By Ania Askwith
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The Gate, 3 Beech Road, Durham, DH1 5JE
Best for: pub food, comfort food, pub classics, fish and chips, Durham dining
If you’re ever in Durham and fancy great pub food, you will enjoy this place.
The venue has been recently refurbished, but it isn’t just the décor that is fresh – we were seriously impressed with their classic pub food menu.

The menu at The Gate: classic comfort food done right
The menu is full of classic pub favourites (and some great surprises), all freshly prepared.
There is a lot of choice and we went for:
- Fish and chips – the batter was something else! Super crispy and the fish was fresh and flaky. It was gorgeous.

- Chicken parmo – super cheesy, the chicken was tender and tasty, and what a huge portion.

- Pork belly bites – in all honestly we didn’t expect pub pork belly bites to taste like a top Asian restaurant, but the chef here deserves a shout out for this dish. The sauce was on another level. And the pork was tender but with a good bite, as you’d expect from pork belly bites. Great dish.
- Fresh veggies on the side – cooked just right, nice little side to rich pub food.

Impressed with the savoury dishes, we just had to try their desserts.
We went for the chocolate fudge cake and the banana bread & butter pudding – my first time trying banana bread pudding, and it was waaaaaay nicer than I’d imagined it would be! It came stuffed with real dates and had a lovely homely feel. I have no frame of comparison given it was my first bread pudding but if they all are anything close to this one – I am a fan! Simple but super delish.

A (dog) friendly venue
What really stands out about this place is the friendliness and effort from the staff.
The service was top notch – a huge shout out to the lovely girl who looked after us, she couldn’t have been friendlier.
Even Loui got VIP treatment – not just a treat, but a plate of treats! So do bring your pup along if when you visit!

A fresh décor inside and out
Full pub menu is available daily, but they also have special deals on different days so worth checking before you visit. They’ve got a Sunday carvery that’s been getting rave reviews, and during the week, they run themed nights like curry and quiz Wednesdays, steak nights, and fish & chips Fridays.
It is nicely decorated inside (you can tell it’s been refurbished with a lot of TLC), but I also spotted that they have a great beer garden (which we didn’t sit in since it was raining) but worth a mention if you’re planning a visit!
Location
You’ll find The Gate at 3 Beech Road, Durham, DH1 5JE. There is a car park right in front of the pub – which is a lovely building.
Tips for visiting
Open daily 12pm-11pm; Friday & Saturday 12pm – 12am
• The staff are super friendly and attentive; your pups also get the VIP treatment with water bowls and treats available
• If you’re into sports, they show live events, and have got a great selection of cold beers and drinks to enjoy while you watch.
• Free car park is available at the front of the building

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Reviews
For reviews, ratings, real customer experiences, and to see what people are saying – check out their Tripadvisor reviews here.
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If you love discovering the best places to eat and drink, things to do, wellness experiences, places to go, hotels and staycation spots in Newcastle, the North East, and beyond, be sure to follow my Newcastle blog for more reviews and recommendations. As a Newcastle blogger, I share everything from foodie finds, self care experiences, to weekend escapes.
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