The corner bistro in County Durham

I have been here a few times in the past two weeks. Originally i was entranced,not only were there cheese scones, which were delicious, the coffee was great too! The ambiance of the place and attentiveness of the staff was a delight. I was a bit concerned today when my friend and I were made to feel we needed to leave? Today we were made to feel rushed and unwelcome, guess we had outstayed our welcome 😞 I won’t be going there again. It is a shame that local people are second best to tourists.

I am not someone who normally writes a review as I prefer to speak to the person/company involved to explain any dissatisfaction. However on this occasion I did speak to the owner who I found extremely rude. I had been visiting The Artisan Corner with my partner and all I wanted to do was to move from an internal table to a seat that became vacant at a window. We had already purchased our coffees but I wanted to look out of the window. The owner shouted at me across the room saying ‘we don’t allow that’ which I found both humiliating and unnecessary. I returned to my seat and we quickly finished our coffees and left. While paying my bill I discreetly told the owner ‘ I would like to give you some feedback which was to say ‘ How you delivered the message earlier was humiliating and unnecessary and could have been said in a far quieter and more discreet way’. He seemed to enjoy telling me that ‘ it’s my rules here!’ Needless to say we will not be visiting again. I work in the tourism industry in the local area and we are always open to feedback. I am also regularly asked if we could recommend tea rooms and coffee shops within the local area and after today’s experience ‘The Artisan Corner ‘ will be taken off the list.

Owner was rude from the start, very unwelcoming. Looked my dog up and down and said you can come in if the dogs clean. Can’t have a hotter than usual latte, because they don’t do them and god forbid if you ask for vegan cakes!! Waitress abrupt and rude, my friend and I were made to feel very unwelcome. Wont be going back and won’t recommend to anyone

Cosy and authentic ambiance during our first visit to Tapas night at the Artisan Corner Cafe and Bistro. The staff were welcoming and sat us close to the roaring log fire. Greatly appreciated on a wet and cold evening. We were given a bowl of fruit and nuts to nibble on while we waited for our tapas to arrive. I had a cocktail and my husband had a beer. The tapas arrived and were described to us. We had a lovely selection, squid, chorizo, Greek salad , meat balls, squash and chickpea stew, hummus and ample focaccia for dipping. We felt totally repleat and are already planning our next visit!

A small but lovely cafe in an interesting old building, visit the loo to see some of the older parts of the building. Good food and coffee. Staff very pleasant.

Wonderful staff and brilliant food at very reasonable prices - what more can you ask for? It is unique.

We always pop in here for coffee when in Barnard Castle. Good coffee, good pastries and croissants. Friendly and welcoming

A very pleasant young lady welcomed us, they have a very comprehensive menu & so nice for the meal to be accompanied with complimentary water. The premises are also exceptionally clean. 10/10

We call in regularly, usually for lunch, and can't recommend this place highly enough. The food is always excellent and the owners and staff friendly and accommodating. According to my OH, the coffee is the best around.

Booked for 4 of us for the tasting dinner of 4 savoury courses on Christmas Eve. Good food, nice atmosphere, lovely service and a real bargain. A treat before the kitchen labours the following day.

It’s our first time dining in the Artisan Corner, thank you for a lovely experience our Sunday roast was excellent cooked and seasoned to perfection we most certainly will be back.

Unwelcoming greeting and attitude of the waitress, which made us go elsewhere! Would have loved to try the food, but the greeting set the totally the wrong tone!

What a lovely place this is. The owners are so pleasant as are the staff. A lovely cup of coffee and also amazing food. The brunch is exceptionally good. I would definitely recommend a visit.

Just had fab lunch at Artisan Corner Barnard Castle. I had amazing crab, mango, pomegranate and cashew salad and partner had special vegetarian chilli mushrooms served on sourdough. Red wine . Coffee and Patisseries to follow. Lovely place to spend time, great atmosphere and friendly staff. Great on a dreek rainy, Barney day. Thanks to all staff.

We’ve been up here for our annual week’s hol and they have made us feel very welcome. Good coffee and cakes.

I was only going to buy some of their bottled beers to take away when my wife asked from the door (we had a dog with us) if I could get her a takeaway sandwich as well. The gentleman serving on offered us a table instead and welcomed us all in, including the dog! Sandwiches were lovely and the staff friendly and helpful. Excellent experience.

Absolutely outstanding Sunday lunch. Service was impeccable and all provided within a beautifully welcoming environment. Excellent value for money and by far the best food in Barnard Castle. Highly recommended!

Visited 3 times in the 10 days we stayed in and around Barney. The chocolate torte the best ever, sourdough bread delicious and pistachio and cherry torte to die for. We also enjoyed the focaccia sandwiches sat on the tables outside. It’s probably a good job we don’t live in Barney otherwise we would gain too much weight. Ok, it’s not cheap but quality is worth paying for. We shall return next time we visit.

This is a deli shop now. Walked in and was standing next to the sanitiser taking my gloves off ready to use it when person behind counter asked me to use the sanitiser - give me a chance Mr Impatient you have to take your gloves off. Even though they have had your hands clean there was a sign to say don't touch anything unless you are buying it, yet in common with so many places the only way to see the price is to lift the goods up and turn them round. Other half picked up a jar of pesto and felt he had to buy it - it was £5.95. When he was paying for it the man kept going "what's the matter, is something wrong"Par for the course, everything is expensive, more than three pounds for a cake. First time in there, will be the last although we live in Barney. I see a previous customer who referred to the rude treatment they were subjected to was given a telling off in the reply, don't they realise this only makes them seem rude and disrespectful to customers again when they write a stinging comment back? Proves what the customer is saying any way.

Visiting shop for a coffee and cake with partner after a lovely day of shopping, because of confusing rules of wearing a mask/not wearing a mask when eating in i took mine off when entering and immediately set upon by the rude owner who demanded!! to know why I wasn't wearing one etc.. Never felt so belittled in my entire life will, never vist again ..

We've visited the bistro previously for a coffee and cake and enjoyed it. On our return we were disappointed. The gentleman who served us wasn't very friendly. It seemed quite expensive too. Won't be rushing back unfortunately.

My new go-to place for coffee and patisserie plus great homemade bread plus a wide range of Italian and local deli foods plus of course friendly helpful service. This was an imaginative way to re-purpose a lovely building that could never have worked as a restaurant under social distancing measures. Deserves to succeed and flourish.

Great spot to people watch, and lovely coffee! Cake also delicious. Staff really friendly and attentive. Would highly recommend.

had some lovely meals here last year, back after lockdown(at last) only to find its a deli style shop. There are a couple of tables for coffee and cakes. Have to say the cakes were yummy and I also bought a lovey fig and honey loaf. There were some really nice things in the shop and I will return for more cakes but am sad we can't eat there.

The welcome and attention at The Corner Bistro are so warm that it makes you feel like a friend of the family without being too familiar or intrusive. Very friendly but professional too. We had a pre-ordered special December meal from a select choice of starter, main and desert. All excellent. And we enjoyed the appropriate wines to accompany our meal. I was even given the recipe for the dish I most delighted in. Tables are far enough apart to be private and hear oneself talking. Very crammed places are too noisy. This was pleasantly busy but quite too. Lots of friends go back and back and I will soon be visiting again.

A lovely little find, even though they didnt have everything available from the menu. It didnt matter. The substitute was sublime and cakes to die for. Defo worth a visit.

Came one quiet afternoon for coffee and some cake. It’s fair to say we got what we came for but not really much else. The carrot cake disappointing, it was too sweet which over powered any other flavour. The earl grey and lemon cake was mostly lemon but I liked the balance, didn’t look all that fresh and was kinda mushy at the bottom (possibly because of the cream?). The coffee tasted burnt and my cappuccino was not very frothy unfortunately, but the cups were nice at least. The decor of used to be quirky and unique but now the flowery pictures and plain walls feel generic and don’t give much of an atmosphere.Probably won’t be coming again, sorry guys better luck next time.

Wonderful food we had breakfast selection. Lovely atmosphere, cosy and warm fire. Dog friendly which was great as we had our baby girl (dog) with us. Good place to meet up with friends. Ps hope you got the door mended !

A lovey little place, we had a superb brunch here when passing through Barnard castle. Friendly welcoming service in a lovely setting. I hope the locals will support this independent ahead of all the chain cafes that pop up.

I am so pleased I popped my head in to ask if we could come in with the dog. We were all welcomed and had a lovely lunch from a very interesting and different menu. The fire was an added bonus.

Very impressed when we called for brunch last week. Lovely open fire along with a warm welcome and fantastic menu.

We booked in to sample the Friday night steak night and were very impressed. The service was impeccable and the food was spot on. Would definitely go again to try the rest of the menu.

Very good ambience with roaring fire . Staff were very helpful food was very good accompanied by fab homemade chips . Dessert was yummy . Food portions were good maybe a lite bite lunch would be good

Food was nice , and goodQuality. I’d return for the food. Service was average though, and I’d have given a higher rating but I hate sharing a toilet with men, especially when it’s not kept all that clean, and they charged me a quid because I wanted cream with my coffee instead of milk - I mean really???

A very cosy atmosphere with excellent coffee home made cooking and friendly welcome for walkers and shoppers. wwelcome.

We booked here whilst staying in Barnard Castle and we wish we'd booked both for Friday and Saturday. Friday is steak night but we went on a Saturday and what a menu.

Small menu serving seasonal food. Excellent food , excellent friendly service. Really good atmosphere, reasonable price. Favourite with locals

This is the third time we’ve visited for lunch and really find it hard to pick a fault. I had probably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. It’s quite a chilled and cosy atmosphere. It has a bar also so could probably chill out with a wine/beer. Not visited on the evening but it’s on the list to do. Prices are good. Give it a go.

Regrettably on a weeks holiday we were only able to use this restaurant the once. The owner is exceptionally friendly and gave helpful guidance on the area .

There is so much to like about this wonderful, welcoming bistro where I visited for an unplanned but richly enjoyed Sunday Lunch. What I had previously noted in passing were the menus. They were clear, very interesting and inspirational, concise and balanced for taste, audience and pocket. Robert knows his food and his market - and it shows alongside his professionalism, which does not forgo an easy charm, that rubs off on his staff (Kelly?) who was very patient with my notoriously slow style of eating.

We were recommended the Bistro whilst shopping in Barnard Castle by staff in two local shops. What a find! An excellent menu, tasty food and helpful, pleasant staff. We will be back and will be bringing our friends.

We visited this Bistro last week.It was a new experience as we had formerly been there under the old owners when it was 8 the bank when it was a proper tea-shop.

Great coffee is a rarity; these people really know their coffee and respect it through the roasting process, the brewing process and deliver an excellent product. I drink my coffee as a double expresso unadorned with either milk or sugar - so there is nowhere for bad coffee to hide. Theirs is up there with the best.

Enjoyed a lovely meal here on a Saturday evening with family. Being vegetarian they offered me a variation of the one veggie option on the menu, which was lovely, a pie with mash and green vegetables, very tasty. As nice as the alternative meal was to the salad available I think it would be nice for there to be another option of the menu for vegetarians in future. Everyone had good things to say about their meals. The starter sizes varied abit, nothing to complain about but just an observation, the soup and squid were probably too big and the terrine was a perfect starter size. Nice sized food menu with something for everyone but not too much to choose from and a good selection of drinks. Staff and service was excellent, very friendly and attentive. Overall would definitely recommend and would come back, hope it lasts!

The staff were very gracious about me bringing my dog into the restaurant. Interesting lunch menu, I had a bacon and cranberry twist on the classic Croque Monsieur with nicely cooked fries. Tasty coffee, milk alternatives available. Excellent service. Highly recommend this Bistro and I look forward to trying it for dinner over a weekend.

We decided to try Corner Bistro after a recommendation was left in the guest book of the apartment we are staying in.

This is the second time I’ve visited to have coffee & a chat with friends. Only had the scones( delicious) but all the food looked amazing & ,judging by other customer’s responses,tasted as good. What sets this establishment apart from the many other cafes/ restaurants in Barnard Castle is the exceptional friendliness of the owners, Robert & Simon ,matched only by their exceptional service. Not often that you get quality food with quality service at reasonable prices. Well done.

One if not the best place for a lunch in Barnard Castle. Tried and really like veggie burger, salmon sala and some inspiring specials. Evening meals on Friday and Sat also great for a couple date night or a small group.

A lovely small restaurant serving a range of well cooked meals and fine wines, you have to try the Steak Night on Friday nights, a culinary bargain - 2 steaks and a bottle of wine for £30!

I am ashamed to say that despite this being my fourth time eating at the Corner Bistro, twice at lunch time and twice at night I have not written a review yet!- the food has always been outstanding - delicious and beautifully presented in lovely surroundings and with a very warm welcome from Robert and Simon. It is a small but always interesting menu, that encourages one to experiment. It has certainly raised the bar for restaurants in Barnard Castle and I always recommend it to friends and visitors without hesitation.

I live in Barnard Castle and called in over the 1940's weekend. I was just going to have coffee and cake but opted for the hot roast pork baguette with apple sauce gravy and chips. It was delicious my friends had a selection of cakes and scone which all looked lovely. Lovely place to eat and it was busy. Would like to try for a meal at night time. The service was excellent. I will definitely go back

We booked for lunch and the window seat was a great place to watch the world go by. There is some outdoor seating for those with dogs. The sausage and chorizo hot pot was a treat and prices were very reasonable.

Have visited Bistro every week literally since opening in November and recently have started an afternoon visit. Always have had great food and never been disappointed. Always get a warm welcome from Simon and Robert. Would highly recommend The Corner Bistro.

This time: breakfast. Hard choice, opted for poached eggs on home-made toast, [crispy] bacon and hollandaise sauce. Delicious, predictably; but mammoth proportions, with baby tomatoes and herb-y bits on the side. Too much. Bliss.

Thoroughly enjoyed both of our meals. Situated by the historic market cross 'roundabout' in Barnard Castle, the salmon in particular was probably the best dish I have ever had. Both of the Sunday lunches were marvellous as well. Would strongly recommend this.

Coffee and cake with friends, both ok but somehow we all thought it wasn't quite there... Perhaps we should try again in the bistro in the evening because the reviews are very good.

we spent a wonderful evening at the corner bistro for our christmas office meal the whole night was fantastic from the warm welcome great food and live music well done robert and simon you are a much needed new eatery and fast becoming a firm favourite with all of our friends

Over the Easter weekend we visited the Corner Bistro twice for breakfast and dinner. We really enjoyed the ambience very friendly and relaxed. The food was also very nice, the breakfast was well cooked and dinner equally lovely. Would highly recommend!

Robert and Simon always give a warm welcome, food is excellent and an effort is made to use seasonal items.

We visited The Corner Bistro, after looking in the window and thought it looked lovely. And we were not disappointed. It was steak night, the deal was very good, however I am vegetarian and therefore chose a tasty veg pie with mash on the top. Followed by lemon meringue. We were so well looked after. And when they discovered we needed a place to stay locally, Robert and his team found us a lovely B&B; ... We left feeling not only that we had, had a great meal, but made new friends too.

Simply excellent Sunday lunch today! It’s rare to find a Sunday lunch as good or better than one cooked at home. Warm welcome and great choice. We’ll be back soon!

Food very good staff friendly and helpful.lovely open fire to keep the place warm on a cold winter night

My Wife and I enjoyed a lovely evening meal here.A small personal atmosphere,all three courses were excellent.Service was good and would thoroughly recommend.

We’ve had snacks, lunch, steak night and Sunday lunch. Service from staff and food quality is excellent. The best Barnard Castle has to offer. 5*

Cute little bistro with open fire and home cooked food. I had a rather yummy hot beef stottie. No kids menu but sandwich and chips was fine for child. Friendly staff as well.