The Kingslodge Inn Durham – A Delicious Dinner

The Kingslodge Inn Durham is the city’s newest pub and my lovely fiancé and I were lucky enough to be invited to try a three course meal there last week.  Despite already living south of the river, we don’t often venture down to Durham for food or drinks, mainly because that usually means someone has to drive and doesn’t get to drink!  We could get the bus, but I hate being at the whim of public transport so Andrew took one for the team and drove us down the A1.  What did we find when we got there?

Where is it?

The Kingslodge was easy to find, just on the edge of the city centre tucked up on Waddington Street.  There is a car park attached, but you could walk there in six minutes from the bus station (according to Google Maps!).  There is a lovely looking beer garden outside, although it only has views of the car park, I can imagine it would be a lovely place to sit in the warmer months.

What Will I Find There?

The Kingslodge is a place to stay, a bar and a restaurant.  Whilst I can’t tell you what the rooms are like, the bar and restaurant were lovely.  The finish is like a cosy, traditional pub with a modern twist.  The interior decorator has obviously paid a lot of close attention to the details, with tartan, warm wood and earthy tones dominating the aesthetic.

What is the food like?

If you like excellent quality pub grub, you will love it here.  The food is a cut above your usual fare, but still sticks to some of the classics you would expect to find in a restaurant like this.  Fish and chips, steak and ale pie, gammon and steak were all on the menu, alongside healthier options like salmon and cous cous.  Slightly less expected were things like curry of the day and sticky tempura chicken, but they sounded delicious.

The menu was fairly extensive and it took Andrew and I a long time to decide but I think we made some excellent choices!

I had a goats cheese and beetroot starter, which was a huge portion of goats cheese with some beautifully cooked and presented beetroot and leaves.  Really delicious.  I can’t comment on Andrew’s as it was covered in peppercorn sauce, which I can’t stand!  But again, the portion was very generous and was well presented.

Mains were meat, meat and more meat – I had steak and ale pie with chips and Andrew had steak and chips.  The chips were tasty – proper pub chips that have been cooked I don’t know how many times in proper fat and are probably 1,000 calories but who cares because it’s a cheat meal – am I right?

Andrew was too pogged after two courses to attempt a dessert, but I thought I’d better take one for the team and eat one FOR THE SAKE OF THE BLOG.  The portion on this one was slightly more measly, but I guess I didn’t need anymore calories after a piggy starter and main.  It was yum.  Very sweet, but the pastry was melt in the mouth and the apple was tart.  Recommended!

Would I Go Again?

We had a really lovely evening – the food was excellent, the pub looked lovely and it had a welcoming, chilled atmosphere.  The prices were a bit more expensive than your average pub meal but the portions were big and the quality great.  Still, I’d probably choose The Kingslodge Inn more for a date night or a meal with the parents than a casual weekday meal, but it’s nice to have a bit of a treat every once in a while isn’t it?

I would also say that the service was a little bit confusing.  There were menus on the tables and then ordered your food at the bar, but when it came to dessert, we were asked whether we wanted another course and ordered with the server.  Nevertheless, I couldn’t fault the staff, they were attentive and helpful.

If you’re in Durham, I’d definitely recommend checking out The Kingslodge Inn – and if you do, let me know what you think!

♥ JH

Follow