The Looking Glass in Sunderland

Attended a party here last night, Terrible service and drinks. The staff were miserable definitely no service with smiles in this place. I do agree with the last review, the staff need customer service training. Gin with a warm bottle of cheap lemonade for my first drink, Then I got a glass of Warm Prosecco (which I was advised by the staff that the party guests were drinking far to quick so can’t chill quick enough)🥴 Then I received a flat dreg from a different kind of Prosecco bottle which I had to send back. Then I noticed each round of the same drinks I was being charged different prices. When questioned I was told I should be lucky that I have been undercharged the previous time🥴 Good job this place is at the bottom end of the town so it was a 1 off visit, I’ll not have to visit again.

We booked a table prior to an Ed Sheeran concert, and the table was reserved no problem. Then our experience went down hill from there: totally appreciate how busy it was but there was no organisation or communication at all. We qued at the bar for drinks, and he told us he was making big table orders so we sat down and asked someone to come over for our drinks order - then as people qued at the bar they served all them first, we waited around 30 mins for the drinks to be made after asking if they had received the order. We then ordered food which we waited over 50 minutes for (the food was fine and so was the meats/cheese board), but the young lad got the order wrong and the food came at different stages which wasn’t ideal.. we were given no cutlery, no one asked if everything was ok with our meal. Absolute chaos to say the least and it unfortunately put a dampener on all our evenings. Certainly wouldn’t return - staff need customer service training and there needs to be someone clearly in charge.

Hello I booked for my mam and her friend for high tea Saturday 29 01 22 My mam and her friend had a wonderful time the food was excellent and presented very well, the staff were amazing both of them said they would go back again and again well done for making it a wonderful time for them Thankyou Akilner xx

Fantastic Restaurant/Bar with quality meals with generous portions and brilliant staff. So friendly. Highly Recommended.

Fast becoming one of my favourite places to eat in Sunderland, good food, nice staff eager to help (as I never book, well worth a try

Arrived to be sat at a coffee table for sunday lunch, asked if we could move, was told no table free despite only 2 tables occupied, we were moved to a bar table with bar stools which we liked better. Hour and a half later we had food, chicken was melt in your mouth, mash ok, roast pots tasted like cooked ,frozen then reheated. hard and dry. Had to remove own plates before dessert arrived. Ordered chocolate fudge cake, was served a toffee cake, asked for it to exchanged, to be told that it is chocolate fudge cake as sold by supplier ! 3and a half hours later. with No interaction from the 2 staff front of house, asked for bill, which was promptly delivered{ only thing that was} made it clear that not good, a round of drinks pint and 2 glasses of house wine, was taken off, could have said 80 pound for 3 lunches {set menu 15.00} 1 pints and a bottle of house wine with no service was steep. after that amount of time just wanted to leave. plus good decor. would not visit again.

Went in for Sunday dinner, lovely food and a great looking place, has the potential to be a fantastic place to go, however the service was slow , only one behind the bar and one waitress, ,,,,, we then just wanted ice cream for our dessert but was told we could only have it with cake or pudding, waited nearly half an hour only to be told there was only enough carrot cake for one serving, not impressed, and you should be able to get just ice cream, if that’s all you want,,, Having said that I would definitely go again.

Hidden gem for a pleasant, cooked Sunday lunch. Solo lunch with no booking, attentive and quick service.

We visited for Sunday lunch, 5 roasts dinners and 1 vegetarian. If was first class well cooked food and plenty of it, our compliments to the chef. This was our first visit but not the last. All of the staff were lovely friendly and very helpful. Very clean nice furnishings good atmosphere. we'll see you again soon, and thank you.

Second time visiting this amazing restaurant today.. very welcoming and friendly staff, we all had the Sunday lunch, very fresh food, large portions, great value for money! Hats off to the head chef .. we'll definitely be back again!! ( pic is from first visit , steak, couldn't wait to start dinner today lol)

Amazing Sunday lunch. First trip here today. Honestly, only positive things to say about it. Great location in sunniside, it’s kitted out so beautifully. First impression was the staff, explained things so nicely and you could tell they were smiling behind their masks, was such a warm welcome. Pork and chicken dinners ordered, food was amazing, best Sunday lunch out in Sunderland by far. Can’t believe we had let this place pass by without calling in until today - looking forward to going back already

My Mrs been desperate to visit for months. Took advantage of their amazing “Date Night” deal of 2 mains/sides/drinks for £30. From the first moment inside we were looked after superbly, the decor is a sublime. Great music in the background, the owners Mam was taking orders, showed us to our table & was just amazing the entire meal. From the little touches of my Mrs being asked to pick a card out of the pack to randomly choose what cocktail, the food was exceptional. Steak with pepper/strawberry sauce something I’ve never tried, want again! Can’t wait to visit again. Delightful venue, great hosts, top grub & a heated outdoor courtyard for the difficult COVID times. We will be back soon!!

We had afternoon tea in the function room for a baby shower. The room is very good for a function. The staff were lovely. The afternoon tea was good - especially considering it was only £10! The restaurant itself looked quirky and comfortable.

£9.70 for a double vodka and coke. I’ve been rolled in Manhattan by a 1 eyed gangster and didn’t feel as violated.

Visited here on the 20/02/2020 for lunch with a friend. Very cute and quirky decoration and food was pleasant. Price is reasonable and portions good. It’s a shame you have to pre book afternoon tea in advance as I would have opted for that. Overall nice and would like to try evening food and the Italian side.

Cakes not home-made and not very nice. Staff mopping the floors with bleach around us totally unnecessary as we were the only people there! Nice setting - spoilt by thoughtlessness

We visited here as a party of 4 for afternoon tea with one vegetarian. It was delicious and everything tasted fresh and finished to a high quality. We had many top-ups or tea and coffee and didn’t get any extra charge. I would definitely come back for afternoon tea and recommend anyone in the area to try it. Thank you for a pleasant afternoon.

Visited today for lunch with my daughter and grandson. Decor lovely. Just disappointed with a limited menu which felt over priced for what you got. £6 for a child’s meal felt quite steep and was basically deep fried. Not a great healthy choice. We had panini which had little flavour. Just felt a bit gutted when paying the bill for a below average experience. Maybe just our personal choice and I wish you well but doubt very much I would return

Had coffee and cake. Both nice, nice staff, good prices. Sat outside. Would recommend, although coffee wasn't amazing, it was passable. I am a coffee snob though :)

Had the chicken and ham pasta with some garlic bread in the Looking Glass delicious food staff friendly and helpful and washed down by that Legendary Sunderland beer Double Maxim. Highly recommended..

Always friendly staff, in a nice setting. Food is good value for money - and always fresh. A good little oasis in the quieter part of Sunderland City Centre

Came here for lunch with 2 friends and enjoyed a really lovely lunch. We all had the fish finger sandwich which was delicious. Venue was beautifully decorated with lovely touches at every turn. Staff were friendly.

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast here on Friday morning, the salmon special and the Breakfast omelette were really tasty. We enjoyed it so much that we came back with my sister and her husband fro breakfast again. Lovely staff and friendly atmosphere.

The best part was the food. Disappointed that the presentation was nothing like it's advertised on the website, nor was there the variety shown.

What a beautiful place this is..I visited with a friend after hearing such glowing reports. It didn't fail to disappoint...great food. Beautiful setting...outstanding staff and management

I treated my Mam to lunch here for Mother's Day, we weren't seeing each other on the actual day so went the Saturday before for lunch. The Looking Glass is a lovely little find and I'm so pleased we tried it. It's lovely and clean and decorated really nicely, a nice vibe and 'Alice in Wonderland esc' theme. Plenty to choose from on the menu too, from paninis to pasta! I had the warm chorizo salad which was amazing and my Mam had a tuna panini which she really enjoyed. We also had wine and coffees, the bill was around £24 so really good value and we were stuffed. I would definitely attend again, would be nice to go even just for coffee. Only one point to note, that when googling the place, it comes up with a mobile number which I found odd, I did call it to make a reservation and someone called me back on another mobile number. Just odd not to have a mobile number as a contact for a business but it did work.

Here first time as passed many times. Great choice,good prices. Great atmosphere and quick service. Very easy to find as not far from Norfolk Street. Good music and Alice in Wonderland themed.

We called in for a lunchtime snack, chose scones although the menu was very tempting and there were pasta specials. Cheese scone, nice but nothing special, fruit scone served with jam, cream and a strawberry - nice touch. As we were eating our diet-conscious scones, a convoy of super meals were presented to tables nearby, big chunky sweet potato chips, stacked burgers, salads the size of a house. We were thinking the diet could have been usefully suspended for the day. The café has an Alice in Wonderland theme, enough characterful (but comfortable) furniture and decor touches to be quirky but not so much that it flips into bonkers. Went to the counter to pay and noticed some very tempting cakes, will-power crumbled and we ordered a cheesecake and another round of the very pleasant Illy coffee. So - nice place, nice food, but the best feature is the staff. They clearly enjoy working there, friendly, chatty, enthusiastic and attentive. Very good service, the place is also noticeably clean and tidy.We don’t go to Sunderland often, next time we’ll skip breakfast and have proper Looking Glass lunch

Visited here with my family after visiting the museum & we were really surprised by how lovely it was. It is a beautifully decorated & the staff were so friendly & always smiling. The food was amazing, couldn’t believe the size of the portions, but they were really good quality ingredients and tasted fantastic. Fantastic visit & will definitely be coming back again & recommending The Looking Glass to family & friends!

We went to the Looking Glass because they were hosting an evening with one of our favourite local musicians, the Lake Poets. The events room was beautifully done up with a well stocked bar. The 2 course meal was delicious.

We were brought here by family whilst visiting the area. They have done wondrous things inside with the decor and ir feels like youve been transported when you step inside from the cold. We were greeted by friendly staff and even though there were six of us with no booking they were happy to accommodate us. Service was excellent, as was the food and the prices were very reasonable. We all left happy and I wouldn't hesitate in coming again.

Called in for lunch after visiting a solicitors. Really nice place to eat. Very clean and tidy. Staff very good and pleasant. Prices not bad. A pleasant experience

Came across this place by accident when meeting family. The restaurant we intended to visit was closed so we just wandered to find somewhere else.Decor is different but interesting, the place very clean.Staff pleasant helpful.The dishes, although not the best we have had, we're perfectly acceptable.Overall a very nice experience and the prices reasonable.We would certainly return on our next visit to the area.

I have been here 3 times now - a lunch-time light bite, a lunch-time special occasion with 18 of my friends and a work's Christmas evening event in the function room - each time the venue has been just fabulous. The staff are so friendly and helpful. The evening entertainment with singer and DJ are fantastic. The room décor, atmosphere and food again fantastic. I would recommend The Looking Glass for both a bite to eat or a special occasion.

Had afternoon tea today really lovely food excellent great value for Money staff very accomadating nothing too much trouble highly recommend it.

Called here today supposedly for a coffee but when we saw the food we had to try it we had Cumberland sausage sandwich and sweet potato fries it was absolutely delicious the staff couldn’t do enough for you very friendly and helpful will be back

Out shopping and called in for a coffee. Great venue Pleasant decor Great staff Very tasty coffee ( illy brand ) Prices ok

Lovely quirky surroundings on the Alice in Wonderland theme. The staff were very welcoming on arrival and very attentive. The menuhas something for everyone from tea/ coffee, breakfast and lunch! Great selection of cocktails!

I had lunch here today with my husband and 2 children. I couldn’t find any fault at all and would definitely recommend. The restaurant itself is quirky and beautifully decorated and all our food was delicious and good value for money. The staff were friendly and attentive. I will definitely be back for a second visit.

In Sunderland with a couple of hours to spare and found this little bar by accident. Looked lovely on the outside. Was even nicer inside. Obviously themed around Alice in Wonderland I loved the whole setting. We ordered the specials cocktails. (2 for £10). They were delicious. I had Mojito and my friend had Espresso Martino. Delicious and rather strong for an empty stomach! Will be back to try more!

What a fab concept. We visisted on Saturday and the area around was busy, probably due to it being the first home game if the season. The venue itself was beautiful and offered lots of opportunity for pictures. The service was attentive and there were special offers on cocktails. However we were there to sample the gin afternoon tea. This included sandwiches, quiche, a cheese and a fruit scone each and a number of cakes. The gin jam and clotted cream were a tasty accompaniment too. Of that isnt enough you also receive tea and a pink gin all for £15 per person. We didnt manage all the food but we gave it a good go. Cant wait to return to sample more from the menu.

Didn't know this place existed till we walked past recently. Decided to call in for drink. Bar staff very friendly and made our cocktails to order which were great.Although prices are higher than other pubs in town it is well worth a visit for the great surroundings. We will definitely be back in future.

Following a visit from last weekend I treated him in doors to breakfast todayWe arrived minutes before opening however we were welcomed in and made very very welcome Our waitress jemela ( sorry if name spelt incorrect) was an absolute Jem to say the leastShe took her time with us even though by then there was other people arriving took our order with drinksI had an accident with the milk but it was not an issue at allI had many questions about the looking glass and what it had to offer she immediately went and came back with the answers very efficient indeedThen our food arrived to say wow to an ommellette for me and full English for him indoors does not do it justiceThe food was absolutely delicious and spot on well done looking glassJemela made sure we were ok without being over powering or intrusive thank you so much jemela she is an asset to the looking glass Please keep on doing what you doing looking glass as we need more like you in Sunderland city well donePeople need to visit

Called in a few weeks ago for the first time and it won’t be the last. Food was lovely, hand cut thick chips were to die for, staff friendly but not in your face, ambience fantastic and prices reasonable. Good menu with plenty of choice Hope this business does well.

Popped in for lunch while shopping in town. This used to be "The Place" but has been transformed with an Alice in Wonderland theme, one of my favourite childhood books-but anyway back to the review. The Greek salad was sooo good,lettuce,sun dried tomatoes,mixed olives,onions,peppers and feta cheese,absolutely beautiful and a substantial portion, beautifully presented.The other meal was from special board and was a club sandwich served with 'fries' but they were in fact huge potato wedges, I did pinch one and it was freshly cooked and absolutely delicious. The sandwich itself was,I am reliably informed,"something else"and thoroughly enjoyed.We will be back to try again. Although a little off the beaten track it is well worth the detour...try it folks

Popped in here today for lunch whilst shopping in town.absolutely lovely decor and settings.we were shown round the premises before our meals and were more than impressed.this place is really going to take off.the meal itself was delicious washed down with a drink each and reasonably priced.the staff are all well presented attentive and more than helpful.well done to you all.sunderlands new gem.we will certainly return

Popped into here as heard all about it and looks interesting. It is an amazing looking place and when you walk in it has the wow factor. The menu is is nice and service is great however I did have a problem with our order. I ordered penne Arrabiata and a portion of chunky chips for my daughter. My pasta was not nice it all. The sauce was very watery and runny and tasteless other than the chilli. The sauce was very like the Asda smart price tomato sauce. I don't know whether the pasta hadn't be drained properly or what but I just couldn't eat it. My daughter's chips looked great and apparently were to die for however they were served in one of those metal buckets which means she only got about six in total. In my opinion the portion is a little too stingy. I'm really devastated there were problems with the food because otherwise the place is great and a real positive departure in the right direction for Sunerland. I haven't down marked it as I really want this place to work. I would still pop back because I'm sure little things like this will be ironed out. Despite my groan still thoroughly recommend.

Visited here 4 times so far since it recently opened. Every visit has been a lovely experience. Myself and my daughter have tried all ranges of the menu, all day breakfast was amazing just what we needed before our journey to Manchester to see Ed Sheeran. We called in one Saturday lunch time and sampled a selection of the tasty bites on offer washed down with a nice bottle of Sauvignon blanc. Popped in for a lovely Illy coffee and a slice of the delicious cakes which are show cased on the counter. Then a couple of days ago popped in and one of the specials of the day " a posh crisp sarnie" my good it was to die for. To sum up the food is amazing, as are the lovely staff, service and the decor is outstandingly beautiful. Needless to say the Looking glass is a firm favourite of ours. Service, food and value are all EXCELLENT