I had been recommended to this spot by a few people but never got round to going. However, I visited the Chestnut last Saturday night with my wife and another couple and to be I was slightly apprehensive as it was a shot in the...dark having last been in the pub many years ago. I have passed the pub on numerous occasions without really paying any attention to it, as the external appearance did not appear to suggest that it was a place that I should revisit.
Boy was I wrong, forget the external appearance and get yourself inside and as the old adage suggests, you should never judge a book by it's cover fits this place to a tee.
As you go in, the restaurant is situated on the right with the bar and public area on the left. Don't get me wrong it's not the Ritz, however, the décor is still welcoming and suggest that some thought has gone into the design. My wife goes by the rule, that if the toilets are clean which these were then the restaurant/pub has passed her inspection.
After being shown to the restaurant area, we ordered drinks from the bar and I must say that the choice of the house white for the ladies was a good one as it was good value for money and the ladies really enjoyed it.
Our starters of fish and kebab were all superb, well presented and they tasted delicious. Our mains of lamb and chicken , ordered with plain and egg fried rice were equally delicious, as were the freshly made nans that was ordered by the ladies, and rotti that was ordered by my friend. The price of all 4 meals including drinks were excellent, and if we had eaten the same meal in some of Derby's city centre restaurants I'm sure that we would have been paying another £20-30 more.
The service was quick, friendly but not intrusive which was nice. In fact, myself and my wife enjoyed it so much we came back the following Saturday night this time with our daughter who equally enjoyed the experience as much as we did the previous week .
Over all I would say to anybody that likes their curries, they most definitely give this place a go. The fact that it is essentially a pub that serves excellent Indian food is a bonus and don't be put off by the exterior as you'll definitely be missing out on something special.More