For residents of Barnard Castle, the Riverside Restaurant has been a real find, a lovely restaurant tucked away at the end of County Bridge, offering a remarkable dining experience that excels on all counts. The warm and welcoming atmosphere is enhanced by the low beamed ceilings, numerous candles and Moroccan décor, with relaxed but efficient service. The owners are committed towards using fresh local produce and this passion reflects in their delicious fare, while their focus on slow cooking methods ensures that the richness of taste is unequalled.

The fixed price menus offer great value and Sunday roasts are indeed the talk of the town, while the à la carte brings choices such as starters of grilled fresh sardine fillets on rustic toast, lemon and herb butter followed by a main course of seared rump of venison, slow roasted haunch and champ mash. For a light but sweet end, the fruity pavlova ought to do the trick and the wine selection brings new and old world choices priced attractively.