Next to Bolsover Castle, this is a Wetherspoons pub which opened in July 2013. It is an attractive stone building with outside seating and a large L shaped interior. The large bar has a good range of real ales and there is an extensive menu.
The pub is open from 8am for those wanting breakfasts and serves meals from 11am. On a sunny Sunday morning at the end of March it was busy by 11.15.
We were wanting something to eat before visiting Bolsover Castle. I settled on a traditional breakfast. husband went for the soup.
The meal came quickly and was attractively presented on dark blue and white plates with a flower pattern.
The traditional breakfast at £2.99 was very good value with sausage, two rashers of bacon, fried egg, two hash browns, half a tomato and baked beans. It came with a slice of toast but was let down by the pack of butter being put on the bake beans which melted it… Fortunately the liquid butter didn’t go down my front.
The soup came out in a conical bowl which made the helping look bigger than it was. It was served with a slice of poppy seed bloomer. The soup was tomato which was thick and very tasty At £2.50 this wasn’t such good value as the breakfast, but a lot cheaper than the soup in the cafe in Bolsover Castle.
Toilets on the first floor are pleasant and the ladies has a lovely view across to a church.
Wetherspoons provide good cheap food and this one is no exception. There is plenty of choice and it is a nice place to eat. If visiting Bolsover Castle, it is definitely worth considering eating here than in the castle cafe.
There is free parking across the road (the car park by the pub is for castle visitors).
http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-pillar-of-rock
