CDJ Darwen in Blackburn with Darwen

We went for Sunday Lunch with friends. The atmosphere and restaurant was very lovely. The starters were good but the mains were a bit disappointing. We were there earlyish @ 1pm but there was already no Beetroot Wellington available. There was no horseradish sauce to have with the roast beef. I’m not sure the roast Chicken Supreme was as it should be. It seemed to be a small chicken breast as there was no wing or bone. The cauliflower in cheese was hard. After reading previous reviews which were so good I think we were just expecting better.

Sunday lunch lovely, service not great, came across as disorganised

Visited yesterday with family for lunch. I highly recommend visiting here. The food is absolutely amazing, the atmosphere is great and the venue is beautifully set out. Spotlessly clean and friendly staff. Reasonably priced given the quality of the food.

High end re food, service, was spot on with a smile, nice comfortable venue, chef very visible which is a nice personal touch, very busy and hope it continues, highly recommend.

Been wanting to go for a while, and the things I've heard have really lived up to it. The restaurant is amazing and the bar brilliant didn't want to take a picture of it with everyone being busy, but it looks amazing. Now the food didn't have the tapas but that will happen next time I visit, I had the chicken burger and my wife had the fish and chips. Amazing great food at a really good price, credit to chef Dan and the whole team. Great to have a place like this in Darwen.

Food is excellent as always, but the service leaves a lot to be desired! No structure, no one person overseeing the inexperienced staff. Wine opened at the bar instead of at the table.Had to ask for water for the table 3 times before finally getting some. Was not offered a dessert menu had to ask yet again. We keep going cause of the delicious food and hoping the service would have gotten better. Unfortunately, it hasn't. Try to address it, please, as it is letting the place down. This visit was for Sunday lunch, 4 adults and 1 child.

Incredible food!! Came across this place through Instagram and gave it ago. We did the Sunday menu which was the Sunday lunch and I've got to say it's one of the best dinners I've ever had😁. We eat out every week and this is my new favourite place. Nice work chefs👩‍🍳

Excellence at a reasonable cost. Good atmosphere on the day we ate, staff attentive, food delicious

Sunday food n drinks 5 Stars... Hats off..Just the best Sunday dinner you can get IMO. Shouts to 'Will!' and staff who looked after us impeccably... made our visit the best experience. Keep it up everyone involved... To anyone thinking of going... Go!

Very poor service Food I'm sure give me bad guts won't be going back

We had a lovely evening with good food, fab staff and lively atmosphere!

Had to wait 10 minutes to be seated even though we had booked a table in advance of turning up. Ordered 4 steaks, 1 medium, 2 medium rare and 1 rare. The medium steak came out medium rare, the 2 medium rare steaks came out rare and the rare steak was blue! Had to send the “rare” steak back as was inedible, we bared with the others. Usually I wouldn’t complain but when you’re paying the money that you are then you expect it to be correct. Have had much better steak for much less money. Decor of the place is very nice and modern which will satisfy the instagram crowd. Atmosphere is loud, very loud… I couldn’t hear what the people on my table were saying half of the time. Wait times are also an issue, we only had 2 courses (steak and then a dessert) and from when we were seated till when we finished dessert was almost 2 hours! Service staff very sarcastic and rude when we asked for the service charge to be removed from the bill, I don’t think we received very good service, simple as that.

First visit to the new restaurant in Lower Darwen, we will definitely return.

This is a hidden gem. The food was delicious, modern and well priced. This is top quality food prepared by a great team and lead by a great chef. Chef Dan was welcoming and incredibly generous. This is high end food served in a great environment. Brilliant food experience.

Walked in and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was, very welcoming staff let us have a drink at the bar before we were seated. The waiting staff were attentive without being in your face, and the dining room was very nice to be in. The atmosphere was a bit loud while we were sat eating but it was ok. Now, the food... I shared a tapas menu and all.i can say is WOW, it was amazing. Tasty and just the right amount to let youbtaste it and not fill you up. That being said, I was stuffed when I'd finished. You may think it's expensive, I spend just under £100 for two but it was worth it. I will go back again.. Highly recommended 👌

Took my bestie for lunch here yesterday and oh my were we in for a treat. Food absolutely amazing like Michelin Star 🌟 quality. Bestie from Blackpool and said she would travel here to bring her hubby and try coming in the evening as it will have a different vibe. Only 1 negative I could be picky about is please get a coffee machine 😉

Visited for the 1st time on Friday evening. Everything from the moment we arrived was perfect. Our servers couldn't do enough and explained all the menus perfectly. We both ordered from the steak menu (surf and turf) and a side between us. The food was excellent and the whole evening was perfect. Already booked to come back in a couple of weeks with friends and can't wait to try the tapas menu. Thank you

Tapas was lovely last night, complements to the chef! The place has been done up really nicely and very relaxing.

It’s a Wow! Travelled 30 miles from Dukinfield after a friend’s recommendation… Absolute superb food well done Dan & shout out to Holly who looked after us ! Will be back for the Cheese & Onion Pie .. Thank you

Great atmosphere and amazing food, highly recommend

And now for something completely different…. My partner and I stumbled across this bar/restaurant today and sat outside soaking up the glorious sun and fabulous ambiance of this really special place! Service was great - well trained, attentive staff made sure that all our needs were met. Now to the star of the review - the food. Being a Sunday we learned that they presently serve a special menu limited to Sunday lunch (ie no small plates or tapas). However, we were not at all disappointed - in fact quite the opposite! We started with the soup poured around lemon gnocchi and the chicken parfait served with the yummiest homemade orange marmalade - both accompanied by freshly baked and still warm bread rolls - delicious and very different - we knew that we were onto a winner! For mains we chose the lamb shank and chicken supreme - each tasted fabulous however the lamb shank was on the small side. The accompanying Yorkshire puds and gravy were delicious as was the proper roast potatoes with rosemary . We really like the range of veg and the extra side of cauliflower cheese is to die for. The overall presentation of all dishes was excellent! However, one minor point much of the veg (apart from the roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese), was only lukewarm. The rest of the experience was so good though and we will be back for sure! Highly recommended- thank you and well done 👍

If I could give 10 stars I would! Food is incredible and what is missing from the town. Service is great and I cannot recommend it enough!

There is no doubt that Chef Dan Jolley and his team shine through with the standard and quality of food. We shared 6 small plates tapas all with equal success. The service team were friendly and just need a bit more attention to detail of service. The biggest factors that pulled the whole experience down was the atmosphere : Walking into a wall of music akin to a disco at decibel levels that made your ears bleed was disconcerting. Thank you for turning the music down to a decent level. The main problem was the off street walk ins on a Darwen pub crawl getting leathered accompanied with Harry Potter showing on a big screen TV next to the bar. It’s early days - week 3 of opening so I really hope you find your fit, as the food was truly brilliant.

Didn’t have food but was told it’s amazing. Last time I was here 12-15 years ago it was a dive. This time new name new ownership & it show. The place is great. The staff are so friendly and welcoming. Drink prices are on point. What you would expect if not cheaper from this type of establishment. Next time I’m visiting family my wife & myself will definitely be back here.

We dined here yesterday. The food was excellent and the place has been renovated to a very high standard! We will be going again!

Excellent food, service, drinks & atmosphere. We recommend the chefs table at the kitchen to see everything & everyone in action. Would highly recommend!

Beautiful restaurant, amazing food and great atmosphere, would highly recommend

We came on the second night of opening for food at the new Lower Darwen venue. WOW. Food fantastic, great selection of beers and wines. The whole place is classy and has an added benefit of having an outside drinking area. Hopefully that’ll be covered and heated / blankets in those autumn months when walking the dog! Will 100% be going again. And again.

Outstanding food and super-friendly service. Tapas that actually delivers. Genuinely cool Mediterranean vibe - a bit of Andalusia in Darwen! Can’t wait to come back and try the Sunday lunch ‘family-style’ when this place is fully open.

Brilliant food we was seriously impressed, everything down to the tomato with the steak was delicious. Can’t wait to visit the new place in lower Darwen!

A group of us visited CDJ last week and had a good meal but with disappointing service, which sadly let the whole thing down a bit. From the moment we arrived it felt like we were being rushed through the meal, with waiting staff trying to get orders from us only a minute after sitting down, and clearing up plates while people were still eating. We even had the kitchen close up when we might have ordered more food. We felt a bit cheated too as we'd been asked by the restaurant to come later than our booking, as another group was overrunning. We were happy to do this but it just seemed to result in us being more rushed as staff clearly wanted us wrapped up and gone. All in all, it was a real shame as a lot of the food was great, but the service totally took the shine off the experience.

Dan's smashed it every time we have visited. The team are friendly with service with a smile. Steak night is a must!

Visited this evening and had a great experience, drinks were incredible! Every cocktail was spot on, staff were so lovely. Would highly recommend x

Amazing food, we loved every dish that we had! Plus lovely atmosphere with great service and a singer on too. Highly recommend.

Just returned from first time here, all i can say is go!!! The food is just absolutely delicious. It’s so reasonable for the taste sensation. It’s proper chef tapas that’s unbelievably presented. I will be returning again soon. Best meal I’ve had in ages!

Wonderful! Absolutely fabulous Tapas, great service and ambience. Dan is a great guy, down to earth but clearly a professional chef. A shining star in Darwen. Very competitively priced Prosecco too. cannot fault this restaurant.

As always the food is excellent and we just love the music and atmosphere of this unique restaurant

I’ve been to CDJ’s three times now. Once from the main tapas menu, once from a taster menu and once at a bottomless brunch. All three have been fantastic. We have been really looked after by the team, especially Bella and Danny. There’s a relaxed vibe here, highly recommend ! Thank you so much we be back.

Beautifully presented and tasty tapas lunch. Not cheap but well worth it. Staff very pleasant and surroundings festive.

Another amazing meal at CDJ. This place is incredible. I'm back again next week can't wait.

We had such a fantastic experience at CDJ Darwen. The service, food, wine and atmosphere were all outstanding. We had tapas and it was delicious

Booked a table of 5 for my friends birthday, we chose the bottomless brunch option and OMG it was amazing! 90 minutes of the highest quality tapas food I opted for the chicken thigh and the salt cod croquettes... food heaven! All washed down with unlimited cocktails U the strawberry daiquiris were absolute perfection « I was too full to eat the dessert! Plenty to chose from on the menu l'II definitely be returning and recommending to all my friends!!

Could not find a fault in either the Chefs or the waitresses, absolutely brilliant. It has taken me 77 years to find out what food should really taste like, and I am particularly ( so I'm told )

Some great tapas some so not so (wouldn't reccomend the chicken kiev), good atmosphere but if you want cocktails try elsewhere.

This was some of the best Tapas I have had. Not just your usual everyday Tapas, but unusual combinations, and very exciting to taste. Loved the decor in the place and the music playing in the background. Great atmosphere.

Amazing food, amazing service, friendly staff, visit every 2 weeks 😀

Well, what can say…. This restaurant really surprised me. The food and service was excellent 👌 It’s reasonably priced and we all had a fantastic evening. I will definitely be going again and would highly recommend this to anyone. No deep fried tapas, all freshly made and authentic. 💃

Holy cow, wow! Blown away. Every single thing we tried was absolutely delicious. Quality ingredients used, excellent friendly and efficient service. Great ambiance. One very happy customer

Went here for the steak night and my expectations were high after reading the reviews. But WOW! Unbelievable food, pure magic. The only place to eat in darwen. Thank you Dan and team for a fantastic evening.

OMG! Why have we not eaten here before the food was magnificent and I will be going back very soon. Thankyou. 🥂

First time visiting this evening, everything was beyond perfect. The food was outstanding and the owner Dan, extremely welcoming. Do not give this place a miss!

Absolutely amazing food, very friendly staff, we will be back for more. Best restaurant for miles.

You can always judge a good chef on how they cook a steak... and the steak at CDJs was perfect. Thick piece of rump cooked exactly how I liked it, beautiful fresh tempura onion rings, the chips were like little fluffy clouds of perfect potato and lovely peppery peppercorn sauce. We had to wait for the rice pudding dessert to be cooked fresh! Which gave us time to let the steak settle a bit, but it was also amazing! Highly recommended!

Best food I've eaten locally for a long time, fantastic

I must say, we came here for breakfast and it was the best breakfast I have had, we loved it that much I booked my Mrs birthday meal here and left me tell you, the food is just incredible, cooked perfectly, sauces, presentation and flavours were amazing. The atmosphere was really nice, we got there about 6 so we would miss the rush. The services was as you would expect from a high standard restaurant, very good. It is an expensive place to eat, but the bigger picture it is actually very reasonable, you really get your moneys worth. We will be back. Thank you

Literally the best food around, hands down.

Visited with a few friends and we absolutely loved it. We did the 3 for £18 and didn’t think tapas dishes would fill us that much but it was the perfect amount. Stunning food with unique flavours. Service from the 2 girls was swift and friendly, not over bearing. Definitely hoping to be back before I relocate !

This place is just awesome. Cannot fault it at all. CDJ is our favourite local restaurant. The food is such quality and always delicious. I could bang on and on about this place but just cutting to the chase, if you’re reading this review and wondering if you should book in. Do yourself a favour and book. You won’t be disappointed! 10/10

What a gem! This gorgeous little restaurant has quickly become my favourite local spot! Run by a very talented chef, CDJs serves up delicious food of the highest quality every single time! Very lucky to have it on our doorstep! Definitely a must visit if you get the chance.

Amazing brunch with layers of flavours and textures. Good veggie and pescatarian options. Only criticism would be the music on too loud, felt like a nightclub. But they turned it down for us. Thank you for a tasty meal, we will definitely be returning 😍

Genuinely some of the best food I have ever eaten, will definitely be back, great decor, great food and great service, me and my partner were both blown away

Excellent. Really tasty well presented food. Staff friendly and attentive will definitely go again

Food tasted amazing service was great Personally I just wished there were more vegan options. Would recommend for anyone.

Thank you so much for a great experience! Your food, your staff and your restaurant are amazing! Mark and Jo

Cant praise this place enough.. food is top shelf.. if you don't try this place yer missing out

Extremely impressed. Fabulous. Absolutely over the moon. Sublime food. Such attention to detail. Delicious doesn't describe. Delectable. Downside? Uncomfortable chairs. Service informative and spot on but 3 out of 3 drinks orders were delivered incorrectly, but hey ho, they were busy and it was resolved. I didn't check the loos. Next time.

Lovely place for some breakfast, food was delicious, not keen on their choice of music but they were happy to change it for us, listening to heavy metal whilst trying to have a quiet breakfast!

Little Gem of a place. Food is amazing and so is the staff and the setting. Heart warming and cozy. Would recommend

You need to go to this place!! The best small plates, always changing, great music, helpful staff and good wine.

Called in off the cuff and so glad that we did. Hands down the best food around, fresh and everything cooked perfectly. Nice friendly staff and great atmosphere.

We enjoyed a fabulous meal tonight at CDJ and we will certainly be coming back again.

Fantastic little germ in centre of Darwen! If you havnt tried it yet your missing out

Had Tapas. Absolutely stunning. Tiger prawns, short rib of beef outstanding, harrisa chicken delightful koftas. I won't be going anywhere else for fabulous tapas. . If you come for nothing else get the tiger prawns and beef shortrub. Unbelievable x talented clever cooking

The second time dining here this time for the tapas menu with friends , every single dish was exquisite and not a single thing we didn't enjoy there is nowhere else like it locally and I can't recommend to visit here enough! All the staff were lovely and the waitresses too! Thankyou for a lovely night!

I have previously reviewed CDJ but after trying the new Tapas menu on its first night, I thought it was worth another review due to the high quality. Absolutely fantastic food, as always at CDJ. A wide variety of dishes to choose from; meat dishes, fish dishes, veggie dishes and of course desserts. We had a table for 8 booked, so, as you can imagine, a lot of dishes required - all the food came out in good time and was super fresh I cannot compliment Dan and the team enough for maintaining such a high standard of service and cooking Would give 6 stars if I could - 110% recommend that everybody tries it!

Hands down best tapas we’ve ever had, great service and super-friendly atmosphere. Came all the way from Sweden for this!

Excellent food and service, well worth a look.

THE best Full English ive ever had. Every bit of it as tasty as the rest. Boshhh

Great place, and the food is absolutely amazing. I can't wait to go back enough times to try everything else on the menu.

2 visits now. Food is amazing. Next visit will be steak night. Really great food and more people need to come down and appreciate the quality. You don’t get this standard of food in some of Manchester’s best restaurants.

All I can say about the food here is WOW! It was the best food I have eaten for a long long time. Staff were super friendly, the live artist was fantastic and the food blew us away. I thought steak and chips and fish and chips couldn't be special. They were. We will definitely be back

Second time back (and second review) - this place is absolutely amazing. It's a 90-minute round trip for me, and I'm going back next week. Dan is a top top chef.

Top rate food and service all around

We had breakfast here today and it was absolutely spot on, probably the one of the best full English I've ever had. Great service etc too. Well be back one night to sample the evening menu

Quality well cooked well displayed food.

Eaten here a few times and never disappointed, Chef Dan is extremely talented and the team are so polite amd look after the customer. Food is so tasty, no matter what you try its fresh and tasty. Been for breakfast with my son today and going back later with the wife its that good.

Had an amazing meal at CDJ last night, we went for steak night it must have been THE BEST steak I've had in years, and so reasonably priced, topped with great service, and loved the live singer. Can't wait to go back again, already planning on a brunch there soon. This is a little gem, 1000% recommend.

Really enjoyed the food, we ordered the steak chips, chicken and burger. All of it was delicious, well prepared and really tasty. Finally a decent recent in the area that does good food and well priced.

Absolutely lovely place, modern fresh great tasting food. Would definitely recommend.

Food is unreal 👌 came for lunch with a few colleagues, really accomodating staff and food was fantastic! Thanks guys will be back soon 🔥

Great food and lovely service, will be back soon 👍

I’m so lucky to have CDJ on my doorstep! pretty much all dishes are gluten free and have a Vegan/ Veggie option. I have been several times since it’s opening (dine in and food to go) and it’s already my favourite place to eat in Darwen. Extremely tasty food, made from quality ingredients and still healthy! Service is always exceptional too.

One of the best restaurants I’ve been to in a long time. Top chef, very clever cooking, great service. Casual dining, but really top quality food. Wish I lived closer. A lot of thought and effort goes into the food and service. Top notch.

I had lunch here with my family yesterday (6 of us in total - ages 20s up to 60s) and everything was excellent! Very friendly, attentive staff and nice decor. We all had something different from the menu which was clearly well thought-out by the chef & very delicious. Loved the attention to detail; down to the berry garnishes in our soft drinks! - the small efforts that make a huge difference! If you can’t tell we were all very impressed and will definitely be back. It’s also great to see someone take a risk opening this in Darwen as places like this will really help develop the area.

I’ve visited several times now over the past few weeks and can safely say this is one of the best restaurants around & most definitely the best in town Tasty, fresh and plenty of choice. Staff are all really nice and very helpful and attentive and the quality of the food is next level Have introduced several friends and family to CDJ and all have loved it Cannot recommend enough 🙌🏼