[AD – PR invite] Spire View is the accommodation at The Galleon Steakhouse in Chesterfield town centre. We were invited by the Chef Owner, Matt to stay overnight in exchange for this review. Spire View consists of just four rooms, all spacious with super king beds and private bathrooms.
Despite being quite regular takeaway customers of The Galleon Steakhouse, particularly over lockdown, my husband and I have only dined inside the restaurant a handful of times.
It was the first place we brought friends to when we were brand new to the area since it was one of the few places in Chesterfield at the time where you could book online. Incidentally, we recall being told that we were actually the very first online booking they had ever received. It was also the first night out we had as a couple after our daughter was born.
Then life and covid got in the way and we slipped out of the habit of going to The Galleon and instead it became a regular feature of our lockdown takeaways. So it felt quite serendipitous when the owner Matt got in touch to invite us to review their accommodation, Spire View.
We do actually live in Chesterfield so on one hand it’s really bizarre to spend a night somewhere so close to home but you can’t properly review what you haven’t experienced… After a long week and what can only be described as the sensory overload of a primary school Halloween disco I was more than ready for some R&R.
We were warmly welcomed to Spire View by James who showed us to our room (Haddon) which was spacious and spotlessly clean. In addition to a huge super king sized bed there were two armchairs set around a coffee table, a dressing table and wardrobe. The bathroom was huge and I enjoyed a reviving shower, then a little chill out before wandering downstairs to dinner.
Dinner at The Galleon Steakhouse, Chesterfield
We kicked off proceedings with an aperitif and chat with Chef Owner, Matt who worked under Gordon Ramsey for 10 years before returning to Chesterfield to set up his own restaurant.
To start I opted for the house pâté (chicken liver) which was served with caramelised onions and toast whilst my husband ordered the delightfully crispy tempura chicken with sweet chilli.
I’d forgotten that the little crostini style toasts that accompany the pâté are quite oily. If I’d remembered I would have asked for them to be toasted without any oil but aside from that I enjoyed this immensely. Both starters were generously portioned, very well presented (a theme that continued through the evening) and accompanied by really generous servings of fresh salad.
My other tried and tested favourites are the deep fried Brie with port and cranberry sauce and the Stilton and caramelised red onion garlic flatbread (it’s huge – probably more of a sharing side).
When in Rome and all that… we both ordered steak. My husband went for a sirloin with garlic butter whilst I opted for a 6oz fillet with pepper sauce. At this point I can only apologise to the ardent meat lovers – I know you all want to see a great hunk of rare meat.
The accompaniments ticked all the boxes. A generous portion of hand cut chips (or you can choose from a range of other sides), a perfectly crispy onion ring, a slice of beautifully sweet tomato in a fragrant basil dressing and a cute little saucepan of peppery sauce (sauces are charged extra). I found the fillet steak a little tough and next time I would probably opt for a sirloin (hubby was delighted with his, and he is far more the steak connoisseur than me) or one of the new hanging kebabs.
Vegetarian options include a halloumi option on the kebab and a tasty beetroot and brie tart (which I’ve had before and enjoyed) – and there’s also various other pasta, fish and other meat dishes if you aren’t in the mood for steak.
There were some wine specials on offer – a litre carafe of either Pinot Grigio, Merlot or a Rosé for £16.95. Normally we’d have been tempted by such excellent value– but I really fancied a glass of fizz and then a spicier red to accompany the steak.
We pushed the boat out and ordered a bottle of the Malbec Reserve as we were celebrating some good news and it’s rare these days that we are both in the mood for a drink and both not driving.
I can’t not order creme brûlée if it’s on the menu and The Galleon’s was a fabulous version. A good consistency of creamy vanilla custard topped with a crisp layer of burnt sugar – but the star of the show were the deliciously crumbly homemade shortbread biscuits and the delightful bursts of flavour from the sprinkling of raspberries that had garnished the plate. Husband ordered the chocolate wreck which was “very chocolatey”.
By the time we’d had coffee we were the last ones in the restaurant (as usual!) so I had a little nose around, particularly at this lovely artwork by local artist, Kim Arthur. Both James and the female waitress gave us wonderful service throughout the evening.
Spire View stay
We then stumbled back upstairs – fully appreciative of not having to venture out in the rain! Our bed was huge and very, very comfy.
The quirk of the accommodation is that there aren’t any tea or coffee facilities in your room and instead there’s a communal landing area with a coffee pod machine, kettle etc. This is also where breakfast is laid out in the morning. There was a good selection of continental items (with cold items left in the fridge). We were both back at work the next day so this worked perfectly fine for us on this occasion.
If you were wanting to make more of an occasion for breakfast, there is a Wetherspoons less than a minute away (The Spa Lane Vaults) and loads of lovely independents dotted throughout Chesterfield. I’d particularly recommend Bottle and Thyme which you could walk to in about five minutes – or read my other suggestions for breakfast here.
Checking out was incredibly easy – the room bill is settled on arrival, and dinner paid for at the table so you just drop your keys in a post box and leave via external steps straight to the car park.
Overall we had a fantastic night. If you are looking for great value accommodation in Chesterfield town centre, this knocks the socks off the budget chain hotel options particularly in terms of a friendlier, more personable experience. You’re also supporting an independent, local business.
Go for:
Excellent value accommodation above a reliably great, traditional steakhouse.
Details:
Spire View at The Galleon Steakhouse, 48 St Mary’s Gate, Chesterfield, S41 7TH, Telephone 01246 559065.
Our super king sized room would have been £90 including the free buffet breakfast.
Book a table in the restaurant or click here to book accommodation.
No pets. Cots/child beds can be booked at a supplement (see their website for full details) – just be aware the bedrooms are accessed by steep steps.
Small car park for guests of Spire View (and if this is full there is overnight street parking plus two public car parks very close by). Well served by public transport – walking distance to both Chesterfield train station and bus station.
