IT’S A SHOE-IN!
WHEN my pal and I headed towards the Horseshoes in Longlane on a sunny Saturday, we found it nestled among a quiet row of houses, far away from the busyness of Derby’s roads.
The pub won a recent poll on our website by a country mile, which is fitting, considering it sits about a country mile from the nearest competition. The gleaming white building added to a summery atmosphere upon entry and boasted a large number of indoor and outdoor seating, with the rear beer garden putting a classy twist on an already fancy pub.
The polite staff were quick to offer us a table of our choice and, given the almost-tropical Derbyshire sunshine, we opted for a table outside.
One of the more eye-catching features of the formal garden to the rear was the little tipis/huts that were scattered around the perimeter, offering shelter from both the cold and warm weather throughout the year.
After a brief scan of the menu, my friend and I looked at each other knowing we’d struck gold.
A combination of pub classics as well as fancy dishes from further afield made a stunning à la carte, which saw dishes vary in price from £17 to £34.
As soon as we ordered, the friendly staff gave us four rustic slices of homemade bread and butter which was served warm and was divine, however, it might have hindered our chances of leaving a clean plate after the main course.
I opted for the humble haddock and chips – a true tester of an English eatery – while my mate ordered the pan-fried salmon.
The salmon was impressive – very impressive – with perfectly crispy skin and served with creamy mashed potatoes, asparagus, braised red cabbage and chive cream sauce.
At £22, you could tell that a lot of thought was put into the preparation and presentation of the dish, which showcased an array of colours with the purple of the cabbage, the green of the asparagus and the pink of the salmon. It really was a classy dish.
And the same goes for the fish and chips. I have never seen a fillet of haddock with a golden batter like it. The fish was nearly a foot long and was laid out over a tasty portion of mushy peas, served with a side of chunky pub chips.
Much like the salmon had a topnotch chive cream sauce, mine was served with warm homemade tartar sauce, a perfect side that eliminated the need for any ketchup or mayo.
The sauce had a tangy taste to it and packed quite the punch due to having little chunks of pickles and capers mixed within. It really was the fanciest fish and chips I’d ever had.
The dining experience at the Horseshoes, considering it brands itself as a “country pub”, was exquisite and felt closer to a highclass restaurant than anything that you associate with a typical pub.
That is until you see the eclectic beer and wine menu, which definitely would outshine the average. The pub, at the time of entering, offered seven lagers on tap and three cask ales as well as a huge selection of wines, spirits and soft drinks.
A Carling will set you back £4.75 but we both opted for a pint of Estrella, which was priced at £5.95.
Overall, our experience at this brilliant country pub was sublime and a pure joy for the hour we spent there, which showed just how on top of things the staff are. We arrived, 10 minutes later we ordered drinks, 10 minutes later we ordered food, food arrived, we ate the food, we left – a simple string of events that many establishments can get so wrong, but not at The Horseshoes.
This place can brand itself as a well-oiled ship after what can only be described as a perfect meal out in the countryside. I’ll definitely return to The Horseshoes and would recommend it to anyone in the area. The short drive from Derby is definitely worth it for any city food lovers fancying an excuse to escape this summer.