Maxine's Restaurant in Darlington

A party of 7 family members went today and had the Christmas Fayre 3 course lunch. If you love bland tasteless food then this is the perfect venue. Nothing had any taste. A few of us chose the 'slow roasted brisket' which turned out to be cheap beef thinly sliced and really not as advertised. The starter of portobello mushroom was one mushroom and just OK. My dessert of orange and ginger sponge was tasteless and the custard appeared to be from a carton. The staff were lovely and service good however. The venue is pleasant but for £27 this was a pretty unappealing offering.

The service was very slow even though we preordered the starters we still on the table as we were being served the main and the portion sizes are terrible half a cup of rice with the chicken sizzler in my opinion disappointing. The rice was cold but the chicken was hot enough to burn me and don’t get me started on the mayonnaise in the little jars no one can open the taste was nice but I could barely get a bite because by the time the flavour hit my mouth it was gone. Now the desert was small but nice but for a blondie it was very uncooked and runny and the room we were in had a bin that looked like it was a helmet in ww1 and a clear health and safety hazard with the cables and leads in the corner overall the food was nice but not worth more then 2 stars then there added a £20 service charge for what I would describe as a worse service then McDonald’s drive thru ridiculous

Here for a wedding meal but I have eaten here many times. Believe me the 4 stars is in no way an insult. Maxine's serves good food ( I've never had a bad meal and they are extremely accommodating for dietary issues/choices ) however I've also dined at Le Gavroche, City Social and The Kitchin and they are truly 5 star food experiences. The portions at Maxine's are perfect for me , I had soup, salmon and raspberry chocolate torte. All were really good , I particularly liked the green veg mix with the salmon and the garlic oil on the soup and the fact the dessert wasn't too sweet. Nice white table cloths and napkins, nice cutlery. Service was good.

Hilary was a great host very good experience food was delish would recommend and also come again

Came for an evening meal in a party of six. The initial service re taking our order was a bit lacking and the staff seemed almost reluctant to take it. However, after this initial glitch the service and food was very good. Only criticism was small portions on the main courses. Also a 10% service charge added to our bill would possibly put me off coming here again. Shame as its centrally located and nice surroundings to eat and drink in. Nice outside area for drinks especially in sunny weather.

Best secret in Darlington, fabulously cooked food, amazing atmosphere, value for money, Monday to Saturday 2 courses £15 / 3 courses £20. Thank you ! Mr Bannatyne.

Friendly staff.. lovely atmosphere.. good selection of food

Tried to book table in restaurant but absolutely no one answers phone.then tried to get through via hotel booking but no one answered, then tried to get through via spa booking but still no one answered.absolutely shocking, don't no how they run a business if no one takes their calls.gave up and will book elsewhere as they clearly don't need business!

This is a lovely sophisticated restaurant with a light ambiance. The food was superb. My wife and I had a throughly lovely afternoon.

Ordered chicken Parmesan. Clearly the chef had never cooked one before. Chips were overdone and the chicken was covered in a layer of overdone rubberised cheddar cheese. No bechemel sauce. I felt quite insulted that tha meal even presented at my table. My business have used this hotel for many years I hope that my fellow employees don’t get the same.

A long overdue romantic 🥰meal for two.A lovely meal and a great venue, staff were very polite professional ."thankyou"

4 of us all enjoyed our 3 courses for £20 - restaurant week - so good value. No complaints and large cheeseboard to finish. Cocktails reasonably priced.

Fish was disappointing, soggy rubbery batter.

Haven't been for a long time and felt like the restaurant food has been reset to a lower price point to attract more diners. Food was like a decent pub quality. Atmosphere was bustling but, despite that, the service here was really excellent

Friendly helpful staff. Delicious food. More vegetarian options would be good.

Food is superb. Service excellent. Toilets are a five mile hike underground.

Food was OK.... but just ok. Service was great as was the atmosphere. Had a 3 course meal but the main course was.....just OK

Excellent food, cooked to perfection. Very efficient serving staff too!

We had lunch. Excellent, I had the sea bass which was perfect. 2 courses £15 good value , nice surroundings with attentive staff

We have had a lovely meal. Alex was attentive and lovely. Thanks it made our night 😀

Really lovely better than the ivy at leeds.... and less expensive

Food was excellent but when ordering a glass of wine we ended up with a large glass. We weren't asked what size we wanted and thought we'd get the 175ml. Wine too expensive at £10.50 a glass

Excellent highly recommended great service

My sister and I had Sunday lunch here it was delicious

This was the first time we had visited and went for Sunday lunch. We will certainly go again. The tables in the restaurant were well spaced and the room was light and airy. The food was very good, as was the service. The only downside was trying to find the entrance to the car park!! We will know next time.

Table of 6 family get together lunchtime 20 pound menu food delicious and plenty of it atmosphere lovely staff could not have been more friendly helpful and professional already planning next visit

First time eating here and decided to order the new street box. Food was superb and staff were lovely. Great place to eat on a sunny day in the secluded outside area. Big thanks to the chefs for working their kitchen magic 🧞‍♂️😊

I had a lovely meal. I wanted a roast beef dinner which I ate. I selected a sweet including icecream and sorbet which was delicious. I really enjoyed my lunch.

Brilliant service & attention to detail ❤️😍

Sunday lunch was excellent, served piping hot. The staff are very obliging and friendly . The restaurant has a lovely ambiance with comfortable seating overlooking the garden. Will visit again sometime soon.

I attended a wedding here on Saturday had a great time food was delicious and staff very friendly and helpful. Surroundings are ideal for a wedding. Highly recommend.

Great breakfast delivered to our room in the morning

First occasion to celebrate after lockdown, great to finally be out in public! Warm welcome, literally, patio heaters and umbrellas. Slight blip with the heater so the staff directed us to an undercover gazebo at the rear of the building, complete with heaters and fairy lights... very cosy! Staff were attentive and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble (we had a 4 month old baby so needed hot water etc). Limited menu for lunch, which is understandable, but something to suit every taste, all very tasty! Covid regulations respected at all times. Card payment only. Thank you... We will return!

Went for lunch and shared a meat platter for 2, was top notch and plenty of food, highly recommend!

The restaurant is fantastic and has a wide range of gluten free choices, staff are very friendly and always have an enjoyable time here.

The pizza was gash, over cooked on the top and soggy bottom. Would not recommend. £22 for pizza and a pint. Shocking even for hotel standards. Stay well clear

Had our wedding here and valentine's day always amazing

Shocking beyond belief Had a bar meal...simple burger with fries..... I have honestly eaten a better burger from an A road lay by... no way to warrant even 1 star :-(

Yet again have had a very enjoyable family birthday lunch here; the staff are attentive and the food is very good. Our party included a couple of vegetarians, one person with specific food requirements, a fussy eater (me!) and a number of 'normal' eaters - there is always enough choice for all. I recommend the duck in particular and the salmon salad; apparently the pie of the day was also delicious. Oh, the mango & lime and the sour cherry sorbets were a perfect refreshing finish. There was a small disappointment for one of our group where raw onion was not listed but included in every component of the paneer kebab starter, thus they were unable to eat it.

Just lovely food, lovely staff.

Absolutely lovely. Great food and great service.

Excellent and inventive menu, delicious food and great service at the Bannatyne hotel restaurant.