Monsal Head Hotel & Bar

We just drove through and didn’t stay at the hotel. From the top, you can see the Headstone Viaduct, which is for walking only (no cars). The views from the top are beautiful. It would be even nicer in summer when the trees have leaves — at the moment they are bare 😅 Toilets are available at the Stables Bar, and there is parking for 19 cars.

Really nice in so many ways! Fabulous views and good food, to staff were especially friendly and engaging! Especially the one who said I looked well equipped! Great fun and good humour is always welcoming. Easy parking if you get a free space, but have to pay elsewhere. I enjoyed it and would Go back!

Such a warm welcome on a cold and snowy day. The guy behind the bar was so friendly, he went above and beyond to make everyone feel like you had just walked in to your own local. A great simple menu done very well is just what you want on a winters day. The stable bar is really a special place, a warm fire and a warmer welcome

Used to visit the stable bar & before that had an excellent meal in the restaurant. This was my first stay in the hotel & so disappointing. Paint peeling off the building, window frames rotting & judging by the stains on the ceilings, it needs a new roof. £140 for a night in a small room overlooking the overflowing bins, broken white goods, ladders & skips. Food in the stable bar was lovely but you have to stand with your drink until a table is available. We couldn't understand why the hotel dining room was only used for breakfast when there was ample room in there. Price does not include breakfast, so another £30 on top. Dining hall was freezing & the toast & scrambled eggs very dry. If the fires were lit & some comfy sofas added, the atmosphere would be much netter. Certainly a missed opportunity here. A very disappointing experience & priced way too high. Won't be back & can't recommend in this current state.

This place is beyond excellent. The views are stunning - that’s a given, but the place is also extremely good. It has been transformed (we have been going there for a very long time) and it now has such a warm welcome for all. It has always benefited from its location but now the people running it make it worth visiting even without the view. Just go there and see for yourself!

On a cold damp day popping into the restaurant was a relief, ordered bake potatoes, one with the chilli. It has some heat to it in a nice way. Enjoyed the break. The staff were friendly a real cosy atmosphere. Would recommend.

We visited here after a beautiful walk and unfortunately it took a turn for the worst, we foolishly ordered food. Pack your cheque book and if you want a full stomach don't venture here, diet portions are being nice to this establishment. My food had less flavour than cardboard and the consistency of tree bark. DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ORDERING FOOD!

Called in by chance on the Monday 10th November on our way to Greenhills Caravan Park but being a little early we stopped for lunch. We got a fabulous reception in The Stables service was excellent and the food matched. We will definitely call in again and highly recommend it.

This is a very popular place for tourists and in the summer it gets very crowded, It has a good range of local real ales which are served well. However. The food is terrible. It is overpriced, poor quality and in the case of the burger we had, just disgusting. It seems their strategy is to use the cheapest ingredients and charge top price for them. Everything is served with large amounts of salad to fill the plate up.

I'd jumped over one too many stiles that day and was definitely in need of refreshment and recharging! Whether you've also had a hard day's hiking in the hills, or arts-n-crafts shopping in nearby Bakewell, a drink at the Stables Bar here is a welcome rest stop. It's a classic cosy country pub, on the small side, and we warmed ourselves by the fire enjoying a mix of local ales, gin, wine and a cup of tea among us (separately obviously!). They had a decent enough selection to satisfy the beer connoisseurs of the group, and the service is friendly and welcoming - happy to bring the cuppa over to where we were sitting. I felt nicely satisfied in the glow of the fire, resting my feet and flicking through a book from their collection (most of them about beer!). The views over Monsal Dale and the viaduct outside are enough of a draw on their own - we caught it at sunset that eve, then also came back the next day and took the steep path down the hillside to join the Monsal Trail. The pub looked much more touristy by day, with the outdoor seating packed with folks making good use of the sunshine. I was recharged enough to get back to our cottage anyway, and my tired legs shall be ever grateful :)

Lite bites at the Monsal head: http://manchesterpyromaniacs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/monsal-head.html

The view here is spectacular however I chose to come to this restaurant as the website specified any dietary requirements could be catered for without prior notice including coeliac, vegan etc. Unfortunately this wasn't really the case and the waiter wasn't very understanding. I have a number of chronic health conditions that are severe and disabling and due to taking medications I have developed food intolerances. I can't eat added sugar or wheat and also have to avoid meat. The only vegetarian option was a gnocci containing both cheese and wheat so I'm unsure how they would cater to vegans as claimed on their website. The only roast dinner option was lamb, which they'd run out of at 4.30pm. They were unable to adjust any of the mains (such as removing the Henderson's sauce from the fish as it's already pre added apparently). Again this is in contrast to the websites claim that dietary requirements can be catered for as everything is prepared from fresh. The waiter rudely asked if I knew what Henderson's was and seem bemused that I couldn't eat added sugar remarking that all food has sugar in it... And that it must be a nightmare eating out. Unfortunately it only is when people make comments that make you feel like a burden. I ended up eating the most expensive item on the menu which still contained meat and a jus that most likely had added sugar such as balsamic viniger but I was assured did not without even having checked wut the chef. I have not had any problems in any other restaurants I've been to over the weekend so was very disappointed that this one did not live up to its very specific claims.

The Stable Bar is very oldy worldy , very good range of real ale and well its a lovely scenic lovation .

We were walking in the Peak District and chose to stay at the Monsal Head as we've enjoyed many a meal and drink in the Stables bar before and love the location. It was excellent! Cosy in the winter and lovely outdoor seating with spectacular views for the nice weather. We had a beer in the Stables at the end of our day's walking and then went to our room to shower and change for the evening. The room was spacious and recently refurbished with a wonderful walk-in shower. The combination of modern design within an old, characterful building is very well done. The staff were all friendly and helpful and there is a busy, ongoing programme to redecorate all the rooms. We ate in the Stables bar, tasty food and generous portions. Good choice including a chef's special. Breakfast in the main hotel was equally good and set us up for another day's walking. We live in the Peak District and would definitely go back to stay again.

Unpretentious hikers' pub and hotel serving tasty, filling food, real ales and a good range of wines with fantastic views over Monsal Dale - as The Good Pub Guide notes, it is worth coming here for the views alone.

Lovely hotel and bar just at the top of Monsal Vale in the Peak District. We had a wonderful lunch in the large beer garden outside the pub - slightly above standard pub grub - the steak melt is very fine indeed :) Good real ales in the bar too - very highly recommended

Very nice location, with potentially the best view in Derbyshire. Service here is always prompt, with a nice selection of ales and an excellent menu, which verges on the pricey side but justifies it with the quality of the food. Specialities include The Monsal Wellington at £14.95 or the very good steak melt - a cheaper option - at £8.70

Called in for a well earned pint after a days hiking in the rain with my girl! Nice bar with real ale and a very nice menu too. Walkers made to feel welcome, a nice large beer garden just outside, with great views. Well worth dropping in.