La Mensa in Northumberland

Pizza o.k but nothing special, Service good but with two exceptions: no reaktion to phone and SMS when I tried to reserve, and being placed initially in a relatively cosy niche, ideal for us two and our dog, we have been asked to move to an exposed table on the wall, where lots of people and staff continously passed by. Reason: tables needed for a group of four - but the tables stayed empty during our stay. Atmosphere: heavily fake Italian style , overdecorated, with vinyl floor and walls.

We are six friends (3 couples) and we all had a fantastic experience. Not a single grumble or negative comment from anyone. Great menu, very lovely staff, decently priced. Next time in area would definitely visit again

I live locally and visit La Mensa at least once a month. I have to say that although it’s always been great - recently they seem to have upped their game. The quality of food is better, there seems to be more staff so you get served quicker. The food is piping hot and tastes delicious. The prices are absolutely fair. I feel very lucky to have this gem on my doorstep. I really recommend you give them a try if you’re visiting the village.

It was my first time visiting and I certainly wasn't disappointed! A lovely restaurant with delicious food, generous portions (including the lunch menu) and really reasonable prices. Lots of seating available both indoor and outdoor to suit various group sizes. The staff are all super-friendly and can't do enough to help you. I love how dog friendly the place is too! Highly recommend!

There are few restaurants in Rothbury but this was a food choice. The food was freshly cooked and tasty. The service was excellent.

Went here with four friends for a lunchtime meet up. It’s bigger than you think with an outside seating area and a lovely sunny beer garden with a small children’s play area. Before we went in for lunch we sat and chatted in the garden, very pleasant. The whole group enjoyed their food. I wasn’t too adventurous starting with potato skins with two dips. Lovely! I would normally have a pizza but for a change went for the lunchtime menu. I chose peppercorn steak wrap with chips and salad. The wrap was liKe a very thin pizza base with a lovely sauce and nice pieces of steak. The salad was nice, Mediterranean style with sun dried tomatoes. Others had risotto and pasta. Everyone was pleased with their meals and enjoyed the food. I will visit again

Amazing food, portions are very generous - calzone was very big and filled with plenty of meat. Arribiata pasta was very flavoursome and again plenty of it which is great. Pricing was really decent too, especially considering the quality and portion size. Waitresses were all very friendly. Highly recommend!

Absolutely brilliant restaurant. Brilliant atmosphere, food is so good! Staff are always so friendly and kind even at busy busy times! The terrace is lovely in the sun. We're so lucky to have such a wonderful place in Rothbury!

Really good food at really good prices. Nice ambience. Helpful, friendly staff. Could do with an online booking system for those not actually in the town - phone never answered with message to send a text, which took a while to receive a reply.

Wonderful food and really friendly service. Highly recommend :)

Had an amazing meal here, moved to the area 6 months ago and wished we’d tried this place sooner! Very much a traditional old Italian restaurant, lovely food. Will definitely be back.

Absolutely beautiful food and service, can't fault anything, kids meals amazing value especially for the quality 👌 I had prawns and they were cooked beautifully, honestly can't recommend this place enough, will definitely be back

This is without doubt the worst Italian restaurant I have eaten in. Risotto was a basic short rice, no creaminess, commercial tasting sauce - honestly bordered on industrial.

An atmospheric little venue serving delicious food for a decent enough price. Portions are generous and the staff very friendly. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

An atmospheric little venue serving delicious food for a decent enough price. Portions are generous and the staff very friendly. Highly recommended if you're in the area

The staff are very friendly and the food was very good. The squid starters were a bit chewy but the garlic king prawn mains were probably the best I’d ever had. Decent choice for desserts too. It has a step to get in and they don’t have a ramp but I knew this and took my own ramp. Once in it was easy to get round although I don’t know if the toilets were any good as I didn’t use them.

Excellent service, fantastic food and good sized portions. Dog friendly.

The food was absolutely spot-on. The service was absolutely brilliant. You cannot fault the place. Lovely home-cooked pizzas.

Living locally we have dinned at this restaurant a few times over the last few years and I can honestly say we will not be returning. After we ate our starter my wife had to notify the waitress that her starter that consisted of three prawns and she had discovered that one of them was mushy and inedible, the waitress response was a rather unsympathetic "I'll let them know in the kitchen", no apology, nothing, we got the distinct impression she could not be bothered or care less, a theme she was going to exhibit through out the whole of the evening, in fact she seemed more interested in here phone than the dinners. Following that my wife's main that was a meat balls in pasta dish which consisted of three golf ball sized meat balls that seemed to have been cooked some time ago as they were certainly not freshly made and they seemed to have been reheated as they were tough as old boots. My mains dish of prawns in Tomato sauce also had mushy inedible prawns in it but after the waitress's attitude when we notified her on the issue with my wife's starter we thought what would be the point in saying anything. Following on from another reviewers comment, from my experience, yes its best to visit the restaurant in person to book a table as the staff quite honestly are not interested in answering the phone or dealing with texts, ( other restaurants can do it so why can't they ).

Popped in for lunch while on a dog walk Both had a pizza and was very very nice Dog friendly Definitely will be going again soon

Fab place. Great food, fantastic coffee & excellent service. Would certainly recommend for an afternoon out.. I’m sure it’s great in the evenings as well!

Eaten here many times now and the pizza is always fabulous and the staff are great.

Best pizza shop in Roxbury 10/10

We are not local's we were doing an overnight stay in the town for NYE. Rrestaurant was super busy but welcome and service was amazing as was the food. Well done guys 👍.

Was there New Year’s Eve food was exceptional service great well recommended

Just had a lovely meal today the staff were lovely and polite. I ordered a calzone and wedges it was massive and very tasty, I just managed to defeat it but left a few wedges. Thank you very much for an enjoyable afternoon 🙂

Really tasty Italian food, friendly attentive staff, cozy interior albeit with rather dated decor, very reasonable prices. Recommended.

Popped in for lunch on an off-chance as the cafe at Cragside looked a bit sad. We're so glad we did! My wife had a lovely chicken docelaite whilst I had a fabulous spinach and ricotta ravioli. Marvelous! Will return.

Fantastic food and amazing decor! The staff were lovely too. Will definitely be returning! 10 out of 10

Great calzone pizza's, very tasty.

Last minute visit to this beautiful restaurant Food was fresh and delicious and the staff were brilliant. Brought our puppy and he was content and made to feel welcome as well. Definitely recommend

Amazing food and the staff were lovely. Great service, would highly recommend to the people of Rothbury and anyone visiting :)))))))))))

So helpful and very tasty. Drove 12 miles to get a takeaway pizza garlic bread for my disabled son at another local takeaway pizza place. Was very rudely told they couldn’t possibly take an order for another hour as they were backed up. Prices were over the top as well. Anyway walked down the road to this restaurant that was packed and I asked if they did a takeaway and they produced two beautiful pizza garlic breads for my children in less than 10 minutes and for less than the price of one in the other establishment. If you are going to Rothbury please eat here they are wonderful, helpful and their food is amazing. I will be back to eat in with my whole family.

A group of ten of us visited as staying locally for a few days of golf. A lovely restaurant with a great atmosphere, food was lovely.

Delicious food - I chose the ravioli off the specials board and I was not disappointed! Pizza was also excellent. Really nice atmosphere and reallly friendly people - would recommend!

Great atmosphere and friendly staff. The restaurant was really busy but the service was still good. Food came out hot. Lots of lovely seafood choices. We'll definitely be back.

We had two lovely lunches this week. Very reasonable prices, delicious pasta and pizza. Dog friendly too, which is great.

Popped in for late lunch after Cragside, really nice food, friendly staff and inexpensive, will definitely pop in again

Fabulous and consistent all round. We were a mature family of 6 and we all thoroughly enjoyed everything, Food, quality, service and atmisphere. 100% for all. There was a lady we met that came in every day. Well done, We will definately be back.

Always good food, reasonable prices and friendly efficient service

Great food, great service - we had the lunch time specials @ £ 7.95 which was more than adequate for us. We choose six different meals and everyone in our party gave their choice a thumbs up. Thank you for the unhurried excellent meals.

Had lunch at La Mensa this afternoon with some friends. I had the Hawaiian pizza and my friends had the special pizza and a pasta dish. We all loved our food and were extremely impressed with the price, quality and service. Really friendly and welcoming staff, we will be coming back.

A very nice little Italian restaurant where my wife and I enjoyed their excellent value lunchtime specials, she having “the best pizza I have eaten in years” and I a pleasant seafood pasta with plenty of mussels, prawns, squid, parsley and just the right amount of garlic. The service was friendly and efficient. Altogether an excellent experience. When I got home I was not surprised to find that it ranks in Tripadvisor as the number 1 restaurant in Rothbury and I'm sure there must be other good ones. If we had the time and were staying closer, I would certainly return one evening to enjoy their interesting looking a la carte menu.

A very nice little Italian restaurant in this delightful town where my wife and I enjoyed their excellent value lunchtime specials, she having “the best pizza I have eaten in years” and I a pleasant seafood pasta with plenty of mussels, prawns, squid, parsley and just the right amount of garlic. The service was friendly and efficient. Altogether an excellent experience. If we had the time and were staying closer, I would certainly return one evening to enjoy their interesting looking a la carte menu.

Another lovely pizza from the great team at La Mensa. I only wanted a single takeaway pizza this time and the service was quick and food perfect.

We've been to this restaurant a couple times over the last few years and has been great, especially the lunch menu. We visited one lunchtime just after 12 and wasn't sure if the restaurant was open. No sign outside or door propped open. The table was badly cleaned, cutlery not great and the floor looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a while. The toilets were also not very clean. The food however was great. Not sure I'd visit again though.

We chose items from the lunchtime special menu. Both meals were very good and exceptional value for money. We were given a warm welcome and had excellent service. The premises are interesting and we enjoyed outside seating on a very warm day.

Lovely little restaurant, great atmosphere, food was great, very friendly attentive staff, only reason not 5 stars is the fact dogs are allowed in which is off putting for us when eating, the same two dogs we were next to the previous evening in another restaurant, barking for food & shaking hairs around 🤨

Lovely staff, foods fine. Only problem: disabled toilet is presently dangerously under standard and needs fixing before someone has an accident. This is the support bar almost coming off the wall with less than half my 10.5 stone weight on it. Also, I hope there’s a ramp because there’s two steps to it.

I haven’t been yet but during August I have tried to contact them by phone, text and WhatsApp trying to book a table for dinner for early September when we are visiting Rothbury with friends. I am very disappointed that so far they have not responded to my requests. I note another family have had a similar experience. They may serve good food but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. First impressions are not good.

Nice restaurant. The pizzas (especially the vegetarianna) were excellent. The place was full and super busy but the service was efficient and helpful.

A great place to visit seemed a bit chaotic when we arrived but the food was great and everything came out together and correctly even in the chaos. Be warned the starters are a good size and worth it for a big appetite

Had a really delicious lunch at La Menza today. The staff are so friendly and efficient. Would truly recommend.

Food is amazing, really really enjoyed my calzone, it was the best I've ever had. Thank you for a lovely meal and the staff were brilliant as well.

Ate here twice with my wife whilst on holiday, firstly back home i don`t eat in Italian restaurants as i am not a lover of the food, however i ate here 2 yrs ago and have returned and the food is heaven, we had 2 starters, 2 main courses of seafood risotto, large focaccia bread, huge side salad which was a meal in itself, 2 beers and a bottle of good red wine and the bill was approx £72 which was a steal, you would never go hungry eating here, this is proper Italian food served with a smile, I always say serve good food and people will return, well we did and had a great time.

Very poor chicken, cream and whisky dish. Totally dry overcooked and tasteless chicken. Should have ha a ready meal from next door mini market.

We have visted Rorhbury on quite a few occasions over the years. In readiness for our latest visit we spotted great reviews for La Mensa and booked a table on Saturday evening whilst staying in Rothbury. All staff were friendly and helpful. Restaurant was busy. As it's so popular I would suggest booking in advance. There's also a nice outside seating area for when the weather is good. There is plenty of choices for all tastes on the menu. We ordered salmon and prawn cone and calamari for starters which were both lovely and proved to be very generous portions. Followed by spinach canneloni and a pasta dish with steak pieces, sorry can't remember the exact name. Again generous portions. It would have been rude not to sample deserts, so chocolate fudge cake and tiramisu were ordered and proved to be great choices. There's a good reasonably priced wine list. We tried the Zinfandel which was very nice. Thanks to all for a lovely evening we would definitely visit again when staying in Rothbury.

Sometimes you make assumptions in advance of an experience and sometimes it’s a negative and incorrect assumption This is what we did about La Mensa here’s why. Having spent huge quantities of time in Italy we think we know what I good Italian food should be like. We expected La Mensa to be a typical anglicised Italian restaurant. Well what an amazing surprise. From start to finish our food experience was genuinely authentic Italian and of excellent quality throughout along with excellent friendly service and at very reasonable prices. If you like really good Italian food this is the place to go .

1st time at this restaurant, won't be the last that's for sure, fabulous food and a lovely atmosphere. Service was also very good

Enjoyed the food. Nice restaurant with outdoor seating

Lovely place, with wonderful food, and fantastic service. The atmosphere was lovely, as were the staff.. Really good value for money.

Live, love, loved it. Great spaces outdoors for families with dining and open dining out front yoo. The upside has a lovely vibe about it, and the food was fab too. We only had a small appetiser taster, so we don't feel we can rate at this stage, but we will be back. Staff are very friendly yet professional. Thanks for giving us a sunny day to remember

Very poor experience, disappointed too say the least. Gave one star would have given 0 if it was my choice.

We visited today. Our food was incredible, hot, fresh and really tasty. The best pasta Ive had in a long time. My son really enjoyed his starter, the diavolo pizza was a little spicy for him though, he did enjoy what he could eat. Unfortunately I didn't realise it was dog friendly and I have really bad allergies with dogs. I had a pretty bad reaction but the lady serving us was so lovely and extremely helpful, she moved us straight away so I could finish my meal. Definitely worth a visit if you like fresh Italian food. Very reasonably priced too.

Had an amazing meal as always, can't recommend this place enough. Dani and all the staff are so welcoming and the food is always delicious.

This is a great little Italian restaurant, at the end of the High Street in Rothbury. We booked a table and I’m very glad we did. This is a busy restaurant. The food was very good, my wife had the calzone and said it was the best she’s ever had. I discussed my dietary requirements with the waiting staff (no eggs or dairy) and at their suggestion, had the seafood risotto. It was very good.

This restaurant is a MUST when visiting Rothbury. We went in on whim, we had a table for 4 adults and a dog outside on a sunny evening. There was lovely music playing and great atmosphere. My partner had a starter and it was as big as the main courses! For main courses we had three pasta dishes, and a pizza, all were made from delicious fresh ingredients. The portion size was huge! We had to get a to-go bag. We thought the price was very reasonable and the staff were attentive and friendly. Don’t pass up this little gem!

Friendly staff who are attentive and happy to help. The food was very lovely and I would definitely visit again or order the pizza as a takeaway if I'm nearby again!

We had a brilliant dinner at La Mensa! The staff were so lovely and welcoming, managing to squeeze us in on a busy bank holiday weekend. Cosy atmosphere, great food, and excellent value—highly recommend :-)

A great place for a tasty lunch. I had the home made soup and my wife opted for a wrap. Both were excellent and great value for money.

What can I say, we had a most devine meal. Excellent service, fantastic food and one very enjoyable evening, the food was delicious and the staff went above and beyond. I would highly recommend. THANK YOU 😊

Brilliant Italian restaurant. The food, service and atmosphere are really excellent. One of the best Italian restaurants I have had the pleasure of visiting! Delightful!

The staff were very polite and helpful and seemed to have a family-owned vibe about the place. The menu has plenty of choices, which I ordered the meat feast pizza, which was very tasty. I would highly recommend this hidden gem, and it definitely wasn't expensive.

The staff were very polite and helpful and seemed to have a family-owned vibe about the place. The menu has plenty of choices, which I ordered the meat feast pizza, which was very tasty. I would highly recommend this hidden gem, and it definitely wasn't expensive.

Had a really delicious meal here during the Easter holidays. Prompt, efficient and friendly service, very reasonably priced and really delicious. Will definitely be returning on our next trip to Rothbury.

We had dinner here one evening and was so impressed we booked for the next night. Food is lovely and plentiful. Staff are friendly, and dogs are welcome. The decor of the restaurant is a little tired, but do not let that put you off it is worth eating here

Absolutely delicious! Very flavourful starter - spicy meatballs, then two pizzas… both very nice! Great fresh produce, made to order, lovely pizza base. Friendly staff. Highly recommend! Will definitely be back.

Great food, value, service and atmosphere. We liked it so much we booked in another 2 nights for the week we are visiting. Highly recommend.

Excellent food and great value for money. Staff are very friendly. Interior is quite quirky with a relaxed atmosphere.

Was supposed to be a pitstop on a road trip for a quick bite to eat, turned out to be amazing food. Good service, great food.

Friendly inviting staff,nothing was too much trouble for them

Called in as we were passing and were able to get a table Bon a fairly busy Monday night. Service was excellent, food amazing and reasonably priced. We enjoyed it so much we booked for the following night. Tuesday was again a busy night but service and food were again superb. Large selection on menu and couldn’t fault anything we had. We will definitely return next time in Rothbury.

Outstanding food Lovely restaurant great staff , enough options for vegetarians One of the best Italian meals we've had

Incredible food and very friendly staff Pizza served on a slate pizza tray As a dessert the lemon sorbet was very flavourful and came inside of an actual lemon! Wonderful experience

My second visit and just as nice as the first. Food is really nice. Totally spoilt for choice on regular menu and specials board. Nice relaxed pace in the evening with Abba seeming to be regular favorites for background music. Somewhere to come to savor the food and the company, not for a quick snack. Can't comment on lunch ambience, but will be looking to try it out soon.

Called in here for lunch, had a lunch time special on. Garlic bread to die for. Pasta was great. Good service good food and great value. Will definitely come back here when we visit Rothbury again.

Absolutely delicious meal. I can honestly say that I've never had a better Italian meal. La Mensa is so warm and inviting, great food and happy, friendly staff.

Best pizza i have had in a long time.

Came here after our walk at Simonside, parked at Cowhaugh car park for free and walked 5 mins to this lovely restaurant. Food was amazing: we had calamari rings for starters, mains-wise al filleto pasta and la mensa pizza. Pizza crust was out of this world! Draft Birra Morranzo/Morano was super smooth and refreshing. Tip top service with upbeat Italian music at lunchtime. Thank you for the lovely dining experience!

If you’re from the North East or even just a tourist, if you’re in Rothbury this is a must go place! Today me and my friend went for lunch and it was just incredible! First of all the decor and theming was really enjoyable and really felt like an authentic Italian experience. The customer service skills was exceptional, our waitress was so friendly, polite and inclusive and made sure everyone was having a lonely time. As it was lunchtime on a Thursday it was quite quiet so brilliant to see such a high standard of customer service experience even during quieter times. The Lunctime deal was so worth the money and the food was phenomenal! I had Garlic Bread, Fillet Steak Calazone and Sticky toffee pudding and all were incredible. There was so much rich flavour and pure authentic Italian flavours were added to every mouthful. I even got to compliment the chef who again was so friendly and cheerful. As it was my Birthday he even offered me a free shot which I politely declined as I was driving that day. It’s just such a pleasure to see passionate people who but so much effort into what they do to make others happy. So please go and support La Mensa and you will not be disappointed! Next time when I’m in Rothbury I know exactly where to go. Thank you La Mensa for an incredible memorable experience 😊🍕

Chris was lovely and friendly! Food here is amazing, my boyfriend and I ordered a pizza take away from them as we haven’t eaten, even after 3-4hrs, the cold pizza was still AMAZING!!!! Will definitely come back again even if we came from Newcastle!!

Beautiful lunch time menu . We had travelled from Washington on the bus and found this little gem by chance . Gorgeous food really attentive staff and lovely venue .

Went for a meal here yesterday, first time I’ve been despite living here for several years, absolutely fantastic food and the staff are lovely. Four of us went and we all had different food, two of us with the king prawns with rice (one with the garlic and me with the chilli and tomato) served with a really amazing salad and chips between us, and the other two had pizzas which looked fantastic, proper flat base and decent mozzarella and delicious toppings. Unbelievably reasonable prices with the bill for four including drinks only just above £70. Now intend to make this a regular thing!

First visit to this excellent Italian restaurant in Rothbury today. The reception and service was very pleasant and friendly. Our lunch (two lasagnes and a melanzane parmigiana) were beautifully cooked and well presented and very reasonably priced. We’ll definitely be going back to check out some of the rest of the extensive menu.

Well enjoy fine Italian cuisine in this wonderful restaurant. Warm friendly welcome on arrival and a menu packed with mouth watering dishes. Cooked fresh and served piping hot delicious!. Good selection of wines including the very famous Bardolino wine, one you do not see very often out of Italy.. A place to return to for sure Thank you so much see you next time. 😊

Fantastic lunch time special with my daughter today. The food, presentation and service was outstanding! Fab

Had an excellent lunch at La Mensa, reasonable prices, helpful chatty waitress, only downside for us (as older customers) the background music is a little loud & we couldn’t talk to each other easily.

We were in Rothbury thinking about eating but at about five in the afternoon in December not much looked very inviting. Then we saw La Mensa right at the far end of the street and were surprised to see it was open for business. Not many diners but we got a warm welcome and a table next to the fire. We had a very good meal and were on our way again just as it started to get busy around sixish.

This has to be one of my top five Italian restaurants. I nearly had to give a 5 star review, this is something I'm still waiting to do. Food was excellent. Service was fast and efficient. Value for money... unbelievable. We are so coming back.

We arrived before opening time to check out the menu but could not find any information on the outside. Feeling slightly disgruntled we wondered off along the High Street only to trip over an A board sign 50 yards away on the pavement. Yes it was for La Mensa though it only showed a few panini's and other sandwiches. Anyway we returned at 1230 hrs and walked in. I'm very pleased we did as the food was fantastic and the service superb. We each had a pizza which were amply stacked, nicely crispy and very very tasty. Very impressed that they came with a pizza cutter! We then each had a pud - a tiramisu and a sticky toffee pudding. Both were extremely good and came with a cup of good quality coffee - all for £5.95 each. Needless to say we are looking forward to our next visit.