone! 😊
The range and quality of beer in here is unsurpassed by any other pub in Derby at the moment. Whilst others stand still, The Smithfield seeks out unusual beers and serves them at their best.......
Great pub under newish ownership good choice of beer CAMRA pub and where else can you sit by the river
Nice little pub, on the banks of the Derwent, with outside seating to while away a hour or two, with a snug and public bar area if it rains, or gets cold. Beer range is eclectic and well kept, Sunday Lunches are reasonably priced, What's not to like about this place, under the stewardship of the new Landlady.
Great friendly pub with a selection of real ages and ciders along with all the usual stuff. Food and live music as well make this a top place to visit in Derby. ���
Friendly welcome and a delicious selection of ales. Worth looking up if you’re not from the area, it’s so close to town but a real hidden gem.
Two excellent dark beers on from Shefford & Wiper & True. Had a great afternoon & the only negative point was that I had to leave for my bus! � ��
Emily the new Landlady, cares about good beer n' good music ... This is a pub you should visit 🍻🎼👌
Awesome few beers today, great quality and value!
Lovely weather in the beer garden.
Great pub.
Nice beer, good company and good music. What more could you as for.
Hadn't been for a while but the 'Meet the Brewer' attracted me back. I'd forgotten how good this pub was. Great selection of beers and lovely staff.
Have been to this pub a few times, real ale and cider pub. They often have live bands on. Nice pub
Bar snacks but was lovely pork pie pork scratchings crisps sausage roll and cobs .Arrived at 8 so not sure if they do food or not .Great atmosphere beer festival on .They have bands on and people were playing cards and chatting .The bar staff were fab really looked after .A proper pub the sort of place anyone is made welcome .Thanks
Sarah Smith
Always a great selection of real ales, ciders , and a few nice lagers too.
The staff are always polite , there always seems to be a fair few people in regardless of the time of day, but all are welcome.
Beautiful views of the river outside and good sheltered area with plenty of seating.
They also do live music at the venue, check the posters by the bar.
Been here a few times over the past 5 years and always had a good experience.
Great traditional pub, excellent range of real/cask beers, real ciders, a range of canned craft beers plus your standard lagers and a selection wine/spirits/lagers and soft drinks.
Look out for live music which is a weekly event, they have some genuinely good bands playing. Also Smithfest, their annual beer festival with a huge range of cask beer, live music and food.
Warm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere, the jukebox has a massive catalogue of songs and there's a nice beer garden overlooking the river that's part covered so still useable during the winter.
A little out of the way but worth the walk from the city centre.
Derbys highly rated and multiple winner of CAMRA'S pub of the year. Great and ever changing choice of ales. Friendly locals, lovely beer garden overlooking the river. Emily and Ben are great hosts. It's hidden away but well worth seeking out, it's 5 minutes walk away from Brunswick Inn and the Alexandra, make a day of it !
Thomas Müthing (theviolinproject.de)
+5
Update February 2023: I've been traveling to Derby annually for the past 10 years and I know all its cask ale pubs, and I can now say without fear of contradiction that "The Smithfield" is now THE best cask ale pub in town. Unlike others, it maintains a healthy (around 10 taps) selection of rotating cask ales (within my week in Derby the selection rotated completely). The inside may not be the most stylish, but there's comfortable-enough seating inside, and an eclectic-looking covered beer garden with a view of the river on the back, which makes for nice extra seating when the inside gets too busy (And it does get busy!). Friendly staff, good community atmosphere. An A+ boozer, and more! A little off the beaten track in Derby, but makes for a great stop on a pub tour that includes e.g. the also excellent "Exeter Arms" nearby.
Original review:
The Smithfield pub in Derby has undergone a much.needed makeover in recent years and was recently voted Derby Camra's Pub of the Year for 2018. While it is a nice, friendly pub, I still wouldn't rate it as highly as my Derby favourite, The Flowerpot or the cozy, nearby Exeter Arms. The Smithfield is located a bit off the beaten track, a little outside the city centre, by the river Derwent (there's limited outside seating): If you don't know it's there, it's unlikely you'd discover by it accidentally. Even after the renovation, the decor isn't much to write home about, but the real ale range is good, and the beers we tried were all kept fresh. Staff are nice, too. Still, something less than meets the eye.
I and some friends have visited the Smithfield a few times recently, I have visited in the past as well and have always found the service excellent with a variety of ales to choose from. One of my friends is celiac, so having gluten-free ales and beers is a bonus as he can enjoy a drink with us. It's not just one gluten-free drink on offer but a few so he has a choice also.
Great old Bass boozer, with other great ales on tap too!
Friendly bar lady, good atmosphere and loads of old Bass memorabilia for pub goers like myself!
Took a picture of the ale list as of 15th October 2022 to help people out. 😊
Great friendly staff, table service, takeaway ale's, outdoor heated seating area overlooking the river Derwent. The sun sets over the river and through the bridge. Great selection of ales and ciders. If i could put this place in my pocket id take it everywhere with me A*****
Excellent pre match Pub. I was an ‘away’ supporter and the Smithfield was an excellent discovery. The wide choice of ales was mesmerising and all very well kept. Then, as advised by friendly home fans - a brisk 20 mins walk to the stadium.
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