Marsden Grotto in South Tyneside

My boyfriend and I parked down at fairgrounds and walked along the coast line to The Grotto. We were in awe at the pub and the surrounding location and views. We had a drink of beer and wine, and then beer and coffee, which were reasonable priced, and sat back and enjoyed watching the waves crash onto the shore. Inside the pub was very clean and very modern and we had great service. The pub was decorated lovely and it felt wonderful to sit in and admire. We also sat outside as well and enjoyed the fresh air and the sounds of the birds and the waves. It wasn’t very busy either so it was nice and quiet and relaxing. The facilities were all clean and tidy. We will definitely be returning and bring loved ones to enjoy this beautiful pub.

Amazing food Sea Bass and Chips

Nice place for coffee with lovely views and walk along beach and friendly staff 😃

Very Expensive but nice place helpful staff

There for my grandson’s birthday meal. It was absolutely appalling. Waited over an hour for the meal to come in stages. One meal cold, sent it back. Then two meals came and then waited 10 minutes for the 4th meal. No cutlery, then only forks delivered, no knives, we weren’t eating spaghetti!! No napkins even when asked for them. We spent over £100 for this terrible service and to be very honest awful food. We did get a refund for one meal. Just read some previous reviews, you would think they would take note and improve. Never again.

Very interesting, pint of Madrid and small coke over £10

Only went for a drink and the experience. This is a hidden treasure. Although on cold days, you need to wrap up well, as the North Sea winds down at yhe bottom are bitter.

Love this place and stayed o er night fantastic manager blake was great host definitely reckomend

Went for lunch yesterday with a friend..... absolutely atrocious, battered scampi and think they were supposed to be chips with salad (that is lettuce with more lettuce) £35:00 for two absolute rip off. Should have gone to Colemans .

Lovely food and dog friendly place..staff went above and beyond and love decor..will be back!! X x x

Stopped here for a bite to eat and a drink during a walk along the coast. The entrance is grotty and could do with a good sweep and a mop. First impressions do count! Got the lift down to the restaurant and it is fascinating to see the way it has been integrated with the rock. We decided to sit outside as it was such a beautiful day. This area too could do with a brush to remove the cigarette butts and debris around the tables. I appreciate it does get messy with birds as they are nesting up in the cliffs but it's inexcusable not to make an effort. The tables needed wiping too but the servers just seemed intent on standing around chatting. We shared a crab roll & salt and pepper chips as the prices were steep! The crab roll was quite dry to be honest. It was meant to have brown and white meat with mayonnaise but we could only find a small amount of white meat with a scrap of mayonnaise. Poor value for money. The salt and pepper chips were very nice but very spicy with chillis & it doesn't specify this on the menu! Expensive too for a standard portion. We would not return as they are taking the proverbial with their prices. It is a damn right rip off.

I am extremely disappointed with my recent visit to this restaurant. The quality of food and service has dropped dramatically compared to how it used to be. The staff were rude and unprofessional, serving me the wrong dish without any apology. The food was cold, the portion sizes were ridiculously small, and the prices are outrageously high for what you get. The outdoor seating area was filthy, making the entire experience even worse. This place has clearly stopped caring about its customers. I will definitely not be coming back and would strongly advise others to avoid it.

Lunch with friends. Over priced and it is over rated. When we arrived a lot of tables had not been cleared from previous diners not very professional. We unfortunately decided to order sum very expensive sandwiches witch were very disappointing they couldn't even offer condiments the one's were offered were empty. I think this pub is very expensive for what's offered and appears to be poorly run give it a miss they are better pubs with see vews in the area

Great location and great views when the sun shines. Slightly expensive parking

Sunday date with my daughter and the dog didn't disappoint. Being sunday lunchtime on a lovely sunny day, we had to wait of about 40 minutes for food, but staff were very apologetic. The wait didn't actually appear that long as we chatted and enjoyed the view over the beach from the outdoor seatting area. The dog was given a bowl for water that could be filled from the outdoor tap and really fussed over when staff and other visitors passed by. Food was absolutely amazing and the gorgeous and unique setting made it just perfect 👌

What an absolutely amazing place.

Ahhh. Marsden Grotto. Bloody lovely isn’t it. Been going here since I was a babba. Went for my 37th today w family, down the scary steep steps, got the rickety old lift up on the way home haha. Gorgeous and nostalgic. Staff were lovely, gave my little dog a drink and some treats, food was lovely and it’s just a lush pitch on a nice day. Great 👍

An amazing place. Good for a drink of a little on the expensive side. Service good. The cliffs and beach are beautiful.

A fabulous pub serving excellent seafood. Would definitely recommend.

Nice relaxing atmosphere, with great views out to sea. I often stop for a coffee. I didn't eat today, and I would say that it has got rather expensive to eat here recently. For example, a "surf and turf" platter is £47.50. "Posh" fish and chips is £22.50. A steak is £39.95. So, not the kind of place to stop off for a snack! I'm sure the food is lovely, but beyond my budget. Perhaps others would disagree.

A great experience still good food served in a very special place a nice walk along the beach to settle the meal.

Visited yesterday. Lovely spot on the coast. The exterior of the pub is rather grotty to be honest rubbish on the floor uncleared tables etc. One of our party needed to get her glass replaced 3 times due to them being dirty. 2 small bowls of seafood tagliatelle ( tasty but more like the size of a child’s portion and a calamari starter (6 pieces with a ramekin of mayo) £55. Overpriced and left feeling a bit conned to be honest.

Stopped for Lunch today, sent one meal back as chip's were cold and overcooked, also ordered salt and pepper chips they were well overcooked, poor experience for the price payed disappointing experience

Beautiful hotel and setting shame there was dirty tables food on the floor rubbish bags left near the breakfast food dirty cups left on tables outside and big issue of being locked in the hotel no staff or access to phone as signal non existent and staff forgot to leave emergency phone out only way out we had was a key we were given to unlock the emergency exit on to the beach We told to ring the manager if there was an emergency but we couldn’t have done with not having the emergency phone Didn’t eat in the restaurant as it was very expensive and what we saw being served to other people in the restaurant didn’t look appetising

Parked at the top of the cliff and took the lift down and wow,what a surprise. It's absolutely fascinating! Very well designed bar,restaurant and rooms,all built within an old smugglers cave.The food was delicious. Our room had 5 windows overlooking the beach and Marsden rock. Loved waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the beach

Great place to visit. Spectacular scenery.

I came here with my son for lunch and a drink. The location is beautiful and unique, a real cave carved out of a cliff, with a fantastic view of the sea and Marsden Rock. As others have said though, that is the only attraction. I found the service behind the bar very poor. Slow, and the barmaid did not seem to grasp anything I was asking about. Chips were included with both meals, I asked if there were both thin fries and thick chips (the menu suggested this was the case), in which case we‘d have the latter. She took this to mean we wanted an extra portion of chips. She also wanted to give us 2 lemonades instead of just one, because she got the wrong end of the stick there too. I was refunded for the extra chips, but it is frustrating to have to deal with this. The worst thing for me though: I paid £25 for a half lobster, and it was the most puny, pathetic thing I‘ve ever seen. Extremely small, and not a claw in sight. They may say they remove the meat from the claw for the customer’s convenience, but I’m not convinced it was all there. Hardly any meat, indifferently thrown onto the plate, barely even lukewarm, served with a measly portion of undercooked, lukewarm fries (we never got the thick chips I asked about, if there even were any), and some lacklustre, undressed salad. They should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for serving that for £25, but I doubt they care. I‘m glad I didn‘t pay for a whole lobster, which would have cost £45. Totally outrageous! If that is how they do lobster, that size and that preparation, they should take it off the menu. My son didn‘t reckon much to the Jack burger either, also pricey at £20 and served with the same undercooked fries. Go there for a drink to enjoy the location, but on the strength of our experience I‘d avoid the food. And be crystal clear with the barmaid, or you never know what you might get!

Incredible location. Best for sunset over the sea. Great staff, iffy wine list though..

Very very bad food. All I could taste was rancid oil worse than bottom barrel kebab shops

Amazing place, friendly staff and very accommodating! We booked last minute for mother's day, due to an issue with another booking and I'm so glad we did! The food was delicious and well priced, the service was quick and delightful and the view was, of course, amazing. Portions were great too. We were served by Anya, who was really helpful and attentive. We will certainly be back!

I visited the restaurant. The food was very tasty, but a bit cold. Restaurant prices but very poor service. Tables not cleaned. I have nothing against the lady who worked that day. Because she tried, but there was only one. There should be at least one other person to serve

Very nice place to relax outside of the world without any network

Popped in for a bite to eat and was mega disappointed. Ordered the and surf and turf wrap for myself, fish & chips for the wife, 2 x latte's and a bottle of water which came to £53.20p. Table was dirty so the wife had to go to the bar and ask for the table to be cleaned. Young lad behind the bar handed the wife some blue roll and some spray to clean the table herself!! Anyway she cleaned the table and we ordered the food. The coffee's and water arrived and we then waited ages for the food - the place was not overly busy may I add. I was really looking forward to my lunch and it eventually arrived.....stone cold! The frozen fries were cold inside the wrap as was the steak. I had only 2 prawns in the wrap and a few pieces of steak made up with salad. - this was £21 plus! The wife's fish and chips were cold also. We ate it as we were hungry but for what we paid it was very poor. Spoke to the lad behind the bar on the way out about the food being cold and he said "yeah the chef had orders waiting, i never had time to go and get the food so the chef brought the food out"- yeah mate for fifty odd quid that really solved the issue!!! There was a sign up in the bar asking people to voluntarily donate to the up keep of the lift which i think was cheeky considering you have to pay to park upstairs. There is no WiFi which is a concern giving you can't get a signal and if someone needs you in an emergency you are screwed. Another sign up stating there is no WiFi and its like it's 1995 and they would rather people spoke to wach other. Well pity the prices and customer service were not still of 1995!!!! What an absolute shambles this place is, they are charging near enough top dollar for very little. Would not recommend anyone to go for food

We opted to use the Marsden Grotto for my sister’s baby shower. The staff was ever so helpful, the views are amazing outside as it sits directly on the beach. The baby shower was in the cave area which is beautifully lit with a rustic interior. Would highly recommend!

This pub/restaurant is partly built into a cave at the bottom of Marsden Grotto It serves a good range of beers, wines and spirits. The food that is sold is mainly fish or shell fish. Although it also sells things like steak. What makes this pub special is the fact that part of the pub is built into a cave and outside there are some very nice views of Marsden Rock. I have attached some photos to give you an idea of what it is like there. If you are in this area pay this pub a visit it's well worth it.

A lovely experience at the Marsden Grotto. A bucket list tick to stay in a cave something bit different. We stayed in the shanti penthouse which had panoramic views of the ocean. We were very lucky to have a clear day so the views were amazing. The hotel has no public WiFi and no signal due to its location. Although I wasn’t bothered by the social media we were going to spend more time in the room enjoying the view whilst watching the fire stick but unable to do this with no WiFi. The bed was extremely comfortable. I have read other comments about a smell in the room and although there was something I believe this is due to the location and more sea air than a bad smell. We had food on the Friday night which was nice. Breakfast is just toast, muffins and small boxes of cereal.

What a gem. Very interesting, beautiful inside, stunning views outside and fabulous food.

Lovely scenic spot. Have been here a few times, only tried drinks and a cheesecake but it's a nice venue. Biscoff cheesecake was delicious. Cool experience going down the lift and lots of history to read. Nice to sit outside with the view.

Amazing location, amazing food and amazing atmosphere! And no phone connection at all! Couldn’t want for anything better!

Location is exceptionally good , cannot comment on rooms as we came for food. Lack of staff for service to start and food very very bland . Will return for drinks and walk but certainly won’t be purchasing food

ordered katsu fish burger and my partner got a streak wrap both were really nice ,perfect view ,obviously pay a bit more because of location but so what ,great south shields pub

What an absolute waste of money. Location is the only thing going for it. We went for my son's 13th birthday, with is having to hide the disappointment. I could have made better food at home & the price for said food was ridiculous. Save your money, go somewhere better for less.

Lovely cocktail for my birthday 🎉

Dog friendly and a cool location is the only good thing we experienced. Can't speak for the rooms as we only came for food in the restaurant. Service was poor, waited over an hour for food which was bland and overpriced. There were drinks glasses left on tables which also weren't cleaned. Toilets needed cleaning and outside also needed sweeping as there was rubbish everywhere. Shame as it's so unique.

A fabulous, quirky place to visit, eat and stay. It is steeped in very interesting history. It is well worth a visit, even if it's just for a coffee.

Had an absolutely wonderful time at the grotto for my husbands birthday, Erin went above and beyond to make our stay perfect and we will definitely be staying again and the food was delicious.

A place to go, one of a kind. Highly recommended. Small variety of choice of drinks but still the view and location makes it special.

Stayed here with my wife for a night in the Shanty Penthouse. Fantastic room with amazing views, waking up to the sound of the sea and seeing it roll in made the stay worth every penny. Staff are lovely and helpful and I can't fault the place one bit. We will definitely stay again and highly recommend. In fact we didn't want to leave.

Beautiful place.. will keep going back.

Unique place. Good food. On the beach. Use the lift not the stairs. Wraps are recommended 😉 The car park is expensive as the minimum charge is £3.

Service and forward amazing. The location is spectacular.

One of the 7 wonders of the North East, the others being the terrible service at any branch of McDonald's, the welding keeping the Angel of the North together, Geordie girls dress sense on a winters night out, Greggs sausage rolls, Donatello's kebabs and of course Rivelino (the band).... This is not a Wetherspoons, this is a very unique place to visit, stay, and or eat. The staff are what make this place, although the setting is nothing short of spectacular. Steeped in myth and legend of ghost smugglers and surf and turf wraps, The Grotto is a must for any passing visitor to the area. The food is... on a plate, the prices are... on a list.... It is what it is, go there, look around you, appreciate it for what and where it is, it's not the Ritz, but the welcome is second to none...at any time of year. I've been going here for over 50 years, and the 2025 version is one of the best there's been. Generally cold, wet and miserable, the coast also offers stones, shells, sand and the occasional dolphin. Bring your big coat.

Marsden Grotty. What a wasted opportunity. With such great views it should be heaving. If the decor and food was great it would be. I'd go back and sit outside on a warm and sunny day but in the middle of winter we just looked and left.

It must be 200 feet down from the top of the cliff but there's a lift to get you to the bottom inside you can see the cliff face where they carved into it to make the cavity for the pub. It was worth the £6 pint of Madri just to see the place.

We stayed here at the end of summer hoping to see the northern lights, however luck was not on our side and the night we arrived the clouds came in, however far from being disappointed we had an amazing night, fantastic room unique view and an absolutely unique experience A*****

Beautiful bar set into a cave on the sea front. Also has rooms.

I ate here about 5 or 6 years ago and had a lovely seafood platter. Unfortunately I visited recently. I didn't get to sample the food so I can't comment on that. We wanted to eat here but the service was so poor we left. Also, after checking the menu it seemed slightly over priced for which was essentially a pub grub menu. The place seemed to be selling more coffee and pints than food. If they separated the bar and the restaurant they could probably provide table service and an actual restaurant experience, and keep the steady trade of coffee and pints.

Very disappointed been many times but won’t be hurrying back called today One member of staff not a smile in sight Coffee £4.40 No cups , given in a take away cup no spoon had to share the spoon she used behind the counter Waited 20 minutes if wasn’t for the view . Ended up not having food at their price expect a lot better service 😞😞😞

14£ for a prawn sandwich that I can only describe as wet and small ,gave me the shits like a tsunami ,won’t be going back !!

What an Amazing place. Set in an old Smugglers Cave the atmosphere was nice & the food was great. There is a lift down to the restaurant but it closes at 10pm for some reason ? After that you have to use the long stairs up from the seafront. If you have mobility problems like I do you'd be better getting out before 10pm. I would imagine it's great in the summer as you go right down to the seafront. Sadly it was dark when I went with friends but I'll definitely be going back 👍

Food amazing and staff happy and friendly.

Booked the cave room for our 20th wedding anniversary. The room was extremely dirty, furniture dropping to pieces compliment tray poor cups and spoon had to be washed before we could use them. Food in the restaurant was over priced and average quality, we will definitely not be returning not even for a drink. Terrible experience.

Absolute racket. They wanted £19.95 for fish and chips and £22.95 for 'posh' fish and chips (pictured). Actually paid thinking it would be better than normal fish and chips. No. The server walked out with what looked (and went down like) kids portions from colmans, and the 'posh' fish and chips was even worse. The staff wouldn't accommodate when one of us wanted a fish on its own with peas, stating we'd be charged the same as for fish and chips + peas. £3.50 for a cup of tea as well. Let my stupidity be a lesson.

Fantastic place to relax and take fantastic photos.

I was so disappointed with this place, the staff were rude and the food was microwaved, I was told this by a member of staff when I asked if the fish was well battered, his reply was it comes out the packet into the microwave there are no options. Beautiful setting but if they want to make money they need a proper kitchen team. We paid £58 for fish and chips, a burger, a cappuccino and a coke, we left most of this, we did approach the staff but they just dismissed us.

Beautiful hotel/bar in a cave so don't expect any phone signal or WiFi in and around the bar area , not sure on the hotel rooms though

I was driving past thought it was derelict but closer inspection obviously not! A hidden gem, paid online for parking and went down the lift. I didn't stay in the hotel but had fish n chips looking at the beach, amazing, definitely recommend it. The hotel looks very modern and quirky with history. After a walk along the beach i thought I'd try the stairs - should've done that the other way 😆

Only called in for a drink, so can't give an opinion on the rooms or food. It was quite busy when we arrived and the only free tables hadn't been cleared. One was wet where something had been spilt and the other was sticky and covered in sugar, where some children had been playing. As the weather was decent, we sat outside with our drinks. Lovely views of Marsden Rock. Toilet facilities were clean and well maintained.

Wonderful building and location but shame about the food. Calamari and whitebait seemed frozen. Sandwiches were okay. Expensive.

Used to be lovely went few weeks ago the windows were scruffy the tables were sticky floors dirty over priced drinks and unatentive staff what a shame as a lovely place

Food was over priced and poor quality. Staff were friendly but obviously over worked.

The Grotto is a lovely location, friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere, dog friendly. Go for a drink after a walk on the beach or in the Leas but don’t be tempted by the menu. The food is terrible and absolutely overprized. Our experience is not based on one visit. We are regular customers all year round and tried the food on several occasions.

Nice place but food is very overpriced and not particularly good. Go for a drink but unless you've got money to throw away for a poor meal keep it in your pocket. Burger was dry, seafood pasta mediocre, the fish portion was small and everything lacked flavour. Table was also dirty.

Lovely place, ideal for a coffee or bite to eat. I have been coming here since i was a littke kid. The lass who served me today was very polite...really nice. My only gripe with the Grotto is the lack of WiFi which would be a massive plus...who doesn't have WiFi in this day and age?? You can't even get a signal on the terrace whilst having your drink which is really annoying so the addition of WIFI would be really helpful especially as I was waiting on an important call which ironically I missed!

Been years since last time there. And definitely didn't disappoint. Clean, friendly staff, and great views outside. Well worth a visit.

Very overpriced, the chips were frozen chips. The scampi was out of a supermarket freezer! Little effort for approx. £19 per meal! Would I go back? NO!!

Great venue, definitely different to most other restaurants in uk. Has the possibility to be an excellent venue for various events. Cafe are at the front caters well for beach customers however the rear area could be an absolute top restaurant venue. Plenty of fresh fish available locally however we didn't feel ourselves and other customers received fresh and prepared on site. Fish batter soggy and under cooked. Fries even after being replaced once still came back under cooked and soggy. We left feeling disappointed with nothing further to say. Fresh fish and prepared in the kitchen with staff that can would make all the difference. Come on guys you have a fantastic place now make it fantastic!

The novelty of the lift, location and views is brilliant. Definitely visit once and wander on the beach. However the food is very expensive £17.50 for a halloumi wrap and £22 for half a sea bass slice. Dirty sticky tables. Service was great and friendly.

Went in for coffee, great views, brilliant service

A coastal gem with stunning views, great food, and a relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Dont bother! Gave this place another chance after a bad experience a year ago and if anything its worse! Staff rude (think was the manager) food order was wrong, staff blamed me! Food was awful, still frozen! Dirty tables and place stunk

Same as it has been for many years

Great place for coffee or hot chocolate by the side of the sea. Like the lift down from the top of the cliff in to the Grotto. Lovely setting and nicely decorated. Hot chocolate was good. Only 2 girls behind the counter working their socks off to keep up with the orders. Well done both.

An expensive place, the black mussel was stinky and had a bitter taste.

Not a great experience. The tables were pretty dirty. Staff rude and unhelpful. Had trouble requiring a glass for a drink. Drinks poor quality and expensive. It smelt dirty and definitely looked that way. Would not return.

Unique place, great atmosphere. 4 stars as decided not to stay for food as it was rather expensive.

Not a one for writing bad reviews but my god this place has went downhill. Got fish, chips and mushy peas priced at £19.99, thought i was getting something decent to say the least, not even a slice of bread to accompany it. Food came and fish was swimming in grease, 3 serviettes later to mop it up and fish was bland. Told staff member and come back was, chef said yes maybe the fish hadnt rested enough?, asked if i wanted it changed, heck no when you hear stories about that so perservered. Chips half cooked and some burnt too, a little more than a handful. Disgusting to say the least. Last time ever there 👎. Hubby got crab arancini which came with little bit of tired salad £21. Save your money folks, Colmans 100% better and cheaper. Place could do with a good clean too.

Just had a meal, which was excellent, friendly service. Lovely views from bar and terrace.

A must see when you're in the North East. A bar/restaurant caved into the side of the rockface. Friendly staff and a fantastic view.

Short visit. Good sevice; tasty coffee and hot chocolate.

Many turned away because of lift being out of order. After paying £3 to park. The stairs are not an option in windy weather, or for disabled, elderly people.

Oh dear,where to start. Lift has seen better days ,needs refurbished. Bar area ok-ish, ordered 'food' , bar area could be cleaner but on to food,ordered a crab sandwich priced at £16.50 expecting a real treat, what arrived was a mush of brown paste that just ran all over the plate with a little salad-ish thing on side.Sent back &, to be fair was offered alternative but declined. Very sad place now, we had friends from NI visiting & from previous visits over many years was expecting significantly better than what we got,not a good experience

What a brilliant place location and staff are lovely xx we tried lobster fior the first time and it was amaxing

Not a good experience today, on entering the grotto it did not look nor smell clean. Food - The fish was hard to find inside doughy greasy batter. Fries tasteless with dry mushy peas. To conclude my review of my experience at the grotto today, 25 September 2024. It is not value for money and over priced.

Quick stop for a delicious coffee - lovely, unique spot.

What a quwiky location for a restaurant with rooms, loved it food and service was great

Called in for some food having heard about the views. The location is lovely and the view would be too but sadly the fog came in for us. We ordered food and whilst there was a steady stream of customers it wasn't really too busy. The food came quickly. Too quickly. Which suggested prepared before hand. And as a result it was dry so I can only assume microwaved or overcooked now to reheat. Even my mussels were dried out? Not ideal. Staff also seemed frustrated and tired. So tables left dirty for longer than they should have been. And service slow.

Great location, unique and interesting. Nice staff. Good food and well kept beer.

Had some chips and a drink here while walking along the beach. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff.

Location, location, location. As of September 2024 this place is doing pretty well. There are so many reports of the entranceway being smelly and of a general lack of cleanliness, but, I didn’t find any of this when I visited with family on, a weekday afternoon in order to have lunch. Yes, there are a few things that could be tidied up but in the current climate this place is looking after itself pretty well it is pricey which I put down the location. There aren’t many other places where you can sit and have these views And that comes at a premium which I was happy to accept. Service from the weekday staff was not the most attentive. Staff were much happier chatting between themselves and figuring out their own plans rather than interacting with and looking after customers, but, whenever any questions were asked, they were helpful, generous and engaged.