We came here on a Saturday night as it was recommended by a local. We booked a table by the phone…read moreand arrived at 8pm. The place had a nice buzz and was very nicely presented. We were seated right at the back, between the window overlooking the terrace with outside seating and a dark blue wall. The lighting was also not enough so it was a big difference to the rest of the restaurant. Still, we received good service for a pub, but not good enough if they're going to be priding themselves as a gastro pub. Still, the food is excellent. I'm sorry my pictures don't do it justice. (I had to use flash 'cos it was too dark.) We ordered the soup of the day (potato and leek), the salt and pepper squid to start. The soup got the thumbs up and the squid was fresh but it lacked both salt and pepper, which was no bother when the rings were so easy to eat and the batter so crispy! For mains we had a fish and chips - the fish was a bit too dry for my liking and the chips were under cooked but the mushy peas were good; 10 oz rib eye steak - it was wolfed down in minutes it was cooked to perfection; cajun chicken burger - chicken was tender and nicely flavoured and the sweet potato chips were not soggy at all; pork belly with mustard mash - I felt that this was the winning dish (again, sorry my picture looks crap) the pork had the right amount of fat and the lean parts were tender. When I noticed that crackling was missing, the waiter brought a whole side dish of it and they were GOOD! All crisp and no annoying chew! I was honestly too full to eat dessert but our friends ordered a sticky toffee pudding and a hot chocolate brownie smothered in chocolate sauce. They came piping hot and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Both were generously portioned and were tasty according to my friends. Definitely come and try out their food. Avoid sitting at the very back though!

Very good hearty food (recommend the cheese board!), and a nice selection of beers. Very friendly…read morebar staff who are definitely into, and know about, the food they sell. Very relaxed atmosphere. The night we went in (Weds), it was busy with people eating when we arrived, suddenly totally emptied out and then about 9pm, suddenly filled up with older locals coming in for a drink.

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.

We are regular customers at The Rat because it is such a great place with great food…read more Last night's visit was for my wife's birthday and except for one minor thing it was as good as usual. The Rat is the very definition of an English country pub. Open fires and a cosy atmosphere are exactly what you want from a pub, add in the great food and it is hard to beat. We shared a starter of smoked haddock fritters which was delicious if a little parsimonious for £7. Main courses were superb; slow cooked belly pork and 3 cuts of lamb; delicious, deep savoury flavours that are so hard to accomplish at home. My wife's warm gingerbread dessert wasn't warm which was a disappointment in an otherwise delicious meal.

Love, love, love this place! Have taken four or five different groups of friends or family there…read morefor dinner and Sunday lunch, not one person has come away disappointed or feeling hungry! This is a real gem of a pub, tucked away up the hill just a few miles from Hexham. Have heard this is walkable from Hexham on a nice day but most will need a car - one thing to bear in mind is parking can be a bit limited and a bit of a free-for-all at busiest times, but you should usually get a space somewhere. Alternatively, taking a taxi is a good option, should only cost about £6-£8 from the centre of Hexham itself. First of all, the location and setting is simply stunning. If you park across the road, the views over the Tyne Valley are fantastic. You then go into the pub itself via a lovely garden area with a pergola. Inside is a proper Northumbrian country pub, great traditional decor, roaring fires, with some unusual wall and ceiling decorations (will leave that for you to discover!) Each time we've visited to eat, we've been welcomed by the friendly staff who offer the right level of service, i.e. keeping your table clear, everything in check without being overly attentive. The bar offers a good range of real ales, usually with a local brewery on offer, all of which are very well kept. They have an excellent range of wines and spirits as well, so you could easily go here for a relaxing drink, although the bar area is relatively small. However, if you are here, you really must try the food. Honestly, the Rat Inn has served up some of the best food I've ever eaten, nothing fussy or complicated, just locally sourced ingredients cooked to perfection. What is encouraging is that there are no menus on the tables, instead you'll find the day's menu on a chalkboard, which indicates freshness and illustrates how much they care about what ends up on your plate. In fact, you can find out where the meats and veg have come from as the suppliers are also chalked up on the wall. As the menu changes fairly regularly, it is not really worth recommending any particular dish on here for fear of it not being on next time, but the Sunday roast dinners are superb and the Sticky Toffee Pudding is top notch! Bear in mind you do get hearty Northumbrian-sized portions here, it is difficult to leave here without feeling a tad on the full side... As this place features in the top 50 UK gastropubs, it can get popular and they don't have an abundance of space, which adds to its charm but is also a slight disadvantage - definitely worth booking in advance to avoid missing out. In summary, the Rat Inn really is a wonderful place and one to which I can't wait to have an opportunity to go back soon.

Got introduced to their beverages by the fine folks at Marlowe in SF. Their Victorian Lemonade is a…read moreblend of Carbonated Water Sugar Lemon Juice Concentrate Glucose Syrup Ginger Pear Juice concentrate Cream of Tartar Lemon / Speedwell / Juniper extracts A very interesting blend for a lemonade indeed. The bartender said their might be a slight bit of alcohol (miniscule) due to some fermentation but I didn't detect it. Not that it mattered as it was a refreshing beverage.

This is a brewery that produces a botanically brewed mixer range. They have:…read moreVictorian Lemonade Mandarin & Seville orange jigger Dandelion & Burdock Ginger beer Curiosity cola Calories are around 130 a bottle! They use carbonated spring water. For USA sales USAsales@fentimans.com or http://www.realfoodsdirect.co.uk . The company has started to ship to Japan! Waitrose & Oddbins stock some of their range. Fentimans have sponsored cyclists and hosted special events on the Bluebell railway. They also took part in a Christies charity auction. The Victorian lemonade was runner up in the BBC Goodfood awards. These drinks are worth checking out. It must be noted its an adult drink range.

Wow, what a hidden gem of a restaurant!…read more Well, I say 'hidden' purely because it doesn't have a full window out onto the street so you would be forgiven for missing this place if you weren't looking hard enough. However, venture in and through to the restaurant at the rear of the building (there's a separate bar at the front) and it becomes a big, open eating area. Not sure what the Italian word is for 'tardis' (il tardis?) but that would be a very apt description here. The other reason you can't really say this place is hidden is it was packed out when we visited, admittedly it was a Saturday evening, so people clearly know about this place and how blummin' great it is. We were there in a large party of 16. Had pre-booked, recommend making a reservation at the weekend for sure, and they managed to accommodate us no problem without having to cram our tables in between the other diners. What was also great to see was the range of people having food there, from family groups celebrating a birthday, young couples to us lot. The atmosphere was buzzing! So, onto the food. As we were a large party, we shared out appetisers - olives, different breads, oil and balsamic vinegar - which were freshly prepared and a good amount, then we went straight to mains. The menu has plenty of choice, your stock offerings of pizza, pasta etc. but my eye was drawn to the specials board, as the price for these was no different. Most of our party chose a pizza or pasta, but I opted for the hake fillet (although we did actually think it said 'hare' due to the funky pub font they use on these things...) Very pleased I did as it was simply superb, cooked to perfection and served with a delicious sauce. Side order of chips as well, which were definitely hand cut (see a previous review for a chip-related gripe). Managed to find room for a cheeky ice cream at the end, which was very nice too. Was told by our party organiser that their house red was very good. He was not wrong. The service was impeccable, when in a large party you sometimes have to wait a while until the food comes out, but it didn't take long at all. The waiting staff were superb, attentive and friendly, even when they were all flat out serving all the tables. Overall, on this experience I can't find fault at all. I'll be back, that's guaranteed. Bravo, Vercelli, bravo, la ringrazio per l'ottima serata!

Just popped in here for a quick tea as we were passing . Lovely sausage and chips and the…read moreassistants were very friendly polite.

Greasy and not good cod :( Downstairs is cold and damp…read morethough spotless. Scampi is good but a major let down by the greasy chips

I fancy myself as something of an expert in this kind of food and let me tell you this place is…read moreGOOD. They do not make the mistake of overfilling the place with diners - the only other guests on our night was a teacher night out - and the food just tastes authentic. Well worth a visit "Peter Drake" Hexham Northumberland

My friend and I stopped by Saathi after a long day of exploring Hadrian's wall, as per the…read morerecommendation of a man in a tea cart. We had a bus and then a train to catch later that night, so we ate at around 5:30, when the restaurant first opened. At the front of the restaurant was a full bar, and in the back was the main dining room. We were the only customers there, at that time, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. The waiters were there when you needed them, and the ambiance, a softly lit kind of orange-toned-soft-wall kind of place, was enjoyable. Occasionally people would stop by and get take-away, and the restaurant seemed to readily accommodate this. What really set this place apart was its food. My friend ordered what I would discover was the best daal I've ever had in my entire life. She had it with a plain pilau and a garlic naan, and both were very satisfying. I ordered a lamb curry, which was a perfect mix of spicy and meaty, and it came in a reasonable portion. I also had an incredible nut pilau, which was flavored with saffron and crisped onions and cashews. Delicious delicious delicious. If you're ever in the area, I do recommend stopping by. This restaurant is absolutely worth it.

Absolutely amazing traditional and authentic Thai food. A year has left since last time I was able…read moreto eat something good like this Food was freshly prepared and served in nice serving stove that made our dinner a great time from the very first bite. The way how the table was decorated and the soft music made the rest. Price wise this restaurant is absolutely economic. Highly recommended.

Best chippy by far in Hexham. Always fresh, good quality fish & batter…read more Also now does pizzas.

From the owner: The Sea Chef provides quality food served by a team of friendly, well-trained staff. We offer an…read moreextensive takeaway menu. We also offer an extensive range of other popular dishes.