At Headlam Hall - County Durham

My husband, friends, and I recently dined on the 3-course holiday menu at this restaurant. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and attentive. It was a lovely afternoon and I would definitely recommend this place. I also noticed some people enjoying afternoon tea, which looked fantastic.

The food at this restaurant is amazing, with a carefully curated menu. The venison was absolutely delicious and the dessert was to die for. The setting is beautiful and the staff are helpful and friendly. Definitely worth the price.

I had Sunday lunch at this restaurant and it was absolutely fantastic. The food was beautiful and expertly presented, making it a delight to eat. Both the roast beef and pork dinners were outstanding. I also ordered a large side of cauliflower cheese, which was so delicious and creamy that it disappeared in no time. The entire meal was flawless. The service was attentive but not intrusive, creating a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience. The house wine was decent and a service charge was automatically included. I will definitely be returning to this restaurant in the future.

Sunday lunch yesterday (08/10/23. It wasn't great! Vegetables were very hard... A couple of times i had to pick them up with my fingers, because if i had forced the knife.. they would had crossed the room. Only 1 Yorkshire pudding ... Very minimum over all! There were other vegetables available, but you would have to pay extra for them... because they are classed as sides. Very expensive £19.50. Not worth the money! The serving staff were very lovely.

We booked a lunchtime meal at Headlam Hall today for my birthday because previously we have had very good experiences both for meals and the New Years Eve packages. I would not be writing this if either of the staff dealing with us had asked if we had enjoyed our meal or whether there were any problems-no-one did, hence the review. My partner was delighted with his starter-the salmon, but I was a bit disconcerted to find that a salad with goats cheese turned out to be a whole goats cheese with a garnish. My main problem was with my main course- belly pork with dauphinoise potatoes , cabbage and I think butternut squash. The reason I am unsure is because all but the pork was completely covered by a thick layer of very dark brown, glutinous `reduction`. It was the worst presentation of a meal I have come across in at least 30 years- more like a 1950`s school dinner. For many years now in hotels and restaurants we have been served meals with either gravy or a `reduction` being served in a separate container, with possibly some on the plate underneath the meat and vegetables-never smothered over everything. The offending `reduction`was also far too salty, and gave the impression it had been made with half a packet of gravy browning. Why did no one ask if there were any problems? Are Headlam Hall so complacent that they think there could not possibly be problems? Or are the serving staff-who were lovely-simply intimidated by the chef and unwilling to pass on complaints?