Hexham Restaurant Guide

Loire Valley native Greg Bureau’s “reliable, welcoming and brilliant value” neighbourhood staple, where the “authentic” bistro-style cooking means it “really is like being in France”. As per France, you’re “not expected to rush a meal” and a recent refurb’ has added more joy in the form of a flashy glass balcony.

This “delightful old inn” with a conservatory is “good for lunch with a view” over the Tyne Valley; a “short blackboard announces half a dozen starters and mains” – “all tasty” and “not your normal pub grub” (no surprise given that chef Phil Mason and wife Karen, who took over the venue in 2007, used to run the Michelin-starred Green Room nearby).

“We are so lucky to have this very special restaurant in Northumberland” – Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his Northumberland-born partner Ally Thompson inspire nothing but superlatives for their acclaimed destination: a bright, contemporary 24-seater with open kitchen at a pub-with-rooms next to Hadrian’s Wall. “It is evident that they seek out the best ingredients and are not afraid to change suppliers if they find something more in keeping with their ethos, with lots of local produce used”. The result is “high class, inventive” Scandi-inflected cuisine served as a mixture of small bites and larger dishes comprising a £150 per person tasting menu. “Wonderful… even on a second visit – not every eatery can do that!”

“Consistently excellent” local curry house which has spawned a couple of spin-offs in Newcastle and Hexham (badged Cilantro). From Newcastle, you can follow in Michael Portillo’s footsteps (on his ‘Great Coastal Railway Journeys’ TV Series), and book their well-known ‘Passage to India’ train service from Newcastle (which includes your meal, plus travel by train).

2023 Review: Chef-owner Rhian Cradock, who took over the 200-year-old drovers’ inn 15 years ago, has long been ahead of the curve as a champion of “locally sourced quality food”, sustainability and ethical practices – and his prices are generous, too. A “fantastic village pub – it serves the locals well while consistently turning out high-quality dishes”: “the produce and the care that goes into their production is amazing”.

2022 Review: A “super-friendly and efficient” stone-fronted country boozer, where chef Paul Johnson (a Nathan Outlaw alum) delivers a “great menu selection” that saw it walk off with a CAMRA Pub of the Year accolade not too long ago.

“Fun restaurant serving excellent food” from an open kitchen in a classic Victorian hotel in the town centre that has been cleverly modernised in recent years. “It’s a super place to stay, too (and the breakfast is good)”.

2023 Review: “Suits of armour, spiral staircases, gigantic fireplaces” – this “stunning, preserved medieval castle turned into a country-house hotel” makes a “wonderfully romantic destination”, just “two minutes off the A69 between Carlisle & Newcastle” – “you’d rave about it if you found its like abroad, yet here it is”. “Service is attentive, friendly and professional”, while “the food is extremely good, if not top fine dining”.

In the multi-tasking (shop, eat, stay) Vallum Farm complex near Hadrian’s Wall, and occupying an old cow barn, there’s “lots to love” about this “absolutely amazing” venture, which was set up by Cal Byerley and partner Siân Buchan several years back. Together the duo delivers a “fantastic experience”, from Cal’s “ever-developing and sophisticated”, Nordic-inspired tasting menus, fuelled by produce from the kitchen garden and Northumberland countryside, to Vanessa’s “incredible” matching wines.

Scheduled for a late 2025 opening, a modern Scandi-style restaurant to be built in the walled garden of Close House in the Tyne Valley, now part of a golf course. It's from the high-achieving owners of Hjem in Wall – Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his Northumberland-born partner Ally Thompson – who will work their magic on produce from the garden and meat, game and fish from within a 30-mile radius.