The Standing Order occupies a huge palazzo-style building constructed in the 1880s. It was built as a branch of the Crompton & Evans Union Bank, later occupied by NatWest from 1970 until it closed in 1993 before its transformation into the pub as it stands today.
It should come as no surprise to find that this building is a grade II listed building, a wonderful example of the palazzo-style architecture popularised by banks of the late 19th century which stands tall and symmetrical on one of Derby city centre’s main streets. The ground floor masonry is fairly simple and elegant, in contrast to the top floor which is decorated with an elaborate frieze and cornice and the pilastered windows evenly spaced across the second and third floor brickwork.
The pub underwent a magnificent £1.7m refurbishment in 2022. Tall marble pillars welcome you into the main bar area which hosts a large central bar under a high, elaborate ceiling bordered by curved skylights. The interior continues its Italian-inspired design with decorative pilasters and moulding drawing attention to the large sculptures and portraits hanging above.
Lots of tables and large, spacious booths are available, with fresh furnishings throughout the pub.
Off to the side is an extention into the newly-acquired neighbouring building, elegantly decorated and offering a quieter and more private seating area.
To the rear is the huge and newly-built beer garden, with a number of covered pergolas and plenty of outside seating.
The toilets are large and elegantly decorated, with plenty of natural light provided by the tall sash windows. The low ceiling is a tad strange and takes away from the otherwise quite luxurious toilets, but this is presumably a limitation of the historic building.
Ratings (out of 5)
We both rate the pub based on three criteria; the building, the interior and the toilets. These scores are averaged out to give the pub its overall rating. You can read more about the rating system here.
Building: 4.0 & 4.0
Interior: 5.0 & 5.0
Toilets: 3.5 & 4.0
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