The Raby Hunt Restaurant and Rooms Shortlist*
Summerhouse, Co. Durham
Good Hotel Guide Review
Way above par, James Close, a former golf professional and self-taught chef, has scored two Michelin stars for his simple, visually stunning cooking. His tiny restaurant-with-rooms, in a creeper-covered 19th-century drover’s inn (Grade II listed), is in a rural hamlet. An open-view kitchen in the modern restaurant allows diners to watch the drama as a busy team prepares 15 to 18 courses for the tasting menu. Up close, the Kitchen Table has front-row seats for six diners. A chocolate skull is a theatrical finale to plate after palate-thrilling plate – dishes such as razor clam, almond and celeriac, Wagyu sandu, mango with yuzu and coconut tart. Stay for breakfast: there are three contemporary, comfortable bedrooms.
Hotel details
Address
Summerhouse
Darlington
Co. Durham
DL2 3UD
England
Telephone
01325 374237
Bedrooms
3.
Open
all year, except Christmas, New Year, restaurant closed Sun, Mon, Tues.
Facilities
free Wi-Fi, in-room TV, restaurant (wheelchair accessible).
Background music
in restaurant.
Children
not under 12.
Dogs
not allowed.
Credit cards
Amex, MC, Visa.
Prices
per room B&B from £195. Tasting menu (15–18 courses) £140 per person, Kitchen Table menu £170 per person.
Last updated:
May 25, 2020