The Hilltop Bar & Restaurant in County Durham

Called in for tea on my birthday.. fantastic food and the millionaires mayo... gorgeous. I want the recipie ... good service too

Came here a couple of years ago, and it was lovely, so I was really excited when I heard we were going back. (We are from out of town, hence why we aren't regulars). I've got to admit, initially the pub looked very tidy and the atmosphere was nice. Drinks were not that expensive, neither was the food. Speaking of which, I was quite disappointed with the quality of the food. The chicken tenders were tiny, and not as nice as the ones you can buy from Aldi. The roast dinner was nowhere near as nice as some I've had, I was really disappointed with this as I love a roast and get one wherever I can. The lasagne looked like a warmed up frozen affair. A shame really because Green King pubs normally do decent food. This one was substandard in my humble opinion.

First time visit to Hill Top so no expectations. We visited on a Wednesday evening and found it pleasantly quiet. We ordered via the app. The food we chose came freshly cooked and there was no long wait. Was very nice indeed. The staff were friendly and polite. A good experience, and will happily return.

Food was good, service was excellent, we will return

Ordered take out, we are normally regular sit in customers. Ordered gammon, chips, egg and beans. Lasagna and a side of fries. Headed straight up to collect. Got home to find the gammon has tomatoes, onion, peas and stone cold. No BEANS! Lasagna freezing, side of fries soggy as were placed in a foil bag and had been sweating and went cold. Not happy as we are regular customers to the restaurant for eat in meals, this meal has all gone in the bin. No photos of gammon as partner threw it straight into the bin

Beautiful food great service happy and pleasant staff

Very good all had a good time staff very helpful

We held a 18th birthday meal there for my daughter, the food was amazing drinks reasonably priced the pub had a loverly friendly atmosphere and the staff were brilliant i would highly recommend to anyone if it's a date night Sunday meal or family get together

Lovely food great staff and chilled atmosphere they had but one get one free offers on the food and some drinks so was well worth the money

Food and service were excellent. Staff were friendly and welcoming and cost of visit was very reasonable. I would highly recommended visiting this establishment and we will continue to eat there.

Did not notice timeline had changed from hotel to Hilltop. Have eaten in this pub many times and have always found food excellent at great prices. Will return many more times.

Lovely place and good pub food for a Flaming Grill. Lovely staff at the bar but not a fan of ordering food on an app, I like to speak to people. The app was very easy to use though

Table was well prepared. We were informed while ordering drinks that the kitchen was short staff - managing expectations well. When we ordered it did not take that long for the food to be served. The steak we ordered was perfectly cooked. Everyone enjoyed their food!

Family Christmas lunch, food was not as expected, 5 had Christmas lunch 2 had surf n turf. The lunch was pretty bland, tasteless, pigs were anemic, meat was like prepacked slices, one of the steaks Was very chewy the other was fine, prawn cocktail was nice and the desert, chocolate bomb was very rich tasty, Christmas pudding and custard was mediocre at best cold custard, coffee was cold

Cane for Christmas lunch. Vegetable soup was amazing. Lunch was lovely some of the desserts were lovely two. Staff were happy to help with anything that was asked of them Has a lovely family meal Thank. you

Busy pub with excellent staff who were very accommodating, attentive and jolly 😊 which makes the difference around Xmas. Food lovely and cooked as expected, great chef! The live band were setting up as we left, we missed them sadly. We'll be back ! Thanks to the team and we hope you have a great time over the holidays ! Seasons greetings ✨️

Fantastic place for a meal. Food was 1st class. Nice atmosphere, lovely friendly staff. Prices are very reasonable with 2 main meals for under £14! There are plenty of parking spaces. Lovely clean toilets, too! We will definitely be coming back here the next time we are in the area. Update Dec 2024. Came back for a 2nd time, and we're not disappointed. Food and service were both excellent, and still two mains for under £14! Chocolate fudgecake was delicious 😋 I had a taste before I remembered to take a pic, so please excuse the presentation in the pic. It was perfect when it arrived at the table 😍

bookedThe staff were extremely helpful and very pleasant. The food was at the same high standard as previous visits. We had booked a table as there were 8 of us and it was nice to see our name on the reserved sign, a personal touch which you don't normally see in pubs.

Nice relaxed atmosphere meal (gammon) was delicious. Service was excellent and meals are well priced.

Booked Festive Feast for myself and 15 colleagues today and it was brilliant. Good food, lovely staff, and we all had a great relaxing time - thanks Mel & Team

Great night at The Hilltop starting our festivities with family and friends, it’s now a tradition because it’s such good value for money as-well as amazing service. Kids absolutely love it and a very relaxed atmosphere for the adults too. Everyone always wants to go to The Hilltop! Next booked in for breakfast with Santa, 24 of us, can’t wait!

Very good place to eat and drink staff very good

Ordered 2 lots of rack of ribs were edible but not served warm enough . scampi and chips were nice enough .Then decided to order dessert chocolate cake was lovely but biscoff cheesecake was absolutely disgusting tasted like it had been refrozen numerous times won't be back in a hurry unfortunately

Food was just ok had vegetarian burger and chips quite small portion

Beef was tough & very fatty… inedible

It's local and the food is good,the prices are great and very friendly staff with great service. Whenever we go there we are never disappointed.

great place to eat as long as you visit on a day when they have decided to bring enough staff in

The food was fine, the pastry, albeit large, could have been a little crustier

We attended for the Halloween spooktacula event, a wonderful atmosphere, brilliant staff. I was served by Shellby and Michaela most of the time we were there, both members of staff were extremely good with my daughter who even won the pumpkin competition while we were there for the event. Mel was brilliant as well, even though she runs the pub she always made time to speak with us and other guests. Our food was great, managing to even be on time despite how busy the place was we were never left waiting long. My daughter is now absolutely obsessed with mac and cheese!

Our local- came for a Halloween and it was absolutely enjoyed by everyone here! Hill top is our local, the staff are lovely, definitely recommend.

We enjoyed a lovely meal here on Saturday night, the food was served quickly and all of the staff were very attentive. Chloe visited our table regularly to make sure everything was ok and that we were enjoying our meal. Chloe also came to our table to say thank you and goodnight as we were leaving. A great experience.

Nice staff ! Food good value ! 😁

Got the Jamaican stew, can't reccomend enough. Was a little spicy but manageable Was £6 a pint but was worth it for the food

I've enjoyed every burger I've had here, and the tomohawk pork steak was delicious, but the ribeye steaks have been horrible or great, no in-between.

Food was lovely, friendly staff

Had to order off an app, but you could order things at the bar. The menus at the table and the ones online are different. They don't have a choice of different coffees which is a disappointment. I ordered a burger and the patties were dry and they just seemed like they were premade bought. Had a side order of the Mac and it was tiny for the price. There were other items that we purchased but this was from what I had to eat. I do think it's a bit overpriced for what we all got. 2 people ended up being nearly £50.

Relaxed friendly environment with helpful staff. Food is reasonably priced but generous portions.

Use to come here every single week, until the food started to get greasier and greasier. The fries and chicken skewers (use to be my fav) would taste like old oil, cooked until theres no potato left in the fries. And the chicken cooked so i couldnt even bite into it due to how crispy and hard it was, tasting like burnt old oil. We gave it a couple more chances but we just couldnt come back. My partner would normally get the steak but it was never cooked to his choosing, im guessing because it sits under the hot lamp making it chewy. The last time we came i got charged £4.80 for a blackcurrent lemonade!! Shocking.

Very nice food and drink selecten would recommend going for a meal. There dog friendly both outside in the large beer garden and inside the restaurant. Tey also show live sports as well as having a payable pool tavel and dart bord.

Felt really comfortable enjoyed

First time visiting the hill top restaurant, had a great atmosphere when we all arrived. The service was amazing by the staff. Little bit of a wait for the food but was busy so expected. The food was nice and wasn't badly price for what you get. Would come back again.

Love this pub but really disappointed today. No Sunday lunches available after 2.15.. They said they had been busy but not a great excuse This may be a one-off but very disappointed.

Just OK, nothing more, nothing less.

Went for wife's birthday meal, had this amazing Tandori Temptress Burger. Blown away, amazing flavour! Absolutely top notch food. We all enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Staff were brill.

Great place!! I ordered the crispy chicken strips the meal couldn’t have been better it was fantastic!!

My wife and i have been here a few times. We have tried a few different things from the menu. Each one has been enjoyable.

3 star for the table being £1,50 THIS IS NOT ON 50P IS ENOUGH

No Internet connection, so could not use blue light discount. Food is nice.

We've been here twice while visiting Beamish, the food is lovely, staff friendly enough. The place is clean like noticeably clean. Especially compared to the ones in west Yorkshire!!! Will visit again

Food good service very good great atmosphere

I ordered the rump steak medium done steak was cooked perfect the meat itself was like chewing leather my jaw was ache ing by the time I finished no one asked how the food was my son had the pie it was just like a Greg's one my wife had beef strips on a bread the picture in the menu looked nice what she got was horrible hardly any meat disgraceful my grandkids ordered ice cream we had to wait for 20minites then I went to the bar and asked where it was he then said ill go and ask not one apologises so no going back to this pub don't go you have been warned

The food at The Hilltop can be best summarised as “things you’d find in Iceland for much cheaper”. Very obviously frozen strips of chicken, unbelievably dry, tiny chicken wings with neither seasoning nor sauce, and mac & cheese that tasted like it came from a tin. I don’t have anything positive to say about it whatsoever. Waste of time, waste of money and whoever their chefs are need to consider going back to school to learn how to cook properly rather than reheat picky frozen bits.

Words can't explain. But these 3 words can Go Try It.

Very friendly staff lovely environment however my food was cool not piping hot so disappointed

Just been for lunch, the food was really nice

This is a difficult review the venue itself is very nice clean and spacious and modern but the menu in my opinion does let it down we are both vegan and the choice is virtually non existent there used to be a vegan flatbread on the menu but it has since been removed it isn’t that difficult to add a few vegan dishes to the menu and in my opinion it is just lazy behavior by these companies the meal we did have which was the garlic and mushroom bake was ok but nothing startling it lacked imagination and it was like a child’s portion it could easily be made to be a lot better without too much effort or cost but it just looked so basic on the plate which was a shame as it lets everything else that is good about the Hilltop badly down

I’m a regular here I always enjoy it always, Jack bell behind the bar is always great

Great food and great customer services. Had a good atmosphere and toilets were clean.

Me and a few friends came in for food last week and were served a by a young lad called Jack. Was our first time in and explained the menu well and made sure we got our food and drink exactly how we wanted it. I'm sure we'll be back again!

I had a great time at the hilltop , I was served by a lad named Jack bell , we got talking for a bit and he was very friendly and was willing to tell me the entire menu and what to recommend. He had a very friendly feel about him but was very efficient at his job but also found time to talk to customers regular or not. Even though I only visited the once it made an impact in me because of this outgoing friendly personally and makes me want to come to the hilltop again. Service was brilliant from this staff member and really Made me feel welcome.

Great food for a reasonable price l, atmosphere is always amazing, service is excellent , jack bell is always very welcome and warming when he serves behind the bar

We took our dog and sat in the bar area with him, the staff gave us a dog bowl and everyone was very welcoming. The food and drinks were amazing and well priced, we will definitely be back.

Lovely pub, great food and atmosphere. Jack Bell was a star, couldn’t do enough for us.

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Thanks all

A quick and inexpensive place to eat

Plenty people in on Thurs. --no wonder because burgers 2 for 1 ,I don't eat them but they looked good and our meal was great for taste and only £14.49 for 2. As they say ( l' LL be back

Excellent meals served by pleasant staff at reasonable prices

Brilliant service when I came for a drink having been recommended by friends. Jack (bartender) was polite and friendly, and I’m sure to come back again

We had a great afternoon watching the euros , few beers with friends, enjoyed the snacks we had , kind and friendly staff , a personal Thankyou to Jack Bell who went out of his way to make sure our table was well catered for , very polite well mannered and professional

came here for a meal and some drinks with a few friends, i was wowed by the service and the food was incredible, 10/10 would visit again.

brilliant service, lovely food , will be coming back!

Friendly staff plus quick service with a smile and the steak pies are fantastic 🥮

Great food service really good. Staff checked in regularly. Drinks went down well. Thank you to all the staff !!!

Fab local spot for cheap drinks and food, always friendly, especially James on the bar. Prices are good considering cost of living and prices going up

visited here yesterday for food, amazing food and very friendly staff. can’t fault it at all! Food came relatively quickly which is always a plus👍

Friendly service from the bar staff (Jack B, I believe), the atmosphere is welcoming and cheerful with good reasonably priced food

Great atmosphere, great food, very polite and helpful staff. Jack behind the bar was very hospitable and left a lasting impression. I will definitely be back and would 100% recommend it to family and friends.

Served by Jack B, really polite and gave good advice on what drink to get

Called in here for their two people special deal and dessert meals. I had the Gammon grill steak with a jacket potato and a fried egg which was really tasty, hot and well cooked. Sue had the Ale pie and a jacket potato which was also very tasty hot and well cooked. We followed that by sharing an ice cream sundae. We also noticed they offered Sunday roast beef with vegs roast potatos yorkshire pudding stuffing and gravey so we returned Sunday to have two of them and again shared an ice cream sundae. Again amazing meals serviced hot and had to leave some as was served with mash and 5 roast potatos! We can only think they eat more in Stanley? Thx John & Sue Norfolk

Met up at hilltop for first time in a few years to meet friends and for food. Big pub, nice friendly staff, big free car park. Good location. Prices reasonable.

Cracking food in a busy local pub.

Greene King pub. Was very busy. Standard pub grub. Staff friendly and helpful. Great service

Had a table booked for a meal before going on an escape room. Service was great and the food was lush. That night they had a band on and the entertainment was great.

Took my parents out today for lunch my mum had fish n chips dad had cheese burger thier food was nice Mu daughter and me had the mix and match chicken it was vile I asked to take the salad away as it was covered in sauce and they brought a another one .the food was tasteless boneless chicken wings looked more like chicken nuggets covered in thick burnt batter . I did tell the waitressthe food was terrible and to be fair she offered me a drink or a dessert which I declined ..such a shame as it was a treat for my family but at least my parents enjoyed thier food

Great place and value for money. Food is outstanding

Friendly staff, lovely pub food and not expensive at all.

Food was dry steak was extremely fatty staff charged us double than what is stated barely any sauce

Could of done with some extra bar staff. Went to bar a couple if times to find no one there, off busy doing something else. Didn't have any food. May 2024. 2 x madri and 1 x btl water. Just over £15. 😲

Good lively pub. Reasonably priced food menu with loads of choice. Good beer selection.

Fantastic value and very tasty food, nice atmosphere and very clean

Food was unfortunately out of the freezer i wasn't impressed with it at all.

Great value and great service.😋😋😋😋

Lovely place to visit, even better if your into sports

Lovely food as always - we came for the Easter party which was really good for children of all ages. Lovely staff, they always give 100% no matter how busy.

Popped in last night staff very attentive and friendly. Nice and cosy atmosphere. We had the 2 pub classics for £12.99 and they certainly didn’t disappoint. I went for the fully loaded chicken strips with sweet chilli and nacho sauce. My partner had the hunter’s chicken skillet. Both meals were beautiful, cannot go wrong for the price. We will definitely be returning, noticed they have quite a lot of live entertainment planned for the next few months, will be a one to add to our diary to make a night of it.

Took my partner in on 26/03/24 at 5,pm The pub was very quiet plenty of space to eat the food worked out at £10 each Drink prices were very expensive @£6 large house vodka as they don't double up for a £ like most pubs We did find staff friendly polite & helpful I also thought the young bar supervisor was great but waisted at that place, I might porch him lol if I get another pub what a shame I did not catch his name be a long journey back to porch him But great guy new what he was doing enjoyed the banter with me

Great place took my mother for mother's day was great atmosphere also took my dog 🐕 which not everywhere allows which is a shame but they couldn't have been more accommodating especially since he isn't exactly a small great dane haha

Went for meal on Mother’s Day, adults and children. Sunday dinner awful. Beef tough and fatty, the chicken was awful, roast potatoes burnt and hard, couldn’t eat. Gravy cold. Stuffing was probably the best thing about the dinner. Won’t be back.

Nice food at a reasonable price

Great stake fondue. The size is ridiculous. You could swap out the chips for salard. But then you can' t dip them in melted camembret.