chloedickensonLast Updated on 8th May 2024
AD | This post about the best restaurants in Northumberland contains mentions of gifted experiences in collaboration with Visit Northumberland, plus affiliate links. Please see my disclaimer for more.
Finding the best restaurants in Northumberland was one of my top priorities when carrying out my usual research for the trip. I was excited to try out new places to eat in Northumberland, and whether it’s a small boutique cafe, a fancy restaurant or a boujee bar, I’m always so excited to discover new places to eat.
During our two trips to Northumberland last month, we managed to find some great restaurants, plus some incredible pub food in Northumberland that’s making me hungry just thinking about it now! If you’re looking for some great restaurants, bars and cafes in Northumberland during your trip, or you just want to scout out the best pub grub in Northumberland, check out my list of recommendations below!
P.S. Please note that many of these food experiences were during the UK easing of lockdown in April/May, and all information is correct at the time of writing in June 2021.
1. The Plough, Alnwick – best restaurants in Northumberland
The Plough in Alnwick was the first place that we ate at on our first trip to Northumberland and it was certainly an excellent way to get the foodie side of our trip started!
It was absolutely lashing it down with rain when we were there and as lockdown restrictions were only just lifting in the UK after the third national lockdown, we were only able to sit outside. Thankfully, The Plough had put up a huge gazebo area, but the rain was that bad, that it was actually blowing in sideways!
Aside from the dreadful weather, the food and drink at The Plough was divine.
With all the pubs and restaurants being closed for months in the UK, Matt had been saying how much he really fancied a proper gammon steak with fried egg and chips and that’s exactly what The Plough delivered. The gammon was succulent and juicy and while the fried egg could have been a bit runnier, it was still delicious, especially with the homemade chunky chips dipped in!
I went for the lasagne and a slice of garlic bread and when it was first brought out, I thought that the portion size looked pretty small, but it actually ended up being more than enough for me! The cheesiness of the lasagne was just right and the sauce was rich and creamy. My garlic bread slice was a tad dry and even though I’m the world’s biggest fan of garlic bread, this didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but the lasagne itself was truly delicious!
2. The Pantry, Bamburgh
Moving on to another incredibly famous place in Northumberland now and one where we had some of the best food in Northumberland during our trip; Bamburgh.
We visited Bamburgh on both our trips to Northumberland and the first place we stopped was The Pantry.
While it’s not technically a restaurant in Northumberland, it is an adorable little ice cream shop that also sells other assorted treats such as cheeses, pastries, pasties, and bread.
As soon as we walked past The Pantry, Matt said that he remembered going there as a child and that the ice cream was heavenly, so I knew I had to try it out for myself! We ordered the vanilla-flavoured ice cream which Matt assured me was the very best, but I was a little sceptical at first as I usually like to be a little more adventurous with my ice cream flavours!
I’m pleased to say that Matt was right however; it was absolutely delightful! It was so thick and creamy and the vanilla flavours were really prominent; The Pantry is definitely somewhere in Bamburgh to head to if you’re fancying a sweet treat!
3. R. Carter & Son, Bamburgh
R. Carter & Son is a beloved family butcher in Bamburgh that sells every kind of meat you can think of. It’s more than 134 years old, so you know that what you’re getting is truly a family-run business with generations of expertise.
We only headed in for a little look, and we came out with a homemade sausage roll and a pork and apple sauce sandwich! The sausage roll was thick and decadent and while I’m a huge lover of Greggs sausage rolls, there’s really nothing like a hearty, homemade one!
My pork and apple sauce sandwich was also very yummy and I was happy that it was positively stuffed with pork; sometimes you only get a handful of filling in a sandwich, but that certainly wasn’t the case with the one from R. Carter & Son!
As well as delicious sandwiches and a smorgasbord of meat offerings, the family butchers also sell everything from honey to pies to homemade soups and casseroles!
4. The Castle Inn, Bamburgh – best restaurants in Northumberland
The Castle Inn in Bamburgh is another one of the best restaurants in Northumberland that Matt recommended from his childhood trips there with his family.
It’s got a huge inside eating area, in a sort of conservatory-style dining room, plus seating in the actual bar area and an enormous beer garden that’s ideal for romantic couple dates, or for a pub visit as a whole family on your trip to Northumberland.
We were both craving “proper” pub food and it’s safe to say that The Castle Inn delivered beyond our expectations. Matt went for the steak and kidney pie with chips and veg and he was pretty impressed with it and said that the food was just as good as he remembered from his visits as a kid.
I went for the trio of lamb chops with creamy mashed potato, veg and mint sauce gravy. The mashed potato was indeed insanely creamy and the lamb chops were incredibly flavoursome; I did find them a tad fatty, but I think that’s nearly always the case with lamb unless you pay an extortionate price for ridiculously fine quality ones!
5. The Craster Arms, Beadnell
On our second trip to Northumberland, we stayed at Farne Lodge in Beadnell which was situated pretty much right next door to The Craster Arms (much to our delight) and I think this might have been my number one favourite place to eat in Northumberland across both our trips!
I had the buttermilk chicken burger with grilled halloumi, sriracha mayo and skinny fries and it was absolutely delightful. I’m a sucker for a good chicken burger anyway, but this really was delicious; the sriracha mayo was so yummy and I only started liking halloumi really recently, but I’m pleased to say the offering on my chicken burger at The Craster Arms only cemented my liking for it even further!
Matt had the classic wagyu burger which came with streaky bacon, cheese and the “house” sauce, which we weren’t actually sure what it was, but it tasted scrumptious nonetheless. While Matt did thoroughly enjoy his burger, he did say that mine was better (and I agreed), so if you fancy a burger at The Craster Arms, go for the buttermilk chicken offering 😉.
6. Shoreline Cafe, Craster
The last place that we ate at before we headed back home from Northumberland was the Shoreline Cafe in Craster, just after we’d been to Dunstanburgh Castle.
It’s a lovely little cafe with wonderful staff who are all so friendly and welcoming. The menu isn’t vastly extensive, but there are more than enough lunchtime-appropriate dishes to choose from including sandwiches, toasties, scones, sausage rolls, cakes and more.
Matt and I both opted for a toastie which was served with crisps and a little side salad; I had the tuna melt and Matt had the ham and cheese. To say that it wasn’t the most “out there” food, we both had a truly enjoyable dining experience at the Shoreline Cafe and I’d highly recommend it as a place to eat in Craster.
7. The Jolly Fisherman, Craster
We didn’t actually get the chance to eat at The Jolly Fisherman while we were in Northumberland because it gets crazy busy and we couldn’t get a table (which is why we went to the Shoreline Cafe instead and I think that was an excellent alternative!), but I wanted to include it in this list of the best restaurants in Northumberland as so many people recommended it, both online and in-person whenever I asked for food and drink recommendations in Northumberland!
I think it’s safe to say that we ate pretty well during our time in Northumberland and I would happily recommend each and every one of these places to eat and drink in Northumberland if you’re planning a trip there!
Related posts:
- The Best Things To Do In Northumberland – Top Attractions & Sights
- Doxford Barns Farmhouse Lodge – Best Places To Stay In Northumberland
- The Ultimate Guide To Alnwick Castle – Everything You Need To Know
- Farne Lodge Beadnell Review – Best Places To Stay In Northumberland
- The Best Castles In Northumberland – Top Historic Sites
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Do you have any other recommendations or places to add to this list of the best restaurants in Northumberland? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.
