The Standing Order - JD Wetherspoon

You can't miss the imposing facade on Iron Gate – this former NatWest bank has been transformed into one of Derby's most characterful Wetherspoons. The soaring ceilings, original banking hall features and ornate period details make it feel properly grand, even if you're just nursing a pint of Ruddles for under three quid. The usual Spoons menu does the job brilliantly here – decent fish and chips, curry club on Thursdays, and breakfast served until noon for those rough mornings in the Cathedral Quarter. It gets properly busy with office workers at lunch and pre-theatre crowds heading to the Guildhall, but there's enough space in those high-ceilinged rooms that it never feels cramped. The beer garden out back is a sun trap when Derby's weather actually cooperates.