Rib Room Steakhouse and Grill in County Durham

Love this place, the rib room is downstairs in the beautiful Hardwick hall hotel & surroundings. The staff are fantastic & the sharing steak for two, was cooked to perfection, wow the whole meal was gorgeous. Nice area out of the way to have peace & quiet & so friendly & welcoming. After we took a walk near the lake & was really lovely to see two weddings happening in the hotel. We got married here 8 years ago & the standards of the hotel never change, just perfect.

From arriving and having a drink in the bar , The bar tender knowledgeable of gin was very good. Rib room staff on arrival were so friendly and efficient and we felt so comfortable nothing was a problem.We asked about the Sharing board and the chef came out and explained everything. Starters were fabulous scallops with king prawns . Sharing board is a must to try , Quality is the exceptionally on taste and how the chef cooks on your behalf. Fabulous food . It’s a hidden gem

The front of house staff were, as usual, charming and efficient, ensuring we were comfortable and had all that we needed. My issues lie with the quality of food. - [ ] Portion sizes for the meal ‘seem’ reduced despite price increase - [ ] Elements of the starters (ribs and scallops were missing) and smaller - [ ] The steaks were asked for Medium/Rare and were over cooked - [ ] Most disappointingly the usually delicious onion rings were homemade as usual but frozen. The steaks simply were not cooked as asked or indeed not cooked to order (perhaps both). With Medium rare we expected some of the blood and natural juice to be remaining in the cut of meat. Alas when they were cut into they were more medium to well in parts. Like with the starter, didn’t impact flavour and quality of the meat, simply reduced our enjoyment of the main event. Personally I feel the steaks had been ‘started’ in the cooking process earlier to speed up delivery time. The part cooking then stopped and this allowed the meat to rest and blood and juice to drain. This resulted in as mentioned, dry cuts of meat on the plate rather than the succulent cuts advertised. Usually the onion rings are a particular highlight. Fresh, homemade, light and flavoursome. Last night they were from a pack of frozen onion rings. When I voiced my disappointment I was told that they “must’ve run out”. Run out of onion and batter mix in a hotel restaurant. I will just leave my thoughts where they are on that one other than to add that this was highly disappointing. Overall the experience tarnished what we usually feel is an ideal venue/ meal to celebrate special occasions. When paying almost £50 per head I feel the quality should be of a constantly high stand. A food standard that I feel last Sunday night was well below par.

On 22 Oct 23 , we visited the Rib Room at Hadwick Hall , Sedgefield for dinner . The food was pretty average . We order the White Crab and Avocado Tian with Beetroot and wholemeal toast for a starter. We received the starter without the wholemeal toast and when we asked we got stale bread . And even the bread that come complimentary with butter was also stale .As main we also ordered French Trimmed lamb Rack with Roasted Beetroot, Asparagus, Onion Soubise and Mint chimichurri , the rack was not Trimmed properly there was a lot of fat present on it . I would want to go there for food again and won't recommend this place to people.

We ate at the Rib Room using the restaurant week offer. Really good food, served promptly and efficiently by the staff team. Highlights were the pork starter and creme brulee with melt in the mouth biscuits. Especially good value with the deal, but worth going outside of this too.

Attentive knowledgeable hardworking staff . Nice menu. Delicious food. Reasonable prices. Nice room. Would highly recommend. Thank you

Both the vegetarian and meat options were perfect. There is an extensive and well-priced wine list which the staff are knowledgeable about.

I'm that annoying family member that insists on trying everyone else's food so I can review quite a lot. Here goes: Gnocchi with mushrooms was beautiful, it's great veggie option and that sauce! I don't know what was in that sauce as I didn't see it on the menu, but it was so nice that I ignored the dirty look I got from my family member when I dunked a chunk of bread in there! Next to try was the lamb. I only had abit of the lamb with the sauce, can't remember what else that came with as there were dishes coming out left right and centre and I was like a kid in a sweet shop at this point. The bit that I did have made me think that I would have the lamb on my next visit. I am a fan of lamb anyways but this was so tender and full of flavour. It worked beautifully with the sauce that accompanied it If you've got this far hang on in there cos were half way through but the best is yet to come. Pork belly starter. I could have eaten that as my starter, main and pudding. It absolutely melted in my mouth! It came with this scrumpy sauce I think and some sort of taste bud loving jus on the top. The flavours complemented each other so well! Hands down it was easily the best pork belly I've ever had! Best pork I've ever had! On to my actual order. I had chicken with mash and root vegetables. The chicken was cooked to perfection, the mash was amazing which is something I never thought I'd say about mash because it's mash but this isn't like any mash I've had before. It was so smooth and creamy and delicious! The dish also came with a red wine jus (beaut) and I think there may have even been a sprinkle of heaven on there! For pudding I had crème brulé (raspberry gin served with short bread). Again, that was stunning. All in all you can tell that quality ingredients are used and alot of love and care go into the dishes prepared. The service is friendly and professional and the room itself is nice, it's in keeping with the rest of the building at the same time as having its own identity. I would 100% recommend the rib room but don't take my word for it, try it yourself. You're welcome!

The food was nice, service was quick and professional at a reasonable price. Would have tipped if they accepted card tips but they only accept cash and I didn't have any.

Went here for Sunday lunch today it was shocking. The prawn cocktails were utterly tasteless. The beef was topside but was not cooked slow enough and was tough as old boots. The vegetables were un-seasoned and undercooked to the point of being inedible. They had forgotten the roast potatoes completely also they did not offer condiments. My partner ordered cod loin in a white wine sauce, it was a tail end with no sauce. Totally overpriced though they did remove the price of a meal as compensation. For such a beautiful hotel in fantastic settings we expected much more. It was the worst meal we have had in years and will never return. The waitress was lovely and attentive which was just as well or I would of refused to pay for anything except the drinks.

Food was excellent. Steaks cooked perfection. My only gripe would be that the menu presented was a limited menu and nothing like the ones on their website. However, they did agree that we could use our £25 on food off other menus. The shorter menu was good but after three nights it was a bit limiting and the soup was the same for two nights running. The menu also stated homemade deserts but they didn’t have some items available, no ice cream or sorbet on menu and when we queried they advised they had not been delivered. This doesn’t sound like a homemade desert and hotel should not be claiming this when clearly not true.

We stayed at the hotel for a couple of days and decided to dine in the restaurant rather than look for a local pub. Good decision as the food and service was very good. We asked if they had a "kids" menu for my granddaughter. They hadn't but checked with the chef and brought a hand written menu from the chef. Lots of choices and great value. I can recommend the fish and chips, large portion and very tasty. Our first visit was so good we dined here a second time. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is very good.

Gorgeous food, piping hot and cooked to perfection. You were not rushed, staff lovely good choice of food too.

We booked dinner at the rib room when we were staying at Hardwick hall for the weekend. The restaurant is located in the basement of the hotel and retains a lot of the olde world charm of the rest of the hotel with a lot of dark wood on the walls and in the furniture. We were located in a booth which felt nice and intimate. We didn’t have starters and opted to share the chateaubriand as our main. Service was great but, as with the rest of the hotel, the restaurant was excessively warm. In fairness to the hotel they did try to cool the room down with a fan but it was only a small (6 inch) desk fan that was about as much use as a chocolate teapot. All in all though we had a very nice meal and would definitely go back. The chateaubriand was perfectly cooked and we also really enjoyed the creamed spinach with bacon. We had a lovely bottle of Norton reserve Malbec too which went really well with the food. For dessert we shared a sticky toffee pudding which was also very nice.

I took my wife and daughter to The Rib Room for the 1st time last night (Thursday) at Hardwick Hall. I ordered a rib eye -over cooked and not very nice tasting meat, my daughter ordered a fillet steak which again was very over cooked and not a great steak. My wife ordered the rump steak which surprisingly was the best cooked of them all - we all requested medium rare. The chips seem like they were cooked the day before and warmed up, again not a very nice taste. The onion rings were nice but served in a pool of oil. We left most of our meals, I normally vote with my feet rather than leave a negative review but unless we caught them on a really bad day I would suggest people go somewhere better. For over £100 I expect much better, we are big fans of Tomahawk steak house in Yarm, this is not even close to their level of quality, wish we hadn't decided to try somewhere new. We left still hungry and very disapointed.

We had purchased a new car and been given a voucher for a 2 course meal for 2 people at Hardwick or Ramside Hall. On arrival we were told that despite the fact that our voucher stated 2 courses it in fact meant we only had an allowance of £25 per person towards our meal. On a different day I would have argued that this wasn't correct and the offer was quite clear with no mention of a monetary value but I decided not to argue with them. We ordered ribs and cheese souffle for starters which were just OK both were very under seasoned. The "posh" fish and chips and burger for mains was again just OK. The fish and chips wasn't very hot and the batter wasn't crispy I think it had been waiting some time to come to the table. The pea puree and tartare sauce were both tasteless. The arrival of the main courses though increased the problem we had been having with a couple of persistent flies. They called in reinforcements and were constantly landing on us and our food. I refused to let my husband eat the salad with his burger after the flies landed on it persistently. When a young lady came to clear the table we raised the issue of the flies and suggested that it was something that needed to be addressed. She seemed initially to not believe us until as she removed a serviette a fly landed just next to her hand. When she brought the bill she said she would report the issue to her management team. When we tried to pay the bill which was in total £57 there was a lot of fuss about how to process our voucher. After several attempts they did something which brought the bill to nil. At this point I suggested that it may be appropriate to do that in view of the fly issue. They said they didn't know anything about the flies but when I explained again they did agree to not charging the £7. We would not visit again the food was just OK and the flies were very off putting

We chose from the ‘specials’ menu which was an excellent choice. Great service, food was very good and well worth the set price.

Myself and a mutual friend went to the Rib Room as I have never been there before and thought it would be worth trying. I have been to the bar area and got afternoon tea etc and it was not bad to be fair, however due to a number of reasons don’t eat large portions these days and rang the restaurant up and confirmed this was ok with them. They were fine with this and when we arrived at 730pm it seemed very quiet myself and my friend decided to order a child’s beef burger which took around 15-20 mins to come no real complaint there. The burger did not taste very nice for some reason but the portion size was adequate. We decided to get a desert and hope this would be better and waited no less than 25 minutes and still no sign of been asked what we wanted, we noticed another table complaining and was not over surprised. We decided to scrap the desert and the woman at the desk asked if everything was ok I said not really but she did not question this which was a little strange. I then wrote an email to the general manager to voice my concerns he actually did not address at all any of the service issues that I highlighted and then proceeded to tell me that just because I had a Childs meal he felt it was good value for money I explain to him that value for money does not constitute the fact it’s in the rib room like he seem to suggest. I did email him back and say that value for money it’s only that when the service is right and the food goes with it not based on the fact it’s in a particular location I have been many times to other establishments such as Rockliffe Hall and Wynyard Hall and had fantastic service every single time and had very little issues and the little issues I have had they have been swift to address them big disappointment will not be returning.

We went early evening so were the first diners in the restaurant. Food was just beautiful and presented well on the plate. Will definitely return

We had a three coarse meal and i was stuffed , i had steak main meal and it was done to perfection worth a visit.

Excellently cooked and presented. Very tasty. Great Moules also - best I have eaten. Team knowledgeable and very helpful.

Not much to say. It’s was ok and the staff were very good. Not outstanding for food quality but perfectly acceptable. I have used the Ramside a lot more. One hint I would say is that they need to sort out onions with steak if they are going to offer them. That mess of a red onion whatever it is that they make awful. Guys just make good old fashioned yummy onions and stop trying to be too clever. Skinny fries were spot on the chunky fries - well someone needs to learn how to make them crispy NOT floppy. In fairness good all round bit a bit of attention to detail in the kitchen and something like a crispy chunky chip can change a reputation. Not true Brit wants a floppy chip!!!

After being highly recommended we were very dissatisfied our tomahawk steak was disgusting awful and rank it stunk like rotten flesh and fish my husband said it tasted like it smelled I couldn’t eat any I ate the chips the mushroom and tomatoes were stone cold absolutely awful!

The menu is limited but well presented and good food tasting. The staff were great but I feel it’s lacking something.

Ok so i've read the reviews on here and all i can say is that we had a fantastic time.

We have now stayed and and eaten at the Rib Room at least 5 times, we have loved it every time. My husband is a 'big' meat fan and this is his favourite restaurant. The quality and value for money cannot be matched.

Slow service in the Rib Room restaurant although there was only 3 other dining parties in. Had to locate staff, who were chatting in the kitchen. Was then told how busy the restaurant was. Not a very good impression to leave for business travellers.

Visited for a family birthday after looking at the menu, that can only be described as fantastic, four of us.

Visited the Rib-Room at Hardwick Hall Hotel with my partner for a post-valentine dinner on Saturday 17th February. First impressions were good, grand looking building, very friendly (if very young / nervous, inexperienced looking) staff and very plush surroundings.

We came here with having the Tomahawk for a special treat! 32oz steak with two sides and two sauces. The service was outstanding and the staff were lovely. The Tomahawk came and it looked incredible, the chef had slices it up ready for us to pick at. It was beautiful, cooked to perfection. Afterwards we shared a sticky toffee pudding, also really nice. Me and my partner thoroughly enjoyed it.

The steaks are superb. You can see the meat hung behind glass by the reception area. The restaurant is a mix of open or intimate areas.

A superb meal, great wine and excellent service. The restaurant is in the old cellars and we ate fairly early so it was very quiet. Being a cellar the area was broken up by various internal walls so, even when full, I would imagine a couple could still expect an intimate dinner without to much intrusion from other diners.

I believe the restaurant manager had a busy night as he was receiving complaints from everywhere. Dont know how he keeps his job. Poor food. abysmal service.

Came down from Edinburgh for Hardwicklive 2017 , We wanted to go inside for a hot meal and The Rib Room Steakhouse Grill was the place to go , 3 adults and one 4yr old , Food was excellent ☆☆☆☆☆compliments to the chefs we had smoked salmon starters , Steak , seabass and lemon tart ,staff very attentive and friendly, lovely atmophere , we will visit again

We have been here twice now and both times the staff are very courteous and efficient , the food is delicious the steaks are amazing, prices are reasonable especially their daily offers , can't wait to go back

I've been here a few times but yesterday has put me off going for lunch for the foreseeable future! Piano...

We ate here when we stayed at the hotel. Fabulous service from staff and lovely food. We had the souffle...

Tenía una fabulosa cena aquí y tenía una copa de Prosseco y seguido por dos filetes de costilla de 10 onzas. Fueron exquisitamente cocinada, medio raro con Bernaise, tomates, champiñones, cebolla y una ensalada y una patatas fritas. Excelente. Dos copas de Merlot. Servicio excelente y muy eficiente de Tamara, Danny y Daniel. Deben ser elogiados. Recomiendo altamente este restaurante.

Es un restaurante muy agradable con una buena distribución.

We booked the rib room as we were staying at Hardwick hotel that night. I have to say we were very impressed the food was Amazing we had three courses and everything was perfect. The steaks were huge and very tender. The staff were all very friendly and very attentive, we will definitely be back again very soon.

We live local to Sedgefield and we're so glad we have such a great restaurant to visit for a special occasion. It has everything to set the scene for a romantic meal whether it's a special occasion or just date night.It's not the first time we've visited this restaurant, it certainly won't be the last. It's inside Hardwick Hall Hotel, downstairs in the basement area. Packed with character, the dining area is incredibly interesting. There are plenty of tables and the layout is different to any other restaurant in that there are little nooks so you have that added privacy. The music is nice and gentle, helping you to settle down while you choose your meal.I visited with my wife to celebrate our third anniversary. It was midweek, but we still wanted to go out somewhere and enjoy the night to ourselves. The staff were friendly and greeted us at the bottom of the stairs (the entrance of the restaurant). We were seated and, while we browsed the menu, our waitress gave us a jug of water and some nibbles (popcorn and root vegetable crisps).We shared a starter, the scallops. These were lovely - I'm not much of a seafood fanatic but my wife really fancied them. We weren't disappointed! They were great. To follow, I had the 18oz porterhouse steak with blue cheese, while my wife chose the 6oz fillet steak (which the menu described as perfect for a lady) with Diane sauce. We both thoroughly enjoyed our dishes. The porterhouse had some fat, as to be expected from that cut, but it was cooked exactly how I wanted it and tasted amazing. The blue cheese was great with it too. My wife's fillet had absolutely no fat on it at all, it was a nice thick cut and again it was cooked spot on. She even let me have a try and I was jealous - it tasted great!It's a great restaurant, and although it's slightly different recently due to staff changes, we'd still be very happy to return soon!

After visiting this restaurant for years we were shocked with the quality of food on our last visit. We last visited in January and couldn't praise it enough. The steak was one of the best we have ever had- Chateaubriand was exceptional and fillet steak was perfectly cooked. After such an incredible meal we couldn't wait to go back.This time we ordered 2 fillet steaks, after waiting 35 minutes they arrived, one was a tiny round ball that was just pure fat and gristle. Had to be sent back straight away and even the waitress agreed I wouldn't want to eat that either! We were told a fresh one would come out in 5 minutes which is far too quick for a good steak to be cooked and rested anyway! The waiters and waitresses really should have taken both back so we could eat together. But then once we cut into the other steak not only was it overcooked but the entire meat was dry, chewy and tasteless. It was as if the meat had been defrosted and cooked quickly as it had such a rubbery texture. In the end both had to be sent back and had to leave to go and get food elsewhere as we had such a bad experience. We were so disappointed as the last meal we had was so outstanding we had recommended it to lots of friends but after this experience we wouldn't go back which is a real shame.

Brilliant food at reasonable prices for fine dining. Food cooked to liking and service second to none.

Being regular visitors to Hardwick Hall, ( any excuse really, birthdays, anniversaries, just fancy a treat ) we booked our usual 2 rooms and our favourite restaurant table well in advance. I don't feel comfortable surrounded by groups of people so we always book a booth in the restaurant. Booking in was a pleasure as always, the reception staff are always warm and friendly and seem to remember us.The rooms also are always spot on, warm, comfortable, spotlessly clean and lovely and quiet. Again, we get the same 2 rooms each time when we can and the staff always try to do this for us .The problems this time ( and last time we visited, although we put it down to a 1 off ), was the restaurant. We love the Rib Room and it has always been run like clockwork by Salvador, the manager. There were problems last time we visited but Salvador was not there so we thought it must be his night off so let it go.This time we went down at our booked time to find people sitting at the table we had booked weeks before. On pointing it out to the young girl who said she was " sort of " in charge, we were given a shrug of the shoulders and told it was receptions fault. How exactly ??.We were then lead to the other end of the restaurant which was quite full ( my worst nightmare ), with obviously more to come .On sitting we then had to listen to a young child banging a cup loudly on the table, with nothing being done to stop it.This has always been a lovely restaurant with background music where you could have a lovely meal and a conversation. Now it appears young children are catered for with sausage and chips, which 1 child ordered while we were in, or chicken nuggets and chips. I must admit this young girl was very well behaved, a credit to her parents. Surely if you are charging 4* prices in the restaurant children's meals should be served upstairs. The young staff did keep asking if the food was ok but it was every 15 mins or so, too much.Food was nowhere as nice as it used to be, our steaks were virtually tasteless. We ordered 2 desserts, 1 being chocolate fondant which is apparently cooked to order and we were told it would be 15/20 mins, fair enough. After waiting 20 mins a young waiter came and told us it had apparently collapsed when it was taken out of the oven so chef had made another one but it would be another 15/20 mins wait.They did actually take the price of it off the bill because when the other one came it was just a puddle on the plate !!!.By then we had had enough, the restaurant is run by young ones, apparently Salvador is no longer there and you can tell. The restaurant needs someone older with experience of running a 4* restaurant and experience of looking after customers without shrugging shoulders and blaming someone else when there's a customer complaint. That was our final visit to Hardwick Hall, which is a shame, but the restaurant spoilt it for us.Looking for an alternative for next month.

Love the steak in this restaurant. Always enjoy our treat nights when we come here. Its high quality food.

Booked a table whilst staying at Hardwick Hall Hotel for our wedding anniversary. The young waiting staff were wonderful but they were at full stretch and after an hour from ordering, we were told that one of the starters was unavailable. These things happen so we ordered something else and it was over an hour that our starters were served. The waiting staff were so apologetic and said that they were short-staffed and that there was a wedding reception taking place in one of the suites. Consequently, the chefs and waiting staff were in short supply. Great planning!After waiting for two hours to be served our main course, the experience was tainted and we ended up feeling so sorry for the poor staff, who had to keep explaining to complaining customers. This was totally unacceptable and there was a distinct lack of management and organisation. It is beyond comprehension why the staff remain loyal to a firm that doesn't seem to care about their morale or welfare.

As per usual, the restaurant for the Hardwick Hall Hotel is well presented and a pleasant place to eat. Service is good. Food is excellent. It is very much a Steakhouse - hence the name - if you like beef, this is the place for you but if you want something else probably best to look elsewhere.

Excellent food, a little pricey but well worth the cost. Staff attentive and friendly. The Posh Fish and Chips are superb.

Dinner was booked for 8.30pm and we were seated on arrival by the very pleasant staff. The wine choice was good and we soon plumped for a fruit red. I initially ordered the 20z Ribeye and a price of £31.95, but I was soon informed that this was sold out, the chef did offer to provide me with 2x10z ribeyes instead, but I decided upon the 18oz Porterhouse, would you believe it, sold out as well. The waitress was very apologetic and in good humour and it wasn't too long before a 16oz T-bone was offered with a couple of glasses of champagne for the inconvenience, a nice touch.Our starters arrived soon and while the boss tucked into her glazed ribs (a generous portion) I made short work of the Whitby dressed crab, well presented and very tasty.Soon the main courses arrived. At this point I think the chef had been a little embarrassed about the choice of steak so had selected a HUGE T-bone steak for me and the wife smaller 10oz steak both arrived cooked to perfection at medium as requested. They were both accompanied with hand cut chips, peppercorn sauce, caramelised onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. The wife had also selected bubble and squeak, which also hit the mark.After my monster steak, sweet was an no, but my other half plowed ahead and her bannoffee cheesecake was dispatched in short order. She had inquired about the Chocolate fondant, but after the waitress advised us that the chef insisted in making these from scratch and a wait of 20 minutes would be needed, she looked elsewhere for her sugar hit. It didn't disappoint.

Regular at this restaurant. Food is always perfect- can not fault the quality one bit. Service is always good and staff are lovely. However on our last visit, we waited over and hour for our food. I didn't say anything on the night as I didnt want to ruin it but called the next day to complain, was promised a call back from the manager. And I am still waiting weeks later. Such a shame.

Incompetent cooking which embarrassed both us and the waiters.They obviously hadn't a clue how to cook Bearnaise sauce.

Visited tonight with my other half. We both ordered 20oz steaks, we decided to forgo starters and opted for more meat!! I couldn't manage mine. Husband ordered extra sides which he couldn't eat!! Steak was tasty and cooked to perfection. The beef is hung in a meat locker, which can be seen as you enter the restaurant. Staff were attentive. My only niggle was I felt cold and chilly

The steak was excellent best i have in the UK for a very long time. I would recommend dropping in and giving it try.

Visited last night for a joint 15th birthday and 42nd wedding anniversary celebration. The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Service was excellent. As for the food, it was simply superb. We all had a fabulous evening in really nice surroundings. Thank you Salvadore and staff

We have visited the rib room a number of times as we live locally. We have always been satisfied with our choice of meal and the service. My daughter is 11 and her only disappointment was that there was no background music playing, mine would be the dessert choice. Overall I love this steakhouse and the staff are wonderful especially Salvador.

My husband, 18 month old & I ate here for my birthday treat, we were very disappointed my husband ordered the steak, if I had ordered it I couldn't have eaten as the fat itself looked disgusting enough to put you off your meal! He said it wasn't the best, I ordered lamb chops I have had better, we ordered tomato pasta for our son, the highchair was filthy we had to clean it with baby wipes, I know they are normally messy but this was awful, when his food finally arrived they had given us spaghetti & meatballs which wasn't what we ordered but because it took so long we decided to feed him it, he only ate 2 mouthfuls, this is our 2nd year in a row we came last year for our anniversary, very disappointed we won't be returning

The wine was lovely, the beer too! Set in a basement, with a very clean loo! I enjoyed my steak, but not the fish cake, for although it was tasty it's contents were clingy! So down from a five, it has to be three, although the service was great, disappointed was me!

Very overpriced for what you get meal ok but nothing fantastic. Decor nice staff ok. However will eat there again but try a cheaper priced steak next time. We had the surf and turf and felt for £37 each the portions were very small.

A table for 4 was booked for a Wednesday evening for our anniversary, we arrived and the staff were very friendly and showed us to our table immediately, this I presume was because it was a mid week evening? we all had starters and steaks for our main course which were excellent, as was the attentive staff. One criticism and no fault of the restaurant was that there was little atmosphere due to the lack of people with many table vacant, however I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking quality locally produced seafood and beef, served by friendly staff

We originally tried to book at the ramside hall's rib room but it was fully booked, then we noticed the Hardwick hall had a rib room with the exact same menu so we give it a try, we weren't disappointed either, we had a drink upstairs in the bar before going downstairs into the restaurant. The restaurant was pretty quiet for a Saturday night but that didn't bother us, all 4 of us had starters I had the squid with Thai salad (nice) then for the main we all had the fillet stake with peppercorn sauce hand cut chips and all agreed it was one of the better stakes we'd had, the only thing for me was that I thought it was quite pricey buy the time you order your chips & onion rings it's £30, but all in all it was a pleasant night and I would return for special occasions

Dined at the Rib Room whilst staying at Hardwick Hall Hotel.We have also dined at the Rib Room at Ramside Hall Hotel which is part of the same group.They both provide the identical menu and same costings.The restaurant is located in the basement/cellar area of the hotel and makes an interesting surrounding.Having dined at both restaurants we found that the food at each is equally good with nothing to choose between them, the Rib Room at Hardwick Hall may just have the slight edge as the crab starter came as a dressed crab in its shell compared to without the shell at Ramside Hall, however the steaks were equally good of an identical quality.

After 20+ years living in Houston, Texas it is so good to know that a first class steakhouse is within ten miles of where I now live. We've been to the Rib Room several times and visited again last week. The quality, selection, service and presentation seems to get better each time. For a couple, you simply cannot do better than the Chateaubriand which has to be their signature dish. The dining area is one that you are immediately comfortable in and with. Plenty of room on the table, glasses for every occasion and sensible cutlery to tackle any steak. This is a classic case in which the management need to make no changes. They are just not necessary!

It's a rare thing to go into a restaurant these days and not have to insist that you just want a carafe of water and not the over-priced over-hyped bottled stuff. In the Rib Room a carafe appeared without asking. A good start!The service was impeccable - the head waiter esecially. I happened to mention that i was born in Hardwick Hall when it was a maternity home in the 40's to 60's (not saying when but somewhere in that spread!!). He immediately offered a tour of what was there at that time - the delivery room - the ward. However, you go to a restaurant for food as well, and that was excellent. Obviously the menu is predominantly steaks (the clues in the name - but there are other options). Excellently cooked - spot on medium as requested.So, not cheap - but pretty good value really.

I wanted to treat my daughter to lunch. So we arrived at the hotel var at 1pm. My daughter is in a wheelchair, but didn't want to be in anyone's way, so moved into s normal chair at a table for 4, and I put her wheelchair out of the way. There were 2 bar men. I went to the bar to place our food and drink order. The French bar man was extremely hostile when I asked what the chicken on the specials board was accompanied by! All I wanted to know was whether the meal came with chips, potatoes or rice. He just snapped "I don't know", three times at me! I just said ok.....I then asked for 2 orange juice, but looking at the fridge behind him I saw cranberry juice was available. I asked if I could have 1 orange and 1 cranberry instead. I really did not think this would be s problem as he hadn't put order in the machine/till yet. But.... He threw his pen onto the counter, took a step back and started raising his voice at me.... "Well... Are you going to change your mind again and again? Maybe 2 time it 3 times it more?! What are you doing?! Are you going to order?! Go and check again what the girl with you wants!!!" He exclaimed at me. I did go to my daughter... As I was about to say lets just leave, that French bar man is extremely aggressive with me for absolutely no reason...... But... My daughter was settled in a chair and I didn't want to spoil her lunch as its not her fault this man was being so demoralising :( I went back to the bar and asked for 1 orange juice and 1 cranberry juice.... For some reason he then said "so 2 orange juice then!!!!"I looked at my daughter and just said "ok if that's all I'm allowed, but I did want 1 orange and 1 cranberry, I really don't understand why I'm not allowed? " He put the order through then sternly told me to go and sit. Horrible hostile atmosphere. We had the lunch, a sirloin steak, a stuffed chicken breast which came with potato by the way.... Then ordered 2 desserts (he kept scowling at me) I would have stayed longer with my daughter and chilled out, had a few cups of coffee.... But I felt so uncomfortable, that we just paid the £42 bill and left. My daughter (15) didn't feel too strong and wanted to be back in her wheel chair. As I wheeled her out, both the older English bar man and the French bar man put their heads down as thought to pretend not to see us, and left me to struggle with 2 doors. I NEVER LEAVE NEGATIVE REVIEWS OR PHONE PLACES UP AND COMPLAIN TO THE MANAGER.... But this time I am! Only doing so because I feel so strongly about this, and I don't want this man to make other mothers and daughters, going out for lunch, feel as uncomfortable and as HATED as we were left feeling. I don't know either of these bar men from Adam!!!!I just don't understand what this was all in aid of!!!I phoned the hotel the next day and spoke to a receptionist as well as a duty manager. They both said sorry to hear this. The receptionist said this is not the first time a customer has made a formal complaint. The duty manager could only apologise. My only reason for phoning the manager was to inform him of what is going on in that business.My husband and j run a number of businesses throughout the north east......... Neither us or any of our staff members would go on with any customer the way this French bar man did!!!! All I can conclude is that this man must either really hate his job or really hate people?????

We ate here upon two consecutive evenings and the food and the service was impeccable. Fantastically priced and all within a very intimate setting.

Delicious steaks here, great choice of cuts & sizes, to chateaubriand. We had the French onion soup, it's divine, not too large which sometimes happens with French opinion, lovely cheesy crouton on top. If you don't fancy steak, recommend the giant tempura king prawns, they are GIANT, so a main course serving us enough for two. Didn't try desserts as too full after steak/prawns. Located in the cellars of Hardwick Hall Hotel.

Second time visiting, must say was not quite as wow as the first time. Staff seemed a little confused in their 'style' obvious that not much training had been given and that they both had different backgrounds. One of them bad mouthed the other to us saying that he doesn't let her do much?! The Giant king prawns are amazing though and the food was all really well cooked and presented. Creme brulee could have done with a bit more to make the top as hard as it should be. Playlist was as confused as the staff.

Staying in the hotel, we decided to try the Rib Room. On the first visit we had a well placed table and the service was very good. On the second occasion we requested a change of table as the one given was in a draughty spot and overall the service wasn't quite as good as the previous visit, the atmosphere was also spoiled by some other diners, which was a shame. However, we couldn't fault the food and enjoyed two very good meals, although we weren't as impressed with the desserts as we were with savoury dishes. Also worth a mention, there are some very good wines on the wine list, in particular the classic reds.

great meals steaks cooked to perfection service very good and staff very helpful and pleasant hotel is very relaxing rooms clean and comfortable planning another visit as soon as we can.

We had a 70th birthday dinner here in February, the food and service was very good, it is a little bit pricey but worth it for that special night out.

After reading some of the reviews it could be a mistake to say this was excellent food. Agreed it is almost glorified bar food and over priced. The image is my 10 oz rib eye with blue cheese glaze and hand cut chips. Not that impressive at all. When reading other reviews it should be noted that in Durham there is "The rib room steakhouse and grill" which may have confused some comments being added to the wrong site. I would advise folks to look carefully before eating here - maybe you should be in Durham instead. I won't go back in a hurry. Staff were attentive and polite food was a let down.

Wonderful! Twelve of us were there last night for a family celebration meal. Just over sixty years ago my brother in law was born in Hardwick Hall Maternity Home. As we were being seated at our table, enjoying a complimentary glass of bubbly (nice touch!) he mentioned this fact to the staff and as well as enjoying a delicious meal, we were treated to a visit to what had been the room in which he had been born. We can't praise the attentive, pleasant staff highly enough, especially Salvadore, who definitely went above and beyond the call of duty , making our evening memorable and being our photographer

We expected Hardwick Hall to provide quality food, and service but we got neither. The service was extremely slow, they said they were very busy but we could only see 2 other tables occupied. The food was at best average, but the prices were extortionate. Will not be going back.

We went here for to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We decided to have the Sunday evening special - all of which was delicious. We were greeted with a complimentary glass of prosecco each, a nice way to start the evening. We were looked after by Rebecca who was lovely, just the right amount of attention and nothing was a problem. Everything was greeted with a positive response and a smile. Well done! We will be back.

We were staying at the hotel for the weekend and had thought we eat in the bar. However we were advised that the bar would be busy because of the four wedding receptions taking place but that we could eat in the restaurant and chose from the bar food menu if we preferred. As there were 18 of us in total this is what we did. Some of our party ate from the restaurant menu and some from the bar food menu. All the food was well cooked and served. Wine selection was good. Prices were reasonable. One interesting quote from the menu '6oz Fillet - Perfect for a lady' . Some of the ladies in our party were less than impressed by the comment and certainly didn't order one.

This is my third time I've come here wasn't very impressed with my meal my steak was tough and chewy chips and onion rings tasted greasy sauce wasn't very nice it was a mushroom sauce hardly no taste my friend said his meal was lovely but shame about mine cuz it was over £25 a lot of money for a meal i didn't enjoy

As the name suggests, there are plenty of steaks to choose from but there's also duck, chicken and a decent selection of fish dishes. The food was cooked to perfection and the staff were pleasant and helpful. Portions were just right. Not great for vegetarians but that's to be expected in a steak house.

My husband and I had a superb night when we ate here during our stay at the Hardwick Hall Hotel.The steaks were superb and cooked perfectly. The ambience of the restaurant is great and the staff very efficient and attentive. The Restaurant Manager was great with the customer and his staff.Would eat there again when staying at the hotel,***** 5 star!

A very enjoyable family meal. Good steaks and also vegetarian meal very enjoyable. Staff very attentive and friendly. Fairly quiet when we were there but alcoves in the restaurant create some ambience. We happily eat there when staying at the hotel.

They certainly know how to cook steak. Beef is the main meat on the menu.The waiting staff are all great and make the meal enjoyable.My main issue with this restaurant is that the price charged for the beef is far higher than at other restaurants. I also find that having the restaurant downstairs in a cellar makes for a very warm and stuffy environment in the summer.So I enjoy coming here but it can be a little uncomfortable.

Myself and a friend had bought a groupon for afternoon tea at this establishment and on calling to book a reservation the man on the phone was rude and sharp when he asked me for the groupon code and as I didn't have it at hand that second I was told "well you'll have to call back when you have it" before abruptly slamming the phone down on me. After calling back 5 minutes later with the code I managed to book a slot for the following day with the same ill mannered man who again sharp and sounded full of disdain. The following day when we were due to go an emergency came up and we were unable to attend. I again called the restaurant to inform them and to ask if there's a possibility of rearranging at a later date to which a man (possibly the same as the day before with his equally infuriating attitude) simply replied "no, not now" before abruptly ending the call on me once more. So overall the money spent on the groupon was wasted on nothing more than paying the wage of a man who's personality is better suited to a job in which no other human has to encounter him.

Food fantastic as well as the staff! This particular event was a celebration for 11 people. We all thought that the event was spot on. Simply could not have picked a better place!

lots of different types of steaks to choose from as well as fish, duck etc. Generous portions and cooked to perfection. Staff helpful without intrusion. Don't normally have wine but plumped for the house white, at £17.95 which was excellent. Definitely recommended

Me and my wife enjoyed a meal at The Rib Room and Steakhouse recently as guests at the Hardwick Hall Hotel. We had read many reviews about the resteraunt, including many people commenting on the 'cramped' tables and poor seating areas............ this is certainly not the case, we were seated in a fantastic private alcove area, plenty of room to spread out after tucking in to our meals! My wife had the Fish and Chips which she thoroughly enjoyed, while I devoured the Surf and Turf, my meal was delicious and would certainly return again based on this one meal alone! However, few points I did have to raise..... the staff in my opinion were 'not of highest quality' , when Im paying so much for a meal, I dont expect the waitress to almost spill my wifes meal onto her lap, my wine glass to be covered in lip stick, the decorative flowers decaying around me and to have to ask 3 times to get our candle lit! Disapointing to say the least. Still though, luckily the food was tremendous and based on this, we would return! Excellent food, though the price dosn't match the overall service you'd expect.

Very nice but expensive restaurant within Hardwick Hall Hotel. The basement location is intimate though may not suit some as it is not what you would call airy. Portion sizes good and steak superb. I thought that having to order side dishes such as chips and veg in addition to the meal was a bit cheeky but very enjoyable

We visited for a family meal to celebrate my husband's 70th birthday. He was actually born in Hardwick Hall when it was a maternity home and this was his visit back since, but after the great welcome and lovely food it definitely won't be the last! Salvador, the restaurant manager went out of his way to make our celebration extra-special, indeed all the staff were extremely helpful.

Just the best place I have eaten for a very long time perfect porterhouse steak perfect venison great service

Tried again recently and the steak meal was delicious as ever. The seating is a little cramped if you don't get the right tables, so bare this in mind when booking. Busy little steak house and the food is top notch but if your looking for a little more ambience or a romantic meal this doesn't quite fit the bill. Recommended for a good steak.

We visited the rib room for my birthday, food was lovely, Salvator who is in charge is a great guy and always makes you feel welcome and looks after you. We hd the fillet steak which was amazing!!

Lots of choice on the menu, friendly staff, good service and tasty food. A must if your in the area.

Absolutely fantastic, My first visit 4 years ago was pretty bad, but like always ive given it another chance, 2nd time was brilliant third time was fantastic. My wife and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. The staff and service was exceptional, we were made to feel very special. And the food was something else. We will definitely be visiting again

Just had a fantastic meal at the rib room at hardwick hall. The food was fanastic and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly we will definetly be back soon

Went to this place at a weekend evening with a friend. The hotel is set in a nice ground and the restaurant is in a basement area of the hotel with original oak beams, low ceiling and panelling. The staff at the hotel is helpful in showing us where we needed to go because the signage to the restaurant is not great, not really easy to find unless you have been there before. The name of the restaurant says it all so DO NOT go there unless you like meat but then if you not caught on that idea when you look at the name then there is not much else to say. I like the starters that are on the menu but if I looks away from the price and where I am then may be they are not too different to a local restaurant except from the lobster. Everything there is yes of course is bigger and more presentable than you would expect from a standard local restaurant but I would have thought they would serve something that is that little bit different. I had the belly ribs, it was slightly different to how I envisaged it. I thought it would be barbecued with the sauce may be make it sticky after all the menu does say it is in barbecue sauce but it is slow cooked with the sauce on top. The meat just falls away from the bone. I had a medium rare rib eye with sweat potatoes chips and mushroom sauce. Steak was good quality and cooked to the right standard nothing to fault. Dessert had the chocolate and orange tart which was pretty reasonable. I find the dessert menu just a lot of tarts and pies, there are a lot of different types of desserts beyond that, the choices are a bit country pub. The staff there are polite, friendly although one of the male waiter has an unusual sense of humour, when we say something humorous his reply appears to be very serious. Another minor point, there were a few plates/dishes during the time I was there that were chipped. I expect that from a high street cafe but an eatery of this standard I am surprised. Everything looks clean but you would think one may be overlooked but more than one just seems a bit odd. Overall, very good place to eat, like to see a more modern menu but the steak itself is very good. Nice setting and good parking.

Great restaurant located in the old cellars but very comfortable with excellent staff and very good food and a nicely balanced wine list. Perfect if staying here and well worth a visit if not.

Ate here Sunday night Meal and service were second to none.Tempura prawns and fillet steaks absolutely lovely. This hotel should be in the top 10 in the UK

Lovely meal, great customer service and yummy chips. Fabulous meal. Totally worth a try best steak for a fraction of the cost around. Will totally go back

I only ate in the Rib one night whilst staying in the hotel, when the restaurant was very quiet so my experience may be different to others. There is a good range of food including veggie options - not just steak - and the quality was excellent. Price was about what i expected, and good value. The service was first rate. So friendly and relaxed ( which may have ben due to the lack of custom a couple of days before Christmas). Located in a basement the dining areas are broken up so ideal for couples wanting a romantic dinner secluded from hordes of other diners. Really nice experience.

Great ambience, good service, excellent food, our local, we don't have to drive, steak is the best, king size prawns to die for.

as you enter the rib room steakhouse and grill at the bottom of the stairs on the left hand side there is a room where they hang the steak joints for a minimum of 28 days, you can see the meat hanging through the glass door.the last time we ate here the meal was tremendous, and we were well looked after by all of the staff

We went in a party of 9 including one child, service and attention to detail was brilliant. For my granddaughter they made spaghetti bolognese which she loved (childs menu) We all had starters including dressed crab, scallops and Tempura giant prawns. Main courses my wife tried a new dish off the new 'Winter Menu' of Steak and Kidney pudding and it was beautiful, the rest of us had a mixture of T bone steak, Fillet on the bone, and a Sirloin all superb will definitely be back.