County Durham Restaurants

Casa del Mar

Krimo, the culinary King of Hartlepool Marina with Krimo's and Portofino, opened his latest venture in January 2006, Casa del Mar, a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant, which has attracted a wide following, ranging from young families to older couples; though not all of them might wish to take advantage of one of their special offers, the Sunday night salsa sessions, costing just £14.

• Address: 25 Navigation Point, The Marina, Hartlepool, TS24 0PF (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Spanish, Mediterranean
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: £12.00, Dinner: £24.00

Clubhouse at Rockliffe Hall, The

Rockliffe Hall marks the addition of another resort destination in the north of England with all the trappings of five star comforts, a championship golf course and one of the largest spas in the country.

• Address: Hurworth-on-Tees, Darlington, DL2 2DU (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Modern British, British
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: £15.00, Dinner: £25.00

Coach House Bistro, The

Eggleston Hall's Old Coach House has been transformed into two large and light spaces for eating and relaxing. The large arched doorways have been glazed to give a spectacular view across Teesdale.

• Address: Eggleston Hall, Eggleston, Barnard Castle, DL12 0AG (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Bistro, English
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: £15.00, Dinner: £25.00

County Restaurant

Sitting pretty besides the banks of the River Wear, Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County is not only the area's finest luxury hotel but also home to the slick County Restaurant. Style conscious with a good line in minimalist chic décor, its interior is marked by a combination of maroons, creams and whites.

• Address: Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County, Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3JN (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Modern European
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: N/A, Dinner: £42.00

County, The

Owner and Landlord, Andrew Brown, was the first Raymond Blanc scholarship winner in 1995. After training in such salubrious establishments as Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons and the Petit Blanc, Andrew served some time with Gary Rhodes at the Green House in London, David Wilson at the Peat Inn Scotland and Gorges Blanc in France.

• Address: 13 The Green, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6LX (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Modern European
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: N/A, Dinner: £31.00

El Coto - Durham

Probably the finest invention to ever come out of Spain is the tapas bar, that wonderfully informal form of eating, with lots of small and interesting dishes, eaten slowly with a delicious fino sherry or quickly if the need arises.

• Address: 17 Hallgarth Street, Durham, DH1 3AT (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Spanish
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: £12.00, Dinner: £22.00

El Greco

Since El Greco literally translates as 'The Greek', this is a piece of information that will easily help you to decide what the menu is going to be about but wait here's some more trivia for the arty types.

• Address: 60 Hope Street, Crook, Durham, DL15 9HU (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: £15.00, Dinner: £20.00

Farrar's Bistro Restaurant

Hartlepool has come a long way in the last decade, especially the makeover of the marina. Home to the award-winning historic quay, it is always alive with tourists, and is only likely to get busier with the city's future beautification plans.

• Address: Unit 12a, Navigation Point, Middleton Road, Hartlepool, TS24 0UH (Map)
• Cuisine(s): Bistro
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: N/A, Dinner: N/A

Frankie & Benny's New York Italian Restaurant & Bar - Stockton-On-Tees

Frankie and Benny's combine the best of classic American and Italian in both style and cuisine. They specialise in home style cooking 'just like Mamma used to make it'. This is a great place to take the entire family and represents excellent value for money.

• Address: Haydock Park Road, Teeside Retail Park, Thornaby, Stockton-On-Tees, TS17 7BG (Map)
• Cuisine(s): American, Italian
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: N/A, Dinner: £18.00

Gourmet Spot

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Up and coming young chef Ashley Paynton is on a mission to wow the taste buds of North East England and has chosen the idyllic cathedral city of Durham from which to do it. I think it takes a bit of nerve to call your restaurant Gourmet Spot, but nerve or not, here is something new and interesting in Durham, that jewel of the north, once described as "one of the finest architectural experiences in Europe" and voted Best British City by readers of posh lifestyle magazine Condé Nast Traveller.

• Address: Farnley Tower, The Avenue, Durham, DH1 4DX (Map)
• Cuisine(s): English, Modern British, British
• Avg. Cost Per Head Lunch: N/A, Dinner: £49.00