Boydell's — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

It's a beautiful old building in historic Morpeth, a destination for tourists and locals alike for a great water-side, country visit only a short distance from Newcastle.

Caveat: It was a very warm day (36C) and the building and air conditioning does not really cope. This is also fully understandable given the construction and age of the building, and the staff were very attentive and concerned for our comfort. We had a lovely time regardless.

We had a table of 8 - which is probably quite large for such an intimate space, but we were treated magnificently from drinks and starters to dessert. The food was very well made with many compliments across the table. Any nitpickings we would have would be quite trivial. The design of the mains are quite elaborate and tantalizing; I had the suckling pig 3 ways, and while by the end of it I no longer wanted any pork - the manner in which it was presented and consumed was quite delicious. My wife had the cod, which seemed to be wrapped in swiss chard and in a cream sauce; the fish was light and buttery, and the cream sauce was fairly heavy.

Desserts equally were interesting - nice to see a summer pudding on the menu, but the highlight in my mind was the lime panna cotta.

I look forward to returning to Boydells again, maybe for a dinner for 2 or 4 - with more temperate weather.

PS - the informational displays about the town, Charles Boydell, and the building - are really interesting and do not take away from the refinement of the...

Boydell’s wines in Morpeth. If you haven’t been put it on your list and go. 10/10 food, service, atmosphere, wine Tucked away down a side lane and encompassed in an 1830s slab hut, the moment you walk in you want to sit & stay a while in this stunningly renovated restaurant & wine bar.

We went for dinner and from minute one, I knew I was in the right place as the sever with almost a sense of glee reinforced that my multiple intolerances including dairy and being ceoliac would be a delight for the chef to prepare, even going as far as to create an off menu dessert just for me.

And the food. The first mouthful and I was speechless (trust me that doesn’t happen often) for all the right reasons. It was an explosion of flavours and textures that if I could have picked my plate up and licked it I would have. Every dish brought another experience beyond the one before. Yum yum yum 😋

Add to all that some of the most stunning wines from their boutique vineyard just up at the road in East Gresford and they have ticked literally every box.

Often this type of experience comes with a hefty bit of snootiness and a matching price tag, yet we’re once again pleasantly surprised by a very reasonable price for dinner and staff that could really read the room. They recognised those diners that wanted formal service and to be left to enjoy their meal to us who were roaring with laughter alongside them.

The only downside is me. I was so wrapped up in everything I didn’t take a...

My Fiancé and I came for a visit on Saturday for a wine tasting and dinner to suss out Boydell's as a wedding reception venue. The service we received throughout the entire afternoon/evening was second to none. Tabatha looked after us in the lead up to our visit, answering all questions we had regarding booking events, as well as leading us through our wine tasting in a professional yet friendly manner. Her service and knowledge made us feel very welcome right from the start. The wines we tasted would be some of the best we've had, I think we've been converted into wine connoisseurs instead of just getting what's on special at Dan's. It would've been rude not to purchase our favourites from the evening!

After moving into the restaurant for dinner, we were then looked after by Stuart, Bonnie and Chelsea. They continued to make our night fun and enjoyable. It's obvious that they enjoy what they do. Stuart's knowledge of the menu was incredible, he even made dishes we wouldn't normally choose to eat sound scrumptious! The pork belly, kangaroo filo parcel, pork cutlet and truffled potato gratin were TO DIE FOR!!! I won't normally eat kangaroo but am so glad we ordered it! Everything was plated up to perfection and looked as good as it tasted. We cannot wait to share the incredible experience with our nearest and dearest next year. But I'd say we'll be back before then! Thank you all so much for such an incredible evening of food,...