Out For Dinner At The Merchant's Yard In Tideswell
Published On Wednesday 18 Jun 2025 by Sticky Beak
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I’ve always been a huge fan of our stunning scenery here in the ‘Shire, but I’d forgotten just how glorious the scenery is on the drive up to Monsal Head. Even with storm clouds threatening to unleash their contents, and a moody dove grey sky, you could see ‘up hill and down dale’ for miles. Simply breath-taking. We were out-and-about thanks to a very kind invitation to dine at The Merchant’s Yard in Tideswell and parking was, due to the combination of tourist season and a small village, going to be an interesting exercise. Or so I’d assumed. In the event, His Nibs found a spot on the road about a minutes’ walk away from the venue; get in!!
Turning the corner from the road, we made our way through the beautiful archway and into the courtyard that houses The Merchant’s Yard. As soon as we’d stepped inside, we were greeted very warmly and escorted through to our table in the corner of the open plan restaurant. Water was offered immediately and then we were left to look at the drinks and food menus; I fancied a glass of Picpoul de Pinet and The Man had a pint of Madri.
As well as the usual a la carte menu, there is a rather nifty tasting menu (available Weds-Sat until 8pm) priced at £65pp or £100pp with a paired wine flight. If my memory is correct, we had the tasting menu on our last visit and it was marvellous. Tempted though we were, we’d already had enough to eat earlier in the day and couldn’t really justify this 8-course treasure.
Whilst we were pondering which of the utterly delightful dishes to sample, the manager brought out a couple of freshly baked, home-made miniature bread loaves with a quenelle of whipped butter for us to graze on. Little touches like this set the tone, I think, and are a nod to the standards of the establishment; a 2 AA-Rosetted one, on this occasion. The bread’s perfectly domed tops were lightly dusted with flour and their warmth melted the butter so that each mouthful had that gorgeous comfort factor. This was a super little nibble that took away those pesky initial pangs of hunger.
As I was merrily nibbling away, I noticed a family with young child [in a high-chair] dining at another table and smiled at the memory of when Fledge accompanied us to eat out. Taking in the red brick walls and glass partition (that adds a touch of modernity), I was gladdened to see that the household artefacts from Granny Markovitz’s house were still very much in evidence throughout the building. The Merchant’s Yard quietly exudes a homely, welcoming charm and I sank back into the plush velvety comfort of the mid-back tub chair that sat me at the sturdy, metal-pipe legged table. It isn’t often you find a chair that you could happily stay in all night, but you could with this one!
Soon enough, our starters were being gently placed in front of us: Pan-fried Pigeon Breast with Stuffed & Baked Onion, Burnt Apple Purée, and Cherry Granola (£13) for me, Duck Liver Parfait with Pickled Rhubarb Gel, Smoked Almonds and Grilled Focaccia (£10) for His Nibs.
Those of you who insist on having your beef steaks cremated, you might want to skip until the end of this paragraph – you have been warned! Chef had served the pair of breasts beautifully pink and they were still glistening lightly. Gorgeously tender, the flesh had that marvellous gamey flavour that fans of pigeon will appreciate and the swirl of Burnt Apple Purée complemented the meat perfectly. The baked Onion was soft, warm and tantalising in its sweetness, and I loved the herbed butter stuffing: it melted even more in my mouths’ heat. Some welcome texture came via the colourful Cherry and seed granola, making this a truly delightful starter.
The Man Bird was oohing and aahing with contentment as he savoured mouthful after mouthful of the super-smooth, piped Duck Liver Parfait. Rich, intense flavours flooded over His Nibs’ palate lingering nicely and contrasting against the crunchiness of the Olive Oil-drizzled slices of Focaccia. Toasty hints of char exuded from the Smoked Almonds and a hefty dose of exuberance was provided by dots of Pickled Rhubarb Gel. As with my starter, this had been a triumph. With our tummies filling nicely and our taste buds in high-glee, we sat back and waited eagerly to see what Chef and his team had in-store for us next.
I had chosen Southwest Lamb Canon (£32) for my main, sourced from a ‘royal accredited’ supplier down south (hence its name). Obviously, it isn’t local Lamb but, if you can get past that, you’ll be rewarded with some seriously tasty meat. Sliced and served pink, this Lamb was wonderfully juicy and sweet, crooning softly to my palate. As well as being scrummy, my plate was also colourful: the deep verdancy of the Wild Garlic Rosti skipped alongside the dark purple and sunshine yellow of the Heritage Carrots, with the pale hue of the Jerusalem Artichoke Purée bringing a delicate element to the dish. I loved the differing textures in the dish; the Rosti was amazingly crisp on its outer with pillowy shreds of Potato bringing their irresistible nutty, earthy hint to the party. Even the jus was a bit extra, the fragrant note of Thyme coming through superbly, enhancing the Lambs’ sweetness. What a dish!
As is my [mainly] usual habit, I’d ordered some salad on the side. This time it was a classic Caesar one and, if I had a complaint, it would be that I’d like a smidge more of it for £4. However, what there was of it was blooming delicious! Salty Bacon lardons were a beautiful rich pink tone that popped against the bright green tones of the cool, crisp Romaine Lettuce. I do love me some pungent Parmesan, so was very happy to see an abundance of shavings of it in amongst the leaves, and the amount of dressing was absolutely spot-on – there’s nothing worse than a soggy Caesar, is there? Thankfully, you won’t find one at The Merchant’s Yard.
His Nibs has been getting better at eating salad of late, but swerved it on this occasion, saying he had more than enough vegetables with his pie to keep his tummy happy. Ah, yes, the Prime English Heritage Beef and Thornbridge Burton Ale Pie (£24), to give it its full moniker; what to say about this minx than totally stonking! The pastry case on this more-than-generous sized individual pie was proper, bona-fide cold water, fat-rich stuff; you know, the type that your Granny used to make, that quells even the most ardent hunger. Pastry as rich as this needs a robust filling to match it: enter the chunks of tender, flavoursome beef and its partner, the marvellously unctuous ale-laden gravy/sauce. The bold, confident flavours swirled endlessly in His Nibs’ mouth leaving him highly satiated – though if he could, he would’ve eaten it all again: it was that tasty.
Sculptural Romanesco florets, Spring Cabbage, Broccoli and baby Carrots were glossed attractively with butter, and all were cooked perfectly to retain a good bite that showcased their glorious flavours. Pies should always have a Potato with them somewhere, and this time around it was in the guise of hand-cut, triple-cooked morsels that were served in a separate, metal beaker. Spudophiles will be jolly happy at the taste of these beauties; sweet and nutty with that tell-tale hint of earthiness, all bound under golden, crisp outers.
Had we not been at such a remarkable restaurant, I could’ve been tempted to have the British Cheese selection (£12.50) as my third course. I do feel, however, that when you’re at a venue that holds recognised accolades, Chef’s talents aren’t really showcased by Cheese that they [probably] haven’t made, don’t you agree? So, as tantalising as the Walnut, Treacle and Raisin bread sounded (and it does sound ruddy tasty, doesn’t it?!), I swerved this in favour of Rhubarb Cheesecake (£11). Rhubarb always sings to my soul, and the accompanying Apple Crumble, Pickled Limes, and Liquorice Ice Cream had my curiosity on high-alert. The Man opted for the Iced Vanilla Bean Parfait with Chocolate Crumb, Lemon Jelly, Aerated White Chocolate, and Lemon Sorrel (£10).
All our previous dishes had been presented on fantastic crockery of all shapes, sizes, patterns and colours, and it was to be no different with our puddings. Sometimes, words fail me and I can’t convey just how extraordinary a dish is, and this certainly applies to the Rhubarb Cheesecake my senses were about to be mesmerised by. As a preface, I shall just say that this is my most favourite pudding in the world…ever!
The perfect dome of the Cheesecake was crowned with microscopically fine fruit powder and, once this was pierced, underneath lay a delicately creamy hued body whose appearance certainly had me fooled because, blimey-oh-riley, the taste was intensely Rhubarby. This.was.the.bomb! The texture of the Cheesecake was tremendous in its velvetiness and the wild contrast between the creamy and fruity elements was exquisite – props to you, Chef. Two ‘wheels’ of Lime walloped my palate with their pickled handbags, demanding attention like one of Mama Ru’s Queens. A little more subdued in terms of flavour, the Apple Crumble added a lovely injection of texture, and the surprisingly subtle Liquorice Ice cream brought a temperature tempo change. If this pudding was human, you’d be inviting it up for coffee!
Even though my Rhubarb Cheesecake was the outstanding winner of our ‘in-joke’ dish of the evening, His Nibs’ Parfait gamely stood up to be judged. On any other occasion, this would probably have won because it certainly wasn’t shabby in any way, shape or form. The frozen (though not tooth-shatteringly hard!) minx was creamy and delicious, pimped with the warm roundedness of Vanilla Bean, whose flecks were clearly discernible. I think our puddings must’ve been in cahoots to lull us into a false sense of knowing what to expect, because The Mans’ initial impression was that this was going to be a creamy, chocolatey treat, with a hint of citrus at the periphery. Pah! The Lemon Jelly strutted boldly down the flavour catwalk, blowing the palate a kiss as it twirled at the end of the runway a la the VS Angels. Showing a modicum of restraint was the marvellous White Chocolate that had been aerated to enable it to melt on the tongue quicker, releasing its comforting taste in double-jig time.
Both of us sat in our seats a little bit agog at the meal we’d just had the pleasure of consuming, though I think our huge grins conveyed our feelings to the serving team who had taken faultless care of us whilst we’d been dining. Nothing had been too much trouble for the team, and they’d delivered the same exacting standard of service to each and every other table in the restaurant. One final flourish came in the form of the Passionfruit and Chocolate ‘lollipop’ Petit Fours (served in a chocolate dust-filled bowl) that were brought out with our coffees. As with everything else we’d consumed, these were delightful…and surprising in the subtlety of the Passionfruit element.
If ever the DeLorean was needed, this was the night! I could eat this meal over and over and over again and not get bored of it; I am certain that each time would yield a layer of taste that I hadn’t appreciated first-time around. Hot Wings very, very happily given to this incredible Tideswell Restaurant; The Merchant’s Yard, you gave us both a very memorable evening.
To book a table call 01298 872442 or visit www.themerchantsyard.com and hit the ‘book a table’ button. If you fancy exploring the area more, why not book a stay in one of the eight rooms at The Merchant’s Yard? Simply click on the ‘stay’ header and discover some of Derbyshire’s many delights.
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