Martino Lounge — Restaurant in England

A nice first visit to this lounge, staff very attentive and cheerful, friendly, and visiting just after happy hour, the place had plenty of space, no wait, and plenty of choice of where to sit. Order at the bar. Food very tasty, though not cheap (for the portions given). Same goes for the wine, which was okay, nothing special, but quite drinkable. Didn’t realise there was a quiz night due to start just as we were finishing up, might have planned it better to take part if we’d known. And it’s a sign of what the place is like - like a combined pub and coffee shop, almost. So I really liked the atmosphere (the staff help with that) and the decor takes me back to places I’ve been in London. Definitely has a more refined feel to it, and if you’re just wanting to lounge, then there are some sofas (a la Caffè Nero) if you’re in luck. Otherwise the chairs are quite hard and upright, which might fit with the decor but takes its toll in terms of leaving you stiff and a bit chilly. Not super warm in there, so have a coat. Gluten free menu was definitely bonus - a lot of thought in that, and careful clarifying of items when you order them, by the staff, they’re early well trained, and we appreciated that. Plenty of veggie options too, can’t remember if there was much vegan, but wouldn’t be surprising if there were. Definitely go if you aren’t a major fan of British pubs and their ‘cosy’ (i.e. cramped) atmosphere and sticky tables. This place is much cleaner and more spacious, but with that kind of relaxed vibe, not hurried at all (like in restaurants). And not too loud either - I’ve noticed how quite a few restaurants treat their places like nightclubs and you have to yell to hear each other. Not so here. I’ll definitely come back, but maybe once I can afford it - it isn’t cheap enough for serving size that I can say it replaced a regular dinner, even if it was very tasty. That would be my only real criticism. Otherwise, if it’s something more like a apero that you’re after,...

This was our first experience of Spanish tapas and we weren't disappointed. Tuesday evening at 6.30pm and the place was very busy, so we knew it was popular. The meal was £13.95 for a tapas board with 3 dishes, so between us we had 6 dishes on two tapas boards. As it was Tapas Tuesday, we also had a free glass of wine. The food didn't disappoint, it was extremely tasty with the right level of spice for a first time tapas customers. There was sufficient food for both of us, especially with a side of garlic ciabatta. Adam our server, was helpful with ordering, his energy and enthusiasm was outstanding, making sure the orders went out promptly and checking that everything was to our liking. Bearing in mind how busy the place was, he showed first class customer service. It was a great experience and when we're back in Morpeth, another visit is on the cards....

Visited on Wednesday early evening. Table of two. One GF. Ordered at the bar. V slow. Was told they didn't have any sparkling water. Didnt realise that was an unusual request! GF food arrived promptly and looked OK. My burger and chips arrived 25 minutes late. Tasteless. My order had been forgotten apparently. Apologies given but told they were new staff and still training. That is not a good enough reason. If you're open to serve then you should be fully prepared. They were very quiet at that time, so goodness knows what it's like when busy. A lot of people who came in after us waited ages for food and some people got the wrong order. We were offered a free dessert but it was rubbish. You have to pay up front otherwise I would have refused to pay for my food. Place is understaffed for the size and menu is too big. Won't be going back...