Every adventure begins with a doorway. Some just happen to lead into another era.
The Charleston is a Bar and Restaurant in Bakewell with the soul of the 1920s and the heart of Derbyshire.
A grand old building quietly watches over Bakewell. Push open its historic doors and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into the roaring 1920s. A time of jazz drifting from the piano, dazzling cocktails and rooms dressed in velvet and rich jewel colours. This is a place where the modern world gently fades away leaving you immersed in the glamour, mystery and magic of a bygone age.
After the hardship and loss of the First World War, people thirsted for the new, the glamorous and the opulence of luxury. The Roaring Twenties arrived with a spirit of optimism, rebellion and dazzling extravagance, embracing beauty with open arms. Rich emerald greens, ruby reds, sapphire blues and gleaming gold transformed rooms into masterpieces, while plush velvet seating invited revelers to linger long into the night. Jazz wasn’t just music; it was a rebellion against all that had come before. Glittering beaded dresses caught the light, long strands of pearls danced with every step, and for one dazzling decade, glamour became a way of life.
Before the first cocktail even arrives, The Charleston begins to weave its spell. The rooms feel like they have stirred from a long slumber, with every detail working together to bring the magic of the past back to life. Colours glow, large palms sway gently in golden pots and the scent of fresh flowers hangs in the air, as though the room itself has taken a breath after decades of silence. Every detail whispers stories of the past and before long, you find yourself sitting back, taking it all in.
Every wall feels entirely different. One blooms into a wild rose garden in bold pink, while another is adorned with delicate shell-like patterns in soft sage green. The chandeliers reveal something special about Charleston. Rather than matching perfectly, each one tells its own story. A dramatic baby pink glass chandelier tumbles from the high ceiling like a magical waterfall, others cradle glowing orbs of warm light, while another unfurls delicate pink glass flowers that seem to bloom into the room.
The romance continues wherever you look. A magnificent dark wood bar curves across the space, crowned by hundreds of suspended glasses that catch the light like tiny stars. Shelves are filled with curious treasures: golden cats, gleaming pineapples and lush ferns spilling from gold pots. Towering palms reach towards the ceiling, their leaves gently swaying above rich velvet chairs in shades of blush pink and gold. Pink orchids cascade wildly over a shiny black piano, adding a flourish of colour to a room where nature has found its way into every corner.
It is the kind of room where you simply sit there for a moment, surrounded by colour, light and beauty, feeling as though the magic is all around you.
Every great Jazz Age story seems to begin the same way: hot piano, cold gin and the promise that the night might lead somewhere unexpected.
It seems strange that one of the greatest cocktail eras was born because alcohol was banned across the pond. When America banned alcohol, bartenders became masters of invention, developing ingenious recipes to disguise the harsh taste of bootlegged spirits. By the time the 1920s were in full swing, cocktails had become symbols of creativity, rebellion and celebration.
The cocktails themselves become part of the story at the Charleston. Many cocktails on the menu would have been familiar during the 1920s. Sipping them feels like another small detail that helps blur the line between past and present, adding one more layer to the remarkable sense of stepping into another era.
French 75
A shimmering golden French 75 feels completely at home beneath the glow of chandeliers. Created around the time of the First World War and appearing in cocktail books by 1922, it was already earning its place in the golden age of cocktails. Made with gin, fresh lemon, sugar and topped with champagne, it begins with bright citrus before the bubbles deliver the sharp, lively finish that inspired its name. The French 75 was named after a french battlefield gun as this drink was said to hit with a fierce kick.
Smoked Old Fashioned
Often described as the original cocktail, the Old Fashioned was already a firm favourite by the 1920s. There is a piece of Derbyshire magic in this cocktail. The whisky is made by White Peak Distillery in nearby Ambergate, bringing a local element into a cocktail that has travelled through generations. Rich amber in colour, smooth and warming, it is served beneath a glass dome filled with smoke. Watching the glass dome lift away feels like the opening scene of a performance, the drifting smoke adding a touch of theatre before the first sip.
Grasshopper
The Grasshopper cocktail feels as though it has wandered in from another time. Its vibrant mint green colour, glamorous appearance and fresh peppermint aroma give it an almost jewel-like quality. First created in New Orleans in 1918, it was designed as a dessert cocktail, combining crème de menthe, crème de cacao and cream into a rich and velvety creation. There is something achingly glamorous about it — a cocktail that feels perfectly at home in another era.
Zero-Proof Sour
Even this mocktail quietly nods to cocktail history. Sours are among the oldest styles of cocktail, their origins tracing back to sailors who mixed citrus with their daily spirits to help prevent scurvy on long sea voyages. This alcohol-free interpretation combines Everleaf Marine with lemon and sugar, creating a drink that is bright, crisp and refreshing.
The Charleston may transport you to the glamour of the 1920s, but its heart remains firmly rooted in the local landscape. The kitchen weaves Derbyshire and Yorkshire magic into the experience, choosing local producers whose craftsmanship becomes part of the story.
That sense of place appears in the smallest details. The Charleston’s homemade Bakewell Tart pays tribute to Bakewell’s most famous creation, pairing layers of raspberry jam, almond frangipane and crisp pastry with crème anglaise and raspberry sorbet. The Bakewell Belle cocktail combines vanilla vodka, Disaronno, lemon, almond, cherry and shortbread into a cocktail that feels both familiar and original.
The ice cream is created at Bluebell Dairy in Derby, where luxury artisan ice cream is made on the farm using milk from their own special herd of just 15 cows. From cows grazing in the Derbyshire countryside to the finished creation served at The Charleston, every scoop carries a little piece of the landscape with it.
A special place deserves a special coffee blend. Created especially for The Charleston by Roastology, the coffee begins its journey in Sheffield, where the beans are carefully roasted before becoming the restaurant’s own signature blend. In every mug is a blend made with care and originality, a thoughtful detail that makes each coffee feel like part of the experience.
The final touch of magic is the music. Each evening, the sound of the piano rises from downstairs and drifts softly through the building, weaving its way into every conversation, every cocktail and every quiet moment. It is this gentle soundtrack that transforms an already beautiful setting into an experience that lingers long after you leave.
Long after the final notes of the piano have faded, it is the feeling that stays with you. The Charleston captures the glamour of the 1920s without ever losing sight of where it belongs. Its cocktails offer a tactile link to another era, its music breathes life into every room, and its celebration of local makers gives the experience a distinctly Derbyshire heart. Together they create something far greater than a restaurant visit, they create a place you remember.
The Charleston’s website is as wonderful as you would expect and you can find all the details there that you need to plan your visit.
Until your next adventure,
All my love,
Magical Derbyshire
