The King's Head

Someone from this business manages this listing.

749 reviews

#2 of 8 Restaurants in Lanchester££ - £££, Bar, British, Pub

+44 1207 520054+ Add website

Hours

Sun

12:00 - 22:00

Mon

12:00 - 22:00

Tue

12:00 - 22:00

Wed

12:00 - 22:00

Thu

12:00 - 22:00

Fri

12:00 - 23:00

Sat

12:00 - 23:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

749 reviews

#2 of 8 Restaurants in Lanchester

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Bar, British, Pub, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“Highly recommend the beef”

“My partner chose beef and I had lamb ,the meals were cooked to perfection wit...”

Special Occasion Dining, Groups

“Amazing Christmas Party”

“Visited the Kings Head for a family celebration based on recent reviews and w...”

Location and contact

Station Road, Lanchester DH7 0EX England

+44 1207 520054

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Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?

Yes

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Details

Manage this business?

About

Under new management from October 2021 - Present. A pub and restaurant in the heart of Lanchester - a venue worth travelling to. Join us for a quick bite to eat or dine whilst celebrating a special occasion. Dog friendly in our bar area.

CUISINES

Bar, British, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Non-smoking restaurants

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4.0

749 reviews

Excellent

407

Very good

155

Average

Poor

Terrible

SWSt61

County Durham64 contributions

Nice for a treat!

Jan 2020 • family

We've been here for a meal a number of times now and have not been disappointed so far. We've tried a variety of options on the menu and they have always been well cooked and full of flavour. Service is usually pretty quick and the staff are excellent - especially with young children. The choice of beers is a little limited, and on our last couple of visits, at least one of them has been unavailable, but that's probably my only real criticism. Whilst prices might be slightly higher than some other places in the area, we've always felt our meals have offered pretty good value for money.

Written 19 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SteveProud

Good day to you's It is Supurb that you have been here a few times and never been disappointed... Its heartwarming that you find our FOH Team Excellent.... and great with kids to boot.... It's what you want when you are spending hard earned money on a meal... just so glad we met your standards.... Our competitors will be jealous of our great reviews ... and your recent one will just add to that.... many thanks... we do hope to see you all soon Kind Regards Steve Proud

Written 20 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kate D

Mount Waverley9 contributions

Huge Servings

Dec 2019 • family

Lovely family Sunday lunch. Huge serves of roast and also the fish and chips. Great service with prompt attention and warm friendliness. All meals came with a side dish of vegetables and were too big for even our hungry teenagers to finish. Highly recommended!

Written 11 January 2020

SteveProud

Hello Kate.... Well your Family seemed to have a Fantastic day with us.... AND..... You highly recommend us...... Wow what more could we ask from you and your lovly family... I hear the word TEENAGERS... well listen to this.... we are preparing a large selection of various home made Burgers with the most amazing flavourings... enough choice to suit the most avid burger eater.... served with HOME MADE BATTERED ONION RINGS TO DIE FOR.... BELIEVE ME.... STANDING ABOUT 5 INCHES HIGH WITH FILLINGS AND DIPS TO IMPRESS THE MOST SEASONED BURGER FANATIC.... SERVED WITH THE MOST DELICIOUS FRIES... So Kate.... bring them in after Thursday to give them a genuine treat... We do hope to see you all soon Best Wishes Steve Proud

Written 13 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

lollipop1

Sunderland212 contributions

Miss out breakfast if you're having lasagne for lunch!

Feb 2020 • none

We are regulars at this fab pub- always greeted by friendly, professional staff and served delicious foor prepared using local produce. I have been asking when they may have some pasta dishes on the menu and when we arrived today, I was delighted to be told their yummy lasagne was back on the menu. It was absolutely delicious- the portion was huge! So big that I had to take what I couldn't finish, home with me. 10/10!!

Written 26 February 2020

Joanne L

Durham18 contributions

Very disappointed

Apr 2021 • friends

Turned up greated nicely in the pub and took to the beer garden, before we even looked at menu we were told a large number of items on the menu were unable to order as out of stock, the menu was poor, expensive with not a very large selection, No lightbite menu for a lunch time. Our order was taking forever , We waited over a hour and had drank our 1st drinks before we even recieved out Meals, baring in mind at this time it was not busy, My meal came out and my friends followed over 25 minutes later, and was all incorrect and had to be sent back to be changed and had to wait another 20 Minutes, I also had to send my chicken sandwhich back as it just tasted like I was eating a burnt sandwhich. The lady waitress was lovely couldn't be anymore apologetic and asked if we would like another drink, we also ordered a desert whilst still eating meal in hope that it wouldn't take aslong as our Mains, which still took over a hour and we had to ask again where it was, so we were offered another Drink, the male waiter came over and plonked the drinks down, we said thank you he didn't even acknowledge us or respond to us Thanking him and walked away. when the lady waitress brought our desserts, she apologized again and said I bet you sick of me apologising, as she had to a apologise about everything. she said the chef was struggling to do both main and desserts as he had orders of both therefore to me they need more staff, if he can't cope. The table next to us got Drinks, complained about there drinks ended up paying for them and leaving, they decided against food, I think they had witnessed our experience . I wouldn't hurry back the overall experience was dreadful, which is such a shame as the old menu and experience here last year was Fantastic. However the lady waitress who was on, is the only thing we can say was lovely and she was very nice.

Written 20 April 2021

Lady Leonora

Muggleswick34 contributions

Avoid like the plague

Jun 2021 • friends

Decided to try this place for lunch for the first time in years. We arrived 10 minutes prior to 12 o clock opening. Perhaps the fact that the seats were covered in food debris which we had to brush away before sitting down should have told us it was going to be bad. My friend had sausage and colcannon mash. The sausages were overcooked / burnt . The mash had no cabbage or kale in it. It was just plain mash. When we pointed this out to the server she said she could bring him some cabbage! I ordered Caribbean chicken on skewers with mango and pineapple salsa. I got 3 pieces of burnt chicken, with a salad of pepper and onions which is hardly Caribbean salsa and is something I dislike. I ate the chicken because I was hungry. When I complained to the server she said she would see if I could get a refund. She returned to the table and said the manager could ot give a refund as I had eaten the chicken. I did get the price of the bar snack taken off the bill eventually but it's too long a story to tell. I used the ladies bathroom. The carpeted floor (yuk) was very dirty and had clearly not been cleaned from the previous evening.

Written 4 June 2021

Claire Y

Consett19 contributions

Desperately sad

May 2021 • couples

What a disappointment. This is a pub we have used for the past 30years. It goes through periods of new management and new menus. We should have known it was somewhere to avoid when we read the large banner outside advertising for all members of staff from cleaner to chef!!! I ordered the chicken curry and my husband ordered the homemade corned beef pie. The chicken curry was basically chicken in gravy with rice. There were no vegetables in the curry which was surprising but there was also no curry. I have never tasted anything so bland. My husbands pie was disappointing but the chips were good. We are not in the habit of complaining but when asked by our server I could not say anything other than the meal was tasteless. The server acknowledged that it looked less than good. A discount was applied to our final bill. To the management of this pub I would like to express not only disappointment but a plea. This is our local pub, we like pub grub. We want to support you and we eat out most days. We meet friends, family and we entertain business clients. It’s not rocket science. Eat here yourself and be honest. We aren’t looking for Michelin star. Keep the menu small but get it right.

Written 22 June 2021

Sheena B

Ubud204 contributions

Something fishy at the Kings 😀

Aug 2020 • none

Been to the Kings Head many, many times and have yet to have a bad meal. Last night was the first time I'd been back since lockdown so it was going to be interesting to see how they fared. I need not have worried, as they had everything covered. We were told right from the start that there would be up to an hours wait for food, but it doesn't take Einstein to work out that there would be a delay due to the EOTHO scheme. The wait was not a problem, as we had a great table, and managed a lovely catch up over drinks. During that time, we noticed that the staff were all working their socks off to get the meals out, so hats off to you guys; I can't imagine what its like sweating your cobs off trying to keep everyone happy, and all the time having to keep smiling in these uncertain times. All kudos to you, as you all managed to pull it off with bells on. I didn't get the name of our server, but she was great, and didn't mind our banter one bit, bless her. All credit to the staff, but what about the food???? All of my party opted for fish and chips, as it is always delicious, and would you believe it, this time, it was even more mouth watering! The puddings were also sublime, and all that for a bargain price. In all honesty, I would have paid full price for it anyway, as its just nice to have a bit of normality restored. I would suggest that anyone who would prefer a quick meal would be better off going on nights that the offer isn't on, as believe me, it is worth it. Good luck guys, see you again soon

Written 19 August 2020

SteveProud

Sheena..... Sheena..... Simply amazing that review.... Just Amazing And if course, its from a group of you's. So its a MULTI FIVE STAR.... You have took time out to let the world know how well the Kings team looked after you all, you have taken time out to praise the quality of our Tucker, you have taken time out to let the world know...... YOU'S ARE COMING BACK.. Well Sheena, let me tell you..... It would be an absolute pleasure to have you walk through our doors... Kind Regards Steve Proud

Written 20 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

westonhweston

Consett8 contributions

Back to a wonderful “normal”.

Jul 2020 • none

Both me and my friend have been back to the Kings Head for our catch up after over three months of lock down. We were welcomed back by Trevor, as cheerful as ever and attentive to what we wanted. The food was again delicious, Kings Head Chicken and Beef stew with leek dumpling, a real treat at lunch time. We always end up having coffee with hot milk and whilst serving us, Trevor entertained us with his lock down experience and good humour. It’s a joy to be back there and will be back in a fortnights time.

Written 9 July 2020

SteveProud

Good Day And welcome back to the Kings giving you as ever, the best food and service in the North East. Big thanks from in BIG TREV.... He was delighted to see you's return... What a great comment.... ITS A JOY TO BE BACK..... Folks reading this need to give this place a try...... Just look at our reviews and midweek deals....... To die for...... As they say.... Big discounts coming in Aug..... So keep an eye on Website.... ITS JUST GREAT TO HAVE ALL OUR CUSTOMERS BACK........ KIND REGARDS

Written 10 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michelle

1 contribution

Great food, service to be improved!

Aug 2020 • family

Visited this restaurant for dinner, when i arrived i was promptly told to wait there for a second whilst the hostess (Charmaine) messed around on her phone. After around 5 minutes shes asked if i had a reservation which i did, she couldn't find my name in the book so proceeded to give me a bad attitude and told me that they would accommodate our family this once but would have to sit in the table near the toilets as it was the only free table they had left for the dinner rush. As other guests arrived i overhead her letting them have a choice of were to sit as they were not busy today! Apart from that one individual, the other servers were fantastic abd the food was spot on! Prices without the eat out to help out were great and will definitely be booking up again soon, but will more than likely confirm our booking ahead of arriving next time to avoid bitter service at the door!

Written 18 August 2020

SteveProud

Good Day.... Big. Big. Thanks for your appraisal So Sorry about any mix up... Food SPOT ON...... LOVE IT... Thanks Next visit will be........... SPOT ON See you soon.... Kind Regards Steve Proud

Written 18 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Helen Rox

2 contributions

Restaurants way or no way

Jan 2022 • family

Rang for a table last night at short notice as Crinions were fully booked, got us a table for soon as possible. when arrived we were seated quickly. drinks order took a while then food order was slow. we ordered our meals and we have a fussy teen who asked for a plain cheese burger, chips with beans. we were then told we weren't allowed beans, so we double checked this as my youngest was having beans with their kids meal so wasn't like they had no beans at all. we were made to feel like it was a complete inconvenience. After a while we were told we could have the beans but as a side which would be £2.45 as classed as a side order of mushy peas. I had the pie but asked for chips rather than mash, made to feel as if I'd asked for the impossible and if I wanted chips I had to have it as a side or loose the veg too. so I had chips as a side but said I didn't want mash. Couldnt understand the logic as I was asking to swap a potato for a potato. We waited a while for meals to come and when they did my pie still had mash on, luckily we had a separate plate I could swap things on to and didn't feel I could say anything at this point as felt an inconvenience to staff. I then asked for gravy to go with the pie, apparently this is also classed as a side dish. the kids meal sausages were leek sausages. which is fine but for a children's meal they were very over powering and my youngest didn't eat them due to this. wouldn't eat here again as it seemed as though it was their way or no way and customer likes and dislikes were not considered, just add it all on as sides and spend extra money.

Written 25 January 2022

Molewife

Durham118 contributions

Excellent

Apr 2022 • couples

First time we’ve been since refurbishment & new management. Used to come before pandemic & retirement of previous manager for Sunday roast dinners which were great. The new layout & decor has totally transformed the interior. Smart & modern in a good way. There were plenty of tempting choices on the menu so we were sorry we were just having a main course for our lunch on this occasion but as the list of starters and puddings looked so good that we’d come back again with bigger appetites. The fillet steak with the surf and turf was of excellent quality and cooked perfectly as was the roast salmon which came served on bed of chilli noodles. The waitresses were friendly & helpful so we enjoyed our meal which was good value in attractive surroundings.

Written 2 April 2022

Maddd

1 contribution

Who's running it the owners or the chef?

Dec 2021 • family

If there was a way to get a message to the owners I would not be writing this. This was our favourite place to eat when you were at the woodmans. We were delighted when we heard you were opening a new venue closer to us in lanchester. We were In there recently and my son asked if he could have chilli jam instead of onion marmalade and was told the "kitchen won't provide it" even though chilli jam comes with several different dishes I even offered to pay for this as a side but chef wouldn't allow!?!?They also lost out on a £30 desert order as you couldn't have vanilla ice cream instead of rum and raisin with the rocky road!?!? We also asked for cream instead of custard, chef won't do that!?!? We couldn't quite believe what we were hearing. The sad thing is the food is fantastic here, chef needs to give the customer what they ask for especially when the request could have been very easily catered for. I really feel the owners should be made aware of this as i would be horrified if my business was being conducted in this manor.

Written 4 December 2021

Jackie S

1 contribution

Under New Management - First Visit Disappointing

Sept 2020 • couples

Recently re-opened after being sold, I have to say my first visit was a little disappointing. This is one of my favourite pubs restaurants and although some meals are better than others, I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal First thing I noticed was the revised/reduced menu & certainly the sandwich prices had increased. Unfortunately not as good as the old hot beef sandwich, beef & horseradish with salad was average. Hopefully this was a one off.

Written 17 September 2020

HannahLucas93

Good Afternoon Jackie, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review on your recent visit. We are sorry that you found your experience to be disappointing but we really appreciate the feedback as we are always looking at ways we can improve our guests experience. We hope to see you again very soon. Thanks, Hannah General Manager

Written 2 October 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Alison D

7 contributions

Family birthday

Jul 2020 • family

Went for a family birthday meal, tables were socially distanced well, we all felt safe within the surroundings, staff couldn't do enough to help, Charmaine was amazing serving our food and bringing us everything we needed. The food was lovely, hot and well presented, very generous portions. Special mention to Kayleigh who made fantastic gin cocktail slushes, these are definitely worth returning for on a nice sunny day. We go regular when we have family occassions as the quality of the food and friendliness of the staff make it a pleasurable visit everytime.

Written 29 July 2020

SteveProud

Wow Alison ... Great choices of the menu and there is plenty.... plenty more for you all to sample.... Next time you'd are in have a look at the specials menu..... some brilliant deals to temp you... All the Team at the Kings send their thanks for the great review of their establishment Next week brings the HALF PRICE MENU. MON. TUE. AND. WED Best Wishes Steve Proud

Written 31 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rachel Prior

Chester-le-Street2 contributions

The perfect place for a family meal

Jul 2020 • family

We have just visited the King's Head in Lanchester today and I just had to write a review to let people know how great it was. This was our first meal out since before lockdown, so we were a little apprehensive. We needn't have been! The pub is operating a one way system (with an entrance and exit at separate sides of the building from each other and arrows on the floor. We were greeted warmly by the staff, who took our name and contact details (in case they need to trace anyone). The food was served quickly and was absolutely delicious! All staff kept social distancing rules and were thoroughly hygienic throughout our visit. Both the adults and children's meals were fantastic and we were made to feel very welcome. The toilets were clean and displayed all of the relevant information for staying safe, washing hands etc. I could not rate this pub and their staff more highly, especially Charmaine, who made us feel at ease and looked after our every need. We need to support these fabulous local businesses, now more than ever. Thanks for a great visit xx

Written 18 July 2020

SteveProud

WOW.... WOW..... WOW...... NOW THAT IS A REVIEW OF OUR KINGS HEAD Beth and her Full Team send their heartfelt thanks..... Charmaine.... Did what she does best..... LOOKS AFTER ALL OUR CUSTOMERS.... 👌👌👌AND........ with a Smile..... " THE PERFECT PLACE FOR A FAMILY MEAL" Might put your statement above the door If i was looking for a new venue to Dine... And i came upon your comments, i couldn't help but want to be there..... How could you not want, or need to try us.... So......... We welcome new customers with the BEST FOOD AND SERVICE IN THE NORTH EAST..... AND...... AUG BRINGS SOME AMAZING DEALS ON OUR FOOD FOR YOUR PLEASURE THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN Kind Regards

Written 19 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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