The Black Swan, 44 Market Place, Belper, Derbyshire, DE1 1FZ.

I believe that Belper is a town going somewhere. An award winning independent cinema, where you can have a bottle of wine whilst watching a movie, an Aladdin's Cave of a deli, a well attended farmers market and several new eateries including the recently re-furbished Black Swan in the Market Place, not to be confused with the Black Swan at Idridgehay (which is also near Belper).

It's a Tuesday,

We don't want to cook,

We don't want to go far,

We want "decent midweek grub!". Let's go........

There are three concepts on the go here: formal dinning downstairs, pub food in the bar or wait for it..... tapas in the bar too! We gotta try that.

Not just Spanish dishes on offer here (in fact most aren't Spanish) but various plates of noshable goodies and morsels from around the globe. We asked for some marinated olives (£2.00) to soak up our two pints of Carling, the other half wasn't keep on the strong cumin flavour, not what I would have expected either, but for two quid, who's complaining.

To share we chose a portion of kofte kebab (£3.50), regular nachos (£3.95), spicy potatoes (£3.00) and hallouimi with sweet chilli sauce (£3.50). If you look at that again, we've got middle east (kebabs), Mexico (nachos), Turkish/Greek (halloumi), far east (sweet chilli sauce) and the spicy potatoes can be anywhere you bloody want them to be!

The kebabs were three lamb skewers served with a chunky glass of tzatziki, they got polished off immediately. The unusual mix off halloumi with sweet chilli sauce actually worked quite well. Thick slices of deep fried "sweeky" halloumi with a glass of sweet chilli sauce, again all gone. The spicy potatoes weren't saying much and the landlord agreed with me when he collected the plates. Why serve it then ???!!!! However the large bowl of nachos we shared was top drawer. No tortilla chips or Doritos here (honestly I've had cheesy Doritos in a nachos before!) but proper large flour tortillas, deep fried and served with a generous blob of salsa, sour cream and guacamole. I'd have that again ( and I did the next day, but regretably we were told they'd ran out of guacamole, how frustrating).

It was fair to middle and I'd have another go some time, however I'd like to hear from any one that's been to their restaurant. Considering it was just over twenty smackers including a couple of pints, it was a bargain.

Food 5.5/10

Service 6/10

Venue 5/10

Tel: 01773 823000

"Let's wait for the blackout, The light is too bright, Let's wait for the blackout, Wait for the night" (Wait for the Blackout, The Damned, 1982)

Nico's diner, Brick Street, Derby

"Why don't you get your own washing machine" said one of the guys in the pub? "Because I live in an apartment and I don't want to hear it, when I'm watching TV". "Well then put it on a timer, to come on during the night!" he quickly replied. OK, so he's right, but nearly 2 years down the line, and I still take the washing to my beautiful laundrette. In that time I've been intrigued with Nico's diner, oppposite the laundrette and squeezed between the bookies and wine-off.
Going away tomorrow, no food in the fridge, so dash round with the missus. "No matter how many are in, or what you think, we're goin in!" I tell her. There were only two other tables occupied, but it's compact, cosy interior meant it still felt good. I think there are probably only ten tables at the most anyway. We dived straight in with a bowl of cheese nachos to share, it was only a couple of quid, but Tangy Cheese Doritos, not nachos, let it down a bit. Seafood tagliatelle for me (you can choose your pasta type, nice touch), medium black pepper sirloin for Bec. My large bowl of seafood pasta was good enough, creamy & garlicky. Bec's knife glided through her generous piece of meat, fresh salad garnish, but the Everest size mound of curly fries let it down. Far too many and more appropriate for your kids 10th birthday party! It would be better with a more manageable portion of chunky chips.
It wasn't long before yours truly was chatting to the guy on the table next to us, an eccentric retired gold dealer called Buzz, He and his partner have eaten there every night for 2 years !! (apart from Sundays) By all accounts given a days notice Nico will cook you anything you want. Aparently he does a very good mixed grill and sausage & mash, his speciality is mashed potato, made by baking spuds, then scooping out the middle and mixing in copious amounts of butter. Well for £28 smackers for the 2 of us, including drinks, it was fair game. Next time we'll probably drop the nachos, so I reckon you can both have a good plate full, with a cold beer for just over £20, as much as you'd want to pay in the week. Worth a look, and please say hello to Buzz from me. Oh, and one last thing, Nico's bistro, would certainly sound better than Nico's diner. Go for it !
Food 6/10
Service 6/10
Venue 5/10
Tel: 01332 208220

"You spurn my natural emotions" (Ever fallen in love, The Buzzcocks, 1979)
Martin, Tuesday 16th January 2007