Restaurant in Chester-le-Street

Lovers of Italian food are well-served by restaurants in the Chester-le-Street area. A gastro pub specialising in Italian recipes, the Tavistock Italia at The Board Inn on Penshaw View, Birtley, has all the comforts of a countryside tavern alongside a menu packed with sunny Mediterranean flavours – try the chicken with creamy mushroom sauce or a helping of fruity panna cotta. At the other extreme, San Lorenzo on New Road in the suburb of Harraton is a chic contemporary venue where you can feast on garlic potato skins and arancini (fried rice balls with savoury stuffing), all fragrant with herbs from the old country.

You'll find lots of picturesque British restaurants in and around Chester-le-Street, too. If you've a hankering for period character and nostalgic dishes, then The Mill House on Blackfell Way in the Armstrong district really fits the bill. Old favourites like devilled kidneys, mussels in leek and ale sauce and smoked haddock with new potatoes rustle up a taste of traditional England. It's the same story with The Bank on Durham Road in Low Fell, with its original mid-19th century features, homemade pies, aged steaks, sizzling roasts and seasonal veg.