The Babington Arms is one of several JD Wetherspoon pubs in Derby, close to the Antu shopping…read morecentre. It is a large pub, suitable for groups - especially when sports events are on. However, the décor certainly has seen better days, and you will find a classier JDW option about 7 minutes away, at The Standing Order. Of course, the menu (with very minor variations) and drjnks selection is the usual, and the prices are highly competitive - you simply won't find a cheaper cocktail or real ale than anywhere else but at a Spoon. However, a real ale I had when I visited in February had already gone bad (very notable vinegary smell and taste).. That shouldn't happen - casks of real ale once opened wiil start to go bad after 3 days. The food is solid if unexciting, which you've also come to expect from JDW. All in all, not the best JDW option in Derby.

The Babington arms is by far my favourite Wetherspoons in the city of Derby…read more It has a warmer home from home atmosphere and not so much of the sticky floor syndrome of others in the area. The staff are all lovely and even when busy they will share a laugh and a joke. If going for a meal I love to sit in the booths at the back as it is more private and away from the hubbub of the rst of the pub. If going for an evening with the girls or just a quick coffee I love to sit on the comfy sofas at the front of the bar. Only thing against this is that it is nearer the doors and with people going in and out to smoke, can get a bit draughty. The food is great and still very cheap even in this climate. The beer and wine is also cheap compared to most pubs and the coffee is delicious. I love all the great pictures on the wall of historic Derby and the Bookcase full of dusty old books at the back of the bar gives it great character. The only negative I have is that the toilets are all a hike up the stairs - but this seems to be an issue with most Wetherspoon pubs.

This small pub is a great local place for students, and they have great drinks offers such as 3.50…read morecocktails and rum punch on some nights. They regularly have DJ's, and even host a poker night. I like the fact that I can socialise with friends without having to get taxis into town, but if you do get a taxi there, apparently they can give you £4 towards it if you show them your receipt. They also have a loyalty card. They also have an extensive food menu, which is reasonably priced.

The Brick & Tile pub is a little outside of Derby city centre, close to a local favorite micro pub,…read moreThe Last Post. It's a typical, average traditional establishment that has a nice, rustic atmosphere. It's not, however, otherwise remarkable. The ale selection is certainly underwhelming: Three hand pumps, two of which featured the undistinguished Pedigree and Hobgoblin Gold, the third was vacant upon my visit. Rather loud place, too, but the British seem to have a much higher tolerance of noise than us continental Europeans. If you're on a Derby pub crawl, you might just skip this one.

At the top of Canning Circus across from the Borlase Warren - The Falcon is a unique little gastro…read morepub. Downstairs its like a step back into an old town pub complete with resident locals, nice pub furnishings, a big screen and a good crowd to watch the rugby with. Upstairs there's a quaint silver service reataurant serving lovely food that even better comes in man-size pertions. You can also, if you're not in the mood for posh, order the same food dowstairs where you can tuck into a mountain of food in their cosy, snug bar. Prices are good too and the quality A rated for a small city pub.

Just three stars is probably a little harsh but I was a wee bit disappointed given the great…read moreexpectations I'd been given for this nice spit n sawdust venue. The bar is obviously doing very well for itself, it was packed on a night when other pubs nearby were not very busy. Fighting my way to the bar to only find a couple of beers, 1 very common, was a let down given what I'd heard. The beer I went for, Arty Farty was alright. The throwback of a bartender did have what I believe are commonly referred to these days as 'mad skillz' when it came to the topping up of patrons pints!

A real ale local pub, if you can get it the landlord's own beer is excellent. Borrow a book from…read morethe book exchange, or play a board game. The piano needs a tue and the toilets are foul, but overall well worth a visit.

Ahhhh....Yelp, it's been months and I'm sorry. I feel more dirrrrty than a Christina Aguilera mud…read morebath; my last review was in April and we're now half way through September!? Where has the time gone!? To be brutally honest, I've missed you, but I don't know if the feeling is entirely reciprocal. There's only so much cynicism people can take at once. Anyway, I'm here for a review, not for hopeless nostalgia. Or perhaps I am, given the pub that I'm reviewing. The Phantom, Loughborough, notorious as much for the behaviour of its clientèle as the pub itself and somewhere I still (for some reason) seem to spend a lot of my time. I have been a patron of this place for many, many years, as have many of my friends, and I will have to admit that I don't enjoy it now as much as I used to. It smells, it looks like a toilet (despite the refurbishment), the customers are getting younger, the booze getting worse, the prices going up...in all honesty this place hasn't got loads going for it. What it does have in its favour however is a nice, relaxed, friendly atmosphere, (relatively) cheap beer and an air hockey table that must have at least 2 months wages inside - for this alone the pub gets an extra star. Also, the beer garden is absolutely brilliant in the summer. And they've recently installed a ping pong table outside. Carnage when you've consumed....... OK, so there are a few plus points to The Phantom. More negative, granted, but a few plus points that give it a weird charm which is hard to pin down. You will ask yourself why you're going there again, especially at 25, but you will still go and you will still have a pretty decent time. It's quirky, it's tongue in cheek, it knows it's not very good, but that's not the point. Arrive 5 minutes late, grab a beer, plop yourself down on one of the many sinking sofas (or play any number of pub games) and have a laugh. It's not a serious pub and it doesn't pretend to be - what it is is an ex-Scream pub in a student town. And that's all it wants to be. And let's face it, it's in Loughborough. It's as good as you're gonna get. When competition is The Wetherspoons down the road or the nice but extortionate Griffin it's bound to keep attracting the regulars. Like that one oddball friend we all have, The Phantom is weird, it smells, it doesn't improve your life, it's embarrassing...but for some reason you find her a laugh and will keep going there. Perhaps we can all take a lesson from it?

Want a good way to get into trouble for the night? Go into Phantom, order a couple fishbowls of…read morebooze, and let the night take you away. I was pleasantly surprised by this pub while visiting Loughborough. I walked by it a couple times to get food nearby, and figured it was worth a try to go in for a few. They have pretty good deals on their drinks (cheap Jägerbombs seem to be the typical fare of Loughborough - everyone sells these on the cheap), but the atmosphere is what sold it to me. It's not what you'd call fancy by a long shot...run down? Maybe, but I wouldn't be that harsh. What drew me in though was how you can choose what sort of experience you want. Looking for a little privacy for you and a small group of mates? There's a handful of booths in a corner behind a wall, so you can escape from the larger crowds. Looking for a typical pub feel? Sit on the stools and watch some tele like you would at any other pub. Looking for a beer garden? Phantom has a pretty big one, with ping pong tables set up (should be easy enough to convert into beer pong, right?), and a nice seating area to soak up some sun. A good pub with surprisingly good atmosphere.

We went in here at around 10.30pm on a Saturday night and it was packed out. The music was loud and…read morethumping although I did just about manage to have a conversation. The service was pretty fast at the bar so you don't have to wait long although the drinks are quite expensive. There was no spare seats or tables at the front of the bar and it was pretty busy with lots of people standing around, we did find a table to sit at the back near the stairs that lead down to the toilets. One thing I did like was that there was a wide age range of clientèle not just young uns out on the razz, Oh and the doors are very wide which means it is accessible for wheelchairs to get in and out.

Despite its being a chain and in the gun crime capital of the UK (poor old Nottingham), the Ha Ha…read moreBar didn't fail to please when I went here for a Christmas do. The decor is really welcoming, lots of nice dark wood, lovely ceilings and fantastic lighting. The ambience is very couth, very growns up. The wine list is very nice, and includes some nice surprising varieties, including a very nice Sauvignon with pear and apricot flavours. Yum yum. The service at the bar is efficient but casual, no over-keen "hey guys!" bartenders here. There is always a pretty great crowd here, lots going on, mostly an in-city working crowd after work for a drink or some food with friends. Once we were seated and given menus, we found a nice selection of dependable food without anything flashy or worrying. When the seabass and chicken mains arrived, they were well cooked, with flaky tender fish and non-stringy, moist chicken. The sides and starters were also nice. We skipped dessert as we were stuffed full, and opted for more wine, both bottles of which suited everyone's tastes and were respectively mellow and crisp. The kitchen service was fast, but not worryingly so, and the manager, who brought our food over, was a very friendly and chatty fellow. Definitely an easy choice if you're not looking for a bespoke dining experience, but a welcoming, low-key place in Nottingham

The Bell Inn in Anslow is a pub and restaurant with a sizeable car park to the side, and a good…read moreportion of outside seating, shaded by mature trees. Inside the dining area is relatively small, but bathed in light, with modern furnishings and stout wooden tables. There is well-stocked bar, with a great selection of ales and wines, and the staff are friendly, nothing being too much trouble. We had booked for Sunday lunch and had got the last table, so probably best to book. The selection for all three courses were detailed on a chalkboard adjacent to the bar, there were a good range of different dishes. We skipped the starters as we often do and started our meal with a main, dishes included a salmon niçoise salad, vegetarian gnocchi and a chicken breast in a mustard sauce. However, we both plumped for the pork, beautifully cooked, coming with a large homemade Yorkshire Pudding, roast potatoes and stuffing, with a sizeable vegetable dish containing cauliflower cheese, red cabbage, beans and carrots. A great main, full of flavour and a generous portion to boot. Feeling slightly full, do you have a dessert? Of course, tempted by warm lemon drizzle cake and an intriguing chocolate button cheesecake, we opted for the Vanilla pannacotta, in a warm bed of local rhubarb, full of flavour and a sizeable bread and butter pudding, with homemade custard. Both dishes a triumphant end to a great meal. Only a few minor negatives, the music in the background grated rather added to the ambiance and the tables because of the restaurant's size were a little close. Not enough though to stop this being a 5 star experience.