The 21 best restaurants in Northumberland
All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best restaurants in Northumberland. Find out more below, or for more Northumberland inspiration, see our guides to the region's best hotels, pubs, things to do and beaches.
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Best all-rounders
The Lord Crewe Arms
The surroundings alone make a trip to this restaurant worthwhile; a pin-neat estate village of honeyed-stone cottages that sits in the wooded valley of the River Derwent. The inn – the former abbot's lodging of a 12th-century priory – is an atmospheric jumble of stone-flagged floors and staircases, with a choice of dining rooms. Downstairs is best for cosy nights, upstairs for light summer evenings. Menus offer punchy Modern British dishes such as cod with roasted squash and hazelnuts or venison with faggot and fruits.
Area: Blanchland, south Northumberland
Website: lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk
Price: ££
Reservations: Recommended
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The Herald Scotland
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It's the kind of buzz that's impossible to ignore. Still, a conversation with one of Scotland's most celebrated culinary talents last month is what catapulted a visit to the capital city straight to the top of the to-do list. "Barry Fish is one of the newest restaurants to open in Leith,' Martin Wishart pointed out while discussing the neighbourhood for our Edinburgh series in June. "Barry Bryson has got a different style, which is great, and I think he will do extremely well." (Read more: Why are there so many Michelin Star restaurants in Leith?) When a chef who has held on to his Michelin Star for over two decades offers a restaurant recommendation, you follow it up. So here we are, overlooking The Shore from a room drenched in calming hues of olive green and gentle yellow while the weather bounces between glorious sunshine and vicious rain outside. 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Straying from the fish-led theme of the evening, we've chosen a wild card of pork confit croquettes (£11) out of sheer curiosity. Served in a pair, there's a hefty amount of tender, shredded meat hidden beneath a golden crust. Immensely enjoyable, but more of a safe bet for anyone not as enamoured by fruits of the sea. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot more going on in those fish starters. Onto the 'Mother Dish'. Pictured: Shelled Half Lobster – smoked salmon and lobster claw agnolotti, and brown butter sauce described by Bryson as the 'mother dish' (Image: Newsquest) You'd be forgiven for assuming the shelled half lobster would be the star attraction of this main course. But more compelling are the parcels of agnolotti below, stuffed with smoked salmon and lobster claw. Finished with liberal amounts of brown butter sauce, it's an elegant affair with real comfort food credentials (£35). The whole bream (£24) is quite something, tiny teeth still in its head and eyeballs glazed over during cooking, but a lack of squeamishness is instantly rewarded with the freshest of white fish sourced from Welch in Newhaven, which melts into a luxuriously silky chicken butter with shrimp. Pictured: Whole bream with shrimp and chicken butter (Image: Newsquest) Like the restaurant space itself, this food feels effortless and highly stylised all at once. No mean feat to pull off, but the team has really nailed it. Elsewhere, a side of deep-fried potatoes (£6) could have been crisped up just a touch more. As it stands, the slices are too dense to soak up any of the precious sauces and too limp for scooping, but salty and topped with plenty of leafy parsley and tarragon, they work well enough as a standalone. Pictured: Leith Lyonnaise Potatoes – deep fried new potatoes, onions, parsley (Image: Newsquest) The sun is slowly setting by the time we've reached puddings, choosing from a dessert section of just three options. There's been no holding back with the marmalade ice cream (£8). Don't expect a gentle nudge of orange; the contents of this small ramekin pack a mega bittersweet punch from homemade preserve beneath a layer of creme Brulée-style caramelised sugar that's ready to be cracked. Pictured: Chocolate caramel and marmalade ice cream (Image: Newsquest) The chocolate caramel (£11) is gentler on the palate. A two-toned dome that's mousse-like in texture and light enough to justify its place on the menu after generous main course portions. If you're sharing, do try to swipe the chocolate button from the top before your companion notices. "There is no formality at Barry Fish, other than the love and respect that we have for what we do," Bryson said upon opening earlier this year. "We are not a special occasion restaurant, but we do want to be a special restaurant." In many ways, after finally having my chance to dine at his first independent venue, I can truly appreciate what he means by that. Thanks again for the tip, Martin. Menu: A menu which evolves throughout the day is interesting, but does mean there were some bits like the crab focaccia that I was sad to miss out on. 4/5 Service: A small mix up with our mains was swiftly rectified, and the front-of-house team seemed confident yet comfortable in their roles. 4/5 Atmosphere: The food tastes even better thanks to the relaxed setting and welcoming vibes. Upon booking for dinner, we were informed that the table was ours for the night, so there was no fretting over finishing up before the next sitting. 4/5 Price:. For such high-quality produce, the prices here seem very reasonable, in particular the whole fish for £24. 4/5 Food: Gorgeous dishes that are refined yet unpretentious, I really enjoy Bryson's style. 8/10 Total: 24/30 Barry Fish is located at 62 Shore in Leith, Edinburgh.
