Located slightly off the beaten track in Durham city, the Kingslodge Inn is near to Durham Viaduct and a scenic escape from the buzzing city centre. It’s a short walk from both the bus station and train station and also has ample free parking if you fancy visiting by car.
As well as serving food, there are 23 en suite, newly refurbished bedrooms which all come with a full English breakfast if you stay over. Visitors to the hotel can also take full advantage of the free Wi-Fi that’s available. 
The hotel is located on the grounds of the old Kingslodge Hotel and Finbarrs restaurant, at the top of Waddington Street in the centre of Durham. There’s a comfortable outdoor seating area which is the perfect place to enjoy the last of the twinkling sun with a large glass of wine, the greenery and tweeting birds in the nearby trees feel a world away from the city centre atmosphere. 
The hotel is open from 7.30 and serves food right up until 9pm. The menu is extensive, with light bites, lunches, evening meals and daily changing specials. The also have a children’s menu, so we’ll definitely be returning to give that a whirl. 
The pub looks modern but has a very homely and cosy feel. The decor is beautiful – filled with mismatched furniture, tartan print carpet and dark wood, it looks like it’s straight from a home interior magazine. 
I love the different types of table within the hotel, if gives you the option to choose your seating arrangements determined on your own needs (the booths are perfect for trapping in small children and the the tables with comfy chairs are perfectly thought out for those popping in for a coffee). I was pleased to see numerous highchairs dotted round the seating area too, it’s good to know that the children are welcome and catered for as it’s very rare we eat out without the little man. 
After perusing the menu and much deliberating, I finally decided on Potato Skins as my starter (£4.95) and my Mam mam went for Soup of the day (£5.95). The potato skins came with pots of chilli and garlic sauce and tasted delicious. They were perfectly cooked, with some crispiness and the perfect size to dip into the sauces. My Mam was happy with her soup and said it was rich, full of flavour and really delicious. 
The portion sizes were really good and very filling, there’s certainly enough to share if you don’t have a huge appetite. 
For my main course I chose the Kingslodge Curry (£11.95) which was Thai Red curry (this changes, so check with a server before ordering). This was once of the nicest curries I’ve had in a restaurant in this country. In fact, it’s probably the nicest Thai curry I’ve eaten this side of Thailand. The sauce was spicy without being too over powering and the green veg and chicken were the perfect accompaniment. Served with chips, rice and Naan bread, it was another great portion and something you really must try if you visit. 
For her main course, my Mam had steak and ale pie (£12.45), served with chips and peas. You can see from the picture above how big the plate was! I had a taste of the pie and the meat was so tender and tasty and the pastry almost melted in my mouth. 
Despite the fact our stomachs were full to the brim after our amazing starter and main course, we couldn’t leave without sampling the desserts.
My mam opted for the Chef’s Choice Cheesecake (£5.95) (this changes so check with a server before ordering) and I went for the Knickerbocker Glory (£6.95). Both were served with Chantilly cream which I absolutely love.
The cheese cake came it’s own individual dish which I think was great, it looks much more elegant than a slice cut from a large cake. The flavour was raspberry and she seemed impressed – she didn’t leave a mouthful or offer me a taste so I’m guessing it was pretty special. 
The knickerbocker Glory was truly amazing, layers of ice cream, strawberry sauce and chunks of fresh strawberries. Wow! It’s another item from the menu that you could share – there’s more than enough for two. 
During our visit the staff were lovely. All three members of staff on the floor were friendly, helpful and really polite, all seemed happy to be there and were interacting with customers without being intrusive. 
Our visit to the Kingslodge Inn in Durham was absolutely faultless, the atmosphere and staff were great, the food was top notch and the location is great. We will definitely be returning. I have my eye on their Sunday lunch!
The Kingslodge Inn is part of the The Inn Collection Group who have other hotels in the North. The Bamburgh Castle Inn and The Hogs Head Inn in Alnwick are now on my ‘to do’ list!
*I was invited to try out the food at the Kingslodge Inn in return for an honest review.
That food looks amazing – potato skins have to be the best guilty pleasure! x