Sambucas Italian Restaurant in County Durham

Great food. Highly recommend this place. Klodi!

Been here today for lunch. Wasn’t impressed at all.. Was full of school kids, it was like sitting in a school canteen. I guess they were no bother and it’s good for the venue.. The service was good but the food was terrible.. There was very little sauce on the carbonara and it was a dirty very colour.. very little cream or meat.. and the potato skins weren’t crispy at all.. Won’t be hurrying back here again…

Great customer service and food

Great food and friendly service

First time visit..was a very busy sunday lunchtime...didnt book but they found space for myself and the mrs...great service..chilled atmosphere ..family friendly...and a great carvery...reasonably priced..will be a return visit soon ;)

Been here tonnight for my 8 year olds birthday meal, food outstanding as always, staff simply cannot be more pleasant, really lovely place, see you next time

Went here to try the Sunday lunch carvery for the first time and all I can say is WOW!!! We had booked which was just as well as it got really busy but Mike and his team worked their socks off to make sure everyone was seated and served quickly and professionally. We both chose the beef and what a great choice it was, full of flavour and so tender with a good serving from the chef. Came with a sausage and stuffing and as much fresh veg as you wanted. The Yorkshire pudding was huge and we are going home very full and happy! We will definitely be back!

Unfortunately some of the food was tasteless as marinated prawns didn't taste marinated, and were served with burnt flatbread. Some of the staff seemed in a hurry to take our order so everything seemed rushed, yet it took at least 40 minutes to get our food. They did give us free dessert to take away though, as the food was such a letdown. I really wish it was a better dining experience, especially for Valentine's Day

we booked as table for sunday lunch but on arrival no booking could be found, they checked the online bookings (i had made the booking on line) and i was told it had only came through 30 minutes earlier (i had made it through the website over 2 hours earlier). I was told sorry nothing we can do and there is a 30 minute wait for a table now, not ideal with a hungry 5 year old in tow. The person dealing with me then walked away. Very poor customer service

Pre-theatre tea with a large group of friends. Served promptly. Food delicious. Very reasonable prices.

We called in for lunch on 14th Feb and had a great meal.Drinks ordered swiftly and food as well from a £9.50 lunchtime menu.(3 courses) Starters arrived after about 20 mins and were lovely - soup and potato skins.Two pasta dishes were next with side orders of garlic bread and onion rings.The food was lovely with the onion rings fabulous😍.The food was washed down with moretti and white wine. Great Food,drinks and music in the background with very nice service from all staff. Highly recommend a visit.

Great value two course lunch, the mains prices are good, service great.

Just attended this restaurant with my wife as guests where we were invited to a 50th birthday party. From the moment we entered the establishment we were made welcome. The staff are some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered they immediately showed us to the table and offered drinks while providing us with menus. The food was delicious and perfectly cooked by the chef. They were brilliant with the children tending to their every need, they even provided them with colouring books and pens to keep them entertained. The staff working at a place directly interact with customers and have the biggest impact on their perception of the place. This restaurant is a credit to that management and staff. Thank you for a brilliant night.

Just attended this restaurant with my wife as guests where we were invited to a 50th birthday party. From the moment we entered the establishment we were made welcome. The staff are some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered they immediately showed us to the table and offered drinks while providing us with menus. The food was delicious and perfectly cooked by the chef. They were brilliant with the children tending to their every need, they even provided them with colouring books and pens to keep them entertained. The staff working at a place directly interact with customers and have the biggest impact on their perception of the place. This restaurant is a credit to that management and staff. Thank you for a brilliant night.

Went for lunch time special. Great price. Portions good size. Good choice of food.

Xmas meal was fabulous 👌 Was 18 in the party , didn't have to wait for anything, piping hot , well done staff xxxx

Always good service and fits us in even when I haven't booked

Massive fan of sambucas, always have been and always will be. Chester-Le-Street is now my closest and how lucky I am. The venue is amazing, I love the building it is in. Always the same smiling staff which shows the loyalty they have. The food never disappoints. Pizza, pasta, specials, they're always fantastic and the price is always great too. Even the Sunday dinners are great. A carvery set up but you always know it will be quality with sambucas. My personal favourites being the garlic mushrooms, a must try. The calzone is always a favourite too. Recently I stumbled on the gelato, specifically the cookie dough one and it is now going to be a must have on every visit. Can't wait to go back! Hope to use the loft space this year for a function and I'm sure it will be amazing

The whole family came for a post-christmas meal. The staff were really attentive and friendly. The food was really good and excellent value. We were well looked after and will definitely be back.

Christmas Eve dinner from the set menu, £25 per head for three courses. Garlic mushrooms, fillet medallions with proper chips, Christmas pudding. All cooked beautifully, served by friendly professional staff. Highly recommend.

Mike and the team were really friendly and welcoming. The food was great - good portion size for decent prices. Special mention for the mushroom and asparagus risotto and the beef stroganoff. A great place for a family pre-Christmas get-together

The food was okay - nothing to write home about. The waitress had tarantula eyelashes, and wore those hideous, 'painted on' leggings/yoga pants - NOT something you wish to see at a restaurant. The reason for 2 stars is for the music - decent 70's/80's songs. I will not be going back!

There was 16 in our party yesterday, each and everyone of us would like to say THANK YOU to the staff and mostly the chef fabulous food . Geraldine

Amazing night, Amazing food great atmosphere. Well worth the money

I have been coming to sambucas for years now. The food can be very hit and miss depending on how busy it is, Sunday lunches are generally really nice which is why I am writing this review. Drinks were served without waiting a lolng time even though it was busy, great service too!

Amazing place. Friendly staff. Also caters for gluten and dairy free. meals are always lovely. I go here often. As gluten free I usually go for Bolognese pasta. It's lush every time. Also amazing on a Sundays for a carvery.

Food excellent, service very good and at a sensible price.

Run of the mill. That being it's ok. I like the size of the place and its ideal for a large group of people has the space. Parking ok, too.

Visited today and yesterday Go every Sunday for their carvery always good value for money and taste Went yesterday a family birthday, brilliant

My wife and I called in for lunch recently.Tge foid was excellent,the service friendly,beer cold and excellent value. What more do you need - we shall return - excellent.

Very good food and excellent value for money went on a Sunday with good options of carvery Italian or burgers. Staff very friendly and helpful

Food fabulous staff great atmosphere was fab too.. definitely go back

Called in for lunch with the family,we hadn't booked a table,but the lady on the front desk was great, she found us a table,but did say we had just over an hour to eat our meal as she needed the table for someone else. The waiting staff were all miserable, didn't smile,or interact at all.The food was OK, nothing flash, we didn't have the carvery, wished we had now and had enough time to eat . Not a good experience, as we have been before and it's been Great.

Another lovely meal . Delicious and Starter, main and desert for less than £9. Can't go wrong

Had a lovely meal her for three people , we chose the early bird three course menu which included a steak option for £23. The food all arrived on time and was cooked to perfection with well sized portions, we all left feeling full, we will return again.

Very warmly welcomed, good atmosphere and very good reasonable priced food

Great restaurant. Good prices. Excellent food and nice helpful friendly staff.

We went to celebrate our granddaughter passing her driving test first time, the waiter overheard us talking about it and to our surprise came over with a complimentary garlic bread. A lovely start to an absolutely great evening. All the staff so friendly and accommodating, food first class.

Amazing staff chloe always makes us welcome and Pedro the chef goes up and beyond to make everything perfect, we come regular and always made so welcome keep up the good work guys xx

Popped in for a takeaway 12/08/24 what a disaster and waste of money chicken was tasteless,sauce well i thought it was gravy but according to the menu it wasn't very much overpriced

Awesome food, staff, and atmosphere.

Can always rely on a good solid meal from here. Great price to quality ratio and fantastic service!

Fantastic food and service,me and my family got the 3 course special for £8 ... tremendous value...food was beautiful and good size portions...served with a smile 😊... definitely will be returning.

Delicious lunch with my daughter.

Takeout meal collected, promt service and ready when app informs you.

We attended as a party of 9, including 2 children. Arriving at different times, our drinks orders were taken as each group arrived. We had a long wait before food orders were taken. The restaurant was busy, with 3 large group tables and most smaller tables occupied. The staff seemed very stressed. Food was nice. We ordered from the specials menu, 3 courses for £23 or £19 depending on the dishes you got as mains. They were accommodating when I ordered our sons meal as he didn’t want the children’s options but wouldn’t have been able to eat a full portion on the adult menu. Fillet steak was cooked beautifully (with garlic butter sauce) and the children’s chicken nuggets were strips of chicken breast. We all got the standard potato skin starter which was nice with the garlic dip. A few decided to go for cheesecake for dessert and others went for ice cream or chocolate fudge cake. Cakes felt very shop bought rather than homemade and were not that tasty. Slow service when we wanted more drinks while we were eating. Nice meal, slow service but would still go back.

Had lunch @ this restaurant recently with my family.We chose off 4 x menus available.They are all great value @ £8,£12 and £20 for 3 courses as well as an ala carte menu.We ordered pizza,pasta and steak dishes as well as two kids meals and they were great when they arrived.Pints of moretti/Stella are £5ish. The service is very friendly and the food is really nice. Highly recommend a visit.

Brief visit for the 1st time in a lot of years, so just had a cake n coffee. Lovely atmosphere and great staff. See you again.

What an amazing meal we had. Lovely place food was incredible

Wondeful food. Such a good value for a sunday carvery. Loads of meat and veg cooked to perfection. Kids were free too! Brilliant 👏

Love, this restaurant, great atmosphere, staff very friendly and accommodating food is great too

Food was good service excellent but to much going on around you

Excellent as usual. Good food and very good staff. Brilliant value for money.

Good service and food, friendly staff.cold beer, tender steak and crispy chips yum yum.

Visited here earlier in the week. The typical class you expect from Sambuca restaurants. Pizza was lovely and drinks were nice, and decently priced. Clean and nice look to the restaurant. Highly recommend

Went last week very disappointed with the garlic mushrooms they were cooked in a runny water juice without any flavour to them I expected to see some cream like every other Sambuca my toasted bread was burn to a crisp the mains were a bit better the biscoff cheese cake was great but I won’t be going again !! Sorry x

Food was nice and plentiful. Sunday Carvery. Atmosphere was loud, service was a tad slow, however, it was very busy.

Excellent cuisine, very nice room, low prices, easy parking, very professional staff. At the top 100% on all tables. To recommend.

Great night with the girls! Food and service are always great here. Nothing is an issue. Thanks again. We will be back.

We visited this restraint this afternoon with the family . To say we were disappointed would be an understatement . We had the dinner menu. First of all the potato skins were cooked well and looked as usual . However the dips looked as if they had been on the plate a while and had a slight dry crust as if it had been standing for a while . The usual pasta dish I ordered was no way near their usual standard from others of the chain . We all were not happy with the food and will defiantly not be going back . This is the only negative review we as a family have made but really feel this restaurant is not up to the standards others are .

My birthday What can you say the food was awesome As we're the staff You made my birthday a memorable one Chloe and Emily many thanks And a big shout out to Carl the owner See you all soon

Great place and staff and nice food.

We are regulars to this Sambuca and we always leave with full stomachs after a great experience. What stood out this time was the exceptional customer service skills from a server named Michael! Absolute credit to the restaurant!

Had the mussels and now we are ill

Cheap and cheerful. For the cheap princes it's obviously all frozen food but it's reasonably priced and clean and easy to get parking

Ordered Sunday lunch it was lovely and well worth the money will definitely be ordering again

Great place great staff took lac with ld children everyone was great with them

Booked for 3pm, finally sat down after 4pm. Food arrived 30 minutes after that. 10 people on a table more suited for 6 or 8. Carvery was lukewarm but tasty enough. A family meal where I expected we would all eat together, however it just didn't happen. Not such a Happy Mothers Day.

Love it best place to eat and all of the staff are super friendly and helpful been a few times now never had a bad meal yet we'll done to all.

Beautiful hot food excellent staff and service

Had pizza, it came on a plate which I was happy about. Now I’m overjoyed to live in Chester-le-Stret !! :))

Good food and good polite service

Excellent throughout. Food great,service great and nice relaxing atmosphere. . Will be going back again very soon. Definitely 5 stars 👍 ## Update 17/2/24"" visited today along with family including 2 babies one of which has allergies. They cooked some of the food differently to avoid the items which she was allergic to so that was really good of them. As per the last time I was there everything was first class food staff service and atmosphere

Food lovely as usual. Staff super friendly.

Nice meal, but chips, little underdone, corrected with new ones, but nice overall

Great food, lovely staff, definitely recommend 👌

Portion sizes are amazing, good food. Staff were super friendly and helpful considering we were a huge group.

Love this place we go often, but this time, our waiter went above and beyond. Unfortunately, I don't know his name. But I think he is Italian.

Really lovely place to eat. Both times we have been we have been served by peter. He stood out, the service was brilliant. He made us feel so welcome. Always made sure we had everything we needed. Give my daughter a selection box the first time, then the second time she got a lolly. He is very professional and quick service. Food is very good 👍 5 stars. Thank you.

Called into this previously visited restaurant for tea recently @ 4pm.They have special menus up till 5pm for 3 course pizza/pasta dishes for £8 and a chicken/burger one for £12.We went for pasta ones with a side order of garlic bread.The food when it came after about 25 mins was lovely with the garlic bread the size of a pizza.The potato skins,pasta dishes and bread were all very good.The service was very friendly and excellent value.Book ahead as they get large birthday parties in - two when we were there. We shall return as it is very good value with quality food.

Food was lovely. Function room isn't the best furnished and toilets are downstairs.

Great food and attentive staff. Ambience was good too.

We got meat feast pizas chips margarita piza garlic bread plus cheesecake was delicious, staff very nice quick serve compliments to the chef we all enjoyed food cheers Maria Russell, c you all again in December

1st time went and def be back.lovely food and staff are great

We booked the function room (The Loft) for a 40th birthday and it could not have been better! The food was delicious and the room was fantastic- lots of space for people and for the children to play, but what really made it was the staff. They were so helpful and attentive- helped with decorations as well as organisation. They were also amazing with the kids. They could not do enough. I would recommend to everyone and anyone looking for a function room in the area. We will definitely be back and they really did make our occasion extra special.

First time here with my son and his girlfriend. As we are not from the area we didn't know what to expect. The restaurant was almost empty when we entered which was a little concerning but we needn't have worried. The food was lovely and the service was first class. I'd recommend the calzone and the chocolate orange cake. Competitive pricing was also welcome. We will definitely be back when we are in the area again.

First time trying this place and it was awful, service was terrible took ages too deliver food and when the food did come they gave us the wrong pizzas, the chips were not even cooked properly and the cans were warm as anything, they then charged us too get the pizzas we actually wanted so prices were rediculous, and when they ended up bringing the pizzas we wanted they were burnt as crisp, honestly so disappointing with this as I’ve heard so many people say it’s supposed too be really nice, it’s fair too say I will not be eating from there ever again.

Didnt realise until I went to pay that children's carvery on a Sunday is free with 1 paying adult! Fantastic.

Had tea @ this restaurant recently.We chose off the 2 x special menus which are available till 5pm.They are both great value @ £8 and £12 for 3 courses.We ordered pizza and pasta and they were great when they arrived.Potato skins/pasta and coffee/ice cream for £8.Pints of moretti/Stella are £5. The service is very friendly and the food is really nice.I would advise booking ahead as it does get busy with birthday parties.Highly recommend a visit.

The food was excellent. The staff were very friendly and efficient. We had a great time and would highly recommend a visit . Got to know all the staff by name will definitely be back .

Booked my daughters 18th birthday party here. I can't recommend this venue highly enough. From start to finish the staff were absolutely amazing, nothing was too much trouble. The buffet was delicious and plentiful, they even provided pizza boxes filled with leftovers for us to take home. Fantastic evening all round. The only minor criticism is the room was a bit warm.

If you've been to a Sambuca before it is more of the same. Excellent value for money and tasty menu. Venue is

Lovely food and staff Peter was really nice and helpful.

Nice restaurant good food, good service could not fault it

Went for a 8yo birthday party,6 adults & 3 kids for sunday carvery. Attention to service was first class as was the food,well done guys & Girls,we will be back

First time visited today, nice food, fast service. Will come again

Excellent service and food. Sunday carvery under twelves eat for free with paying adult!

Just wasted £50 on a delivery from this disgusting rancid place. Pasta was vile, pizza was like a slab of soggy wet slop, chips were dry as the desert, chicken tasted like it was a month old...... ended up throwing it all in the bin. Never again! Wouldn't even eat their food for free.

Great carvery lovely food 😋 Service was a bit slow Definitely will go again

Worst piza i have ever had very noisy