The Old Bell Hotel on Sadler Gate is one of Derby's great coaching inn survivors, a large timber-framed building that served travellers on the road between London and the north from at least the 17th century. The hotel rooms above have been updated, but the ground-floor bar retains the character of the original structure — a wide, rambling space with exposed beams and alcoves that feel as if they were used for private dealings of various kinds.
Sadler Gate is the most atmospheric street in Derby's old centre, lined with independent shops and restaurants in buildings of various ages and styles. The Old Bell anchors one end of it and makes a good base from which to explore the Cathedral Quarter on foot. The bar serves a mix of local ales and standard spirits; the food is pub standard but reliable.