Empire Restaurant, Royal Station Hotel in Newcastle upon Tyne

Wonderful Mothers Day Afternoon tea. My husband and I took our mothers to have afternoon tea at the Royal Station Hotel. We were served a selection of finger sandwiches, cheese savoury, ham, and egg mayo. We then had fruit scones and plain scones with clotted cream and jam. Then there was a selection of sweet treats. The lime macaron with white chocolate was divine. A zingy lime flavour with just the right amount of filling. Our mothers left with a smile on their face and were delighted to be given a homemade cupcake with a beautiful iced flower on top presented in a lovely box. Would definitely recommend. Thank you!

Christmas party night event beautiful building, friendly staff and amazing food. Compliments to the chefs that worked the event 15th December 2023. Food was fresh, full of flavour and hot, and the desert was divine Thank you

Food was absolutely lovely and definitely comfort food and pudding was delicious as well. We book a table for thursday night for last night.

We had Sunday lunch, food and staff were all lovely but I had asked the day before , note I had been trying to get through to the restaurant for 2 days, if I could add a friend onto our table , 3 people instead of 2, only to be told there were big groups booked and there was no room. All the time we were there 3 tables of 2 and 2 tables of 4 were empty meaning we could of included my friend who's birthday it was . I was so disappointed and was told people must not have turned up well there weren't reserved signs on table so don't know if I believe that and it was very quiet. Just watch when you book and don't be let down like us.

Six of us went for afternoon tea to the Empire restaurant using Groupon vouchers. Due to the beautiful design of the building disabled access was from the rear in the car park. My only criticism would be that it needs a larger sign over the door and a handle to open it on the outside but we got in OK. The atmosphere is relaxed and elegant. The staff are attentive, friendly and couldn't do enough for us. Afternoon tea was delicious, plentiful and we left nothing. One of our group does not like fruit in scones, so 15 minutes later a piping hot plain sweet scone was placed in front of her. If I had baked those scones I would have been very proud. The background music was good and not intrusive. Even at full price it would have been a wonderful day out. Well done and thank you

Very disappointing Sunday lunch here on 5/03/23. The quality was terrible. Tasteless bland obvious that it had stood on the hot plates for a long period of time. The Yorkshire puddings were Rock hard and inedible. We left the dinner I did mention to the lad that it was awful and he offered a free dessert but we opted for a complimentary prosecco instead. I've eaten at the empire twice before and the food I had was tasty freshly prepared and served. This was not and sadly I won't be back certainly not for the Sunday lunch.

We visited in December for a festive Xmas lunch. The meal was absolutely beautiful and for the money we paid it was worth every penny.the turkey was in abundance and everything was cooked to perfection.if you want a piece of Xmas in Newcastle at affordable prices then don’t look any further.may I add the waiter on the day gave 1st class service (16th)thank you

We stayed at the hotel and had dinner here one night. Food was very good, my husband really enjoyed the Cumberland sausage and mash, my fish and chips was great. Service was friendly and quick.

Roasted beets starter was delicious. I had Cumberland sausage with mash for my main course. It had onion gravy two. Excellent. Followed it with biscoff cheesecake. Great meal, great value and very attentive staff

The full Empire menu(which isnt very big) was not on offer despite menu on show in rooms, however food we had was nice and staff were friendly

Delicious Prosecco afternoon tea, beautifully presented. Lovely comfortable private booth, exceptional, service from Emmie and Enzo who took such great care of us. Very professional and incredibly friendly. Would recommend in a heartbeat

I was gifted this and we were not disappointed the service was excellent a very pleasent waiter the food was delicious and it was a comfortable experience we will be back, I have had many afternoon teas in Newcastle and this was by far the best

As usual with many station hotels, the clientele are coming and going with bags and coats which is not conducive to a relaxing experience

We visited the Empire Restaurant to redeem a Groupon voucher for a three-course Sunday dinner for two - unbelievable value for money! The food was delicious and the service superb. Sandra, our server, was incredibly attentive and personable, making for a delightful experience. We would go back in a heartbeat.

We recently had dinner and breakfast here. You aren't going to get haute cuisine; the food is competently cooked and generously portioned but fairly basic. This is fine. I doubt that many people would choose this particular venue in the expectation of a Michelin standard dining experience.

My me and my husband have stayed in hotel 3 times now and always eat in the restaurant the food is great. This time we was served by a gentleman called Connor he was great 5 stars to him helpful and funny good job Connor hopefully see you in September

Had booked evening meal and breakfast here while staying at the hotel. Amazing, such a lovely place. Food was excellent my husband even said his fish and chips were up there with the savoy grill quality. Connor and Michael were our servers and they were so polite and willing to help, they are a credit to the place. Breakfast was really good too and staff were friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend going if you are around the area.

Good hearty food, nice environment, great service. The host, Connor made us very welcome and ensured we were very well looked after.

Visited yesterday with Groupon voucher. All three courses were of a high standard and we both finished with clear plates - enough said. The staff and quality of service was superb. I would recommend Sunday lunch at the Empire Restaurant to anyone.

Two of us enjoyed a very good three course Sunday lunch here. Starters were a mixed bean and roasted beetroot salad and a chicken Caesar salad. For mains we both opted for the Roast beef Sunday carvery accompanied by roast potato, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, broccoli,...

My partner got us a Groupon voucher for 2 for a 3 course Sunday Lunch. Theres only 2 sitting times 12.00/ 14.00. I had the carrot and coriander soup partner had the garlic mushrooms. We both had the Pork loin dinner with carrots, broccoli, turnip,...

We originally booked a meal for one of our best friends early in the year, unfortunately this was cancelled due to covid. A groupon for four people became available so we booked at the Empress but had to change to two tables for two due...

This was an appalling meal the service was terrible the starter was bland a quarter of a chopped tomato on stale bread then we get to the dinner this was beyond a shadow of a doubt the WORST PILE OF GARBAGE ever put in front...

I’m glad I had a good deal from Groupon as I would have requested a refund. Arrived 1pm Sunday. Only 2 other tables being used. Waited 10 minutes before being asked what starters we would like and still no drink request! This was despite there...

I mean there’s basically nothing wrong with the place, but there’s certainly nothing to write home about either. Bland food and average service in a beautiful building.

Visited via Wowcher Afternoon Tea. Not one of the better teas weve had..sandwiches bit rough round edges..seemed to be poor choice with 2 of the sandwiches just cheese. The Scone just disintegrated when tried to slice it in half, stated in initial description you get...

I normally dine here whenever I visit Newcastle, but was not impressed by the Chef's special early December. Soup was of its usual high standard but only two very small slices of bread served with it. Service was as slow as a very slow snail...

Lets start with the positives, looks great from the outside, looks great on the inside, menu looks good. So why the 3 Star review. We were a part of three, two of us ordered from the specials menu which included a half house bottle of...

We stayed at the hotel before and after the GNR and loved the pre run pasta party with a great selection of different pastas at a reasonable price. The following night we celebrated with some champagne which again was reasonable.

The restaurant and bar associated with the Royal Station Hotel is in the Grand Old Lay style, which personally I prefer to the more modern style. The buffet break is one if the best that I have eaten in a hotel, cold and hot. The...

Exquisite food. Everything was very fresh. The scones were magnificent. Service was spot on. Lovely treat for me and the husband for our anniversary. Thank you.

Got this afternoon tea for my birthday from a friend. On arrival there was no one really to take us to the table, just wandered around for a bit until someone came over. Seated at our table and was provided with the drinks menu. Part of the present was a cocktail. Was told we couldn't have anything with pineapple in as they had ran out! Then told we could have an expresso martini as she simply couldn't make them. Had a limencello fizz, basically prosecco with some limencello chucked in. Asked for a new Zealand sauvignon blanc, after 10 minutes she returned and said they didn't have any. She sat down at the table and huffed and puffed saying they had had a busy weekend, it was Saturday! I asked if we could have an alternative for the same price, erm no! So we opted not to have a drink. Food and tea came, food delicious. I asked for some milk for my Earl grey and she saun hmm that's uncommon! Haha! We scoffed our food and made a quick exit. Terrible service from one person spoilt the whole experience.

We stopped off for an evening meal after a wedding and were very surpised by the quality of food and polite friendly service. We started with mushroom soup - easily the best i`ve ever eaten. The Chicken supreme was equally flavoursome and well cooked. The...

Had Sunday lunch yesterday and although the main meal (Beef) was ok/average the starter (Thai prawns) was just 4 ingredients thrown into a glass, the very small frozen prawns having no taste. The service was average at best with someone else's meal nearly served to us and our water was served in two 1/2 pint beer glasses as opposed to the table opposite served with a large jug and nice cone shaped glasses. Staff could do with a little more training.The small dining area consisted of 6/7 tables and was very nice although there was no atmosphere with no background music and everyone speaking quietly, very much like a doctors surgery. Would not return.

this was a living social voucher to test the water so to speak from entering the welcome was warm and friendly,connor kai and alin were our servers today all of them were outstanding in their attention to our comfort we had two sunday lunches my wifef had the beef and I the turkey both of which were perfect I had the honour of meeting the chef who created such quality harun top drawer if you want a good meal with fine company and great surroundings this is the place the prices are bang on none of your usual ridiculous hotel price hyke just good comfort and a feel at home atmosphere thankyou again well done to all

I ate here once again after a period of absence and was delighted to find it as good as I had remembered it to be. Staff here are really friendly and professional and the restaurant has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. The fish dish was excellent and overall I had a very pleasant evening.

We stayed at the hotel for the weekend and had dinner on Saturday night, we enjoyed the chef's special, choice of two or three courses and including half a bottle of wine. Food was delicious and well presented, staff were brilliant.

Food was just what we were looking for and not to overpriced. Portions were good and the wine was served at a good temperature. Service was good

Called in here for coffee and cake what a find ! Friendly professional staff ,lovely cuppa in nice surroundings will definitely return

Ate here one of the two evenings I was staying at the hotel for business. I’d say £15.50 for burger and fries is a tad on the expensive side but it was nice and the portion was a good size. Friendly waiting staff.

Supera a cualquier cadena de restaurantes por su buena relación calidad-precio y calidad de comida y servicio.

Me alojé en el hotel por trabajo y visité el imperio de los restaurantes. . wow el personal es todo para garantizar que tenga una excelente experiencia. Me atrevería a decir que brindan 5 * atención al cliente, no servicio. De hecho, sientes que el personal disfruta hacer que tu experiencia sea placentera. La comida. Fui por algo diferente. Lomo de cerdo asado honesto con un pudín de toffee pegajoso junto con una media botella de vino de cortesía por solo 22 con una excelente relación calidad precio. Recomiendo altamente x

My friends and I spent several hours in the restaurant last week remembering a special 1st year anniversary - the staff ( as always) were lovely,the service excellent and we had a special memorable day. In the past I have had numerous work meetings there as well as meeting friends from to the train station - the staff are always excellent and attentive to diners and the food has always been really tasty. Thanks to all of you - I feel the Empire is a bit of a quieter oasis in a busy City Centre and somewhere to sit and chat.

Can’t say much for the rest of the food from the restaurant, but the Sunday roast was very poor. Self service,over cooked and under cooked food and pre made food (potentially frozen). Wouldn’t recommend.

Este es el restaurante principal en el Royal Station Hotel en Newcastle. Al entrar en el hotel, quedará impresionado por las amplias escaleras y candelabros que recuerdan a la época victoriana en la que se construyó el hotel. El restaurante está a la derecha del mostrador de recepción y es cómodo, acogedor pero no está abarrotado y está bien decorado. Disfrutamos el desayuno aquí durante nuestra estancia y la comida era excelente. Gran selección, servicio de estilo buffet, café / té servido en la mesa y todo muy agradable. El personal disponible está atento a cualquier necesidad y ayuda. No probamos el menú de la noche pero se veía muy bien, ya un precio justo también. En general muy bien.

We stayed at the Royal Station Hotel for which the restaurant is linked and had Breakfast and an Evening Meal there. Each visit found us welcomed by a very pleasant staff who went out of their way to be of service.

Me he alojado aquí 3 noches esta semana y esta noche tenía el chef especial 2 platos y vino para 20. ¡TODO LO ENCANTADOR! Antonella, que me sirvió fue una estrella absoluta: pedí verduras y puré con mi salmón y ¡se aseguró de que fuera abundante! Gracias a ti y al chef por una fabulosa cena perfecta. ¡No puedo elogiarte lo suficiente!

Have enjoyed many meals here, never had a bad meal. Food is delicious and great value too. When a hotel has had the same staff for over 10 years you know they are doing something right

El Empire Restaurant es un restaurante muy acogedor y elegante que cuenta con un área de descanso en la barra, parte del hermoso Victorian Royal Station Hotel en el que me he alojado muchas veces. La elegancia del restaurante se complementa con la buena calidad del servicio. Por las noches hay un menú fijo y opciones a la carta que siempre incluyen pescado y opciones vegetarianas. también hay un menú vegetariano dedicado que es impresionante. Por lo general, tengo pescado que es delicioso y muy bien presentado. Siempre como aquí cuando me hospedo en el hotel en una visita de negocios a Newcastle, pero también he invitado a colegas y amigos aquí para el almuerzo y siempre me pareció un lugar muy agradable para comer y hablar.

Ate here twice whilst staying the hotel, both times the restaurant was quiet. The menu has a good range and there were special offers too all at reasonable prices.

My friend and I arrived for a 7 night stay on Saturday. The receptionist Sophy was very lovely and checked us in. When we went up to our room, the bed was smaller than expected. If we had been staying for 3 nights we really wouldn't have minded, however we decided to bring this up to the staff. Jamole offered us a bigger room which was absolutely amazing! My friend was at one side of the bed and I may as well have been on fifth avenue! Before we got there my friend accidentally double booked and Patrick was very helpful with cancelling this. The hotel is located in such a great spot - so close to Central Park and a 20 minute walk to time square. The subways are nearby so it's only 2 stops there. Had an absolutely amazing time and can't wait to come back. Further thanks to the doormen who accompanied us during all 700 smokes of our trip. Final shout out to AJ - very easy on the eye.

The restaurant doesn’t lack in charm, but the does in the food department.

Great value 3 course lunch for £12.95, including 3 choices for starter, a 3 meat carvery with 7 vegetables and then 3 choices of dessert.

I had breakfast here. It was really nice with a good selection of food and beverages. Everything was good, fresh and tasty!

Bastante agitada cuando llegamos. Deliciosamente decorado restaurante con un ambiente relajado. Teníamos la mitad de precio y la comida de carne vino con un vale livingsocial. Tanto Nuestros bistecs estaban un poco más preparado de tamaño raro en el mejor lugar de la poco solicitado, pero por lo demás la comida era sabrosa y contundente. Bistec fue acompañada por patatas fritas en grasa, tomate, champiñones y 2 aros de cebolla. Las salsas son £1. 95 extra. El servicio era amable y eficiente. Estará dispuesto a ir de nuevo.

He comido en este restaurante en varias ocasiones recientemente me he estado alojando en el hotel. El ambiente es muy agradable le luz suave y mesas bien separadas. Hay un pequeño bar y una zona para sentarse en el restaurante. El servicio es muy amable y eficiente. Hay un menú especial fijo (dos campos de vino a un precio muy razonable) por la noche además de una variedad de platos a la carta. La semana pasada tuve la carta pescado y patatas fritas y la comida era excelente. Sin duda comiendo aquí en futuras ocasiones cuando en el hotel.

Realmente me gustó la música suave y el ambiente de las velas. Especiales del chef era dos campos por £16 incluyendo media botella de vino. Ambos elegimos pollo a la parrilla con salsa cremosa de mostaza de grano, batata y judías verdes - limpio, simple y sabores perfectamente preparado. Creme Brulée y frambuesas postre y vino Pinot Grigio Italiano para. El camarero era precioso. £32 todo y que recientemente un doloroso £100 para una cena no nesrly tan bonitas como ésta. Este restsurant merece al éxito.

Normalmente nos probamos el restaurante del hotel, que se alojan en nuestra primera cena, y en este caso la comida que elegimos desde el menú era de buena calidad y buen precio. Así que repitió esta en la segunda noche y estábamos preparados para continuar, pero como sólo había dos opciones en el menú y como este menú no estaba disponible el domingo, comimos en otro sitio.

Lovely period setting restaurant/ pleasant staff - the 'half price deal' is simply quite poor-we would never ever pay £49 for this deal of two steaks and house wine at 'full price'

Reservamos una mesa para cenar y celebrar. Georges 'día, tenía un campo de carne principal, que estaba bien cocinado. A mi esposa le encantó el pollo que estaba preparado a su solicitud. Nuestra comida fue parte de una oferta de groupon y soy consciente de que era un poco tener que pagar extra por una salsa para acompañar mi carne!

Booked this for two using wowcher first time doing so. Had two steak meals with either salad or chips and a bottle of house wine for £24.00 we did get asked if we wanted to upgrade the wine but wasn't pushed. We decide to get two starters the chicken tikka a big portion on a bed of cucumber and mint, delicious. Before starters came we were given complementary bread rolls with butter and asked if were wanted any more. Starters were brilliant. The mains the steak was lovely and so many thick cut chips, mushroom and tomato we ordered extra onion rings which were big and lovely and my wife ordered the prawn sauce. We ordered desert trio of ice cream for my wife and I had the lemon tart with was amazing, yes it was £27.00 more than the wowcher deal but but for 2 people getting a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine in a lovely restaurant was value for money will go again

We live in Newcastle and this is not somewhere I would of normally thought of going. However there was a deal on wowcher for 2 steak dinners and a bottle of wine so thought why not?!? The restaurant is situated in The Royal Station Hotel and is very elegant. The service was efficient and the menu explained. The food was delicious and we ordered a few extras such as sauces for the steak and onion rings which were more than enough for 2 people and delicious. Unfortunately the electricity went out in a lot of the city that night and the staff dealt with it brilliantly and brought candles out. They kept us informed and chatted to everyone. Was definitely worth a visit

Decided to breakfast in this hotel adjacent to Newcastle Central Station, whilst waiting for our train to London.Very welcoming staff, terrific decor, excellent breakfast and at a very reasonable price. We know where to go next time we are in Newcastle !!

Visited Empire Restaurant today for afternoon tea and I could not recommend it more, Lorraine who served us is a credit to the restaurant, she was friendly and very helpful. You receive individual 3 tier serving plates with a good selection of sandwiches, cream scone and cakes, with unlimited tea. I have visited several restaurants for afternoon tea and this is by far the best one.

This was our first visit to Newcastle & we ate here a couple of nights. The service is excellent & the food is very good value. Beautifully cooked & presented.Set menu is £21 each for 3 courses with a free half bottle of wine each. The staff are welcoming & friendly. We will definitely be back.

My 2 sisters and I were attending the Strictly Come Dancing tour at the Metro Arena and decided we would like to have something to eat before hand. I decided to book afternoon tea which can be served from 12 noon. We arrived at the restaurant and were greeted by Michael who showed us to our table. We were 15 mins early but he didn't mind. When the tea came we were totally blown away. 4 finger sandwiches of different fillings, warm fruit scone with clotted cream and Strawberry preserve and 6 yes 6 mini cakes and tartlets together with loads of tea which they kept on refilling. The staff were very polite and very courteous. We were going to have something to eat after the show but hadn't booked anywhere There was so much choice from sandwiches to full meals on the menu that we agreed to reserve a table for later. We were not disappointed. I had prawn sandwich served with salad and tortilla chips...delicious. The meals at the hotel were some of the best we have had and I cannot praise it highly enough.

Really enjoyed our meals at the Empire Restaurant. Stand out meal for us was the steak and the red wine sauce that we ordered with it. The staff are friendly and helpful. Good value as the food is really good and there is a reasonable variety on the menu.

We returned here after a three year break. That break was because we had a rude waitress back then. I wrote to the hotel manager about her ,but never got a reply... We used to use this restaurant weekly. One of our family really liked this hotel restaurant, so we decided to give it a second chance.We were glad we did. The staff had all changed. The waiter was kind and patient over disability and special diets. Our food was changed with no fuss when they bought the wrong thing. The waiter and barmaid delighted our small child by giving her a handful of mint chocolates! The restaurant is not busy. It's peaceful. We've been many times and it's never been busy or rowdy. The clientele all appear to be decent. Though you do get a louder crowd in there on weekend nights. Cleanliness is quite good. The music is not overbearing and they play a variety and sometimes even play classical, which is very relaxing if you are eating. We use the inner lounge area. Which is accessed as you go through the restaurant. Wheelchair disabled people can access the area via the back door. Just off the Central Station . The choice for vegetarians is limited. Which lets it down. I tend to ask them to vary what's on the Menu, to suit my tastes and they usually try to do this. We like it here because it's quiet and slightly cosy, too.

My partner and I tried the Thursday night curry deal. For £8.50 you get a bread roll, chicken curry, rice, nan bread, popodom and either a pint or a glass of wine. It was a very good deal, the curry was really tasty and the portion size was just enough. Not sure why you get a bread roll but we ate it and it was warm and tasty. The staff were friendly and polite and the restaurant was warm and relaxing. We will definitely be returning.

Me an my husband went for afternoon tea for the first time and weren't disappointed. The staff were lovely and the restaurant was very clean and pleasant. We got a good selection of sandwiches and cakes etc and everything tastes perfect, a bargain at only £8.95pp. Can't wait to go there again

Meals were available until 9.30pm and gave a good end to a long day. Service was good. The big chips were lovely.

We were a mixed age group party looking for somewhere for a family lunch after attending a graduation ceremony. OK, the menu isn't long and the food ain't fancy - but the meals were very tasty, certainly well cooked with good ingredients - and, overall, provided very good value for money. The dining room is delightfully old fashioned in keeping with the heritage status of the hotel itself. Will return. Oh, and excellence service !

When most establishments are charging around £10 for Sunday lunch, you may be dubious about the quality of a 3 course meal for £11.25. Don't let that put you off the Empire.The quality of the food was matched by the service and the sumptuous surroundings. A choice of three starters (melon, chicken caesar salad or soup), a generous helping of roast meat(s) and perfectly cooked veg from the carvery, followed by a choice of hot or cold desserts (orange mousse or rhubarb and apple crumble).If they extended the serving hours past 3pm, there's a good chance we'd be back most Sundays!

A party of 23 0f us went to the Empire Restaurant for Sunday Lunch the food and service were excellent and great value for money .

I must start by mentioning that I am not a huge fan of Sunday lunch carvery meals. Usually the quality is not great and the people who enjoy them are from the "see how much I can pile on one plate" school of thinking. Imagine my surprise then when we experienced high quality food in civilised surroundings with super service (the tall, dark haired young lady was excellent) all at a price that you could pay in a mediocre chain, incredible.Everything actually tasted like a chef had cooked it rather than someone in the kitchen was just heating it up and churning it out. By that I mean the vegetables were cooked and seasoned well, the gravy tasted good and the Yorkshire puddings were flavoursome and light. Not as simple as it sounds when cooking in volume.Even dessert was a positive experience with the pastry on the fruit tart being of a delicious buttery texture complimenting perfectly the ripe fruit and creamy custard filling.I realise that this sounds like a review of fine dining rather than a Sunday carvery, but the whole meal was a bit of a revelation and one that has definitely changed my opinion of going out for Sunday lunch. The only downside.....I live 90 miles away, baah!!

a wonderful weekend spent in Newcastle eating in the Empire Restaurant fantastic food and service, staff could not be faulted and excellent menu choices.

Inside the old style Royal Station Hotel alongside Newcastle railway station is the Empire Restaurant. There is nothing flash about it and it blends with the age and style of the hotel but you feel comfortable and relaxed. The service is friendly and not at all pushy, they are happy to wait until you are ready to order.The food wasn't exceptional but it was a meal, not something you might get at a fast food establishment. I was pleased they had Monk fish on the menu - something I had wanted to try and I wasn't disappointed. On the whole, a pleasant relaxed meal.

I was staying in the Royal Station Hotel and decided to dine in one evening.The restaurant was very attractive, but very quiet. The menu wasn't extensive, but I was in the mood for a burger and happily that was one of the choices.It was quite a gourmet offering - served in a shiny, fresh Brioche roll. The burger was large (8oz) and made from tasty Black Angus beef with the usual fresh salad and gherkin garnishes. Best of all, it was topped with a couple of REAL battered onion rings (not the usual tasteless frozen things). It was accompanied by a bowl of large, hand cut chips.I judged it the best burger I've had for quite some time, and for a restaurant hotel the price was very reasonable.

Have been here may times but this will be the last.Can't fault the food credit to all the chefs involved. Unfortunately it is let down by bad service,we were given a choice of tables, so we chose one only to be asked to move by the waitress and this is because all the regulars have their own tables and cant be moved!! Basil Faulty would have been proud.Attention is really reserved for the regulars who eat each week, well that said we will not be joining that unofficial club!! We went to get our main course and our serviettes were also cleared although they had been left on the table and not on a plate, but the cutlery that we did not use was still there. Waited for someone to bring the bill but that did not happen they were all to busy standing at the bar chatting all the time and not about work. Needs an upgrade in staff who care about diners.

I have never stayed at this hotel, but have eaten in the restaurant once or twice while waiting for train. The last time I did this was in the middle of the day a few days after Christmas. The restaurant was completely empty and the young waiter was chatting to staff on Reception when I arrived. Throughout the meal he made me feel uncomfortable by being over-polite, for instance by repeatedly calling me 'Madam' in a hostile manner, whipping the plate away the instant I finished eating and pointedly waiting for me to leave the still-empty restaurant. No doubt he will be pleased to hear that I won't be bothering him again with my custom.

After reading previous reviews, we decided to try the Sunday lunch at the Empire restaurant, 3 courses for £10.50. The waitress was very pleasant, took our orders for starters and they arrived very quickly. Sweet potato soup was piping hot and really tasty. Main course was carvery style, beef cooked pink and was delicious. Great selection of vegetables, a sizeable Yorkshire pudding and the gravy was excellent. Choice of 2 desserts, all in all great value for money, lovely surroundings, friendly staff and will certainly be back.

This is the second time I have visited the restaurant and have to admit it is one of the nicest meals I have every had. For £10.50 you get a three course meal which is superb value for money. There is a choice of three starters, three meats from the carvery and two desserts. Drinks are very reasonably priced. There were three of us eating and four drinks were purchased with the meals. Total of the bill was £35.40. Staff are very pleasant and helpful. We would definitely go and and are planning to return.

I called in here for lunch recently and was extremely impressed with the value for money you receive. The Royal Station Hotel is wonderfully elegant and has an imposing entrance with its majestic staircase, huge chandelier and understated decorations. The Empire Restaurant is just inside the main entrance and has a really inexpensive lunch menu. I ordered a vegetarian Panini with tortillas chips which at less than £5 was excellent value. Other meals were of similar low price and I'm sure good quality. Service was efficient and friendly and I would definitely return here for lunch when in the vicinity of the station.

We liked the art deco heritage style of the restaurant (including the "Empire" name!), the English cuisine and the friendly, pub-style, service. And the Newcastle Brown Ale! Not to mention the relaxing background music. The only downside was sound leaking from a wedding reception elsewhere in the hotel one evening (hard to listen to two songs at the same time!), easily fixed by the staff closing the doors when we mentioned it ... We love this place and hope to return.

Compliments to the chef and also the fantastic friendly service from this restaurant and bar , would definitely go again and recommend to all , fantastic food and service form all

We walked in off the street not knowing quite what to expect! The Royal Station Hotel entrance was very grand and a throw back to another era, with opulent chandeliers and beautiful original tiles leading up a grand sweeping staircase. The Empire Restaurant is located on the right as you enter the hotel. The restaurant setting was beautiful with bespoke wall coverings and artwork, with comfortable seating with intimate tables of 2 - to family tables of 4 or more, the tables were set with silver cutlery and villeroy and boch glassware, something you don't find very often these days. We where greeted by a lovely waitress who led us to our table and informed us of the menu options. We opted for the 3 course Sunday lunch for just £10.50 per head. Tomato and basil soup to start with a fresh roll and butter or fresh melon or a light chicken salad, followed by the roast dinner, with the option of 3 meats, turkey, pork or beef, and lashing of vegetables to choose from, roast parsnip, roast carrots, mashed swede, new potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower with cheese topping, broccoli with courgette and sugar snap pea mix, massive Yorkshire puddings and a choice of vegetable or meat gravy and plenty of condiments cranberry, mint, apple, horse radish and mustard sauces. The sweet option for today was a passion fruit cheese cake or apple and blackberry crumble with custard. I would highly recommend this venue for a beautiful meal with attentive staff in a grand setting. Many a time you find people are quick to pick faults and only write reviews to complain or nag about one problem or another, so I thought I would give a positive review as this was a fantastic little find and will definitely go back. I would like to say a special thanks to the chef Jeggu who was really lovely, and to "boy Sam" the waiter and to Anna and Jess who all went out of their way to make our meal an enjoyable experience. xxx

We enjoyed every aspect of our experience here - the service, the price, the atmosphere and above all the food! We ordered from the Bistro Menu - the Club sandwich was one of the best I've ever had.When we were there another couple were having the Afternoon Tea and it looked amazing!Will definitely be going back.

I have been here several times for different occasions and each time it gets better. I first visited in a large family group, each and every detail was catered for. The food was superb and the staff amazing. I've also been here for Sunday lunch and although it was very busy everything was still brilliant. Highly recommend.

The Empire restaurant was no more than fantastic, the staff were great and the food was delicious. We visited two days in a row it was that good. We came for an afternoon not knowing about the restaurant, when we passed and and thought we will try. We first of all had an afternoon tea. Everything about it was great. So me and my partner asked if they do evening meals so we went back the next night and were not disappointed. Would definitely return and I hear they do a Sunday carvery which we are definitely going to try out. Highly recommended.