Whether you are visiting Derby on a city break or a longer trip, the Cathedral quarter is sure to be the main focus of your sightseeing. With the main historic places of interest, the museums and the best shopping to be found in this small area of the city centre, it really is the vibrant hub of Derby.
The restaurant life is equally vibrant, with a thriving cafe scene and a wide range of cuisines on offer.
Sometimes too much choice can be bewildering, so we’ve picked a selection of Derby’s top restaurants for you to chose from, whether you’re looking for an affordable lunch menu or a gourmet evening meal.
If your idea of a weekend away is an evening spent lingering over excellent food in splendid surroundings, Opulence Restaurant in the luxurious Cathedral Quarter hotel has to be your first choice. The decor lives up to its name with high ceilings and lavish decoration and the food has earned it a well deserved AA rosette. Surprisingly affordable for such a high standard of cuisine, there are also great deals on lunch and pre-theatre menus.
Right opposite the cathedral, the Italian, family-run European Restaurant offers a fine selection of European, mainly Italian dishes, in a comfortable setting. Look out for their monthly Italian regional dinners, where five courses focus on one particular region of Italy.
If you prefer your fine dining to have a more exotic flavour then Eden Gardens in the middle of the Cathedral Quarter offers excellent Indian, Thai and Chinese menus in a congenial atmosphere and is open only in the evenings, except for Sundays, when their lunch time buffet allows you to try al the flavours you want.
If a lively atmosphere and authentic Mexican food are more to your taste then head for Mexico on Sadler Gate and go for the best, fajitas, quesadillas and tequilas in town.
With a lively cafe ambience the Fat Cat on Friar Gate is a great choice for cocktails, good British food and an informal evening, while the nearby Restaurant Zest offers a calmer and more intimate dining venue with good British food served in an unpretentious style.
Altogether Derby’s Cathedral Quarter restaurants offer the visitor a good range of choice, whether you are looking for a refreshing break after a morning of museums or a relaxed evening of food and conversation in beautiful surroundings.