Tapas Factory in County Durham

Would not recommend. Hadn't been here for years (no particular reason for not coming back sooner, just didn't), and decided to come back as had loved this place in the past. We were totally shocked as the food tonight was abysmal; the belly pork was microwaved, the sea bass was overcooked, the steak was very chewy, the stifado meat was dry, the calamari was chewy and not crispy. The patatas bravas, the spinach croquettes and chicken croquettes were nice (however, the croquettes barely had any spinach or chicken in them). The waiter asked if everything was ok, I said no, but he did not reply, apologise in any way, or try to rectify the situation. When we asked for the bill and another waiter came with the card machine, we asked for the service charge to be removed and explained it was due to the food being terrible, the 2nd waiter didn't apologise or offer any solution to rectify the situation either. It was a totally shocking experience, we definitely won't be coming back, and would not recommend coming here. Also, I don't believe service charge should be added to the bill. It's a form of emotional manipulation; a lot of people could feel uncomfortable asking for the service charge to be removed as they may feel rude, so they'd feel forced to pay the service charge, regardless of how much it is. A customer should only give a tip if they feel like it, and they should give the amount they feel comfortable giving.

Called in at lunchtime. Bit dubious because nobody else was in. However, we were so impressed that we booked for that night. Dishes were all around £8 to £10 pounds apiece, very generous sizes for tapas, and beautifully presented. House wine was excellent. If we are in the area again it will be our first port of call.

Delicious food, lots of choice which I couldn’t fault. Service not great because the waiter didn’t really understand or speak much English. Going to the loo was like a journey to the centre of the earth, because the building is against a hill/cliff. Not great for anyone with physical or mobility issues!

Muy mala experiencia aquí para una comida familiar. Uno de nuestro grupo de 4 pidió una paella individual (sin mariscos) mientras que otros 3 compartieron una paella con mariscos. El camarero preguntó cuántas personas y le dijimos tres, dijo que 3 podrían compartirlo ya que también pedimos otras tapas. La paella costó 3 x£ 18. 45 y, en verdad, podría haberlo comido yo mismo. La porción era pequeña y apenas del tamaño de un plato pequeño. El camarero nos hizo creer que eran 18 libras. 45 ¡Pero nos lo cobraron a cada uno! La comida sabía bien, pero solo tenía 3 gambas, 3 mejillones y un poco de pollo en y era muy decepcionante y probablemente ni siquiera valía £ 18. 45 no importa 3 veces eso. Las otras tapas fueron golpeadas y falladas también. Albóndigas ok, pollo especial ok, pincho de carne un poco dudoso y seriamente sobreprecio y el plato de chorizo acaba de tener unas rodajas del chorizo más pequeño que he visto. Además, el restaurante añadió un cargo por servicio del 10%, que no se notó hasta que salimos del restaurante. El servicio era en realidad muy pobre, camarero inútil gruñón y muy lento en tomar la orden y traer bebidas. El servicio era en realidad tan lento que consideramos salir antes de pedir - realmente desearía haberlo hecho, ya que este restaurante me parece un restaurante muy dudoso que entras por error mientras estás de vacaciones. No recomiendo en absoluto.

Tapas españolas extremadamente deliciosas con muchas opciones. Pequeño y acogedor restaurante. Lo recomiendo encarecidamente si usted está visitando Durham.

Very good tapas. I recommend the shrimp, the omelette, the sea bass. They speak Spanish.

A restaurant where you can enjoy affordable and delicious Spanish food and wine.

Relaxed lunch here yesterday. Food and service were great. Four tapas dishes between two of us was ample. Vegetarian paella, battered tiger prawns and patas bravas were excellent. Only gripe is that they added an additional surcharge. Was going to tip anyway as it was a good experience, but I don't think a tip should automatically be added to a bill

Waitress was lovely and was great service, however the food on the other hand was not. I could have used the calamari as a hair bobble with how rubber it was. I even had to put on my glasses to find the mussel hidden amongst the Aldi savoury rice (“paella”). Pork was in a dipping sauce of grease and I couldn’t even wash it down with my small glass of wine as that came with only a mouthful in. And the Patatas Bravas was all patatas and no bravas! Such a shame as this my turn to pay for my grandma🤣 but safe to say I won’t be returning. Ended up in another bar drinking cocktails to drown my sorrows.

Service was a great deal better than the food lovely waitress however , Nasty tasteless paella microwave rice with a few peas one prawn one rubber band posing as (calamari) I wasn’t not fooled. Ha and one empty mussel shell Very substandard not sure we’re the people who gave 4/5 star reviews have been eating but it certainly wasn’t tapas factory will not return .

Ambiente relajado, personal muy atento. Paella muy agradable como lo fueron las croquetas con espinacas. Los churros eran un desierto muy travieso pero encantador. Con todo, recomendaría encarecidamente

El restaurante estaba vacío cuando llegamos y lleno cuando nos fuimos, principalmente con hispanohablantes, lo que se sumó al ambiente. El servicio era bueno dado solo un camarero, y disfrutamos hablando español con él. La comida y el vino eran realmente excelentes.

¡Una verdadera decepción! No volvería y ciertamente no recomendaría. Qué lástima como había sido hace unos años para el almuerzo y fue genial. Reservado para cenar un viernes esperando buena comida. ¡Fue horrible! Langostinos y calamares fríos y demasiado cocidos, cerdo de vientre duro y frío, y la paella era solo un bulto robusto con cubos de pollo demasiado cocidos! El camarero se disculpó, pero nadie más vino a discutir los problemas con nosotros. Nos fuimos hambrientos y solo llenos de decepción.

The paella, camembert was lovely but the mussels did not taste very good to the point we both had to spit them out. The space felt quite cramped and it was quite expensive for what it is. They charged £3 for some slices of bread from tesco. The service was quick

Afternoon visit to Durham on Valentine’s Day we called into the Tapas factory for a meal mid afternoon, food was ok but not fantastic, service was fine but not brilliant. On the whole a below average experience. 5/10 🙁

Rude staff, tiny portions & over inflated prices very disappointing!!!

Éramos un grupo de amigos y nos divertimos, la comida era muy deliciosa y el servicio era muy amable. 100% recomendable.

Mi amigo me recomendó el restaurante, fue una experiencia agradable, la atención del personal fue muy amable y muy deliciosa la comida.

Lovely little place with excellent food. Very friendly with children. Would 100% recommend

Food was absolutely delicious!! The service was amazing and so quick - we will definitely be back !

The food was amazing. Those potatoes were just too good. But we did not come back since it was quite costly for two people. Maybe we just ate too much since it was so good though...

Fantastic food and great service. We were a large group and we had a set menu which was not only super tasty but also great value. The staff are so accomodating and helpful too.

Habíamos estado aquí anteriormente hace unos 12 - 18 meses y era bueno, ambos disfrutamos de nuestra comida. ¡La visita de hoy ha sido un cambio total! Fuimos y éramos las únicas 2 personas en el lugar pedido y la comida llegó bastante rápido. Mi compañero pidió el pollo con salsa fría dulce y creo que todavía lo estaba masticando cuando nos fuimos. Fue muy duro. El pan era obviamente una barra de tigre cortada en pedazos sin mantequilla. El jamón serrano estaba sabroso pero a £ 8. 95 por 4 piezas que quería ser. ¡Entonces la estrella de la crítica! Entraron 3 personas y se sentaron a la mesa junto a nosotros y pidieron bebidas (una copa de vino blanco y 2 limonadas) el camarero procedió entonces a servir 2 vasos de limonada de una botella de limonada de la propia marca Tesco ! ! ! ! El precio es de 3 libras el vaso! Son 60 p por una botella en tienda. A continuación, añada un cargo de servicio del 10% que no se menciona hasta que la factura se coloca delante de usted para completar una comida pobre (en el mejor de los casos). Deffo cambió de manos o los propietarios acaban de rendirse.

Teníamos muchas ganas de comer aquí. El menú se veía bien. Solo otra mesa estaba ocupada por lo que se esperaba un buen servicio y comida. La sirvienta llevaba su abrigo toda la noche. No es bueno. Nos dijo que una paella sería suficiente entre nosotros. En realidad apenas alcanza para uno. Porciones muy pequeñas y frías. Esta experiencia no fue buena y fue cara. Muy decepcionado.

Genuine Spanish tapas & staff. Rather good white rioja! Mussels, calamari, spinach croquettes & patatas bravas great for lunch for two of us

We were visiting Durham on Saturday,enjoyed our dinner at this restaurant,staff were welcoming and friendly,food was absolutely beautiful,would definitely recommend going.

Food was nice and service quite good. The portion sizes were tiny and it wasn't cheap. Expected more. Oh and they include a 10% service charge in your bill, which I thought was awful, we were only a party of four.

Lovely spot in the heart of Durham City offering a selection of Tapas ranging from fish, meat and vegetables. The staff were attentive and the food was delicious.

Love this place great food great service and good atmosphere

Food below average tapas paella was like uncle ben rice sangria no fruit and felt like we paid 20 pound for a bottle of Ribena, service terrible and the audacity to charge 10% service charge automatically when the bill said it was optional,we should have been asked first

We didn't stay there for long as we only ordered a light lunch, but what we did have was delicious.

Our favourite spot in Dirham - 10/10 food and 10/10 service! We love the Chorizo and look forward to the authentic churros everytime we come!

The food here is very good. It was my first visit and I will definitely return

These cowboys were fined £30000 for employing illegal workers. Think twice before you decide to give your money to this criminal owner.

I was here on vacation in March. The food was good, but we barely got to eat any of it because the server actively prevented us from ordering. He was frustrated that the restaurant was busy and I think he just wanted people to leave so there'd be less on his plate. We tried to order more food after our initial order came and the portions were smaller than expected (we ordered two things to share and got maybe four bites of food each. That was fine, it made sense for the prices, but we were hungry and wanted to order more food) and the server got mad and lectured us about how we should have ordered all our food at once. We didn't get to finish our second order because he sped off after the lecture and when we were finally able to talk to him again and try to finish ordering he huffed a big frustrated sigh and called me 'my darling' (gross and condescending) before lecturing us again about how we couldn't keep ordering food, we should have ordered everything at once. So, we paid and left obviously. Maybe it's just this one guy and not the whole restaurant, but boy did he ruin our night.

I’ve just had the BEST Seafood Tapas EVER! The calamari & king prawns were to perfection and the flavours OMG! 🙌🏾🙌🏾💯💯💯 I’m definitely coming back and I’m curious about the Paella.. 🥘

Great little tapas restaurant small and quaint. Would visit again. Good value for money.

We arrived at 7pm on a Saturday evening, we ordered a couple of beers, and a couple of dishes each, several other couples arrived and all were brought their food before us, after an hour and fifteen minutes we asked how long our food would be and we're told 'its very busy' we were extremely hungry by then and really disappointed with the customer service, we left without eating and luckily they did not take payment for the drinks. We were offered a free meal next time but will not be returning unfortunately.

Ordered different tapas unfortunately the mussels were totally off which reflected negatively on the other tapas we were eating. Upset stomach this morning. Never again.

We had the £15 deal which included 3 tapas and a drink. The food was delicious. It was excellent value and I will definitely come back. I loved the decor inside.

The food was delicious. The staff were on point and professional. I was, however, surprised at the cost. I found the total cost excessive.

Lively, great atmosphere restaurant with superb service and food. We had a fantastic evening here. Would highly recommend.

Delicious...Everything we ordered. Sangria, calamari, pork belly, abondigas, paella, gambas, churros... very, very happy. 👏 Highly recommend this place.

Ordered the Faustino white Rioja from the menu @ £20.95. Owner returned with a bottle of wine and without offering a taste, poured 2 glasses. I tasted the wine and it was obviously table wine worth around £1. When I questioned this he said he has had trouble getting hold of his usual wine. He returned with an alternative bottle, white Rioja this time, which he said would be the same price. This wine was fine but produced by Lidl and on sale @ £5.95. We ordered 3 tapas dishes with the plan to order a couple more afterwards. Chicken croquettes were a little bland but the meatballs and the beef stew were both lovely. All the sauces were mopped up with the slices of tiger bread. We were looking to order a couple more tapas but despite two waitresses sat at the table near the kitchen, they were busy on their phones so we didn’t bother. We were the only customers in the restaurant until another 3 arrived so I saw the opportunity to ask for the bill. He returned with the bill which included 10% service charge which I asked to be removed. We hadn’t received any service to speak of. I also mentioned he had purchased the wine from Lidl so was not worth the £20.95. He returned with a revised bill, no service charge and wine at £17.95. Still well over priced but we paid and left. We enjoyed the food but trying to pass off £1 table wine for Faustino was taking the piss out of his customers.

3pm on a Friday afternoon and place was empty that should have told us something! Food portions very small, the slow roasted beef shoulder was 3 small pieces of beef and 2 small slices of carrot in a runny gravy. About 8 tiny Anchovies on a small bed of shredded salad, 2 slices of cucumber & 1 cherry tomatoes both cut into tiny pieces. The Spanish omelette was tasty but not very big. There had not been a delivery of beer so only bottled available. It was overpriced for the portion size & think the 10% service charge should not be added to the bill even though it says it could be taken off. Gentleman serving was OK. Very disappointed and won't be returning ☹️

Great to find authentic Spanish tapas in Durham. Their £15 set menu is very good value for money - includes 3 tapas and a drink. All dishes were very tasty. Great atmosphere and service.

Average food, very oily, sangria too sweet! Over priced for what you get.

We visited on a weekday lunch time. The place was quiet but still had a nice atmosphere. The food was fantastic and the service was quick with all the dishes coming out at the same time.

There was one guy who was so rude serving us but the food was lovely

Great little eatery, had a selection of tapas and everyone was fantastic. Would definitely recommend

Lovely family lunch on a Sunday. Very welcoming when we came in and the food was lovely and fresh! We would 100% visit again!

Very busy, food fantastic. It was a little warm because it was so busy! Highly recommend

Great food and atmosphere. Highly recommended 👌

The chef's self-righteousness that such poor quality ingredients could deserve a 10% service charge is the funniest joke I've heard in 2024 as of now. Black prawn heads filled with wet, slimy, limp prawn meat (almost in a state of near-rottenness), shrivelled mussels that even had sand in them, frozen squid that tasted like rubber, over-salted frozen churro from Iceland and nightmarishly unpalatable pork, all of the above made for one of the worst Monday nights since 2024. I strongly urge that the service charge be removed as no one would pay an extra £11 for such bad food. BTW there is no free tap water in this restaurant, and they don’t accept card.😁

Absolutely delicious - really great selection of tasty tapas. One of the best sangrias I have ever had too! Want to go back to try some more of the dishes!

Nice place and delicious dishes. I love their squid dish very much.

Honestly it was terrible. The waiter sat at another table and rolled a cigarette while we were looking at the menu (which he went and smoked outside during service). My husband asked for 2 different beers which they didn’t have (they were on the menu). The jamon was sliced too thickly and was chewy and like jerky, the pork belly was inedible, no crackle, it was like it had been reheated repeatedly. The paella was like a dry risotto with little flavour. The croquettes were passable but may have been frozen ones. Then they have the cheek to add a service charge of 10%! It is optional but already on your bill. I asked that it be removed as we weren’t happy with the food or the service, the waiter didn’t seem to care and removed the charge without question. Don’t bother.

My wife and I had the pleasure of dining at the Tapas Factory on Saturday evening and it was an absolute delight! We arrived at 7pm on Saturday, the atmosphere started off quite quiet, but by 7:30 it was full and lively. Even though it was busy, service was quick and friendly. All the dishes we had were bursting with flavor, the meatballs were melt in your mouth tender, the patatas bravas were nice and creamy and the fried fish was light and crispy. All fresh, delicious and well presented. Portions were a little small but we left feeling satisfied. If you're looking for Tapas in Durham I highly recommend Tapas Factory.

Have visited many times and always enjoyed it but not so much this time. Called it around 5 on Saturday no other customers in but it was after new year. There were 2 people sat at a table one with her coat on slouched over engrossed in her phone the other man came to serve us. Service was good. We ordered a few dishes too share among the 5 of us. Calamari was excellent but small portions even though we ordered 2. Prawns were great. But most of the other dishes were very very salty on mentioning this to the server he simply didn't seem bothered at all.

The dishes are just ok tasting wise (if you know the taste in Spain). I’m sorry to say, but I would not come back here next time

Worst tapas we have had. No atmosphere, food was served warm, will not be returning. Service charge too high

Lovely wee tapas place friendly and nice atmosphere. Food was lovely

Happened on this place by chance, peered through the window to see if there was space and was beckoned inside by the owner. Shown to a table and menus offered. Good variety of dishes to order but not too many you where overfaced. Decent sized portions, 3-4 tapas dishes per person recommended. Authentic tasty food and a good atmosphere, one slight issue, the coffee machine was broken so no after lunch coffee but the churros were hot and tasty so we can forgive.

Wandering around Durham on a Thursday evening not sure what or where to eat and decided to try the Tapas Factory, really glad we did. All of the dishes we had were incredibly fresh and tasty. Standouts were the mussels and the pork belly. All of the portions were really generously sized (for Tapas) and the meal overall was great value.

Sorry food was not what I expected £7.00 service charge not mentioned Family of 4 Saturday 25/11/23 Paella was like uncle bens rice. Calamari was like chewing elastic bands Over cooked Over priced on portion size didn’t match price or quality Service was friendly and authentic Cramped and seats uncomfortable Would not recommend

This is place is a gem. Oscar our waiter was just so polite and attentive. The food was honestly outstanding. If ur in the city don't pass this place.

Lovely restaurant with tasty Tapas dishes. Large portions, 2 each is plenty.

2nd time we have been here and once again we were not disappointed. The staff are friendly and accommodating and very helpful. The food is simply fantastic, never had a bad tapas yet. Easy to recommend.

We stopped here for lunch while visiting Durham for a few days. We were lucky enough to have good weather so were able to sit outside and enjoy the street scene as everyone passed by, there is no traffic allowed along this section of road and it has a lovely view across one of Durhams ancient bridges. Chatted to the waiter, sorry but I can't remember his name, who was super friendly and spent time with us chatting. We had drinks and a couple of tapas for a light lunch and the food was delicious, full of taste and reasonable priced. Overall a great location to sit and watch the world go by on a sunny afternoon with good views and great food.

Pleasant food but unpleasant service charge regime. I don't like seeing a 10% charge on my bill. However the young staff were scared to take a cash tip as the manager lurked obtrusively. We all know that Staff rarely see the tips paid to the till.

One night in Durham and lucky enough to find this jewel. Excellent, helpful and friendly service. Tapas where excellent, will be visiting on next trip to Durham.

Booked here for a Friday evening meal. Great menu choice and the food was tasty and authentic. Service quick and the ambiance was good. Had a bottle of Rose which was delicious and we thought it was fantastic value. Overall good value too. Recommended.

Buena comida, precios aceptables

We found this dainty Spanish tapas while strolling through Durham city centre on a Sunday afternoon looking for somewhere to eat and while away the time while our son was playing hockey at Durham Uni Sports complex. We were not disappointed at all. The seafood paella was divine and the chicken in skewers too. We had profiteroles as dessert …. Hmmm yummy! 😋

Like many other Spanish restaurants in the UK, this is a disappointing experience as well.... Paella 🥘 it is only overcooked rice mixed with various ingredients and probably cooked in a pot and placed later on in the specific paella pan... it tastes more at turmenic rather than sofran. Tbh, calamari and croquettes taste and look like frozen food. Sangria taste like cranberry juice, no wine, no orange flavour... The food is eatable, but it isn't authentic Spanish food. I don't recommend them as authentic Spanish 🤷 restaurant

Food was good. Service was rushed. Manager was too keen to move us on. Portion of Paella for two for £35 was not generous. I'd give this place a miss on busy nights

We booked for a family celebration at 7.30pm. Turned up to find a queue of around 20 people before us, all saying they had made a reservation for the same time. Very greedy to book so many people in and disappoint them.

Enjoyed lovely meal here . The food is authentic and the staff superb. Even engaged with them in Spainish which I feel brought them much hilarity ! I would thoughrougly recommend this restaurant but on a sunny day, get a table outside because inside is sweltering.

Lovely little gem right near the cathedral - would highly recommend.

Wonderful and authentic! Very friendly! Good tasty food. Wait time was good. We sat outside in the sunshine with a family of 7

Fab tapas restaurant with tables outside if the weather is good. Good sized portions; we had seven dishes plus bread and that was a nice lunch for four. The table next to us had a meat platter which also looked great.

Food was lovely couple of dishes a little overpriced for what you get but everything tasted good

First time here and really enjoyed it. Not cheap but great selection of Tapas and Cruz campo beer. Good service and friendly staff. A good experience and will be back.

Food and service on point. The best tapas ever

We were there on Saturday for my husbands birthday. The food was delicious, staff were helpful and friendly. Great atmosphere will defo be back. Would highly recommend x

Asked for gluten free, they said no problem as the food came out they instructed us that some of it wasn't gf 🙄, very expensive for what you get

Just paid £50 for a plate of wet rice with 3 small pieces of chicken and the same of chorizo. Plus 2 drinks. £4.80 service charge. Absolute rip-off.

Despite being rammed, food and service were excellent at a good price

The crispy pork belly and the seafood paella are a match made in heaven!

Amazing restaurant!! Cannot wait to go again!

Beautiful little restaurant, don't be put off by the name! It is anything but 'factory' like. Delicious tapas accommodating an array of visitors from all walks of life, which was great to see. Food was magnificent.

Porciones muy pequeñitas hablan en español pero no está mal

Would recommend! Very friendly staff and food was 10/10!

Nice food, really good service, very helpful and obliging staff

Tapas dishes, lovely, all fresh and tasty. Very friendly helpful staff. Definitely recommend.

Fell down the very slippery stars. Be aware

Absolute hidden gem in the town. The service is incredible here and the food is nothing but fantastic!! So authentic, we left expecting to be in Spain!! Everything about our visit was perfect and we shall return very soon. We had the lunch option 3 tapas each and plenty to share. Highly recommend a visit. Praise to all staff, especially the chef.

Terrible service! They told us there was no tap water and forced us to pay 3.40 pounds for a bottle. But give other customers free water. There's no going back, and the food isn't good.

Really enjoyed our meal here and the sangria was good too. Watch out for the 'service charge' of 10%, we were going to give a 20% tip which would have meant 30% more so be aware.

My first time here and it will not be the last! I live in the area and always walk past and think ‘I’m gonna go’ because it looks so lively and just a great atmosphere. It did not disappoint!! The food was amazing and so was our server - really friendly and chatty. The sangria was also great. Will definitely be returning.