Nice pub situated below ground level. Olde world style with big fire in front bar. Food served & is…read moreok. Had Sunday lunch a few times.

I unfortunately have to update my review to remove a star. Though it is truly not what I want to…read moredo, as this is a beautiful building in a great location, I was quite disappointed on my last visit here. Two friends and I were at the Swan before a dinner event for some pre-dinner drinks. We decided to have wine. Yes, I know this is more of a beer crowd, but the real issue I had was the fact that our wine was served in half pint glasses instead of one of the many stem glasses at the bar. I found this to be very odd and not at all an appropriate way to serve wine- even if it's the cheap stuff.

Brilliant pub! Good location by Elvet Bridge, nice atmosphere, good service. Often very crowded…read morethough, so go prepared.

A basement bar, situated centrally in Darlington, and nestled in amongst a group of other pubs such…read moreas Barracudas, Hash, and Harveys. Perfect to visit on a Saturday night, with a great atmosphere, and a great little dancefloor. Not much dancing actually happens, but the buzz is good, and the people are always up for a good chat. In one part of the bar are a set of dining tables as overflow from upstairs Joe Rigatoni's restaurant. This is the bar to go to after a meal to enjoy a nice glass of wine.

I go to Joes Bar most Saturday nights. The music is excellent and the beer good. Sometimes get free…read morepizza given which helps soak up the beer. Its a great pub and handy as part of the Darlington pub crawl.

Great gastropub…read more This is a place we've just discovered, will definitely be back. Traditional pub (I imagine even better in the winter with the open fires roaring!) excellent waiters and terrific food.

Definitely worth a visit, the Arden Arms never disappoints…read more An impressive early bird menu (served Monday to Saturday) is complemented by both an A La Carte menu and a specials board, so there really is something for everyone. The food is great and the service is excellent; the staff are always friendly and efficient.

Was a great little pub years ago, friendly lot got in there.read more

The Tavern is a great local pub. There isn't a marvellous range of beers, but it's ok. I would…read morerecommend going in about 9pm though as it's a bit quiet before then. They people are all friendly and the quiz on a Sunday is good for a laugh.

I love this place. It has an excellent selection of house ales from The Village Brewery as well as…read morean ever changing menu of English ale and imported lagers. The prices are towards the high end for Darlington but I pay them gladly for the quality of the produce and the service. I admit that this place will not to be some peoples taste but If you appreciate fine ale or wines then you should give the place a try. The average age of the clientele maybe around 50 but I've never felt out of place and am always afforded friendly service. Also the food here is usually very nice. The traditional beef sandwich and chips is delicious. The only reason I do not give 5 stars is that on Friday and Saturday evening the place is packed like a sardine tin and can attract a few pretentious idiots that seem to have given the place a bit of a reputation. For this reason I only use 22s as my mid-week haunt.

What an excellant pub hidden away on the edge of Darlington town centre selling a wide selection of…read moredifferent real ales and foriegn ales . Good clientel and good service . Beer quality found to be very good .

The Baydale is within easy walking distance from the Blackwell, Hummersknott and Mowden areas of…read moretown - either along the bridle paths or along Coniscliffe Road. You can combine it with a visit to the Victorian Tees Pumping Station on an open day or a wander round the river to or from Broken Scar. Meals usually pretty good - decent pub grub plus various specials. The smaller portions menu isn't just for kids - it includes scampi, steak pie & lasagna so it's not just the fish finger and burger option. The main meals range from about £7 for a pasta dish to around £13 for steak. Service always very friendly but meals can be a bit slow arriving when lots of people order at the same time. It gets busy at weekends, particularly sunny lunchtimes/early evenings when kids use the small playground near the car park. Tables can be booked in advance. In summer use the conservatory or sit outside, in winter stay in the main pub.

A really lovely pub that is incredibly child friendly. The food is superb and the service…read moreexcellent. There is a large beer garden with play things for children including slides and swings. The two bars-there is a lounge and a public bar as well as a conservatory area are well stocked with several different beers and any other drink you could wish for. The owners are lovely people-very friendly and helpful. The pub is located near the village of Low Coniscliffe but is walkable from the West end of Darlington.

This was a first time visit for me, some friends who are regulars suggested I popped in to do the…read morepub quiz whilst I was back home in Darlington. We arrived a bit late so there were no tables left but we asked the quiz host where we could do the quiz and he kicked some girls off a table who weren't doing the quiz (I felt terrible about this!) After awkwardly sitting down we paid our £1 entry fee and headed to the bar. They had a really good selection of ales, I opted for Darlington Pale Ale to start with but we proceeded to work our way down the ales! A couple of my friends ordered Gins and Tonics which were served with out ice unless you asked which I feel is pretty poor! The quiz was really good, I'm a regular pub quizzer and they managed to make it a bit more interesting than your standard questions. Half way through the rounds we were told food was about to be served and to my delight my friends informed me with you pound entrance fee you get a plate off food. This week they were offering a huge plate of chicken curry and rice which was delicious! Overall a good experience, the food and selection of ales were a bonus for me! Other people have told me that the food menu is good too. So if you find yourself in the Darlington area check it out!

Small pub with character , dark wood bit of an eighties interior , in need of a minor refurb …read more Staff freindly . Two real ales on but noting special . I think it suffers from a lack of trade but if it provided greater range would be bound to pull in the real ale crowd .