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

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.

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.

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??

The food was so good we sent a proposal of marriage to the Chef, but he was too shy to come out of…read morethe kitchen.

fab food and great sunday dinnersread more

We have eaten at The Ship many times as a family and have always had a lovely time. The service is…read morefantastic, the menu is extensive with something for everyone, the place is very child-friendly, with good quality highchairs available, and I really have nothing negative to say about it at all! We happened upon the place purely by chance when returning from a day out, and I am so glad we did as it is now one of our favourite places to eat! I would recommend this pub to anyone who has a very healthy appetite, as i have never seen portions this big anywhere else! Many of the main meals would be enough to serve two people, especially some of the meat dishes, which are HUGE! Many of the meals have smaller portion sizes available, but to be fair these are still much bigger than you'd get in many other pubs. Even the children's portions are big! We have tried various dishes off the huge menu and all have been delicious; there is a quite a large vegetarian menu which pleased me; the mushroom stroganoff with pasta is lovely, and the puddings are gorgeous too! The prices are a little higher than many pub meals, but this is reflected in the portion sizes and the sheer quality of the food. I can't recommend this place high enough and am looking forward to returning there soon!

Lovely little place in a small village in Northumbria. The…read morestaff was very friendly and polite. Overall, we enjoyed our stay - there are a small details that could be improved (for example, it's a bit cold in the bathroom) and no kettle in the room (however there is an area where you can make a cuppa yourself), but the biggest bummer for me was that the breakfast is only till 9 which was not ideal on a holiday and especially New Year's Day. But honestly, excellent value for money and breakfast was good indeed.

What an amazing place!…read more Blink and you might miss one of Northumberland's true hidden treasures. It's only a small inn (4 rooms) but each room is delightfully appointed. I was fortunate to get a tour of the rooms by the owner and they were spotless and modern. The pub itself serves cold beer with a warm atmosphere. All the staff were friendly and helpful. The prices were reasonable too. But the food is the real star here. British classics and local favourites professionally prepared. The evening I was there the place was packed and every plate was empty at the end. Oh, and free wifi too!

The food was amazing, wonderful service from all of the staff. Love the outlay of the restaurant…read more Highly recommend..

Dear Fox Hole. I have to tell you that in our 21 days visiting in England your food was the best we…read morehad! I can't stop thinking about and wanting your garlic mushrooms in cream sauce! It was heavily! My husband raves about the chicken & brie sandwich he had. The chicken melted in his mouth and was a perfect sandwich. In addition to great food the location and ambience was so pleasant. We wished we could had eaten at the Fox Hole a few more times. It was such a pleasure to discover your quaint and yummy place. Thank you. Debbie

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

Still a fantastic place to chill out in the Durham countryside. Food is exceptional from breakfast,…read morelunch through dinner. Hotel rooms are quaint but top floor rooms would benefit from power showers to increase water pressure as it takes a while to get wet. Loved the cask Double Maxim on taps, much better than I remember from Vaux! Prices are very reasonable for large portions.

We are repeat customers to the Old Mill, the food is always great, and lots of it…read more You have to grab a table, and choose what you would like to eat from the blackboard in the main dining room. Once you have chosen what you would like to eat, go to the bar with your table number and order. We have been on a number of occasions, and service is always great (have been when every table has been taken, and was told 40 min for food, but received it well within 30 min) Have never had a bad meal from here, or a bad word to say about the place