The Stables Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Stanley

Oh dear! It’s a shame when a great restaurant lets itself down. Having spent a lovely day at Beamish museum my family and friends decided to go to the stables for an early dinner (I say decided, what actually happened was our 6yo niece insisted upon it). Upon arrival we were greeted at the door and asked to go down to the stand where “the lady” would seat us. When we got there there was no lady nearby so the waitress that greeted us sat us. (Not a good start as she forgot to give us menus and we had to ask for them). Upon getting our menus we were told that we were too early for the dinner menu and would have to order from the lunch menu. As we were discussing what we would have my wife noticed that some people were being served burgers and a pasta dish that were not on our menu so she left the table to see what was going on upon which she found a chalkboard that displayed all of our options to us. After what seemed like an age (it was probably about 15 mins) our waitress arrived to take our orders as she thought that “somebody else has already taken them” (she was the only person waiting tables in a very quiet restaurant). Within 5 mins our drinks had arrived (I asked for a pint of water that I am still waiting for now) and we began to drink. Then our wait began…. After about 45 mins the waitress came to our table to apologise as something had gone wrong and our order had gone through as an order for an earlier time and the kitchen hadn’t started to make things. (As you can imagine this is not good when you have 3 hangry children). Mercifully the children’s food was brought out within the next 10 mins so they could start to eat (they all had cheesy garlic bread which they all said was delicious). As our waitress was setting tables for later my daughter and I overheard her telling a waiter that our table had waiting a long time and to just “get the food out when it was ready”. As a result of this the adults get their meals (although I got pie and chips when I ordered pie and mash but at this point I didn’t want to confuse things anymore) and two of the three children were given their mains in good time. The waitress also said that due to the mess we would get a 50% discount on our meals (this was a nice gesture given how poor things had been so far). The adult had all finished their meals before the final children’s meal arrived (apparently chicken goujons and chips takes 15 mins to cook). As my youngest started to eat her meal she told us that her chips were salted (this is something that we insist and requesting restaurants not to do as there is no need to salt anyone’s food never mind a child’s meal). My wife found a waiter (trust me it was a challenge) and told him what was wrong. He immediately took the chips away and returned with some unsalted chips within 2 mins. He also said the he had applied a 25% discount to our meal due to their error (apparently the previous 50% was actually 15% and the waitress had gotten it wrong). After the final child was finished we asked for the bill only to find that one of the children’s meal had been charged at adult prices which then had to be corrected before we could pay. At the end of the meal the waitress apologised and claimed that they are not normally this bad but they have a new till system (why is it always the till’s fault?). If I’m honest with you I was glad to leave as I haven’t had a dining experience this poor ever before and it will take a long time before I am prepared to trust The...

Absolutely horrendous experience.

We visited this establishment for my mother in law’s birthday in December. The food was nice (service really slow).

Upon exiting the venue, I escorted a family member who has had 2 major operations to the toilet. The toilets were up a steep flight of stairs and the individual couldn’t manage. I went to the bar and asked where the disabled toilets were. The response was, “ you need to go to the main hotel!”

My husband and I walked ahead to the hotel whilst another family member drove the individual round to the main hotel. When we arrived the receptionist was disgusted we’d been sent there- there was disabled toilets in the restaurant. She called back to the stables and discovered the toilets were in working order.

In the meantime, we received a call from my husbands brother to say they were driving his mum home as she didn’t want the hassle. This meant a very uncomfortable 30 minutes drive for her.

The same night I lodged a complaint via Facebook messenger to which I received a response WITHIN 12 HOURS. They advised me they were investigating…

1 week…

2weeks…

3 weeks…

I chased them and received an email back saying the inbox wasn’t manned. Which was strange as they responded via that mailbox within 12 hours and they knew they had an open complaint?????

The email I got back was somewhat rude. Basically, they were confused as to why my mother in law just didn’t use the toilets in the main building! Completing missing the point that they directed someone who had a disability away from their closest access to a toilet.

I would urge anyone who does have a disability not to attend this place. We won’t be back. We are also in the process of reporting this establishment formally as no person should go through that. And to make matters worse there has been no acceptance or responsibility or no attempt to make...

A once-beloved institution, The Stables Restaurant at Beamish Hall Estate, seems to have lost its way. Our family has shared many cherished meals and celebrated special occasions here over the years, and it's with great sadness that I must now note its decline. The establishment, once known for its beautiful surroundings and spectacular food, has regrettably been reduced to offering cheap, uninspired pub grub. The recent changes have stripped the restaurant of its unique charm and character. The menu is a shadow of its former self, with the quality of the food drastically diminished. My father, a vegetarian, was offered a solitary, unappetizing frozen burger, a stark contrast to the diverse options previously available. The afternoon tea, too, has been downgraded to a confusing, build-your-own affair, lacking the traditional elegance and variety one would expect. Beyond the food, the very ambiance has changed for the worse. The staff who served us were cold and impersonal, lacking any of the warmth and engagement we were accustomed to. Even the new bakery items and cakes are remarkably overpriced for what they are, reflecting a confusing and misguided new direction for the restaurant. It's truly a heartbreaking downgrade. The stunning building and grounds remain, but the heart of the restaurant—the exceptional food and welcoming atmosphere—is gone. The Stables is now an overpriced, personality-less establishment, a pale imitation of its former self. Unless there is a significant return to its previous standards, I fear it will continue to lose the loyal patronage of...