Lilburn's in Northumberland

Came to try the restaurant. Upon arrival at 7pm the place was empty with only one customer. We asked if they had tables available for two. They said no and that were extremely busy and wouldn’t take walk ins due to demand of the restaurant. I looked around a bit confused due to emptiness. I asked is it possible to be seated before any book ins came as we would only be quick. They said no and that they had no bookings. Me and my partner were left feeling confused and disappointed. The staff just stared at us till we left. They lost out on custom and service that night. How disappointing. I would have understood if busy.

This is a must try restaurant hidden away down a little street, but well worth finding. Not the first time I've been and definitely won't be the last. A family run business and very friendly staff. The chef was happy to explain how some of the components of the dishes were made. Started off with black pudding and spiced sausage, served on a bed of polenta with crispy fried onions, with an excellent red current and red wine reduction - stunning! For mains we had a lasagne, served with a crunchy garlic bread, chips and salad. A very tasty dish, well balanced meat to pasta and served piping hot with a cheese top. The other main was fillet steak, served with onion rings, mushroom and tomato, some lovely chips and a peppercorn sauce. Again served piping hot and very tasty. My only criticism would be that the steak was a little on the small side for a £28 price tag. Nevertheless, delicious. And to follow up, home made banoffee pie. A crunchy Pastry case with yummy caramel, fresh banana, topped with thick whipped cream and ice cream, crowned with a strawberry tuile. Very happy to recommend and will be back.

Second visit to Lilburns and won't be the last. Lovely little restaurant, family run and friendly. It's always busy so be sure to book. We had goats cheese with parma ham and the black pudding to start. As always the food was beautifully presented and very tasty. Rack of lamb and duck breast for mains, beautiful food, beautifully cooked. We even managed a dessert which is most unusual but if it's the food is this good, you'll find room. Definitely worth a visit, hope you enjoy it as much we did.

.Upon entry it is clearly a family run restaurant that prides itself on fine food and excellent service.Al la carte to die for and regular british food cooked to perfection.It is clear the chef sources his own daily produce and everyone involved wants the finest results.Such a hidden gem,well worth a visit.You will not be dissapointed.

Do not let the quiet exterior fool you this place is a hidden gem. We were in Alnwick for a week and this was so good we had to come back here for a second visit. On the first night I had the chicken breast with langoustine tails & tarragon on the second night I had the roast rack of lamb with herb crust, new heritage potatoes & red wine jus. The sauces with both dishes were delicious and flavoursome. Make sure you leave room for deserts the best we have had in a long time.

Nice service but poor value. Must be popular as very busy. Service and staff very good. We had one goats cheese tartlet, which was nice and two pannini with salad and fries. Unfortunately, the filling of chicken in both we're very lacking, just tiny slithers, which was a shame and I would say a salad garnish.

Amazing food, great staff and atmosphere. We had duck and rack of lamb. We had a lovely meal. Tap beers weren't the best selection but local bottled beers great! Booking had to be via phone but worked well. Overall highly recommended.

Weve visited Liliburns this week..The staff are so pleasant and the food is beautifully presented and so fresh . Can highly recommend this place. Thank you for two lovely meals and lovely service.

Delicious meal in charming surroundings & with excellent service in this small restaurant tucked away in the centre of Alnwick. Highly recommended.

Outstanding food and lovely staff who were very attentive. Great menu and delicious food. Would highly recommend. The duck was perfectly cooked and the poached pear with a delicious shortbread and ice cream was a real treat. Best dinner we have had in Northumberland.

Seriously the food, service and drinks are way beyond other restaurants in Alnwick. Can't understand why anyone would chose generic italian or 'tree inspired' place as this far exceeds all. Had crab cakes, steak and shared a dessert and every course exceeded expectations. Staff were friendly and attentive would definitely be back again. Bypass generic food and service here is worth event penny.

Wish we had found this earlier during our stay. Great menu choices (not simply a repetition of what everyone else is offering) lovely service and delicious food. The chef also took the time to speak to us at the end of our meal! Will definately return on our next visit to Alnwick.

The daytime eatery is open in the evening for dinner and a wide range of familiar dishes and a La carte options can be chosen. I plumped for cod and chips, my wife lasagne and we waited for our meals whilst enjoying our drinks. The dishes soon appeared, each plate looking tempting in their decorative presentation. My fresh was freshly caught and served in a light homemade batter with perfect chips. My wife’s lasagne came with a crispy chunk of garlic bread and a shallow pool of bechamel sauce. The bowl of chips was delicious but surplus to my wife’s Italian focussed appetite. Most diners ate on the first floor, but for ease of access we chose the ground floor. Service was most friendly and attentive. It was apparent that the banquette benching is in need of refurbishing.

Went as a family for husband’s 60th birthday. From start to finish everything was excellent the service, the food, presentation and the welcoming staff. Would totally recommend you visit this place.

On a 3 night break to Alnwick we were looking for bistro evening option. Came across lilburns and decided to book although not sure what it would be like as it is also a daytime cafe. The experience was great , lovely upstairs dining option . Great service and lots of choice , from special set menu, a la carte or normal mains menu. I had crab cakes for started and duck for main. Excellent value and quality taste. Would highly recommend.

Usually go to Dirty Bottles but getting fed up of the menu there and fancied a change and really glad we found and chose Lilburns. Very welcoming, nice restaurant, great menu and the food was really good. Definitely the new stop place for food for us in Alnwick.

Throughly enjoyed our visit . The food was excellent I had the sea bass which was perfectly cooked . The deserts were delicious. The staff & service was top notch .

We stopped here for a bite to eat before visiting the light show in Alnwick Gardens. Lovely welcoming relaxed atmosphere, good service and the food (chicken curry/duck lorange) was delicious!! Hope to visit again soon!

Just had a fabulous meal ! Excellent service, very interesting chat with the chef, friendly staff! We ate Craster crab cakes, figs with Parma ham and goats cheese, sea bass, duck breast , fresh veg , chocolate torte ! Beautifully presented , full of flavour and good tastes! Thoroughly recommend !

Dropped in on spec (on a wet and windy evening) to this delightful restaurant. Excellent food and service - well recommended

. . . had to brush off the detritus from the seat, presumably from previous customers. I ate the asparagus flan, but more cheese and tomato, as hungry. The tomato and courgette soup could have been so much better if not so oily and served boiling hot with an unnecessary cheese topping, not mentioned on the menu. I found the floors to be worn and downstairs toilets grim; more a cafe than restaurant, in my opinion.

Food was superb as always and after lacklustre meals previous 2 days at other places it was good to be somewhere that provides exceptional food and service at every visit.

This restaurant is a joy. The staff were charming, attentive service, lovely atmosphere and great food. I really enjoyed my courgette vegetarian dish and my husband had a delicious well cooked steak. Everyone we dealt with, the cheerful ladies who served us and the chef were absolutely delightful. It made for a lovely evening - many thanks.

We were so impressed with the warm welcome, excellent menu and first class service that as soon as our starters arrived we asked our server to book us in again for the following night. The menu covers both their daytime bistro type offering with an a la carte selection which, while relatively small (around five choices for each course) made us wish we were staying longer so we could try everything. Starters were imaginative but the key was the quality of sauces with the mains. Good quality duck, chicken lamb etc had their taste well enhanced by sauces that nearly had us licking the plate. Portion size too was not neglected and overall it offered astounding value, with the mains typically around £20 which included a generous serving of fresh vegetables. Staff were just lovely and coped well with the external failure of their card machine and we enjoyed a chat with the chef at the end of the evening. Unfortunately Alnwick is a bit far from home for us to pop down but if we're in that area again we'll certainly be back.

I don't know how we have alluded this restaurant with the number of visits we've made to Alnwick over the years but no longer. The food was stunning! I started with the black pudding with sausage and crispy onions and my partner had the potato skins with sour cream both were absolutely beautiful. I followed with Fillet steak and she had the mussels. The steak was cooked (rare) to perfection and the accompaniments were ideal. To round off I had the home made sticky toffee pudding which, as it should, stuck to the inside of my ribcage. We had a bottle of merlot to drink with the meal which came to £87 in total which was nothing for how well we'd eaten. This has now gone into our top 1 of places to visit when in Northumberland.

We had a lovely meal here. The chef is very accomplished and we learned incrdibly experienced. The service was excellent, friendly and efficient. The restaurant was crowded when we arrived and is obviously popular with both locals and tourists.

When I made our lunch booking I had mentioned that it was for our friend's 90th birthday. When we arrived our places had been specially set with a Happy Birthday banner on the wall and the staff were so welcoming - it was lovely. The menu is great - lots of choice and the food was very tasty. When our desserts arrived there was a special addition with a candle and happy birthday decoration - all done by the staff. Thankyou SO much for making our lunch extra special - and thankyou to the lovely lady at the next table who took photos of the three of us.

Great restaurant in Alnwick, hidden away off a square. Quality of the food was first class. We chatted to the chef owner who has vast experience including cooking for the late Queen and Prince Phillip. Our choices included chicken with langoustine tails in a white...

Beautiful quality food … very tasty Also love that there is nothing taken off the menu . I asked what food was on for the evening was told you can have everything . How nice as a grandmother who is sick of going to pizza...

Excellent food, good value. Fig starter, followed by fish dishes, poached pear and and a very nice bottle of red. All excellent and beautifully presented. Staff friendly and polite.

Excellent! Finally found a restaurant who were able to accommodate us, tried many other establishments only to be told they were fully booked. Lady in charge managed to provide a table for two just when we thought we would go back to our digs hungry....

Just visited this cafe today. I ordered a jacket potato with tuna. It came with a smear of tuna, a slice of lettuce, a slice of cucumber and a slice of orange 🤣🤣. That must of been the side salad. Won't be returning and definitely...

We had great food here and the service was very good also. The owner gave us some local attraction tips. Couldn’t fault our experience and would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Very nice carbornora and desert also the menus look very nice!!!!!! The waitress and chef was very nice also!!!!!

We were recommended to eat here by a local. The menu is very varied and so were our choices. In spite of this we were served promptly and the food was spot on. Well made Cheese omelette and chips. Excellent sausage and mash with leeks....

We visited Lilburns tonight..We had a lovely meal and were welcomed and served by lovely pleasant staff , they were so professional.The food was beautifully presented both starter and main courses.We will definately visit again . Thank you .

The service was shocking, sat for at least 15 minutes before even being acknowledged (it wasn’t busy and there were plenty of staff on). Food took quite some time and when it arrived we were very disappointed for the price. The burger was dry and...

Quite simply the worst food and service. I asked for a recommendation for somewhere to eat in Alnwick and had the misfortune to end up here. Staff ignored us for 20 mins when we were only people in downstairs. Wish we’d left. I ordered a...

Arrogant and appallingly negligent chef insisted THREE TIMES that a dish served to my daughter - who has a severe nut allergy - was entirely nut free, that they were a nut free premises, and that the dish ingredients [in question] were fully HOME MADE...

My sister has a severe nut allergy (can result in anaphylaxis) and informed the staff members 3 times both before ordering and when the food arrived as the meal appeared to have pesto on it which she worried may contain nuts. We were reassured by...

This was our first visit to Lilburns but we do not intend it to be our last. All the food we had from start to finish was both excentley cooked and presented. We were also served by a team of lovely waitresses who were very...

Great restaurant in centre of town. British style menu with good meat fish and veggie options. Baked courgettes we’re excellent as was poached pear dessert. Friendly staff fitted us in without a booking

Food was excellent, staff friendly and efficient. Will definitely go back again. Highly recommended.

We were on holiday in Northumberland and tried this restaurant for dinner...good decision! The decor is not fancy, but the food was fantastic and excellent value. Recommend the prawn in garlic and chilli, which had perfect spicing and the crab cake starters. The duck breast...

Delicious meal and very friendly service. The staff were very attentive without 'crowding' us. The food was excellent, particularly the 'Chocolate Lumpy Bumpy' dessert. A lovely evening thank you very much.

Service first class, atmosphere excellent, food exceptional price very reasonable, i can highly recommend Lilburns of Alnwick

We called without booking on the off chance they had a table. They could accommodate us but I would advise you to book as it does get busy. I had the rack of lamb & my husband had the sirloin with a peppercorn steak. Both...

Must be one of Alnwick's best kept secrets, tucked away in the corner of the square. Fantastic food, great service at value for money prices. I believe Rod, (the joint owner with his wife Debby) was once the chef for the Duke of Northumberland through...

Ok food. Good portions. We visited today at lunch time. Cafe with standard fair of panini, soup, etc. Right in central Alnwick. Staff were welcoming and would recommend. I believe they do dinner in evening

Excellent meal was enjoyed by all seven of us on a recent visit. All dishes ordered were enjoyed by everyone. Congratulations to the chef. The waiting staff were truly friendly and cheerful. Nothing too much trouble. If we are lucky enough to visit beautiful Alnwick...

Delicious food. Must have both the Amaretto chocolate torte and the Cheesecake. Extensive menu and ample portion sizes. Staff were lovely.

Lovely meal and great service, been here every time come to Alnwick. Great little bistro. Menu relatively limited but what they serve is superb

The service was amazing. The food was beautiful and nothing is too much trouble. Highly recommended. I had soup and a toastie and my partner had lasagne

Popped in on a Saturday morning. The bench seating was covered in crumbs that I had to brush off before I could sit down. The servers were friendly and quick. I had a hot chocolate with cream which was served in a small glass and...

Called in querying if Lilburn's catered for coeliac Disease with gluten free food on the menu. The place was empty apart from the staff which felt off putting. We were told that they were closing at 3pm in other words don't take too long. The...

My husband and I were on holiday in Alnwick and couldn’t get a reservation for dinner at this restaurant until our last night. That difficulty alerted us to the fact it was a popular restaurant. The entire experience was five star. Lovely ambience, excellent service...

We have visited here many times over the years. my mum and I met up and we decided to have lunch here, nice friendly welcome just managed to get a table it was busy quick service ,order taken we both decided to have the fish...

Never eaten here before on our previous visits to Alnwick. What a delightful eating experience. Very relaxed atmosphere, varied menu, excellent value for money and superb quality of food. In addition to this the customer service is outstanding, the staff were all extremely friendly. Booked...

This is a lovely family run restaurant with excellent tasty fresh food. Lovely service. The only reason it didn't get 5⭐ is the ambience. It is more 'cafe' like than restaurant but it shouldn't deter you

The restaurant is a bit unprepossessing from the outside, but the cooking and service is excellent, and good value. My sea bass was perfectly fresh and beautifully cooked.

What a lucky find!! Dropped in here for lunch this week. Excellent draught beer better than the pubs, and superb home cooked fresh food. Great place, superb staff... just wish we were local. What a fabulous place serving fabulous food.

We visited here to eat one evening while we staying in Alnwick on holiday. The food was delicious, and the service friendly and professional.

Visited here whilst on holiday in Alnwick. Fantastic meal and service. From the quality of food and the way it was presented you can tell the chef/owner has held executive chef positions previously at Alnwick castle. Would thoroughly recommend. Lovely sea food and my lamb...

Such a lovely little find. All the staff were so friendly and the chef even offered to cook whatever the kids fancied. Highly recommend

What a great place. Knows exactly what it’s trying to be and executes it perfectly. We just stopped for a quick drink but we we’re bowled over by how authentic the place is. We spoke to a gentleman from Blackburn who we understood to be...

Wednesday 15th June 2022, My husband and I left our car in the Alnwick station car park and strolled into Alnwick where we went out for dinner to ‘Lilburns Bar & Restaurant’, which is a family owned bar and restaurant by Rod and Deb O’Brien....

Got recommended to us by friends. We live in Bradford and the word of their excellence is spreading. Amazing food matched by the excellent staff. I celebrated my 50th birthday dinner with close friends. They had a party of 26 who turned up an hour...

Tried to have lunch but was told no tables available. No suggestion that we try again later. Very dismissive & then looked at people behind us. Heard them say they hadnt booked but were immediately seated. So if your party is an ODD (not even)...

This small restaurant tucked away in Alnwick serves the most delicious food. We had a soup lunch one day and on that basis returned for dinner the following evening. It's well worth a visit if you are in Alnwick.

We visited here twice on holiday with our toddler. Incredibly kind and friendly staff who went out of their way to make him feel at home (and us too!). Good down to earth food. Highly recommended.

Really delicious food, you can tell that the chef prides himself with the food that he produces and presents. Staff were friendly and went above and beyond in topping up the cider!! (Saturday evening)

We were lucky to get a table outside since the inside seemed uncomfortably hot - being outside enabled us to enjoy our coffees

Lovely food and great value. Service speedy and friendly highly recomend. Is open in evenings but book

Visited Lilburns on a Saturday evening. It was busy and the staff were very accommodating. We had the lasagne and the tuna. Both were cooked well. The salad that came with the lasagne was poor. A few bits of iceberg and a piece of tomato...

We went for dinner. Our food, Craster crab cakes, steak and tuna, was excellent. The service was very good - the staff were friendly and very efficient.

We visited here after having a morning at the castle nearby. They were very accommodating of my 2 children, including our buggy which they allowed us to park near their outside seating. We were seated on a high table but when a lower one became...

Food was excellent, service good with one lady being a total ray of sunshine compared to some of the maybe less confident members of the team..would happily recommend

What a gem of a restaurant! Managed to book for birthday meal whilst staying in Alnwick. Best meal we had during our stay. Food outstanding. Every course gorgeous. Service excellent. Staff are lovely so attentive and friendly. Had a lovely chat with the owners who...

Outstanding food and service to match. Will definitely be back again would highly recommend and great value for money. Top notch…

The restaurant was bright and airy, the staff were attentive and the food was very good - we had lamb and risotto, and they were very tasty.

We fancied lunch and a beer after an 8 mile walk and came across Lilburn's- what a treat! Welcoming staff and friendly service greeted us. We sat outdoors and enjoyed our meal- the thai pork was delicious and ham and mushroom pie tasty and filling!...

We had dinner in Lilburn’s over the Easter holidays. The staff were friendly, food hot and tasty, and prices very reasonable. Overall I can highly recommend!

Wow, Wow, Wow What a great meal we enjoyed on our first visit to this little bistro style restaurant, The friendly proprietor and waiting staff showed us to a nice 1 st floor table and the Very reasonably priced menu had many things to choose...

Very welcoming and accommodating staff. Varied menu. For me the rack of lamb could have been crispier on the outside and pinker in the middle and four rather than 3 ribs. The tuna was excellent. Crab cakes were good; king prawns fine.

We were recommended this restaurant by a member of staff at our hotel. Sadly the experience did not live up to our expectations. We were 2 couples. We each selected a different starter but they were all pretty tasteless especially the crab cakes. The bruschetta...

Lovely friendly chatty staff - simple delicious food. Worth booking to definitely get a table. We will definitely revisit.

We ate here while in Alnwick to go to the Winter light trail at Alnwick gardens. It’s a lovely place, nicely decorated and comfy, we sat upstairs. The staff were very friendly. We had the potato skins to share for a starter which were yummy....

We had a take-away as Lisburn's were happy to supply a 3-course meal to go in the current circumstances. It was delicious and I would highly recommend, cannot wait to be able to sit down in person.

Came here to dine whilst holidaying in Alnwick and what a great experience. Staff were so funny and approachable. Food was just absolutely excellent. Hubby had the black pudding whilst I had king prawns in chillies. Love the kick. My chicken breast in tarragon sauce...

We went there for my 60th birthday. There were 11 of us, 7 adults and 3 children and a baby. The staff were very friendly. The menu was great and they made something for my grandson which wasn’t on the menu. They made it very...

This is a hidden gem in Alnwick just off the Market Square. On the outside it looks a very ordinary little cafe and inside the decor is standard. However the food is excellent and the presentation outstanding. Terrific value for money and lovely staff.

Popped in whilst walking around Alnwick early on Friday evening after a 6 hour journey to the area. The lovely waitress found us a table in the bar area. The food was lovely, well served and excellent value. We returned on our last night in...

An early supper of mussels followed by mushroom and asparagus risotto for me and figs wrapped in Parma ham then stuffed courgettes for my husband provided an excellent start to our stay in Alnwick. I found that two starter-sized portions was sufficient for me, not...

Booked on the morning for the same evening. We were interested in the vegetarian main meals although we are not actually vegetarians. We enjoyed starters or brie and apricot parcels and chicken liver pate. Both really tasty. I then ordered the brocoli, mushroom and Stilton...

Poor meal of lasagna no idea where the meat was just pasta cheese and a touch of tomato not worth money would not reccommend eati g here

My wife and I had a superb meal here last night. We both had the Craster Crab Cakes to start. My wife then had the Rack of Lamb and I had the Chicken & Langoustine in a Tarragon Sauce. The food was of the highest...

We did the right thing in booking as table here. The menu is moderately sized and well priced and gives a good range of options. I chose pan fried ducks breast, cooked pink and perfect. My wife just wanted a starter and they were happy...

Amazing restaurant. Very unassuming exterior but don’t be put off. Inside is just fabulous. Had the best sea bass I have ever tasted. Cooked to perfection. Husband had duck - also excellent. Staff all first class and very professional and sociable. Can’t fault it.

Delicious freshly cooked food. Service top class despite being very busy. Book a table to avoid disappointment as numerous walk ins were turned away due to restaurant being fully booked. Definitely recommend the sticky toffee pudding - delicious

We were spending a few days in the North East and found this restaurant on the web and booked it based on others reviews. Quite small but extremely friendly restaurant with a good choice of food. Our meal was excellent well cooked and well presented....