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

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.

Foid excellent, service excellent, we go Sunday lunch, always great, staff wonderful, need to try…read morea steak one night.

Possibly the best steak in the North East?…read more They cook their steaks on a super heated stone at your table to perfection. While the chef does that he talks to you and that is half the fun. If you love your steak, this place is a must.

Called in here for Sunday breakfast, the "full Yorkshire breakfast" was superb !!…read more There is also a farm shop to browse around.

What a fantastic night, ten of us went here for a friends birthday meal and we were not…read moredisappointed. The food was amazing, the portions were big, the staff were friendly, nothing was too much trouble for them. We all agreed we would be back in the very near future! Thank you for an excellent night!

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.

I just walked in to get a pizza to go, and a pint while I wait, and wow!!!! Great service!!! Great…read moreGuinness! Great prices!!!! Super friendly!!!! And the pizza arrived before I finished my pint!!!! Can't say enough about this place!!! If I weren't leaving in the AM, I'd become a regular!!! Gem in the rough! Soundtrack is also awesome!!! Everyone wants Neil diamond, pizza, and beer!

Food seems good most of the time but waiting times between ordering food / drink and serving is…read morerather hit and miss.

This was my first time in Prudhoe and I am so glad we stopped by this restaurant. We loved the…read moredecor and the atmosphere and the service was excellent. The food portions were significant large so you'll have plenty of food to take home with you. I decided to go for a classic and ordered the fish and chips. The fish was flaky and perfect. The chips were done so well. And the mushy peas I ordered on the side were great as well. If you happen to find yourself in Prudhoe, you should check this place out. You won't regret it!

Ball's Fish and Chips is absolutely, positively, the last word in fish and chips. I don't know how…read moreelse to convince you to not waste one of your remaining precious meals (life is so short, there are so few) somewhere else other than to tell you that to not include Ball's in your restaurant repertoire would be insanity.

Excellent, very authentic tasting food. Takes us straight back to our visits abroad…read more Highly recommended.

We visited the Tea Room on the Wall for my birthday and had a lovely time!…read more The actual tea room is on a rural working farm, with ample parking and beautiful views of the local countryside. The staff were very friendly and made a fuss of me for my birthday, which was very appreciated! I had the Victoria Sponge cake, which was vegan-friendly and delicious! The servings were *very* generous! The rest of my group enjoyed their cake as well as flavoured hot chocolates. We really enjoyed the vibe here, the friendly staff and above all, the excellent food and drink. We'll be returning! :-)