The Black Cow

The food and atmosphere made the slightly higher bill worth it. We came in for a rare meal out with my wife and our dog, so we ate in the cosy, comfortable bar area. The quality didn’t disappoint. We had fish curry and the “posh” fish and chips with the head on, followed by apple crumble and sticky toffee. Everything was tasty, with a nice twist on the usual recipes.

Dinner was tasty, and I’d recommend both the fish pie and hot pot. Breakfast was great quality too, with very generous portions. We stayed in Room 2 at The Cow on our way from London to North Wales after visiting family in Leicester. The room was on the ground floor, opposite the kitchen, and it was a bit loud when we first arrived around dinner time. The decor was lovely, with neutral colours and exposed wood and brick. The bed was comfortable, the bedding felt high quality, and the shower was hot and powerful. The little terrace would have been lovely in good weather. We booked through Mr & Mrs Smith, and the free bottle of wine was waiting in the room. I also liked the robe, which was a nice surprise. Overnight, the room got oddly too warm, though we couldn’t work out why since the radiator and towel rail were both off. There were no tissues, which always disappoints me because of my allergies. The bathroom could use more practical storage and towel hooks. I also don’t think miniatures are environmentally friendly, so I’d prefer refillable shampoo and similar products.

We turned up for an unplanned midweek dinner and had a really enjoyable evening. We each chose a main and shared a cheeseboard, with some very nice wines alongside. There was a small issue with one of the meals, but it was sorted out to our satisfaction with hardly any fuss.

The restaurant has a wide choice of good quality dishes, and the rooms are very comfortable with excellent service. Parking gets a bit tight later in the evening, so dedicated spaces for residents would have been useful. The place is a little remote, a few miles down narrow lanes from the main roads, but Derby and Ashbourne are still reasonably accessible.