'eleven' at Houndgate Townhouse

Myself and partner went for a friday lunch. I had 18 Oysters cooked various ways but mostly as i like them simple and au naturel. The cooked ones were perfectly done and the tempura is the lightest tastiest batter ive tried in a ling time. The raw ones lacked any shell hiding in the oysters which would of pissed me off, So my compliments to the Chef that prepared them. My partner had roast loin of cod on a celeriac mash which she thought a delicious well cooked and adequately sized portion. She followed up with a dessert cinnamon apple crumble type dish which she raved about afterwards. I had a coffee and brandy which was well priced. The coffee delicious with a nice kick to it. The service was great from start to finish the girls answered all my questions including questions about our upcoming Xmas day meal with this Hotel. All in all i cannot fault our visit today and we will be returning not just for Xmas day but hopefully many more days/evenings to come. NB ... Those Oysters were spectacular, sea fresh Ozoney and second to none you must try them.

A great boutique hotel in the centre of Darlington. Great staff with good level of service. I didn’t dine in the restaurant in the evening however, I did have breakfast and I can say it was the best full English I’ve ever had. I would certainly recommend staying here if you are looking for a central location. There is no on site parking but a two minute walk, there is two multi storey car parks.

Just popped in for breakfast. One of the best presented and nicest full English breakfasts I have ever had. Very friendly staff too.

Didn't stay here that's why I didn't rate the rooms, the food was amazing 🤩 service was absolutely superb and couldn't have asked for more, the place is in a great location and parking is literally 30 seconds walk and after 6 it's free, 5 stars all the way and we will be back soon 👍🏻

Stunning hotel ✅️ Fantastic restaurant 👌 Perfect staff ❤️ Food and drinks are the best around . Thanks again for another wonderful experience.

Lovely food & Wine, excellent Cocktails and wonderful service from both Alex & Will, who make you comfortable and welcome. There are Super Fish dishes, a monthly 2 or 3 course meal priced decently, and the main menu, so you will always find something to suite your taste, and puddings are delicious. The wine menu is good, and the Cocktails are the best in Town, only using authentic mixers. The atmosphere created by Will and Alex is very relaxed and it's a little haven in Darlington.

Amazing wine bar and restaurant. Friendly staff. The food is absolutely delicious.

Went for lunch, what a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The food was fabulous and the service was too!

Beautiful 1st class food and service. Plenty choices from various menus and daily specials. Highly recommend this hidden gem.

We had the most gorgeous stay here for a friend's birthday. Overnight in room 3, beautiful! Dinner amd breakfast were incredible. One of the largest dinner menu's I've seen, and everything cooked for you. Staff were amazing and that's not enough of a compliment for them. Attentive, helpful, smiley and so friendly, nothing was too much. The specials board was 'WOW'. This is a gem of a place and we'll be back, thank you everyone 😊

Had an evening meal with business colleagues and all the food was absolutely fantastic. Whish the tables were a little bit bigger and more spacious but otherwise absolute first class.

Amazing restaurant. Food was first class, especially the oysters, and the service was great, so friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.

My friend and I booked for a celebratory lunch on 4 December and it did not disappoint. The service and attention were impressive, and this was backed up by the quality of the food. Also love the concept and style of the place, and look forward to being able to pop in for coffee, brunch, etc, as and when you get fully operational.

This is a terrific place to eat and chat. It is housed in a gorgeous Georgian townhouse. The staff are effortlessly efficient the food is great. I would literally eat anything from the menu quite happily. And omg the desserts are totally awesome. Don't fill up on the lovely bread have two desserts instead. I live in London so can't come here very often. I really envy locals who can become regulars. I really liked the relaxed ambience for a restaurant this good and food this delicious I was a bit worried it would be a bit formal but it has that lovely neighbourhood vibe where everyone is in jeans and feels at home. Book and enjoy lucky Darlington denizens.

Stayed here with work for 5 days. The rooms are immaculate, clean and beds so comfortable.The attention to detail was second to none! The hotel is an absolute asset to the restaurant which food is utterly delicious.loved this place!

We celebrated our daughter’s baptism here yesterday with our families and the service, food and attentiveness was exceptional. Laura was absolutely brilliant, along with the other staff. They really went the extra mile for my gluten free food and made sure I had all the ‘normal’ trimmings of the Sunday roast. My mum was looking after our little girl so I asked for her dinner to be on a hot plate whilst I finished mine, they just made her a fresh one when she was ready. Overall we’re all so impressed with Saltfish, we will certainly be back.

Went into the restaurant tonight (19th June) with my partner. Amazing service, attentive and pleasant. Had our desserts with the appropriate wine pairing and was always ensured our glasses were full and we were happy. Was our first time (despite the waitress being certain she'd seen us before haha) but will definitely be back!

My fiancée and I had a wonderful stay at the Houndgate after we were scammed for accommodation at another part of town. The owner was extremely understanding and even offered us a discount since we were scrambling to find a place to stay for the night. We had excellent dinners and conversations with the barkeep each night of our stay, the continental breakfast was amazing each day, and they even had a taxi organized for the morning we were leaving. All in all 10/10 experience that I would highly recommend to anyone that's staying in Darlington from out of town.

My very favourite place to stay and enjoy a five star meal. With friends. And the coffee is perfect. Staff are great and attentive.

This is a wonderful venue to visit in Darlington , centrally located to the town centre , serving excellent food where the staff really look after you. The bedrooms are high spec and very clean. A great venue to base yourself if you wish to explore the north east of England and all its wonderful history

We have stayed here twice now and highly recommend. There is nothing that is too much trouble and the room has everything you need. Houndgate is a beautiful building decorated to the highest standard. It is cosy and staff are lovely. The food is gorgeous, I literally can't recommend enough. We'll be back.

Really lovely food, service and atmosphere. The nicest food I have had in the area for a while. Prices are on the steeper side but the quality of the good reflects this - a lovely treat!

Absolutely outstanding! I don't eat fish and even I loved it. Went with family for a mid week meal and was blown away, my husband had the lobster which he assures me was amazing and my aunt thoroughly enjoyed the crab. I had a beautiful non fish dish which was gorgeous. Two lovely bottles of Chablis, only gripe was they needed to be a bit cooler but the fantastic waiter was straight on the case. The service was second to non and the atmosphere was amazing, we will definitely be back. Thank you

Iv eaten here on few occasions as I did yesterday, the food is excellent! Very tasty and very well presented, staff are always friendly and helpful, would not hesitate to book here again.

Hotel: With only a few rooms it is a rather small, very personal hotel. Everything is nicely done and it rather feels like coming home, than checking in. It is very clean, modern standards and has all facilities you might need, such as sewing kit, ironing board, blow dryer,… it’s all there. We needed adapters for continental plugs - no problem - got three! The beds (we had room 5 with two separate beds) are great. Long enough for a 6 foot person, not too soft and not to hard, with a fluffy blanket a good nights sleep was guaranteed! But the best was the service. The team is as friendly as it can get. Everyone is looking after giving you an easy, pleasant stay. Restaurant: the included breakfast is great. You can hardly ask for more. We also had dinner at ‘Saltfish’, the restaurant at the hotel. The food is very good and so is the variety of offered dishes. They serve non-fish as well as vegetarian. There is also a small bar, but we didn’t try any drinks. Summed up: highest recommendations for the Houndgate Townhouse and the restaurant!!

Called in for a late lunch , food was excellent Staff very friendly

I had lunch with 2 friends and we tried the set menu. The food and service was excellent and the decor and ambience of the room first class. The staff were friendly and helpful and very efficient and courteous. I would definitely recommend it and will return in the near future.

Visited here tonight for the 1st time, lovely service, lovely place and awesome food! i ordered the crab fondue for a starter it was unreal! got the special for main which was a 12oz steak, 3 prawns in a sauce, chips, salt and vinegar onion rings and a salad, couldnt finish it, i would highly recommend going here for a meal, you will not be disappointed! also got oysters, all round lovely place, 10/10 🤌

We had our wedding reception here 8 years ago. Different ownership now but still beautiful inside and dinner tonight was delicious. Really good selection of fish dishes, extensive wine list, tasty cocktails. Thank you to the very lovely staff for being so attentive. Would not hesitate to recommend.

Lovely evening meal and a truly excellent breakfast. The staff were great, in particular Laura who provided an excellent service. The room was comfortable and well appointed. The only criticism I could offer is that the bathroom was a bit whiffy.

There was a loud high pitched noise coming from outside starting just before midnight, which woke me up. It lasted for a little while and must have stopped because I eventually fell back asleep. They did have earplugs available in the room. No air conditioner, but it was plenty cool to open the window a little and it was fine this time of year. Room was very clean, and a pretty good size - plenty of room for 2 people in room #5. Bathroom was really nice. Bed was extremely comfortable. Staff was polite. Breakfast was excellent. Good location within walking distance of the train station and lots of shopping and restaurants - walked to a cell phone store to get a UK SIM no problem. Sainsbury's grocery store is also within walking distance which has an Argos in case you need any electronics. Room also came with free still and sparkling water. WiFi was fast and free.

Went to the Saltfish restaurant with my partner for a Sunday Roast. I was pleasantly surprised that they had a vegan roast option (hard to come by). I informed the waitress that I was vegan and they gave me red cabbage instead of a Yorkshire pudding and ensured that the shared veg between me and my partner was vegan. The nut-roast was delicious and all the veg was cooked so nicely. My partner had the beef and he loved it. The staff were really friendly too. Thanks for a great meal! Would recommend a visit! :) Giving 4/5 stars because I would love to see more vegan options. I was very happy to be able to enjoy a roast with my partner though so thank you for having one option!

Was at Saltfish restaurant for Valentine’s dinner, oysters were perfect, food ok. Waiters were very good 👍 minus one star for no decorations for St. Valentine’s Day which was disappointing, even Indian restaurant next door put some hearts 💞 balloons on every table.

Excellent service. Very friendly and warm and enough couldn't be done to help make your meal great. I had the three course special for £20. The starter was half of a large mushroom with salad. I felt that they could have stretched to a full mushroom however. I had a veg curry for mains and the curry flavour was lovely. I had the cheese & crackers for the third course which was lovely. The cheapest wine was £23.50 a bottle and that was very nice. It was my birthday and I was given a plate with happy birthday written across it which was a lovely touch. It was a nice treat for a special occasion.

We attended here as a group of 6 for an evening meal. The restaurant was busy and had a nice atmosphere. The front of house staff were polite and attentive. There was a good selection on the menu, as well as the options to cater to those with any additional dietary requirements. Unfortunately, my starter had been missed from the order, so it arrived 5 minutes after everyone else's when I brought it to their attention. The starter itself was absolutely delicious (smoked salmon with beetroot and crostini), I could've eaten 3 courses of that. I ordered swordfish with chips, garlic butter, and buttered veg for my main. Firstly, the sides had been mixed up with my friend's, who had also ordered swordfish, but that was a quick fix. But unfortunately my veg was stone cold, so I asked if they would mind heating it up for me. 5 minutes later, a fresh portion was brought with apologies. Although warmer, the bowl they were in was half full of warm buttery water as they hadn't been drained properly, so the taste was really watery. The main itself was underseasoned on the whole, the garlic butter needed more garlic, and although OK, it was very underwhelming for the price. The chips were top-notch, though. Dessert was lemon and cherry posset with shortbread. The portion was generous. The posset was looser and much sweeter than I expected, though that could be my personal taste. Though the fact it was topped with crumbled meringue meant it was just too sweet to eat a lot of. On the whole, the meal was a little disappointing. These dishes plus 2 mocktails came to just under £60, so I expected a little better for the price. I've still given 4 stars because the front of house staff were attentive (with the exception of my missed starter), and we still had a lovely evening. My friends' food was all good with the exception of another cold veg and an overseasoned fish pie. I think the food does have potential. It just needs more attention to detail in terms of plating and seasoning to make it worth the price.

Normally this place is outstanding but went last weekend and I'm shockingly disappointed... Only 5 people in the restaurant for breakfast and the service was very slow! Now by slow I actually mean I left my table and picked up my own food from the counter as two kitchen staff stood chatting for 10 mins while my order was sat waiting to be brought out from the kitchen! Don't get me wrong the food is always top quality but unfortunately this time the service was a let down. It definitely won't stop me going back but hopefully the service will go back to what it was before.

20.7.25 2.15pm I booked a table for two, we enjoyed our meal the service was OK but not outstanding no highlights where you could say wow that was great service. What really spoilt our whole experience was the rude blond haired young woman behind the bar who came out of the restaurant to confront me and my wife in front of 2 other customers who we were in conversation with, butted in challenge me on why we hadn't left a big enough tip. My understanding is that a DISCRETIONARY service charge is applied to your bill automatically! ( it's also written on the receipt). I also over heard one of the waitresses say to another group that this was the new process but you can have it removed if you choose to! Firstly I do not wish to be put in a situation where I have to ask to remove a discretionary service charge! ( guilt factor tipping) It should be at my discretion if you earnt the gift of a tip where I believe you have excelled enough to impress me to do so. I had paid my bill in full and I had paid a tip which should have been enough said. Please train you staff properly in the art of true customer service. Congratulations you have lost a future customer You are lucky that I didn't return to ask for my tip back, shame on on you.

Really disappointed this evening after being a loyal customer for at least 2 years, celebrating anniversary’s & birthdays amongst other family meals. My family ate in restaurant in March, the party consisted of 4 adults & 1 child. Service & food really good, apart from my meal had been overlooked. After mentioning this to 2 serving staff, I was eventually served. Food was lovely, but I had to eat after everyone had finished theirs. (Not good when you are really hungry!) 2 staff admitted my order had been forgotten. I would have expected something to compensate. Unfortunately my son settled the bill of over £180 without disputing. I mentioned this on our next visit to the lovely Kayleigh who said she would mention it to her manager. We have been in this evening & I produced original receipt & she said she would speak to manager as she was fully aware of my complaint. However I was confronted by someone who serves in bar saying we couldn’t get a refund ( which I’d never asked for anyway.) Absolutely awful manner, very abrupt & pushy. No customer service skills , we will not give our custom to Saltfish while that person is behind the bar. Such a shame as we enjoyed eating there, especially the oysters.

When we first went in we was greeted with a smile and a pleasant lady waited for a table to be cleared and set up , the menu and drink list was brought over ordered two courses then was asked what we wanted for drinks what I ordered of the drinks menu they didn't have so I ordered a Chinese beer of the draught beer pump the starters came out , was nice , the main course came out a little bland, still no drink arrived, asked for the bill and was charged for a beer at £6.50 but the beers on the menu was £4.50 then a 10% service charge , I'm sorry but I'm not paying a service charge for service like that , It was ate first time coming here and I'm sorry for to say But The salt water fish company that we normally go to in Fenwick Newcastle is far better

Service was great. Drinks were nice and restaurant decor is lovely. Food was expensive, and didn’t taste great. Starter-had humus and pittas, pittas were still raw, and hummus was ok. Main course of salmon was raw, so sent back and flavour of risotto was just not nice. Overall disappointed; overpriced and lacking in flavour. Wouldn’t go back.

Been once before but was there today and was disappointed. My friend had booked it weeks ago for a double birthday meal. Only Xmas dinner menu offered but ok. When we arrived we were told the menu given at time of booking was last years menu! Some options had changed but again ok. The veg was raw so basically I had turkey and potatoes. Dessert was average. When the bill arrived it was £2 per person more than quoted due to being given last years menu. No apology or reduction. Also on the bill was a service charge of £3.50. It was a fiasco not of our making. Will not be going back as felt ripped off.

Very disappointing. Love fish and seafood so decided to give this restaurant a try Went for the 1825 special lunch menu. Our server a youngish girl quite pleasan nut obviously dodnt own an iron as her white shirt was a disgrace After ordering food were brought a dish for mussel shells and hot water finger bowl both bowls had large chips in. Unfortunately the mussels followed some time after so the water in the finger bowl was now cold. The main course, fish pie, was very disappointing. 4 small pieces of smoked fish and salmon and very little sauce. The mashed potato which filled most of the dish was dry and tasteless. I wasn't convinced it was fresh potatoes. My husband ordered a beer with the waitress when we first sat at the table his first 2 choices were not available but the drink did not appear. At no point during our meal did the waitress come to our table to ask if everything was OK or if we needed anything. There was only another 6 diners in the restaurant at the busiest but mainly 4 other diners whilst we were in so she wasn't busy with diners. She was more interested in getting tables ready for the evening. We asked for the bill to find we had been charged for the beer we had not received and a service charge had been added. Obviously we refused to pay for these. Certainly would not recommend or return to this restaurant