La Mensa in Northumberland

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. 😊

superb Italian restaurant in Rothbury they could not do enough to make us welcome .fortunately guest of. maximcosts lawyers. in same village who are brilliant as well .superb

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.

Fabulous food, great service and a lovely decor. Would highly recommend

Amazing food. Amazing choice. Amazing staff. All round good eat. Would definitely recommend. Good price as well for what we ordered.

After just moving to the area a day earlier, we decided to check out this local restaurant tonight. Honestly, one of the best British Italian restaurants I’ve tasted in the UK. Full of flavour, decent portion sizes and incredibly cheap for the current climate. The man serving us was lovely and even split the portions in half for us when we wanted to share two mains. We loved the decor around the place. Will definitely be our regular go-to!

Love this fabulous Italian restaurant. Very friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Extremely good pizzas and pasta, not to mention a very extensive specials board. Always busy in the evening so best to book. They do a special priced selection for lunch each day. Price wise, very reasonable indeed for such delicious food. Wouldn’t go past it.

Delicious food, lovely setting and very helpful, polite and friendly staff. Had a lovely evening, would definitely recommend.

Lovely welcoming local Italian in Rothbury. We come every visit here and have never been disappointed. Lovely pizzas and catalonia . They are now open lunchtime for smaller meals. Will try the sea bass next time

So La Mensa must be Italian for 'Incompetent,'. Checked last night they had our booking made a week ago; they didn't have it. Sat down, ordered our starters and they came as did the wine. The wine was set on our table, not even an attempt to pour or check it was the right one. Then the main courses we ordered didn't arrive after 40 minutes. Two tables who arrived after us were served starters and main courses as we waited for our main courses. At this point we asked where they were after a few attempts. to get the waitresses attention, and asked for two glasses of water, Ten minutes later a glass (not two ) arrived. Then the woman who placed our wine on the table arrived and said our main courses were getting prepared. We politely declined as we'd had enough. A few apologies, then got the bill without the wine, which we thought may have been a Goodwill Gesture due to the utterly inadequate service. They then added it when we went to pay. Which was fine as we like to pay for what we got. But it certainly wasn't a Goodwill Gesture. And it was my 60th birthday dinner. We'll be back in Rothbury. But not in this place.

What a great restaurant! The staff were so friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious and the place was full - always a good sign!

Very good night had cold meat platter for starter shared it with the table pizza thin and crispy top marks

We enjoyed two visits here, lovely good

A fantastic little restaurant. It’s informal, very friendly and serves delicious food. I’d really recommend checking it out. 😁

lovely waitress. nice atmosphere. Typical tasty Italian food. Enjoyed it and would go again. Very relaxed and dog friendly x

We visited this restaurant twice and we were not disappointed with our second visit it was equally as good as the first. Great menu selections. Strongly recommended

Found this little place by chance today whilst we stopped in Rothbury after visiting Cragside. What a little gem. Rustic inside but great value delicious home cooked Italian food. It knocks spots off Pizza Express, Zizzi's etc. Highly recommended place to eat in Rothbury.

Visited twice whilst staying nearby on holiday with friends. The food was excellent each time and very good sized portions. We ate pastas, risotto and the specials, each one was tasty and high quality. The service was very good and the staff friendly and efficient....

Great little restaurant,really friendly staff,the service was in good time.There is a really good selection on the menu and a specials board,and sensibly priced

Having lived in the area for 30 years, always intended on visiting. Today I did. Extremely pleasant experience. Waitress was outstanding. Coffee was perfect at a very reasonable price. Tried the lunchtime special, pizza or pasta for £7.45. Except seafood pasta and outstanding pizza. Will...

We came here for our last meal on our holiday and loved it, the pizza was cracking while the lasagna and seafood risotto were both big hits with the group

Amazon Italian food, the lasagne was one of the best ones I’ve ever had and I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.

Great food. Friendly, helpful staff and terrific value for money. What's not to love?

Popped in for lunch at short notice. Loved the selection and quality. Great value..Would recommend

I tried 5 times to book a table by text message but got no answer. I eventually booked by post! This was necessary, as on a Friday evening the place was full. When we got there the main door was locked. We had to follow...

Friendly welcome and service, a great menu selection and fabulous food. One of us had an enormous Pizza Calzone; others enjoyed different pasta and risotto. The breads were excellent too. Normally I probably would have had red wine, but today tried the Madrí lager instead: very refreshing. We'll be back soon.

Delicious food. Great pizza and pasta. They were excellent about catering for our daughter's allergies too. Lovely garden with play area for our girls too.

Deceptive establishment shment, but surprisingly good. Food and service best in Rothbury? .. .......

Went for a family meal. I had bolognaise pizza. My wife had lasagna. Kids had margarita pizza and chicken nuggets and chips. Starters were prawn cocktail and bruschetta. Everything was covered in mixed herbs and I mean everything. The kids meals,starters,mains. The lot. In what...

Beautiful food, lovely staff and very authentic inside

Great Italian restaurant.Managed to accommodate a party of 10 at very short notice.All of the staff were very helpful despite being very busy. Between our party many dishes ordered from pizza to pasta and risotto and every single one was a winner. Fantastic value for money and highly recommended.

Excellent food; pizza and meze style sharing board were all delicious, kids enjoyed their pizza and ice cream, too. Desserts seem OK based on one order, but you shouldn't put spray cream with the tiramasu. There is plenty of seating inside and out. Decent options on drinks. Espresso was far too big, nice coffee, but it was a cup full - literally should be a taste to finish the meal. Excellent service, all staff very friendly. Overall, a must eat while in or near Rothbury. The only reason for the lost star is the toilets. They're a bit of a shed.

Our first time visiting after living here for 20 odd years wish we found it earlier. The service was fantastic even though they were rushed off their feet. The food was outstanding best we have had for a very long time. Everything was a great price. The whole restaurant atmosphere was relaxed and friendly with the best service, the lady who served us was friendly and professional nothing was too much trouble even though they were very busy. Completely faultless cannot wait to go back, thank you for a great meal and evening

Great service, delicious food, relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The food wasn't particularly impressive. Busy restaurant, friendly staff but service was a bit slow.

Visited whilst on a break to Rothbury. Really good food and excellent service. Unfortunately there is no facility to leave a tip via the card machine.

The food was soo good. The staff are all freindly and jovial. Atmosphere was great. Small play area outside for children. Definitely would recommend coming here if staying in Rothbury or nearby.

A night to remember! From the moment we arrived our experience was positive.Staff were friendly, our waitress was attentive and cheerful. We had a delicious pizza, and a lasagne which was the best I have ever eaten.This little restaurant was a great find, only sorry...

An impromptu meal on a Wednesday evening in a busy restaurant which turned out to be really nice.

Came in on a Thursday night, expecting a quiet restaurant, yet we were greeted to a bustling hotspot. After our lovely young waitress rearranged some tables so that they could squeeze us in, service was quick with drinks as me and my wife tried the...

This place is an absolute gem. The food is fantastic, we had the wrap (homemade wrap!), two different pastas and a calzone. Each dish was perfect, homemade and flavoursome. The service was perfect and the atmosphere great as well. Best meal of our week holiday.

Food was amazing, fresh and full of flavours.I had a vegetarian pizza and the rest had a Bolognese and filleto pasta.highly recommended!

Fantastic pizza, friendly service. Top notch.