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.

A real find on a cold winters day thanks Qype. Small single room pub with a very frindly publican…read more He brews the beers in his own award winning brewery up the valley. Good food great selection of cheeses to go with the ploughman's. Will go back when next up north.

Legendary inn by the gently flowing Dipton Burn in Hexhamshire. Camra pub of the year countless…read moretimes, always at least 4 cask beers including 3 from the landlords Hexhamshire Brewery. Really nice home cooked food, great ploughmans, & sandwiches.

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.

For those Newcastle/Gosforth dwellers amongst us (I was one of those once), you will probably know…read moreof The Brandling Villa by South Gosforth roundabouts? Well, Hexham has its own sister version in The Tannery at the bottom of Gilesgate - I have to say it's just as brilliant. I've learnt through friends who've lived in Hexham longer than me how the previous public house incarnation was "struggling" (to put it mildly), so it needed some vision and ambition to bring this place back to life. And they've done a cracking job over the last year, bringing a younger, funkier pub to Hexham's social scene. As you enter, you can head right into the main bar area, which can get a little more rowdy as the night progresses (board games!), or turn left into the lounge area, where it is slightly more relaxed. There is an outdoor area to the back as well, for the three days a year when the UK weather permits... Great range of beers, ales, wines, spirits to boot, always with one or more local breweries on tap. They were previously offering third-pints and two-third pints (think that's a schooner?) but didn't see these on my last visit. All beer is very well cared for, never had a bad pint here. The other key attraction is their food menu, where there are some brilliantly bizarre choices on offer... anyone for a "The Dirty Thoughts of Cheryl Versini-Whatsit" burger, which is - and I am not making it up - an 8oz beef burger topped with Greggs sausage roll, Heinz Baked Beans and cheddar cheese. Hold the salad. Yes, seriously. Or if the DToCV-W doesn't take your fancy, how's about a "Beef Chegwin" burger - 8oz beef burger, Cheviot Cheese, crispy pancetta, this time with salad. Just two of the crazy offerings on the menu, which illustrates the fresh and quirky attitude this place has got. For the non-carnivores amongst you, the beef burger can be swapped for a beet'n'bean burger - the 'vegetabularian' substitution as they call it. All plates come with a mountain of fries and 'slaw, this is some seriously tasty and filling scran. Gets quite busy of a weekend but this is one of those pubs where you can pop in for a quiet one by yourself, or you come with friends and end up playing board games until last orders. A refreshing change to the other (excellent) pubs in town, definitely worth a visit if you get the chance.

Used to be called the Skinners Arms, much cooler name I think. Great selection of beers and wines…read more Very friendly bar staff. Music is not annoying, food looks great. Bit studenty, without the students which I find strange. Would come here again. I am here on a Sunday, so who knows what happens on a regular day????

Just been for tea today the food was terrible l had butternut squash roast the veg where very hard…read morethe roast potatoes where white l got a small jug if sauce it had over heated in the microwave and wouldn't come out l did get another l hardly touched my meal and did say how awful it was and was told am sorry to hear that when asked if the food was heated in a microwave l was told no my granddaughter,s Mac cheese had been the service was ok the ambiance was ok l won't hurry back gone down hill

Delicious gastropub with a lovely atmosphere. I had duck with blueberry sauce and creme brûlée for…read moredessert, both of which were quite good. I'd definitely return to this cozy old pub when I'm next in the village of Corbridge.

The Fish and Chips were huge! After a long day of flights and airport issues, the Angel was a quick…read morebus ride from Newcastle where we started our Hadrian's Wall hike. The Angel has been welcoming travelers since 1752 and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect place to decompress. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and a few pints overlooking the historic stone bridge over the River Tyne. The Angel is easy walking distance to the Corbridge Rome Town. After good night sleep and a hearty breakfast, we were off on the hike. The hotel staff ensured our bags were marked and loaded in the vans to be transported to the next hotel. The Angel Inn takes excellent care of travelers. Hope to return again.

Drink here on a lovely late afternoon a Pint of fine Wolf Ale and you'll never forget The Angel Inn…read moreof Corbridge. Perfect Scenery, beautifull village!

Place we were staying nearby recommended this pub for dinner. We emailed ahead in the afternoon…read moresaying that we were planning to come in and could they reserve a table, but when we arrived at about 8pm they turned us away, saying "all the bookings were full." Normally not a big deal, but as I explained to the bartender that we'd walked 21 miles that day and had no vehicle, and asked if there wasn't any kind of hot food we could be served. Her answer was no, that we should try Hexham 3 more miles away. As we waited for an Uber in the car park we noticed many empty tables both inside and out. I'm not sure why they didn't want to help us, but this was a first for me in the UK where people have generally been very friendly and helpful. I think pretty shoddy to deny two tired walkers a burger. This place isn't the French Laundry, it's a pub for God's sake. Two stars because it looked very well kept and a lovely patio. Would be a nice place to spend time if they let you.

Christmas Eve we spent in the Restaurant at Boat Side Pub and Restaurant Dinner was excellent as I…read moreprefer an Irish Whisky with my dinner and my husband a wine and he was driving it was nice to find a one glass white wine in a bottle for him We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and can assure you that we would go again as I am in a wheelchair we had no problem gettting the chair inside and the niche by fireplace decorated with christmas decorations ,,,meant that I didnt feel embarrased because my wheelchair was in the way of others and the staff moving around they also next door had a huge conference /bridal room for those who are looking for a wedding venue or a conference in a country setting for those who wish to stay I believe they hve two self catering cottages attached a large car park was ample for however many people are in your party... Not just a country Public House it was winter but therfe is a lovely garden too

Nice cosy pub with reasonably priced food. We dropped in here for dinner and a pint or two. Mains…read moreare around £10. My wife's burger came with chips and salad. I had the cod and chips which came with mushy peas. Food was good and staff friendly. This was our first experience of an english pub as we were visiting from Australia. We enjoyed our experience there and would return.