Red Lion Pub & Bistro

Words escape Steele Paulich, after her latest dining
experience in Derbyshire.

It’s not often that I’m left speechless – after all, words are my livelihood. But a recent visit to the Red Lion Pub and Bistro on the outskirts of Chesterfield left me exactly that – lost for words.
It’s not just that food was sublime (more of which later) but that everything from the atmosphere to the waiting staff through to the décor was spot-on – the whole package was exactly what you want from a dining experience.
Nestled in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, the Red Lion occupies an enviable and impressive location.
Inside, the soft lighting coupled with exposed dark wooden beams and sandstone walls means that the mood manages to sit perfectly between casual and formal.
On the evening of our visit the bistro’s eclectic mix of diners included large families, couples enjoying dinner á deux and old friends catching up – all of whom were clearly enjoying the gentle tinkling of the live piano and the female vocals, courtesy of musical duo, Chocolate Jazz.
Walking to our table, we couldn’t help but notice the fish counter with its contents so intricately laid out. Fresh fish is a speciality here and is delivered daily from the market.
We arrived at the start of the seafood festival (a four-day celebration of seafood in the middle of England) and we sampled some of the very best seafood this place has to offer.
The menu ranged from classically executed favourites – dressed crab, moules marinière – interspersed with updated dishes like Guinness and oyster plate and shelled prawns with rustic bread and dipping sauce.
Just one of the things that sets the Red Lion apart from its faux-bistro counterparts is that head chef Neil McCann and his talented cohort have a knack for making everything on the menu sound good, and everything we sampled delivered.
The first dish to arrive was a bowl of homemade tomato soup, served with crisp bread. It was followed by a generous helping of chicken liver pate and a mound of chutney faintly spiced with raisin and ginger, as well as toast.
The main courses were equally as impressive. As my friend less than artfully deboned his sea bass, which was enlivened with a healthy accompaniment of Tuscan-style vegetables, I happily tucked into my king scallop salad, but it was so generous, my side dish of new potatoes went almost untouched.
I’d go so far as to say that this was one of the best dishes I have ever tasted – I have even made a futile attempt to recreate the culinary masterpiece at home.
For dessert, a calorie bomb – also known as a chocolate brownie – served with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream arrived. Across the table, my friend was so enthralled by his sticky toffee pudding that he forgot to save me some (note to self: from now on bring a more generous critic to dinner.)
If we operated a rating system, this place would most certainly score five stars. In fact, I’m planning another visit later this month.

Red Lion Pub and Bistro
Darley Road, Stone Edge
Chesterfield, S45 0LW
Tel: 01246 566142
www.thefamousredlion.com