Blackbird Inn in Northumberland

Fabulous food, excellent service, will be back

Visited for roast dinner, we had beef dinners, beef came with massive portion however it had loats of fats, by the time you separate from.meat, half of the portion of beef was gone. Overall was a good meal

Didn't need the vegetable soup to start The the steak and ale pie came with a hige array of vegetables..

Food and service were excellent but it was a bit pricey for fish and chips.

Great Sunday lunch, we arrived without a reservation and were seated promptly in the upstairs restaurant. Fantastic food and great service.

LUNCH IN THE COVE-1300 Second visit with my Sister in 4 Months From initial Telephone Booking to The Meal To Checking out -the service and courtesy was 5# FOOD - the menu changed to Summer menu from our last visit (I had Monk Fish last visit) Today I had the Strips of Beef /Noodles -my Sister Fish pie Both meals were excellent -tasty and very nicely presented Staff (Charlotte) was attentive at the right level -and a real contrast to other venues where 'service' is an effort ATMOSPHERE The Cove /Restaurant was not huge -but it was full -and it can get quite 'lively/loud' -so Id recommend booking later if you want a quieter experience-having said that it wasnt too intrusive CONCLUSION Worthy of anyone's custom Thank you

Great food and friendly staff! Highly recommend it!

Very nice high-end pub. Kids welcome in the dining room until 9pm. Plenty of outdoor seating.

Really beautiful place with great food and drinks

Superb meal and staff very friendly and helpful

An absolutely cracking pub and restaurant

Good selection of drinks and the food was amazing

First visit last night. Beautiful food. Lovely location. Everything was spot on . Couldn't fault anything. Will definitely be back.

Excellent food, friendly staff and a beautiful old building. We always come here when staying at Newcastle airport before a flight as the short journey is well worth it compared to the mediocre dining options around the airport.

The Blackbird, is a well known, loved and tested local in Ponteland, Northumberland just outside of Newcastle. Always very hospitable with a collection of real ales, lagers wines and spirits. Judging from the blackboard, if you are a gin lover, this place would be right up your street! Good seating areas outside, with private parking ( you have to enter your vehicle's registration number into the machine inside the pub). The food features a good assortment for all tastes. 8th July 2024 It's now a few years since my first review of the Blackbird, but having been there last night for dinner I feel compelled to update the last review. STUNNING! It is great being back in the Newcastle area, on a short visit from home in Spain. And any visit to this area has to include the Blackbird on your itinerary. Being a traditionalist, I am always happy to find outlets who provide cask beers, and their bitter is one of the best, up there with Timothy Taylor's Landlord. Kept perfectly, poured with passion! A great pint. Their menu is full of creative dishes, and to be fair, difficult to choose from, such are the mouthwatering offers. We settled on lamb rump. We have just come off a French run ferry, on which, for dinner, we had roast lamb. Supposedly, the French know what they are doing when it comes to cuisine, but sadly, they got the lamb all terribly wrong. So you when this dish of perfectly cooked rump lamb arrived, served with mashed potatoes, peas and spinach, accompanied by mint sauce, my heart sang! Just a word about the presentation. Something we maybe take for granted, but when the establishment obviously pays such detailed attention to the presentation, it raises the stakes in terms of what you expect the food to taste like. And we were not disappointed! Served on a warmed plate, this tender lamb rump, medium dark pink in the middle, lightening towards the roasted edges - was perfection. Service both at the bar and from the staff in waiting is excellent, attentive and friendly. No wine with this meal, but next time we should attend to that lapse! Very fairly priced for quality that you won't find very often.

Good food, good in-house ale. Book a table.

Fab meal here after walking the dogs. They brought some water over for them. Drinks were quick to come out but food took about 40 mins. Not complaining though as they had the football on to watch in the meantime and when the food did come it was delicious and piping hot! Will definitely be back.

Nice location, friendly staff, booming lovely food.

Amazing building, good food, fantastic staff.

As a fat bloke, I'm not too happy about having a salad in a pub. Had the chicken and black pudding one here though and it was immense. Huge portions too, so don't order anything else!

Great restaurant for bringing visitors to...fine food and wonderful service. Delicious slow braised pork belly.

Amazing food and great service. I will be back for sure. Terrine of ham hock and supreme of chicken were delicious.

The food was first class. The inn was extremely busy and a little noisy, but the service was good.

Amazing food and beer. In a very nice location as well.

Great bar, staff and atmosphere

This was our second visit for a family meal and it didn't disappoint again. Warm atmosphere, friendly staff and superb food, at reasonable prices. Our new go-to place in Ponteland. Highly recommended.

Always a great atmosphere when I've been there...friendly and chilled.

We are lucky to have the Blackbird as our local. Always offers great food and service.

Good Sunday lunch at a good quality and price. Sensible balance between meat and veg and all very tasty. Would go back for sure.

Amazing Sunday lunch will definitely recommend amazing staff very efficient

Very friendly staff...lovely pub

Great atmosphere and staff, the food was delicious and a good size, I can't wait to come back.

Nice pub, my kind of style inside but definitely leans towards food and not so much drinks. I didnt see a seating area for drinks only, everyone had a sunday dinner in front of them so we sat outside which was nice. We had Guinness and wasnt very good, old style glass which is rare in UK (this a really good thing) but tasted tangy and quite watery. The lad serving knew how to pour Guinness so certainly nothing he was doing wrong. Id go back, id maybe just get something else next time.

Came as a large group here for dinner Saturday evening. Was seated upstairs. Very good service from the lady who attended to us all night. Food was fantastic. I had the filet steak which was cooked to perfection (medium rare). Everyone else was very happy with their meals also. The lamb shank in particular looked delicious. The decor and overall experience is excellent and I’ll definitely visit again should I be back in the area.

Enjoyed a fabulous Sunday lunch...good choice,quality and service. Booking is probably essential as it's very popular. Would recommend.

Great food, great service, excellent dining room.

Worst Sunday lunch ever, ,will never go again..

Amazing food , service and surroundings

Lovely Sunday lunches in a beautiful former battlement.

amazing atmosphere. food was really good! the plate presentation was fine dining quality. and my fury friend is welcome 🙏 my dog as well 😅😅😅

Great atmosphere good value friendly staff nice selection of beer and spirits also has a good selection of quality gins

This is a pub we call into now and again when passing. Somewhere you can sit and have a quiet drink. There's no one person or even group of people who feel the need to make sure the whole clientele hears them. They also play some good music also at a decent sound level.

enjoyed my meal at the blackbird ,nice lamb Henry and my partner had the pie and chips ,decent quality and friendly staff

Enjoyed a light bite lunch. Polite, friendly service.

Nice busy pub. Good atmosphere. Didn't have food but smells were amazing so expect food was good

Usually a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with family. Staff were also kind enough to find us a table even though we had managed to miss the requirement of a deposit (my bad!). Dining room was lovely and a great atmosphere; food was on the whole very nice apart from my partners meal. We never send food back but the pheasant she ordered was still raw in the middle which isn’t a problem as I know it is difficult to get pink. However, upon receiving it again it was still very raw in the centre; we were slightly embarrassed at this point so decided to mention it at the end. The manager said he would sort something out for us when we pointed it out but we never received anything once getting the bill other than a very unapologetic attitude for something that cost >£20. I expected some form of compensation and I’m not a massive moaner at restaurants as I know staff are under pressure at busy times, this experience made me wonder if I should be in future…. Won’t be coming back again for Xmas Eve despite being here last 4 years. Definitely would recommend for a drink though!

Met friends for lunch. Very popular pub, good food and friendly atmosphere.

Been a few times, was really quite quiet for a sat night but prefer that if I'm honest. Staff were great, decent pint and a nice place to be.

We ate here recently and have to say the food was fantastic. We stopped in for lunch and I had the Crispy Tandoori Chicken Burger, while my partner had the Posh Finger Sandwich. Both dishes were a good size and both very tasty. Maybe not the cheapest but we don't mind when the food is as good. Highly recommended.

Took the family for a Sunday roast. Definitely the best of the places we've tried recently! Beautiful old building, Prompt and friendly service. Quickly served, and even got to request how my meat was cooked! Great experience, and will definitely return!

Visited as part of a small group from U3A. Food service and pricing was excellent. But why only 2 Disabled Parking Spaces? The original, properly marked, spaces have been taken up by outdoor seating. I couldn’t see any others on arrival so gad to park towards the rear. On leaving i fid notice 2 spaces with a disabled badge stuck to the wall. This was hidden by cars already parked when i arrived. These spaces are not large enough to be real disabled spaces. This doesn’t really encourage those of us with mobility problems to return. Pity, because everything else was excellent.

Historic building with good food offer and service

Booked on line to entertain 3 cousins. 2 course Sunday lunch with drinks. Good value and standard of food and service. They are always busy but it is well organised and there is little time to wait for attention. Highly recommend the sirloin and my vegetarian cousin enjoyed the nut roast.

Didn't eat but will in the future

What a nice authentic place to eat in a lovely building with good food. No wonder it was nice and busy with a nice mix of locals. Highly recommended.

So phoned on Thursday to book lunch for 2 for sunday...All sorted ...so we turn up and find they have no record of our booking...this also happened 3 months ago,Luckily that time we got a table...So how about you do a tool box talk with your staff tomorrow morning and make sure they make a note of people's booking as clearly incompetence in the workplace...once I can forgive but not twice. WON'T BE BACK.

It was alright. Food was nothing that special. 2 fish and chips. Fish was greasy and should have been drained before serving. Chicken burgers were ok again nothing to rave about. Sorry but this hyped venue just didn’t push our buttons.

If I could give 0 stars, I would! Avoid at all costs, unless you want to be personally victimised and discriminated by the Assistant Manager John

Great pup. Food very good definitely worth a visit.

We booked a table for 8 and the service was excellent. Young lad brought the food and I couldn't praise him enough. When pubs get staff like him they really need to keep hold of them. I wish I got his name.

Beautiful, historic building with the best vegetarian Sunday roast I've ever had!

Delicious food and good gluten free or vegetarian options for starters and main. We were reassured by the manager that they use a separate fryer for gluten free. We didn't have dessert as the options were limited due to also having cream and oat allergies.

Really nice pub/restaurant with delicious food at a good price. We ordered sunday roast and it was awesome. There is otside sitting area too. 100% recommended.

Wonderful place. Very beautiful residence. Learn the car's registration number by heart (or take a photo) because you will be asked to record it when entering the restaurant in order to check that squatters are not taking advantage of the parking lot to go sightseeing elsewhere . Like, right in front of the restaurant, a cemetery with a church. I had the chance to attend the start of a burial ceremony. Participants are welcomed to the sound of bagpipes by a character in traditional costume. Impressive !!!

We sat outside on a pleasant lawn ar the back away from the road

Lovely place, will definitely go again x

Lovely food ! Good service from friendly staff and dog friendly.

Menus on Google maps are out of date prices are much higher now. I just think that the pictures on google maps of the menus need to be removed as they provide incorrect information about the pricing. Food on previous occassions was very good. The owner is aggressive and bullying in reply to my review.

Didn't eat here, but the food looked good. Very big pub, vefg nice interior, well looked after. Beer garden was OK, but road noise was a big of a issue. Choice of beers was fair. Highly recommended.

Stopped in here last weekend for a few drinks, myself and my OH parked in the car park provided and have both received parking fines today for not registering our vehicles at reception?? Never saw any signs in the car park and would have parked elsewhere had we not intended to visit the pub. Beer was ok, very disappointed at the hidden money spinner!!!

Very good coffee and very nice stuff

Food disappointing, Childrens meals even worse,left all of mine.

Good pub and decent beer and food. Could be a little cheaper. Imho Not a great deal of choice for vegetarian and vegan but good standard food

Only had a pint but beautiful old pub. Need to register yr car at the counter

Plenty Of Sitting area out side the blackbird inn,so brilliant when the sun's out,inside is tastefully presented,good atmosphere,food is reasonably priced,more restaurant prices tho,£18 for chicken breast dinner,which I have to say it was well cooked and presented like restaurant level,before 5pm there is a lunch time menu which is cheaper but nevertheless still decent choice ,drinks,,,,,a pint and bottle cider £8.90, so cheap enough drinks, Definitely recommend

47 years since l was last in here, but it won't be that long again, the whole evening was fabulous

Private function Room for my sons 21st . Great buffet and fantastic service by Vanessa who looked after allnof us .. thank you Vanessa for making tonight very enjoyable😉

Stopped off for lunch today and couldn't fault it. Lovely hot, freshly prepared meals (no reheating in the microwave) with all veg fresh and steak pie that melted in the mouth. Burger was nicely cooked and succulent. Staff were friendly and attentive and it's dog friendly. A lovely seating area outside too.

Definitely the best pub in Ponteland food and staff are always great

Didn't have food but have a new menu lovely place always popular look to have lots of outside seating and a very posh outside gazebo worth a visit

Very comfortable and laid back environment Staff were extra friendly with our dog.

Lovely place to stop and wet the whistle. A tad Ipricey at £3 for a coffee but worth it.

Really enjoyable relaxing experience

Love the atmosphere in this village pub. Food is always superb with great service.

Loved the Blackbird Inn in Ponteland. Went there by chance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Full of happy people coming and going which always makes for a nice experience. Had fish and chips and it was terrific food.

Lovely pub with great atmosphere

Expensive pub food. Lacks atmosphere.

Quick day time pint, marked the atmosphere down because no one was there. Didn't have food as it didn't start till 12 pint was good tho👍

When we arrived in the bar menus on the table, but waited and waited nobody came a d asked if we wanted a drink, had to go to the bar and ask if someone could take our food and drinks order ,the young waiter who served us was very pleasant , but were never asked if everything was OK or thank you for your custom.

I have driven by this place a few times and got the chance to call in and it did not disappoint…. Good service, plenty of places to sit and the food was very good. Definitely worth a visit and it’s nice to buy good and enjoy it :)

Great place to eat if you want something a little extra to pub food

First time at this historic Inn. Good food and service. Would definitely visit again.

Beautiful food as always. I had the pork dish and boyfriend had the gf burgers. Burgers had a lovely herb taste to them, chips were cooked to perfection. My pork dish just melted in your mouth! Would have that a hundred times over! Absolutely lovely. Always love coming to the blackbird when we’re in the area.

Lovely food , the real ale was not brilliant but at least it was on . Staff could not of been better, great experience.

Staff were very attentive and the Sunday lunch was lovely. The strawberry Eton mess was amazing!! 🍓 Will definitely be going back!

Had to park up the road as car park was full, a sign that the pub was busy. we hadn't booked but managed to get a table in the restaurant. The service from the manager and the waiter was exemplary. The food was very good and the portions were quite large. Thoroughly enjoyed it, would return in future.

At a birthday party . We'll set out and staff Very polite . Large carpark to the rear .

Decent pub for a few sunny afternoon drinks , but the food isn't as good as I expected , certainly not a picky reviewer but it seemed to not having much going on despite the intricate descriptions and price that accompanied. I'd read the reviews and expected better if I'm honest. Sunday lunch seems to get alot of the 5 star reviews here so possibly that is the star of the show. Overall nice pub friendly staff and decent enough food.

Food and service very good, had a few odd combinations on the menu

Good food, great service in fantastic surroundings. The bar is very cosy and traditional like a county pub should be. The restaurant in the older part of the building is like an old cellar with a vaulted ceiling, although it is a little cold