A popular bistro style restaurant tucked away on Westgate in Hexham.

The interior is very homely, with a big fireplace and domestic wooden furniture. There is an eating area at the front, and further tables on the upper level at the back. (NB Toilets are upstairs.)

They have an a la carte menu, but most people go for the fixed menu, which provides one course for £19, two courses for £23 and three courses for £27. Additional items can be chosen with a supplement from the main menu. There are also daily specials, also with small supplements.

We had creamy mushrooms on sourdough toast to start; I had the halloumi and vegetable skewer with sweet potato wedges and salad, and my partner had the Seabream fillet with fishcake and tarragon sauce, served with vegetables of the day and roast potatoes. For pudding my partner had the Belgian waffle with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch sauce and walnuts. I had the baked rice pudding with nutmeg and sultanas.

Overall, the meal was excellent. My partner was particularly happy with his choices, especially the main of sea bream and fishcake. My main was very nice, although the wedges would've been better served separately, as they picked up some of the seasoning oil from the skewer. However, I had plenty of halloumi cheese on the skewer, and the vegetables melted in the mouth. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was the rice pudding, which was made with cream, rather than the creaminess coming from the milk and rice together. However, with a drinkeach and Service, the total bill came to £70, which was very good value.

Service was polite rather than friendly, but it was very efficient. We would very happily go back.

Large and popular lounge bar that serves food, in the centre of Hexham. It comprises a large single room, with a long bar, and a mixture of table and casual seating. A wide variety of different sorts of lampshades and light fittings seems to be the main theme.

We visited on a weekday evening, for supper, and had the burgers. They were perfectly okay, if rather unexciting, with a modest portion of fries, commercial burger buns and the halloumi in my burger was deep fried rather than grilled. But two mains with coke and beer came to just over £30, which is pretty good value.

Service was friendly and efficient, and a plus point was the free provision of tap water. They also have water and treats for dogs, and being dog friendly is a bit of a feature.

So, overall, perfectly okay and good value.

This is a relatively new branch of the eponymous modern take on Indian cuisine, located in the historic Coal Drop Yard area behind Kings Cross station.

Dishoom is known for its breakfasts, and particularly things like its bacon and egg naan bread. However, on this visit, I was with a group of friends for lunch. We decided to go for the set menu, which comprised three different starters and three different mains. They provided some extra mains for me, given I was the only vegetarian. It was served with chapati and naan bread, and all the dishes were effectively sharing bowls.

The food was good, although not all the dishes were outstanding: the brown lentil Dahl was very nice and well spiced, but it is such a staple, that every Indian restaurant should be able to do this well. The jackfruit biryani was an interesting take, but not something I would have again, as it was a little oily and rather bland. The best dish was a paneer and pepper kebab, cooked tandoori style. it was quite fiery and very delicious. We finished the meal with individual kulfi ice creams on a stick.

Service throughout was friendly and pretty swift. They provide jugs of water for free, although some of us operated for beers or Indian lemonade (including salt, it is an interesting flavour).

Overall, we had a perfectly decent meal, but at £50 a head (including drinks and service) for lunch, it's relatively expensive for an Indian meal, even in London. I think it would be a nice venue for a big group, but I know of more authentic and cheaper Indian restaurants in the area if I was choosing one myself in future.

The Bell & Crown is a historic pub in the little village of Zeals. It has an expansive interior, although the walls are painted a very dark colour which makes the main bar area feel a little claustrophobic. (Yes, as another review states, candles in the middle of the day are a feature). Fortunately there is a another eating area which is brighter, and a large covered eating area outside, if atmospheric gloom isn't your thing.

The menu is a notch or three above average pub food; my friend had calves' liver with spring greens and mash, and I had a vegetarian sourdough pizza with a side salad of rocker with dressed shallots and grated pecorino cheese. Both were really excellent - my pizza had a deep umami flavour and is one of the best I've eaten. That said, you pay accordingly: the two mains, side salad, with a beer and water, and 12.5% service, came to just shy of £58.

Service was very attentive, if rather serious. By the time we left the place was packed with families and couples. So, a good choice for a special meal, but it might be bit too restaurant-priced for some.