The Barrel Inn

Breakfast was superb with great service. The evening food was outstanding and the venison burger was out of this world. All the staff were friendly and helpful.

Nothing as it was a great location with stunning views

Great place, fantastic food, not the cheapest but generous portions and super quality. Location is top notch and way off the beaten path. Roads at night not for the faint-hearted! Room was good, albeit a little "claustraphobic"...facilities all you need. Would defo go again for sure

Some parts of room could have done with a bit of a better clean.

the location and evening meal

nothing that I can think off

The Barrel Inn feels like a nearly place. I chose to stay there with my wife recently and the location has breathtaking views, matched by enthusiastic young staff keen to please and provide a warm welcome for those ascending to enjoy the highest pint in Derbyshire. However, the overriding feeling we were left with is, as customers, that we were slightly getting in the way of the business. The evening menu and breakfast were beyond reproach but the pressure of time and a small window provided to enjoy these meals (last call for dinner was 8pm) undermine the efforts of the chef. A one hour slot for breakfast ending at 9:30 on a Sunday morning with a 10.30 checkout time seems at odds with a leisurely countryside stay. When questioned, the reason provided was that the kitchen needed more time to prepare lunch for the customers. This left the clear impression that some patrons appear more important than others, and squeezing every drop of dining time is the guiding principle of this pub/guesthouse. And that impression was strengthened by the fact that soon after 8 am on Sunday morning, replacing church bells or the expected soundtrack of sheep and cockerels was a very loud and persistent generator/fan noise that woke us up and apparently is vital to the kitchen operation. One of the staff offered up an unprompted and resigned apology claiming that the mechanics were unavoidable and necessary for the cooking process, so this is far from a one-off and totally unacceptable given the proximity of the five adjacent Hotel chalets. The fact that the water decided to run dry for parts of Saturday evening was less of a problem than the general attitude to customers, which appeared to be 'pile them high and ship them out'. So, despite several high points literally and metaphorically of staying at the Barrel Inn, this is not a place we can recommend or would plan for a return visit.