The Black Bull in Northumberland

Decided to give The Black Bull a second chance after having dinner there myself in early June, which was an up and down experience. I had the soup for starters that had so much pepper in it, it would have blew a normal persons head off! I quite like pepper so just managed it ok. The main course arrive and was luke warm, I ate it anyway, but when I was asked if everything was satisfactory, I let the staff member know the food tasted ok, but the temperature wasn’t hot enough. He said that it was a new chef who had only started that week as the old chef had retired, and a few other diners had also made the same complaint, so when I went to pay the bill he knocked the price of the main course off it, which I thought was a fair outcome. During a friendly chat with him before leaving, I said I’d be returning to the area for my family summer break in a few weeks’ time, and he told me that the Sunday roast dinners were fantastic and the old chef would be returning on a Sunday to cook these. I was told to book in advance, as it is was always too busy to just walk in and get a table. So I took onboard the advice and a few weeks later I decided to book a table for the seven of us. We arrived for dinner late afternoon on the Sunday and our table was reserved as expected, staff were nice and friendly and the pub wasn’t that busy, with only another three or four small tables having food. Our orders were duly taken and starters arrived reasonably quickly and everyone enjoyed them. Unfortunately the mains were not as quick, and we had quite a long wait. To make things worse, all the plates of food arrived luke warm, definitely not hot as they should have been. All five adults chose from the Sunday roast menu options with four of us choosing the "Sirloin of Beef" option. The sirloin that was served was not of the greatest quality, and although advertised as being served “pink”, was undercooked and very, very rare, to make this worse, all four pieces of meat were full of gristle and fat, and for most of us, large pieces of it were inedible. We were also put off with the “creamy mash”, which was a strange grey colour, and did not taste good. Also the plate of vegetables that was laid on the table for us all to share was embarrassingly insufficient to satisfy 5 adults, we actually thought the portion was for two to share, and couldn’t believe it when no more arrived. Once we had all finished the meal, we noticed the chef had came out from the kitchen, possibly for a break This was definitely a younger person, and definitely not someone old enough to retire. After a second poor experience in just a few weeks, I will unfortunately not be returning the The Black Bull in Etal village again, and unless the situation changes drastically for the better, I wouldn’t recommend the pub for anyone who is expecting hot food or a quality dining experience.

September 2024: Quite a disappointing experience for a good looking venue. From the outside, this place looks lovely with a nice layout and lovely outside seating area around the back. Ordered sandwiches from the light bites menu. Place wasn't overly busy but took over an hour to make the order - not a problem but no update or apologies during this time. Kitchen staff could be heard shouting, moaning and talking about customers in the restaurant which isn't great at all. Kitchen staff also seen wearing no kitchen whites/PPE (just tracksuits and sliders) and storage cupboards with cleaning products left open. Sandwiches are a bit of a disappointment - nothing special about them for the price. Bacon sandwich was also rather 'sad' looking. This place is definitely not worth the money and I won't be returning.

If you love to be told rudely where to sit in a half empty bar on a Saturday afternoon because they are setting up for a Sunday. This is the place for you. Rude barman with a attitude, done nothing the whole time I was are there to set up for the Sunday, would never return.

Lovely pub. Very traditional country pub with a thatched roof. Inside is very modern though. Food is good and service is great. A good place to visit.

Dog friendly room to eat in which wasn't as nice as the rest of the bar but it was ok. Reasonably priced food .

Called in for a bite to eat as had previously been to the tea rooms over the road which was outstanding. It was very quiet inside only 2 tables eating. My glass of wine came the added additional fruit flies in the glass and was stood waiting 10minutes for any of the 2 staff to reappear to ask for it to be rectified. Another glass was brought over so we ordered food. The sandwich are option are just that.. 2 bits of bread with meat left over from previous service. The chips were also burnt. Not worth the money. And for 2 sarnies and a small bowl of chips it was quite a wait I also left my wine as it was off and tasted of vinegar. Staff looked liked they couldn't care less and more interested in flirting with each other and playing with their phones. Lovely pub in a lovely setting. Such a shame. As a previous pub manager fruit flies should not be all over optics and bottle tops if regular cleaning is taking place.

Poor service, in fact very poor service. Over an hour from ordering to service. When we politely asked how much longer we would need to wait, the waitress advised she would get an estimate. The chef could be overheard bad mouthing the customer, telling them to be patient and it would be another half hour. We only ordered from the snack menu. Bacon sandwich had 2 rashers only and hot dog without the advertised onion rings.

Gem of a place,fantastic accommodation

If you want a warm, friendly welcome and to feel valued as a customer then just pop over to the tea rooms opposite. The bar maid would do well to spend more time on her customer service skills than on checking herself out on any shiny surface available. We were told to drink only in the bar area even though it was 3pm and there was only a handful of people there. That area has a settee (which was unavailable) and a couple of small tables and tiny stools. Really uncomfortable. We had intended to dine there later but decided not to. However, the wine and beer were good.

Total disappointment and unprofessional. My wife and I along with our 2 children visited thinking it would be a treat to have lunch here. We decided to sit in an area that suited our dogs. All I can do I reel off reasons not to visit.- - starter took nearly an hour to be served. when I asked where our starter was we were told it’s because the chef was waiting for the gammon (we ordered for our young daughter to come out with starters) - when the gammon came out it was aweful and the egg on top the gammon slice was cooked to death almost looked fried to a crisp - we were sat outside the kitchen and all we could here was the kitchen playing Stormzy and Akon really loud. We then heard one chef complaining to their colleagues that they have a system by putting information on the fridge and they come in and ruin it. - From my own catering background seeing a member of the kitchen come out with tracksuit bottoms and sliders with no form of PPE after grabbing food from the external freezer I felt it was a little unprofessional and non compliant with handling foods. In the end we decided to cancel our order and leave to seek food and drinks elsewhere. When I informed the barman ( who had already put our starter through wrong and had no customer service skills) that the time was so lengthy to wait I got told sorry but we are busy having done 80 covers today. I informed the barman that the kitchen didn’t sound so busy being sat outside as they argued and sang along to music. The barman had no comment to support the issue and just appeared to express that we were just a problem seeking food and drink there. I was then informed that my refund won’t be done via my card payment but cash. Very disappointing. Next time I am in the area I will visit the tea room across the road. Please ensure anyone reading this reads other views like this before visiting.

Total disappointment and unprofessional. My wife and I along with our 2 children visited thinking it would be a treat to have lunch here. We decided to sit in an area that suited our dogs. All I can do I reel off reasons not to visit.- - starter took nearly an hour to be served. when I asked where our starter was we were told it’s because the chef was waiting for the gammon (we ordered for our young daughter to come out with starters) - when the gammon came out it was aweful and the egg on top the gammon slice was cooked to death almost looked fried to a crisp - we were sat outside the kitchen and all we could here was the kitchen playing Stormzy and Akon really loud. We then heard one chef complaining to their colleagues that they have a system by putting information on the fridge and they come in and ruin it. - From my own catering background seeing a member of the kitchen come out with tracksuit bottoms and sliders with no form of PPE after grabbing food from the external freezer I felt it was a little unprofessional and non compliant with handling foods. In the end we decided to cancel our order and leave to seek food and drinks elsewhere. When I informed the barman ( who had already put our starter through wrong and had no customer service skills) that the time was so lengthy to wait I got told sorry but we are busy having done 80 covers today. I informed the barman that the kitchen didn’t sound so busy being sat outside as they argued and sang along to music. The barman had no comment to support the issue and just appeared to express that we were just a problem seeking food and drink there. I was then informed that my refund won’t be done via my card payment but cash. Very disappointing. Next time I am in the area I will visit the tea room across the road. Please ensure anyone reading this reads other views like this before visiting.

Visited with wife and kids and we were both spoken to rudely by both members of staff. Food was expensive . Bowl of chips for £4.25 and a Very small portion. Wondered why it was empty compared to the tea room across the road . Wasn’t surprised to see similar reviews regarding staff. Need to treat and speak to customers better. Won’t be returning when back in etal.

Beautiful bar which serves very nice food. Fish and chips was excellent.

Disappointed. Pub looks fantastic and in beautiful setting, big garden area at back. But landlord needs personality transplant. Wait for food over half an hour with no explanation or apology. As a customer, we felt we were an inconvenience.

The unknown Pub ownership casts a glum shadow over this nice looking and well positioned pub for passing trade. The service was lukewarm. The food was slow to come out and below par on execution. Shame really.

The 2 stars are for location and the building itself. We visited with family and stopped for lunch. The staff were rude, particularly the man behind the bar. He was miserable, stand offish, and made me feel like we were not welcome. The food took forever to come out and was not good at all. Shame, when it's such a beautiful setting.

Awful, we'd gone in for a meal but having received a cold reception from the barman, almost like we were putting them out and having 2 awful watery coffees we decided to go across the road to the Lavender Tea Rooms :D

We had a lovely walk and decided to treat ourselves to a bite of lunch. The guy who served us was a little offish. We ordered hot beef sandwiches as they said they couldn't do toasted cheese sandwiches. The sandwiches were literally 2 slices of bread with cold 2 small slices of beef. It wasn't hot and quite expensive. Value for money zero will not go there again.

Nice country pub, food was good as was beer.

Dine with the locals! Enjoy great service and superb food. Lovely building! The bartender was helpful to us foreigners and we had a lovely meal.

We came to Heatherslaw for a day visit. Took the mini train to Etal and needed some food with the family. Nice and cosy place. Food was lovely and the staff were nice as they came over to our table to take our food order. If we ever visit the area again, we’ll be back.

Friendly staff, great food and very dog friendly ❤️

Great food and staff. Even the chef came out to chat with my son

Amazing Vegan Sausages and Mash - with gravy and veggies! Superb. Plus they have Neck Oil!

Friendly, popular village pub with a good vibe. Food isn't served all day every day, so check online before you visit. The menu is simple and reasonably priced. The food is good and served with a smile. Thus is a family and dog friendly pub, in a village surrounded by great walks. Part of the Ford and Etal Estate attractions, why not visit Ford in the morning, hop onto the narrow gauge steam train at Hetherslaw and arrive in Etal in time for a civilised pub lunch.

Nice lunch, lovely pub in great surroundings

Nice local beer. Decent food, pie was very generously filled.

We traveled here from Spittial to have Sunday lunch, which was delicious! We shared the Brie to start, delightful. Then we all chose the Roast Pork, tough decision as there was lots of different meats we could’ve chosen, However, we were not disappointed! Lovey big thick cuts of meat, crackling was to die for. Roast was served with all the trimmings and more. Wish the Black Bull was closer to our home as we would visit here every Sunday for lunch. Lovely friendly staff who were more than accommodating and chatted to us about all the local ales. Keep up the good work. Thank you

A lovely atmosphere on a cold wet day, we received a warm welcome. Despite it being Mother’s Day when we arrived we were able to take seats on the comfy chairs and sofa which was great. We decided to have a light bite and as they were fully booked on the tables they were able to accommodate us on the place we were sitting if were comfortable to do so I'm so glad we did, the food we had was delicious. And now I need to return to take advantage of the full menu. They were really happy to have the dogs in too. Lovely pub in a fabulous location with great staff

Food looked good but we didn't eat. Had a nice Baileys coffee after a long walk

Although a limited menu at this time of year, the food was very good and the staff friendly and welcoming.

Lovely lunch, staff were attentive. Prices reasonable and decent portions.

We didn't eat here so unable to comment. Just had a couple of drinks and served by a lovely young lady called Charlotte. She was polite and made us feel very welcome. We would definitely go back there. The little village is lovely and the pub even better.

Beautiful modern bright and airy pub . The food was fresh and plentiful. Service was top-notch . Food is NOT microwave heated up veg pouches and pre-made pies . All fresh and made to order which you can tell and taste. Recommended 120%.

Good value, try the Haggis Fritters with Irn Bru Jam. Great combination.

1st night service was good however ladies toilets in a very unclean poor state… 2nd night good food and drink however, Owners/manager were having an argument while we were there making the atmosphere very uncomfortable, overhead him telling ‘moaning’ to another customer which made us and them clearly very awkward.

Agree with previous reviews about hospitality- barman in particular came across as unfriendly. Food was very nice. Beer was disappointing. Had both the Upland Ale and SeaWall pale ale but couldn’t finish either (bad sign!) as both were sour tasting…mentioned it but was told it was ‘just how they taste’- I’d be keen to try them both in other circumstances as I doubt they were supposed to be sour! No previous complaints about the beers on here so may have been a one-off. Good good though! And pub was warm!

Just been here with my wife and children and it was lovely, food was excellent and staff friendly. Highly recommended

Stopped off for a quick drink Great place, lovely location Wonderful staff great range of food and drink 🍷

Didn't have food will definitely go back try food

My scampi was great , in a lovely location . Service and value for money was good. Easily recommended

Lovely setting, real ales and good food. Thatched roof but modern inside. Good service, worth a visit.

We've eaten here a fair few times now as we are always visiting berwick in the caravan , the reason well firstly my wife has celiac disease and is gluten free , and the place never fails ( good gluten free menu ), she's had plenty meals here and not once been ill or had bad feelings ( unlike many other places we've been ) secondly the food is gorgeous , good choice and always excellently cooked . The staff are always very friendly and joyful 5*

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting The Black Bull in Etal, Northumberland, for lunch. It's a thatch-roofed property that looks every inch the archetypal British pub. It's cosy inside. It proved a good choice for a lunch of baked potato topped with coronation chicken.

Food was very good, some locally sourced, flavoursome sausage, buttery mash, nice scampi, lovely chips, very nice jacket potato, a few different veggie options available and a good range of local beers available. Also very dog friendly - even free dog treats available at the bar. 4 meals and 4 drinks for under £60.

Dream location. Idyllic, thatched, picture perfect public house. Clean and tidy. Friendly people working and friendly customers too. Didn't eat as it was a late visit and food service was over but met the guys who cook and they were personable and engaging. Beers well looked after. Cheviot brewery do some nice work on the cask front. Well worth making a detour for.

Friendly locals and bar staff dog friendly

I was slightly disappointed. The outside looks absolutely fabulous, but I thought the inside was a little too modern. Only went in for a quick pint expecting to see low ceilings etc. The staff though we're brilliant

Excellent location and tasty food, but service went utterly downhill - front staff taking ages, ignoring people, bringing wrong stuff and disregarding dietary requests.

Lovely country pub, with friendly staff and great food.

Staff member (male) didn't seem to want to serve us, then spent his time glaring at anyone who looked his way and moaning loudly at his colleague. We decided not to eat, but drinks up and leave!

Having seen I could only go in the garden in the tea room opposite, I headed here instead and glad I did! Warm, welcoming, cozy, tasty food, nice wine and the pooch could come in with me, which helps when you are on your own. I enjoyed a relaxing time here. Thank you.

Came here on October 2022 for a wedding anniversary and had a great evening with great food. Came back with family relatives. Noticed you have to go to the bar to order, though this was no big deal. However the general feeling is the service is not what it was from last year. Staff were pleasant enough and 5 out of 6 in the party very much enjoyed the food, which was very tasty. However one of our party that was vegan and requested a salad was very disappointed with her quality and quantity of what appeared on the plate. Also there was no decaffeinated coffee available no chocolate sprinkles for the cappuccino.

Fantastic pub in the village of Etal. Great food (I had the Steak and Ale pie which is one of the best I've ever had) and fabulous real ale. Staff very friendly and helpful. Loads of parking, easy to walk to Etal Castle.

Really good food, steak and ale pie was spot on and fish and chips was good. Dog friendly in the function room. Need to fix there speaker in the function room cos it keeps going on and off which was really annoying. Toilets need some TLC as well as they were dirty and everything was broken. Nice pub overall.

Incredible Sunday roast! Staff were very friendly and so helpful!

The halloumi and brie fritters were a let down. £7 for 2 small pieces that weren't even that great. Main was fish and chips...Pretty average, good size, but again overpriced and batter was a bit soggy.

Half arsed barmaid, openly declaring to anyone who'd listen that she was on her last day, served up our drinks in the most perfunctory manner. If she was indeed leaving, the place will be better off without her. Basic civility I would have thought was a prerequisite of the hospitality industry. Not the most auspicious or welcoming establishment, which was a surprise bearing in mind the prettiness of the village. Cider a bit gassy. Didn't eat here, but the unloved, faded and thus illegible menu adorning our table didn't bode well. If this is the level of effort put in to maintaining the appearance of the menu, one dreads to think what the food might actually be like.

Wonderful pub wonderful food. Excellent staff

Plenty of meat in my steak & ale pie! The dish was full of meat compared to other places. Lovely little place just off the main road to visit. Nice to have a Guinness out in the sun and see tourists visiting on their motorcycles. Pleasantly clean and varied seating areas indoors and out. We cycled from Kelso then waded over the ford to head back again to make a circular route. That ford may not be passable in wetter months! Would visit again thanks.

Staff friendly and helpful. Food good and served nicely. Would recommend. Love the tree lights in the ceiling

Had a lovely lunch today very tasty.

Great area and great pub . Lovely food and friendly staff

a very atmospheric old thatched pub , with very friendly & helpful staff .btw thankq for the tip off about the whiskey tour at wooler .

Lovely place in a gorgeous little village. Food outstanding.

Lovely old thatched pub in beautiful setting. Excellent Sunday lunch.

Wonderful lunch there today. Great service too. Thankyou

Staff food service n company all brilliant WHEN will it open again ????

Great service on a busy day, loved the Irn bru jam they do with the haggis fritters. Tastes amazing. Great selection of beers brewed locally

Excellent place to eat and have a drink. Dog fredndly. Beautiful village couldn't ask for anything more

Alitas de pollo estupendas, y te lo ofrecen sin gluten

Open fire, good beer and friendly staff. Lunch menu was "OK" and inexpensive. Hopefully it will be a little more adventurous when they get more staff.

Excellent value and well cooked food. The service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. A lovely old pub, set in a picturesque village and the novelty of enjoying the only thatched pub in Northumberland .

Food was delicious. I had fish,chips and mushy peas. Best batter on the fish i have ever had. Chips good old fashioned homemade so plenty of flavour. My son had lasagne, chips and salad. Again food was flavoursome. Good sized portions. Staff very friendly and polite. Not a long wait for food even though it's cooked fresh. Plenty of drinks to choose from both alcholic and non alcholic. Disabled parking space right outside the front of the pub. Car park to rear. Entrances at both front and rear of building. Prices reasonable.

We had a look at the menu online before visiting today , sadly that menu wasn't available and was a very limited menu of sandwiches and a few hot meals . I chose lasagne which turned out to be a poor choice . I struggled to find any meat and rechecked the menu to see if it was actually vegetarian. My husband was happy enough with the scampi and I have to say the desserts were good but I wouldn't choose to go again .

Just had a lovely meal at the Black Bull in Etal. Very good attentive service. Had small scampi and chips (homemade and divine) very tasty indeed

Good welcome, comfortable and reasonable prices.

Dog friendly and real ale. What's not to like? The Black Bull is around 700 years old and is reputed to be the only thatched pub in Northumberland. It is now managed by Cheviot Brewery, who brew their real ale just up the road. Since being refurbished in 2019 it has been tastefully modernised without losing any of its olde worlde charm. We had lunch here during a visit to Ford & Etal and the sandwiches and real ale were lovely. It is dog friendly and I supect that in the summer you would need to book ahead to guarantee a table.

Hadn't been here for years, not sure how long it's been since the refurb but what a difference, very cozy and relaxing, nice and bright and welcoming. Friends and I are looking forward to going back soon.

Great location. Didn't eat but the food looked good. Good range of beer. Very cosy and great interior and fantastic exterior

Total waste of time the online menu looked good but when we got there was given a totally different menu

Excellent experience, lovely and warm on a chilly day. Plenty eating options. Toilets worth a mention as they are outstanding. Recomended. But park by using a car park and not on the street.

Just enjoyed a sumptuous Sunday Lunch. The menu is just right in terms of choice. Starters were delicious. Main course was outstanding; Beef just melted in the mouth, whilst the pork & crackling was full of flavour. Service was excellent. Will certainly be returning!!

Not a typical country pub as it has had a modern makeover. However the food is amazing and well priced.

Great food and beer, recommended. Photo does not show massive side plate of veg.

Poor dining experience disappointed after returning having had a pleasant drink previously. Lesange dry and bland, hollumi dry, battered chicken somehow dry, brie was excellent.

I think that the blackcurrant and soda is a bit expensive at £2.60.

Lovely Sunday lunch. Very dog friendly and welcoming staff.

A pleasant pub, modern decor and helpful and efficient staff. Good selection of local ales. Sunday lunch was quite good, generous with the meat portions, but Yorkshire puddings seemed to have been bought in, frozen.

Enjoyed a wonderful Sunday roast, beef was cooked to perfection with an abundance of a variety of vegetables. The Apple and Pear Crumble with custard was delicious. All in all a very satisfying lunch.

What looks like a lovely old pub has been ripped out and badly converted inside. The staff were rude and disinterested, especially the young chap. One to avoid!

What a find... food was great, in taste and value: the haggis fritters with Irn Bru jam were absolutely to die for! Coupled with friendly, helpful staff and a very warm welcoming atmosphere, a very pleasant visit was had .

Myself and my fiance had one of the nicest meals ever here today,the haggis fritters and irn bru jam are to die for, beautiful pub and lovely staff....will definitely be back and recommending it to family and friends 😊

Such a great find. Lovely pub great menu with delicious piping hot food . Service was excellent very welcoming and friendly top marks from me.

Just had a gluten free sandwich, which was excellent. Most things on the lunch menu were gluten free. Also good cider.

Since the new management have taken over we decided to give it another chance for a meal and were not disappointed the food was lovely and had a nice choice staff so helpful and friendly we will be back again for a meal and drinks such a vast improvement on the last time we were there

Great little dog and allergy friendly pub on the Ford and Etal estate. We had drinks here a couple of times and booked in for our Sunday lunch. I have allergies to gluten, dairy and egg, and they were very happy to accommodate this :)

Beautiful little pub in a lovely village. We just popped in for a drink & sat outside in the beer garden at the front. If we'd have wanted to eat we definitely would have tried the food as it looked like a really immaculate place. There are lovely seating areas inside too & the toilet facilities were very clean

A gem of a pub we went in for a lunch time pint and liked it so much we returned that evening for a meal, excellent food, excellent staff.

Country pub but modern interior. Outside seating. Friendly staff.