The Lane Restaurant & Brasserie in Northampton

Excellent - food and service. Very professional in every way. Polite and well presented. Obviously well taught by teachers and also admin staff

This was our second visit to The Lane Restaurant and thought we would give it a try it again as first visit was not particularly good. But things hadn't improved a lot as this time bones were found in Seafood Cocktail, the Lane burger was cold and very very overcooked, the Battered Fish was overcooked and the Garden Peas were dried out like they had been keep warm in the oven and not covered, the French Fries were very crispy and looked as though they had been cooked twice over and the Desserts were not good either. I realise all the students are trainees, but the Wine waiter needs to ask all diners if they would like a drink and the waitresses need to know more about what's available on the menu - our waitress for example had no idea what fillings were available with the jacket potatoes and had to keep going off to ask each time we had a question.

a group of 8 people. the restaurant was full, cozy and with a very nice atmosphere. the food was truly gorgeous. we had the tasting menu. everything came out on nice plates, and vegetarian dish of mushroom risotto for one of our party who didnt eat fish came on a different type of plate. so lovely and everything taken care of for us. and at only £23 for 4 fabulous courses and coffee and mints, theres no point going elsewhere! I'll be back

Lovely food. The quail was delicious, but so were all the courses. Friendly efficient service. Real value for money. One of the best places to eat innNorthampton.

Made to feel very welcome. Attentive staff. Delicious food. Lovely setting. Great value for money. Highly recommend young people for their professionalism. Definitely will return after this first visit.

The bonfire night themed evening was great. The food was excellent as was the service. A very high standard indeed which led to a lovely evening.

This is an ideal place for a leisurely lunch in pleasant surroundings. The staff (both the trainers and trainees) are friendly and helpful. I nearly always have the set menu which has been specially chosen and put together and I always enjoy it. There are lots of choices on the main menu too. It’s very good value and also good to witness the younger generation being trained in the hospitality sector.

Came for a lunch meal with my Partner and really enjoyed the new relaxed atmosphere. The menu has changed to reflect a pub and grill style, which is a welcoming change. The finer dining element still exists for dinner, but it was lovely to have a casual lunch. I liked the option to have one, two or three courses as that caters to all appetites. Food was nicely cooked. Burger slightly dry, but nothing a good dollop of mayo didn't fix! Falafel was delicious, chips were well cooked and the coleslaw was packed full of flavour. The dessert (Paris Breast) was different but very tasty too. The free tea/coffee with the dessert is a lovely touch. Less than £30 for lunch for two, which was filling and enjoyable.

Myself and my partner visited here for lunchtime. We are not local to the area, although my partner grew up near here. I think it is important to point out that this restaurant is a traning restaurant for the college. Apparently in recent times it has undergone some change in how things are operated. Giving the lunchtime more of a cafe/bistro feel, and the evenings catering to more of a fine dining experience. I had 3 courses for £13.50 and my partner had 2 courses for £10. The falafel starter was lovely. You can tell that it was all freshly prepared. I had fish & chips as a main, also very tasty. They accommodated my change in dessert, we both opted for a Paris-brest. Again, very tasty. The dessert also came with a choice of tea or coffee too. The service was very good. Bearing in mind that the people on shift are students that are currently traning and learning. Best of luck to them all for their upcoming exams.

My partner and I meet a couple of friends regularly for lunch, and for a while now we have had lunch every so often at The Lane, which has been pleasant. Food has been good value, service also good. Unfortunately, on our visit this week we found that the menu had been changed to a very ordinary cafe style. I do not believe the food was all cooked by the students (which was my original reason for coming) and it was very average, sadly will not be lunching there again.

I was disappointed with my main course. I had a vegan wellington which was served without gravy, when I spoke to someone in charge of the students I was told ( it doesn’t come with gravy) then a few minutes later I was presented with what could only have been a vegetable stock. I poured it over my meal and ate what I could. The pastry bottom was very hard to cut through and very thick in parts, I scoped out the filling. On the upside my starter and dessert were delicious and very well presented. The students worked very hard but some I think needed a little extra support and guidance.

6 of us arrived for a pre ordered Christmas lunch today at 12.15pm. At 1.15 we were still waiting for our first course of soup with a roll. I spoke to the Manager and he said he would lok into it. In the meantime a group of 8 arrived who were served there Christmas 3 course lunch before we have even been served our first course. I again spoke with ethe Manger who apologized for the delay saying that they were serving a large party at the end of the room!! He went and spoke in the kitchen. At 1.40pm we received out first course. There were no side plates for the bread rolls. The servers were mainly very surely which was a shame I asked for the bread rolls and a young person delivered a basket of cold and hard rolls. No Butter, butter knives no side plates arrived. 2nd course - Christmas dinner arrived, the Turkey was processed which was very concerning. It was also tasteless. the vegetables were good though. A young man arrived and asked if we wanted desert. I asked what is was. Christmas pudding or Profiter rolls. One of the guests asked what came with the Christmas pudding and she was told custard. Saying that she did not eat custard he did not offer cream or ice cream as an alternative. The female waitress who served the desert dropped this from about 2cms height onto the table. We all looked at each other!!! Not very professional at all. On top of that the Christmas pudding was very dry and hard at the edges as if warmed up, Tea, coffee and mince pies arrived which were nice. At no time did the Manager or anyone come and ask us if everything was okay. (Not professional) We were also NOT left a 'Comment Card' to complete.(Not professional) All in all the food was just edible and the service terrible. This is not the first time we have eaten at 'The Lane' and on all other occasions we have enjoyed the food and the service. This time it was terrible, we will NOT be booking again which is a shame. Also the 90th Birthday meal turned out to be a disastrous event which should have been a memorable occasion Finally we were asked for and paid the full amount for what was a very substandard meal and occasion. We left at 3pm!!!! Just over 2 and half hours!!! This was not of our doing but the lateness of being served our meal. The restaurant was completely empty of customers and staff except for the Manager who did not even have to curtesy to acknowledge us or even to say goodbye. Awful experience indeed

Philip I just want to say thank you ever so much for taking us to have a look at the whole area of lane restaurant what I'd really enjoyed was that I tried some student food that they made in the kitchen and I've got to say Phillip the food that I tried today was really delicious the fish & chips were. And also I am going to look at the lane restaurant courses that they do in the restaurant but I hope I'll see you again Philip if I do come to Northampton College for an open event next year hopefully see you soon guys all the best from Gabby

I was pleasantly surprised and had a great evening. Food was delicious and plentiful. Staff were polite, efficient and friendly and a great atmosphere. Would definitely come back!

I used to enjoy this restaurant but the new menu is now more cafe focused than fine dining. This type of food (e.g. everything with chips) I can find everywhere and so very disappointed that The Lanes has gone down this route.

Came with 2 friends and having raved about the restaurant to them, found it was not as good as hoped. The staff were wonderful, very keen to please and helpful. The food was very disappointing, luke warm and sadly not as we would have expected...

Food was excellent. Service was courteous and nothing was too much. Second time I've been with different friends. Would certainly recommend.

Excellent meal and service, very good value. I was very impressed with the food, got to try new things. The whole experience was a joy looking forward to our return visit.

After 3 cancellations due to COVID we finally got to have a meal at the Lanes. Service, food and the whole experience was worth the wait. We will definitely be back to see how the students develop and for another dining experience.

Having visited several times with a local Evergreen group we have never been disappointed. Our members always look forward to fine lunch time dining made and served by students at varying stages in their training. The Lane provides a good choice of dishes, and there...

Food always of highest quality and standard, beautifully presented, staff very friendly and helpful.

Excellent food and service always something new we go at least once a month. This is where young chefs learn there skills and where the public can try new foods and provide feedback. Love it

We always have an excellent meal when we dine here. Very reasonable cost served by students under supervision.Finest ingredients cooked and presented superbly.

I have eaten at The Lane and the Brasserie many times: the service is always cheerful, helpful and informative - if ever you pose a difficult question, perhaps about the ingredient, the method of cooking, the origin of the recipe, the server will always ask...

Located in one of Northampton colleges the venue manages to achieve great atmosphere, attentive staff (who are the students) and innovative food well presented. The menu is changed regularly and offers great variety.

We were extremely impressed by the quality of the food, menu choices and service provided.

Excellent value - and hopefully it helps to develop our staff for the future. College does a good job of mixing academic requirements with a customer orientated 'atmosphere' to develop student's abilities, and to help their confidence in a somewhat daunting experience - some more...

For me, one of the joys of life is great food served in a good atmosphere. I suppose, with everything now locked-down, it was wishful thinking that had me remembering The Lane. We have dined atThe Lane often, for a quick lunch, a celebration evening...

From your friendly greeting by Sally on reception, to your waiting staff, everything is first class. I have been dining there for about thirty years on a monthly basis and never had a bad experience. Food is wonderful and excellent value. Hurry up and re-open....

No frills, gimmicks or fuss, just great food cooked by youngsters who are learning as they go, being supervised by their tutors. We haven't had a bad meal here ever and we have been eating here for a while. Service is good too and it's...

Always welcoming, the tutors and students in this training college give you an enjoyable dining experience. From the greeting, the wine selection, the food and the presentation, one can’t help but have an enjoyable meal. The three course meal followed by tea or coffee is...

One of the best meals we have had anywhere. Service was great too. Parking was fine and the restaurant is located in the Northampton college buildings.

I went for dinner here with a colleague and we had the most wonderful and professional experience. The students were extremely polite and accommodating and the food was superb!

A lovely evening meal at The Lane Restaurant, Northampton College. Showing that today's Students hold fantastic delights for the future. A truly excellent evening of stunning our taste buds.

If you want to experience some excellent food cooked by the catering students try the Lane Restaurant

7 of us had dinner in the Lanes restaurant the meal cost £20.95 for I think 5 courses excellent value for money there were 2 choices for each course one being vegetarian

We went here for lunch on Tuesday as part of a large group. From the moment we arrived we were shown excellent service by both the greeting and waiting staff. We understood that they were being assessed that day but we certainly had no complaints. The food was delicious and excellent value for money at £11.50 for three courses.

I visited the college restaurant today with my daughter. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel welcome, showed to our seats, and drinks promptly followed. Our waiter named Nathan was kind, courteous and friendly (everything you want in your waiting staff). Our food was sublime and without fault and outstanding value for money!

2nd time of going and excellent food and service ,but lunch not quite so good as dinner the waiter got a couple of things wrong just minor,but after all this is a colledge and they are in the last year of training,you cannot fault the food or presentation or price where else can you get 4or 5 star dining for 20 quid each.xmas lunch a little bit of a let down for 20 pound each, after such an excellent dinner the first time but it as not stoped us booking again dinner in jan and lunch on valentines day.

Once an excellent venue for lunch with friends -excellent quality food with a menu with 3/4 choices per course at a reasonable price.

We love coming to The Lane. Always a wonderful atmosphere. Excellence standard of produce and preparation. Inventive combinations that I wasn't sure would work but as always they did! Not only was the cooking great but the presentation also.

A smile on arrival set the tone for the evening. What wonderful polite and attentive staff, all deserve praise from our receptionist to those attending table and to the members of the kitchen. Dinner was superb, the menu was superb, the entire evening was a superb experience. A very big thank you to al concerned.

We were in a rush at lunchtime and the staff accommodated this with our service being quick. We had tasty starters followed by chicken kiev which was wonderful and crispy cabbage. The bread and butter pudding was yummy with a whole jug of cream each! We had tea to follow. One note - our waiter Pele was charming and polite, constantly ensuring our needs were met and filling up our glasses. I strongly recommend you try the Lane!

Decided to give the lanes restaurant a try, and we were so glad we did . Warm greeting when we arrived, lovely mulled wine ,and even though we were early we were shown in almost immediately. Lovely atmosphere, superb menu, great service and a very good wine list. The food was delicious, and despite their obvious inexperience the waiting staff were attentive and courteous.All in all a most pleasant experience which i'm sure we will repeat.

Good food for dinner, poor coffee and tea, slow but good service in a generally atmosphereless room.

Si se considera que todo el personal de este restaurante son estudiantes en la universidad donde el restaurante está y están estudiando los campos de comida, era como si estuvieras en un restaurante de primera clase. Absolutamente fantástico servicio y la calidad de la comida fue excelente.

Este es el restaurante estudiantil en la Universidad, donde la práctica de alumnos sus habilidades con los clientes reales. He estado aquí varias veces y, si aceptamos que los estudiantes están aprendiendo, es excepcional. La comida es magnífica, así como las bebidas. El personal es siempre hacer lo mejor, pero es una excelente relación calidad-precio en 15 libras por cabeza por tres platos y bebida. Algunos de los estudiantes han ido a trabajar en los mejores restaurantes del mundo, y es bueno comer bien a un precio asequible. Reserva con antelación y disfruta!

Our first visit, will certainly not be our last. Fabulous food and wine, Owen, you were amazing. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

Esta fue nuestra primera visita después de que nos lo recomendó. Cada plato que se servía era excelente, cocinados a la perfección y de la más alta calidad. No me puedo quejar de una sola cosa.

Visitamos la última noche después de un intervalo de varios meses. Siempre tenía una gran experiencia pero última comida noches era excepcional. Un excelente servicio y una comida bien presentada, con una buena botella de Malbec y a un precio razonable! Los servidores de estudiantes...

Hemos estado un par de veces y no puedo creer que estos son los estudiantes haciendo todas las tareas y todos los utensilios de estos increíbles e increíble selección de platos, sin duda volveremos

Menú de navidad fue muy interesante y los cócteles fueron muy festivo. Luego nos fuimos de nuevo para la Semana de español. Menú imaginativo super y todo cocinado a la perfección como se esperaba. Volveremos pronto.

Fuimos como parte de un grupo de 8 amigos. Había sido antes, pero tengo que decir que esta visita superó en visitas anteriores.

Tuesday night is slightly different format, but food was perfect (as usual), presentation & attentiveness of students was excellent. Hope these kids go on to open their own restaurants in Northampton,Will happily return on any night they are open.

An excellent experience, with a lovely atmosphere, and top quality food. This is a training restaurant in a college, and it is so interesting to see students prepare and serve food of professional standard.

I have visited this restaurant many times over the years and have never been disappointed. Since the rebuild, the ambience has certainly improved. The food continues to be of an exceptionally high standard and very reasonably priced. The lunch menu particularly so. I suppose that because it is hidden away within the college building and only open during term time, people only get to know about it by word of mouth. Don't miss this hidden gem of a place.

I had heard loads of good things about The Lane and I decided to book to celebrate our 20th Wedding anniversary. I now wondered why we waited so long. We had an amazing evening. The staff were very attentive and could certainly teach other waiting staff a thing are to about good service. The food was absolutely fabulous and such very good value. In fact I am going back with my girlfriends next week. We shall certainly be eating here much more frequently from now on. Bloody marvellous. Well done to the tutors and students.

We had not visited the College Restaurant since the College had been rebuilt and we are so glad we did! The restaurant itself is clean, bright and welcoming and the students are attentive, interested, work hard and chat to the customers easily. Excellent food, probably the best in Northampton, if not the County! Excellent value and we will return!

This restaurant is the consumer-facing restaurant for students studying at Northampton College. Dinner consists of 5 courses - Amuse, Starter, Intermediate, Main & Dessert & is cooked & served by students under the watchful eye of their tutors. We were served by the lovely Niamh. Give it a go!

Our first visit to the lane restaurant so we weren't sure what expect. From the time of our arrival to leaving we were well catered for. The service and food was excellent especially so as it is prepared and served by trainees. Didn't need to season any of the food served and it was all delicious. Our waitress was under training and she did exceptionally well. The chance to meet the chefs at the end of the meal and to offer praise and to critique the meal was a fitting end to a wonderful meal. So good we've booked again. Highly recommend the Lane.

I can't praise this restaurant enough. The chefs and waiting staff are all trainees, but the food and service cannot be faulted. It is such value for money too. This is by far, the best place to eat in Northampton.

The food here is amazing. The front of house work hard to provide an impressive service, whilst the kitchen send out excellent, fine dining, quality dishes. I went here for the first time just before christmas and have been back since with friends who were also amazed with the quality of the meal. The students should be very proud of themselves and the standard they provide.

Your would be hard pressed to know that this venue is 'staffed' by students! The selection of choices for all courses is well thought out , presentation is very good , and the waiters are eager to please if they lack a little confidence And to encourage the learning process chefs will visit your table after the meal for ' feedback'Many restaurants could learn a thing or 2 from these students .Highly recommended .

very attentive staff and excellent food gcellent jobreat velue for money, our waitress Rebecca did an ex

Four of us visited in January. My husband and I had been before but quite a while ago. It was a new experience for my son and his fiancée. The whole evening was brilliant. It was an Afro-Caribbean special menu which was innovative and varied. All the food was very well cooked and tasty - I could not fault anything. At £19.95 it is fantastic value. We have paid so much more for worse food in other establishments. The two first time visitors were so impressed and we all agreed we would be returning very soon.

The food and staff were top class some so called top resturants should send ther staff there to do some training

My wife and I visited the Lane Restaurant and Brasserie to sample some of the food cooked in the college by catering students. We both agreed that the food was both beautifully presented as well as fantastic to eat. The food is cooked and served by the college students with lecturers supervising, therefore time and some patience must be expected as they are learning a skill, so they are not professionals and the finish product having said that today the service was brisk but unobtrusive. We had a lentil and coriander soup and a leek and blue cheese tart to start. Mains were a fillet of haddock with a herb crust and tomato risotto and beef bourgignon with pilau rice. We then finished with pavlova with red berries and summer coulis. 3 course lunch for £15! What more do you want? Booked in 2 weeks time for another treat.Northampton's best kept secret.

We have been visiting The Lane Restaurant regularly for the past 3 years following the sad demise of Northampton College's fine-dining Albert Restaurant. Despite now being without a car, the availability of public transport means we were able to visit for lunch on the first public opening this term after the Summer Recess.We were not disappointed as all staff and students welcomed us back like old friends, which we most certainly are! Not only was the food well up to the usual standard, but as lunchtime dining is better value then we were fed and "watered" well at a cost as low as that for a main course at other local fine-dining eateries. Well done to everyone and we are now looking forward to this evening's feast.Keep up the good work.

An excellent effort, well done to all the newbie students, I was a newbie too and was very impressed by the standard of food and the excellent service at The Lane Restaurant, I will definitely return, and wish all the very best of luck with your chosen courses. Sorry I didn't take photos this time.

Third visit to the restaurant and again wasn't disappointed. All the dishes were served by our polite waitress April and nothing was too much trouble for her or any of the other students who served us The food is as good as any we have have paid a lot more money for in London, this is definitely a must visit if you enjoy food with flavourPaid £30 for two meals which was an offer + the meal consisted of 5 courses!Will of course visit again but sad that we have to wait till september, as closed for the summer as end of the year for the students, well done all of you, you all deserve to pass your year

Four of us went to The Lane on 19th April for lunch just out of curiosity. What a wonderful surprise! The previous review by Bill P covers everything about the restaurant, and all we can say is that we had what was probably the best value restaurant quality meal we have ever had. It was great to see the young students trying (with success) to provide a high quality service at such a modest price. We wish them all well, and congratulate the lecturers for guiding the students so effectively. It was nice to be told that all tips go towards a fun day for the students at the end of the year - they certainly deserve it.We will certainly be back.

This restaurant and brasserie is part of Northampton College and is run by students who are expected to master all the catering skills and who are under the close supervision of professionals, so no meal is sub-standard, in fact, quite the reverse. The restaurant is open to the public for lunches and dinners on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during term time.Three course lunches are available from as little as £7.50 (just £3.50p if you only want the main meal) and three course dinners from £19.95p. Alcohol, beverages and soft drinks are also available at very reasonable cost. I went with my partner and a group of friends and I was delighted by the service we received, the choice of meals available and their presentation and I must say the food was delicious rivalling if not beating many a professionally run restaurant.If you live within 20 miles of Northampton, make it your business to come to this establishment at least once - you may find yourself coming back again and again.