Baby M
Music and cocktail bar
A small bar on Sadler Gate for music, cocktails and beer, open since 2022.
📍 18 Sadler Gate, Derby DE1 3NH
Our top 10 Derby bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- The Spirit Run
Cocktails made from spirits distilled on site.
Market Hall and the riverside - Baby M
Music and cocktails on Sadler Gate.
Cathedral Quarter and Sadler Gate - The Orange Tree
A long-running cocktail bar off Friar Gate.
Friar Gate - Belong
Tucked away in Old Blacksmith's Yard.
Cathedral Quarter and Sadler Gate - Cosy Club
Cocktails in the old Royal Hotel.
Cathedral Quarter and Sadler Gate - The Distillery
Late nights on Friar Gate.
Friar Gate - Fat Cat
Two floors of cocktails and food.
Friar Gate - The Engine Room
Small plates and cocktails by the river.
Market Hall and the riverside - Sadlers Café and Bar
Day or night on Sadler Gate.
Cathedral Quarter and Sadler Gate - Bar Sixteen
A hotel lounge on St Mary's Gate.
Cathedral Quarter and Sadler Gate
Map of Derby bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars in the Cathedral Quarter
Derby's old centre around the cathedral, Sadler Gate, Iron Gate, Market Place and St Mary's Gate, with independent bars on narrow streets.
Swipe to see all 9 bars →
Cosy Club
Restaurant and cocktail bar
An all-day restaurant and cocktail bar in the old Royal Hotel of 1837 on Victoria Street, with cocktail and alcohol-free masterclasses.
📍 Royal Bldg, Victoria St, Derby DE1 1ES
Sadlers Café and Bar
Café and cocktail bar
A café and bar on Sadler Gate that works for a daytime drink as well as evening cocktails.
📍 47 Sadler Gate, Derby DE1 3NQ
Bar Sixteen
Hotel lounge and cocktail bar
The lounge and cocktail bar at the Cathedral Quarter Hotel on St Mary's Gate.
📍 16 St Mary's Gate, Derby DE1 3JR
Slug & Lettuce
Cocktail bar and restaurant
A busy cocktail bar and restaurant on Iron Gate, popular for bottomless brunch.
📍 11 Iron Gate, Derby DE1 3FJ
Belong
Bar
A bar tucked into Old Blacksmith's Yard off Sadler Gate.
📍 Sadler Gate, Derby DE1 3PD
Ye Olde Dolphin Inne
Historic pub
Derby's oldest pub, dating back to 1530: a maze of rooms and doors, each served by its own mini bar, with a long line of cask ales.
📍 5a Queen Street, Derby
The Old Silk Mill
Real ale pub
One of Visit Derby's picks of the city's best ale houses, in the Cathedral Quarter.
📍 19 Full Street, Derby
The Old Bell Hotel
Historic pub
One of Visit Derby's picks of the city's best ale houses, on Sadler Gate.
📍 51 Sadler Gate, Derby
Bars on and around Friar Gate
A wide Georgian street west of the cathedral and the city's late-night strip.
Swipe to see all 4 bars →
The Orange Tree
Cocktail bar
A long-running cocktail bar on George Street, just off Friar Gate, with its own cocktail menu and music.
📍 5 George St, Derby DE1 1EH
Fat Cat
Cocktail bar and kitchen
A bar and restaurant over two floors on Friar Gate, known for its cocktails and home-cooked food.
📍 9 Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1BU
The Distillery
Restaurant and late-night bar
An independent restaurant and late-night bar on Friar Gate, with cocktails.
📍 3 Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1BU
Mr Grundy's
Brewpub
A brewpub a ten-minute walk up Friar Gate, pouring its own beers alongside guests.
📍 32 to 34 Ashbourne Road, Derby
Bars around the Market Hall and the riverside
The restored Market Hall and the Riverlights development by the Derwent.
Swipe to see all 2 bars →
The Engine Room
Restaurant and cocktail bar
A restaurant and cocktail bar in the Riverlights development, with seasonal small plates, pizza and grills.
📍 Riverlights, Morledge, Derby DE1 2BB
The Spirit Run
Distillery bar
A distillery and bar in the restored Derby Market Hall, with cocktails made from its own spirits, tastings and live music.
📍 Tennant St, Derby DE1 2DB
Bars near the railway station
Two classic real ale pubs a few minutes from Derby station.
Swipe to see all 2 bars →
The Brunswick Inn
Brewpub
A few steps from the station, a former railwaymen's pub restored to its Victorian glory, with Derby's oldest microbrewery on site. Try the house Triple Hop.
📍 1 Railway Terrace, Derby DE1 2RU
Alexandra Hotel
Real ale pub
A real ale pub near the station with Castle Rock Harvest Pale, seven guest beers and traditional cider.
📍 203 Siddals Road, Derby
Bars in Normanton
A short trip south of the centre for a brewpub worth the journey.
The Falstaff
Brewpub
Known locally as the Folly and one of Derby's hidden gems for real ale, with its own 10-barrel brewery on site.
📍 74 Silver Hill Road, Normanton, Derby
Derby cocktail trails
Two routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
The Cathedral Quarter
6 bars · about 10 minutes on foot in total
- 1Bar Sixteen16 St Mary's Gate, Derby DE1 3JR
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 2BelongSadler Gate, Derby DE1 3PD
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3Baby M18 Sadler Gate, Derby DE1 3NH
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 4Sadlers Café and Bar47 Sadler Gate, Derby DE1 3NQ
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 5Slug & Lettuce11 Iron Gate, Derby DE1 3FJ
- 🚶 about 4 min to the next bar
- 6Cosy ClubRoyal Bldg, Victoria St, Derby DE1 1ES
Friar Gate
3 bars · about 2 minutes on foot in total
- 1The Orange Tree5 George St, Derby DE1 1EH
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2Fat Cat9 Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1BU
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3The Distillery3 Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1BU
More Derby bar guides
- Cocktail barsEvery cocktail bar in our Derby guide in one place: speakeasies, hotel bars, award winners
- Fun bars for groupsLively Derby bars for birthdays, hen and stag dos and nights out: The Spirit Run, Baby M,
- Pubs and beer barsThe best pubs in Derby: historic boozers, real ale pubs and craft beer bars.
- Cocktail trailsReady-made Derby cocktail trails on foot, The Cathedral Quarter and Friar Gate, in walking
Know before you go
- 🗓️ Book at the weekendThe smaller bars fill up on Friday and Saturday. Book where you can, or go early.
- 🚶 It's compactThe Cathedral Quarter, Friar Gate and the Market Hall are all within a ten-minute walk of each other.
- 🚆 By trainDerby station is about 15 minutes on foot from the Cathedral Quarter.
- 🆔 Bring IDYou must be 18 to drink and many bars ask for ID if you look under 25.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Derby?
Start with The Spirit Run in the Market Hall, Baby M on Sadler Gate and The Orange Tree on George Street. Cosy Club is the pick for cocktails in a grand old building.
Where are the best areas for cocktails in Derby?
The Cathedral Quarter, especially Sadler Gate and Iron Gate, has the most bars close together. Friar Gate is the late-night strip and the Market Hall and riverside are a short walk south.
Is there a distillery bar in Derby?
Yes. The Spirit Run distils its own spirits in Derby Market Hall and serves cocktails, tastings and live music.
Which Derby bars are open late?
The Distillery and Fat Cat on Friar Gate and The Orange Tree on George Street are the late ones. Hours change, so check before you go.
Where can I get an alcohol-free cocktail in Derby?
Cosy Club runs alcohol-free masterclasses as well as cocktail ones. Most good bars will make you something without alcohol if you ask.
What is the oldest pub in Derby?
Ye Olde Dolphin Inne on Queen Street, dating back to 1530. It is a maze of small rooms, each with its own little bar.
Which Derby pubs brew their own beer?
The Brunswick Inn (Derby's oldest microbrewery), the Falstaff and Mr Grundy's all serve their own beers.
Who wrote this guide
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We love Derby's bars, so we put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Our nearest cocktail festivals to Derby
Want your bar in this guide?
Run a bar in Derby that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.