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Hours
Sun
12:00 - 22:00
Mon
17:00 - 23:00
Tue
17:00 - 23:00
Wed
17:00 - 23:00
Thu
17:00 - 23:00
Fri
12:00 - 15:0017:00 - 23:00
Sat
12:00 - 23:00
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
£5.00 – £19.00
CUISINES
Bar, British, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Details
About
The Packhorse Inn is a quirky little pub with only 9 tables serving the best local produce we can find. We specialize in meat and game but we also offer, sharing platters, specials and vegetarian options. We change the menus on a monthly basis and the specials daily, making sure we use fresh, seasonal ingredients. The bar serves a selection of 5 cask ales, mostly from the local Thornbridge Brewery, as well as a full range wines, lagers, ciders, spirits and soft drinks. During winter time we have three roaring fires and the pergola provides extra seating under cover with heaters and two real fires. Formely two miners cottages, the Packhorse has been a watering hole for travellers on the packhorse routes since 1787. We are very proud that we are still an old fashion pub which is quite hard to do these days! There is parking on the road and booking is essential as we are very small!
PRICE RANGE
£5.00 – £19.00
CUISINES
Bar, British, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly
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4.5
951 reviews
Excellent
697
Very good
165
Average
59
Poor
16
Terrible
14
CaroCarys G
5 contributions
Apr 2021 • friends
An early doors table for 2 in the new “indoors/outdoors” area ticked all the boxes for a Thursday night treat!
Fully Covid safe from registration at the front of the pub and entry through the back garden.
The current menu covers all foodie cravings and we complimented our choices with a delicious new Sauvignon Blanc they have added to their wine list (only one of my personal faves)! Waiting staff are always a joy & adds to the relaxed atmosphere in this frantic world we’ve had to endure.
Thank you team Pack for being exceptionally fabulous welcoming superstars!! We’ll be back!
Written 22 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zinzan
Sheffield21 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
The walk. This circular 7 mile (2hrs 45mins) walk from the pub packs an enormous amount of variety into a fairly short distance. From the pub walk up to Monsal Head and then follow the Wye Valley. Enter Great Shacklow Wood and onto the beautiful village of Ashford in the Water. Then follow the footpaths along a typical section of the limestone plateau and farmlard back to Monsal Head. Expect to see Buzzards, Barn Owls, Curlews, Blackcaps and Dippers along the way.
The Pub. To comply with the latest Covid Restrictions the landlord has built a covered pergola on the back terrace complete with a coal fire and log burner recreating the atmosphere of pub outside.
It's just the best dog friendly authentic pub, serving great beer and proper, well cooked, good value, unprentious grub. I had the pork belly washed down with two pints of Jaipur and the wife had Chicken Supreme and a chilled Sauvignon blanc followed by sticky toffee pudding and cheese board. Not flower petal in sight!
Written 17 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nightboat2047
Kettering106 contributions
Oct 2020 • none
We were recommended this pub by friends and managed to book in on our first night away. What a lovely find. The pub takes it's covid precautions seriously with perspex screening, hand santiser available around the pub, QR code for track and trace and a one way system in and out.
The food was really good. We had both starters and mains. I enjoyed my calamari though I think I lucked out as my partners Smoked Duck breast was very tasty indeed. Our mains were well thought out, tasty and filling. My pork belly was melt in the mouth and cooked very well. My partner assured me his Beef Brisket was just as good.
A great recommendation that we'll thank our friends for.
Written 18 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DavidC981
Glad you enjoyed it, cheers!
Written 20 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joanne N
Colchester21 contributions
Jun 2021 • couples
We have visited The Packhorse on every visit to the Peak District for the last 8 years and have always raved about it to family and friends. First meal there this time on the 12th was as amazing and delicious as always with the added delight of enjoying the new outside space. The staff were fantastic and we left feeling delighted that this special little place had survived the lockdown and come back better than ever. What a shame that we had such a disappointing experience only a week later on the 18th. With a couple of family members in tow, who were about to have their first experience of The Packhorse, we left feeling deflated and embarrassed as the food served up was nothing to the culinary delights experienced the previous week. Whoever was working that night in the kitchen clearly has no idea about consistency as we were short changed on the starters - three sardines with a healthy serving of salsa one week, two with virtually no salsa the next. Burnt toast to accompany the haddock rilette and don’t get me started on the awful presentation for the venison and chorizo burger, which my husband had been salivating over the week before. The brioche bun had been replaced with something out of the local supermarket and the chips had been thrown all over the plate. When we commented to the waitresses all we got as a response was that each chef puts their own twist on the dishes. Can we suggest that the chef who was working on the 18th takes their lead from the one who was working on the 12th? Such a shame as we want to come back, but maybe not this year sadly.
Written 21 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helrog52
Aberdeenshire345 contributions
Oct 2021 • couples
We have eaten many times at The Packhorse whilst on our regular visits to Tideswell and never been disappointed until now.
We ate on Wednesday the 13th of October and not sure if it was a different chef but food and presentation was really poor.
I had the venison and chorizo burger, which was served in a poor quality bun with the chips literally thrown on the plate. The chef forgot to put the chorizo and cheese on the burger so it was served separately. It really would have mattered but because the presentation and poor quality of the food it just added to the disappointment.
My partner had pork belly which was slightly better.
I’m really gutted to feel this disappointed as The Packhorse has always been a firm favourite but not sure we will return as there are so many other lovely pubs and restaurants.
Written 17 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doris Doe
34 contributions
Mar 2022 • none
Our first visit was very enjoyable, good foot, good service. This time we were left wanting. I had the shin of beef...I removed the bone which has been decoratively placed on the top. Then I removed the large amount of fat sitting on the top, but the meat looked good. Sadly the beef had no taste at all. No seasoning in the gravy, the veg fared no better, but the dumplings were bone dry. A very dissapointing meal. My husband had the lamb shank, not alot of it, no gravy, very dry & a few sprigs of broccoli. It did not appear the same dish which I had ordered on our iirst visit & had enjoyed. We did mention this to the very young waiter, he apologised & sent the manager over, another very young chap. We were offered free puds, but neither of us wanted one, so they knocked off around £6.00 from the bill. Before our meals arrived, we were told that the previous customers has paid our bill by mistake, so the items on our bill would not be what we had ordered & the good thing about this....according to the mangager, was that it woould be 30p cheaper. In future might I suggest they give the correct bill to the right customer. It was a little amusing to hear that it was the customers mistake, not the member of staff who gave them the incorrect bill in the first place. So I don't think we'll be giving it a 3rd try. An expensive dissapointment. Prices are going up when eating out, but the standard of the food /cooking should be raised to meet charges. A fair expectation i believe.
Written 30 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris
Peak District National Park53 contributions
Mar 2022 • family
Lovely country pub that now thinks it’s a Michelin starred restaurant.
Been here a few times over the years for a pint or two and just prior to lockdown with a group where we spontaneously had a lovely mix of snacks.
This visit was my family (4 adults) for my wife’s birthday lunch.
Since lockdown no snack menu anymore (really, really should bring that back, otherwise I’ve lost a good reason to come), they’ve created a semi covered outdoor area and they’ve blocked off one of the doors so that you can only go in one way. Fair enough but..I really don’t want to walk into a rustic small country pub and be greeted with a floor standing sign saying ‘please wait here to be seated’. Bad start for me.
Menu is very predictable and overpriced. Fish and chips, lamb shank, burger, belly pork… yawn… almost nothing under £19. Consensus from 4 of us was that the food had been bought in as it was pretty flavourless.
On the plus side portions were good. I had a burnt orange cheesecake and other than a couple of tiny segments of orange on top I couldn’t detect any orange flavor (or any other flavor) making it a complete waste of £7.
Service was good, we took a birthday cake which they brought out.
Good Thornbridge beer but felt like if I hadn’t booked a table I might not be allowed in for a drink (no doubt they would offer me an outdoor seat).
In summary a lovely pub spoilt or in danger of spoiling by pretentiousness.
If the food is not cooked from scratch on the premises please lower the prices as you’re ripping people off. If it is, please ask the chef to add much more flavour!
And please bring back the snack menu so people can have a drink and a bite without spending a small fortune!
Hope this helps the business and the potential customers a little.
Written 7 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela G
United Kingdom620 contributions
Jun 2022 • none
The food was, in my opinion, expensive for what was served. I had a venison and chorizo burger, which was small but excellent. Served with fries which were dry and seemed to be more like oven chips rather than freshly deep fried. However, on the positive side, the service at table was excellent, and to be commended. The Inn itself is very old, and therefore charming, as was all the furniture. But anyone eating there should be aware that they need something warm to wear as it was quite cold inside.
Written 11 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clare
Derby56 contributions
Sept 2021 • none
The Pack Horse Inn is a very old pub, and the building has all the old world charm or flagstone floors, and old fireplaces. The bar is tiny and the barman was great very funny and friendly. The food was good too. We all had Cullen skink for starter, which was tasty but not as Smokey as I had expected.
I had the venison burger, for mains, I’m not a huge burger fan, but this was fantastic. My husband had the steak, which he said was lovely, perfectly cooked, and our friends had the chicken and loved that too.
The selection of ales and lagers was good, with something for everyone. Great little pub but you must book a table to avoid disappointment.
Written 25 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fudds
56 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
Back in July I was lucky enough to be given £200 in vouchers for this establishment. Or so I thought. I have waited until all monies were spent to see if it improved at al before posting my review.
The first experience was on a Sunday, we had booked a table inside with our dogs, only to be ushered through to the bar area. A nice enough area at quieter times but the noise from the bar and kitchen was unbelievable as they clattered plates and bottles. Staff that were either on a break or not working gathered here to chat, loudly.
I ordered Sunday lunch and other half had lamb chops. Both meals were really poor and not warm even. The roast potatoes were rock hard, the lamb chops were tiny and the one veg we got, wasn’t cooked, I like my veg with a crunch but it had barely seen a pan. To add insult to a disappointing meal, when I tried to pay with my vouchers, the young waitress said she wasn’t sure about the vouchers and we would probably have to use them in one sitting!
Not to put off, we went again during the week, purely because I had vouchers to spend. The above had put us right off. We sat in the covered area outside and had the platter to share. Nice enough but the pate was bland and the pork pie was tasteless. A couple opposite ordered the same as us and asked where their pie was, they had run out so had given the some kind of fish pate. Not quite the same is it. We had the same issue with vouchers, staff didn’t know what to do.
The third time, we sat outside and tried Sunday lunch. It was better this time and we got two different veg but again it was luke warm. Success with vouchers this time and didn’t feel like a second class citizen using them but only one till deals with them !
The fourth and final time faired better. We sat inside to the right. Beef rib was lovely as was the risotto. My steak was cool, the chips were dry and crispy and no other accompaniments bar salad and a peppercorn sauce. A few mushrooms and onion rings wouldn’t have gone a miss. We followed with dessert, purely to get rid of the last of the vouchers and waited for a good half hour before we were saved. Staff in this occasion were good and I managed to pay with no issue.
I had heard so much about this pub but it really did disappoint, I’ve never felt more disheartened going out for a meal. If you are in the area, drive through to Great Longstone and the White Lion, the food there is outstanding and a real treat.
Written 6 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David C
Hi there,
Apologies it has taken some time for us to log onto our account. I am so sorry we did not deliver during your visits. I am personally very new to the business so I don't want to make any excuses for what happened, I would however like to assure you that we are doing our best to ensure things like this don't happen at the Packhorse. We are an extremely tiny and traditional business and we only have two tills; one of which deals with the vouchers. Whilst I can't guarantee that we wouldn't struggle with a wifi connection or similar again, I would hope that the service would not make you feel uncomfortable if we could persuade you to visit again.
Thank you for the review and the feedback, it all helps,
Kindest Regards,
Victoria
General Manager
Written 28 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
simon
Manchester32 contributions
Oct 2021 • friends
We were a party of 14 and from my first enquiry the staff were very friendly and accommodating, with prompt replies to all my questions. The food was excellent and the service was faultless, even when people ordered additional items at the last minute. They went the extra mile to accommodate us for a second visit at short notice, when we had the outside area to ourselves - complete with heaters and log fires to keep us warm. The pub is a proper local country pub, very small, but with a great atmosphere and a wide selection of drinks to cater for all. You should definitely pay a visit if you’re in the area. Thanks to Matt and the team for looking after us so well.
Written 22 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RMP1963
Sheffield31 contributions
Feb 2023 • none
A mistake to not have found this place before! Been past or near to it on many occasions, but so glad to have found it now. Apart from the initial shock of being told we would have to sit outside… in February, the entire experience was absolutely faultless. The rear garden pergola or seating enclosure is fantastic, and not at all as anticipated. So cozy, with overhead heaters and log burners, and comfortable chairs - we actually preferred it to sitting inside, though that looked extremely inviting as well. The staff made us feel so welcome, and the food is incredible. Despite the large menu choice, which is often a sign that the quality isn’t going to be good, the reverse was actually the case. The price may not please everyone, but at a time when every pub and restaurant has increased their prices considerably, I thought this was extremely good value, particularly when you consider that they actually deliver on service, quality and taste. We eat out quite a lot, though much less than pre-COVID, and tire of paying for experiences that fall short. I cannot recommend this place highly enough, and though we’re the opposite side of the County, we will definitely be back. Love it. Keep up the fantastic work.
Written 19 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David C
Thank you so much for writing us such a wonderful review. After a busy weekend this is so fantastic to see. Please come and see us again soon,
Kind Regards,
Team Packhorse
Written 19 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Janet B
Peterborough7 contributions
Jun 2021 • couples
The Packhorse was recommended to us by friends who knew we were holidaying in the area this weekend. I am so glad we went the extra mile to find it. Service was warm and friendly but not intrusive. Food was hot, delicious, beautifully cooked, fresh and locally sourced. Prices were very reasonable. Our dog was made very welcome. The Bakewell pudding was a triumph! We absolutely loved our visit and would holiday in the area again just to be able to return! Local ales very good indeed.
Written 19 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susie M
London12 contributions
Apr 2022 • family
We went for a family dinner with high expectations of a popular well reviewed gastopub. The meal for three out of four of us was fine, though the pudding we all wanted had run out.
However overall the evening was spoiled by the lack of more than one choice of main course for non meat eaters. Pasta or nothing. Note to the chef: people who eat meat don’t all hate vegetarians. Sometimes they are friends or partners or siblings. The carbonara was basically a punishment dish, tiny hard pieces of butternut in a grotesque quantity of tagliatelle swimming in a nondescript creamy sauce. Goats cheese not evident. Tiny sprinkling of green sage in a sea of beige. A sad waste of ingredients.
Maybe in May you will improve so that every customer, regardless of their dietary choices, will feel welcomed and catered for and the meat eaters will be able to enjoy their beautifully prepared dishes without the discomfort of seeing their table companion disappointed and hungry.
Written 30 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian D
Flitwick74 contributions
Jul 2021 • family
In contrast to our last visit to a resteraunt in this area (Lovage) the packhorse serves good homely food but the service here destroys the terrible service you get at Lovage.
This is an exceptional little pub serving good food and great ale and wine with a smile..
I hope not many people read this review as it will make it harder for me to book a table if everyone realises how good it is here 😀
Try it...you will definitely not be disappointed.
Written 28 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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