Sportsmans Arms in County Durham

After having been closed for a couple of years the pub is now due to re-open on the 31st October 2024. Greene King are saying that the re-opened pub will revert to it's former name of 'The Sportsman's Arms' (in recent years it had been named 'The Belmont'). I've given a three star (average) review as I haven't a clue yet what the pub will be like - I just thought it might be useful to post that it is re-opening soon but I can't work out how to post without giving a rating. I'm hoping to return with a five-star review soon!!

Was so looking forward to trying this place but won’t be back. OK at best, Steaks were not great quality, chewy & gristly sirloins fell way short of what you’d expect for the price. Party of 6, none of us wanted to send back and complain to spoil our night out but all a bit disappointed with quality of the food. Have definitely had better pub food at much lower cost. Not a patch on Miller & Carter.

Keep your shoes fastened tight, and a loose belt: as this place will blow your socks off if you come unawares. This was the BEST steak that Ive ever eaten. The God's Butter must have been named so because it was an actual gift from the Gods. I had the Tomahawk 16oz. With Gods butter. All that I can say is WOW! It is a LONG time since I had meat sweats while eating. The team clearly know their stuff and are experts within their field. The steak literally melted alongside the butter. Every mouthful is as tasty and moreish as the first.

Amazingly great quality Steakhouse in Durham. Wooden tables (see my pictures) and great atmosphere. Easy to find as the location is by the roadside. The 30oz T-bone I opted for was simply the best-looking T-bone ever. The taste was perfect too and cooked to perfection. No fuss – Steakhouse which I have recommend to friends, workmates and family. Downside: parking maybe limited; you may have to be creative and find a street nearby. I can recommend 100%

We had booked and ordered in advance as part of a hen party weekend. There were 13 of us. When we sat down for our meal we asked for a wine list. We were told there wasn't one. We asked for some prosecco.. we were told there wasn't any. We then asked for sauvignon blanc and were told they only had one bottle. We were told that the only wine they had was 2 bottles of pinot grigio and one sauvignon. We asked if we could bring a bottle of our own wine in and we were told no. The waitress said that people don't drink a lot of wine there (at an Italian steakhouse 🤣🤣🤣) so they didn't have much. Unbelievable. We suggested they went to tesco round the corner. Then the food came. Lasagne was totally burnt and a lot of the food was really dry. Service appalling. We were asking for sauces throughout the meal because the food was dry which seemed to be a massive chore. I was asked not to complain by some of our party as not to cause a fuss however really wish I had. What a disappointment.

We visited the restaurant in the early afternoon on Monday. We had booked in advance. The atmosphere is nice. The service is fast. The staff is polite. The food was delicious. The restaurant is clean and cozy. We recommend it to everyone.

Arrived for dinner on a bank holiday Monday to be told we better order quickly as the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes and this was around 7pm! I expect restaurants to be open later on holidays. In any event we ordered and the food was a disappointment. I ordered pasta as it was, after all, billed as an Italian restaurant and, although a huge portion, it was not well cooked, overdone and far from al dente. Although not certain, the pasta not seem freshly home made to me. I do expect that an Italian restaurant will make fresh pasta daily.

Lovely surroundings, excellent staff, nice atmosphere. please please put at least one real ale pump on as well as all the trendy beers.

Visited the restaurant on Saturday food and service was absolutely amazing i got Fillet Steak and king prawn linguine was by far the best pasta dish ive had to date! The owner was so friendly gave me and my partner a free drink whole experience was brilliant will 100% be back we came from Newcastle well worth the 30 minute drive!!

The restaurant catered for seventy people following the sad passing of a close relative. I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the quality of food firstly. The buffet was excellent. Your staff conducted themselves in an exemplary and professional manner. The room was kept spotless throughout the afternoon , we were able to celebrate the life of a loved one in a dignified and comfortable atmosphere. Thank you.

Just perfect in every way. It was my daughters 20th birthday lovely surprise of a complimentary Prosecco. Food and services was top notch. Thank you so much . I defo recommend and will certainly be back.

As always a delicious Sunday lunch and a mouth watering burger for my son in law whose not a dinner fan The atmosphere was buzzy and the staff friendly and efficient..Will definitely be recommending.

Food good, table far to small as we had six and a baby in a high chair. Absolutely unbelievably cramped, spent £250, pre booked, spotted a empty bigger table, they said seven were coming soon, no it was 6 six, and had kept for regulars, not again!

We went as a family of 5, 3 of which are growing teen boys. We had heard great things about the restaurant so thought we’d give it a try. As it was Sunday, there was a smaller menu available with only a few dishes plus Sunday lunch, which wasn’t really a problem. Two of the boys had the burger and the youngest son,my wife and myself opted for vegetarian Sunday lunch. The waitress didn’t know the price of this when asked and had to go ask the chefs, as veggie option wasn’t on menu, turns out it was £4 cheaper per meal. The service wasn’t good, we had asked for water 20 mins before the food came and had to ask again, we had ordered 2 extra Yorkshire puddings which weren’t brought out and when we asked where they were she asked who had taken the order? We didn’t know all the waitress’s names and we were made to feel as if we’d lied! They eventually turned up half burnt and dry so we asked for more gravy and this turned out to be a chore which was had to chase up and had almost finished the meal when it came! Overall ok food, ambiance of the place was zero lots of food splattered all over the floor and general feeling of being dirty.

We experienced a delay initially but after speaking to Eden (the manager) that all changed. A young male waiter, who's name we didn't catch, was fantastic, as was Eden herself - who was chatting with all tables in that night. I had Salmon and my wife had the featherblade, both were perfect. A New Year's Day 'Date Night' made perfect by Eden and her team. Thank you

I booked a table for a family meal to celebrate my son’s 18th birthday at 7pm. We arrived promptly to be advised that our table wasn’t quite ready as people were ‘just finishing’ dessert. We were offered a free first round of drinks, which to be honest we wouldn’t have needed had our table been ready. We were all on sodas. 40 minutes later we still hadn’t been seated. We finally were seated after 45 minutes! We all ordered steak. Incidentally me and my son and his girlfriend had visited in July and had a lovely meal where our steaks melted in the mouth. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case this time. 2 of us had tomahawk steaks, ordered medium, arrived well done. 4 of us ordered sirloin, ordered and cooked medium rare but rather chewy and the end of each steak fatty gristle and inedible. A very different experience to our last lovely visit which made us come again for the special birthday! We were offered a gift voucher due to the long wait for the table but rightly or wrongly when the meal didn’t meet expectations I declined as I wasn’t keen to go back. Such a shame as I live so close. So disappointing.

First class service and first class food as a party of eight everyones food came at the same time all beautifully presented and hot everyone said the same that they would definitely visit again

Heard loads of great reviews , can only say if you haven’t been , Why not ? And what are u waiting of. Excellent food / menu , excellent staff , excellent ambiance

Stirks restaurant made us feel welcome and all staff attentive. Busy and can see why as good home cooking...the Yorkshire Puddings were just right, nice & crispy. Nice selection of well cooked veg which did not overload the meat like a lot of places. Crumble...

after reading about this newly refurbished restaurant my wife and I decided to give it a spin......Booking on line was not straight forward as for some reason iy needed proof I was over 18 and without having an identification to hand I chose the old...

Alex was really accommodating and found rooom for us even though busy. Food was fantastic with plenty of choice

Went for a celebratory meal for getting engaged. Ordered 2 fillet steaks along with dolcelatte, Diane and garlic. The garlic sauce wasn’t on the menu however there was no problem in being able to sort this for us. Mains were one of the best meals...

nice premises refurb however they really need to change whatever they clean the bathrooms with, the smell permeates all the space at the back of the pub. might be bleach - but its strong and unpleasant and very offputting. in terms of the food -...

Literally the best meal I have had in a very long time. Tomahawk steak cooked to perfection. The onion bread it’s served with is off the scale delicious. The peppercorn sauce was gorgeous. Beautiful meal in lovely surroundings. Staff were just lovely. Highly recommended

After a 6 hrs drive from Newport South Wales booked into the Bannatyne Hotel and spar. The very nice lady on reception recommended The Belmont, so once settled in we took the five minutes walk. Once in the service was 100% by the waitress, my...

Really nice refurb. Staff very attentive but the food is quite expensive for what you get and nothing special unfortunately and quality seems inconsistent. Village pub with city centre prices. Not enough variation on the menu to keep us going back regularly and we did...

Great menu choice and fantastic food and fabulous service great atmosphere and sublime quality and attention to detail

After seeing an article in a local paper regarding the recent refurbishment we visited the restaurant. Whilst they have done a good job in creating a very nice dining area we found the food and service to be at best average.

lovely food in a lovely restaurant. staff are very helpful and friendly. beautiful desserts. will definitely be visiting again.

Ate here twice during our stay at local B&B. Good menu and reasonable prices. Go hungry as portions are big. Social distancing in place but difficult as popular and busy. Would definitely eat here again.

Just been for a Sunday lunch and we were very impressed. We both had the Gammon Roast and it was beautiful. The staff were very friendly and attentive and also greeted our little boy and made sure he was happy and settled in his high...

Myself son and girlfriend had food here and ordered the Belmont burger x2 and kids goujons which were was just amazing. Perfectly cooked burgers and service was really good. We will definitely be returning.

So when my pal spotted a two steaks, bottle of wine and cheese board offer for £40 her local I was in. Being social beings it was more about catching up than fine dining and my experience of meal deals has been questionable in the past (places normally give you the bare minimum and charge extortionate amounts for upgrades). We did opt for the upgrade here to the Filet steak from the Sirloin and they gave us a choice of three different red wines (didn’t ask about the whites.....not my bag). The wines seemed very drinkable, but hold on to your hats people......here comes the star of the show!!Now I normally eat my steak blue and asking for this in a pub is like playing steaky Russian roulette. I decided that I was feeling dangerous and after having a couple of drinks before ordering and requested a blue steak from one of the lovely staff. My experience of various chefs abilities to cook a blue steak has ranged from stone cold to incinerated. This was PERFECT! The filet was absolutely melt in the mouth and the beef itself was beautiful quality. One of the best steaks I have ever had (and I’m borderline carnivorous so have consumed a lot of steaks in some fabulous restaurants). The steaks were really quite large, but the chef managed to cook everybody’s steak exactly how we ordered it. No small task I tell you! Also on my plate was what looked like eggy bread. DO NOT DISMISS THE EGGY BREAD. This is some form of delicious eggy bread based dark magic. I still am not quite sure what it was, but it was bloody scrumptious. Eat it all!The cheese board is huge and has about 3 or four cheeses on there and a pleasant onion marmalade. My cheese choices are normally so pungent that they will halt a stampeding rhinoceros at 50 paces, so they were a bit mild for me, but I’m sure the majority of cheese eaters would turn green if I chose a cheese platter, so I thought the selection was well thought out.All in all we were delighted with our meal, the service was fabulous (attentive without getting on your wick) and the staff were brilliant. Thank you Belmont for giving us a lovely yummy night out.

New menu is a bit pricey but the quality and quantity of the food cannot be knocked!! Beautiful and always friendly service each time we visit

We loved this little and informal restaurant. AMAZING food and very friendly and helpful staff, so down to earth! Mostly meals with meat are served, so vegetarians...The price was top, for the quality we were served on that evening!We would definitely visit this restaurant again and I would recommend it to everyone visiting Durham! :)

Booked table for 3.30 as didn't know how busy it would be at that time. We were the only diners at that point but it soon filled up by 5/6pm. I ordered a plain burger (I'm very fussy) & husband ordered chicken parmesan. The food obviously cooked to order took approx 20 mins & when it arrived, it was exactly as per my very specific request. The portions were generous & quality of food was great, as was the presentation. Service was great & the waitress who served us was really friendly. We most definitely will be back!

Food and service was good but the complete ignorance to covid guidance was a disgrace.I really hope they can resolve this quickly.Tables crammed in (no change from before covid). Staff had no ppe and regularly working less than 1m from each other. Not possible to go the toilet without passing close to other people. They actually sat another couple within 1m of one person at or table. Get with the program, theres a bloody pandemic!It's a shame because as I say food and service was good.

Well what can I say! We had heard lots of great things about The Belmont and so decided to book for our first post-lockdown meal out. Having never been there before we thought it was a risky move but let me tell you it really did not disappoint! We were greeted and served by such friendly staff. The food was also outstanding! Beautifully presented and tasted unbelievable. The white chocolate cookie dessert was to die for! We will definitely be back very soon. Thanks for making our first meal out so enjoyable!

Hearing The Belmont had changed ownership during lockdown and restrictions lifted we decided to eat out. Starters mains and desert absolutely superb, portions are huge, staff attentive and polite. A great place to eat

Honestly this is the one of the best “pub” meals I have ever had.Food is superb, staff are friendly and overall the setting is nice.Food is divine - do not come here if you are a vegan or vegetarian it’s meat meat and more which is all excellent quality!

I asked if they do vegan food and their reply was tap water and salad and as it was a steakhouse it wasn't for me. Not good business I fear. He thinks we are a joke.

Nice food, however we booked for 7, ordered by 710, however it took 1 hour to be served. It would be nice to be informed by staff of the wait. Management need to get more kitchen staff

Called today for lunch and was really impressed with the quality and size of the portions. I ordered corn beef and potato pie with hand cooked chips and peas and my husband ordered steak and ale pie with chips and peas, it was excellent. We were served by a lovely young lady who went out of her way to help us choose our menu.

I was in Durham due to work and staying close by to The Belmont so decided to try it. I was delighted with how good it was causing me to visit twice during my two night stay.I highly recommend the fish finger sandwich which was fresh, crispy and tasty as well as the Moroccan stew with rice which was warming and healthy. Top marks to the chef(s)! Worth every penny (reasonable prices too!)The waitresses were both very attentive and friendly. The pub was clean and had a nice atmosphere.I hope to be back at some point in the future.Thank you

Staying at the premier inn and came across this little gem. Staff very welcoming fad choices of drinks and AMAZING food. Would recommend everyone to try. Thank you.

Visited about 2pm, hadn’t booked so no room in restaurant & asked if we were ok to eat in the bar area. No problem, there were a few locals in enjoying a pint or 2 & football on the TVs, nice atmosphere. Staff were friendly and service good. Ordered 2 beef lunches, a Diet Coke & half lager, £20.85. Food served promptly & was ok.. beef a bit bland & veg defo al dente & could have done with a bit more seasoning. Yorkshire pud really tasty but a bit well done. Overall an ok visit, maybe return to try normal menu if passing

For starters it is "The Belmont" not the Sportsmans Arms. The food portions are very generous and fairly consistent for a pub. Burgers are great. Good parking, friendly staff and a good seating area out back for summer drinking. Bus stops just outside. More than just a local.

Called in to watch the football, feed our faces and drink a few beers, travelling through the town and this place seemed perfect. Unluckily we had our dog with us. Having read an earlier review where a guide dog had been refused entry (!?) I’m not surprised we got turned away now. A real shame, as the whole side room was empty and we could have sat in there, our dog comes in pubs all the time and is a perfect gent and behaves impeccably. The staff just said “no... no dogs”, and looked away. So we went up the road and spent £50 in the Beefeater where the manager couldn’t have been more helpful... still not allowed dogs in, but he sat us outside and waited on us himself.. top lad.I thought public houses were supposed to be for weary, hungry travellers? Guess the pub doesn’t need the cash, guess this review won’t bother them either. With pubs closing faster than you can say “2 pints of your best foaming ale good lord”... you’d think they’d try a bit harder.

I have been in for a drink on a number of occasions when visiting family. Run by a young friendly couple there is plenty of seating and when the football is on plenty of screens to watch. These are the sort of locals pubs that we should encourage and support

Truly terrible service, rude staff, would never go back. The acting manager was rude and unreasonable. Terrible atmosphere

Plenty of choice,in a friendly well run pub ,we had a curry which was delicious,and plentiful,reasonable prices.

Der Pub ist ein traditioneller englischer Pub, einfach, aber mit sehr leckerem und reichlichen Essen. Das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis ist sehr in Ordnung.

Seems a nice homely pub, staff very friendly,weren’t impressed with the food nor time we waited, only ordered ceasar salad took almost 45 mins and had little taste, sorry won’t be calling again

Popped into the Belmont for a meeting and some lunch. Great service, quick and efficient. Food was great and good value for money! Look forward to our next one.

We went to this pub after it being recommended and wow what a disappointment arrived and after the dithering off staff they came back with we have no food really who on a Saturday evening run out of food well they missed out on probably a 200-300 pound bill from us and there attitude over it was very dismissive and slightly rude so I can’t recommend this place at all

The food was excellent, served hot and could not be better. Full marks to the chef and the kitchen team

This place is now called The Belmont. I stopped in for a cold drink on a hot day. The interior is well laid out, clean and the staff were welcoming although the massive TV with Sky Sports News on it seems out of place. Asked for a pint of diet coke, was given a coke glass no where near a pint size (£2.30). Sat in the beer garden which catches the sun nicely in the afternoon and has some nice furniture. Sadly it is a bit of a mess (hundreds of cigarette butts, broken glass and litter)(see pics).

Had a nice meal here. Reasonable prices and good service in the Restaurant. Went to the main bar for a drink afterwards, was very loud and the barman was a little rude.

Went here for a meal on recommendation from a local hotel. Food was really nice and prices reasonable, but the service from the bar was poor. Young barman barely spoke and certainly didnt smile. Toilets nice and clean which goes a long way with me.

The Sportsmans Arms does not exist any longer, it is however renamed Belmont Inn. Furthermore the photographs of the houses are not the Belmont. In fact it is directly behind the photographer. But for your info the local bus service stop outside the pub calling the stop the, believe or not the Sportsmans Arms.

We just happened to pop in on their two rump steaks and a bottle of wine for £25 deal.

Great food, great service, good value for money. This is a brilliant place for well cooked and well presented good. Love it

Reacting to a local recommendation, we crossed the bridge (over the A1M) from Ballantynes Hotel, and were very pleased we'd done so. Cheerful staff, reasonable prices, and excellent food. The mushroom stroganoff, for once, was not a freezer/micro job, and delicious. Main courses around £10 made it good value. Recommended! Not sure about the other bar - it appeared to be non-food...

Me alojé en el Moor End Guest House y comimos una comida en el Belmont. Al entrar no había nadie en el "restaurante" (donde quería comer) así que tuve que pedir en el pub para una mesa.

Fuimos a El Belmont una reunirse con amigos y celebrar un cumpleaños.

We stayed at Moor End Guest House and what a great bonus this pub is next door. We enjoyed meals twice here the best chips I've ever had, and will recommend you do the Curry Night fantastic value.

Este pub es ahora llamado 'El Belmont. Visité con mi esposa el viernes 26 de mayo ambos decidimos el pescado y las patatas fritas que había en el menú @ 2 x £12 Especial el viernes. La comida estaba bien, promedio para comida de pub. Yo tenía una buena pinta de Golden Old Ale soltera y mi esposa un vaso de vino blanco seco de la casa. No podría recomendar el vino blanco era insípida. La cuenta fue de 25 libras. 98. Cuando pregunté, me dijeron que el 2 x 12 libras sólo estaba disponible en el almuerzo, sin embargo, mientras que el menú tenía 2 x £12 ofertas de comer no pude encontrar ninguna restricción experiencias en el menú especial para el viernes. Volveremos a probar el martes o Jueves de especiales y dar otra oportunidad, el pub pero, en esta ocasión nos fuimos decepcionados.

family had a nice meal, although the menu is not really very good for children, it does not cater for...

El pub ha cambiado nombres, es ahora el Belmont y propietarios. Está todo hecho y tan diferente. Moderno todavía con cierto carácter allí todavía. Cálido y confortable. Resto selección de bebidas y buena comida. Una gran relación calidad-precio noche curry en un jueves. Pruébelo. Sólo encuentro para una cerveza. Es encantador

Aquí el jueves con un grupo de 4 adultos. No puedo quejarme de la comida o el servicio. No son normalmente exigente donde la comida es afectado, pero después de un período de enfermedad tenía unos requisitos dietéticos. La noche era estupenda oferta curry relación calidad-precio. El personal y la administración eran fantásticas y satisfizo todas nuestras necesidades de alimentación - nohing era demasiado problema para ellos. La comida era increíble y el tamaño de las porciones eran grandes. Aparcamiento en la parte trasera. Ambiente encantador relajado con buena reproducción en el fondo. Comidas informales, lo que significaba no tener que 'disfrazar" para comer. . Gran lugar para comer y beber - volveremos la próxima vez que visitemos Durham.

Visited here for Sunday lunch. Great welcome by the staff. Good choice of meals and prices. Only thing which was not to my taste was the decor. A bit clinical . Could use a warm colour on the walls

I stayed over in the nearby Bannantyne hotel and was recommended this pub by a local. The staff were very friendly and the pub was clean and modern.To start I had the Nachos, beware, the Nachos portion is massive, if you are on your own it will do as a main meal. For my main meal I had the 10 oz Rump steak which was superb, well cooked and beautiful, served with proper chips and salad. Wholeheartedly recommend this pub without hesitation.Andy

I am writing this as the final log in my arctic expedition diary , I Captain Robert Falcon Scott , left my tent to go for a walk March 29th 1912, the tent was warm , but I knew at some point I had to face the bitter cold of the outside , so I stepped out of the tent , the air was bitterly cold , within seconds I had frost bite and my organs began to fail , when as if a miracle through the snow and ice , a small bald headed man resembling dungeon master off dungeons and dragons appeared and asked me if I would like a drink ... he said his name was Richard , and I wasn't in the arctic , I was in his pub , imagine my surprise , oh how we laughed as he turned on a small lamp with a 2 watt light bulb in to warm me up . Highly recommend this establishment for its atmosphere and warmth . Captain Scott .

My wife and I live about 3 mile from this pub and made an impromptu visit while out walking. Having been recently refurbished we found the decor welcoming and the staff pleasant. We both opted for a Ciabatta, I had the New York ( chicken, bacon, cheese & bbq sauce) while my wife chose the homemade fish fingers. They each came with a generous portion of tasty rustic chips, coleslaw and side salad. The food was served in good time, was really tasty and did not disappoint.Our meals were washed down with a pint of shandy and a large soft drink with the total cost coming to £18.50, which we consider to be good value for money as we were both stuffed!We will definitely be visiting this establishment again and will be recommending it to friends and family.Please note this pub is now called "The Belmont" and not the Sportsmans Arms as stated above.

Dropped in for evening meal with a friend and it had a feel of a nice local pub with really friendly chatty staff.Food was great, really tasty and nicely presented. Considering it was only £40 it really was fantastic value and would definately go again if in the area.

The meal was nice. took a while to be served and for the meal to come out, cost me £7.10 for 2 x 16oz cokes. More than it cost my firend for 2 pints of fosters. Wouldn't go back for that reason alone

Staying nearby and The Belmont was recommended to us so we popped in and were delighted to see a steak special was on - two for £25 with a bottle of wine.We shared nachos round the table to start, would have liked a nicer cheese used but that's my preference.Steaks were nice, came with chips, onion rings, tomato, coleslaw and salad so a good plateful but both steaks didn't come medium as requested. Don't get me wrong, we finished them as we both used to eat well done but didn't make a fuss about it. Kids had veggie and cheeseburgers and they were very nice.Walking distance for us so we popped in for drinks one day too and the staff were very friendly and helpful.Will return when in the area!

Booked for 3pm for 8 people for Sunday lunch. After a very short wait our table was ready. All staff were really pleasant and chatty. However the Sunday dinner was a bit of a let down. Firstly we were told only a couple of some of the roasts were left, when the food did come the meat was nice.However the veg was not warm, the roast potates had been fried and not roasted. The dinner had far to much gravy on it instead of bringing individual gravy boats to choose how much you wanted on. There are far better places to go for Sunday lunch round about so will not be rushing back here.

We had a party for 30+ people and the service was excellent. Food was very tasty and exactly what we had asked for and at £10 PH including a glass of procecco was good value for money. We had our own pre reserved area and some of the locals joined in too! Great night many thanks especially to the lovely barman who looked after us all.

Came here after a spa visit from recommendation from a friend, there was going to be 16 of us so asked if we could have a section of the room cornered off and a buffet put on. £6 per head I think it was, 6 people dropped out but we said just keep it at 16 people so paid about £10 each. Food was absolutely amazing home made curry beautiful, and such a selection on. Well worth the money and service brilliant we all got a little bottle of prosecco before our meal came which I thought was a fab touch and not needed at all! But we were grateful. Really enjoyed my visit here food and staff were excellent

Went to the Belmont for meal.was told it would be a 30 minute wait after 50 minutes two meals arrived.after another 10 mins had to go ask for the third meal and the cutlery.the third meal arrived 5 minutes later BUT still no cutlery.after asking to speak to the manager who never appeared.we left the food got our money back and left.the waitress was not a professional she just dumped the food on the table without a word of apology and no cutlery then went of to serve someone else.will not be visiting this pub again.

Booked a table for nine people but when we turned up the restaurant was full of drinkers and no table set up for us. A member of staff looked in the bookings book and our booking was written in in it. They apologised but said all they could do was set up a table in the bar area which was totally unsuitable as the bar was full of people who were there to watch the England match, hardly a suitable environment for a family, birthday meal. We declined this table and walked out. I think that they were only interested in people who were there for the football and drinking vast amounts of alcohol and should not have been taking bookings for dining. This is a pub with a bar and a restaurant why turn the restaurant into an extension to the bar for goodness sake. I have been here a few times for food and it has always been ok but on this occasion felt very let down so won't be back.

Went for Sunday lunch after seeing sandwich board outside. Advertised 12-5 went in at 4:10 to be told Sunday lunch only until 4 and no food as kitchen closed when asked why sign had 5 o’clock told “old sign needs to be change sorry!” Passed couple of days later and sign still up and a new sign also stating 12-5. Staff brusque and unhelpful.

Very upset with the standard of food served at this pub. Me and my girlfriend decided to visit as it is our local and we have only been in for drinks prior to this. First of all, when we asked for a food menu at 7:30 we were told that the kitchen had closed, even though it is advertised that the pub serves food until 9:00pm. We then double checked at the bar and they confirmed this. 10 minutes later, the first member of staff we asked about the serving times came over to our table and said "I didn't realise the kitchen was still serving food, so you can still order." Im guessing the staff have no idea how the pub is run. Although we were happy with the starter we received, the main courses served were beyond a joke. I ordered the chicken Kiev for a main and initially I was very disappointed with the portion size i was given, especially since the bone on the chicken was equivalent to the amount of meat. My girlfriend ordered the pie which turned out to be an absolute disaster. The taste of the pie was awful which was later proved by the fact she was sick not long after we had finished. When we first complained about the food to a female member of staff, she didn't seem to care at all and continued to just walk around the pub in her own world. After waiting 15 minutes for her to come back with a solution to the problem, we were asked if everything was alright with our food by a male member of staff. This member of staff seemed oblivious to the fact we had already complained, which begs the question of our initial complaint was taken seriously. The male member of staff explained to us that there was nothing he could do (a refund is generally what you should do if the food is appalling by the way). We were told the manager would contact us the following day if we left a phone number or we could "just pop in" and see him instead. As a person who works in a bar/restaurant I felt like the standards of this place are incredibly poor. I am now awaiting the manager to phone me so I can discuss the disgraceful food in which we were served. I would also like to mention that the price in which we payed for this food was absolutely ridiculous in the first place.We will not be visiting for food again and we will not be giving good reviews to any of our friends or family about this pub. I would very much like an explanation from management as to why my girlfriend was sick not long after this meal and also an explanation as to why the problem could not be resolved on the spot instead of us having to wait a day. Furthermore, I do not believe that a more senior member of staff could not deal with the problem as it seems outrageous that a manager is not present on the night to deal with cash and lock up the pub.

Visited a few times before this and always found food to be pleasant. Nothing special. Decor is lovely. Bar staff very nice. Last time me n hubby went. We both ordered steak to be cooked rare. Hubbys wasn't bad but mine was well done. When waitress asked how food was I told her it was overlooked. She did nothing. I ate everything else and had two bites of steak. When a different waitress came to clear our table I told her it was overcooked. She came back after speaking to the chef and said he said it was not overcooked and that when he squeezed it some blood came out. I hadn't want to make a fuss before this, I just wanted them to know. But seeing as though I got this response I was starting to get annoyed. I asked to see the manager. The supervisor on shift came over and said he had spoke to to the chef who said it was not overcooked. He even pulled up a chair next to me to thrash it out! I told him that unless he brought the steak back to me and squeeze it so I can see the blood then I wouldn't be paying. To which he replied 'I can't do that because you ate the majority of it' so how the hell had they squeezed it then?!!! He even took my phone number so the owner could ring me to discuss the matter. Needless to say I did not pay and will not be returning. Very embarrassing and down right rude and obnoxious staff who do lot know how to cook a simple steak!!

Stopped here for a late lunch and had the most delicious homemade corned beef pie and chips.Excellent food and compliments to the chef as well as the very friendly helpful barmaid/waitress.It was so nice my husband and I returned a few weeks later for a repeat..it's was just as delicious and we're pleased to have found this lively pub.

Been going here for years, new landlord always drunk and insults his customers, food however not bad but is over priced, but don't order steak as they don't know how to cook it to your liking, it will come either well done or well done

Called in today for lunch with my work collegues , the room was empty we ordered our food and had a drink while we waited. The food when it arrived was unappealing and not the quality I would have expected first and last visit for me.

Been here on numerous occasions food is always fantastic best homemade chips and coleslaw ever! ..... Has become one of our favourite local pubs to eat at well worth a try!

Lovely homemade food had beef and ale pie couldn't finish it gorgeous was busy but service quick and staff very helpful

Had a great time. Food was really great and everyone who ate said the same. Look forward to our next meal so a big thank you to all the staff for making it a great day to remember.Just need to get trip advisor updated with the new pub name somehow.

Lovely Steak night food! Note - no food on Mondays.Freshly cooked, steak was tender and tasty, chips vey good - free bottle of wine included for the two of us.

Decided to grab a quick bite to eat here whilst I was staying in Durham. The food was amazing - I had a chicken burger which came with home cooked chunky chips, coleslaw and onion rings. The food was very tasty and very well presented. The restaurant was very clean and looked like it had been recently refurbished to a high standard, The blonde girl who served me was very polite and friendly - would defo visit here again - keep up the good work people

After visiting this pub regularly over the last 20 years and then more recently a few times a month for a meal, my family, some friends and I went there on New Years Day for a meal and a few drinks. We checked on arrival that food was being served and was told yes until 6pm. We got a drink and sat down. An hour later we went to order food only to be told by the landlord that he had sent the chef home. I pointed out that we were told food would be served until 6pm and it was only 3.35pm and he then went into a barrage of abuse saying he could do what he wants in his pub. He had enjoyed a few drinks himself at this point and I was shocked by his outburst. I suggested that he work on his customer service and then walked away before I got more angry. I advised my friends and family that we would not be able to eat there after all and relayed the abuse i had received. My husband then went over to ask him what he was playing at only to receive the same abuse and to be told that he did not need our business and he didn't care what we thought of him. With that we finished our drinks and left. It's such a shame that the tenancy has been taken over by someone like that as for years it has been a lovely local pub that has had both good and bad managers but always retained a community feel and been welcoming. We had heard that he was trying to lose the local pub stigma but we are a small village that welcomes a local pub but we were all very happy with the changes he made to the pub itself and the fact that they had reopened the kitchen and were doing decent food but that has all been spoilt for us now. I for one will not set foot in there again until he is no longer in tenancy.

Enjoyed spending most of December in this cracking local. Good food, great drinks and a warm and friendly welcome! Can't ask for more

Good service, very pleasantly presented by nice staff. The highlight for me was the fact that they served draught Castle Eden, one of my favourite ales. We shared a couple of chilli beef nachos which were very nice. Main courses of scampi, and 2 beef stir frys. The beef was a bit on the chewy side, but tasty. Would definitely return.

Came for lunch last month, and after having Food here before, I was very sceptical. However I was very pleasantly surprised as the food was beautiful. I ordered my steak to be rare to medium rare, it came out medium well. Apart from that, everything was spot on, and the steak was still really nice! Spot on!

Been a few times since it changed over to The Belmont and have been impressed with the food/service every time. They do a great Sunday lunch with homemade Yorkshire puddings.

Would say this place was between average and very good, was our first visit after hearing really good reviews about it. The service was really good, menu was canny, prices a little bit higher than average I would say. Saying that the chips were amazing!!! Would I return ... Maybe

Been here a few times, now called The Belmont. Lovely quality food compared to few other places to eat in the area.Burgers and sandwiches are always tasty and the chips are lovely and thick. Proper chips!