I have visited Cafe Lilli twice now, the first time for an evening meal with my husband and the…read moresecond for lunch with a large group of female friends. When my husband and I had dinner there I thought that my meal of pasta in a pesto and pice nut sauce was absolutely delicious, although to be fair the portion size wasn't quite big enough for me! My husband was not impressed with his meal at all; he had pasta in a salmon sauce and he didn't like it! He's not a big fish man really but in his opinion this seemed to be the least fussy meal on the menu! I've always tried to persuade him to return but he always finds an escuse! The second time I visited I had the same meal again, which was again delicious, and just the right size for a lunch. I followed this up with a delicious pudding of pannacotta which was one of the nicest I've had anywhere. I would really recommend Cafe Lilli myself; I thought that the menu was reasonably priced, the service was great and the wine list extensive.

I have eaten here a few times and always here people saying how good it is. Yes it is good for…read moreNorton however the menu is small and hardly ever changes, it is also quite expensive for the North East, the prices are more based on Yarm than Norton. There are normally about 5 starters and 6 main courses to choose from. I don't really know anywhere better in the North East but that is not saying much.

My first thought towards this dining experience over a week ago was I wouldn't even wade into the…read moreenthusiastic mostly 5-star rating of a French styled restaurant in a fairly small town in Northern rural England. Just let it go. So here's what is bothering me, and I have strong feelings about this: the beef bourguignon. It's not rocket science to make this dish, and its base is a rich, savory beef broth mingled with things like onions, carrots, shallots, herbs like thyme and rosemary and possibly other spices to the chef's liking. Happen to know a bit about the dish because I've been making it for years. It's all about the broth to this diner. And to be fair, I once had a sadder version of the dish in Paris long ago. So how hard is it to make? Well, apparently the chefs in pubs and similar dining spots along the way are able to craft outstanding versions of their steak and ale pie that are simply outstanding in their robust beef taste. If those chefs can make that dish so well, so savory, why can't something similar be applied to beef bourguignon? I maintain the broth in starting the cooking process was simply not up to par. Lacking in richness, the beef was over-dried, suggesting it had been sitting too long or just wasn't prepared correctly. Instead of baby potatoes, a side of mashed potatoes sat off to the side of the beef and broth. Sorely lacking in the amount of butter needed and low on salt, it was an unpleasant and uninspiring addition that added nothing to the dish. The salad that proceeded the meal was listed as shrimp and mango. Out came baby shrimp with the rubbery taste of just thawed, mixed with mango, then a massive amount of Thousand Island like dressing drenching it all with a few chives atop. Not a great effort. Kudos for offering a true French Malbec from the Southwest corner of the country, the black wine, but this one was pedestrian and was served in the kind of wine glass that screams cheapest serving ware possible with its thick rim around the top. I can commend the staff which was professional and on top of it on a busy Friday night. Beyond that, this is a pass for me. Should have stuck to a local pub serving traditional countryside pies as the ones I've had along the Coast to Coast walk, my reason for being here, have all been outstanding.

Thanks to Emily B's brilliant local knowledge we ended up here early-ish on a Saturday night to…read morebenefit from their pre-1830 set menu which at £15 for 2 courses and £18 for 3 is great value for the quality of the food. I had a nice crab cake to start and only had slight food envy of my bf's delicious deep fried brie (yeah would def get that next time). For mains I had a fantastic rich and beautiful cooked duck leg and then a classic creme brulee to finish. Bf had the beef bourguignon which he loved and was still commenting on days later. On the sides front I would recommend the creamed leeks and green beans (in garlic butter), only thing I wasn't so keen on was the ratatouille. Service was very good and I love the design of the restaurant which involves a fake outdoor pavement seating area!

Very popular spot so we suggest to book a table before going. We have seen people being turned away…read morebecause there's no availability. Menu was great and I definitely recommended their mussels. They have a starter portion and a main portion, tbh it doesn't make a massive difference. If you want to try a few more things, get it as a starter and get something else for main. We are rather disappointed in the duck leg because the flavor was so uneven - some bites are great, some are too spiced.

I adore French food and when I saw there was a French restaurant in York that had good reviews and…read morefairly reasonable prices, I made a reservation for our first of four nights in town. We were seated quickly and had a nice table on the main floor. Our drink orders were taken post haste, a bottle of Les Vignerons - Carignan Syrah (£25.15) and a pineapple juice (£2.25), and delivered equally as fast. The male server arrived with an open bottle and started pouring, chug-a-lug-a-lug, no tasting, just sloppily emptying the bottle into my glass. It was tremendously unimpressive. Great start! We both ordered the three-course Set Menu (£25.95). For our entrees, I had the Moules Marinieres à la Creme (mussels in a wine, garlic, herb, and cream sauce) and my wife the Champignons a L'Ail (mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce). My mussels were plentiful for a starter and fresh, but I could barely taste the wine, garlic, or cream. The sauce was watery. My wife's mushrooms were very tasty. On to Les Plats Principaux ... Mine was the Steak Frites with Mushroom Sauce and my wife's the Tarte aux Champignons et Pont L'Eveque (mushroom tart with leeks and Pont L'Eveque cheese). My steak was tiny, four to five ounces max, and half of it was gristle, so I was able to swallow maybe three ounces of it. I told the server that the first bite was very tough, but I never saw her again until I had chewed and spat out half of the steak. The fries were hot and tasty and the mushroom sauce was good, but what a huge disappointment. My spouse enjoyed her tart, but I thought it was rather bland. For dessert, I asked for the Sèlection de Fromages Francais (French cheese board) and my lovely bride the Crème Brûlèe. My cheeses were very good, with three varieties and coming with a bit of lettuce and a few grapes as well as a small baguette. I left just enough wine in the bottle to savor one of my favorite things in life - cheese, bread, and wine. My wife's crème brûlèe was massive, the biggest I had ever seen, so she hit a triple while I had just s single - she hit 1.000 for the night while I hit a mere .333. Our server, Didi, was very sweet and felt terrible because I had not enjoyed my meal, so she offered to discount my meal. However, my journalistic integrity would not allow me to accept remuneration for my meal and we paid full fare - £91+ including tip. A couple of small things spoiled this meal and both were completely avoidable. A little more wine, garlic, and cream, a minuscule cost for the restaurant, would have brought the mussels to a five-star level. As far as the tiny, cheap cut of meat I received, I had no problem with the size had it been tender because bigger is not always better, just ask my friend's wife. Quality control in the kitchen was obviously lacking, hence my rating ... CombatCritic Gives Rustique 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

In my opinion one of the finest french restaurant in the north.Taking inspiration from some of…read moregreat dishes of La Gavroche. Had a fantastic evening in November 2011, the team provided the perfect festive lunch, the monkfish thermidor was fantastic. Strongly recommend potted shrimp starter. If you enjoy great French food, then Chez La Vie could not be recommended more highly. The wines available on the wine list are truly fantastic from the house wines to the finest red & white wines, there is something for every budget.

Pleasantly surprised. Fine dining in a little town. French food in an English Village…read more Charming inside. When we made the reservation we asked what the dress code was, no mandatory dress code, we dressed up (cocktail/wedding like attire) anyways & glad we did. Everyone was in at least a button up shirt and slacks, some had coats. The atmosphere was classy. We weren't sure if we needed to make a reservation but glad we did, it was a busy Saturday night. The food portions were filling. The food was delicious. Also ordered the Duck Fat Chips, a glass of white wine recommended with the meal, and Escargot (forgot to take pics of these). The escargot was amazing. The food was appetizing to the sight. It was evident much heart went into each dish. The staff was polite and attentive. The price was reasonable for the quality and portion. Will definitely be going back because there are many more items on the menu I'd like to try. Do recommend.

Holy cow! Call me impressed…read more On our way to Edinburgh we stopped to find a place to have dinner. Although out of the way, this restaurant in Hexham is a hidden gem. An unassuming building from the outside leads to a softly decorated dining room with French prints and neutral tones that leads to a calming dining experience. My appetizer was one of the best chicken liver parfaits I've had in a long time. Perfect baguettes accompanied the pate which also came with cornichons and white onions. Cheese soufflé was light and airy with a hint of saltiness to add effect to the overall taste. The mains of duck confit and lamb rounded out the full eating experience. My only one criticism is that the duck was a little bit dry as the dish became cooler. Lamb entree was fabulous though!!! Such an amazing little restaurant that just went through a new renovation to the dining room that just makes the whole experience a must try for anyone who enjoys French cuisine.

Came here for my gf's birthday dinner. Here are the highs and lows…read more - the broths they used were amazing - the macaron with blood pudding was genius - the tartar was very good - service was very knowledgeable about wine - the bread was truly perfect and the brown butter was perfection - the chef who served the butter poached scallop dropped it in the rock salt and it became too salty - the oyster had a large amount of the crushed ice one the oyster itself. Should have been served in the side. - the braised rabbit was too salty and was a bit too mushy. Awesome to see a group of young chefs pushing boundaries with food. I think once the can reign in some of the concepts, this place could be great.? Def worth going to.

Feeling adventurous? If so, then Le Cochon Aveugle is for you. They offer a set menu that consists…read moreof either 6 or 9 courses that is decided for you. The 6 course meal is 50 GBP and the 9 is 70 GBP.

Olivers coffee shop is directly in front of us in the Grainger market. Its a lively nice place for…read morethe famous ' big breakfast' cooked to order and localy sourced goods. We supply them with our French oven quiches & freshly baked scones... always busy and real Lattes are a winner !

My husband and I came here for a rare date night, and I'm so glad we did. We were well-taken care…read moreof from our arrival, with bartenders thoughtfully explaining the drinks menu, and an extremely polite and attentive server of a caliber that you rarely find. The wine is thoughtfully chosen, and appropriately pricier than wine you'd find in most bars and restaurants, but I really enjoyed my Cotes du Rhone. I would highly recommend starting with charcuterie - we shared a small platter with bread, and they gave us a little bit of everything! Excellent cheeses, great chicken liver pate, a savory terrine, and plenty more. We then shared many small plates - how nice that instead of ordering one big heavy meal, you can try so many things here. Our aubergine and goats cheese salad was good, but heavy - came with a massive slab of goat cheese which after our starter felt a bit unnecessary. The boeuf bourgignon was excellent - hearty and comforting and highly recommended. I was marginally less impressed with the fish dishes - both the monkfish skewers with chorizo and the battered cod were perfectly serviceable, but didn't wow me. The creme brulee was a lovely, if small, finish. Perhaps I'm being picky, but I think they are capable of more. I'm still giving it 4 stars based on beef stew, charcuterie, service, atmosphere, and absolutely overflowing potential and charm in spades. I'm sure we'll return.