The Owl & Otter in County Durham

A return visit, this time to try the Sunday lunch. I ordered pork belly and my friend chicken, both absolutely gorgeous. The belly pork was a huge slab, and no fat! Really flavoursome and well presented. Couldn’t fault the food at all! The service was quick, but I was abit disappointed after opting not to get a desert that when menu was taken away, then the waitress returned with the bill, even though we’d not asked for it? Another waitress swiftly followed and asked if we needed the card machine. We paid and I finished my drink, whilst being made to feel like they were waiting for us to leave. I appreciate it’s a busy place, but we’d been at the table less than an hour, and made quite a journey! It let the place down today, and while the food is beautiful and worth the drive - I’m not sure I’d hurry back to be made to feel rushed out.

First visit and very impressed. Food was plentiful and well presented - and high quality. Service was prompt and very attentive and friendly. Only let down was the lack of choice in draught ale. Recommended.

Service was fantastic from start to finish! Our group had steak pies and fish and chips—10/10 for all! They even brought out a chocolate brownie with a candle for my mother’s birthday—such a lovely touch! We will definitely return; there are so many lovely items on the menu we’d love to try.

Quite simply the best Sunday lunch my mouth has ever come in to contact with. Heard very good things about the Owl and Otter so thought we would give it a go and we were not disappointed. Excellent service throughout. Staff very attentive. Quick service and the food was absolutely divine. Made the tough decision to sacrifice a starter and save ourselves for desert. A decision not taken lightly given how tempting the teriyaki glazed pork belly bites looked. We both opted for the pork belly main. Wow! Gorgeous slab of tender pork belly atop a mountain of veg, mash and stuffing with roasties and Yorkshires nestled closely near by. Turns out we didn’t need the additional side order of cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets as the main meal wore than held its own, so much so that I didn’t even have room for rhubarb crumble and custard. Excellent experience and we will definitely be back although next time we will have to sacrifice the sides in order to sample some desert. Two beers, two soft drink, two Sunday lunches plus two additional sides came to £60. Incredible value.

My wife had the featherblade beef and I had belly pork and massive pork crackling ,dinners full of flavour absolute worth the money we also had a sticky toffee pudding for dessert and was absolute bangin ..it was our first time there and I was totally impressed with the staff and organisation of the place as it was rammed ,I'd definitely return ...probs best place for a sunday roast hands down . Make sure you book though

Excellent quality food with friendly staff. Would definitely recommend 👌🏻

This is our local, and we are so lucky. However, it's worth a journey as the food, staff, and ambience are fantastic

First time visiting the owl and otter, I would highly recommend it, food was excellent staff are friendly and it’s a lovely warm welcoming atmosphere

Fabulous little pub gorgeous food dog friendly as well if you want to take the pooch with you never had a bad meal yet

Absolutely amazing place to go with family or friends.. just been tonight for a 50th party of 16 service and food was top drawer definitely be going back thanks to the staff

Met my friend for lunch. Ordered the 'small' fish and chips, which were delicious! The batter was crisp, and the fish perfectly cooked. The chips were thick cut and delicious, as was the mushy peas and tartare sauce. Bring your appetite! The staff were lovely, very helpful, but not too in your face, but available whenever we needed anything. Recommend, and looking forward to a return visit soon!

Unreal Sunday Dinner and beautiful pub!

Just been for a meal I did not expect the portions to be as big. I like my food but found it difficult to finish the two courses I had. We were told the food could take up to 20 mins to arrive it came a lot sooner. Staff were great, service was great, hopefully going back soon

First time there would definitely go back and try the Sunday lunch

Really good food! Good service too. Such a drastic improvement from The Plough.

Amazing Sunday lunch, one of the nicest around and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend the feather blade beef it was so tender and fell apart Lovely cocktails too £30 each for a main dessert and drink is great value for the quality of food and the service

Food outstanding current refub does effect front of pub but once finished it will take it to another level

We had Sunday lunch at the Owl and Otter with our dog. Online booking was simple for the dog friendly area. Arrived early due to bad weather and was seated in the bar next to roaring fire. Everything runs like clockwork here.. staff are friendly and very welcoming, it’s warm and has a great atmosphere. Food was delicious.. best nut roast we’ve had in a while… Mother had chicken which she said was delicious also.. Gravy can we served on the side.. Portions are big ( we could have shared) and we ended up taking away two boxes of left overs.. the deserts looked amazing but we were so full up we could t manage them.

Always a pleasure! Always busy, but not too busy to make one feel welcome with good cheerful welcoming service

My wife and I visited the Owl & Otter after strong recommendations from our food loving sister in law. Stating it was the Best Sunday Lunch in the North East. In short, she was right, we were very impressed with the food and friendly service. The restaurant was packed out at 2pm, we booked the week before, we were unable to book a table in previous weeks. We both ordered Sunday roast. I got the belly pork and wife went for beef. The food was awesome, very tasty, well presented and large portions. The welcome and service was very friendly. Glass of Merlot was excellent. Only grumble, the portion size was too large and I couldn’t fit in a sweet. I had cheesecake envy watching the waitress delivering the deserts to other tables. Definitely be back soon to try the Teriyaki Belly Pork starter and Cheesecake. 5 Stars!!

Best Sunday we have had out EVER . we live over 20 miles from the owl and otter and this is now going to be our regular for Sunday dinner.

Beautiful meal. Starters and mains all cooked well, tasty and great portions. Special shout out to the steak and ale pie 👌 Staff were friendly and service fast. Will definitely be back again soon!

Really dissapointed with this place. It has all the looks (food and restaurant) but the food was tasteless. For the price your paying you expect quality. The staff were impatient and rude. We ordered tandoori loaded fries for our son, which were over £7 and they were a disgrace. It was just frozen chips with burnt tandoori crumb on the top. We changed them for something else but the waitress didn't seem happy and was rude. I ordered a sticky toffee pudding for desert and that was awful. We will never be going back. We paid £109 for the 5 of us.

Lovely restaurant and very warm and welcoming staff. Catered for our allergies perfectly and very helpful. Lovely atmosphere and the food and cocktails were gorgeous!

My 4th trip to this amazing place with my other half. I can't even begin to tell you how stunning the food was again. The staff were absolutely fantastic too, nothing is a problem for them. I never usually eat pudding but could not resist trying one. The cheesecake, stunning. Thank you.

We returned to the Owl and Otter after having such a fantastic meal a few months ago. We got seated in the dog friendly area fine despite it being the run up to Christmas and not having a table booked. We opted for the steak and ale pie again as it’s amazing and huge in portion. Even bigger this time as they had added a Yorkshire on top with it being near Christmas. On our table we also had the truffle and Parmesan fries, Roman bread and Thai coconut soup with Brie and cranberry wontons. These were also all delicious. Hoping to return again when the Seafood Chowder comes back on the menu! The staff are very friendly and food is exceptional. Have recommended to others!

Excellent food, great choice and good portions, lovely inside decor. Staff friendly and attentive. Pie was unbelievable!! Will be returning.

Was lovely very busy but had Christmas feeling

Doesn't matter what you were doing, drop everything and get down here for dinner! The menu is a mix of dishes from different cuisines and they are all excellent. The pizza is first class and the steak and ale pie is epic and as good as it gets. The staff are excellent and there is a large dog friendly area. It gets busy at peak times so probably best to book if you are dining but we have managed to walk in too.

Cracking food! Loved it, lovely place and what a Steak and Ale pie ! Amazing

Would like to have a given zero as it is 1s it is, it's been impossible to book a table or have anyone answer the phone and the booking system only allows for 4 people before you have to ring. As it is someone else's Pub is celebrating our son's 18th with us...odd way to do business if you can't get anyone to answer the phone,so you chance it taking the trip to the pub and hope you can get into a pub that appears popular or dead

We had the cheeseburger and steak pie, both were amazing. Very friendly team who genuinely want you to enjoy your experience. Very well decorated with quirky features including pull chain toilets. You won't be disappointed.

Fabulous meal. I recommend the Lamb shank.also the Sunday lunch is superb 👌 staff very attentive and polite 😋 Excellent service

We have visited a number of times and usually can’t fault the food, and great dog menu. This last visit however… very disappointing, eating out over the festive season should be avoided!!! We opted for the turkey dinner and it was lukewarm at best, yorkshires a bit tough and stone cold. We had the waitress visit the table about a third of the way through to ask if all was ok, the waitress went to tell the kitchen, 5 minutes later another visit and we were asked what they could do (no solution provided/suggested) we were so far through the meal it wasn’t worth it, plus I’m always nervous to send food back. As it was our Christmas meal and to salvage our lunch, we decided on dessert and coffee, the former were quite nice however, the coffee was very weak (latte in most places do double shot as standard, not here, do please remember to ask!), I did ask for it extra hot so at least we had something hot. Our dogs had the 3 meat and mash option, this was 2 meat this time. Although the two portions were plentiful so our 4 legged companions were oblivious. The meal would have been lovely had it been hot. We will not be rushing back.

Just Wow best Sunday lunch I’ve ever had everything and I mean everything was perfect just a little busy

Unreal food! Will 100% be going back

Went midweek for evening meal. Restaurant was busy but still had some space, plenty of staff, good level of service. Food was delivered promptly, good quality, reasonably priced.

A nice place to eat. Staff were very good, polite and welcoming. The decor is well executed and generally a nice environment. The food was good, not excellent but good (we believed some hype we saw online which raised out expectations) the vegetables were fresh and crunchy but i was a little disappointed in the lamb shank, for that price I expected more meat and one area was dry/overcooked, as stated expectation were high. Would we return? No, as its really good “pub food” but in our opinion overpriced still.

We came here for Sunday lunch yesterday. Car park was full but it was safe to park on the little road right outside. We were greeted and seated very promptly. Staff were friendly and courteous, asking us if everything was to our liking. We both ordered the roast topside beef and shared some cauliflower cheese. Generous portion sizes, especially with the thick cuts of beef! Food was delicious and very visually appealing. Definitely recommend, will hope to visit again another time we’re in the area!

We have eaten here numerous times and all has been good. The service and atmosphere are always good, and it’s warm as it should be. Today the food was poor to say the least burger was served on a wooden board with no room to actually cut it. The burger tasted just of garlic and water. My partners butter chicken curry tasted like they had tried to stretch out the sauce adding in uncooked spices. The naan was hard on one side and the chips were dry. We didn’t finish the meals and expressed our displeasure when asked if all was ok. We were offered a free dessert as way of compensation but declined. Including drinks we spent just over £64 £17 for a burger of that quality no never again.

Beautiful Sunday lunch, went on a walk locally and booked in on the morning wasn’t disappointed the Sunday roasts were amazing. Dog friendly also. Will be back next time up this way

First visit and it won't be the last. Gorgeous food, generous portions, I was gutted I couldn't fit a pudding in. Couldn't even finish my main. Proper pie as well, not a casserole with a pastry lid ...😍

We visited twice this weekend with friends, food and service absolutely brill

Nice meal , only problem that is really really major no downstairs toilet which would put me off going again , toilets upstairs are too steep and not friendly for the older generation ,why you moved downstairs toilets is a mystery ,sorry but won't be coming again

Great food big portions great parking lovely staff

We decided to go on the spur of the moment and we're pleasantly surprised that we could get in as it's a very popular venue. The outside belies what is inside and kerbside impressions don't do the venue real justice. Once inside you are greeted with a well organised and warm environment. The staff were really friendly and attentive. The food is very good. We had the venison bourgignon and monkfish. The food was beautifully cooked and presented and came promptly after being ordered... 15-20mins which shows proper cooking and not heated up Within 45 minutes the place was very busy, but they had lots of staff on hand and it appeared slick, with tables being cleared of glasses and plates promptly. Staff were always on hand and drinks refill requests were prompt without being overbearing. It's sometimes difficult for venues to get the staffing ratios right but it felt just right. We were served by one of the the managers and they were well informed about the food and were happy to make recommendations and explain choices. Excellent service, that makes a difference We were very happy with all aspects of the venue and would wholeheartedly recommend going out of your way to give this a go. We will certainly be back to try some of the other dishes and possible travel to Shirley Bridge to one of their other venues. Well done.

I’d give this 6 stars if I could. We had the best Sunday lunch ever! Everything was perfect. Rebecca who served us was so kind polite and professional. Absolute pleasure to dine here. We will 100% be going back for that feather blade!! Yummy!!! Well done to everyone involved. 💯

The best in Durham!!! We love to go all the time.

The veg was lovely and fresh,y top side of beef was tough and I couldn't eat it unfortunately, my partner's pork was nice though. I think this was very hyped up to what it was imh. 6/10

After all the hype around this place we decided to try Sunday lunch. We booked for 12.30, arrived 12.15 the car park and streets around was packed. We got seated fairly quickly, staff were very pleasant and efficient. Ordered Pork dinner and Beef dinner. Portions appeared to be really big, however yorkshire pudding dominates the plate which again was average at best. Both the meats were decent portions and tasted.ok. The rest was average and just blended together as it was all served under the pudding. The gravy lacked flavour and was a bit thick. For £18 I certainly expected a lot more quality ingredients.

This is a gem worth finding Scrumptious food Brilliant staff Lovely decor Home made pumpkin & chilli soup & burger were very very good Not cheap but that shows with the high level of cuisine No wonder it was rammed on both my visits !

Lovely food , pleasant staff . Nice place all around . Will be back

We all had dinner here last week it was lovely, everyone got something different for sunday lunch, would definitely recommend and will be returning.

Travelled from reading to visit family and do some house hunting in the area. Safe to say when we move we will be coming a lot more . Amazing food and even better service from Aaron, let's hope his tips help his holiday fund 😄. Wasn't hungry when I arrived but had an amazing dinner, allergens also taken care of.

Stopped off for lunch today all I can say is AMAZING. Staff very friendly, immaculately clean and not one bad thing can be said about the food. Will defiantly be back. (oh and definitely try the sour cream you will NOT be disappointed)

Beautiful pub very busy, one of the best sunday lunches ever, lovely staff very tentative and promptly served. However we weren't to know that there were two seperate dining areas and we were seated next to a damp dog it was very busy and no alternative seating so we ate and left quickly really spoilt our dining experience

Food was great although it was let down by the roast potatoes. Really let down by the service many young staff with little experience. No one asking if we were happy with our meals or if we wanted anything else. After attempting several times to get the girls attention as she walked by we finally got seen to. Yes it was busy but more than enough staff on. It is very crowded and you feel a little on top of each other.

Visited Friday 04/10/2024. Staff very nice, polite and friendly from the outset. Food was superb, including a huge starter (belly pork pieces), all the food was very tasty. We will undoubtedly be making the trip back here in future.

Lovely interior very quirky with lots of character and a great vibe , great parking outside and amazing food . The curry was outstanding couldn’t fault it . Can’t wait to return

Lovely food. We were seated in the conservatory where there were many pooches. I would’ve preferred to be sat in the main part of the restaurant. I will know to request this, on my next visit.

Best Sunday dinner ever, been already 5 times and never disappoints us Doggy friendly area Staff is very attentive and service is great despite being so busy

We had a lovely Sunday roast, (blade of beef) Good quality food, friendly staff, great surroundings. Can't can't wait to return!

This was always the best place for a Sunday lunch in the area, but when I went on Sunday it was really not as good as it once was. We sat down and ordered within a few minutes, then about 3 minutes later our meals appeared. If service is that fast, you know stuff has just been sitting ready to churn out. The meal was luke warm, and just disappointing. The nut roast was just a pile of brown sludge on the plate, it had no shape or texture, and I had to dig around to find the other parts of the meal. Yorkshire was stale and soft, one potato on the plate that was tough. And just in general too big a portion, to the point it's wasteful. Looking around the room you could see so much food left on plates. It's shouldn't be about quantity, it should be quality, what the Owl and Otter used to be.

Absolutely fabulous food and the staff are great highly recommend a visit

This food is up with the best I’ve ever had. It was top quality. We had nachos for a sharing starter…they were on par with a place I visited in Barcelona for how delicious they were. They came with 4 sauces, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and a chilli jam sauce….jalapeños and the cheese was sooo tasty and good quality. I had the burger which was 2 burgers, with relish, cheese, pickle in a brioche bun….i added the onion rings which were the best I’ve had. I swapped my skinny fries to homemade chips. meat was succulent, you could taste the quality, the brioche had a slight crisp on the rim of the bun which was Devine. The home made chips were the best I’ve had. My lass got the seafood chowder in a creamy sauce….it looked amazing and she told me it was the best chowder she has had. The deserts were home made…I got a pavlova which was amazing and my lass got the after eight cheese cake, it was slight and refreshing. Portion sizes are perfect. I will definitely return, best meal I’ve had in a very long time. 5/5

Relaxed atmosphere. Great attentive service. Amazing food 😋 visited a few times and never been disappointed.

Absolutely perfect from start to finish. We didn’t manage to get any names of our servers but they did an excellent job, it was our first time visiting and we will definitely be back, they we so attentive and welcoming to us all!!

Nice food and nice atmosphere. Was busy buy still got served quickly.

Just had a gorgeous Sunday lunch here, can thoroughly recommend 😍

This place has always been amazing for Sunday lunch but the meats now are tasting less tasty than they used to. Quite bland and the belly pork is very watery and not as crispy as it used to be.

Food was absolutely spot on, I had the chinese chilli chicken and rice and my wife had the small fish and chips. One of the nicest meals I've had. The staff were lovely and friendly, will definitely be back 100%

Beautiful Sunday lunch great atmosphere love staff ❤️

We enjoyed a meal here on Saturday evening (14th September), whilst staying in the area. SERVICE - The service was perfect from start to finish, staff very attentive and friendly, which always makes a difference to the whole experience. FOOD - We had the pork belly bites and mackerel pate (from the specials) to start. Both delicious but big portions so be prepared! Followed by the fillet steak which was accompanied with peppercorn sauce, mushroom, tomato and chips. We couldn't finish all of the chips but everything was incredible, the steak was cooked to perfection. AMBIENCE - The setting is lovely, a real "home" feel, I can imagine it'll be lovely and cosy in the winter. OVERALL - It was the best meal we've had in a long time and we will 100% be back if we're in the area again. (I hope we are, for this reason!). Thank you for an enjoyable evening.

Sunday roast Death by beef 😂 The meal and portions were huge, value for money definitely Great reception at front of house and service once seated. Not the cheapest around but I must say it’s the best Restaurant itself was clean with old world charm We would highly recommend and return 👍👍👍👍👍

Went after hearing very good reviews. Impressed by the menu,something on offer for all tastes. One son got the crab taco which was a good portion size, looked very light and he said it was delicious. Rest of us opted for the crispy pork,we were all slightly underwhelmed. Far too much meat (if there's such a thing!) and Teriyaki sauce was far too sweet.Could have done with some salad or something on the side. Portion of Roman bread was amazing. Two mains of Tandoori chicken were very plentiful and delicious, Monkfish was outstanding,I'd definitely recommend. Burger was tasty also. Tables were quite close together on the negative but on the whole will definitely go back and recommend anyone to visit

I'm surprised this is part of the Sorrella group. I love Sorrella and am a very frequent customer when up. The O&O has the lovely surroundings, the lovely staff and the similar atmosphere but the food isn't in the same league. But then, maybe it's because it's pub (diverse) food rather than one kind of food. Take the seafood pizza, lots of good seafood on a, sorry, soggy thick base pizza. Venison bourgignon looked the business but then had a wild garlic sourdough bread on the side, which looked like avocado toast. Spicy corn salad.... Boiled corn wedges rather than charred? Tofu bao bun.... Tofu good yet slathered in sauce, bad, bao bun cold and stodgy. Shame. Intentions good, execution hit and miss. But service, as expected, lovely.

Popped in after recommendation by a lady whose house we had just viewed. Wow! Had the Steakand Ale Pie - best I’ve ever had, huge portion, had a box to take leftovers home! Hubby had Masala chicken -delicious. Couldn’t eat a dessert!

First time here. The venue, staff, atmosphere and food did not disappoint. Shout out to our waiter Richie who was excellent. The Steak pie was the stuff of legend. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We will be back. Many thanks

Really enjoy the quality and taste of the food here. Plenty of gluten-free options, so I don't feel like I'm missing out, and plenty options for vegetarians too. The staff are always friendly.

Lovely food, big portions, excellent service.

Amazing Sunday lunch yesterday. Been a few times, so took friends and family for the first time and it did not disappoint. Portions are huge, atmosphere and decor is lovely, friendly staff. Service was great, in particular our server Arron. Would highly recommend 👍🏻

Wow wow wow!! 5* food and service! I’ve genuinely never had a Sunday dinner as good as this! And believe me we’ve tried a few! When we pulled up we couldn’t believe how full the car park and side roads were. Glad we made a pre booking. Once we ate, we could understand why!! Service was outstanding which we were very impressed with for how busy it was! If I could give more than 5*’s I would! The meat literally fell apart! We also had apple and rhubarb crumble but forgot to take a picture!

We stopped at the Owl and Otter for dinner in the middle of a longer journey, having read the good reviews. It didn't disappoint; the food was very good - decent quality and well presented. The portions were huge so definitely go to this place when you are hungry! Service was quick, efficient and friendly and the place seemed well-run. There were a number of vegetarian options and a separate kids menu.

Sunday roast was amazing, definitely one of the best I've had. I had the pork belly. Portion size amazing value for money

The place was very busy, yet no delays due to attentive staff and plenty of them. The food was excellent, with good portions for the money. Highly recommended.

Excellent food and friendly service

Called in for an afternoon beer. Decided to stay for food and so glad we did. I have the Monk Fish wrapped in bacon. On a bed of pasta with Mussles. Clams. King Prawns. And Squid. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a pasta dish ever as nice as this ….

Phenomenal Sunday roast. Had the featherblade beef and we were incredibly impressed.

We have visited many times and it has never failed us. Tasty food fantastic service and very helpful. Everyone has made us feel welcomed and never rushed us to finish our meal. We'll be visiting again next time we are up North

Good selection on the menu, food was beautifully cooked and well presented. Good sized portions too. Really appreciated having a dog friendly area too. Would definitely recommend. Staff friendly and service good.

There was raw chicken in my boyfriends food, we were polite about complaining and the manager was rude to us-he argued and put his hand in my face when trying to tell ya that the chicken was not raw it was undercooked, because we asked for this one main meal for free

Was there earlier today, unfortunately for a colleagues wake. The food was well presented and tasty. Must give a shout out to the lass behind the bar, call her ''Coffee Girl'' good head on her shoulders knowing how to deal with a large crowd. Hopefully return visit under better circumstances.

Went here for a late lunch, so the pub wasn't too busy. There was a lunchtime special menu that had a decent selection as well as an a la carte menu, which, although not extensive, contained enough choice. The staff were welcoming and efficient, and the room has a rustic / modern appearance. One minor point and one of my pet hates - would be nice to have the food on a plate, not a piece of wood. Worth a visit.

Great food. Quick service. Nice atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.

Popped in today after recommendation from friends. Such a lovely experience, nice varied menu. Great for families and dogs Friendly staff Super food Def be back

Visited here by recommendation by friends. Ordered the pork bao buns, were quite dry, also got a spicy pepperoni pizza, I looked at previous photos from past diners on trip advisor and they looked lovely and thin-crispy. However when it came it was thick and oblong , the dough wasn’t cooked enough and as I suffer from IBS I was crippled afterwards, only ate not even half of it. I would visit again but avoid the pizzas

First visit lovely food with excellent service on a very busy Saturday. I will definitely be back

Very welcoming to us and our dog, food was excellent. There is even a doggy menu. Have no problem recommending.

We had often past this pub not realizing how good it is inside. We had not booked but the guys made sure we were accommodated, we had drinks starters mains and shared a pud , the young girl that served us was very attentive and cared for our every need . We will definitely be back and have started spreading the word about this lovely place .

Great atmosphere, very friendly