Old Toms Gin Bar in County Durham

beautiful and unique atmosphere, excellent service and excellent beer👍❤️

Came for a drink, its always on the list for a Durham visit. Gone really down hill since last we visited. Waited 20 minutes for 2 cocktails from the 2 for 12 menu. For staff to use no measures. My drink had been over smoked and was WAY too strong tasting even with their substitute as they'd ran out of whiskey. New staff here are nothing compared to previous staff here. Standards have slipped. Too busy chatting to each other than focusing on customers . Stuck with my partners drink that I don't like usually. But I'm not waiting another 20 minutes for one drink! You pay more for quality, but this has really put me off. Atmosphere great. New staff need more training on standards. My partner is even struggling to drink it. Now there's a queue, can't wait all night for a drink to be sorted. 😅

It's alright if your just passing, got nothing bad to say about it apart from it being tiny.

Amazing quirky 'bar', really good location for outside seating, very atmospheric indoors. Also very small!

Quirky little place with an excellent outside terrace with a view of the Castle and Cathederal.

The 90s music invited us in and the quirky decor made us stay! The bartender was friendly and made us the best gin I had in a while. The music was the right volume and the playlist was superb. Perfect place to start your Saturday night!

Quirky riverside Gin bar offering a large range of gins and gin liqueurs. Eclectic decor

No food so can't comment on that. Excellent variety of drinks and lovely atmosphere.

Bloke drew appendage in the Guinness upon request. Sublime.

Great barmaid, made is custom designed cocktails. Very nice drinks, very nice service, beautiful people working there. 5☆

Absolutely fabulous gin bar hidden away in the centre of Durham! Lovely selection of gins and other alcohol too! The barman was AMAZING 👏 lots of care and attention in making the perfect gin and tonic! All served in the small but atmospheric bar... loved it!

Absolutely incredible place. Feels like a proper ye olde English inn. Could use some cask ale / fireplace but still my favourite place in Durham. Highly recommended.

Looks amazing. Staff were brilliant!

Really good wine at reasonable prices, in a warm, cosy bar, atmospheric old building with great fun decoration.

Nice little place, very strange as where to actually buy drinks as standing in which looks like an open doorway. We did mess our order up which barman tried to rectify but looked very grumpy.

Strange little place......something to look at everywhere....like the tardis....looks tiny from the outside, but when you get in, it opens out. Service took a little longer as the two bar staff were talking even though they had seen us standing there. They were very polite, mind you. Good rang of gins and other drinks. Definitely visit if you're around the area.

Quirky. Small. Bit disappointing. The gin stocks don't match expectations. Garnishes are basic "ice and a slice". Glassware is underwhelming in that it's just tired standard stuff. The prices are super premium. They do have decent tonic, use loads of ice and provide your tonic separately to add to taste which I like. The place itself is stuffed with what can only be described random tat from floor to ceiling to create a sense of whimsy, but it feels a little hollow, like a businessman in a comedy tie. A touch musty. No bar to speak of, just a space where you can stand and order drinks. Accessible only via a narrow quite steep set of stairs. One loo. No toilet paper in the dispensers. When I mentioned this to the bar staff, I was informed "oh, we never have toilet paper in the dispensers, it's just loose on the side". That sums up the whole place, less endearingly eccentric, more baffling.

A cosy quirky bar appealing to a broad customer base with a never ending spectacle of artefacts to view.

Quaint little gin bar with friendly staff.

One of the rudest barman that I've ever come across in 20 years drinking in Durham. Asked for two cocktails, made one, plonked it down and just looked at me, clearly two of us standing there on a date, so obviously we needed two drinks. One for me, one for her. Passive aggressive throughout whole encounter. Then aggressively smashing ice bucket and ice around right next to where we were sitting. Attitude absolutely stunk. £22 for two drinks is extortionate too. Won't be back.

Fabulous old building, set away from the street; a cosy, curiosity - filled Alladin's Cave of gin. Price list outside in the beer garden. The venue can be traced back to the 1500's, my kind of place. Gin is usually a bit more expensive but worth the experience.

Quirky little bar. Limited beer choice but plenty of gins and other spirits

Small historical building with oodles of charm right on the river front. Friendly service always and a great range of gins. Worth a visit.

Odd, dark and disorientating place. OK, that's all....the view of the Bridge across the river and the Castle help it out a lot.

Well loved the choice choice of gins and mixers great ambience atmosphere and history

Quirky to the extreme. Friendly staff and loads to see whilst having a beer. Highly recommended

Wonderfully Quirky & historic bar with something to talk about everywhere you look, the staff are friendly and make terrific recommendations considering the vast library of options they serve, always a regular stop for my cohort!

When we walked in the staff didn’t even acknowledge us, and the layout of the bar made it difficult to know how and where to order. While we were sitting down the bartender was just chatting to her friend, which is usually fine although she had not greeted us or the other customer. Once we managed to order the staff acted as though we were being unreasonable for ordering a cocktail and said they could only make 3 out of the 9 on the menu. On the plus side the cocktail was pretty nice and the decor unique.

Went to this bar to find the manageress lying outside on the benches. Good start. Ordered to gins at the cost of £26. Went to use the toilet, no toilet tissue in there. Informed the manageress of this. To be told I was being a difficult customer and to leave the premises as 'she couldn't be arsed'. Nevertheless this will be last time I will be patronising this establishment. Ps other staff was lovely

Quirky bar felt a bit clostaphobic to be honest with all the random clutter ,dusty and alot of cobwebs about , not for me but will be to someone's taste.

Used to come regularly for atmosphere and well made and presented drinks. Went again this week for the first time in a while, and it wasn't as nice. Prices had seemed to increase, presentation was lesser, staff uniforms were no more and they seemed a bit scruffy, wearing jeans, camo, and printed tees (super casual) instead of the black and white with suspenders. The staff had to Google a margarita recipe, and my gin and tonic seemed off (quite watery). Love the place and it's vibe and decor, didn't have to wait and it was dead for a Friday evening. Served quickly by friendly staff, is just not like it used to be.

Great place and the decor is one of a kind definitely worth a visit

Love this place, very quirky. Tiny but fantastix

Stumbled across this lovely little quirky bar whilst in Durham a couple of weeks ago. I didn't find the seating inside very comfortable but apart from that service was good, Cocktails were great! Well worth a visit.

Loved it. Very quirky and a lovely atmosphere with a large selection of gins.

Great little place, just off the beaten track _well worth a visit. Very helpful staff

It's actually a zero stars from me. My friend and I had booked the 2 hour gin tasting experience that comes with a charcuterie board. We were so looking forward to it. We arrived andd all the tables were taken and they had completely overlooked our booking. The excuse we were given from the bar woman was she had been off sick and didn't know about it!!! The male member of staff said it was nothing to do with him as he just prepared the drinks. It was suggested we could wait as someone would be expected to leave. We waited for a short while but decided in the end to leave and spend our £60 somewhere else. That will teach the staff to be on the ball no excuses you messed up for not checking what bookings you had in. Will never be back.

We were walking by today looking for somewhere to go, had a bit of a thirst building when we discovered this little gem of a bar, quaint and quirky with excellent service, ambiance and a outstanding selection of Gins and other excellent snifters on offer. Would recommend Old Toms Gin bar 100 % We will be back but sadly only after dry bloody January. 😊👍

Great 👍 loved the quirky atmosphere

Great little pub. Shame about the door staff

Weirdly small and odd service style but enjoyed the atmosphere. Asked for a drink and hot a double by default but still was nice

The girls and I popped in after our crimbo meal out, some of us had never been before, the drinks were ok, we all agreed presentation could of been better. i personally wish some of the bric a brack was got rid off very dusty and grubby it does not add anything to the ambience dead animals next to a vintage handbag, and a creepy figure of charlie chapman????

Great. Quirky little place. Huge range of Gins and mixers.

Quaint little bar, great place to visit in a good location

When planning my trip to Durham for my younger son's delayed graduation ceremony (late due to covid) this was not a place I had marked down to visit as I don't drink gin. However, as I was walking past on my first morning the external decor attracted me and I looked through the open front door - I was fascinated! The interior is like a museum, full of interesting items. I went in, through to the "bar" and ordered a cappuccino and viewed all the intriguing items on display. I returned later on and had one of their extensive variety of gins with a mixer recommended by the bloke behind the bar and did enjoy it. Despite my son living in Durham for four years he had never visited not being a gin person either - he missed out on a fascinating gem of a place by the river in Durham. Even if gin is not your thing it is definitely worth a visit :)

Great ambience to make memories over a good drink.

Quirky little place with outdoor seating right by the river . Brilliant , attentive friendly staff. Will defo be back !

Loved this bar. Staff really knowledgeable and get you the perfect drink! A new favourite that you never knew you liked! Lovely quirky place. Also offer blue light discount 💙

Never seen so many Gins, nice outdoor seating,

Loved this bar will definitely be back next time in Durham

Quirky little place, well worth a visit

Nice place for ice-cream and lunch!! A good chance to visit a very local English place. As I am Brazilian, it was really interesting!

Nice pint and a great view! What more do you need! 👍

Erm gin was good but stuffed hedgehog with wings on freaked me out and the stuffed wild boar on the wall.

Great place for a nice drink. Quirky interior, great staff, and a huge selection of drinks to choose from.

Love this quirky bar staff always friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately our experience 10 mins ago was the complete opposite girl stood staringing with arms crossed didn't speak or ask if she could help. After looks that could kill we walked out never to return. Walked along to El Pincho and were welcomed with a smile as we walked in. Excellent service. Do think the girl at Tom's bar is in the wrong job. I certainly wouldn't employ her!

Lovely sat out side had a cheeky cocktail

The best place in Durham for gin. Staff are great, thanks f you tell them what kind of thing you like they will tailor really well. Highly recommend.

Great experience! First time here and great advice on which gin to have! Enjoyed and would visit again 😊

Met the wonderful Hanna and Bar mixologist. Amazing drinks and very relaxed and super Friendly staff. 👌

A gorgeous secret gem. A must visit for a trip to Durham. Probably the most interesting place in Durham to visit! By the way the coffee is the best in town!

Lovely place with amazing character.

What a phenomenal bar. The choice of gin actually blew my mind and was fully comprehensive . I have never seen so much variety and quality in all my travels.The ambience was cool and the service tops

A wonderfully weird and whacky bar, decorated with obscurity, white elephants, artwork and taxidermy. It has a non-traditional bar, and instead it sports a bar kitchen suited to table service. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They stock a wide array of gins and other spirits. Cocktails and Beers also available. However the menu was a disappointment as I don't think it truly reflects the brand and does not showcase the stock available as I wanted, instead you have to awkwardly stand by the bar kitchen looking at what else they house... Both bad for explorers and business. Don't let that put you off though, after a few drinks you soon forget and get swallowed up in the furniture. Outdoor smoking area with heaters plus, I think Cathedral and Castle views. ££ don't be put off by the prices its not weatherspoons. Great for dates and those looking to drink "alternative". Go take a look!

Nice little pub worth going in for a drink

Been here a few times and it's an interesting bar. Called in yesterday and had the benefit of the lovely Hannah. First class service, great cheeseboard, very informative. The owners of this bar are very lucky to have her.

Loved it. Really quirky. Brillant bar tender who was so interesting to talk to. Husband may now even like Durham Gin.

Easily one of my favorite bars. I can't come to Durham and not have a drink in this bar. Its such a relaxed friendly atmosphere. My wife and I love it 👌

This is the MOSE BEAUTIFUL bar I've ever been in, stumbled across by accident, we'd have stayed all night. So beautiful to look at, so much to look at!!! Great staff and I'm a fussy divil.with gin.but they actually had what I asked for!! A first!! PLEASE GO

Great find quaint and quirky would definitely recommend the meat and cheese platter.

Lovely place with lots of choice

Nice spot Good selection Good staff

Real nice quirky bar. Definitely recommend if visiting Durham.

Lovely cute place, like going back in time 👍

Beautiful location on the riverside with Durham castle in the background. There were 3 staff and about 12 patrons and service was horrendous. We ended up going in to order and pay. Although with security standing in the tiny doorway with a friend this was also made difficult. The staff were so busy chatting in the kitchen it took them ages to even acknowledge us. We could easily have left without paying.

Can get busy but best ipa in Durham

Nice little place, a bit pricey but the drinks were nice and the staff were even nicer! I was served by a lovely Scottish lad who couldn't have done more to make us feel welcome.

Expensive compared to surrounding bars

Don't come here for coffee the first cup was pathetic the second improved version was still barely ok but ... Views of the castle from the Riverside terrace are amazing. It's worth coming here just for three view

Bloke behind the bar was canny and good atmosphere as its tiny

Intensive gin menu with local and mainstream brands and a wealth of different tonics and mixers. Sat outside as great views of the castle and cathedral. Inside is a nuts and fun mix of stuff!

Slippy... Dangerous entrance.... One of our party fell... No assistance offered..... No checking in on well being.... A disappointing experience overall....

Love this quirky little place. They have every Gin you can imagine and there is also a outdoor area if the weather is nice. Staff are happy to help and give advice on what mixer goes best with what gin I you are stuck. Service was slightly slow but I have been before and it just depends on how busy they are.

Really quirky bar with some random bits and bobs here there and everywhere nice spot to sit outside for drinks too

Great outdoor drinks venue. Overlooking the river

good for a quick drink in between sight seeing

snug little pub overlooking durham castle and river

Nice place. Good service. Covud safe

Drinks were good but didn't have our 1st or 2nd choice drinks - only do cocktails on Saturday and drinks are not cheap...

Disgusting attitude from door staff! One in particular.. pre booked for a stag do but when we arrived we were all in a fit state and allowed access to be first told we had till 8pm then within 30 minutes told we had until 7pm and when we told him we had a pre booking he denied it without even checking and told to drink up and he confronted the stag whist standing up to him trying to intimated the group. Upon speaking to front of house staff who confirmed our 2 hour apologised for his behalf which was appreciated but not their responsibility. The door man in question apologised once corrected but to little to late and spoilt the atmosphere of the day. Surely after 12 months of lockdown this establishment and staff should be welcoming people back..

Lovely coffee , good staff, amazing decorations

Booked a table indoors yesterday for 5 people at 3pm. Turned up at 3pm and the guy said outside only but he could wipe a table for us which was ironic as the chairs and tables were soaked with the rain. Not very good atttitude either. Rubbish.

Gorgeous cheese, tomato and chutney toastie with cappuccino. Shelter from the rain and dog friendly x

Not a bad, quirky little place, be lovely to get a real ale pump in there. I had a DMF Hemp Rum and my Fiancé had a bubblegum Gin

Nice view of castle from terrace and good coffee and beer

Way over priced for mediocre stuff

Staff uninterested. Drinks extremely poor would not recommend.

Very quirky place and lots of choice of gins

Half the staff were wearing masks under chins the whole night. Irresponsible at a time like this. And overpriced.

Absolutely beautiful scene and amazing beverage. Great for a relaxing afternoon