Whitechurch in County Durham

I came to celebrate my 50th bday with some friends. Booked a table for a brunch and was very keen to have a lovely time as I heard nice things about this place. We waited a lot to be seen by a waitress while she was cleaning a table (I thought costumer comes first) then I had to call her to take our order. Ordered a croissant Benedict and it came cold. Coffee was also cold and in the end asked for a dessert menu and was told to go to the front and choose whatever I want. I thought a cafe that takes tables orders should sell their products and service. Was disappointed by the experience.

Disappointed that table was booked at 12 and to be told when I turned up at 11:55 to wait outside in the long queue. Once inside food was delicious.

Superb vegan breakfast and excellent coffee.

Went for Sunday lunch, which was very nice. Service was great, and they have a great selection of drinks, and a tidy menu.

Had a filter coffee after a day walking. One of the best I've had in a while - proper caffeine rush! Service was great and we sat outside in the gazebo which was nice as the weather was warm.

Whitechurch breakfast was really good. Nice outside seating

Great Coffee. The service is absolutely shocking. Only care if you're a student with lots of money. Need to reserve a table to have a bacon sandwich which costs more than a fiver. The pub was better than this but this obviously makes more money because students will spend silly money on slightly above average food. Edit: A third visit and I can add that the food is lovely.

This 5/5 is solely for the Chai Latte and the Scones that is absolutely to die for. I wouldnt recommend the coffee because it’s definitely a bit mid but the Chai Latte is so creamy with the chai infused so well. Also have u seen scones that huge — rarely

Beautiful wholesome food, love the relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff.

I ordered roast Sunday lunch on mother day , the roast was hasty chewy, under cooked , I choked on it , as it was stuck in my gullet, when I complained about the meat to the manager, she said to body else complained and brushed it off, strongly advised to seek another venue

Unfortunately very poor service, had to ask for our table to be cleared, they eventually cleared it but didn't actually clean it and left it full of crumbs / cake from the previous customers. Tried to get the waiters attention twice, and was told 'I'll be back in a minute' to which they never returned. Coffee was average and cake was nice but mega overpriced. Shame because this place used to be really good, and has a lot of potential too. Probably won't be returning now...

Incredibly rude stuff, asked to move away from the waiting area because they were people coming -"there was no one coming" and then proceeded by telling me to go even further and stand in a corner and did not even say please. I asked for a smoothie and only after I payed the informed me there was not any left.

Food and drinks are not particularly inspiring, they are seriously lacking in quality. It's a venue trading on its location rather than the quality of its offering. While the food and drinks aren't great, the service is truly terrible. Rude, miserable and dismissive, not great qualities for a hospitality venue.

Great version of the Full English

Stopped here while waiting for my coach to London. It had an enjoyable ambience and the coffee was great. The only drawback was the lack of WiFi.

Such a beautiful little place to be. Love the live plants! The atmosphere is great. The food is absolutely delicious and I can't wait to return. We came here for breakfast and were totally blown away by the quality. I love the coffee cured bacon especially! We bought some goodies on the way out, the pistachio, lemon and strawberry cake in particular, was incredible.

Quality coffee and amazing brownie. Delicious toasted sandwich. Nice friendly staff.

Lovely place. Great food. Lively atmosphere. Only problems were no one seemed to be front of house. Stood for a long time without any acknowledgment by staff. At the end of the meal advices we would need to wait 20+ minutes for coffee !! Also whilst waiting to go to the ladies one member of kitchen staff/waitress came out of the toilet cubicle still wearing her apron If we hadn’t been meeting people there I think our initial impression would be to walk straight out, however pleased that we didn’t. The problems that we encountered are really easy to put right. We look forward to coming back.

Rating is for breakfast options. Tried to go for a vegan fried breakfast but on Sunday it’s not available, leaving only the classic avocado on toast. Numerous other meat options still available so disappointing they reduce from already very limited vegan options.

Fabulous breakfast menu, made just a little bit differently, and all the better for it. Friendly and helpful service.

Nice atmosphere. Tiramisu date cheesecake in a cup was delicious!

Dined at the restaurant for lunch, the food quality was poor and not upto the price (£45 for 2 people - main course and drink each). There was also a service charge automatically included on the bill. There is work to be done here on bringing the food quality up to the standard available elsewhere.

Service was a little slow. The nut roast was not the best at all, but otherwise, the food was ok. Pricey, too, for what it is.

Despite having lived in Durham for almost three years, and passing by here almost every day, I haven't had the chance to visit Whitechurch until recently. It was a very nice lunch overall, and I wish I'd tried it sooner. The food was outstanding - the tofu bahn mi sandwich was delicious and a generous portion, and the burger looked tasty as well. The sides were also good, as were the coffees. The only letdown was the service - it was well-intentioned but slightly slow, and several people seated after us had their orders taken before ours. This didn't detract too much from the meal though, and I'd still recommend coming here for lunch.

Incredibly lovely ambiance and food. A rare gem in Durham 💕

Amazing food (I had the Banh Mi), lovely atmosphere, and professional and friendly staff. Would definitely recommend.

Always busy with students and their families. Never eaten here just had drinks but the food always looks good

We’ve been there today with couple of friends. The atmosphere was good but other than than everything was chaos. They took wrong order, food came first and we waited for drinks 15 mins and one of these drinks never came! When we asked about the drinks waitress’ reply wasn’t kind.

Want it to be better but not sure what spoils the atmosphere but some days it is just an odd place. Food is good. Coffee isn’t my favourite- I am a big coffee lover and unfortunately I just cannot like it here.

Tried the aubergine smash burger banhmi. Banhmi is dry but seasoning n sauce was good but inadequate. The neck oil draught is smooth and so drinkable. Aubergine was truly wonderful. Over 4/5. Nice atmosphere

We had meatballs, which were small and absolutely drowning in oil (all 5 of them....) why do chefs seem to think all they need to do is ladle oil all over a meal and people will think the food is "artisan"? When I asked if they had GF bread I was given 2 slices of GF toast as a replacement for the ciabatta that came with meal. Sorry, but for the price they were charging that is shameful. It's perfectly possible to get decent GF ciabatta.

delicious food and great service, everyone was so kind !

Lovely place for lunch. The crayfish in brioche buns were delicious . Staff were polite and friendly but not entirely on top of their menu.

Excellent food and friendly staff

Excellent food. Loved the gluten free bread buns for the burgers and meatball sandwiches.

Absolutely miserable. Overcharged drinks and rude personnel.

Food is extremely overpriced for what you get here. It truly was not worth the price in the slightest. Will not be returning

Absolutely delicious food, super friendly and helpful staff, lovely location, and even the background music was great. Food is lighter than the usual Durham fare, but innovative and packed with subtle flavor without being stuffy at all. For the Americans reading this: this is one of the little neighborhood bistros that you find in the foodie cities. It’s hyper local, unstuffy, reasonably priced, and consistently serves food of a quality well above what the price suggests. It’s the place you go to at least once a week because it’s so good. Highly recommended!

Do try everything on their menu, one of the best in Durham

good foood💗 with nice and warm atmosphere

Great food with lovely staff. Travelling alone and therefore eating solo you sometimes get treated as some kind of social pariah. Here I was warmly welcomed and, more importantly, not rushed to free up my table. Also had a choice of non alcoholic beer a rarity in Durham from what I've found.

Reasonable selection of pints, nice covered garden.

Quite simply THE best meal I've eaten. Imaginative veggie options cooked by a chef who clearly loves real food, the smoked carrot was amazing! The atmosphere is wonderful and relaxed but with immaculate, friendly service. Nicola, our waitress was fabulous and is a pure asset to Whitechurch - don't let her go! My only niggle is that I don't live near enough to be able to go every week. Thank you for a memorable evening and an excuse to visit Durham again very soon.

Food slow to arrive,waited twenty minutes for coffee after meal. Waiting staff lack focus

Great food. Check out the Beer Garden.

Brilliant place for food and drink and staff on the ball

Toilets broken and out of service. Needs cleaning and repair. One star.

What a little gem, Sunday staff were a delight

Had hot chocolate and catch up with a friend

Lovely place with good offering and helpful staff. Beer garden is great on sunny days.

Met up for a university leaving do. Nice environment and the food was good and the staff excellent.

very pretty cafe. staff is always friendly :)

Nice interior, more of a student hang out (not a criticism). Food on the pricey side, £16 for a chicken burger and chips is excessive. The staff were all very attentive and pleasant.

Quite lacking carbs. While the food quality is without question, the small portion for a Sunday lunch was incredibly disappointing. The nut roast was absolutely delicious, but I've left still - quite honestly - starving, having a single parsnip and two roast potatoes as part of the roast carbohydrates. My partner had the beef, which while delicious could have used a steak knife so as not to spill gravy over himself. Useful, but not a deal breaker. The usual menu items are generous portions all things considered, so left rather wanting.

A wonderful place for any occasion

First time visit, waiters need to brush up on customer service. Asked about meals just mumble to question. I think they just catered for students wont go again.

I really enjoyed the breakfast there. It's really exceptional. The kimchi scrambled eggs was one of the best dishes I had for breakfast in the UK. Even though it was a bit pricey, but it definitely deserves it.

Staff lovely and scones superb. Went In with mu grandchildren. Nice x

I came in here a few years ago and loved it, but the last time I went here it was one of the worst meals I've had in Durham. It took over an hour to get one cold starter and one cold sandwich, both of which were way overpriced and genuinely horrible. I never see students in here even though it's right next to campus and now I know exactly why.

Arrived at about 2pm, there were plenty of tables free but we were told that we would not be able to eat as they didn't have enough food for people who hadn't booked. Never in my life have I heard such nonsense.

Great vegan food and lovely staff

Apparently pretentious however I like the brownies and coffee. 👍🏻

Lovely venue and enjoyed our brunch food on a Saturday. Looks like a pub but more stylish than an ordinary pub inside and very nicely decorated. Came here around 10.30 on a Saturday and by time we left the place was full. We both had the hot smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, cress and beetroot. Very nice and a generous portion of salmon. Staff friendly and efficient. We didn’t have their cakes but they looked delicious. Lots of seating including garden area for when it’s warmer.

We had a lovely dinner here on Friday night, the server was friendly and the food was yummy, the only down side was the gluten free bread wasn't what my friend expected as a substitute for a wrap. I would recommend that the servers are allowed to try the food, this was always common practice is restaurants I've worked in and helps them understand the food more, make recommendations and less trips to ask the kitchen questions.

Foods very nice. But not great value. Their coffee is a cut above UK average, but not top notch. Nicely styled interior. But it can get too noisy because like many places there is no noise absorbant furnishing, ceiling tiles etc. When I'm out for a treat with my partner we want to talk to each other without having to shout. We don't want to hear what other people are shouting about on their tables. As I said this problem exists in many places where bare plastered ceilings and walls predominate. Peace and intimacy are not on offer here.

Fantastic lunch. A mix of veggie and meat eaters. They do the best vegetarian food in Durham. So many lovely options.

Amazing food and friendly staff!

We called in for dinner a few week ago We ordered two plates of food which were both appalling .Mine had been reheated my wife’s cold with two of the ingredients missing. We ate a couple of mouthfuls and left I wrote that night to the restaurant only to make them aware that they need be vigilant on how their food is cooked but also understanding occasionally things do sometimes go wrong Rather than apologise the reply we revived was so patronising, suggesting that we probably didn’t appreciate the level of quality and uniqueness of their dishes. No it was poorly cooked food plain and simple

A lovely place. Menu was great, and making a choice was tricky! All served beautifully and with a smile.

Went in at lunchtime Saturday, and rel.atively quiet. Attentive and polite service. A somewhat meagre menu with very little in the way of choice. It's standard pub grub dressed up with grandiose descriptions. Ordered three different types of tea and similar number of coffees. Tea was lukewarm and undrinkable. So called 'Breakfast' tea was akin to poor quality Earl Grey. Coffees better but also lukewarm. Food was tasty and well cooked, however, sausage roll served cold. Considering the upper end pricing, for what was basic pub grub, room for improvement IMHO.

Good place for a coffee/tea. Nice selection of cakes,pastries etc. Friendly staff, sitting both inside and out.

Menu has no prices - I was shocked when I arrived at the till to pay. Not clever...

Situado muy cerca de la universidad, en un cruce de caminos muy frecuentado por estudiantes, doctorandos, doctores, profesores, turistas, etc, un mundo cuando menos muy interesante, que frecuenta el local, donde se puede tomar desde un café hasta un suculento plato de carne, verduras o algo más ligero, tiene una carta no muy amplia pero completita. El personal es muy amable y los precios muy razonables. Las instalaciones son muy coquetas e invitan a sentarte con tu pareja o amigos, en definitiva, un ambiente agradable y distendido. Las mesas son de madera áspera sin barnizar que encajan bien con el mobiliario y dan claridad a los salones. Merece la pena hacerle una visita y saborear el ambiente.

Lovely place, seemed busy on a Friday afternoon but we'd booked. Thought the food was nice & the Victoria sponge cake was very tasty. Peter the waiter was great, we got served quickly.

Worst thing was the lack of parking despite indications that it was availablw on website and with disabled guest very inconvenient. The food was good and there were plenty of glutenfree optiohs however I did think it was expensive. Service was slow and priority given to takeaway leaving us sitting without even a drink for 20 minutes and then we had finished the drinks before the brunch arrived....the cappucino was batelyxa couple of mouthsful! We will mot ge rushing back despite the nearness to our daughters accommodation!

Great food and environment. Slightly pricey tho. Only decent place for a coffee in the area so I'll take it.

The Mary Poppins of lunches. Practically perfect in every way.

Enjoy this cafe very much. Very cosy to have a talk, friendly and helpful stuff. Tasty coffee and cakes.

Very basic menu, the burger I had was good, the other half got a veggie sandwich which she didn't like at all. The place itself is beautiful inside, we wish we had got the cafe menu instead of the restaurant menu as that looked more appetising

Excellent service, food and atmosphere. One of the best!

My dad brought me here after dropping my brother off at uni and we sat outside in the shelter with lovely plants, lanterns and a heater. We ordered a chicken supreme for Sunday lunch and a sweet potato cake for dessert and it was so so delicious! Lovely atmosphere and service too :)

I would really really like to give this place 5 stars because they have a fun wine list, good beer, tasty sandwiches and a nice atmosphere but sometimes the coffee lacks in consistency. As it's close to Uni I go here quite a lot for takeaway coffee and about 8/10 times the coffee is amazing and the cappuccino has a very nice soft foamy texture but the other times it tastes burnt, overly hot and the milk seems to be steamed rather than foamed, that's always a bit of a disappointment because you know how great the coffee can be. Apart from that it's great

Fabulous and nice place plus foods.

It was great value and great price! The tea was only 2.60£ and we got a big jug of tea with many other additional things. Great bar at the time of writing.

Really lovely inside, breakfast was quite nice if a bit overpriced.

Had a beautiful light lunch in a very pleasant little pub on the way to the crematorium. The young staff were delightful &friendly one young man helped me to get a taxi which unknown at the time he payed for how kind is this a pleasure to have eaten here..

Lovely setting with great staff and an interesting and vegetarian friendly menu. Really enjoyed it, wish we’d known it was dog friendly too.

Nice outside area to relax. Very good staff, drink a little more expensive than average. I just cant get over how bad the sinks in the toilets are, they may be trendy but they are far too big have chips and just dont look clean, though I'm sure they are.

Would certainly recommended, lovely ambience, very polite staff, great outdoor area under cover, very tasty cheese & chutney bun & mac cheese wonderful flavours. Family friendly with highchairs. Will be back.

I’ve just visited here for the first time. It’s been a really pleasant visit. I hope to visit again. I had a nice coffee brought out to me and some ale. The toilets were worth visiting too. Charming and full of character. 😊

We had a couple of times here (son's uni home was literally opposite, almost the same building). Good selection of gins and I did get a pleasantly priced pain au chocolate. If in Durham then visit.

Hmmm, once my usual cuppa outlet when i stayed in Durham. Nice settimg. Food is ok. The toast is a little hard for me. Service is great, they even helped charge up my phone !! Gotta try the same outlet in town with my fav avo toast n pancakes :).

Absolutely beautiful. Love the atmosphere and the fact that they sell plants !!! Student dream? I think so. They've changed the menu but it's maintained its quality. Do try the parmesan chicken, it's delicious.

Delicious Sunday roast. Best in Durham

Lovely experience from start to finish :). Staff member Tom looked after us so well. Very polite and attentive. Food was very very good and we loved the chilled, relaxed atmosphere and environment :). Will 100% visit again!

The poshest "chicken parmo" EVER - lunch yesterday was just so delicious I wanted another but was delightfully full x

Just a perfect few hours sitting the sun great cider lovely food

Good pub, gets busy so worth booking a table in advance. Good selection of coffee and tea, decent selection of vegetarian dishes, too

Went here on a Friday afternoon after work at 3.30pm. Good range of coffee and food and staff are quick to serve people. The place was largely full of students drinking coffee, which is to expected given its location. It has a busy, vibrant atmosphere and the covered outside seating area is decent. However, it is on the pricey side (£6.70 for a pint of ale) and parking is very difficult (about 4 spaces in total). On street parking nearby is usually full and the street is very busy.

Fantastic restaurant, great food and service. Consistently great over time with an ever-changing menu but never compromising on quality.