River Bar Washington – new menu review

By Ania Askwith

• Instagram

---

Your friends might love this too – share it!

• Facebook
• X
• Threads

River Bar, 16 Bonemill Lane in Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AJ

---

Best for: Casual dining, dog-friendly, pub food, Washington dining, comfort food, cocktails, Restaurant in Washington

River Bar is one of those spots that has a something for everyone feel –comfort food, cocktails, and somewhere cosy to sit and catch up. It has a relaxed vibe that’s casual enough for lunch or a midweek treat, but feels just special enough for a weekend plan too.

What to order: comfort food highlights from our River Bar visit

I like the menu because it is not overly complicated – they have recently updated it and there’s a good selection of the comfort food classics we all love.

We went for:

Steak and frites
Flat iron steak served how you like it –pink or well done. It came with seasoned house fries which are insane – some of the best fries I’d had in ages! Super thin, crispy, and PERFECTLY seasoned, just how we like them. Oh and the peppercorn sauce needs a special mention too. It wasn’t my main, but I had to dip my fries in that sauce – it was gorgeous. I love things really peppery, and this was just how I like it. Perfect. It was just the right portion for a filling but not too heavy meal too.

The green Mexican burger
This is one of my favourite types of burger –made with a Beyond burger, which I love. I have tried sooooo many veggie burgers across the North East by now and this is in my top  5 for sure! It was stacked with guacamole (super fresh too!), lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, nachos and vegan cheese. I added a hash brown to mine too, just because I fancied it when I saw it on the menu with their brunch burger. It worked perfectly.I would 100% order it again! Not to mention those gorgeous fries it comes with!

Pulled pork nachos
These came absolutely loaded with BBQ pulled pork, cheese sauce and crispy onions. Sweet, smoky, cheesy, with a perfect crunch on top. A huge portion for a side dish. Everything you want in a comfort dish, really.

Cocktails (and mocktails) at River Bar

The cocktail list here is brilliant, and what’s even better is that most of them can be made into mocktails – ideal if you’re not drinking (I am always a designated driver) or just pacing yourself.

We tried a few between us:

• Margarita – always our benchmark for a bar and this one was GOOD. Pretty much as delish as a marg gets, with a salty rim. Beautiful.

• Largarita – A fun one from their Bottles Up collection. Tequila based, and topped with a bottle of Sol.

• The Twister One – Raspberry vodka, Midori, lychee liqueur, raspberry purée, apple juice and lemon – fruity with a nostalgic sweet twist. I had it as a mocktail and it was delish – sweet but not overly so.

• Strawberry daiquiri – Frozen and super refreshing. I could happily sip on this all afternoon. Again, I had it as a mocktail and it tasted really fresh.

Tips for visiting

• There are different seating areas so you can be in one of the cozy areas inside or out in the conservatory style section – both nice in their own way.

• They are dog friendly – I wish I’d checked that before our visit because LL would’ve loved it. They have dog treats, water bowls, blankets, and even toys.

• They’re really flexible when it comes to dietary swaps – happy to change meat to veggie options where possible. I am always a big fan of places that offer this.

• Parking is right outside with quite a lot of spaces. And it is free for customers.

Weekly deals worth knowing about

Now this is something I was really impressed with, because they’ve got a brilliant selection of rotating deals across the week – so you can plan your visit.

• Monday – 50% off all burgers (which worked for us since we visited on Monday)
• Tuesday – Tapas Tuesday (3 for 2 on all sides)
• Wednesday – Midweek Meetup with extended Happy Hour until 9pm
• Thursday – Legendary River Bar Cocktail Club
• Friday – Bottomless Supper
• Saturday – Bottomless Brunch
• Sunday – Sharing Sundays (50% off nachos & loaded fries)

Address

You’ll find River Bar at 16 Bonemill Lane in Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AJ. It’s right by the river with free parking available.

If you love discovering things to do, places to go, and the best spots to eat and drink in the North East and beyond, be sure to follow my blog for more reviews, recommendations, travel tips, and hidden gems. And for a closer look at my day-to-day experiences, follow me on Instagram @ania.askwith for behind-the-scenes content and even more discoveries! Let’s explore together!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ania | NEWCASTLE blogger and content creator (@ania.askwith)

---