Sadler Gate is Derby's most appealing street for eating, drinking, and browsing independent shops. It runs for about 200 metres through the old town, flanked by buildings of several centuries that have been adapted into restaurants, bars, boutiques, and galleries. The street is partly pedestrianised and has the feel of a city that has held onto its pre-chain-store character in at least one corner.
The best of Derby's independent restaurants cluster here and on the connecting streets — Friar Gate runs parallel to the west and has a good selection of bars. In the evenings Sadler Gate and the surrounding streets are where the city's social life concentrates, mixing university students with professionals and local families. It is a short walk from the Cathedral to one end of Sadler Gate, and from there to the Market Place and QUAD at the other.