Vesuvio in Darlington

Evening drink always one of my fave places to visit when in town

Vesuvio is the place to savour fine wines and award winning cocktails in Darlington

Not a lot of choice on draft. A little pricey.

I was just walking past and Nigel suggested I dine here. He's a great host. A great combination of bar and restaurant. I had cask ale and roast beef Sunday lunch. No regrets. Even managed to eat outside

Exceptional Sunday lunch. Extremely reasonable price given their first class food and service. Thanks yiu

What a fantastic place. A wonderful menu and wine list, the service from Nigel was exceptional. He has a genuine talent for making you feel welcome and at ease, he is a credit to his profession. It's a rarity to find somewhere that ticks all the boxes with such great food, drinks, service and atmosphere.

People of Darlington (and North East) you need to get yourself to Vesuvio. Best know as lively wine bar, they have recently opened a restaurant upstairs. We visited with friends, five in total, on a Friday evening. Food was excellent and very reasonably priced for fine dining. Wine list was extensive, as you might expect for a restaurant above a wine bar. Service was friendly and efficient. Amazingly and sadly, we were the only party in, on a Friday night! Why? People of Darlington - use it or lose it! We will certainly be back.

Apparently the food is excellent. We called for Sunday live music. Great little place nice craft beer and wine. Great atmosphere and nice friendly service. Will be back. 🍺🍷😁👍

This is my favourite bar in town and now my favourite place to eat Cannot wait to come back

Fantastic place. Great selection of wines and spirits. Highly recommended

Great birthday treat with family

Visited here on recommendation and was not disappointed. Having eaten at many top hotels and restaurants through the UK I can honestly say the food here was fantastic (amongst the best I have ever had ) at a very affordable price. The service was second to none the atmosphere was very relaxed which was perfect for me given the time of day ( lunchtime). I would rate this venue 10/10

Enjoyable afternoon for my team's xmas meal, food was lovely and service and atmosphere was excellent

Suddenly a place in Darlington has chosen to offer great food, music and real ale. Bravo!

Went purposely to listen to Emily Whitfield singing. She was just amazing!

1st visit today for lunch. Wow wow wow. From beginning too end excellent service Nigel and team. Will be back soon

Had a lovely meal here for my birthday. The staff were lovely and great atmosphere. The food was amazing. Thank you

Sunday Lunch at Vesuvio, what an experience, combined with an excellent wine selection by Andrew Yeates. One of the finest meals I have had in many years. We will return.

I've been going to Vesuvio for about a year, and this is the first time I've eaten in the restaurant. It was absolutely superb. The food was absolutely fantastic; the service was professional & friendly. Special thanks to Les, Nigel & Sophie Our waitress was an absolute credit to the restaurant too. I'll be definitely going for food again. Highly recommended, but I also recommend booking in advance.

The family and I have been visiting Vesuvio for a while now for a cheeky beverage or 5. Today Vesuvio launched their official menu with Master Chef Matei Baran and let me say it more than lived up to the hype. The four of us arrived and were greeted by the lovely bar manager Sophie and owner Les. They make you feel at home straight away. Ordered drinks and then escorted to our table. We all decided on the same for each course. Started off with the pigeon. It was cooked to perfection and the orange in the jus was the perfect match for it. Then we all had the Venison. Again cooked perfectly, well seasoned and well presented, the brilliance of the use of a delicious dark bitter chocolate sauce was just an inspired choice. I would have added photos to this review but the food was too delicious to waste time on taking a photo. We all had a cheese board each, personally think you could share one board between two but each to their own. 10/10 would definitely recommend and will definitely be eating here again!

The owner mad my wife feel so unworthy of been there it is unbelievable because she did not know the menu. It was very awkward from there on. definitely would not recommend or not go again.

I love the smoky taste in it. I enjoyed that! Thanks Les(second pic)

Great venue, relaxing atmosphere with a genial host.

Brilliant place with a great atmosphere.

The place is so welcoming and cozy the staff and owners are great love it

Great little place with a lovely relaxed atmosphere and amazing boozy and different cocktails 🙂

Really disappointing, sat outside in the "secret wine garden" and it was a disgrace, gazebo tied to a an IBC , discarded bottles nearby, rubbish bins situated in the seating area and extortionate prices. One to avoid.

Great cocktails, great service .

Was okay, ran short of spirits & some mixers & olives, a bit hard to believe when they do cocktails

Best bar in town. Ask Les to make you a cocktail.

Quirky friendly place. Good atmosphere and selection of drinks.

Just been down, website says open place was closed

First visit since the recent reopening. Staff were friendly and helpful to choose something different to drink and offered a taste of the beer before trying. Relaxed atmosphere even if a little quiet, but at least we managed to hear ourselves and got a seat

Fabulous place for a relaxing evening. New owners and great plans.

This place is a mess. The bar staff were either very very drunk or more likely had taken a lot of drugs. We went in thinking it was a nice wine bar, went to the bar and straight away could see that both members of staff were unable to function. Asked for two gin and tonics, a pint of lager and a gin and lemonade Got told no, we couldn't have that, I had to ask why. Got told they didn't have any lemonade. Asked for a rum and coke instead, no rum. Offered a free Drambuie. We already had drinks so didn't want to just leave. I can only assume that the bar staff and their friends at the bar had already drank all of the alcohol. I would never go in here again and the management need a better idea of what is happening when they aren't around...assuming it wasn't the managers t were working tonight.

Lovely owner and friendly staff. Loved the bathtub in the bar!

Small cosy Italian bar. Friendly staff and great gin

Прекрасное местоположение вблизи от центра города, уютный интерьер и удобные места для посадки, хороший выбор и качество напитков, отличный отдых в вечернее время под живую музыку- все музыканты, которых довелось услышать здесь, молоды, высокопрофессиональны и талантливы. Спасибо за прекрасно проведенное здесь время. Так держать!

Great for a quiet drink and great beer.

Vesuvio has served up some excellent food in the past, but the kitchen has been closed for renovation for some time. The good news is that the kitchen is open again with a new team and my recent visit proved that it is right back on Darlington's culinary map.

Great place paul and the staff are very welcoming.

Lovely little cosy wine bar. Massive choice of good wines.

Very nice inside, and upstairs was a good place to hide from the busy downstairs

Please work on your communication skills! As a wine bar, FANTASTIC! Great selection of beer, wine and spirits, brilliant atmosphere, great clientele and never a sour taste unless you run in to the disgustingly rude and unprofessional business partner (who's name I do not know ;always drinking at the bar in a suit) This man whom I'd never met before, vetoed a previous arrangement with the bar whilst waving his hand in my face, telling me I was lying :-o excuse me???? ...Very shocked by his attitude towards me in a bar full of people, and not the type of behaviour I would choose to deal with at all! A very sad day for such a great place.

XLNT wine and ales. Very pleasant and welcoming staff and atmosphere .. Would recommend a visit.

We often pop into Vesuvio after shopping in the town. Really relaxed atmosphere- it’s a little bit of Italy in Darlo. Haven’t tried any food here but great selection of beers and fine wines and my wife’s favourite Aperol Spritz. Thursday night a duo band play some really good music. A great place to chill!

Excellent little wine bar. Great beers, excellent wines. Staff knowledgeable and cheerful. You get all sorts of people in here. Fantastic place.

Excellent range if wines. Good intimate setting.

OMG the food here was always phenomenal... sooo gutted that the guys who ran this through the towel in and closed it down. If they ever decide to open their own place, we'll certainly be regulars...…

The food was delicious, best I’ve had for a while. There was nine of us in our party and everyone really enjoyed what they had. I had the cheese soufflé and the lamb. The soufflé was very tasty and the lamb was beautifully cooked, very tender, melted in your mouth. Will certainly go back.

Went for a meal on Saturday evening. Nath knocks up some great food and sells it at a very reasonable price. If you aren’t in to your wines, the bar also have a good selection of gins and continental beers.

Fantastic staff and atmosphere and mr and mrs Wagstaff frequent this fine establishment ..makes the difference x

Great place, fantastic atmosphere, amazing range of drinks, superb food what's not to like......

Called in this evening for a quick glass of wine and ended up staying for some food.

Wow this chef can cook ! Had a delicious meal, the cheese souffle was perfect and generous in size and flavour. Fish cakes full of fish and served with a spicy creamy sauce, yum !

Called in tonight by chance. Very pleasant wine bar, well decorated and a great place for a drink and a chat. Seems to appeal to the over 40s which suited us. Would definitely try again and recommend

Cosy wine bar with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Definitely recommend a visit :)

Lovely cozy wine bar with excellent selection of wines and knowledgeable, helpful staff.

The staff here are passionate and knowledgable - we quite often ask for their recommendation on wine and gin. They have vast choice for such a cosy place. The downstairs room is lovely if you can get a seat and though the upstairs doesn't quite have the same ambience (it is usually a lot quieter) at least you are never without a seat. My partner and I come here whenever we're in Darlington. A hidden gem!

Sunday evening is an evening of great blues music

Had a wine tasting session and it was fantastic. The food served was different and so tasty. I will definitely call again.

Great bar for wines and gin . Also dogs allowed

Been twice to the restaurant and both times it was fantastic. We were well looked after my staff and the food was of the highest quality. Can't recommend it enough.

Excellent wines and atmosphere. The staff are very friendly and there is ample, comfortable seating on the first floor

Great wine bar, excellent staff and superb choice

Good was lovely and made fresh to order and could be tailored to taste. Really good wine and fin selection too for pre and post dinner drinks. Very friendly 😊

Lovely place lovely friendly staff..great vibe..

Una parada en boxes fabuloso. No podría decidir que vino, así el personal del bar nos dio algunas muestras y nos instalamos en la Sauvignon Blanc. Como entrante antes de la cena compartimos un soufflé de queso como los chefs eran en el bar y cantando es alabanzas. Llegó con profundidad que era frito kale perfecto. Volveré. Y pronto.

Esta fue nuestra 2ª visita a este bar de vinos habíamos visitado hace unos dos años y disfrutamos de un buen vino de calidad. Entramos en una noche bastante escalofriante algunos a mitad de semana. Todos los asientos que tipo de taburete de bar y el más cómodo. Era una preciosa COMPOTA DE G&T; ordenados y cerveza de barril tanto a un precio razonable. Por desgracia en la noche en cuestión tanto la parte delantera y puerta del bar estaban abiertas creando un proyecto de derecho viejo y no había nada de ambiente acogedor. Nos fuimos después de una bebida

Tuvimos una cena maravillosa anoche con mi amigo, ya que salir de una vez al mes y probar diferentes lugares. El vino como siempre era precioso y la comida sublime, tenía los huevos de salmón escocés entrante sabroso y realmente mi amigo tenía de remolacha y queso de cabra, delicioso. Tanto nuestros platos principales eran deliciosos y sin espacio para el postre. Volveremos, todo el personal era amable y servicial, muy recomendable!

Tenía una muy buena comida con una botella de Rioja elegido de brillante la pared abajo. El nivel de la comida más a menudo asociado con un lugar cargado en vez de este lujoso lugar relajado. Ojalá ellos bien para el futuro.

Pequeño y encantador ambiente wine bar genial. Buena selección de vinos y cervezas y ginebras botella. Hoteles Preferentes de abajo para arriba como mucho más acogedor. Conocedor personal amable bien merece una visita.

Teníamos las heladas, que era magnífico Sauvignon de bolsillo! Fue una magia al azar, pero era punt. El propietario, Paul se presentó, cap. Si estás en Darlo y quieres un gran ambiente, los mejores vinos y amable bienvenida debería verlo. 5 Estrellas todo el camino! ! ! !

Been frequenting Vesuvio since it opened, not only is the decor and atmosphere amazing but the range of wines and gins on offer is second to none! Couple that with staff and owners who always go the extra mile to make it a great evening you simply can't go wrong! Last time we were here the owners ordered lots of starter hot plates from the local Indian and just distributed them around the patrons, thats kind of what makes this place special, real down to earth guys who love their place and want people to have a great night..Always my first place to take anyone visiting Darlington and then always the first place they want to go back to!

This is a great place to go on an Autumn evening. We've visited a couple of times on a Sunday when they have live music.

Popped in for a glass of wine but ended up getting a bottle....always a pleasure drinking in here as you never had bad wine. It was busy down stairs so we decided to sit upsatirs. We were the only ones there but the music was really good it was kinda cool having the place to yourself. The owners Mum popped up and offered us some home made quiche...kinda made you feel special and it was delicious. Such a warm a friendly place to visit.

Love the gin and wine. What a fantastic selection. The staff are very knowlagable; best place in Darlington

My friend works abroad, but whenever he comes home and graces Darlington with his presence, this is always the first place we go. I can't claim to know much, if anything, about wine. My Nana's quote of "I either like it or I don't, and if I don't, I still drink it" has always stood me in good stead. However, at Vesuvio, the staff always wait patiently while I read the descriptions of the wine on the chalkboard above the bar (and usually end up choosing a large pinot grigot). The atmosphere is always lovely, and the music is great. They even had a Nick Cave song playing last time we were there. If I was rich, and cared less than I do about my liver, I would drink here every night.

Been coming here for a number of years. Always spot on with their selection of gins - always well presented in convivial and cosy surroundings. Beer selection pretty good too - and a great atmosphere.

We just popped in here for a drink on the way for a meal on a mid-week night. Wanted to check it out, as we'd never been in before. There were about three guys sat at the bar who continued to talk loudly and swear after we walked in. There were no other customers, as it was mid-week and early. The barman was pleasant enough but we felt really awkward ordering with these guys throwing things to each other and swearing in front of us. We got the feeling they either knew the bar man, or worse, was the owner!We sat down for our drink (stools around barrels), which wasn't particularly comfortable. We had drinks relatively quickly and headed out.We did notice they had a great selection of wines. Could be lovely I guess but from our experience it just felt a bit 'rough'!Plenty of other paces in town, so know to give it a miss in the future.

This one of my favourite bars in town. It has an awesome list of gins and wines. Lager to for the guys. The atmosphere is very relaxed. Its a must for a visit whenever we venture into town on a Saturday evening.

Went for a late drink service was good great selection of wine about £14 a bottle of red Lager was a type never tried before was excellent

Just purely by accident I stumbled across this place. Best stumble ever. Now, I have reviewed thousands of hotels, bars etc but seriously this is a must visit! The variety of beers, wines and spirits is amazing. The atmosphere is calm cool and relaxing. The staff are all very knowledgeable about the different wines, beers and spirits. I have never been made so welcome in any establishment. I have rated this place 5 star only because 5 is the maximum if the maxim was 10 it would be 10. Massive well done to the management you should replicate this all over the UK. Special thanks to Dave your a top man. If I am in Darlington again I will see you again. Big thank you and keep up the great work. All the best.

I've been on quite a few occasions. It's lovely to find somewhere that is not full of people on rowdy nights out. Each time I've found the staff to be rather frosty though, which is a shame. Lovely wines on offer, although pricier than other establishments, you get what you pay for. I have eaten bar snacks in here, which were lovely. I was very out off by the fact a lady was sitting up at the bar with her friend, and her dog was sitting on one of the bar stools. I don't want to sit on those after a dogs bottom has been on them and I just found that to be inappropriate. The staff clearly didn't mind. I'd urge people to try the place though, as it is nice, but a variable experience each time.

The last time I went for food the chef's upstairs had gone to great lengths to make me something that with my dietary requirements I could not only eat but love! - Something not all places would have done! Absolutely delicious great service and the bar staff are wonderful too!

Adore this place, the wine bar is for me at least the best in town and a must go for wine lovers like myself. The good food is a great addition as well

Excellent wine bar and wine shop offering a wide range of beautiful wines. Location is perfect set back from the hussle and bussle of Darlington. From entry you greeted to a warm and cozy bar, with choice of seating of stools around barrels or couches and also a selection of seating upstairs. The wine menu is superb, offering a wide selection of wines across all price ranges. However I do recommend asking the staff their recommendations as they will find you something perfect to suit your taste. By far the best bar in Darlington ..

This is a lovely little wine bar tucked away in Houndgate. It offers a great range of wines and gins and is an ideal location for couples who just want to sit have a quiet drink. We have been a number of times now and on each occasion have found the staff behind the bar to be totally uninterested to the point of being offhand. Come on guys try being just a little more customer friendly.

Amazing choice of Gins and Wine! The food is beautiful and we have now made this our local! The staff are attentive and try their best to cater to everyone. Even those with dietary requirements. I would recommend this bar/restaurant in a heart beat!

Came into this place whilst in a night out with friends. I am not familiar with pubs in Darlington but when I entered Vesuvio it was like finding a little diamond. The atmosphere was great and the choice of gin they had on offer made me want to stay in there all evening. I will certainly be coming back for drinks and hopefully next time I can sample some food too.

We really wanted to like our meal, but got off to a very bad start with a cold room, with no one else in it. We helped to put the radiator on (using pliers) and things got a bit warmer. Mackerel pate very disappointing, crocquets greasy, Calves liver full of strange chewy bits, beef stew served in huge casserole dishes half full with roast potatoes. Wine we wanted unavailable, but we were offered three alternatives. And then it all came to a grinding halt., no offer of a pudding, cheese, coffee, or anything else. We had to call through to the kitchen for our bill. It was a family outing with greedy people who were very disappointed as we had heard good things about the restaurant.

A very good place to visit if you like a good 'gin'. They offer over 30 different varieties! I aim to sample them all eventually!! Lovely atmosphere with an eclectic mix of clientele. They offer music events, quiz evening, wine and food tastings. Something for everyone!

I was introduced to Vesuvio by a friend last night. Fairly small but great atmosphere. Has a fantastic selection of wines, beers and a huge list of gins which were carefully prepared by the bar staff. I will definitely be back.

Ventured here with some friends for nye and wasn't disappointed..was fairly busy and livelyStaff were very helpful and also busyGood selection of drinks and excellent atmosphere Will visit again

I came here for a qucik meal and i will be back again and again! The steak was lovely! YUM ! (i had it rare)

I know the brothers personally and although that would compell me to right a more positive i do not exaggerate when i say i love this place ! The wines and beers are always changing, i try something new everytime im here and the atomosphere is always great. i dont see how any body can say any different.

Raw duck, over cooked beef and cold sides. Duck was sent out twice and hadn't been rested either time with blood seeping into the beans. High hopes for this restaurant but will definitely not be returning.

We called in for a late lunch on Saturday as it serves til 4pm. I had Prawn Cassoulet with fresh bread which was really spicy which I love. My husband had a really garlicky steak sandwich and French fries, the steak melted in your mouth. Food was delicious, we had a couple of drinks and a bottle of Sauvignon and it was £40. Good value, always enjoy going here.

This was the second time that we have visited since Paul left and were wary that his missing influence might affect the experience. Whilst things are slightly different we have been pleasantly surprised by Carl's passion and competence and both meals have been very good. We will be back especially as there are plenty of good wines to chose from and Carl has promised some interesting sea food menus (if ordered in advance) :p

We often pop in to Vesuvio when we are in darlington for drinks. Great choice of wine, extensive gin list (my favourite part) and great beers! The staff here are truly fabulous, full of knowledge & nothing is of trouble to them. We've been meaning to eat here for a long time & we finally did on Saturday lunch time. The food quality is great & portions generous. It's definitely my favourite place to visit in darlington.