Great Whittington Restaurant Guide

This “lovely local Indian” is “a proper restaurant in a converted old railway station” (and also has spin-offs in Newcastle and Hexham). “It’s a favourite to combine with a day in the Tyne valley, followed by a couple of beers, then an excellent curry here”. Book their well-known ‘Passage to India’ for £56.50 per person, including travel from Newcastle, orders taken on the train, meet-and-greet at the station, and your meal (not including drinks).

“Delightful old inn” with a “blackboard menu of uncomplicated, unchallenging, proper food done well” (“good local produce; noted for steak”) and “a lovely garden with views over the Tyne Valley”. Chef Phil Mason and his wife Karen have been at the helm for almost two decades, impressing both Hexham locals and visitors including the likes of Michael Palin and Brenda Blethyn. Top Tip – “the bar area with open fire is lovely and cosy; the second dining room down a couple of steps perhaps less so, although it’s much brighter if you’re the sort of person who likes to photograph their lunch”.

“Hitting all the notes of the modern Nordic-originated food movement” – Cal & Sian Byerley’s “Scandi-style, airy dining room in a small rural industrial unit a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall” delivers an “exceptional” experience – fans say it’s “the most inventive and special meal we’ve had in a very long time, possibly ever!”. “What Pine is doing and how they are doing is vitally important” to guests: “not for them importing food from 1000s of miles away, but looking at sustainable and nonetheless delicious high-end food” via “ethical, local sourcing, seasonal produce, clean flavours, ferments and vinegars”. Part-and-parcel of the experience is the “very casual ambience and interest of watching the chefs at work” – “the extra positive is created by the great staff, and the playlist all of which really enhances the whole experience”. Good wine pairings, with particular note taken of the “very excellent British wines”. Top Menu Tip – “the carefully slow-cooked, and multiple-smoked piece of pork loin is easily one of the best pieces of pig ever eaten”.