The Curious Mr Fox in County Durham

After choosing our venue, let’s face it, it’s simply a great location. We entered the establishment and were greeted by friendly, smiley staff who gave lots of options of where to sit. This place is a rabbit warren, at every turn you see another room that’s quirky and beautifully presented. Such fun decor. The toilets are the same except that the toilet seats are way too small for the toilets 🚽. Minor detail, but you know what they say, the devil is in the detail. We had drinks and food. Food was okay, as were the drinks. My friends weren’t overly keen on the gap as food reached the table. I’d ordered my food earlier so that wasn’t a problem. But my 3 friends ate theirs one at a time. As one finished their plate of food another meal arrived. So as it turned out, no one ate at the same time. But hey ho, never mind. Small issues. The lady who worked the upstairs bar and served us food was lovely. Such a nice girl. Big shout out for her. Sorry, we didn’t catch your name. But we came in at 1pm and left around 4:30 -.24thJuly. so you must know who you are.

We went to The Curious Mr Fox as we had a voucher for afternoon tea there. It was a cheap deal, so I think what we got for the price was decent overall, HOWEVER in general there ended up being a few extra costs that bumped the price up, including an extra charge to use the voucher on a Saturday, and the fact that our afternoon tea didn’t include tea! As we had upgraded to a Prosecco deal, they said that we therefore got the Prosecco instead of tea. I don’t recall seeing this when I booked (maybe it’s in the small print!) but it seemed very strange for an afternoon tea to not include tea, and it’s not something I’ve found at any other venue (including when choosing prosecco - that’s usually an extra, not instead!). So we paid extra for the tea, and when it came it wasn’t even a pot, but the tiniest cups possible. There were lots of positives - the food was good quality, particularly the scones, and the Prosecco itself was really nice. Service was good, but the table didn’t seem to have been cleaned properly and it wasn’t ready when we first arrived despite having a booking. Overall we had a nice time but I would warn anyone booking a voucher to check the small print. As well as additional charges for Saturdays, and the Prosecco upgrade not including tea, you also need to be aware that the voucher may only be available for certain days and times, which can make it trickier to find a time you can actually do.

The Curious Mr Fox is a pub style restaurant located on the riverside in the centre of Durham. It can be accessed on foot from the bus station around a 5 minute walk away or 15 minutes from the train station. It is surrounded by shops, cafes and restaurants and is a short walk from the market place (5 minutes away). I had never been to the place before but having seen a Wowcher deal for afternoon tea for two for £15, we decided to go for something different. I rang the pub on the Saturday and asked if they had availability for the Sunday but did not get an answer so left a message. I received a call later on that evening confirming they had space and I was asked to provide my Wowcher code over the phone for it to be redeemed. The next day we made our way to the pub and as we walked in, I advised we had a reservation so we were shown upstairs to the bar. At the bar, I was asked to confirm my reservation details and then show them the Wowcher code which I did on my phone. I did feel like my husband and I were looked down upon and almost not believed because we had tracksuit bottoms and bags with us despite being able to prove everything and saying I had already spoken to someone the night before. After some confusion, a member of staff was told to "put them" in the Ivory Room and we were shown to our table. The waitress asked us what we would like to drink so I asked for a tea and my husband, a coffee. Water was brought to the table but I was still waiting for my tea after around 15 minutes despite it not appearing to be overly busy. The food was incredibly delayed and did not arrive for nearly an hour after we had arrived. The waitress did apologise for the delay but I think an hours wait for food is not acceptable and I was starving by the time the food arrived. The afternoon tea consists of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and a selection of petite four cakes. The sandwiches were salmon, egg cress and one I could not work out but it tasted like chicken in a peppered mayonnaise. One suggestion I would like to make is that the sandwich fillings are displayed somewhere because they are not on the website or the menu. The reason I say this is although I am not allergic to seafood or fish, I choose not to eat it and I could not work out what was in each sandwich without having to open it. Simple sandwich flags would help prevent this. The food was OK but nothing special. I had an afternoon tea from Morrisons during the King's Coronation and it was not that much different. I think the warm scones pipped the one from Morrisons and they were delicious. We were advised when we sat down that it was unlimited tea and coffee but because of how long the first one took to arrive, I thought it would not be worth asking as it may arrive after the food did. The building and decor is brilliant and it is as beautiful as it is quirky. You get whisked away from the centre of Durham to what feels like a country style retreat. There are pieces of art and decoration everywhere you look and it is the quintessentialness that endeared me to the place and I thought would add to an atmosphere when we had afternoon tea. The food and drink was worth what we paid (I am not naive about that), but it was the service and food delivery time that let us down. We were judged upon entry, stuck in a corner, forgotten about and it felt like we were an inconvenience rather than paying customers. Having worked in leisure, hospitality and catering, I appreciate that places get busy but you plan ahead and anticipate for this so customers receive continual and consistent service in a timely manner. To have a luke warm greeting, to be treated like we had just rocked up and caused chaos demanding tea and coffee was not only not professional, it tarnished my experience of something I had been so looking forward to. We went on a Sunday around 2pm and it did not appear to be overly busy so I am not sure what the issue(s) were but personally, I just felt we got a subpar service. Would we go back? Possibly but only if standards improved and wait times were reduced. Should you go? If you want somewhere centrally to people watch and take the weight off your feet then maybe. It is quiet, it is comfortable and it is quirky. With regards to afternoon tea, again, maybe but have realistic expectations of what to expect for what you pay do not go for food if you are in a rush.

Me and a friend went for afternoon tea from a Wowcher the food was lovely but it varied from the picture in Wowcher, firstly you don’t get a pot of tea just 1 very small cup each! Plus 1 cream and 1 jam in a small pot not enough for 2. The bar itself is really good you have 3 floors to choose from to have a drink.

I'd never heard of this place until a friend recommended it, and we (my wife & I) were very impressed with our Afternoon Tea, which had everything that we expected . . . . nice, light food with dainty desserts (like Afternoon Tea is supposed to be) and friendly/helpful staff in lovely surroundings. We were greeted by a fantastic host who is a legend in the north east, who 'had a bit craic' with us and made us feel very comfortable. We'll definitely return.

Had three days in Durham and three visits to the curious Mr Fox - staff all very pleasant and welcoming - the rooms upstairs are amazing in decoration - good service and value for money coffee and sausage batch for £5.00

What a fantastic place! We visited for a friend’s birthday and had an area reserved, from start to finish they could not do enough for us. Helen was amazing, she really went above and beyond to make it a special day for our birthday girl, we really can’t thank you enough. Our bartender Willow was brilliant too, she kept the drinks flowing all day and nothing was too much of an ask for her. Unreal cocktails, amazing nibbles and first class service, what more could you want! We can’t wait to visit you all again ☺️

Lovely welcoming atmosphere for a family birthday celebration. We visited in restaurant week and enjoyed 3 delicious courses for £25.

I visited here with family and friends on 26/01/2024 for my sisters birthday celebration. As a wheelchair user I wasn't sure this venue would be suitable for me as the restaurant part is on the upper floors with no lift access. However, they were able to lay out some tables on the ground floor for us to eat there. The food itself is superb with a good choice of mixed cuisine. I ordered the chilli prawns for starter which have a very high spice level just what I love! For mains I got the Penne Arrabbiatta and asked them to add some chicken to it which was no problem. For desert I had the cheesecake which was absolutely superb. The night was topped off with superb company from the host and owner Eric Gates who also just happens to be an ex player of my beloved football club Sunderland AFC. It topped off a really good night! Will definitely be back!

Literally had the best night ever in this wonderful quirky bar in Durham. We didn’t know it was restaurant week either when we booked so we were pleasantly surprised by the £25 three course special!! We all loved our food and left full and happy. Night topped off by seeing the legendary Eric Gates!

Fabulous afternoon in the cocktail lounge of The Curious Fox. Met with friends for a special birthday celebration. We had the full room to ourselves, all staff were fabulous & the buffet we had was delicious, will definitely recommend this room for small private function's. Thank you to all 😃

Booked a table for two at short notice got to the fox 15 mins early and bouncer on door very polite and friendly opened door and grabbed a bottle in the bar which was brilliant loved the decor after 5 mins we made our way to the restaurant (oyster) we sat and ordered the Mrs got a pasta dish and i always go for the steak and ale pie with mash and veg. After 10 mins the food came the first thing I notice was a pie that looked like a frozen Gregg's pie from Iceland .i thought to myself image can be deceiving and to my amazement it was worse it was in my opinion a gravy puff pastry no steak and no taste of ale at all the veg was ok though. i was looking forward to a sweet afterwards but didn't want to risk the apple pie in case it was something like from Macdonalds so payed the bill and left.very disappointed with the pie. Btw Mrs said pasta was lovely .

Had a lovely breakfast here this morning. The food was tasty and excellent value for money. The staff are friendly yet professional and the owner took the time to entertain us and, show us around every room in this fabulous venue. We will definitely be back, well recommended!

Booked a meal to celebrate our wedding with close family. We were not sure what to expect as we have never eaten there despite having visited often for a drink. It exceeded our expectations. The food was excellent and the portions massive. We would particularly like to thank David who looked after us. Attentive but not over attentive and great fun. Thank you so much. Hannah, Gary and family.

Absolutely georgeous venue! Ordered the three starters deal thinking it would be enough just to graze on between wine and honestly each one could’ve have been a meal itself! Beautiful decor, stunning views and bubbly staff, 100% recommend and will deffo be back

What an amazing find every room stunning! Staff couldn’t have been more helpful! We will be back for food x

Amazing service from the lovely bartenders! 10-10 service and they went above and beyond to make our experience the best it could be! Will be coming back for sure!

Had festive afternoon tea amazing probably the best afternoon tea I’ve had and I’ve had many all over the country including ones in 5 star hotels the staff were great friendly attentive but not in your face nothing was to much effort can highly recommend will be back for a meal and more fantastic cocktails

Wow ! First visit today for afternoon tea, the food was amazing and plenty. The presentation was superb you could tell that they had really taken time to ensure it looked good. The cocktails were so good and I loved that you got a full...

Fabulous Festive Afternoon Tea at this unique location with great ambiance. A lot of thought and care has been put into the presentation. We were presented with an elegant display which included a variety of sandwiches, a home made sausage roll, two scones, cream, jam and a selection of cakes. Everything was delicious and fresh. The presentation included little gingerbread men and fruit. The service was excellent unlimited hot drinks were included. We also ordered cocktails which were so good and again presentation was wonderful, loved the fact that the glass was not half filled with ice. We loved it so much we returned for more cocktails later that evening. Congratulations to this wonderful team who really care about their guests.

Fabulous friendly staff, great environment and good wide selections. Good value for money in a really clean and well presented location.

I reviewed this last summer and wasn’t impressed. I always think everybody has a bad day so thought we’d give it a second chance. There’s a lot of things in your life you regret and I regret spending hard earned cash on this. We were...

Great night at the Mr Fox’s murder mystery night. Great fun! The event was extremely organised and the staff at the fox were fabulous as always.

Wow what an amazing afternoon me and 8 of my friends had yesterday The value of what we got was insane! Cocktails were made to a high standard very nice, food was delicious. Proper homemade flat breads - so good! Staff all lovely and not...

Honestly, this was probably one of the worst places I have ever gone for a bite to eat and a couple drinks. The decor is beautiful, however that's about as good as it gets. We ordered a mojito and a beer once we arrived and...

Me & 6 year old granddaughter visited this morning ,we were seated upstairs & given jug of water & menus.20 minutes later I asked if I could order to no avail waitress just walked away, 30 minutes in I told another waitress we had been...

Nice decor and pleasant enough staff but overpriced, mediocre food which was luke warm - would definitely not recommend

Had high hopes for this and was so disappointed. The barman was very friendly, got me a nice table and my order came quickly. I ordered chicken burger with prawns. Wasn’t great to be honest, the prawns were nice, that’s about it, the rest was...

The food wasn't great and the service was slow despite it being almost empty. There are some lovely places to eat but this isn't one of them.

To start off with the menu is fairly confusing there is little distinction between starters and main meals and an uninspiring choice of desserts. The food is mediocre at best and fairly small portions for the price. There was a sauce missing from one of...

Fab food, fab friendly staff and great attention to detail. Highly recommend the well appointed upstairs restaurant. Great team under strong management. Highly recommend.

Such lovely staff & drinks, cocktails are so good. 100% favourite place in Durham, Highly recommended.

Booked an early evening meal, before going to the Gala Theatre. Polite staff down stairs, directed us upstairs and showed us to our table for the four of us. Water brought to the table, always a welcome gesture, then handed the menus, only to be...

Not been in here for ages as the amount of draught drinks was limited but with a group of girls you can share cocktails etc so ordered a mojito (2 of the same for £12), got to say it was one of the worst I’d...

Visited for a few drinks with a friend tonight. First barman ( young with glasses) really friendly, great customer service. Lovely decor and relaxing atmosphere. Other young barman seemed miserable and couldn't crack a smile when we ordered our next drinks. Good customer service makes...

One of the best Sunday dinners I have had. Nice decor and good service. Portions are small but it’s quantity over quality. We got desserts too but not much to rave about. Overall, we will be back for dinner soon :)

Went to bottomless brunch Saturday 2pm till 4 the service was very slow the food not great you couldn't order a drink until everyone had finished their drink which was very unfair as some of the cocktails were tiny and others bigger when I mentioned...

This was recommended to us whilst visiting Durham. There are a few different bars in this place so we opted for the plush bar area upstairs. I ordered a French Martini which was absolutely perfect and very reasonably priced. There were many parties and bottomless...

We have visited this venue twice. First was for Mother’s Day and it would’ve scored at least 4/5. Sunday lunch portions were generous and really well cooked. My only criticism was that the menu was a bit limited (ie pretty much only Sunday roasts) and...

Called in with my daughter for breakfast but we had just missed it and had to have the lunch menu. Lucky us. Couldn’t fault it. Gorgeous. It was quiet but we had the best table with a view to the castle, cathedral and river from...

Just passing when I spotted the menu for beer battered fish n chips .....went in ....they found me a table on the ground floor (dont like stairs !)....food was WONDERFUL ..hot, and batter WAS very crispy as I like it ! AND talking to one...

Great service, friendly staff, quick drinks orders and hot tasty food too, we only had burgers but both were delicious. Well worth the price and its on our doorstep so will definitely return.

All food was awful, staters were poor, mains belly pork couldn’t even cut through, chicken was dry, celeriac was dark brown, fondant potatoes tasted very strange! The only thing half decent was feather blade of beef! Desserts staff said do you want to risk it!...

Called in for breakfast with my daughter, unfortunately it was available. Thankfully the lunch menu was. I had the mushroom and Stilton starter. Absolutely great, one of the best starters that I’ve had anywhere. Really enjoyed the main. My daughter had a main and desert....

Great location with view of Durham Cathedral & Castle and internally upstairs restaurant excellent decor. Food was good & nice choice with lovely bar. Well worth going through downstairs bar up to a nice restaurant with good friendly service . We had snacks/ restaurant week...

Extremely welcoming, helpful staff and utterly gorgeous food at very reasonable prices. The decor was classy and comfortable at the same time and the place had a lovely vibe with great view of the cathedral and castle from our table by the window. First visit...

My husband and I found this lovely place whilst visiting Durham for a few days. The staff were excellent and professional; the decor amazing upstairs! Very colourful!! After quite a few drinks we stayed and had the best food I’ve had in a long time...

Visited this quirky lovely restaurant during restaurant week. All staff were welcoming especially our waiter. Very helpful. Had two courses. Both tasty. Enjoyable experience.

Visited Saturday night, bouncer on the door very friendly - good start. Went upstairs to the middle bar, no one serving. Went up to the next level, asked if anyone was serving in other bar - a very abrupt know and have to go to...

Such a shame. Awful coffee! Limited beer 😞....................... Toilets are good though 🤣 Won't be back in a hurry

£18, that’s how much. £18 for 2 glasses of wine. I’ve yet to pay that in London. Arguably, it has achieved the unfortunate accolade of being the most expensive bar in Durham…yet this bar is not that great that it can warrant charging exorbitant amounts...

My wife and I preordered the Cristmas fayre, which proved to be a bad experience. Soup was less than luck warm and rather like wall paper paste - sent it back and cancelled the starter option. The main meal was poor with two very thick...

I hosted my 21st Birthday lunch in the Ivy Function Room for 20 people and it was a really lovely afternoon. The Room is absolutely stunning, the Function Menu food was delicious and they catered well to a gluten-free guest. Although it was sometimes a...

Visited yesterday after booking a table for 2 over two weeks ago. Tried to book online and directed to Open Table website which said booking could not be made so rang restaurant directly. The guy I spoke to initially said he couldn't book on Open...

My brother organised a secret 40th birthday party here at the curious mr fox upstairs in the private function room. On arrival we met a lady who was organising the evening and the running of the floor. She was so lovely and helpful with a...

I can’t comment on the food. This restaurant needs to take control of its diary. Booked through OpenTable only to be phoned a few days before my booking that they could not honour the booking and was offered a table in the bar. I cancelled.

Was looking for somewhere diff so booked a lateish lunch here today First impressions of place were excellent but as we entered the dining room, I was a little underwhelmed as only memeber of staff in there was busy pulling pints so had to show...

It's in a lovely location. The food (lunch) was very good and the staff were very nice and cheerful. I would definitely recommend it.

We booked a Table for 2 on Monday, 29 August 2022 at 16:45. We arrived at 4:35pm, was promptly taken upstairs to a baron restaurant. The decoration is marvellous, and a beautiful setting. We were given a menu, and promptly ordered. This was done around...

Lovely lunch with a view or lovely view and lunch? Either works. Great venue, cracking service on a red hot Sunday lunchtime. Water was supplied without needing to ask, nice looking cocktail menu. Ice ice cold drinks. Food was well presented, tasty and plentiful. Yeah,...

Came today with my husband and Emma served us the most stunning cocktails. Both were gorgeous and the vibes was really nice. The doormen were also friendly and welcomed us...a must visit in Durhan

Nice decor poor service Nice little bar in a great location of Durham, Ordered drinks from the menu, the barman most have been new as he hadn’t a clue what the drinks were. He eventually got the woman who was serving upstairs to come and...

Pleased to find this dog friendly bar after a morning in Durham. Great decor, great service and a good reasonably priced lunch menu

Lovely visit to the curious mr fox. Lovely rooms, nice atmosphere and wonderful service from Kylie. We hope to visit again soon.

Quirky, atmospheric bar/restaurant with excellent service. Good selection of drinks & delicious food. Recommend the Katsu curry & chicken satay 🤤 Lovely lunch stop for our girls day out in a great location!

Lovely restaurant with great food! Thai food was soooo good and the cocktail menu is fantastic. Nice place for both dinner and some drinks! Will definitely go back :)

Not been to Durham over the last 2 year during pandemic so arranged a trip for mine and my husband’s birthday weekend. Was over the moon to find some new bars and restaurants and this was one of them. Had a couple of drinks in...

Brilliant quirky bar…decor was lovely, staff were polite, very central to a short walk from the train station, brilliant night, highly recommend

First visit here, for Sunday lunch. Food was homecooked and good portions. Friendly Service. Excellent all round. Restaurant beautifully decorated. Will definitely return.

We arrived to be told there had been a mix up with the booking. We were told the table could only be allocated for 1 hour and 30 mins. This did not start the evening off well. However, as the evening progressed things improved dramatically....

What a shame that in the night I had booked a babysitter at £40 and a taxi return fare into Durham at another £40 that the Curious Mr Fox didn’t bring their A game! We waited nearly four hours for an incomplete meal and were...

What a great afternoon, food was amazing as was the company! The decor very quirky throughout a comfortable friendly atmosphere and staff very attentive and professional! We had a few drinks in a couple of the rooms then ate in the beautiful restaurant …the Thai...

Had a very good birthday party, welcoming and polite services from all the staff. Food was very delicious and very well worth the prices. However, I was VERY disappointed with the drink menu, as it was quite limited. There was only about THREE cocktail on...

Came here on a visit to my partner and loved it! The service and the staff are great here, a massive thank you especially to Tom for being so welcoming and Phil for the amazing drinks! Made our celebratory evening very special! Will definitely be...

Visited tonight to experience the food and few drinks with friends. Absolutely first class food, very well presented and so tasty. What I love about the menu is that it is not extensive, and this works so well as the quality of the food on...

Lovely warm welcoming atmosphere with beautiful décor and great attention to detail in all aspects. Staff are friendly and attentive, and they make you feel special from the moment you arrive. There was a set meal-sharing menu for valentines day, starting with a 'large' glass...

Four of us went for tea and could not have been happier with all aspects of this beautiful restaurant. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, offering plenty of advise and options for eating on a gluten free diet. The food was presented quickly and...

Couldn’t rate this Restaurant highly enough. Visited with friends. The dining area, drinks selection and ambiance was superb. The staff could not have been more welcoming and attentive, guiding us through the menu. Excellent choice Tom!!!.. the quality of the freshly cooked food was second...

Had a delicious meal here, lovely food and really good service. Also didn’t wait long at all between courses

After seeing the new menu I couldn’t wait to visit this place to try it, it was very hard to pick just one thing! Chicken satay skewer starter was amazing and the teriyaki salmon for main was cooked to perfection. The staff service made it...

We went for supper and some drinks. We were spoilt Rotten, treated ridiculously well and had the best time. Not only was the service excellent but the food was fantastic. New management is incredible. Feel very lucky and will definitely be going back.

The service was exceptional and the food was wonderful - I would happily go again! What a beautiful restaurant in the heart of Durham! I had a 3 course meal - great value for money.

From start to finish the experience was just surreal, never have i went to a bar before and spent as much time looking at the decor, taking pics and selfies as drinking pints and cocktails. The entire venue is decorated to an amazing standard. More...

Just returned from an excellent experience a the Curious Mr Fox. High quality food, the three of us each had something different and all excellent. The restaurant is elegantly appointed with a lovely relaxed ambiance in a great location. The staff were extremely friendly and...

Gorgeous restaurant, service excellent, the food was first class, we will definitely be back . Top class would highly recommend. The home made chips are like mum used to make. Fabulous

Beautiful food in a relaxing atmosphere. Friendly service in the heart of Durham city centre. Food was freshly cooked and piping hot. Will definitely be returning soon.

Had a great meal in this place. Really friendly staff and the dining areas are fab. Well worth a visit.

Lunch before heading to the cathedral for Haswell Mencap Nativity . Tom looked after us exceptionally well , service ,food and drinks were amazing we will definitely return , thank you Tom

Arrived early and were shown to our room by Tom who was fantastic throughout the entire evening. The cocktails (especially 'The Gingerbread Man' were amazing and the food was delicious and well presented. The 2 bartenders ( a blonde lady and a young gentleman) were...

Visited a couple of months ago and the food was appalling. Ordered fillet steak and when it arrived it was a tiny piece of in edible tough steak and undercooked chips. No sauce and one sprig of watercress. Cost £30. After complaining twice they did...

Not planned, wandering about and had a perfect lunch.Lovely and genuine staff attitude. My new No 1 place to eat in Durham. Sorry, The Cellar Door. 🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

We recently had our engagement party at The Curious Mr Fox and the whole experience was faultless. The selection of food on the menu for the guests was great, with something for everyone. There wasn’t a guest that complained about the food, instead sung it’s...

A house divided into rooms, upstairs there is one main dining room though with a bar in it. The food is really good and quite imaginative. The quantities are extremely generous and aside from the steak it's very good value. We had Bream, Salmon and...

This is the second time I have visited the restaurant. The first time we visited we waited 90 minutes for our meals, which when they came were nice however by this point we were beyond hungry. We were not offered any complimentary food or drink...

We arrived on a VERY busy Saturday when Durham luminaire was on. The staff were very polite and efficient at all times. Very helpful and considerate as we had my 2 year old grandson with us. The service was second to none. We only had...

4 of us booked a table for dinner at 8pm. Service so very poor, not enough staff and what staff were on the floor were new and very poor! Having asked twice if we could order food we did not eat until almost 9.30pm. Order...

Came on Halloween, the waitress said they had a new chef in so I thought I would try the food it was absolutely beautiful. After trying that food I took my freinds so they could try and I asked if the new chef was in...

Visited here twice- as thought I’d give it a second chance- once as a group of couples and then again this weekend with friends. Shall not be visiting again. Poor service, actually left without having had a drink after almost 30 minutes on first visit...

My twin brother Stephen and I visited The Curious Mr Fox Bar as we were pub and bar hopping around this historic town and what a great find. A wonderful looking interior, a cute looking serving bar ,great decor and furnishings including some great wall...

I have seen multiple displays of misogyny and racism towards members of staff and customers, including unfounded, condescending/patronising orders and critiques etc from the managers. I have also witnessed Pat, a senior manager, making racist and sexist comments. People of colour have been referred to,...