The atmosphere in here was great and lively. The 'locals' were welcoming and the staff were friendly and chatty. The best beer in Durham I found was here. I asked about the Scottish Notes as mentioned below. I was told that they have been stung by forgeries in the past and they do accept the new notes that have a... more

We had almost exactly the same experience as a previous reviewer. We ordered our drinks and attempted to pay with Scottish notes, which had been perfectly acceptable everywhere else in Durham that day. The barman refused to accept them on the grounds that thay might be forgeries. As two teachers in our mid-fifties, we hardly look as if we might... more

After a long drive north on our return from holiday, my wife and I stopped at Durham. The visitor guides had nothing but praise for this hostelry, it looked good, the location on the river was perfect, the choice of beers, etc was excellent. Having poured our drinks, the landlord looked at the Scottish banknote in my hands (perfectly acceptable... more