The Old Boathouse in Northumberland

Such a cozy, wonderful place to eat. My other half and I went on a last minute Sunday dinner date here and it was such a great experience. Honestly, some of the best seafood and crab I’ve had in my 33 years on earth. The local gin we had was great too. Phenomenal service as well. 10000/10

Some lovely seafood here, really fresh.. slightly lacking in seasoning in my opinion.. but would come back to try other things! Scallops looked to die for

Waited less time for surgery on the NHS. Starters returned due to being inedible. The squid hadn't been prepped, the membrane hadn't been removed which meant it was chewy. Scallops came cold. Chowder was basically veg and cream. To top it off, it was also a little pricy.

Cosy, friendly place with great food reasonably priced.

Exceptional food, great location overlooking the harbour. The fish (whole roasted sea bass) was delicious and cooked perfectly, the portion size was good. The autumn fruits with mascarpone was one of the tastiest desserts I've had in a long time.

Really nice food and super friendly staff. Highly recommend!

Excellent service, great food and really good view and they allow dogs.

The sister restaurant to the Fish Shack. Great food, served promptly by friendly staff. View over the harbour is very good. Top marks

We arrived as a party of 7 plus a toddler without a reservation and, though the place was very busy, staff were able to accommodate us, with surprising speed. The food, with an emphasis on seafood, though not exclusively, was off I high standard. I had the Cullen Skunk and my preference would have been to have large lumps of fish in a broth, most of the dish looked like it had been blended, then two or three lumps of haddock added, a bit disappointing really. The rest of the party were delighted with their choices; steamed seafood, hake, a real variety, all cooked to perfection! I don't know what they pay their staff, but they really need to hold on to them, they added to the experience. Despite working flat out they were friendly, helpful and kept the toddler in the party very amused. The setting and location are both excellent and I will definitely be back if I'm ever in the area again. I cannot recommend The Old Boathouse highly enough.

Spent a very enjoyable houat the Boathouse on Monday afternoon a delicious scone with jam and cream and a cold glass of wine .

Stopped here for an afternoon brew and a bottle of lager. Very nice location and staff were friendly and full of smiles. Dogs welcome, which is always a bonus. The menus looked tasty and prices online with other restaurants we have seen locally. A good choice of seafood available. I would definitely return and would probably stay for more than a drink second time around.

A lovely space- making for the anticipation of a good evening. However we had a disappointing experience. Some of the food was so poor that it went back. The person serving continuously justified that it was right to charge for the dish in question. We left feeling very disappointed and not listened to.

Lovely informal restaurant. Dog friendly. Great seafood, my husband had fish & chips and I chose a steamed shellfish pot. Highly recommended. Friendly service.

Amazing menu for seafood. All very well cooked and tasty. The plates were huge. The staff very pleasant. Seating in the bar area is dog friendly.

You have to eat here! Simply fantastic, we had the Fish Platter, everything was cooked to perfection, the wine is great and the service was fantastic. One of the best meals I have ever eaten.

Excellent! An amazing range of perfectly cooked delicious fish. Great table service from Claire and her team. We take all our well traveled foodie friends there when visiting us, and they are always overflowing with compliments.

Always a great meal served here. 👍

Delicious food. Hake green curry advertised with basmati rice, came with plain old long grain. Such a shame. More sauce required next time please.

Rustic setting with good menu options on the specials board. Nice view of the harbour from where we were seated, which adds to the experience. Everything was fresh and tasty.

Wonderful family lunch in this cafe. We walked in without a reservation as 12 people and a dog but were seated and served with genuine warmth. The fish and chips and the squid starter were fantastic and I would go out of my way to come back to Amble for this. The cakes looked amazing in the window, and like the other food, didn’t disappoint! Make sure you pop into the pod shops around the cafe, especially Edie Pebble!

Had the chowder on recommendation . Very disappointing not much taste and packed with vegetables . Won't go back

Fantastic food, service, and atmosphere. A must place to visit when in Amble.

This was a birthday meal for my daughter at this waterside restaurant, I had a slight mix up with my order that was rectified without fuss and tasted really good. Dog friendly

What an amazing experience we had! Treating ourself to the fish platter was definitely worth it and is highly recommended. Yes it’s £45 but it’s amazing value including lobster 🦞 and Lindisfarne oysters. The service was fantastic and the optional service charge was worth it. Suffice to say any visit to Amble must include a visit to The Old Boat House ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overpriced and over rated. Food bland

Busy busy busy...Great food well worth the wait.

Fabulous sea food restaurant. Worth the money.

Very disappointing. The staff need training in customer service as does the manageress. On arrival the bar was a huge mess of glasses on arrival. Had to wait for drinks order. We had booked some days before so they were expecting a large birthday party of 7, one child, on a special occasion. The wait time for food was over an hour! The wait time for drinks and repeat drinks too long. The food was unremarkable and very expensive for the quality and presentation. Two steaks not cooked as asked. My fish chowder should be named carrot and celery chowder, There was barely a flake of fish in it. Waitress did a very fast table check after serving by which time I had not realised how disappointing my chowder was and ditto for the steak eaters. At the end of the meal, the waitress who removed my plate asked Yeah me had there been something wrong to which I replied it was awful and disappointing and I had never had chowder like it made mainly from Carrot and celery. She said she would pass this on and I assumed she would tell the chef and all rest immediately. Clearly, she did not. We asked for the bill, Astonishingly they had added 10% service charge and also left on my “carrot“ chowder. Not wanting to make a scene or embarrass the bill paying birthday guy I waited until my party had left and then asked to speak to the manageress. In front of other dining customers, she argued with me! She was unpleasant and unprofessional. She blamed me for not having highlighted my dissatisfaction with the meal And was quite confrontational in front of other diners. She eventually said she would refund the chowder by which time it was far too late To repair the damage done. I left. None of us will ever return to the old boathouse in Amble. And we would never recommend this place. There are some awful reviews buried in amongst some of the better reviews nearer the top. The bad reviews should be put up first. Very disappointing when you’re looking forward to something and it’s a special occasion and by the way that was not even acknowledged. Bad and bad.

Had a lovely lunch date today with my partner recovering from been in hospital lush little twist is the starlings that sing to you and are always near

Waited an hour between starters and main courses, had to remind them. Other diners later in and served before us. Rather expensive. Tip added to bill which we removed.

We have had a really nice meal at the Old Boat House, the food was delicious and very tasty, nice portions, nice atmosphere and very good service, lovely staff!

Absolutely rubbish chips were soggy and tasteless 10%service charge added A very dissapointed experience don't bother

Lovely food but the young staff could use some customer service training.

Our experience was deeply disappointing; having looked forward to our visit and told our guests (from the USA) how lovely it would be. Our last visit, a few years before, had stayed with us. We have even recommended it to numerous others in the interim. Our booking, made the previous day, in person, had been lost, so we could only eat outside. It was too hot, we had to keep moving seats for the one in the shade. Granted it must have been a long, busy day - however, whilst the staff were pleasant enough and the service adequate, the food was a massive let down. Starters were decent but mains bland, largely underseasoned - and mine arrived lukewarm. Underwhelmed just about sums it up. Overall, very sad to have to write this and say we are unlikely to return or recommend.

Nice view from outdoor seating looking into the water. We visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon so the area was busy and so was the restaurant so it wasn’t a quiet relaxing meal. Quite expensive but the food was worth it. Mussels were delicious. Nicest lunch I have had in a long time.

Good selection of seafood dishes and a plant based menu for the awkward people.

We stopped to eat during a day out, the service was friendly and attentive which was excellent as the place was rammed with diners, they have an excellent specials board and a equally good main menu, I opted for the fish and chips, it was well cooked and hot 10 out of 10 for taste as well, the portion size was generous I couldn't fi ish it, which is a shame as I really enjoyed it, the drinks selection was great, everything from beer to tea, also they have a great range of non alcoholic beers which I am a fan of.... all in all it was a pleasant experience and one we will return to.

A lovely quayside location with a decent selection of fresh fish and seafood dishes. Staff are excellent and chatty which adds to the experience. The fish and chips were beautiful! The town is a working fishing port that is in transition so there are lots of little pop up businesses on the quay. The food isn't cheap but it is value for money and compares well to more well known fishing towns like Whitby.

Food was delicious. Staff very friendly. But service was a bit slow as they were busy

Excellent sea food. Location right on the harbour side.

Popped in in spec on a Friday lunchtime. We’re offered seats in side or out given some menus and told that they would be back to take our orders. We found a perfect spot outside looking on to the harbour and adequate time to check the menus. Someone came over as promised took our orders and we waited approx 15 mins for food. I had the chowder with extra mussels and a cheese scone. It was delicious. My only query is that I asked for the small portion and it was huge so beware if you are ordering. Great value for money though. My partner got the haddock and chips which he rated on a par to our favourite restaurant in Whitby. The haddock was described as fresh and the chips delicious. The food was excellent and we stayed around for a good 20 mins people watching and letting our food digest. Not once did we feel rushed to move even though there were a steady stream of customers coming in and out. We’ve at at their sister restaurant the fish shack before to be honest this is our preferred venue purely for the views. We will definite back.

Varied menu. Sat outside on a sunny day. BUT Discretionary 10% automatically added to bill☹️

Like a previous reviewer. we were offered brusque service bordering on the unpleasant. With three or four tables free, we were told 'you can't sit there' when we sat at a table where we could have our pushchair to the side of the table. We left.

Very nice fish restaurant. Service was friendly and the food came quickly. Everything was fine

Jul'24 - standards dropping. Haddock overcooked & dry- panacotta like rubber - chocolate ice cream included lumps of fudge. Specials board includes many repeats. Scallops with pork belly not good try with chorizo or blabk pudding for a change. Aug'23 - Back again - 3 starters & 2 mains vg but Scallops with Cauliflower was a disappointment as Cauli was chunks of raw cold cauli lying in a puddle of vinaigrette - should have been cooked or marinated - unpleasant texture - Scallops also a little on the small side - does the chef taste his food??? Previous visit - Used to be superb but standards have fallen a little post covid.

Really tasty plate of fish and chips with home made tartare sauce. Service was excellent from a lovely smiley young lady. Will certainly be back

Huge portions of Haddock and Boston chips. Lovely food, great friendly staff and a view to die for. A must visit.

Lovely views, good service and food. Just the whole Lobster Thermidor was very mashy and lacked flavour and lobster meat.

Great food and location -good weather made visit memorable

Lovely fresh seafood, fab views and very friendly staff

Sat outside and whilst the food was OK the company we kept wasn't the best. Birds. The cheeky sods would come within feet to you on the table and the bird poo was everywhere. Inside the restaurant looked amazing. Service was okish they brought my beer after everyone else had finished.

Excellent. Fantastic fish dishes and ambience. They managed my dairy intolerance with ease, changing sauces without any hassle.

Absolutely stunning food, best squid I have ever eaten. The choices on the menu were so varied, looking around the restaurant, I would have been happy with anything! Highly recommend!

Fantastic... Food, service and location. Highly, highly recommend

Wonderful restaurant, we got the seafood platter and it was fantastic!

Had a wonderful meal at The Old Boathouse. We had a table outside in the sunshine. The seafood is fabulous, and there is a great specials menu. Lovely place right by the waters edge.

Wonderful food and service but if you take dogs with you you’re better to sit outside as it’s tight in the bar area.

The Food here is absolutely amazing, I've been coming to this area for years yet it's the first time I've been to this restaurant. I now wish I had visited years ago as I will certainly be returning.

Great food in a very good location. Will definately visit again.

I really liked this place, didn’t eat but the menu looked good. Great to sit on a lovely evening with a drink and watch the sunset. Friendly staff and good selection of drinks available

An odd experience. The a board advertises coffee and scones among other things but at 11.45am on a chilly Thursday our group of four were told by the woman who greeted us that we could only sit inside (almost empty) if we were having lunch (it was still morning!) We headed to the (completely empty) 6 or 7 outside tables that are shielded by screens from the wind, but no "You can't sit there, I'm cleaning them." The only other tables were exposed to the elements so we left and went somewhere else. Perhaps she didn't like how we looked.

Delicious lunch, generous portions, carefully prepared.

Excellent. Would like to go back again when it's a sunnier day to sit outside. Definitely recommend

Amazing location on the harbour front with great views of the Coquet estuary. Food was delicious. Wine all French and a bit on the pricey side. A nice crisp New Zealand Sauvignon blanc would have been much preferred.

Just a light lunch but very tasty

Very disappointed with our meal here. The staff were very nice and offered a table inside with our dog however, we chose to sit outside in the covered decking area. Our first impression of the menu was that it was expensive and didn't match the tied fixture and fittings. My vegetarian chic pea curry was undercooked and it was more like eating a runny curry sauce pored over slightly heated chic pea and kale. All very crunchy. The promised roast potatoes were just fried cubes of mash. My wife's magarita pizza was fine but a little over loaded with cheese. The local ale called Adder was just a bit to fizzy for my liking but maybe that's a northern thing.

Great food lovely views appalling service

If you're in the area, try and go there. Best to book

Wow! Wonderful. I was dying for a bowl of mussels! They were excellent!! My wife had prawn salad, also superb! The haddock mains were excellent too. The food was fantastic but the service was even better. Smiles all the time, so helpful and professional. Won't hesitate to go back! If you haven't tried The Old Boathouse get yourself to Amble as soon as you can. Adam Lewandowski

Good meal, but we waited over an hour for our meal, without any explanation Limited menu since our last visit It will be our last visit. Such pity as this resturant use to be our favourite.

Nice place, clean and tidy. The food was good, we had hot dressed crab, with parmesan crust, focaccia bread and garlic butter. Crab was lovely but focaccia bread was two small fingers. When paying the bill we were given the cost but we're not told about a £6.25 service charge.

The stop for dinner in this place was the culmination of a wonderful day. With a friend we wanted to eat the typical "fish and chips", it wasn't terrible, but I've had much better ones. The place, the service and the view were excellent.

Gorgeous lunch at The Old Boathouse! Both had the fish and chips (eaten before I took a picture) and both stunning. I ordered the fish and chips gluten free (coeliac) and I was reassured this was cooked with gluten free batter in a separate fryer. So so lovely will be back!

Amazing vegan options including very good fish and chips with samphire, and chowder, which I haven't seen elsewhere. Got a lovely table outside overlooking the harbour, very nice. Busy place though on a warm day.

A great afternoon with family, good food with great views overlooking the harbour.

Really looking forward to having fish and chips today after reading positive reviews. Very disappointed with the result. To be fair the service was good and the fish was tasty but the chips were terrible! They were supposed to be double cooked. Tasted soggy and very greasy. Not very impressed for two meals costing over 50 quid! with tea and coffee. Extremely overrated in my opinion.

Amazing hake with mussels in green Thai curry sauce. Highly recommended!

Enjoyed the haddock and chips they where a little greasy but my husband loved them . A nice welcoming place and a great view. I think they had a lot to offer if you love all types of fish and shell fish .

Lovely ambiance for a seafood dinner. Overlooking tidal river outlet to the harbour and sea. Three of us shared the huge seafood platter. A delight.

This is the best place for sea food in Northumberland backed up with excellent service . Good selection of wine and beer

Absolutely excellent seafood in a stunning setting. Great staff too. Can't fault it. I had the baked plaice and my wife had the hake in Thai green curry, both were beautifully cooked and presented.

Shocked to learn that they offer a plant based menu which meant our party of mixed dietary requirements could all have a nice sit down meal together. The food was absolutely exceptional, as was the setting and the service provided. Would definitely recommend

Only had drinks but lovely location sat in the sun outside, friendly staff and good quality drinks

Great choice of food, really tasty. Very friendly staff and great atmosphere.

Excellent food, a little pricey but worth the experience.

Wonderful location and menu, a real gem of the northeast.

Good seafood but increased prices make value questionable. We enjoyed a nice lunch here but the potted lobster in Bamburgh is still better and similarly priced.

Food was absolutely delicious 😋

Lovely friendly staff and beautiful haggis sausage rolls

Nice food well presented but could not understand why it was so expensive for what I got, on ordering I was expecting something a little more special for the price and I got a average fish and chips and a cold crumble that lacked crumble for dessert.

Friendly staff but it's ridiculously overpriced and tiny portions. Tried their new plant-based menu as it looked good, but £14 for a single bao bun is a right scam. Same with rest of menu. Avoid!

Good Friday lunch….absolutely superb from start to finish…monkfish for starter, sea bass for main followed by a delicious creme brûlée all washed down by a beautiful bottle of Blanc de Blanc…my other half went for scallops for starter followed by hake then ginger pudding for desert…clean plates all around…excellent meal with second to none service…well done to all…would highly recommend.

Multi Award winning seafood restaurant. Excellent menu. We were looking for a light lunch. Soup was delicious

The service was brilliant and the location and atmosphere lovely. However. My friend’s fish and chips were great. But. I had sea bream with greens and heritage potatoes. The fish was faultless. But the greens were soggy and overdone and the potatoes were overdone and cool. My son had a margarita pizza. The first one came out raw. The waitress was lovely. Took it off our bill. And said she would get another one. We waited. And waited. Finished our, now cold, main courses. Waited a bit more. The pizza arrived. The dough was still white and soft in the middle. And. Apparently. Tastes like ‘school pizza’. So in short stick to the seafood ! They didn’t charge us for the pizza and the staff were great. It still spoiled our lunch.

Usually has good seafood pizzas but on this occasion the base was shop bought and not good.

We've been a few times and can't fault it for both breakfast and dinner

Excellent, friendly service, shame about the food! My chowder was tasteless and just full of carrots! My main was pork belly, no crackling and very tough meat.

They’ve had an upgrade since I last visited and it’s fab. Loads of seats and great staff. My wife and I had cheese scone and a fruit scone plus hot chocolate. We loved the food but found the hot chocolate a wee bit on the cool side. One area they could improve upon is the inside seating area. Feels too much like a school refectory for my liking.

Lovely cafe, service and coffee great, scones massive!!

This was a great visit, we had booked a week in advance, as we had heard it was very busy place and highly recommended. It did not disappoint, i have the dressed crab, it was totally amazing, we had various fish dishes and it was all so good. Top marks to the friendly staff and the chefs. Lovely night out and the food was so good. Thanks")