Explore restaurant menus in Darlington

The Mowden

➤ Staindrop Road, Darlington I-DL3 9BE, United Kingdom

Pub • Vegan • British • Vegetarian

---

"Apologies for the late review. We recently saw an advert for this place for New Years Eve, live band and buffet, and it looked interesting. So decided to go check it out and have a drink see if we liked it. Within minutes of having a drink we had booked for new years eve, and already decided to come back for some food one day, as we saw the food coming out from the kitchen and it looked amazing. Anyway on the 2nd visit we literally couldn't chose from the menu as everything sounded really nice, so we decided to get a load of starters and just experience what we could. Wow, this place can cook food. The chef deserves a special mention here as evey single dish was cooked to perfection. Ended up full to the rafters , so decided on the creme brulee and a couple of baileys hot chocolates to settle the stomachs . I cannot recommend this place enough, and we will be going back on our Fridays off for sure. Thanks you for the excellent food, exemplary service and welcoming atmosphere. See you before New Year's Eve"

Sainsbury's

➤ Victoria Road, Darlington DL1 5SF, United Kingdom

Cafe • Coffee • Mexican • Breakfast

---

"Went into Sainsbury’s cafe and simply asked for a ham and cheese toastie, I had not been disruptive or rude in anyway, however I was greeted with a very rude, blunt and abrupt attitude from the member of staff serving me. She had a tone in her voice and had quite a lot of attitude even though she barely said anything. The reason she barely said anything is because she was very short and blunt with me, giving me one word answers or not an answer at all. When I went to pay she shoved the card machine across the counter and threw the table number card down onto the counter with attitude. She did not say a single word after this she simply walked away and did not advise me to pick any table I wanted or too take a seat. The service was then very slow as it took 10 minutes simply to toast a pre-made ham and cheese toastie. Then when I did receive the food she proceeded to strut over to my table and throw the plate down onto the opposite side of the table from me, meaning I had to get up and reach over to get my food, even though this takes very little effort it is still bad customer service (especially at £3.85 for a simple ham and cheese toastie that was served luke warm). She also did not inform me as to where any condiments were for my meal. Once she had abruptly ‘placed’ my food on the table she strutted off before I even had the opportunity to say thank you, despite this I still said thank you but her back was turned and she was walking away, and as you can probably guess I got no response. It was a very bad experience and aswell as the poor customer service the toastie wasn’t even that nice."

Reema Contemporary

➤ 18 Coniscliffe Road, DL3 7RG, Darlington, United Kingdom

Balti • Asian • Indian • Vegetarian

---

"I have learned from experience that dining alone in a restaurant is usually not ideal. However, on a warm evening with many people sitting outside at the neighboring bars, the restaurant was completely empty when I arrived. Despite this, I had something to read and am accustomed to dining alone. I ordered one of the special dishes and aside from being reasonably priced, I found it lacking in flavor. The dish had a lot of food but did not have much taste, only a hint of spice that was reminiscent of packaged curry powder from the 1970s. The ambiance was challenging, especially with the unhelpful sound system playing Indian-style music that abruptly changed tunes every few minutes. Additionally, a man came in and engaged in a loud conversation with one of the staff, which was distracting. Although this may not have been the restaurant's fault, it added to the unpleasant atmosphere. If it were not for the affordable prices, I would only give this restaurant one star. Despite frequenting Darlington often, I do not plan on returning to this establishment."

Shuttle Loom

➤ Whinfield Road, DL1 3RW, Darlington, United Kingdom

Pub • Steak • British • Vegetarian

---

"A warm welcome from customers already sitting who could see that we weren’t sure what the etiquette was regarding getting a seat. We were then told, by a very busy staff member, to select a table and order at the bar which was great as we had time to peruse the very detailed menu; so many delicious options. Once ordered, food was beautifully presented. The chips were perfectly cooked, not limp and greasy and the burgers were very tasty. There is absolutely no rush to eat up and leave and this place has the feeling of a local wee pub/ restaurant as there is no pressure from staff hovering over you but they asked if everything was okay which I took to mean they would have welcomed feedback had it not been okay. We travelled from Scotland for a family visit but will definitely return when next down in Darlington. Hopefully we can sit outside next time weather permitting. (Oh, the place is spotless despite looking a little ‘tired’ in places."

Best Kebab 2

➤ 69 Skinnergate, DL3 7LL, Darlington, United Kingdom

Pizza • Cafés • Kebab • Asiatic

---

"RACIST staff. I asked if there were any promotions prior to ordering. No promotions after 12am . OK fine, no problem. I then proceeded to order a calzone whereby I can chose any four toppings. When I asked the staff to explain the toppings I got asked have you never been to a pizza shop before Ofcourse I have but I haven 't physically seen the toppings so I would like a little guidance please I responded. Then the main guy taking the orders said something along the lines of are you not British/ you don 't know how to speak English I immediately thought to myself. I 'm being victimised because I wanted to know what the toppings were. It wasn 't even that busy. I took my business down the road to speedy pepper No racism there)."

The George

➤ The George Hotel Piercebridge, Durham DL2 3SW, DL2 2LJ, Darlington, United Kingdom

Beer • Wine • Hotels • English

---

"Our experience at the restaurant was disappointing. Despite making a booking through opentable, there was no record of it and we had to wait 30 minutes for a table. The staff claimed they were busy, but the restaurant was actually quite quiet. It took a long time to order drinks, one of which came in a dirty glass, and ordering food was also a slow process. The portions of calamari we ordered were uneven, and the roast beef dish came with only a small amount of beef. After finishing our mains, no one came to clear our table and the staff disappeared from the restaurant. We had to search for them in the bar. It took 3.5 hours for four people to be served two courses, which was not acceptable. This experience was especially disappointing as my family had traveled from Leeds with two young children."

Toby Carvery

➤ Yarm Road, DL1 4WF, Darlington, United Kingdom

Food • Full • Lunch • British

---

"This was another good visit. The chef doing the carving and Sophie our waitress were both excellent. The chef was very engaging and chatted to everyone in a friendly and individual way: a real talent. Sophie was engaging and attentive but not false. Everything was done timely and comfortably. So professional and hard working but made it look easy. Of course the food was as good as it always is. The meat was good as always with a good choice, however the real star was the roast tates. But the rest of the veg , gravy and Yorkshire pudding was tasty, hot and freshly cooked. A real pleasure."

Sam Turner's Cafe

➤ Northern Nurseries Station Rd., Darlington, United Kingdom

Cafe • Coffee • Cheese • Salads

---

"Sam Turner staff are equally grumpy and disinterested both in the cafe and the attached garden centre. All, without exception, give the feeling to the customers that both they wish you were not there, and they wish they were not there either. In the past I 've been served soup, half a bowl each as I heard a member of staff in the back complaining they were running short and to 'divided it between the bowls. It was watery and tasteless. I asked for a cappuccino and got a flat white served. When I pointed this out, I got the practised 'eye role ', no apology, just I 'll get you another, she 's new... I take it this was referring to the young female yakking away to an equally young and disinterested female while trying to serve me. I am a frequent visitor to the garden centre and this is no better. I 've been chased across a car park accused of not paying for plants and no apology when I produced the receipt, laughed at sarcastically when asking for a particular plant that had been showcased on the Chelsea flower show tv programme, and finally shouted at by a yardman she would never say that ever!!! for having the audacity to ask the price of something, when his colleague behind the till had told me he would help and to go ask him. Horrible place, awful atmosphere, I 've spent hundreds of pounds there in the past will never go back."

Santorini Greek Cafe

➤ 5 Crown Street, Darlington, United Kingdom

Cafe • Cafés • Greek • Mexican

---

"3 months on and still no heating?? Just come on here to leave a 4/5 review but read previous reviews from December saying the restaurant was cold, well last night is was Baltic ! And to find out the owners haven’t done anything about it since last year is really poor Starters and mains were tasty and good quality and we thought good value money until we were hit with a £9.90 charge for a Greek salad that was a cheap packet salad with some feta thrown on top hugely expensive and strange to charge so much considering their early bird menu is three courses for a tenner ?? Wouldn’t return"

The William Stead

➤ 8 Crown Street, DL1 1PD, Darlington, United Kingdom

Pubs • Pizza • Steak • Seafood

---

"I am 16 years old and me and two my friends ,also 16, went in for dinner at 5:30 on a Wednesday night when we were asked to leav. They informed us that management had said if we had no proof of being 18 or over we had to go .i replied saying we were only ordering food not drinks ,in belief that they thought we were trying to get served. However i was then told I must be accompanied by an adult after 4pm if I wanted to oder food. This had baffled me as it dose not only not comply with government regulations but it also contradicts themselves as I have been in after 4pm multiple occasions in the last few months."

Pizza Perfekt

➤ 9 Brinkburn Road, Darlington, United Kingdom

Tea • Meat • Pizza • Chicken

---

"I grew up in darlington and that was our regular farewell, I moved out of the area many years ago, but it is still my place when I return. my recent visit was not disappointed! pizza comes with free chips and garlic bread. when they are collected in the load so well worth the money. the garlic bready was a little too sweet for the taste of our cream, but not disappointed about the garlic taste. doner kebab was beautiful, the meat was full of taste, and it came with chips and pitta brot. the Pitta-Brot was kept sepered so it was not fattened as when it is placed in the box. I asked for the salat seperately to be combed and that was done without problems. Chicken parmesan was a little faty, but freshly cooked, and good quality chicken breast. this was also served with chips, and I asked for the salat and coleslaw separated. really good portions, very cheap prices and friendly efficient service. we will come back when we are back in the opposite!"

The Orangery, Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth

➤ HurworthOnTees, Darlington, United Kingdom

Fish • Meat • Coffee • Seafood

---

"Housed in a spectacular building and furnished to a high standard, the Orangery is a wonderful place to visit. Canapés were very artistic and pleasant to look at, more so to taste. I also normally avoid bread but their bread with two types of hoke made butter was delicious. ‘Sandy Carrot’ starter- visually lovely but taste wise it was over seasoned- way too much salt, as was the consensus by the three of us dining- Wife’s Scallop starter however was a stunner. steak main, I have to say, this was the best steak I’ve had in about 6 years, the previous from the Negresco hotel in Nice. The texture and flavour- I woke up and could eat it for breakfast- well done to the chef who cooked it too as it was perfect. Deconstructed cheesecake for desert and wife chose chocolate orangery- both superb, is it wrong to want seconds? I washed mine down with a desert wine- a passable Sauternes but by no means a Climens or a Yquem (of which they sold the latter). The wine list itself was very good- a lot of classified growth claret, burgundy, north and south Loire, Rhône, super Tuscans and lots of other regions. I love wine, so was in my element here but as so often the case forgo the blue chip wines for something less expensive- I only buy the top notch stuff to drink at home; it’s a shame they don’t use Coravin so I could buy the premier stuff by the glass. Got chatting to the Somm- Derek, and have to say what a very nice man he was. Absolutely knowledgeable and in no way intimidating or pretentious (take a note Raby Hunt) Derek was happy to discuss wine and even gave me some suggestions on wine regions and producers that I would have overlooked. Very good at his job, an asset to this restaurant. Front of house staff- both called Katie I think also fabulous. Overall, a wonderful evening- the only part I was confused about was when paying the bill we were taken into the bar, I didn’t see anywhere I could leave a tip- no option on the card reader and it just seemed wrong to leave cash with a different part of the operation to the restaurant. Finally, a message to Rockliffe Hall. While the food is delicious, if you really want your patrons to have a fine dining experience then perhaps you may want to allocate a smoking area somewhere discreet for your Spa users; When we left and walked towards the car park, there were people standing outside in slippers and dressing gowns smoking- far from looking luxurious, it was reminiscent of walking into the front of a hospital. We’ll be back, thank you kitchen and front of house staff for a wonderful experience."

The Buck Inn

➤ Middleton Road, DL2 1RR, Darlington, United Kingdom

Pub • Pubs • Meat • Steak

---

"Where does one begin? I ask thee, where does one begin? The beginning is usually a good point. My Somalian friend, Jared, told me about how he stayed here when his Tinder date had apparently went 'pear-shaped ' and he was waiting for his taxi to arrive, he told me that The Buck Inn was a 'zestful lark into classic British cuisine ' and gave me the two thumbs up. My Nubian friend is right about most things so my partner Theon and I decided we would check it out for ourselves. It sounds silly now but I 'm not sure when we arrived (it was at the 60th minute of the Portugal vs Hungary game, if that helps). Upon disembarking and entry I was immediately taken aback with how aesthetically unappealing the two bartenders were (it sounds shallow but I wouldn 't have commented on it had other events not transpired), I didn 't let it bother me as I am a supreme gentleman. Theon and I sat down and I ordered drinks for us both from the more appealing of the two staff members, for the sake of privacy I will call this person Joe. This scoundrel tried to charge me £13 for two triple V&Cs and he only put in a single measure of Vodka and when I pointed out this mistake to him and he said 'that 's a serious accusation ' before walking into the restaurant section of the building, this would be the last time he spoke to me directly for the rest of the visit. Theon and I sat, rather confused, watching the soccer match, waiting for the 'zestful lark ' to begin but for a while all we got was accusing and potentially lustful stares from Joe. A while later, the other bartender approached us with a crudely written menu on a small piece of paper, he spat as he talked and lacked the vivacious character I was expecting. Our food arrived after what seemed like an hour, Theon had to engage in a swift session of verbal fencing with the other bartender (I will call him Jordan) to get our sundries. I ordered a chicken Parmesan, as did Theon, the cheese and Beshemel sauce was adequate, the chicken however was clearly undercooked in places and when Theon took this up with Joe, this rapscallion simply said 'it 's ligaments ' and handed him the food back (which he didn 't eat). Now at this point I was quite upset, Theon managed to calm me down and we stayed for dessert and I 'm glad I did as the dessert was delightful, shame about the young fiends serving us however. It took some time to receive service as well because Joe kept on bragging to a barmaid from The Tuns about something called 'The Division ' while the other feckless bartender was struggling with putting card payments through the till. We stayed to watch the ROI vs Italy game and then we left promptly, I was still pulling the daggers out of my back that the young hoodlums had stared at me as we left. I cannot say for certain if it 's because I and Theon are gay but it certainly felt like a lot of the cold and surly service we received was because of that. The prejudiced glances was not the only lingering effect from our visit as me and Theon were both struck with a bout of food poisoning that crippled us emotionally and physically for two days and made us unable to attend a civil rights rally of which we were very much looking forward too. To summarise, 2/5, dessert was very tasty but poor service given to us by incompetent gremlins and food was undercooked and made us ill."

Maxine's

➤ Southend Avenue, Darlington I-DL3 7HZ, United Kingdom

Cakes • British • European • Breakfast

---

"Yet again have had a very enjoyable family birthday lunch here; the staff are attentive and the food is very good. Our party included a couple of vegetarians, one person with specific food requirements, a fussy eater (me! and a number of 'normal ' eaters there is always enough choice for all. I recommend the duck in particular and the salmon salad; apparently the pie of the day was also delicious. Oh, the mango lime and the sour cherry sorbets were a perfect refreshing finish. There was a small disappointment for one of our group where raw onion was not listed but included in every component of the paneer kebab starter, thus they were unable to eat it."

Three Tuns

➤ Sadberge, DL2 1RX, Darlington, United Kingdom

Pubs • Steak • Pasta • British

---

"Wish I 'd found this place sooner... Located in the quiet village of Sadberge, The Tuns is an ideal excuse to have a drive or even a wander out! Very welcoming staff, warm, clean and cosy atmosphere is a perfect combination for a nice cheeky beverage or 2 by the log burner. The food is delicious and cooked by people who clearly know what they 're doing. It 's refreshing to see a place that changes their 3 course, reasonably priced menu every month, which coincides with what is in season and what is available locally helping the local economy. I 've eaten here many times and never left disappointed. I ordered off the set menu and the Pub Classics menu, which is also a nice touch that you can mix and match dishes to suit you. I had the Korean Belly pork to start which just melted in your mouth and then being from Middlesbrough I had to go for the parmo. And to any of my fellow boro folk reading this, definitely in my top 3 favourite parmos of all time the chicken to bechamel ratio was spot on and I had a pork belly topping which again was so tender it just melted. 10/10"

Morrisons

➤ 97 North Road, Darlington, United Kingdom

Kebab • Sushi • Mexican • Seafood

---

"Went in the cafe, seemed very quiet for a sunday lunchtime. By the time we realised why, we'd unfortunately already ordered. Floor was very dirty, food dropped everywhere. My daughter cleaned red sauce off her seat. Understand that this is down to the customers, but...surely someone could have at least swept up, they certainly weren't busy! Food came, mediocre and tasteless. Couldn't get a hot drink because machines had broken down. Disappointing visit, waste of money."

Macy Browns

➤ Imperial Centre Grange Road, Darlington, United Kingdom, DL1 5NQ

Pub • Wine • Drinks • American

---

"What a disaster! I arrived at Macy Browns on Saturday afternoon after having a table reservation for 2 weeks, only to find that they were closed. Despite receiving multiple emails about my reservation, the restaurant was not open. It was incredibly embarrassing as I had organized a work dinner and drinks. I spoke with the manager over the phone, who was unapologetic and uncaring. Based on other comments I've read, it seems this is a common issue that the manager allows to happen. He blamed the booking system being automated and not human-controlled for the mix-up."

Papa John's Darlington

➤ 185-187 Northgate, Darlington, DL11UB, DL1 1UB, United Kingdom

Sushi • Pizza • Asiatic • Seafood

---

"Usually go to Dominos, been wondering for ages whether Papa Johns was worth a go. It wasn't.Possibly even pricier than Domino's (but not much in it) pizzas were exactly like those terrible cheap rubbery ones from standard little takeaway. Except twice as expensive of course. Ingredients were barely detectable, the cheese was flat and rubbery and my jaw started to ache after ploughing through the third slice. If I didn't live 15 minutes away I would have taken it back.Oh, in the interest of balance, the little marmite and cheese doughball kind of things were OK.Back to domino's for me that's for sure."

Maxine's

➤ Southend Avenue, DL3 7HZ, Darlington, United Kingdom

Kebab • Mexican • Asiatic • Seafood

---

"We dined here as a group of friends for Christmas fayre. The decor and setting were very Christmassy and well laid out not too crowded or close to other tables. We had the 3 course Christmas fayre. Service was quick. Portion size was excellent for a lunch fayre. This enabled us to eat and fully enjoy all three courses. Food quality was excellent, Tasty and hot food. They catered wonderfully for one vegetarian and one gluten free guest without any hassle. They also catered well for two guests who wanted a cheese board instead of the pudding. First time we have eaten in the restaurant although we stay in the hotel regularly. Will certainly dine here again. Thanks Maxine's for a lovely start to the Christmas season : Only negative for us was the table layout a round or square table instead of a long rectangle would have facilitated better conversation for a group of friends who have not seen each other in a while."

The White Heifer That Travelled

➤ West Park, DL2 2GG, Darlington, United Kingdom

Pubs • Steak • Pizza • British

---

"It’s been a few weeks since our last visit but as always didn’t disappoint… Lovely welcoming atmosphere and the staff go out of the way to be friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed the food which is reasonably priced. My husband had the cowboy burger and said he would recommend it and I had the hunters chicken.. definitely be returning so thanks to the lovely staff for the kind welcome"