The Courtyard Cafe Bar @ The Arts Centre in Sunderland

Went today with my husband and all I can say is wow fantastic food and service. Had the burger chips and onion rings and all was cooked perfectly. Definitely will be back

Called for coffee ok , nice for a change of scenery

Food delicious but slow and somewhat confused service

Good selection of ales, tea, coffee and snacks. There is a bar menu which I haven't tried. The Arts centre next door have a wide range of activities, theatrical and music events.

The food is nice and reasonably priced - the chips are top tier. Would love a few more menu options for vegetarians if possible. The atmosphere in the newly renovated courtyard area is particularly good, especially on a warm day - giving holiday vibes. Staff are great.

Great free ale pub, but all types of alcoholic and soft drinks available. Good food. We visit regularly.

Was served the most soggy, greasiest cheese and tomato pizza I've ever had, oil dripping pouring off it. Sent it back for a refund, was then told they'd have to clear it with the manager, then when getting the refund that 'the chef disagreed with me'. Two points here, if that is the standard the chef is happy to send out and really thinks that's acceptable, then I could never recommend anyone spend money on that, and will never visit again. I normally give places a second chance, as many do have one off issues, you can see in my reviews I've updated some, but it's clear that is the normal standard, and I'd never try it again. The second point is why did the staff feel the need to tell me the chef disagreed? Granted I'm glad they did, but they were basically telling me I was wrong. Many of the bad reviews mention the service if you look through.

Great place for a relaxing pint

Just had drinks so can't speak about the food. It's a nice place and great to have a gallery, bar and theatre all together. However, the bar needs a makeover. It looks basic, the coffee isn't great and it smells of chips.

We usually come at the weekend and the food has always been spot on. Today being no exception, the onion rings and pepperoni pizza were perfect. The staff are always polite and really accommodating if we need extras

A blonde worker was absolutely disgusting with her attitude towards me, for some reason she thought it was okay to be this way just because I had sixth form uniform on which is just entirely disrespectful!! Educate ur workers!

All round great local to meet friends for lunch /evening meal 😊

Cosy bar with a good range of beers and food. Dog friendly too. As of January, 2024... There WAS a marquee outside with heaters and other open air benches so there WAS plenty of room to spread out. However, the courtyard is being refurbished so all of this has gone, for now.

This whole place could now do with a full revamp, its starting to feel a tad bit shabby inside, outside is poor and could do with new paving stones, seating & umbrellas, etc. Prices for food and drink are also very expensive! Staff are excellent. Overall still a lovely place but definitely needs a little facelift.

Right so once I walked through the entrance doors. I felt a nice atmosphere and it was so calm and relaxing. The waiters are very communitive and are always looking to see if you need assistance on ordering or anything in general whilst in there. Great food too I was recently in their for Christmas Dinner and MY GOD!!! IT WAS TREMENDOUS. SO TASTEY ❤️

Food was fine apart from veg. Sprouts were chewy. Couldn't cut the cauliflower. Spoilt my Xmas dinner. Staff very friendly and helpful x great atmosphere x

Had coffee with friends at lunch time. Very friendly atmosphere and lovely staff. Will be back

Service is terrible once you have ordered your main no one comes back askes if everything is fine and you never get asked if you want anything like pudding or another drink Its a great place needs to be run more efficient

My local, ideal for food and drinks, especially the mid week specials. Limited only by its size and could do with more bar seating.

Food was poor dry service no napkins waste of money 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

Picked up Christmas dinner on 23td... (Without starter & sweet) Pigged out on 25th with minimum preparation and thoroughly enjoyed it... Well worth having it done for you without moving an inch outside home on Christmas day...many thanks to Martin & Ellen....and all concerned....

Sunday lunch.... delicious and great value for money. Service was class

As always! Nice choice of beers, great menu and lovely staff in attendance!!!

Food was average and tbh a little over priced for what it was. Good for a drink but won't be rushing back for the food

Lovely place. Very friendly staff.

The staff appeared apathetic and uninterested. Meal was missed from the order leaving one diner to eat alone. On leaving the staff suddenly remembered the missing meal had not been paid for. Having been a regular here for a number of years I noticed the service had become poor on recent visits, today convinced me it is time to look elsewhere. Very disappointed to have to write this review.

Lovely setting lovely meal staff lovely but just not enough waited long time to order sweet after main had to go to bar and request service

Pleasant staff. Limited menu (for our tastes). Quiet good though. Good ale selection.

Went for the Easter beer festival and really enjoyed it.

We called at lunchtime while out cycling. A few other cyclists had the same idea and there were plenty of tables outside so ideal in decent weather. There's indoor seating too and a few people ordering food. They have a range of coffees and one or two interesting beers. All in all quite pleasant with helpful staff. Haven't tried an evening visit yet.

Lovely food and very attentive staff..

I visited The Courtyard with family for Christmas Lunch 2021. It was the first time we had ever had Christmas Lunch at an eatery and of course were dubious as to whether it would match our expectations. We needn't have worried. On arrival there was Bucks Fizz awaiting. We were greeted by welcoming staff who brought delicious canapés over once we were settled. Christmas Lunch itself was delicious. We were given ample time to just sit and enjoy our meal without feeling rushed. Once Lunch was finished we were brought fresh coffee and what appear to be handmade chocolates. An absolutely amazing dining experience. We are definitely considering booking up for this Christmas again. I didn't take any photos of the Lunch itself as I was too busy enjoying eating it!

Nice little bar and restaurant, food was nice and reasonably priced

Sad to say that this wonderful bar/restaurant has gone downhill due to lack of staff. The staff who do work there are lovely but overwhelmed with the orders and work. Last time I went, two young people where on duty and struggled to get our order out within 45 mins. The Art centre is a fantastic place but whoever is responsible for running the Courtyard Cafe Bar needs to get a grip otherwise they are going to lose their faithful customers. Always used to go with friends/family/visitors in the past but can't be guaranteed a good experience in the last three years even before the pandemic. I think they must have lost their original chef. Sunderland council are missing the chance to make good money out of this place and keep it as a "destination" attraction.

Nice place with a good outdoor seating area but unfortunately every time we give it another try the service is absolutely terrible. They seem to have trouble getting staff with any experience in bar work, you have to always check your change & question that you’ve been overcharged as more often than not this is the case. Waiting times are ridiculous, expect around 45 minutes between courses & around half an hour for drinks.

Nice place, hidden away in Washington. Plenty of outdoor seating or can sit beneath a marqee.

Really lovely food and fantastic value for money. I've been a few times and sometimes the service can be quite slow.

Very friendly staff, food very good, service was a little slow though.

Nice outdoor area. Friendly staff

Visited mid afternoon but not open till 3pm

Lovely food and staff as well. Hope the marquee outside stays after all this.

Understandably there's a pandemic going on but the service was very poor. 40 minutes to be seen by a staff member after asking about ordering online and it not working. The tables outside need replacing as they're broken at the bottom. No details were taken for track and trace and we also tried to book a table inside as rain was due and we were told they were fully booked, but when entering to go to the toilet there was more empty seats than people at seats.

Great place and love the staff. Have a bond with the art centre since 1987 so it's always lovely to come here. Covid has had a massive impact however and you now take a seat to get served. I waited today 20 minutes before my coffee order was taken and a further 10 muns to receive it. So half hour wait for a cuppa. There were 2 servers on from what I could see and only 12 customers on the courtyard. I'm assuming morale is at a low. service was so slow and not my usual great experience. Server seemed serious and uninterested though professional. Not the service I expect here especially being a loyal customer for years.

Had Christmas day dinner. Lovely lovely food. Could not fault any of it at all. Came out very satisfied. Would have been so much more christmassy with christmas music. We did ask for it to be turned up but could hardly hear it so we played some on our phones. Staff were very friendly. We will go again for Christmas dinner well worth the money.

Really enjoyable evening. We had a fabulous fish and chips deal that involved 2 dish and chips and a bottle of wine. . The quality of the fish and chips would rival and beat many fish shops, we all really enjoyed it and cleared our plates. Service was spot on. Can there be a better place to go for fish and chips on a Friday?

Quaint and reserved cafe/bar with good food and a nice ambience. Built inside an old georgian farm house. Loads of character

Always a great place to go, good food, beer and the staff are great

Fab local bar, great food, excellent cask beers, some keg.

Go there most Mondays. And I live 25 minutes away by car! Lovely atmosphere and great entertainment. Welcoming staff, tasty beverages & cosy chairs too. Also, a great outside area. Call on by.