Darlington Arms — Restaurant in England

I recently stayed here, and while there were some good points, there were also a few downsides that affected the overall experience.||The Bad:|Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi didn’t work during my stay, which was quite inconvenient. The staircase leading to the rooms was steep, making it difficult to carry luggage or navigate after a long day. Another downside was that the landing light stayed on all night, which made it harder to relax. The overpowering smell of an air freshener didn’t help either (which we had to put outside the door). The hotel could definitely use some refurbishment; a fresh coat of paint and new carpets would go a long way. Lastly, while the pub is convenient, it lacked any character or charm, which was a bit disappointing.||The Good:|On the positive side, the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made me feel at ease right away. The room itself was clean, and the bed was quite comfortable, ensuring a good night's sleep. The hotel is easy to find, and there's plenty of parking available, which is always a bonus. Although I didn’t eat there, the menu looked and smelt appetizing. The location is also very convenient, just a 10-minute drive from the airport, if that. There were plenty of towels provided in the room, and I appreciated the fan, especially on warmer nights.||In summary, while the hotel has its fair share of issues, particularly with its dated décor and lack of Wi-Fi, the friendly staff and comfortable amenities made the stay bearable. A few updates could make this place a lot...

Arrived for my wife’s birthday meal with our children. There were minimal people sat with food and there was confusion if we could be served. The “barmaid” says to the waitress “if you can’t fit them in then just say no” and followed up by “just sit them down”. Not a great start

Food arrived. Kids were ok. Fish pie was ok but the veg lasagne was slightly over cooked but just bland. The table next to us had the same and theirs was burnt.

We ordered deserts and the kids asked for chocolate brownie with ice cream. Chocolate ice cream arrived. We said this was not right and the waitress went to ask the chef to return and say it was. Having given up on getting anything decent, we gave up and the kids ate it.

When paying, I said to to the waitress that I had reviewed the menu again and it clearly states brownie with vanilla ice cream. She returned with the “barmaid” who was actually the “superior” who proceeded to blame the new waitresses who didn’t understand the menu. I pointed the menu again and the response was “oh, well I’m sorry about that”. I simply gave up and just said to remove them from the bill just to get out.

Shambles tbh with the waitresses seeming untrained and not really knowing what to do but...

Unusual but great food! From the name, we assumed it would be a typical British gastropub. We were a little surprised when they said we could have 2 dogs in the main restaurant. When we arrived, and looked at the menu/decor, it was obvious that this was no ordinary pub. The specials that day were both types of curry but the rest of the menu had plenty of other dishes (pub classics, sea food, etc). By this point we were worried that we had made a mistake and that they were a "jack of all, master of none" establishment but we pressed on as we were fairly committed by now. When the food arrived it was well presented and tasted great. A truly fantastic curry and I really hope I get to eat there again. To add to the feeling of strangeness... There had been light background music throughout but just as we were finishing our meals, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" (the one from Titanic) was played and pretty high volume. Then the volume was returned to normal for the rest of the songs. Quite a surreal experience. Well...