Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Treehouse restaurant (below), and a Poison Garden where you can hear tales of
deadly plants (inspiration for the teen novel
The Poison Diaries
).
Denwick Lane, Alnwick.
&
01665/511-350.
www.alnwickgarden.com. Admission £11 adults, £6 children
5-16. Summer daily 10am-6pm, winter Fri-Sun and public holidays 11am-3pm, but check for changes
or weather-related disruptions.
Where to Eat
EXPENSIVE
Barn at Beal
SNACKS/AFTERNOON TEA/MODERN BRIT-
ISH Overlooking Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve with its sand dunes and
mud-flats, this award-winning visitor center set up by a local farmer to educate visi-
tors about agriculture and food fittingly promotes local produce in its restaurant and
coffeeshop. You can come all day for cakes and snacks, or dinner is served two nights
a week: Think seasonal dishes such as breaded local rabbit with black pudding and
apple redcurrant sauce, Lindisfarne oysters grilled with a herb crust, or casserole of
local game with colcannon root vegetables. There's a birds-of-prey center and a play-
ground on-site, plus family-friendly walks and trails and a cycle track to the Lindis-
farne causeway and beyond.
Beal Farm, Beal.
&
01289/540044.
www.barnatbeal.com. Reservations recommended for dinner.
Main courses £11-£17. MC, V. Daily 10am-5pm, Fri-Sat 7-11pm (closed Jan).
The Treehouse
MODERN BRITISH/EUROPEAN For the sheer wow
factor, this unique restaurant high in the treetops at The Alnwick Garden (p. 671) is
reached via wooden bridges and has trees growing through the floor, plus a roaring
fire in the cooler months. The food is surprisingly sophisticated, with the accent on
organic Northumberland meats, crab, and other local seafood, and further regional
specialties such as wood pigeon. Menus change seasonally but evening main courses
might include plaice fillets with zucchini and fennel filling, ratte potatoes, and king
prawn bisque. Lunch is substantially cheaper and includes snackier fare such as
bacon sandwiches, risotto, and fish and chips, plus a kids' menu. There's also a more
snacky bar menu. Sunday lunches include traditional roasts, and some evenings see
performances of traditional Northumbrian music. You don't need a ticket to Alnwick
Garden itself to visit the restaurant.
Denwick Lane, Alnwick.
&
01665/511-852.
www.alnwickgarden.com. Reservations recommended.
Main courses £14-£24 (dinner). MC, V. Daily 11:30am-2:45pm, also Thurs-Sun 7-11pm, and 6:30-9pm
June-Sept and Mon when bank holiday.
MODERATE
The Olde Ship Inn
TRADITIONAL BRITISH A fine spot for real ales beside a
warming log fire, this traditional pub by the tiny harbor of the resort town of
Seahouses is about as nautical as they come. Its wooden floor is made from ships'
decking, it has nautical artifacts galore (figureheads, diving helmets, pulling oars,
fishbaskets, and branding irons), and there are model fishing boats and a replica of
the lifeboat
The Grace Darling,
named after a local lighthousekeeper's daughter who
saved 13 people from a shipwreck in Victorian times. There's a casual bar menu
including homemade soup, sandwiches, and seafood, plus a lunch and evening menu
with traditional favorites such as steak and ale pie and rich desserts including ginger
trifle. Evenings, there's also a kids' menu; younger guests are welcome in the snug
cabin or the beer garden with its harbor and Farne Island views. There are about 20
guest rooms
and apartments on-site or nearby.
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