Dough in Darlington

Lovely birthday meal here . Staff were wonderful and the food was amazing. Thank you

Lovely food and friendly staff however strange set up - very small ( 6 tables) and seemed like a unfinished restaurant with dead plants on the floor accompanied with random bottles of wine and beer along the skirting board. Uncomfortable seating. You're also told at the very end of the meal that it's cash only... Would imagine this should be pointed out at the very start or have a sign up in the window?

My partner previously went here with a friend and pulled me along a few weeks later. The food is beautiful, the crust is unique, and the sharing board was unbelievably good. I could have been satisfied walking away just having that, but then went on to having a mouthwatering pizza. If you're willing to spend 20-30 quid on a Dominos (which we all do), try this place. You will realize you have been getting robbed for years. Thanks Dough, can't wait to come back.

Had some croquettes and a margarita, plain on the pizza but a very good pizza none the less lovely fresh baked dough what more could you ask for. The croquettes were chorizo and cheese absolute crunchy perfection❤️

Incredible pizza. Finally someone in Darlo can make a real pizza. Arrancini balls were insane!

A great family meal and catch up this evening at Dough! We shared the the sharing board and bruschetta to start and every element was divine! The pesto is absolutely faultless! Need it put in a jar for use at home! We had a variation of pizzas and cutlets for mains and all were full of flavour and fresh! The guys in the kitchen are clearly passionate about authentic and fresh produce as the dishes scream it out loud! The service is always friendly and efficient whilst making us all feel relaxed and at ease and able to take our time enjoying the food and quality time together. Never ever disappointed when we visit here or their sister/brother restaurant Salt.

From all the staff at darlo HQ , sampled the pizzas absolutely fantastic best pizza I’ve had in a long time would recommend.

Ambience was relaxed, service was attentive when required, but not in your face, food was superb, I ordered the lamb sharer, it was delicious, hand made and fresh out of the oven! Definitely recommend 👌

First time here tonight with my son.. food was amazing and so tasty . Such a cosy little place and staff are lovely .. highly recommended

Loved the food, it was incredible and would definitely get again, but probably take-out. Lovely little restaurant and staff but just a bit too small and intimate for my liking.

One of the best Italian food I have had definitely recommend not just your typical Italian

You have to try there pizzas Out of this world

Great place to have locally will be back.

Wow! This place is legit!! I went with four other hungry lads...chef Tom greeted us, talked us through the menu and made some recommendations so we could sample his menu highlights. Each dish was unbelievable! From the lasagna bites, three garlic breads and the sausage rigatoni...all were absolutely excellent! Tom's a very talented chef, and his passion for food shows through his dishes. Can't wait to get back for that rigatoni!!

Top notch food with very friendly and attentive staff. Shared several pizzas and starters amongst a group of friends, washed down with a nice and varied selection of ales for a very fair price. Highly recommend!

Good pizza gave 4 stars as I wasn't able to get carbonara for take out.

OMG. Awesome. Definitely not just another pizza place. The Arancini balls were amazing. Pizza was deliciously light & fluffy and a taste sensation. My taste buds are still wanting more. Fantastic 🥰

First time and cannot wait to go back, the food was beautiful, service and atmosphere was great 👌

First and last dining experience here was awful. I'd been looking forward to trying it since I heard it was opening, the food in the photos on social media looked fantastic but sadly didn't live up to expectations. On top of that the people running it are totally clueless, I honestly can't see this business lasting long. Firstly, trying to get in was a nightmare. There was no phone line when we first tried to go and they didn't respond to their messages on social media, so we turned up anyway hoping to get squeezed in after traveling 45 minutes to get there. Unfortunately they were 'fully booked' which was strange as most of the tables were empty. Undeterred we tried again another time, same issue, didn't answer the phone or respond to messages so we turned up again to find empty tables and only one other couple dining. The person behind the till was quite rude and told us they were fully booked so we ordered food to take away instead. We ordered arancini (told it was a portion of 3), pizza and carbonara. We paid cash as they didn't accept card, then on giving our change said they didn't have the right amount so would have to overcharge us by 50p! Amazingly, we were allowed to sit at the table outside while we waited... The chairs were so narrow that it was painful sitting there, they certainly weren't designed for fatties like myself. 10 minutes passed and they came out to tell us we couldn't have the carbonara we'd ordered to take away so we'd have to eat it there! Turns out the table wasn't booked until 8:30pm and it was only 5:30 when we sat down. We then ordered drinks which we'd have to pay for at the end of the meal. The starter arrived and I immediately noticed there were only 2 tiny arancini not 3 as advertised for £7. Michelin star portion sizes but not Michelin star flavours as they were very bland. The mains eventually arrived and my face fell as I saw the size of the carbonara... About 20g of spaghetti with 6 tiny pieces of bacon and a cold raw egg yolk plopped on top of the Luke warm pasta which was £11... Again, a miniscule portion and lacking in flavour and to be honest a bit gross and slimy because of the raw egg which was not a confit yolk. I can make a much better traditional carbonara at home. The pizza was small and pretty average too, I'm told. Totally disappointed and still hungry we went to the till to pay for the drinks as they don't do desserts... £3.50 for a 330ml can of coke! We actually stopped at Macdonald's on the way home and my crispy chicken wrap was much tastier than the food at Dough.

We had seen the place being fitted out and looked forward to trying it. We had heard great things about the food at the sister restaurant Salt so had high expectations for the food and we were not disappointed. That said it was not without a few issues. We selected our starters, our first two choices were sold out, now I understand this happens sometimes though the place wasn't busy, so we had to pick again which was disappointing, main course selection was fine as was bottle of red wine to accompany the meal. Starters arrived and both were really tasty however our mains were brought to the table before we had finished. As they were both pasta dishes we let them sit for a few minutes rather than sending them back. During our meal I noticed one of the other diners head to the desk to pay and thought I heard them being directed across the road to a cash point. He duly returned with a bottle of wine and cash to settle their bill. It then occurred to me that they may not accept cards! More than fortunate we had cash which was a rarity. We finished our main course, which was very nice, and the waiter came across and asked if he could get us anything else. Up for a look at a their dessert menu the waiter proceeded to tell us they do not have one as the do not offer dessert, whoa! A restaurant not offering a dessert. Oh well, let's have a coffee, nope, not an option either. Not a lot of point asking "can I get you anything else" then. 🤔 Let's get the bill then. OK said the waiter, with the announcement "just to let you know we don't take cards only cash" We were told later the fees for accepting cards are too high and it is their intention to only take cash. Overall, the food was good, if the restaurant did present as a little flaky with their ideas and business model, no desserts or coffee and no card payment. It truly is outrageous not taking card payments in 2022 when most places actively encourage it. In closing, flavoursome food, though the experience was a rushed one, from taking our order, through eating to then paying the £70 bill all took less than 50 minutes, a bit of a let down as we were looking forward to a more leisurely evening. We didn't get a chance to finish our bottle of wine and the waiter graciously said we could take it if we would like. Oh well, how kind, why not, we did pay for it. 😂 Perhaps it would be better to announce the concept and nuances ahead of time in order diners can make a decision whether it is the right place for them.

I was extremely excited to try Dough after seeing so much hype on Instagram, located out of the town centre on West Auckland road the restaurant has indoor and outdoor tables to have your meal. I was sat outside for our visit shaded by a huge parasol which would have also kept us dry had the weather turned! A cash point, if required is less than a minute over the road. The service we had from all staff was wonderful, offering alternative options when a drink selected off the menu was out of stock and every meal brought out with a smile and a bit of conversation. We even got to have a chat with the kitchen staff when we complimented them on our buratta, truffle pasta and carbonara. We've also had takeaway from Dough which we collected. Everything was still piping hot when we got home and the aranchini was beautiful. I can't wait to return to dough and see what more they have to offer. An incredible addition to the town.

Heard about this restaurant through social media, and couldn’t resist. Quick message through the Instagram got us a table straight away; sat outside in the sun sheltered by large umbrellas to keep us cool. Drinks were not the usual, and the aperol spritz was unbelievable, san pelligrino as a change from other classic restaurant drinks. But the food😍, Cumberland rigatoni, ‘the marg’ pizza, sausage and sage arancini (the weekly special) and lil’ garlic breads - an absolute feast. Every single bite was packed with flavour, and the presentation was perfect. Staff were amazing and willing to help us decide what to order, service was very quick and the open design of the building gives an ‘at home’ chilled out vibe. Would definitely recommend to all, and will certainly be on the look out for a collection slot in the near future.

Foods is SO good, staff are great, nice relaxed vibe, prices are good too! Will be going back for sure!

Always love finding a great vegetarian option in Darlington! Definitely recommend the blue cheese arancini and mushroom pasta, plus great service. Thanks. :)