The ivy house in Sunderland

If Sunderland had a competition for the worst staff the Ivy Staff would win void of personality most of them not all of them but most absolutely horrendous can’t even say “how you doing you ok” the place also needs a good clean and the drinks are not cheap .

Such a wonderful experience. Extensive vegan menu; ordered two of the vegan Sunday dinners. There was a slight wait, but with the music and friendly atmosphere we didn’t mind at all. Food arrived hot, piled high and really tasty. Genuinely couldn’t fault anything. The portions are huge. We ordered a side of parsnips that were INCREDIBLE, but the portion could have served four at least and there were only two of us. Lovely staff who are friendly and happy to help. Will definitely be back.

Hidden gem Popped in on a whim, as didn't know much about this pub near Sunderland City centre. Food was brilliant, lovely gourmet burgers and pizzas to choose from and all with a little quirky name Large skin cut chips beautifully seasoned

A very lovely (and even tasty) crispy base to the pizza with nice fresh toppings. A beautiful Victoria era pub and great deals on Mondays and Tuesdays. 5 star rating on Scoresonthedoord too.

I’ve never had a bad meal here, food is good, staff are friendly, and there’s always a really welcoming atmosphere. Would recommend!

Called in on spec with my two eldest grand kids, after reading the reviews earlier. Thouroughly enjoyed it two pizzas and one chicken burger with potato wedges. We all loved it, quick service, piping hot and delicious. Staff were really good with the kids. Great value and will definitely be going back

We booked a table for a late Sunday lunch as our favourite North East were playing late afternoon. The lunch was fabulous, hot, fresh with a large portion. Warm and friendly service a must place to go would highly recommend! We will be regulars from now on !

Not often you get quality and quantity, recommend after usual haunt had appalling customer service, great service nice food, great ambience. If you have not tried it give it a go you will not be disappointed.

I came here for a lunch with some friends. We had the roast dinner which was absolutely delicious and I was absolutely stuffed after! Friendly staff and a wide selection of drinks including craft beers. There was a fair wait on the food however we were informed of this when we arrived and it clearly meant the food was nice and fresh, I would recommend this pub for either a pint or lovely food!

I got a shock when friends told me the Ivy do their own pizzas now and simply had to try. Delicious!!! Best I've ever had in a bar and already cant wait for the next one.

Been here a few times now. Excellent traditional neighbourhood pub. Very friendly; don't have to be a local. We always have the pizzas as they are absolutely fantastic; the best we've ever had. Well worth a visit

The best pizza! So lucky that this is our local. Great staff, relaxed atmosphere & fantastic food. The pizzas are just great- and the triple cooked chips… & burgers… Sunday lunches - all great! (Hope you will start doing the specials again soon- half a pizza & drink etc)

We come here every Sunday for lunch they have a great selection of meats and do doggie dinners too fir your pooches ,

Back last week after long period away. Re-booked for this week, food and service so good. Lovely staff remembered us immediately (wow). Table ready. Fabulous food, lovely atmosphere from family, couples, solos and dog friendly. In my view, best Sunday lunch in the area. Why stress cooking at home! Back next week for more...

Been coming to the ivy for years now and it never disappoints, quiz night on a Wednesday always a good turn out, foods lovely especially the Sunday roasts and the staff are really friendly. Kelly’s works her socks off and is always a friendly face. It appeals to all from students to oaps

I've drank in this dump for years and always loved it! Now the staff have stinking attitudes, apart from one guy who's an absolute hero aka Big Isaac Lad, and the place is dropping to bits. Im willing to spend more cash here if they get rid of the miserable staff and their personalties! When I finish work on a Friday, I want the Friday buzz not feel like ive come to a funeral. P.s. Jay Byers

Loved the atmosphere, but there is a leak as you enter the ladies toilets, and a lack of proper sanitary bins, which made me very uncomfortable

Sunday Lunch - yorkshire's awful, hardly any meat and what there was - was fatty - mentioned to staff who were not in the slightest bit interested Poor customer service, just chatting at bar with each other Pub lacked atmosphere Table was very sticky we noticed they were not cleaning tables after people went Luckily we had wipes and hand wash so just used that

Used to be a place for cracking music and a bit of craic but the new manager's choice of music is enough to drive people away. Gone is the indie/ punk/ rock to be replaced with endless 80s drivel. Such a shame.

Brilliantly helpful and friendly staff combined with lovely food and drink made our recent reunion night out wonderful. Great place!

I arrive with a friend and my daughter after pre booking via Facebook. They new the age of my daughter and yet didn’t feel it was necessary to mention that I would have to change her on the floor of the toilets or sit her on my knee because they don’t know what a high chair is. That aside we waited 1.5 hours for food. After an hour I asked if I could have some veg for my daughter from a man who looked like the manager and was serving at the pass only to get a disgruntled urgh and eye rolls I’ve never felt so unwelcome. Half an hour later our food came. Veg was standard and edible the beef was cooked well and the Yorkshire puddings were amazing but the roasties were very hard and deep fried and the stuffing was bland and overcooked. The mash also tasted like it had been whipped rather than mashed and there was a lot of water on the plate. I was also disappointed with the bisto gravy that solidified very quickly. All in all I won’t be returning I understand it can get busy and wait times but the quality really let them down and it made it worse when a table of 8 that arrived 30 mins after us got served before us. If you have kids under 5 I suggest you avoid. I felt like and inconvenience rather than a valued customer especially after such a hard time in hospitality and wanted to support and independent business :(

It’s raining, so let’s go out for lunch …….. Wow , what a find One of the best Sunday Lunches I’ve ever had , Crazy huge portions Only £9..95 , they even do dinners for your dog for £4 Yorkshire’s that melt in your mouth , and home made gravy and the beef was tender, and lots of it See you next week guys 👍🏻

Stopped in for burgers and a couple of pints and this is just the nicest pub in the world. We're so lucky to have this as our local. I had the Belle chicken burger and my partner had the Hong Kong Hudson sandwich and they...

Visited here for a graduation get together. Pub was lovely and clean with excellent, friendly staff who served drinks quickly considering number in group. Food was gorgeous and good value for money. Thank you to all staff, from cleaner, cook, staff and manager.... Good team...

Great friendly pub with good drinks, service and food. Best burgers and pizza in town and a great value tasty Sunday Lunch. Dog friendly and sells dog beer as well.

the selection of ales here are second to none , always changing which is a good thing . on to the food burgers and pizzas which are both amazing

Amazing quality fresh baked Pizza! Every morsel eaten. Great price: Great music: Great service: Fantastic price - what more do you need to Chillax after work

We rang in advance and asked if there was a table free. This was booked and we pre-ordered. We arrived five minutes earlier than booked and waited just under an hour for the food! An apology for the wait was given after about 45 minutes...

Popped into the ‘Ivy’ for a pizza having seen a couple of reviews. Why haven’t I been back earlier!? Best pizza I have had in years (I’m vegan) and best pizza family have had in ages. My 10 year old ate ALL the burger and...

A fantastic pub and meeting place. Very good food and drinks, staff is every friendly and helpful.............

We’d had an appointment in Sunderland after which we were very hungry and fancied some good home cooking. First pub we chose had stopped serving at 5pm so we headed here. Mainly burgers or pizzas to choose from but the choice of both is huge!...

Learned about this pub from a family member. It is a great little place with outstanding food and a good range of cider and ale. There's plenty of choice on the menu - a wide variety of burgers, sandwiches and pizzas all at a reasonable...

My friend recommended this pub to me. They have great food, great staff and great prices. The pizza was unreal and so were the chips. This place also has a very nice little beer garden, superb for when it's sunny.

I've been to the Ivy House twice on visits to Sunderland. Both times, I received a warm welcome; the staff and patrons are friendly. There is an excellent choice of beer, and it's very well-kept. Food isn't gastro-pub standard, but it's above average for pub...

We visited a few weeks ago for a drink, saw the meals and were determined to go back to eat. We certainly weren't disappointed. The meals are excellent, everything is fresh and cooked as you order, good sized servings as well, plus very reasonably priced....

Was a regular visitor to The Ivy House in the late 70's and early 80's, so was keen to visit again, for the first time in 36 years. Still a great pub, with a great selection of cask ales and craft beers. Friendly welcome and...

Me and my other half absolutely love this place, so hard to find decent vegan food in Sunderland and the options here are amazing!! Sunday lunches are to die for!! Cosy, good food, good ambiance.... what more could you ask for...... all the staff are...

This is a good place for food, lots of burgers to choose from and poutine, sadly that was not available.

Just home from a delicious, home cooked Sunday lunch. Delicious. Great staff and a lovely clientele. So lucky we have this pub as our local.

We all live on the sweet nectar of this public establishment. It unites the people and is the most wholesome establishment that we shall all frequent until we die.

Incomparible service from Doug. No flinching when I presented my ripe apple. 12/10 for ultimate Doug-ness. Definitely not called duck. Definitely Doug. Doug life. BIG DOUG. #guycalleddoug.

stopped off on way home for gnt and a pint of porter - ended up getting pizza for dinner. As always stupendous!

Visited numerous times over the years and more recently just last week and I'm glad to say the food and service were as good as ever and we were not disappointed.

A quick visit with friends for a drink. Nice friendly pub, beer well kept. Guinness was excellent, highly recommended.

The pizzas here are superb. Lovely thin dough and consistently good. The wedges are the best we have had anywhere.

After ordering 7 pints and a pizza, I went to the bar as I had forgotten to order our chips! I was told the chips were £2.50 and the minimum spend on a card was £5.00 so I couldn’t order any....after 7 pints and a pizza, could they not have given me the other £2.50 as cash back? If I was running this business, I’d make sure I put my customers needs first.

It’s year since I’ve been in here and how it’s changed, food looked lovely that was coming out of the kitchen a great selection of Gins and craft ales

Tried a few places in Sunderland for Sunday Lunch but keep returning to the Ivy House. Fab food, big portions and a nice atmosphere. I have to say, their Shanghai pizza is also one of my favourite foods of all time.

Such a lovely pub with a warm atmosphere. The food is good and great value. All the beers are original. Reconnended

So lucky to have this place as our local - great range of IPAs, ales and cocktails. The best pizzas in Sunderland and great atmosphere with quirky decor.

They have excellent bands. The customers are always friendly, interesting and up for a good time. The staff are lovely. The decor is unique. They are not just dog friendly they are dog lovely. Seriously my favourite pub in the world. Much thanks to the staff member who went out of the way to bring water and treats for my Whippet today.

Last night my phone was saved by the absolutely lovely bar staff I asked for help after dropping it down the loo and they quickly ran to get my a bowl of rice to put it in. Couldn't be more grateful, me and my friends had a fabulous evening with some real ales and rice.

Tried a few of the new vegan dishes on the menu. Garlic Cheezy Dough Balls, The Sizzler and Poutine. Also tried the Shanghai Pizza but no photo it was gone to quickly. Great food, drinks and friendly helpful staff.

Went last night with friends to try the newly launched vegan menu.

Quite a nice little pub with a dark atmosphere, food at one end, drinks at the other. Food was average but drinks quite pricey for a local pub.

I pride myself in my ability to gorge myself on spicy food. I chose the "Juarez" pizza and asked for it to have the extra hot option. They warned me it would be hot - I didn't listen.

Vegetarian options are limited unless you want your food laced with strong cheese or pesto. Goats cheese and caramelised onion pizza has been taken off the menu and there wasn't enough goats cheese to make one as a one off.

This has the feel of a local - even if you are from elsewhere.

Found this little gem on trip advisor and we weren't disappointed this food was all freshly cooked. Very tasty and excellent value for money. Slightly out of the centre but worth the walk. Definitely recommend and would come back. Tasty Burgers and divine stew.

Great pub, excellent selection of beers and ales, fantastic freshly made pizzas and burgers. Quizzes, live music, dog friendly. Everything a pub should be!

The Ivy House is a class acted tucked away on the edge of Sunderland city centre it never disappoints. Lovely food superb ales and quality staff. They even have a happy hour.

This is a pub I've visited a few times over the years here and there, always a nice place in passing or on the way to the city centre.

Visited 23/03/18 ordered drinks only to be told food was off for 30 mins to catch up with orders this was fine rather than being made to wait without a timescale. I ordered pizza Whitburn my wife and son burgers mine was fabulous my wife’s was also however we had asked for burger for my son without any healthy stuff as he dislikes onions and salad the burgers are pre made with chopped onions in so he could not eat his. However when we mentioned this staff were very apologetic and refunded his meal we will still go back though as beers and drinks were great but will try something else next time. This has not put us off may even take our dog

It must be ten years since I’ve been to the Ivy, it once being a regular place to go to. Happy days when Micky Grey was propping up the bar on a Friday night before the big match was a sure sign we’d win. Things have changed.

Went last week with my partner for Sunday lunch and was not disappointed. I had beef and Emily had the pulled pork. Generous portions and delicious. Was only 7.95 and you got 2 huge Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower, carrots and broccoli along with roast potatoes, mash and turnip. Would definitely go again. Staff were really friendly and helpful.

Ive been to the ivy 3 times within yhe last couple of weeks. The pizzas are amazing! That coupled with good beer and friendly staff, you cant go wrong.

I rarely review on any site, but I should have done this ages ago. Absolutely love this pub, especially for food. Prices are brilliant and you get great quality along with. I have had lunch here quite a few times and especially love the meatball sub after trying it yesterday, and the staff are always welcoming and cheery.

All I can say is that you have to try the burgers! Proper pub grub and gorgeous. They're all different names. The Jennifer burger is my favourite. Great portion sizes and such good value.

Called in with hubby as he was meeting friends for a few drinks, it felt like standing room only it was absolutely heaving, I was so surprised at the volume of customers for a Friday between Christmas & New Year, plenty of staff serving, slight hiccup with the change from the first round but dealt with efficiently & rectified quickly. Didn’t have food but it looked & smelt delicious & plenty of people were taking advantage of the options available which looked mainly like pizza & wedges. Not sure it’s a ‘hidden’ gem based on the number of people present, but very welcoming.

Had the dogs out for a walk and called in for a well needed pint , staff were really nice and friendly , dogs (Dylan & Darcy) felt at home in front of the Christmas tree, looking forward to go back soon

Love to come the the Ivy for a Pizza and a couple of pints. Though we visit on a regular basis, our most recent was at the end of August. It's never packed (unless there is a band on) but has a nice atmosphere and I always find the staff pleasant.

Fui allí con mi familia. Comida muy rápida comida sencilla principalmente pizzas, hamburguesas y sándwiches muy mucho un menú de estilo americano. Pero una buena relación calidad-precio en un pequeño pub tradicional no muchos de ellos a la izquierda en Sunderland.

He estado yendo a este pub por más de 15 años, desde que era un estudiante y todavía nos encanta ir. Ofrecen una buena selección de comida de pub y perros que son fantásticas.

Cuando ordene pedí un 'Burger Jennifer', una pechuga de pollo Jerk Jamaiquino estilo servido con pimientos asados rojos y veleidades internacionalistas de chutney de mango. La hamburguesa era sana y sabrosa, con un retrogusto dulce rico desde el chutney de mango estar bien por los pimientos, las cuñas que vienen con la hamburguesa son frescos y crujientes, hecho justo a gusto. El personal siempre tienen una sonrisa y charlar abiertamente cuando le preguntaron sin ninguna queja y son en general un grupo simpático. Un buen ambiente en general. Merece la pena echarle un vistazo si tienes intención de un ambiente de un pub de la ciudad, justo al lado de el corazón de las principales rutas de tránsito y en menos de 5 minutos a pie de la estación de Park Lane en sí.

Nice pub good food and music and deco but staff could be a bit friendlier i.e. Smile occasionally they always look so miserable

Great local pub with excellent music.Good atmosphere, lively but not too busy. A friendly place with a good mix of customers from suits to overalls to students - everyone welcome here.Lovely burgers and pizza cooked in the bar, all good quality home-cooked food and not trying to be pretentious.Dog friendly.

Was visiting my in laws in Sunderland with my mate and on the last day, stopped into The Ivy House for an early dinner before our flight. My in laws live a short distance away and I was surprised when they said this establishment allows dogs! So they brought their dog along and we ordered 3 burgers and a curry. One burger was mistakenly brought out with chicken rather than beef but straight away the lovely waitress fessed up to the kitchens error and said we could keep the incorrect order and they would also bring out the correct order! Then I went to buy 2 beers and a juice at the bar and as it was happy hour, got to press this red buzzer which skipped through options on a screen which would say how much I would pay for the drinks. To my surprise, it landed on 'free' so I got the entire round for free! The food came out and it was all lovely, especially the wedges served with the burgers. They even gave my friend another free juice because of the error with her burger order. All in all, a great experience, friendly staff, great tunes playing in the background and dog friendly. It's a shame I live in Australia as I would make this my local!! Thanks again

We were very impressed. We were accompanied by our Australian daughter in law, her Irish friend and our very large German Shepherd. The atmosphere was very welcoming and within minutes presented with menus and our GS with a bowl of water and a doggie treat - he could have doggie beer too! The menu was mainly burgers and pizzas, which we knew before we visited, however ALL handmade and certainly sounded very tasty. Dishes chosen it was off to the bar to order- daughter in law offered to buy the drinks, there were lots of small independent brewery ales on offer. Personally I very rarely drink ale but chose to try 'Oracle' and very glad I did. There were cocktails and various Gins to choose from - paradise! Daughter returned to the table to tell us 'the drinks were free' apparently there's a 'button' which when pressed, a bit like a fruit machine, spins and if you hit at the right time your drinks are free!!! Food was very tasty and served by a delightful young lady. We all enjoyed our visit, including GS, he was fed numerous treats. The ambiance, the food, the drinks and the service were all superb. Only recently moved into this part of Sunderland and have decided The Ivy House is definitely going to be our local. Well done!

Very good value for money. Food was quickly made and tasted very nice deffintley recommend. Also the service was tip top. She was very polite and well mannered and carried drinks over for us.

One of the best Sunday lunches we have had, the service was excellent,the beer was great too with plenty to choose from

Good pub, only ate there the once and the food was excellent. Opted for the seafood pizza with spicey wedges, tasty and fresh I sturuggled to finish it. I tend to call in every other weekend always a good atmosphere and packed, good music too. Only downside is some of the staff have massive chips on their shoulders. Apart from that I'd definitely recommend giving it a visit.

Truly great, welcoming and positive atmosphere and a real effort made by staff to remove any negativity. Incredible food. The pizza's trump several surrounding Italian restaurants (just dont go for the extra hot one, I died a little that day).Good selection of craft beers, knowledgeable staff, and an ever changing, solid selection of cask ales with a discount for CAMRA members, a rarity in Sunderland.It would be frustrating for any ale drinker to visit and find the majority of the hand pulls 'off' but really, anyone so passionate about real ale as to visit exclusively to drink it and then leave a bad review here when they left disappointed, would also presumably be intelligent enough to know that a pub that is willing to immediately replace a cask without cleaning the lines first is not likely to be serving the best quality beer.There are plenty of pubs in the surrounding area doing just that. It doesn't take long to walk to any of them.

Very disappointed with a pub claiming to sell 6 hand pulled products. Two beers and one cider were on .Beers available were a 4.2 % stout and a 5.5% IPA. During our visit there was no desire to replace the beers that were 'off'. There was, however, an extensive range of 'craft' canned beers, keenly advertised on a large chalk board..Their advert in the local Camra - Angle magazine suggested that the pub was passionate about cask ale. A business passionate about ale should have beers ready to go 'on' especially if three out of five available pumps have gone 'off' as quickly as they may have done.This pub gives the impression that it would prefer to sell craft tins as opposed to real ale.

The Ivy House is a great pub, with friendly staff, a wide range of ales and excellent home made Pizzas and Burgers

As this the third time I've ordered the Shanghai pizza, I feel duly obliged to share my experience!The light as air, crispy bases are what make the Ivy pizzas so special. The thin, crusty edges are so delicious that they have been known to be snaffled by fellow diners as a treat in themselves...This time, my pizza was fair, but was let down by the hoi sin sauce (served in a mini ramekin as requested). It added nothing. Usually, this dressing brings a sweet, salty tang that complements the duck perfectly but this sauce was puzzlingly band with no discernible flavour. A change of brand perhaps?I'd asked that the usual cucumber on the pizza be replaced by onion, which worked beautifully, giving a fresh dimension to my old favourite. Without the piquancy of a good dressing however, the pizza was definitely lacking on this occasion and felt a little flat.My niece enjoyed her Naples pizza, and I added her left-over slice to my take-home box, relishing it the following day. The intensity of the sundried tomatoes gave a simple dish a flavoursome boost.My brother remarked that his satay burger may have seemed smaller than in the past, but still enjoyed it.A note on seating & service during busy spells:On a Friday teatime there were no tables in the main eating area, so we took the large table at the back of the far end. This area got very noisy as time went on, and I wasn't keen to linger after we'd eaten. I went to the bar to request a take-home box and was promised one would be brought. However, after 20 minutes of waiting my brother went to fetch one himself, so that we could leave.Another pleasant visit overall, but management please check out that hoi sin sauce. It isn't worthy of your otherwise excellent fare. Thank you.

My partner and I have just returned home after devouring our burger night specials! We had the Jennifer chicken burger and Maria beef burger and shared! We both agreed the Maria was the best of the two however the Jennifer was also extremely tasty. I like my burgers well done which the staff were happy to accommodate. I would have given 5 stars as the food and service on the whole were fab. Our only small gripe was that we couldn't pay the difference to have Moretti as there wasn't a way to 'put it through the till'. Sorry ivy house, we've enjoyed our evening however sometimes it's the little things that could make it even better!

Was always a good pub and great to see live music on New Years night but you have to rise above the staff, rude arrogant and calling customers to each other, not what you want on a night out

Shame that they advertise a "special" burger night on a Thursday, then run out of burgers at 7pm! Also told that a 40 min wait for any other food - went elsewhere instead.

Closed bar 10:50, no bell to advise patrons. Staff miserable and insulting customers when they think know they can't be heard. Used to be in here every week will be a cold day in hell before we come back here again

As above. We visited a couple of times over the weekend. Great atmosphere, friendly staff. Plenty of beer to choose from, gin too. First ever go of Poutine, recommend it.

Excellent pub, friendly staff, burger night (Thursday) offered great value and quality of food was great. My real ale was very good and my partner's coffee was lovely. Thank you! We will come again.

What a great pub, very friendly staff, great service and food. I would definitely recommend the Ivy House - an ideal pre Football match venue.

If they could understand when we ask for well done burgers we do not want them pink in the middle. Then this would have had an excellent review!!!! But after the last 4 visits and asking for well done and still getting pink in the middle burgers this is frankly getting embarrassing and they have unfortunately lost the business of a family of six coming for burgers???

We visit the Ivy House regularly as it's within walking distance from our house. It has a fantastic atmosphere, the staff are great - very friendly and serve gorgeous cocktails and they pull a great pint. I love it, I always feel comfortable not matter when we pop in! The food is wholesome and tastes fabulous, never been disappointed yet and I love the idea that you can see your food being cooked....I would definitely recommend a visit!!!

Got a leaflet from the university freshers fare so thought I'd pop in for a couple of drinks and some food with myFlat mates, great service and friendly staff!

I think this is about my third visit to the Ivy House and I'm so glad we found this place.There's a really good selection of beers, from real ale to lager. And a great selection of gin at reasonable prices.And the range of food has really expanded, though my Canadian friend questions Poutine being on any menu! Though I'm sure if it was done as well as the burgers and pizzas we all had and enjoyed, even Poutine would have been good!I was there with friends on a fairly busy Saturday lunchtime and I can't wait to visit againThe service was really good as well with food served quickly. Oh and did I mention the gin!

It's my local I go in with my dog all the time. Good food good beer good banter. Best pub in sunderland

Fantastic local and a great place to while away a Saturday afternoon, sample the great gins and ales before whooping it up in the evening

Boyfriend took me last night for a date night. Really good value (burger night - Thursdays) any burger and a drink for £6:95 we had the Lamb, olive and feta cheese (forgot the name) and the Emilie burger (Brie and cranberry - yum) They were lovely and served with salad and wedges. Nice 'local' atmosphere - it's my partners local and I can now see why he likes it so much! Hope to visit again soon and try the pizzas or Sunday lunch!

Just discovered this place, first visit I had we got free drinks and so welcomed by the staff - traditional look and feel that certainly moves with the times and clientele