Stopped by this pub for a pint & bag of crisps a year ago and it looked pretty nice. This year…read morepassing again, decided to have a tea time meal. Not very busy, quality standard pub fayre. Staff very helpful & attentive. Not priced to badly for a lovely setting. Would recommend & if passing again would return. Nice size car park to rear.

The Coach Inn looks like someone has taken it off the front of a chocolate box and popped it down…read morein the equally charming village of Lesbury. It is so pretty in the summer when it is adorned with flowers that you just can't help but want to stop off there as you're passing through :-) Inside it is rather more modern than you might expect and quite smart for a pub. There is a bar area, and a room off to the side with leather chairs and sofas and a TV. At the other end of the pub there is an extensive dining area and the pub does seem heavily geared towards dining. We had just popped in for a beer and there was Black Sheep and Old Speckled Hen on both of which were very pleasant. The staff were welcoming and friendly and we spent a relaxing and very enjoyable hour there.

Chraming cosy pub in Ellington Village in Northumberland. Near to cresswell beach & druridge bay,…read moreyou can easily stop off here if you are on your way up the coast to amble, or coming back down from that way. Very easy to find and such a nice place. Lovely friendly atmosphere, we got a warm welcome when we arrived. They do a good range of food served Mon-Sat 12pm -8pm and Sunday Lunch 12pm - 3pm. I have not tried a Sunday lunch yet but have been midweek when the food was lovely, generous portions! I thought the cost of the main meals were very good and were what I expect from a local pub. Talking to the lady behind the bar she informed us that they have just added some B&B accommodation, this will come in handy for relatives visiting us from Yorkshire, a bit different from the usual premier inn. The pub itself has a very nice lounge, very relaxing with fireplace. There is plenty of seating in the restaurant and this has a warm atmosphere. There is a separate bar area which also has a nice feel to it. I will come back here again, and although I do not live in Ellington, i wish this was my local! Plenty of parking outside the pub. Fantastic pub grub with a good atmosphere and pleasant surroundings, I'll be back!

Had a great time at this pub with a booked group of 16 people. Nothing was too much trouble for…read moreKatrina the owner, and her fab staff. One of the group cheekily added her request to the already comprehensive menu,........ and got it, Katrina actually going out to obtain her request. Stunning!! Can't speak too highly of the food, some fussy eaters were really blown away by the quality of the food. The Inn itself, is lovely and comfortable, with great atmosphere. Thanks for making the meal special x

Lovely Lakeland pub. Dog friendly. Great fish & chips (weird mushy peas!!!)read more

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.

After spending too much money at the Gretna outlet village, we headed to the Station Inn for a…read moregreat value lunch. Started with a large field mushroom topped with haggis and local Lockerbie Cheddar. Delicious. For my main I had the steak burger which was also tasty, the highlight being the side of handmade chunky chips. You don't see those available in enough places nowadays! The landlord Chris is a friendly fella and explained to us the lengths he goes to in order to select the best locally available potatoes. A couple of pints of Black Sheep ale made the meal complete. Others in my party had the Steak Pie (I sneaked a mouthful and was glad I did. The steak was fall apart in your mouth tender). The Chicken and Leek pie was well received with a very generous filling. Portions were satisfying all round with three large slices of thick cut Ham served with egg and those chips again for the final diner in our group. Only one had dessert, which was a Pavlova polished off very quickly. It's not what you'd call a country pub really, but the food and ales are excellent and the host offers a very warm welcome. I'll no doubt make a return visit when I'm next passing.

We stayed in Keswick two nights and gave this pub a shot the first. It was so great we went back…read morethe second evening. Totally worth the walk for us, even from the other end of town. A proper pub, excellent food, great staff, and a lovely owner. Wish we could have spent more time chatting with her. Fish pie is a top choice. Sticky Toffee Pudding is excellent, I asked for a second scoop to get my preferred pudding to ice cream ratio. Arrive early or book a table well in advance. We got lucky with bar seating both nights. Dog friendly, which was so great, even though we are not dog owners. Looking forward to going back again the next time we visit.

Well definitely one of the best places to eat in Keswick. Possibly too popular. Although the food…read moreis very good it's no longer the great it once was. I found the portions have diminished over the years since I first went there. The steak pie is no longer brimming with content. It's still very good particularly for value. But it's crowded and eating feels rushed. The beer quality is poor not because of the way it's kept simply it's no longer great beer. Jennings beer just is no longer the beer I fondly remember. The staff are good though service cannot be faulted.

Walking into the Back Bull pub in Gilsland, England, was a real treat. The pub is over 300 years…read moreold and oozes charm. However the service and the food were absolutely terrible. We would order something and 20 minutes later were told that they didn't have it. Several times. Finally 1 1/2 hours later we got our food. My order of fish and chips was the worst meal I have ever eaten. No fish to speak of, just extremely over cooked batter. My suggestion. Go for a beer then go somewhere else for dinner.

My brother and i stepped off the Hadrian's Wall path looking for a pint and some sustenance. Tucked…read moreinto a corner of Haltwhistle's market square we found a charming pub. As we walked inside we found the right space was packed with locals at the end of the working day. The cask ales (a variety of yummy local brews) came quickly as did our meals. The fish and chips were big and hearty as was the chicken fillet my brother ordered. I noticed that a young lady near us seemed to have some piece of more gourmet fare. This was just the experience we were hoping to find: busy and unpretentious (although the wifi password was painted in handsome script above a doorway). If we didn't have to get back on the trail we'd probably come back another day.

The drunken duck is a favorite of our friend who has come here for 40 years, starting with golf…read morebuddies, then with family and best of all to celebrate weddings, and great moments. Relax here, the staff is ready to make this luxury even better with whatever you need! Directions to many local hikes or hot coffee on the picnic tables. So much fun to have, there are gardens, strolls, patios and quiet libraries too. This is the most beautiful place I've ever stayed because I can get some rest, unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. Yesterday there was a local marathon- yes!- great runners charged past into the local town of Ambleside. Hikers and dog lovers are here too. National parks close by... what a get-away we are having!!

Such a charming pub and inn right in the middle of the Lakes District. There's a glorious view…read moreoverlooking the mountains right in front of the venue (with picnic tables if you'd like to sit and enjoy it with a pint). Brunch, lunch, dinner, and bar snacks are served at the Drunken Duck, and I'd only really recommend booking for dinner. The beer and cider are mostly local I believe. We did the curry bowl to share (vegetarian and VERY tasty - kind of wish I could get the recipe), scampi, fries, and tartare sauce (those fries are to die for!) and the lamb kofta, hummus, flatbread, and mint yoghurt (great for sharing and noshing). There's plenty of parking on the side of the inn. The inside is decorated beautifully (very insta-worthy), so maybe consider renting out for an event. And yes, you can bring your dog to dinner/drinks.

We had been recommended to try this pub many times over the years from a friend, so while near the…read morearea we stopped by for lunch. The pub itself is just outside Acklington village. According to the website just 4 miles from the A1. The food was lovely! I had Haggis Pakora to start and then Hunters Chicken. The portion size was very large! They do proper chips here too!! They had a huge choice of dishes on the blackboard as well as the normal sunday menu. The pub itself seems to have various events on nearly every night of the week for the locals, they are doing a fabulous job! They were advertising a new Mexican night on a Sunday which seemed fantastic value for money I would definitely return to this pub in the future. The lady behind the bar and all the staff were very friendly.

Best find on holiday ever!!…read more Set in a beautiful little village with a huge village green with loads of parking round and about (although im sure that on a mid summer sunny day parking may be somewhat difficult!). The pub has a bar area and a restaurant area - we only ever went into the bar as you could eat int here and it was really cosy (dogs are also allowed!). The staff were incredibly friendly and chatty (lets face it, Yorkshire, particularly North Yorkshire folk are possibly the most friendly on the planet - i challenge you to disprove this!). The food was INCREDIBLE. Nothing fancy pants, just really good food, VERY big portions (trust me on this, you dont need three courses - choose your weapon of starter or dessert to go alongside your main - we made the mistake one night and 1) couldnt eat it all and 2)pretty much rolled home). We spent an evening in the pub, had a meal and then sat playing card games - we felt incredibly welcome. So welcome that we ended up visiting three times in a week long holiday. You cant really get a better recommendation than that can you??