Church Mouse in County Durham

Excellent service from start to finish. Rory made the visit special and ensured we had everything we needed. Will be back

Great time at the church mouse. Food great. All staff were great. Especially Rory who served us, super helpful and friendly.

Excellent service from our waiter ELLA who was very attentive and polite overall a nice friendly atmosphere would definitely recommend and will certainly be back again.

Excellent table service from Caitlyn. We were sat outside on a sunny day. The food was delivered by a very friendly member of staff. Would recommend

excellent food and fantastic service we were here for my mams birthday and it was incredible. we were served by liam who was amazing he even brought out a birthday board for my mams dessert

Came today with my husband and was served food by a lovely young lady who attended to our every needs- didn’t manage to catch her name but she had glasses and hair up in a ponytail. She was very attentive to us and all the other tables orders, thank you!:)

Situated next to a Travelodge in Chester le Street. A lovely welcoming pub with beams,log fire,comfy seating and delicious food. We ate here three times..twice for dinner and once at lunch time. Each time the food was really tasty and beautifully presented. Staff were friendly and helpful...thank you to Matthew Rob,Kate and Caitlin for looking after us so well. If visiting on a Sunday I would advise reserving a table as their Sunday Carvery is very popular (with good reason 😋😋) Vist their website to see menus ...reasonably priced for the quality of food.

Great time and food at the church mouse. Havent been in a while and will be coming back. All staff were great. Especially Rory who served us, super helpful and friendly.

Met a friend for lunch and despite the fact it was very quiet we waited a long time to be seated despite them knowing we were standing there. The man was miserable and was practically inaudible we had to ask him to repeat which table it was he wanted us to sit at. The lady serving us was equally miserable and never even smiled at anytime when she came to take orders or deliver our food - not exactly welcoming! The service was slow despite there only being a handful of other diners. The food was just ok - we opted for sandwiches with fries and the fries were luke warm and very hard I left most of mine. I asked for tomato ketchup and was given a glass bottle of it with very little in and it was impossible to get any out. Overall a very underwhelming experience no wonder it was almost empty. It looks like it should be a warm welcoming environment but despite the roaring fire the staff and poor service and food made it cold and unwelcoming. Have been a number of times before but won’t be back.

Fantastic fish and chips today cooked to perfect and very very tasty highly recommended can't wait to go back 10/10 .....

Food was amazing! Had the venison pie Rory and Kate were on the ball!!! Cocktails were on point! Thank you guys everyone’s customer service was first class

To Ray, Rory, Chris and all your staff, We just wanted to say a massive thank you for our lovely time yesterday at The Church Mouse for Mum’s 95th birthday for 25 of us, who had travelled from all over the country to celebrate. You kindly gave us a whole room to ourselves for our festivities, which made it extra-special. Everyone commented on their wonderful food, the cosy festive setting and how attentive the staff were - from serving our food by individual names (taken from our pre-order list) to taking and delivering drink orders at the table. The food was of an exceptional quality and several people commented how lovely it was to receive a piping hot bowl of soup that was in a heated bowl to keep it hot until it was finished. These little touches of attention to detail made it extra special. Mum had a day to remember with four generations of our family reuniting on such a happy occasion. We will definitely be back.

Really nice welcome, the pub was cosy and warm. 5 friends having a chat up, we were well looked after by our server Tracey, we all enjoyed our food. Will be back.

Booked a table for 12.00pm and arrived to an ample, though empty carpark. Inside, the decor was very tastefully traditional, real fires were burning and straight away had a cosy feel to the place. Alec, our server, showed us to our table, (and have to say, I’ve just retired from 40 yrs+ in hospitality and would have loved Alec working for me!) where he took our drinks order, giving us a few minutes to peruse the menu. We chose a trio of meat, (belly pork, turkey & beef) and a beef Sunday lunch for us. Wow!!!! The quality, quantity and amazing presentation of our plates was a joy to behold! Tasted glorious too!! 10/10!! By now, pub was full and of main plates we could see being delivered to other diners, couldn’t imagine they’d be disappointed!! We each had a mango & passion fruit Eton mess for dessert-scrumptious!! Paid a little more than other places for Sunday lunch, but, it was soooooo worth it!! Service(Alec) & Food 10/10!! Will most certainly return!

We came on a busy Saturday and despite this we could not fault the service at all. We were served by Sophie and Rory, both of them fantastically attentive, friendly and left us feeling safe in their hands. One of the party have a severe nut allergy and this was not an issue for the kitchen, even down to the detail of bringing out replacement freshly washed cutlery - it was so appreciated as you don’t get this level of service everywhere. The food was delicious, came quickly, and there were no issues at all. Thank you to Sophie, Rory, and the team at the Church Mouse, we can’t wait to be back!

Best Sunday dinner I’ve had in years. They footed us in without a booking and Alec was lovely and deserves a raise! Would go back in a heart beat

Superb service and excellent food, the lamb rump Sunday lunch was beautiful and Caitlyn was a great server, efficient and polite.

Went for the sunday dinner, service was great and the food was unreal, 10/10. Mathew was a slay you should give him a raise.

I went here for a birthday meal with family and the food was lovely. I was given a lovely happy birthday dessert from the chef (Thank you). The waitress Caitlin went above and beyond to help us. Will definitely be going back. T

Booked for 6.30pm, arrived on time and checked in ok and covid safety measures explained. Ordered a drink and food within 10 mins. We then waited for a while hour before our food arrived. No apology and when asked the reason for delay was told...

We fancied a run out for lunch and found this pub on google Looked lovely from outside, nicely furnished inside, good pint of Peroni, service was good, but the food was below average in our opinion. I had a sirloin steak and it had gristle...

Social distancing was effected well here. Good choice of food - varied menu - and what had was well cooked and well presented. Staff were consistently good

We were staying at the Travelodge next door so took advantage of the Church Mouse next door. We booked for 7pm on a Friday evening. The place was extremely busy so we did have to wait a bit for our meals to arrive. My friend...

Stopped here for lunch on fairly long trip, initially place looks nice and has a good feel to it. We were asked a few questions on arrival and then asked to scan a QR code. At no point was it intimated to us that only...

After our recent visit for lunch on Sunday 30th August I feel the need to voice my opinion about the poor meal we received. 1- Turkey Sunday Lunch - It was Poor, it was luke warm and it appeared to be pre packed shop bought...

We often return here because whilst one would perhaps not expect such quality from a ‘chain’ they consistently provide good quality food and service. They are also one o& the few restaurants in the North East who have really prepared and handled covid regulations perfectly...

We've only just returned home after what should have been a superb meal. My husband had a luke warm starter of kofta kebabs, my starter was pate and I've got to say it was delicious. We then waited 35 minutes for our mains, cold cod...

Visited tonight as a family of 8, and received fabulous friendly service from Jimmy. He looked after us so well without bothering us. The food was lovely too, the fantastic burgers and delicious puddings were really well priced. The pub itself is a gorgeous cosy...

Booked a table online and had to make an amendment to the booking. One phone call and the gentleman that answered the phone was very accommodating. Arrived and was seated promptly, having the Covid changes explained clearly. The meal was good and served quickly and...

Waitress could n't be bothered, and meal was very dry and i would say reheated Frozen chips, lettuce and a dry piece of chicken. Had better meal in a cafe.

Booked a table for 7.30 at The Church Mouse Arrived a bit early and was shown to our table by friendly staff Ordered a couple of drinks while we looked over menus We ordered prawn cocktail and Pate for starters , Duo of Lamb and...

Disappointed! £15.95 lamb shank Sunday dinner....scraps of meat inside a very dry tough outer “shell”!!! Potatoes, tasted reheated. Very disappointed. Mentioned to staff and got an apology from the kitchen....a reduced bill would have been more acceptable. Staff very pleasant and good service. Sorry I...

We used to go to the church mouse on a regular basis as the food was always excellent. Certainly in the last Two years the food has definitely went down hill and we have gone else where. Post lock down we thought we would give...

We did not know what to expect as our first time out since Lock down. But we were not dissapointed at all. We were greeted at door the man explained all details to us. We were shown to our seats and a lovely waitress came...

The church mouse always does amazing food, their menu offers a variety for lunch and dinner. Staff are very helpful and friendly! And you can bring your fur friends along too, it's a great dinning experience with all the family. The food is definatley worth...

We booked at short notice and were accommodated easily, despite the eat out to help out promotion. The service was superb and the food did not disappoint. I have found, post lockdown, that staff in the hospitality industry are doing a remarkable job in difficult...

Didnt mention anywhere on their site you had to pay by card. Had booked it a week in advance to be told we couldn't pay cash when we arrived. The guy had a terrible attitude aswell. Wont ever go here again

As per the title, this was our second but definitely our last visit. We had checked the reduced menus online, as noticed straightaway the menus were drastically reduced to pre covid days. It stated online that the menu online is the one they were now...

Hadn't been to this place for a couple of years for a meal....always thought it was "ok".. nothing special Went on Sunday night and didn't know what to expect. With social distancing in place I was wary....but needn't have been . The house burger was...

Am writing this while still in the restaurant!! Out for a meal with hubby (which was a rare event even before lockdown) and I was a bit apprehensive about how social distancing would work and if there would be nice gluten free options x We...

Booked Sunday lunch for a birthday celebration. Lovely venue . Very varied menu , all food was well presented and tasty . Steak and ale pie especially nice . We were able to decorate table area with banners and balloons , staff were lovely bringing...

Sorry, I had to borrow the title of a previous review as it is so appropriate. Have always considered Vintage Inns the best of the chain pubs and use them regularly but there is a degree of inconsistency. Visited first night staying at the Travelodge...

Called in today for a coffee and a bacon sandwich with my wife. We had to send the bacon sandwiches back. There was nothing in them but fat. Yuck. They replaced them and they were a bit better but still pretty dire. They're served in...

Stayed at Travelodge in adjoining building for one night. Great pub/restaurant, friendly, good service & food, well presented. Only downside was expensive real ales. When working in thIs area I will definitely stay and eat here.

Had a family gathering for lunch, two course special for most plus children’s menu. Most people were reasonably happy, the staff and service was good, waitress was brilliant with the kids and took care to get the order right. I write the review mainly about...

This place has gone downhill badly since my last visit 18 months ago. My meal turned up and the peas were cold. I returned it and then it came back with the fish cold. The staff were uninterested and unhelpful. I would avoid this place...

Fantastic meal fantastic service by Chloe. Greeted shown to out table. Came for drinks order. Then let us browse menu with no hurry.

Had lunch here today, after trying another Vintage Inn (the Bagder in Ponteland). We pass this place regularly on way to Durham so decided to give it a try. Very disappointed. These kind of places are usually a be shown to your seat kind of...

After having one excellent breakfast and a lovely evening meal , we returned for breakfast after our second night at the adjoining Travelodge. Ugh! What happened? We were one of the first customers, but after waiting more than half an hour for our breakfast and...

Called in for a quick lunch a couple weeks ago and we were really disappointed. Having never had a problem with this lovely pub before it was surprising to have a problem Ordered 2 fish finger sandwiches and pasta for my grandson. The pasta was...

Had a delicious lunch here today. Service was faultless the waitress could not be more helpful. Food was tasty, well cooked & a very good menu choice. Would recommend & will go again.

My partner and I popped in for Sunday lunch on the off chance and hoping we would get a table. It was super busy but no problem finding a cosy table for 2. Lunch was absolutely amazing and we were stuffed, I’m afraid we didn’t...

I have fond memories of eating here. The price is not the cheapest but one expect quality food. I don't know if it was an off day but the food wise the presentation is on par with what I expect but the taste was a...

Fortunately booked a table as place was busy 1pm on a Sat. Did not order a main meal but a sharing starter and two sides plus drinks. Reasonable wait time for a well prepared and tasty platter of food. Best sweet potato fries in a...

Nice food, without being wonderful but there were ten of us and we were sort of between Lunch and Dinner!. Good Value. Friendly staff with a nice atmosphere.

Why I have to be referred to as 'Guy. I am definately not. Staff should assess the clientele. I am an older lady and as such should be treated with respect. Madam general pleasant addressing such as hello and welcome would be much better.

The Church Mouse to the Rescue Our family of Eight were let down at the last minute, And were struggling to find somewhere for Christmas lunch, after receiving a call from Nadine to explain they could fit us in it was a sigh of relief,...

We pre booked a table for our visit tonight and glad we did as the restaurant got very busy . All staff were pleasant, happy and helpful and all of the food we ordered tonight was lovely . We ordered the steak & ale pie...

What a nice surprise, we visited here on a week day for a works Christmas meal, the meal was lovely and the lay out and decor of the pub is so cosy. I will definitely visit again.

We were able to book at short notice while visiting family and whilst it was busy there were still empty tables and the service was friendly and efficient. Excellent starts of lamb koftas and duo of pate were followed by fish and chips for both...

Visited early Saturday evening with a view to having a couple of drinks and perhaps some bar food. Was faced with miserable and unhelpful bar staff, who had no idea about their own wine list and whose idea of customer service involved pulling faces like...

Usually good food, waiting staff friendly but service often slow which lets the place down. I haven't written a review before but am now in the hope that something will be done to improve.. I'm concerned that other reviews have said the same about slow...

Just visited today and ordered 2 beef brisket sandwiches, not impressed at all. Very disappointing and not up to the usual standard.

I’ve been here before as a group for their Saturday night menu and that was delicious. This was my first time for Sunday lunch and it didn’t disappoint. There were 2 of us eating; Soup and the pate were both lovely. The beef roast was...

Always great food and service, gets busy so I would advise booking, nice coal fires to sit and relax in front of

A party of 4 of us went here recently...Everything that was bad about a restuarant was made available. It was very cold inside very slow service long wait for food food quality was poor and all of us stated that we would never go back...

A decent and comfortable restaurant with a very warm welcome. The menu was diverse enough and the quality on offer was good. We were having a good evening... Then it went wrong when we were presented with desert menus and were then left waiting over...

We came here for a family meal for 8. The waitress, Chloe was excellent throughout, and could not have been more accommodating and courteous. When the food came, all three courses were excellent and it unreasonably priced. A well deserved tip and will definitely eat...

I met up with four friends in the restaurant here last night. We have been here several times before and it is usually OK, but this time, we were not really satisfied with our visit. Firstly, the service was very slow. Yes, it was busy,...

Came here for Sunday lunch. Was very busy but we were seated quickly. Food was really nicely cooked. I had fish and chips. My partner said her veggy burger was the best she'd ever had. We then decanted onto the sofa to enjoy our drinks....

Not been here for a while but went on 5 October to meet up with friends for lunch. It was good last time we went (few years ago!) but this time it was just brilliant. Food was terrific and their winter menu includes 2 drinks...

We had a lovely Sunday evening dinner, but got outside to find we had a puncture! Really grateful to Kev the chef, who saw I had a problem and went out of his way to find me a tool to borrow so I could finish...

We went here for a meal as we were staying in the hotel next door. The food here was lovely and I would definitely recommend it.. The decor of the restaurant is really nice and the staff were very friendly but the waitress we had...

This burger tastes absolutely delicious especially when served with a couple of rashers of bacon. You will not be disappointed...suggest a pint of Stella to complete the event.

I was staying in the adjacent hotel, went in to the Church Mouse and ordered food at 7.00pm at the bar. Was still waiting for the food to be served at 8.15pm asked member of staff for an update shortly afterwards. When he finally returned...

Often visit with friends for a meal after work and we always have a good meal and just manage to find room for a pudding...well it would be rude not to. Staff always helpful and friendly however they do get busy which can cause some...

We chose the Church Mouse for family Sunday dinner as it is the great nieces's favourite place. We had a table reserved for 5.45 and were quickly shown to the table. It then went downhill! We waited quite a time for menus to be brought...

Popped into the Church Mouse with my son late this afternoon, we had 3 dogs with us and were quite happy to sit outside, despite the grey breezy day. However a lovely young lady came to the door and invited us inside, showing us where...

We live near to The Church Mouse. We've visited a number of times over the years, but haven't eaten here for some time. In the past, though, we were quite happy with service, drinks and food. Today, my Mum, Dad and I visited after a...

I am always warmly welcomed when I visit the church mouse, I find the staff to always be friendly and helpful. Highly recommend the pizzas, although Im always impressed with the food, never had a bad meal yet. They offer some great deals, the weekend...

the yorkshire puddings are to die for and i love the fact you can pay for more. lovely atomsphere and i cant fault any meal i have had here. it is my local. the vegan night recently was also top notch.

cant wait for another vegan night. this was the best vegan food i have ever had and the ambiance was amazing!

Generally this place has a nice atmosphere, wide selection of drinks but average to poor food. Its handy as you don't have to book. On my last (ever) visit I was so appalled by a staff member's attitude that my friend and I left without...

Amazing service from our waitress who was really chatty and friendly. We took advantage of the 3 course meal and bottle of wine deal which was great. Really recommend the Roast Lamb. We had drinks in the bar afterwards and it was a lovely evening...

We often come here and food standards are generally good for pub grub. We actually didn’t rate the service on this occasion, albeit it’s usually really good. We had to wait longer than usual for menus, drinks and food... Food was nice 2 of us...

Wanted to go to this place for ages, finally did and did not disappoint. Decor historic and eclectic but building not an old one or with church connections as I had assumed. Very clever concept which offers lots of character. Server who waited on us...

We had an evening meal there as we were staying at the Travelodge next door. The restaurant staff and bar staff were very friendly and helpful, and obviously happy in their work there. There was a lovely atmosphere in the bar and restaurant, the food...

We hadn't been to the Church Mouse in years so decided to give it a try for lunch. We had a really enjoyable time. The staff were attentive, the food although we only had a light lunch, was very nice and the price was reasonable....

Booked a lunch for eight on 16th July 2019, arrived at 12.00 , orders taken at 1.00pm. Waited over 30 minutes for meals which were extremely small portions and of poor quality. Waited until 2.20 for desserts and coffee. Requested bill at 2.50, felt it...

Lovely food and quick and friendly service. Highly recommended for Sunday lunch or a quiet drink. The staff are excellent and make you feel very welcome.

We haven’t been here in a while but was pleasantly surprised by the lovely new decor it’s much lighter but still hasn’t lost any character. Food was delicious and there was plenty on the menu and the set menu to choose from. Staff were very...

Came for the cricket at Chester Le Street: perfect location! Great dinner for 4 which turned into 9 when extended Family arrived....staff very super accommodating no complaint just ramped up the service! well done everyone that was a great experience

Staff helpful ... food awful... very over priced too... over £4 per drink and I ordered steak pie that simply tasted terrible

I booked a table via their website which was very easy to use and they sent me an email confirmation and reminder the day before the booking.It was very busy on a Sunday but the service was very good, and there was enough parking. If we go back I would ask for a table at the front of the pub as the back near the kitchen was quite dark with no windows. It is connected to the hotel so I expect it is busy most of the time.The food was very good as expected as I have been to another vintage inn and expected a similar standard.

A very disappointing meal. Extremely slow service, didnt have chosen beer and substitute was awful. Ordered soup and were given incorrect type so declined. Pie came without mash or any potatoes, side order Of sweet potato fries were cold and included in wrong dish. Bill came and included soup! Really poor , such a shame as its a lovely cosy inn, but must be losing customers with the very slow service and inconsiderate parking.

We used to visit quite a lot with the family and liked the place, found it cosy and pleasant. Recent visits havent been as good, food slow in arriving, prawn cocktail once had soil in the lettuce?! Was returned. Belly pork was so tough we couldnt bite it so had to return. Drinks orders never came. We did keep coming though as we did like the place.However our last visit (in December) was just the icing on the cake. Rude, arrogant staff, sniggering and muttering comments under their breath about us behind the bar when we asked to speak to a manager. THis is just not acceptable behaviour. Will never return.

We visited this establishment Feb 8 at 5pm and were told to sit ourselves down. We had a 4 year old with us and we were hoping to be out reasonably quickly. NO CHANCE! We ordered a starter of warm bread and olives and it took 25 minutes to serve us with 4 slices of bread and a small bowl of olives. The service was just as poor when it came to the main courses and sweets. It was a shame really because the food, when it came, was quite tasty. It took 2 hours for us to get served and eat. If you are in a bit a bit of a hurry do not go here.

We went to this establishment and the food was sent back twice. I have to say i hardly give bad reviews but i did not like it one bit. The decor is really good though as a pub ..

Having been to this restaurant in the past, I knew that they keep a proportion of their tables back for "walk-ins" which was ideal for calling in on spec. We waited only a minute or two for a table despite the restaurant being busy. We were seated at an internal table which at first sight looked as though it was on a walkway, but we were not troubled by any people walking past and after the first minute we didn't even notice this. We ordered some soft drinks then beer battered halloumi with triple fried chips, and courgette and chick pea burger with the same triple fried chips. Both were delicious. and although it didn't look like a huge feast we were surprised to find that we were unable to manage a dessert. There were plenty of vegetarian choices and a number of fish options. The service was fine, although the server could have engaged with us a bit more as we clearly would have liked a bit of advice on the menu/drinks. The atmosphere was very nice too and it is obviously a very busy place. We left about 2pm and there were still plenty of people coming in at that time. Definitely recommended.

We normally give positive feedback for this establishment, but on this occasion we feel the need to report our negative findings.Firstly on arrival our drinks order was taken only to find out that Vintage Inns higher management had taken the decision to replace popular draft beer such as John Smiths and Carling Lager and replace with less popular brands in my opinion. We had booked in and attended for 12 noon opening time for a Sunday, we were one of the first orders taken however we had a wait of 35 minutes to sit through. As part of our order we had asked for a side of salad undressed, only to find on delivery that it was covered in a dressing which my wife couldn't eat. The waitress came over over and asked if the food was ok, my wife expressed her dislike with the sale and although the waitress apologised and confirm that she had placed the order correctly, no attempt was made to rectify the matter. Whats the point in enquiring about standards and service of food if no action is taken?